A year ago I began posting this story, so a big chapter to celebrate. Well, by my standards anyway.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed - sage advice, editing, plot divergences, encouragement, reviews.

Just one question - where is my one Bulgarian reader? Come back, I miss you!

Seventy Five

Rex quietly ended the communiqué from Ground Zero and stored the message. It was the first variation, and being back with his general, not likely the last. Although he usually thrived on the unexpected where Anakin was concerned, Rex now had a new mission of his own.

To out live the war.

"We have a problem commander."

"A problem? I don't like the sound of that captain."

Rex relayed the information from HQ. They had six hours for the ARC to hack into the shipyards mainframe whilst the general used delay tactics, pretending to be a rich entrepreneur, interested in investing some clandestine money that needed to be hidden from the Republic. Anakin was the perfect front man; charming, intelligent and persuasive when the situation required it.

"That does change things," Ahsoka replied thinking. "We have to let Master know," she continued studying the message in front of her. "I hope you had no immediate plans to be back on Coruscant captain?" She was throwing out a lure, waiting for him to bite at the innuendo laced question.

"Not at all commander. Appo can take charge of the new recruits. I'll send a comm through to Fives and let them know to expect some visitors over the next few days."

"Do you think we could deliver the message in person?"

"Commander," he said warily, knowing that tone all too well, "we have our orders to stay put."

"I know Rex but - "

"But nothing Sir. We'll move, if we are ordered to do so."

"Now where's the fun in that?"

"Ahsoka, I - "

"I know, I know," exasperated, she plonked herself heavily into the co pilots chair and listened as Rex called it in.

.

The captain then spent the next two standard hours inspecting the exterior of the ship. He wanted to take a close look at the area where the spinning craft nearly caused them to crash land as well. He stood on the starboard side and pulled his gloves off and ran his hands along a series of obvious scorch marks.

"So they did get close?"

Ahsoka had stepped out and was watching him examine the area with interest.

"Yeah, I guess I wasn't as quick as I thought. No damage though."

"Just your ego?"

Rex laughed and Ahsoka smiled at the sound. Even though she was annoyed at having to stay with the ship, she was glad he was assigned to sit it out along with her.

"I was about to boil up some chig, interested in a cup?"

"Thanks, I'll be inside in a minute."

She stopped and turned back to him. "You're happy, aren't you?"

She had caught him unaware.

She watched Rex straighten and his mood change along with it. "I'm sorry captain, I have no right to ask you about your private life." He saw her montral's darken in embarrassment before she quickly returned to the safety of the ship.

Rex let out a long breath.

Just how had he got himself caught up in such a triangle of emotions?

Ahsoka was maturing into a skilled Jedi. Their friendship was still, testy, to say the least.

He had watched in pain after their liaison had crumbled, as she continued, seemingly without him, to work her way up the closeted Order. His feelings had been hurt and he had questioned his actions, along with his very existence. He then threw himself head first into the war and had thrived on the wild antics of his general, putting his own life on the line without second thought.

Until he met Gem.

The playing field had been changed again.

He owed Ahsoka everything.

Without her, he would never have known the intimacy denied him and every brother that the Republic had created.

Without her, he would be dead.

Emotionally as well as physically.

While she was unable to love, he was now free to pursue every aspect of the life she had opened up for him.

And now he was leaving something tangible behind. Even if by chance, he didn't see the war through, there would be a small part of him continuing forward, and for that, he would be forever grateful.

He smiled in spite of himself.

He had been hoping to head back into Coruscant to see her before taking the new unit out on its first hop. Gem would be leaving political life for five months, siting urgent family business on Oriis that needed attending to, and Senator Carr was only too happy to accommodate the lie for the sake of the young couple.

Rex hated that.

He hated not being able to talk about his relationship more openly and disliked the fact that other people were being compromised to cover their growing secret.

He dusted his hands together and bent down to pick up his gloves.

He stopped cold when he heard something fleeting and metallic in the bushes to his right. He concentrated hard for a minute before he gave up and headed back inside, an unsettling feeling creeping deep into his psyche.

.

It was early evening. Rex had taken the top half of his armour off and sent a comm out to the general.

"Right you are Sir. Ahsoka and I will await your progress report. Twilight out. 'Soka?"

"Out here captain." Rex headed down the ramp and saw the young Togrutan sitting legs crossed, deep in meditation.

"Oh, sorry commander."

"No problem Rex, just finished. What's up?"

