It All Falls Down
Author's Note: This was a gift request by dw6fanmanxd on ao3. Don't question the background details too deeply. That'll ruin the emotions of it. :)
The point is that you're not supposed to know any more than Rex does. :D
~ Amina Gila
Rex already knew what happened. Everyone did, but that doesn't mean he really understood, or accepted it. It was something out of a horror story, one of those things too far-fetched to be real or even imagine. He knew it, but somehow, he never believed it. He never could have thought it possible.
But sure enough, when he as the rest of the 501st finally emerge from hyperspace, he sees a column of smoke rising from what's left of what once was the towering structure of the Jedi Temple. Because the Temple is gone now.
It's all... gone.
All of it. Everyone. Even the formerly towering structure itself is nothing but smoking ruins.
Because the Jedi were accused of treason, and they were executed for it.
Rex knows better. He knows it's a lie. It has to be. His General would never participate in such a thing. Anakin cared about the Republic, in many ways, far more than anyone else Rex has ever known.
His General was always different in that way, and he has survived so much. Rex wants to believe he survived this somehow, too, but it's easier not to think about it at all.
It's easier to focus on figuring out exactly what happened, and getting answers from the very limited number of people he knows he can trust.
Which is why he goes to speak with Senator Amidala right away. He... knows her and his General were close, even if he doesn't fully understand the nature of their relationship.
Rex knows... very little about emotions, if he's being honest, though after raising Ahsoka – even if she was his Commander – he's come to understand them far better, and he can see the Senator is clearly distraught when he arrives.
"Rex," she greets, blinking a few times, like it's taking her a few moments to process. He can't judge her; he's having the same problem. "It's – good to see you're alright."
"We've heard the rumors," he tells her, "I just wanted... to know what really happened."
Her expression twists. She looks like she's been crying. He probably will himself once the past few hours finally catch up to him. Right now, it still feels like he's walking in a daze. "I – I don't know. No one really does. It was all so fast."
A gnawing sense of anxiety twists inside him. What happened? What could have happened? How... "I know." How could his brothers have been willing to do something like this? How could they have been willing to fire on the Jedi Temple, the place that housed their generals? The entire building is just... gone.
Through all the things Rex has lost in the war, all the brothers he's seen die, not once did he expect to lose his General. But he doesn't know with certainty Anakin is dead, though if he finds he is, clinging to the hope will destroy him entirely.
"They claim Anakin committed treason," she murmurs, sinking onto the couch.
Rex follows her slowly, hesitantly, feeling like he's intruding, but he's uncertain what else to do. She didn't directly invite him in, but it was a given. It's not like he understands very much about... what citizens – or people in general, consider polite.
"I know my General would never do such a thing," Rex tells her with conviction, because it's true. He does, and he believes that blindly. It's the one thing he could never question, even if he doesn't always know what to think about the Jedi Council and the rest of them. Not after the 501st lost their commander. Not after Umbara, even, though those doubts were never prevalent.
"They said he was spying on the Chancellor," Senator Amidala continues, and all Rex can think is that can't be right, because he knows his General was close with the Chancellor. They had some sort of friendship, and even if Rex often wasn't sure what to think about it, he never questioned it. Of course, Anakin did. He's the only person any of the clones knew who was able to fit right in with them as if he was just another brother, no matter what his rank was. No matter how powerful he was.
"He would never do that," Rex reiterates, fiercely. It doesn't make sense. And even if he was, there would have to be some kind of investigation, right? They couldn't just declare an Order of tens of thousands of people traitors, just like that.
"I don't believe he would, either," she murmurs, "But somehow, the Senate believed it."
Rex knows what happened next. He doesn't even need to ask, but there's still a part of him that needs to know.
"It was proposed by... the Senator of Glee Anselm," Senator Amidala tells him. The name is vaguely familiar. It's the home planet of the Nautolans.
Rex remembers seeing a holo of him once before. He was one of the Senators that his General never seemed to have a high opinion of. Rex can't remember the name, but the Nautolan was scarred and often seemed angry... perhaps because of a battle from long ago on his own planet. He had a good relationship with people in the Senate who were pushing for the war to continue.
And Rex also remembers that his General didn't like him, and that's all he needs to know to make a judge about the Senator himself. And that was before, back before the Jedi were... lost. It still doesn't seem possible. "Do you know of any survivors?" he inquires.
"There were a couple younglings able to escape, whom I helped transport off world," she replies, "Other than that, we have heard nothing."
