Thirty Eight

The Zygerrian slavers were ruthless in their treatment of the Jedi.

They were ordered to break his spirit and would torment the Togrutan colonists from Kiros in an attempt to reach their target.

It was getting to him.

He could easily tolerate the long days, lack of sleep and hunger.

His training meant that he could draw upon his faith in the Force to see him through.

What he couldn't endure, was the torture of the gentle race, the senseless brutality towards the weaker man.

He knew what they were doing.

It was becoming harder to rely on this training to survive until the Republic located them.

He never gave up hope that someone would come to save them all, including the stoic Captain that was incarcerated along with him.

#

Rex knew that the General was taking the full brunt of the slaver's whip.

The Togrutans were becoming increasingly despondent, not wanting to be near the Jedi Knight as it would often mean a beating or some other humiliating punishment.

He watched with interest as the gentle men and woman would placidly go about their imprisonment.

He knew they were Ahsoka's people and would look at the older woman, knowing that she too, would one day be as mature and beautiful.

Along with the General, he had been whipped on numerous occasions.

Blood would trickle down his legs into his boots, his back aching from the criss cross pattern the Zygerrian's would delight in bestowing on his brown youthful skin.

Rex drew strength from Kenobi.

One evening he lay in the bunk opposite him. His arms crossed behind his head as he began to settle down for the night.

Rex did his final check, as usual, and looked across at the General to see despair creep fleetingly across his face.

He then quickly scanned the long line of bunks for any slavers, and satisfied they had a moment alone, pulled the small flimsie out from his belt.

"Sir," he whispered loudly.

Obi-Wan turned his head and faced him.

Rex was immediately taken aback by his sunken cheeks and the dark circles etched under his eyes.

"Begging your pardon General, this may help."

He placed the flimsie into Obi-Wan's hand and returned to his bunk, turning and facing the opposite direction just before another Zygerrian patrol passed.

Obi-Wan lay still, clenching his left fist so as not to be discovered.

Slowly he opened his hand, and looked at what Rex had handed him.

It was an image of the Captain with Gem.

It was well worn, the edges slightly tattered.

It was stained with dirt and something else, oxidised blood, he couldn't tell. He traced a worn path that he imagined was Rex's thumb imprint over the image of the woman, clearing her face of the fine dust.

A sob left his breath inadvertently.

He clutched the image to his chest.

It was what he needed.

The Captain had renewed his faith and he closed his eyes, the image tucked into his tunic and slept.

He had to regain his energy for when they would escape.

Anakin was coming.

He could sense it.

#

'Captain?" They were on the Hanger Deck of The Intrepid after liberation from Kadavo.

"Sir," Rex stopped, tired and sore from the hands of the Galactic Slavers.

"I thought you would like this back," he said handing over the piece of flimsie. Rex took the image and smiled at it.

"Thank you Sir."

"I'm sorry Captain."

"Sir?"

"I put you in a position in having to kill Agruss. Unfortunately our Faith as Jedi is at complete odds with this war." He appeared distant as they continued to slowly walk towards the Infirmary.

"That's alright Sir. I was created to do no less."

Kenobi stopped and looked at Rex. It was a strange answer and one he would never imagine coming from the Captain.

"Yes, yes," he replied. Rex tucked the image back behind his belt and studied the General. Rex could see that this mission had been especially hard for the Jedi General. Loss of weight, sleepless nights and mental torture on top of the physical had taken its toll. Yet, they were both men, and for just a moment, Obi-Wan forgot his place in the Republic hierarchy. "You love her don't you?"

"Sir!" Rex stood to as close to attention his wounds would allow, not knowing how to answer the question the General was asking.

"My apologies yet again Captain," he bowed his head and wandered through the opened electronic doors, greeted by a B1 Medical Droid and the in flight medic, looking for the first time, as old as his felt.

#

It had been just over four weeks, and still no word from her Captain.

Gem had been back to Oriis, clearing out the underground lab that her father once spent long hours locked away in. It was her home after all. The bright lights and sterile walls more familiar to her than her own bedroom or new apartment on Coruscant.

Together with Dr Boll, they wasted no time in beginning to accumulate some of the laboratory equipment required to being the process of slowing the aging process of the clone army.

She was now back on Coruscant, back in the political spot light.