"I have just spoken with General Skywalker. They've decided to go in during the night to get the intel before the CIS informant arrives in the morning. We'll wait for a message and head to the RV in around seven hours. I might secure the perimeter and take first watch."

"No, I'll do it, you look ready for a rest," she intonated to his black body suit.

Ahsoka didn't mention the weird disturbance she had felt since they arrived on Scillal. There was a definite Force signature that she just couldn't ignore. It had come and gone over the past four hours and she was hesitant to tell Rex about it until she knew more herself.

"Three hours ok," he warned.

"Sure," she replied staring off into the woods, "three hours." She turned and watched as he disappeared up the ramp. Ahsoka then pulled her cloak close around her shoulders, it was beginning to get cooler and as she walked the perimeter of the ship she noticed his gauntlets dropped under the area on the Twilight discoloured by heat.

'That's not like Rex,' she thought as she bent forward and picked them up. That's when she noticed it. The small corner of a flimsie peeking out of one. She quickly turned and made sure he wasn't around when she tugging the image she would never forget from the inside compartment.

This was it.

The reason for his little ritual before heading into battle.

A sense of sadness and loss grabbed at her heart.

He had moved on.

Why couldn't she?

.

Rex headed into the one sleeping quarters aboard the Twilight. He looked at the large cot and the hasty way it had been left. "Anakin," he mumbled as he pulled the bed clothes off and began to remake it. Satisfied it was military regulation, he removed his tell tale blue kama and lay his body down prone. Lifting his wrist up to set his chrono for three standard hours, he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander. . .

. . . "MMMmm," she murmured as he ran a hand along her thigh, "enjoy the shower?"

"I did. Enjoy your sleep?"

"Until someone woke me up," she rolled over and wrapped an arm around his neck.

"Tell me who and I'll put him on report," he said nuzzling her throat.

Gem laughed quietly as he continued to kiss her neck.

"Why do you love me again?"

Rex pulled back and looked at her in surprise, replaced by a rueful smile.

"Your tits," he answered truthfully before burying his head in her cleavage.

"Rex," Gem giggled, "come on, really."

"I'm serious," he laughed, "look at them, they're fantastic!"

She grabbed his head and pushed him off, all the while smiling at her lover.

Rex moved forward and gently kissed her. Looking at her squarely he said, "you offer me a future. I love this place," his eyes scanning the large room. "I can see myself here, with you, both," rubbing his hand over her bump. "There's a lot to do as well," he said excitedly. "The speeders in the garage are almost antique, they need a lot of work on them, also the inside needs updating, and don't even get me started about the perimeter fences, I could - "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, we'll have the rest of our lives to do all that!"

"All that, and more."

"My father would have liked you."

"I would have liked to have met him."

She went distant. Rex knew only too well the silent thoughts spent on those no longer around.

"I think about Echo, a lot," it came out of the blue, "now that you're pregnant." He rolled over and propped himself up onto an arm. "The fact that he never got to see his child. I never thought about not coming back before. Up until now it was what we were bred to - "

"Sshhh, I don't like it when you talk like that."

She leaned forward and grabbed his free hand, he clasped it tight, bringing it up to his mouth and kissing the back of hers before he let go and flopped over onto his back.

"You know Fives has a woman?"

"I'm sure Fives has many woman."

Rex laughed and pulled her into him. Resting on his shoulder he felt as normal as he had ever allowed himself.

"Thank you."

"Rex?"

"Thank you for choosing me," he whispered.

She didn't say anything.

Both had saved each other.

Her hand eventually found its way down his taunt abdomen before resting intimately against him. Rex let out a low growl, the type that usually meant things were about to get physical. She slowly manoeuvred around him, kissing and crawling up his body until she sat astride him.

"You are insatiable, you know that."

"Second trimester."

Rex continued to feel her warmth and gentle rocking until she elegantly lifted her hips to accommodate him entirely.

"Aaahhh," she sighed and closed her eyes at the feeling of completeness. Rex moved his brown hands up along her thighs and squeezed her hips playfully. He then ran them across her swollen abdomen before he cheekily moved his hand down between her legs, and allowed his fingers to join the rhythm.

Gem arched her back and entwined her hair with both hands in complete abandon, rocking hard against his hand.

She was at her most beautiful. Pregnancy agreed with the young Oriian. She had gained a few pounds, and Rex enjoyed the femininity of her new, fuller figure.

"Steady Gem'ika," he removed his hand and ran both up to hold her heavy bosoms, "just fantastic," he muttered as she continued to writhe against him.

Fuelled by lust and an abundance of hormones, Gem continued until her eyes involuntarily closed and she cried out his name.

