Hey everyone! Happy last hiatus humpday! This is another request by Rebel Spectre 6!
I apologize in advance for how short the chapter is. I had a really hard time writing this. Shout out to cassturn93 for being a big help on the beginning. This would not have been on time without your help! Thanks a bunch! :)
Without further ado, let's get started! Please read the AN at the end. It's kind of important.
Summary: As Rex fights for his life when a mission goes wrong, he begins to reminisce about the Clone Wars. Then the horrible truth hits him.
If there was one thing Rex hated, it was traps. As he gunned down trooper after trooper, he tried to keep calm, even after Ezra's shoulder was hit by a blaster bolt. As Zeb got the kid back to the Ghost, Rex went into a state of mind that he went into back in the Clone Wars when he fought the droid army, except these were not droids. They were Stormtroopers, flesh and...
That was when the horrible truth hit Rex.
"You okay?"
Rex jumped. He turned to find Ezra standing in the doorway. His arm was in a sling and he looked really pale from blood loss. Other than that, he seemed fine. "Yeah," Rex replied. "Should you be out of the medbay yet?"
Ezra gave a one shouldered shrug. "Probably not."
Rex gave a half smile. "Does Hera know you're out of the medbay?"
Ezra took a split second glance at the hallway behind him?
"Uh... No?"
Rex chuckled. "Not yet."
"Yeah, she's going to be pretty upset when she finds out I'm out of bed. Don't worry. I feel fine, but you know how Hera is once she gets into mother hen mode." Ezra sat down in the common room next to Rex.
Suddenly, a gloved hand clamped onto Ezra's uninjured shoulder. Ezra swallowed thickly. "Uh... Hi, Hera! How are you?"
"Back to bed," Hera said sternly.
"But I feel fine!"
"I don't care. You lost a lot of blood and you need to be resting."
"Okay! I'm going! I'm going!"
Ezra gave a dramatic sigh as he left the room and headed back towards the Ghost's medbay. Slightly amused at the teenager's antics, Hera watched him to make sure he got there before turning back towards Rex. Her face fell when she saw Rex's distant expression. "Something bugging you?"
Rex shook his head. "I'm just deep in thought. That's all."
"What is it?" Hera asked, taking a seat on the couch next to him.
With a sigh, Rex spoke. "Fighting this war is nothing like fighting the Clone Wars. I mean, I knew that already. We're fighting against a government rather than fighting to preserve it, but I fought droids back then Hera. Now, I'm fighting actual people. I'm fighting people with families. I know it sounds stupid but-"
"It's natural," Hera said. "That's the hardest part about war. Enemy or not, killing is killing. It doesn't matter the reason."
Rex sighed. "I agree. Sometimes, I wish we were fighting droids again. I can't believe I'm saying this, but think the Separatists were onto something with the droids. If they had used sentients, there would have been even more lives lost. The numbers now aren't as high as they were when the Clone Wars ended, but they're rising."
Hera nodded. "All the more reason to end this war quickly.
As Rex returned to his cabin on the Liberator, he passed the bridge, where he overheard Vartoc and Sato talking.
"Commander, you need to reprimand Captain Syndulla. There may not have been any fatalities on our side aside from the injury of the little traitor, which I'm not counting, but the more Stormtroopers we remove from circulation, the better."
If Rex had the Force, he could easily sense Sato's well hidden rage. "I am sure, with all due respect General, that Captain Syndulla and her unit were trying to keep the losses down."
"I don't care! They're the enemy! They need to be destroyed."
"They're people, General. Enemy or not, they are people."
"You're really going to call those animals people? They act and think like droids!"
"But they aren't droids. I don't care what your orders are. We are here to defeat the Empire, not imitate it."
Rex gave a worried smile as he left, continuing to his cabin. Vartoc was certainly pissed but he was glad the leaders of Pheonix Squadron were willing to stand up to Vartoc. Sato was absolutely right. The day they sank down to the Empire's level was the day they lost the fight. The Stormtroopers had families. They had something the droid lacked. They had life. That was why Rex hated killing.
The price of war were costly enough without brutality from both sides.
Once again, I'm sorry for the shortness. It would appear I have contracted writer's block. Fun.
Next chapter will sadly be the last one. I ask that you give me some time on it since it will be like a little prologue to the premiere. I may not get the see the premiere right away and I'm busy with Homecoming and our first Marching Band Contest next week so it may be another week before it is up. I will do my best though. I'll be really sad when this is over, but happy because Rebels will be back!
Also, this will probably be Vartoc's last appearance in this story. However, this isn't the last you've seen of General Jackass. He will return someday, whether or not you want him to!
With that said, see you guys after the premiere.