Seventy One

"You look like hell."

Rex knew the voice and looked up, attempting to straighten in his chair as he did.

"Sir, I - "

"Relax Rex," he said as he placed a leg over the bench and sat opposite his captain, "I'm just here to get a cup of caf and catch up on how the 501st is progressing?"

"All good sir. Just finalised the last two recruits to Torrent."

"Anyone interesting," Anakin asked as he took a loud slurp from his mug.

"A sniper and another medic."

"Sniper?"

"A good one too," Rex remembered the encounter with the sniper from 215. In hindsight, he should have allowed all three to go through. He knew he had been somewhat unreasonable, but he couldn't go back, not now, not on principle. The general smiled and nodded. Rex could tell that Anakin was leading towards something more personal. His awkwardness obvious only to the man sitting opposite him.

"I expect you enjoyed your time on Oriis captain?"

Rex froze. He and Anakin shared a 'unique' relationship; one that had kept both of them alive in situations where the ordinary would fail. The two stared off at one another.

Both now knew that each had a relationship outside the confines of the army.

It was one-upmanship on behalf of the General.

The only difference being that Rex was more open about his relationship with the young Representative.

It was the captain who moved first, rising slowly from the table.

"If you'll excuse me general, I haven't slept in over twenty nine hours, and I am tired."

"You do know I didn't want to leave you on Umbara, don't you?"

It was the first time they spoke of it since meeting back on the tarmac at Ground Zero.

"There has never been any doubt sir."

Rex looked down and clasped his hands together."Let's finish the fekking war once and for all, so we can both go home."

Anakin nodded and stood before he extended his hand. Rex grabbed it and for the first time, pulled the tall Jedi into him, the way the Mandalorian's had done for hundreds of years.

Umbara was over.

It was time for the war to be as well.

.

Didge was pacing the room, his fingers constantly moving across one another, the skin on both hands red from being overworked. Whisk walked in and saw his distraught brother.

"Hey, come on. We knew this day might come."

"We go together remember, it was always supposed to be that way," he was exasperated.

Whisk placed his medkit down on his cot. Sats was taking a dip for the rest of the afternoon, and would be back by morning.

"Can't you do anything?"

Whisk continued to unpack, thinking of what more he could do to help Didge come to terms with their new reality.

"Whisk!"

"Sats will be OK, wherever he gets sent," he was trying to be pragmatic, hard as it was.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?"

"There's nothing I can do," Whisk retaliated, "we knew this could always happen. It was never a given that we would stay together!"

A sound escaped the sniper. Whisk turned quickly to see the strongest member of the trio break.

He always knew that Didge was hanging on a precarious edge; he had the perfect personality to be the sniper in the unit, that edge making him the most ruthless killer. Looking at him now, hands covering his face as he wept openly about something he had no control over tore the medic in two. He too, was caught between keeping an eye on Didge while worrying about what was going to happen to Sats.

Whisk could do nothing. He looked back at his medkit while slowly unclipping his armour, placing each piece in a neat pile on the floor next to his foot locker.

Tomorrow they would be leaving.

.

"Show me." There was a certain level of playfulness in his voice.

"Show you what?"

"You know. I want to see it again."

"It? Oh, that's nice!"

"Come on, just a peek?"

She couldn't resist him, especially now.

The blue holographic image of her captain flickered as she lifted her top up to reveal the slight swelling where their child was ensconced. Gem ran her hand around her belly, emphasizing to Rex where the foetus was situated.

"You look beautiful."

She looked up into the hand held unit and smiled. "Have you finished on Kamino?"

"Yes, we leave in the morning."

"Are you coming home?"

Rex chuckled, "I am home Gem, but yes, we are back to Coruscant before being reassigned."

"I have a meeting with Olphina tomorrow."

"Good luck. I'll see you both when we get in, after we settle the new men."

"We'd like that."

He laughed low and quietly before smiling and signing off.

.

"Sir?"

It was Kix.

Again.