"I think you just woke up the whole house," Rex said as he too let his body join hers in release.

"I love you forever."

Darasuum . . .

. . .Beep beep beep

Rex's eyes popped open.

He was back on the Twilight.

Resigned, he cleared his throat and stood uncomfortably, moving parts of his lower armour to accommodate what his subconscious had physically initiated.

The three innocent pings had heralded the end of his rest period and the beginning of second watch.

'Fek,' he muttered as he reattached his full kit, clipping his utility belt and holstering his pistols.

.

Anakin and Fives crouched down low and watched the night patrol head past.

"I could take them," Anakin muttered as his hand went to his right hip.

"Wait Sir. They'll pass and the light will take approximately 20seconds to return. We could enter in that time."

"You're just like Rex. You know that?"

A smile crept across Fives' face. He was enjoying this mission up to date with the general. They had decided not to risk Anakin being recognised by whoever the CIS was sending in to inspect the shipyards the following day. They would be in and out and at the RV in no less than six hours with a contingency of one. It was 2200 and the yards were in lock down until 0600 when the first of the workers would sign on.

"OK, now!" Fives was up first and led the way. Anakin followed and passed the ARC, pressing his back hard into the wall as Fives began working on the keypad and security system.

Click

"We're in," he whispered as he tentatively opened the heavy durasteel door and they both stepped inside.

"Whoa, what I'd do to get behind one of those baby's," it didn't get any better for an ARC.

The massive hanger housed five almost finished Attack class Frigates.

Anakin didn't say anything. His jaw set rigid as he scanned the area, looking for an office or communications hub for the ARC to break into.

"There," he pointed to the half way point. Fives went to move out when he was grabbed by his pauldron.

"Wait, security camera, 2 o'clock."

Fives head swung around and mentally calculated a hidden path to the camera and whispered. "I'll head around and loop the CCTV, and then we'll have a clear path to the first frigate. We'll continue to fix the cameras until we can get into the office unnoticed."

"Copy that," Anakin replied. Fives turned around and looked at the general. Anakin shrugged his shoulders, "what?"

"Nothing sir," Fives replied with a smirk.

Methodically Fives looped four camera's taking the better part of two hours. Anakin was growing restless, this wasn't his MO. He was riding shot gun on this mission, having nothing more to do other than watch the clone work. He much preferred to go in, light sabre blazing and slash his way out of any situation, and being a Jedi he thought himself above all this cloak and dagger work.

Fives on the other hand was in his element.

The less people firing lasers at him, the better. He was feeling overly confident after Casparar and with the general covering his back, he felt almost invincible.

"We're in." With those two words they had managed to unlock the main office. Fives went in ahead and placed his kit down on the desk and began frantically typing on the keyboards in front of him.

"Amateurs," he muttered as he continued to watch screens flash in front of him. Anakin peered over his shoulder.

"Got anything?"

"Give me a parsec will ya," before he added "Sir," and after forty, long minutes scrolling through pages of information he whispered, "gotcha."

Skywalker couldn't believe his eyes. "Dooku? Dooku ordered these Frigates?"

"He might have ordered them, but we payed for them. Look." They both continued to read the intel highlighted on the screen before Fives placed a memory stick into the hard drive and pressed the flashing SAVE icon. They both sat back silent and watched as the long rectangular bar began to fill in front of them.

"We've got about three hours of download time, barring any interruptions," Fives said as looked back at his general.

"Fek," was the only reply, and Fives couldn't help but laugh.

.

"Ahsoka?"

Rex walked down the ramp, clipping his pauldron back into place. "Ahsoka," a little louder as he began to jog around the ships boundary, turning his helmets sensors on high to pick up any sign of the commander.

He stopped, when he picked up something to his left, the twin blasters finding their way into his hands automatically.

'Fek, where is she?'

He slowly began to walk through the bushes, following the sound as well as the tell tale delicate footprints he knew better than any brothers until he reached a sight that made him stop dead in his tracks.

Flashes of colour, green and gold lit up the night sky as Ahsoka, clearly out matched continued to block the larger figures advances.

"Ahsoka," he muttered as he watched his commander spar with the older - the older what exactly?

He obviously was a Jedi; Rex had never seen a gold blade before. But something wasn't quite right. He couldn't make out the man, his face partly hidden by a scarf. Rex raised his weapons and prepared to do exactly what he had been bred for.

"Stand down and state your unit sir," the two both turned, "I said," with menace in his tone, "state-your-unit." The man with the yellow light stood back, and looked again at the soldier in white.