"I will see what I can find," Rex decides, standing. He doesn't know if his General is still in there, or – but he has to go look for him. He has to try. Anakin would do the same for him, has done the same for him countless times, even in the beginning of the war. Even when no one else would have. And he doesn't know Senator Amidala personally, but she... meant a lot to Anakin. Rex may not understand much about nat-born lifestyle, but he has to offer this much, at least. "Let me know if you need anything."
"Just find him," she requests, and there's the faintest tremor in her voice. "If you can."
**w**
The damage to the Temple up close looks so much worse. The entire structure is in ruins, the towers that once dotted the skyline completely demolished. And it's swarming with clone troopers, who are digging through the rubble, searching for survivors... likely to terminate them.
And Rex doesn't understand how they can do this, except... Perhaps there was more to what Fives was saying only months ago, after all. He'll think about it more later. Right now, he has to find Anakin.
He doesn't want to think about what it would mean if... he doesn't find him. Rex knows what probably happened, and though for all that he wants confirmation, he's not fully sure he wants it, either. But if anyone could have survived that, it would have been Anakin.
Nothing has ever been able to take him down.
The smoke in here is thick as he makes his way into one of the collapsing hallways, careful not to disturb anything. Hopefully, the debris have settled enough that it won't start collapsing if he moves wrong. Although from the looks of it, he thinks whoever wasn't crushed or later shot by the clones was probably killed in the fires that burned through here when it was being blown up.
It's bad, and he can't imagine how he would feel if... if he saw something like this happen to Kamino, his home.
He has to be careful to avoid the clones, though, and as he goes deeper within, it's becoming harder and harder to breathe from the lingering smoke. At least his helmet filters out most of it.
And it's then he suddenly hears something. There's... someone moving close by, in the dark, still-partly standing hallway he just entered. There are other bodies on the floor, covered in blood, but he doesn't look at them, flicking on the light on his helmet to scan his surroundings.
If he saw his General, he'd know on the spot. He can... feel him, sometimes, when Anakin uses the Force. The air is always hotter around him, in a certain way he doesn't fully understand. He feels none of that now. (Would it still feel like that if he was gone?)
A lightsaber activates, suddenly, and Rex narrowly dodges the blue blade swinging for his head.
It's not a Jedi he recognizes – the man has tan skin, and dark hair that's turning grey; he's obviously quite old. There are bloodstains on his clothes, too. He was probably injured already.
"I'm not here with the others," Rex tells him hastily, holding up his hands – hopefully, he'll be able to convince the Jedi of that.
"Then what?" he queries, suspiciously. Something about his clothes look very un-Jedi-like, now that Rex's paying attention, not that it makes any difference right now.
"I'm looking for my General."
"Why? To kill him, like the others?"
"I wasn't on-planet when the attack happened," Rex objects. He, somehow, has to convince this Jedi of that much. "I don't know how my brothers could have done this, either."
"You're expecting me to believe that?" he demands, eyes narrowed.
"I'll help you get out," Rex offers, "I thought Jedi could... sense truth?" At least, Anakin had always been able to.
The Jedi relaxes, but only slightly. "Is there a way out?"
"I found one in," Rex replies. So they should be able to get out. Hopefully.
He nods, curtly. "Let's get moving." Something about his word choice often seems... less formal than the Jedi Rex's used to.
"Who's your general?" the Jedi asks, as they've made it through a few halls, then have to quickly take a turn to a different path at the sound of footsteps approaching. Clones are searching this area already. Did they see him enter?
"Anakin Skywalker," Rex replies, "Did you... see him anywhere?" He doesn't know if he truly wants the answer to that, even if he needs it. The thought of Anakin being gone is... It's different than it is for any of his brothers. Maybe because it's always seemed so impossible; because his General was always there, and he was the one person Rex thought always would be. He was the one person Rex actually let himself get attached to – he had tried not to hang on to any of his other brothers before, even if the bonds he'd formed unintentionally with Cody, Fives, and Echo had been deep.
"I didn't," he replies, "Never did get the chance to meet him."
Rex doesn't know if he's more disappointed or relieved at the answer. It means... there's still a chance that his General is out there. But he also knows nothing definite, and at this point, there won't be a way to find out, either. They have to get out of here, before they're caught.
"The name's Rael Aveross," the Jedi introduces himself, finally.
The identity means nothing to Rex, but he nods in acknowledgement as they keep moving.
**w**
It feels no more real than it has all this time, when Rex goes with Rael to meet up with Bail Organa. He's one of the other Senators they know they can trust, who's apparently been helping other survivors get to safety. There's only one other one there when they arrive: Aayla Secura.