Rex had managed to get six consecutive hours sleep and was well rested. He knew exactly where the medic was going to start. Kix was like a female gundark guarding it's pups, he would never give up on a cause and the last three candidates were now his new litter.

"Not now Kix."

"Sir," he said loud and clear, Rex slumped a little and turned to face his oldest friend. The captain had to stop him once and for all.

"Listen, I know what you are going to ask and the answer is no. I am not adding candidate 43 to the list and that is final. End of discussion," he turned and continued towards the Hanger Bay door. He was due to head back to Coruscant alongside Anakin and Ahsoka on the Twilight.

Kix knew Rex meant it, but without thinking he took a step after the captain.

"Sir, if you could just listen to me for a minute."

"NO!" Rex moved close to the medic and removed his helmet.

"You may have put me back together more times that I care to remember, but I will, repeat, will put you on report if you don't let this go. He is a fine soldier and will be posted accordingly. Do I make myself clear?"

The medic was used to getting his own way regarding a medical situation, outranking Rex on a number of occasions. He somewhat foolishly thought he could keep this group together.

They were brothers after all.

But this time he knew he was defeated.

"I said, are we clear, CT-5586?"

Kix straightened and stood at attention, "Sir, yes sir."

Rex waited, studying the man in front of him. Kix didn't flinch, his eyes transfixed on the exit sign written in Aurebesh above the door to the Hanger area.

"Good. I'll see you back on Coruscant," Rex turned and disappeared under the red outlined sign.

Umbara came flooding back. The medic had been dealing with it internally since arriving on Coruscant.

The relentless noise from the battle, the sounds of the wounded followed by the silence of the dead.

He closed his eyes and mentally let it go.

He had to.

It was over.

He couldn't save them all.

.

Didge and Whisk were escorted to Ordinance at 0600 to collect their new weapons and armour. Minus the blue markings, they could have been posted with any unit, but they knew this was for real. The 501st being best of the best.

Their numbers were now written down as a part of history.

They had won their spot in the company, fair and square, but minus CT-43-5643.

Sats.

Their vat brother.

It was bittersweet.

.

Rex clipped his helmet to his waist band and stood with his hands clasped firmly in the small of his back and watched the small yacht arrive on Platform 3.

It was 0615.

He watched as the thrusters flared, bringing the craft down softly, followed by the ramp automatically lowering.

"Rex, K'oyacyi ner vod."

"Commander."

The more senior officer grabbed Rex's shoulders and gave them a friendly squeeze, "leave any good men for the 212th?"

Rex smiled at Cody. "There's a few you might like to consider, one in particular."

.

"Hey there Rexie," Ahsoka was sitting in the pilot's seat of the Twilight, flicking switches and setting the trip coordinates.

Rex crossed his arms over his chest, "I believe that's my seat you're sitting in?"

"Relax Captain, I was just warming it up for you," she said as she raised her rear out of the chair provocatively. Rex attempted to avert his eyes but not before he took in the perfect round derrière of the Togrutan. He cleared his throat as the red began to colour his cheeks.

"Welcome aboard Captain, ready for another hop?" They were interrupted by Anakin.

"Thank you General. Just let me perform the pre-flight check and we'll be under way in less than five minutes."

"Didn't Snips tell you? There's going to be a slight detour."

"Sir?"

"We aren't heading to Coruscant immediately, we have a rendezvous to make."

The words made Rex's stomach churn.

'Here we go again.' He looked up to see the young Padawan smile.

"We are heading to Scillal. There's has been some new intel on the shipyards there. Evidently they're making a fleet of new fighters, and we need to find out exactly who they're for. We'll have company for this trip," Anakin stepped aside and the black head of an ARC peered into the cockpit.

"Fives!" Rex was genuinely happy to see his friend again.

"Commander, Captain," he nodded with his trade mark laconic smile.

###

A/N: Thanks to Sly for beta'ing this last minute for me and making a few suggestions. Hmmm, Scillal, I wonder who else is heading there...?