The voices came and he swayed momentarily before his own training took precedence.

It was then Rex's turn to take in the partially hidden face, shock creeping all over his own as his HUD began flashing 'clone' indicating no danger.

He blinked a few times in an attempt to reboot the display as Ahsoka turned her head, seemingly in slow motion, "n – o R – e – x n – o !" as the yellow light effortlessly sliced the length of his left thigh.

The captain was down.

Stoyan, looked at dismay at the man clutching his leg in pain, then back to the young Jedi. Waving his hand across the wounded soldier, Rex's eyes closed and his body slumped.

"What have you done?"

"If you were half a Jedi you'd know. You will forget you have ever seen me."

"That might work on him, but not me," she hissed.

He raised his sword again and Ahsoka stood over the captain and lifted both her own in defense.

Stoyan laughed, "your lack of self control will get you into trouble young Padawan."

"Why are you here? Why have you left when we are in desperate need of more Jedi to finish the war?"

"This 'war' you talk of is of no interest to me. I left the Order a long time ago," he was gauging her all the while, knowing full well she was out matched.

He kept moving slowly and Ahsoka, guarding Rex continued to step in unison with the more skilled Jedi. She knew she was out of her depth here.

Recovery now her number one priority.

"I left Coruscant, and the Order when they wouldn't answer my questions. The relentless fear they perpetuated, every action having a ramification. Behave or you will fail, believe or you will fall" the gentle humming of the swords as mesmerising as his voice. "No more secrets and lies, no more pretending to be more than we actually were; gifted yes, but Gods, no. I've made a new life for myself and if you had any respect for another living creature, you would leave me here and forget you have ever met me."

"But, there are so many reasons to come back, you could help - ,"

"No. This is your war, one the Jedi started. Leave me out of it. I've chosen to live my life free. You, on the other hand, are no more free than these soldiers. Committed to serving an ideal that no longer exists."

"You've been away too long. The war, this war is being fought against pure evil, Sith are being used to - ,"

"I''M NOT INTERESTED," he bellowed. "Let these men and the bureaucrats fight the war," he stopped and looked at the unconscious man. "The true Jedi are a religious Order and were never intended to be used in such a way."

"The Jedi have fought in wars against evil for years. This is what we are expected to do."

"No we are not! See, they have manipulated your thought processes as well." Stoyan's head was buzzing, she was getting to him.

"We are the protectors of peace and justice in the galaxy." Ahsoka had a feeling of familiarity about the man's voice, she just couldn't pinpoint it.

"If the Jedi are true altruists, then what I left was a group verging on psychological egoism!"

'That can't be,' Ahsoka muttered as she looked down at Rex, her actions and thoughts not going unnoticed by the older man.

"See," he said slowly, "I can sense you doubt as well."

"No, NO! I will not be guided by the dark side!"

"What?" Stoyan laughed loudly, "you think I'm Sith?" He slowly began to unwind the scarf around the lower part of his face.

"Wh, who?" Ahsoka's arms dropped by her sides, the blades sucked back into their hilts. "N-no, this can't be. You can't be?"

He sensed her pure innocence; she was no longer a threat. "Go back to your ship little one, take your soldier with you and forget me. By the time you report in, I will have gone."

He turned and like an old Knight of the Order disappeared as quickly as he came. Ahsoka knelt down and gently removed Rex's helmet.

"Wha, 'Soka, argh!" Rex immediately began to rouse, the pain in his left leg excruciating.

"Hang on Rex, I've got you."

.

"OK, we're done here," Fives quickly began packing up his kit, handing the precious chip to his general. "Here you are sir."

"Thanks Fives," Anakin placed it neatly inside his belt compartment and lifted his wrist to raise the Twilight. "Damn, where are they? Rex, come in, Skywalker here."

"Sir, we need to get out of the building."

Anakin swung around and glared at the ARC, any previous camaraderie gone. Fives stood to attention, "stay close," was all Anakin said as he opened the door and they disappeared into the darkest part of the morning.

.

"AHSOKA!" His voice bellowed from the back of the Twilight.

"Here Fives, you take the con."

They both knew she was in deep osik, they had only just made it to the RV point to extract Anakin and Fives, leaving them waiting for 40 standard minutes before pick up. The general was not pleased to say the least and now, seeing his captain in the infirmary, he wanted answers.

"Good, you're here. Now can the two of you tell me exactly what the fek happened?" His voice booming throughout the ship.