Rex remembers working with her a couple times throughout the war. When Anakin was there. And Rex still has no idea what happened to him. Or if he's ever going to find out. Probably, he should just accept that.
Rex knows he needs to accept the likelihood of – of what probably truly happened to his General, because clinging to a useless hope that he's alive will only make it harder when he finds out the inevitable. But it seems so unreal. Nothing could take down his General in the past, and he can't imagine how that could've changed now. Even if Anakin would've wanted to stay behind and help as many people escape as he could.
It would be less torturous if Rex could know. It doesn't help that he doesn't know if he ever will know.
"What's the situation?" Secura asks, pacing back and forth in Senator Organa's ship. Rex watches, helmet under his arm.
"The Chancellor was killed in the attack," Organa replies, gravely, "He was visiting the Temple when the vote took place – and they were unaware of his presence there. His body was finally recovered only yesterday, confirming his death. Many are claiming that the Jedi killed him intentionally, despite the evidence to the contrary."
How much of this was just set up? Rex doesn't understand. What would they have to gain by turning on the Jedi like this and destroying them? He's been fighting for the Republic for years – it's what he was made to do, but now...
This isn't what he was fighting for the Republic to become. Even if there's a part of him that still demands loyalty to what was always his duty. But how can he when they've done this? When it's on them that Anakin died? Anakin who always did anything for them; everything he did was for the Republic, and... It doesn't make sense. And Rex can't stay here, or stand with this any longer, even if he doesn't know where to go or what to do instead.
"All survivors are being hunted down," Senator Organa continues, "I am afraid you will have no choice but to go into hiding."
"We gathered as much," Secura responds.
"Can't believe they're all standing for this," Rael says.
"It is hard to fathom," Bail agrees, "The Senate is voting for a new Chancellor, and the Nautolan Senator who pushed for this to begin with is running. Only time will tell where this will go."
"What of the Separatists?" Rex interjects. He doesn't understand how the Republic thinks they're going to fight them now, with all the Jedi gone.
"They have already elected a new leader to replace Dooku," Bail replies, "Former Senator Avi Singh of Raxus."
Something about Rael's expression twitches slightly at the name Dooku.
"I do not understand how nearly all the clones could have stood for this either," Secura murmurs.
"I do not know if they did," Rex interjects. He doesn't have any definitive proof that the chips are actually forcing the clones to follow these commands, and he doesn't know why his didn't activate, but it's still a chance. Then again, he was busy fighting when it happened and wasn't able to take any transmissions, even from Coruscant. "The information was classified during the war, but the Kaminoans have chips planted in all clones. There is... some evidence that their function may actually be to... control our actions." He can't even imagine what that would be like. It's so outlandish, but at the same time it's...
He can't say it's impossible. There had to be something to what Fives was saying.
And he knows, on some level, what it truly means to be property. Krell had reminded him of that, of how Anakin is so much different than the other Generals, and Rex has no idea how many of his brothers have to face what he did under Krell, all the time.
It was worse, that that was happening right after... Zygerria. Knowing slavery was a thing and facing it the way he had there was completely different. He knew how shaken the General had been afterwards, and Rex has rarely never seen him like that before. Not about anything. Usually, after they've lost so many of the boys, he's the one trying to make them feel better. Even if sometimes, Rex thinks Anakin knew some of those fallen better than he himself did.
Rex could never forget the sheer helplessness he had felt there, trapped on Kadavo. When they had no way out because no one was trained, and... He was determined to find a way, but in the end, he knew that Anakin would come for them if he could.
And he did. Of course, he did. But now, Rex has no idea if he'll ever see him again.
But he already knows what he's going to do now. If his brothers are being controlled against their will, forced into this, he will find a way to free them. At the very least, he will give them a choice on if they want to stay fighting for what the Republic's become now, or if they want to... leave.
This will mean he's technically a deserter, but it is what it is now. He'll free as many brothers as he can, and then, he doesn't know what they'll do after that.
"If any of you require assistance remaining in hiding, I will provide you what I can," Senator Organa adds. "Although I am afraid right now, the safest places for you to be may soon be the Separatist systems. With the rising tensions in the Senate, I believe more and more systems will be joining them."
Go to the Separatists?
That, Rex can never imagine doing, though Organa has a point.
Maybe they'll have to find somewhere to hide eventually, but for now, Rex has another fight. This time, it's a fight he's choosing. There's a strange sense of meaning behind that, that he hardly even understands. Rex will be starting alone in this. He won't have Anakin right beside him like he always has.
He'll find a way to free as many of his brothers as he can, and maybe somewhere on the way, he can keep searching for his General.
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