"So, did you enjoy your first term in the Senate Gem?"

"Well, it's not quite what I was expecting, there seems to be a lot of talking and not much action.

Olphina stifled a laugh. "Welcome to Coruscant and welcome to political life! You know I have been here near on two years and I am yet to feel truly satisfied that we, as a people have contributed anything towards the ending of the Clone Wars."

Gem hated hearing the term clone, and had always felt it derogatory.

These were humans, manufactured or not and deserved the right that they seemed to have been robbed in the process of being utilized as a pawn in the quest for power.

Just who's power Gem was yet to determine.

They continued to walk towards the main Senate Building, enjoying the daylight in the Plaza, the artificial parks and gardens lining their route back to work.

"Senator Carr, Representative Gem," it was Senator Organa from Alderaan.

"Senator, it is indeed an honour to see you again." Olphina moved forward and extended her elegant hand to the more senior politician.

"There are few items I would like to address with you both, at some point we would like you to join a subcommittee that Senator Amidala and I are both serving on."

"It would be a pleasure to serve in any capability."

"I will organise a meeting for you to both to join me in the next few days to discuss our, how should I put it, specific interests?"

"We will await your invitation Sir."

They both stood together and watching the tall figure disappear along the path.

"I wonder what that is all about?" Olphina mused.

#

He was lying on his stomach as she woke and crawled up onto his back, taking in his warmth and musky scent.

Running her fingers over his shoulders he murmured and stretched under her touch.

"Morning," he yawned.

"Morning yourself," she said kissing his neck.

It was then she noticed the thin white scars lining his back. She traced over them with her fingers. Looking down the length of his torso, she caught sight of more across the backs of his legs, across both calves.

"These scars are new?" she asked. It had been over two lunar months since they had been together.

Rex rolled, pushing her off him and back onto her side of the bed. He sat up quickly on the edge, his head down.

Gemma nestled up behind him, her legs on either side of his body, her arms entwined around his midriff.

Kissing him again softly on the back of his neck she asked.

"Where were you Rex. Where did these come from?"

"Kadavo. A Zygerrian slave camp."

"A slave camp!" He knew that tone now and what usually followed, "And they whipped you?"

"That's usually what happens when you are a slave." He tried to smile, turning his head to meet her gaze. She didn't appreciate him trying to make light of his recent mission.

"How much more can your body take?"

"The Bacta fixed it. They're just scars now Gem," he said nonplussed.

"How much more can they put you through?" she was exasperated.

Rex shrugged his shoulders, usually his signal to move onto another topic.

She didn't want to let this one go however.

"Rex," Gem said quietly, "you say the word and you can change that blue for red and become a Coruscant guard along with Fox. You could be my - "

"No way, you wouldn't?" He cut her off short, his voice raising.

"I can and I would, in a heartbeat if it meant you were safe."

He stood and began pulling on his black trunks, looking for his bodysuit.

"Fek!" He said without apologising.

"Oh, OK, so now who is acting like a twelve year old?"

"Don't you ever say that to me again," he said vehemently pointing his index finger at her.

"Rex, you know what I am offering you? A future. A future together. A normal life, away from all the fighting. They owe you that at least!"

"This is the life I was bred for Gemma, or have you forgotten that?" He was angry now.

"Skywalker is going to get you killed?" she spat out.

"He's saved my life more than once I'll remind you." He was trying hard to control the tone of his voice.

"He's a wild card Rex and you know it, I can sense it."

"Oh, here we go! Don't you get all Force happy on me now, not when you hate the Jedi so much. Have you ever thought that this is all I want?" he yelled the last sentence out at the top of his voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, now who's acting like a kriffing Jedi? No to relationships and devoid of emotional attachments. Yes, let's tick that box," Gemma replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, well maybe the Jedi have the right idea? It just is what it is, nothing more. It's all I can offer. Don't get caught up on everything alright, this was never meant to be anything more OK?"

He was grabbing his pants and pulling them on angrily, looking for his tunic and boots. Gemma sat on the bed, now with a pillow to cover her body. She was angry, hurt at what he was saying. Her face was prickling with the emotion and the direction their conversation was heading.

"Just leave Rex. Go back to the barracks and your brother's, and when you decide to grow up let me know. "

He turned, not looking at her and snatched his comm and data pad off thebed side table and left.

#