Ahsoka quickly looked at Rex. "It's my fault entirely Master. I didn't get the coordinates fed into the ships navi quick enough and - ,"

"I'm not talking about the fact you were late to the RV point. I'm talking about the fact that MY CAPTAIN IS LYING IN THE MED BAY WITH A LIGHT SABRE BURN DOWN THE LENGTH OF HIS LEFT THIGH."

He was angry, both Rex and Ahsoka knew there was no way out of this one.

"I was practising and I didn't realise Rex was behind me," suddenly both lurched slightly as the ship moved out of hyper drive.

The mission had been a complete success apart from the fact that Rex had been injured. He hadn't said anything. He couldn't explain the gash that had burnt through his kama and melted part of his armour onto his leg. The old med droid was out of his element and after two hypo's of morpha, all Rex wanted was to close his eyes and go to sleep.

Anakin studied her. "We'll give the captain the courtesy of some rest, but this is far from over," he left the room in one fluid movement and Ahsoka allowed herself to breathe again.

"I'm so sorry Rex."

"What happened," he slurred, shaking his head to try and gain a moment of clarity to get some answers himself.

"I, I," she stammered, "please trust me Rex when I say I can't tell you."

"Ahsoka," he breathed as he finally let the pharma's take affect and closed his eyes in a drug induced sleep.

She had decided to honour the lone Jedi's request for anonymity. After seeing his face, she was determined to find out more when she arrived back on Coruscant. He hadn't meant to hurt Rex, she had sensed his dismay and fear at being discovered.

But what she had seen, that face. She would never forget it. She knew she couldn't tell Anakin, he would have turned around and found him. No, she would respect his wishes and find out more and make an informed decision later.

She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself with some meditation.

Rex would be alright, no permanent damage, just another scar to add to the others. They had gained the information they came for and would be back on Ground Zero in five hours.

Then, she would have to explain how Rex got hurt.

Five hours, plenty of time to come up with something plausible.

.

Echo just stood there, unable to move.

"Stoyan FETT," he said slowly, as if to clarify the words again.

"That's right," he answered.

Stoyan scanned the face in front of him.

It was him, just fourteen years earlier.

The same black hair, although his was now greying at the temples, the same coloured eyes, the same chiselled jawline – it was him.

But how could that be?

Echo could see the confusion written all over the man's face.

He looked at the light sabre still humming and said slowly, "you gonna turn that thing down?"

Vvvvhhoop

The golden light disappeared.

"You steal that?"

"No. I made it," he said, 'his voice is the same as well,' he thought.

"You're a Jedi?" Was this really happening. Echo scrunched his eyes tight and reopened them.

Could this be delayed concussion?

"No. Not anymore."

Echo considered the words, if he was a Jedi, he could heal Marlo. He would get answers later, he needed help first.

"I crash landed three days ago."

"I know."

"There is a woman critically injured back at the camp."

"I know that as well." Stoyan kept regarding the young man, it had been an eventful couple of days for the retired Jedi. He knew however that this man was the answer to all those sleepless nights, to the voices that have haunted him for so long. "Just who is this Jango anyway?"

Echo lifted the water container up onto his shoulder and gazed at the middle aged man. He looked fit and strong, and being a Jedi he knew he couldn't take him down, especially still injured.

"Jango is our buir ner vod. He created us, we are his clones," the former ARC shook his head, this simply didn't make any sense, it belied all of his training. Echo lived for the specifics; thrived on them, but then again, nothing he had endured recently made any sense.

"You speak Mando'a?"

Echo was truly perplexed.

"You are Mandolorian."

"No. Corellian."

"If you're not going to kill me, I'd like to get back to camp," he looked down, hoping this Stoyan would allow him to pass.

Stoyan stepped aside and Echo moved forward, breathing a sigh of relief and led the way back to his makeshift home and the injured soul still asleep inside.

"Healing was never a strong point for me," Stoyan stated as he knelt next to the comatose woman.

Echo watched as he closed his eyes and levitated his hands over Marlo's body. His eyes tightening as he appeared to be listening to something coming from within. Then moving down her body, again hovering over her abdomen and then her right femur.

"She is badly damaged, I am not sure I can do much to help," Stoyan stated.

"But you will try," Echo pleaded.

"Yes, I can try, but - "

"Now, you will start now!"

Stoyan didn't need the Force to see that the young man was in desperate need of help.

"What is the connection? She your woman?"

"No, no. She saved my life. I need to do the same."

"I don't think that's possible, I might be able to alleviate her pain, but I am not sure I can heal her completely."

"Please," he whispered,"please, just make her wake up."

...