The twin barrels of Rex's DC-17's remained steady as they aimed directly at their owner's former Jedi General. From where she was standing, Ahsoka could clearly analyse everything Rex was doing.
His body language was tense, as if expecting a fight. Beneath his Jaig Eyes adorned helmet he was studying, watching for the slightest twitch in Anakin's own body language that might hint as to his response. Both blasters were trained on the Knight's chest, aiming directly for the organs that humans needed in order to stay alive.
If Rex shot, at least one of those blasts would penetrate a vital organ, possibly even the heart. Anakin would be dead, if not immediately from severe organ trauma.
And she was in no better position.
Jesse stood before her, his own rifle trained on her midsection, but she could see and sense the hesitation within him. He didn't want to be doing this, and that gave her a slight advantage if things went bad.
Not that she wanted them to of course. This was the last possible thing she could have ever wanted. The outbreak of conflict within the Temple was bad enough. But now, being threatened by her former friends, her brothers?!
How had this all gone so wrong?!
Her eyes moved around the hallway again. Jesse was the only one with a blaster trained on her, and she was almost certain her armour would withstand at least a few shots before she was in trouble.
The remaining Clones, of which Ahsoka counted six of them. Rex, Coric, Kix, Ridge and two others in white helmets, likely shinies, all had their weapons trained on Anakin instead, and from the rush of anger that ran through the Force, she could tell he hadn't taken this well.
"Stand down Captain!" Anakin snarled, his lightsaber raising ever so slightly in a threatening manner.
The Clones responded in kind, moving to surround their General.
"Can't do that, General Skywalker. What you are doing is wrong, and even if it means we have to fight you, we won't let you harm anyone else." Rex replied as he gestured with his blasters, pointing towards Ahsoka. "Move over there, now!"
"You dare command…"
"I said move." Rex's tone was dark, gritty, as if he was speaking to his worst enemy. He wasn't messing around.
Anakin stood in defiance for a few moments before he began to move.
A few seconds later, he was away from Tera Sinube and the younglings, and stood side by side with Ahsoka.
Rex and the Clones moved too, taking position in front of Tera and his group, protecting them from Anakin, just in case. Their blasters remained trained on him however. Ahsoka noted that even Jesse had shifted his aim away from her.
Now all seven Clones aimed their weapons at Anakin.
'Is this a firing squad of some kind? Or just insurance in case one of us attacked them?'
Ahsoka tried to push the dark thought out of her head, but she couldn't. All she could see now was the time she had been on the run, when Fox and members of the Coruscant Guard had willingly opened fire on her based on an assumption. They hadn't known what was truly going on then…
And now, here was Rex, not fully understanding the situation himself, with his blasters pointed at Anakin.
"Master Sinube, are you hurt?" Ahsoka heard Rex ask.
"No, no thank you. But, why are you helping us? Every other Clone Trooper is…" Sinube spoke softly, confusion in his voice. The Force around the Temple was aflame with a vast variety of emotions. Ahsoka could not pinpoint what Sinube or the others were feeling.
But she could feel what Anakin felt, and all that was was anger.
"I'm sorry Master Sinube, but I'm afraid both the Jedi and Grand Army of the Republic have been played for fools. Right now my only concern is getting you all out of here alive, even if I have to go through my own brothers to do it. Please, all I ask is that you trust me." Rex spoke, though his words didn't seem to be entirely directly at Sinube. His helmed head was focused solely on Ahsoka.
Was Rex speaking to her?
"You are betraying the Republic and the Chancellor with these actions, Captain Rex. You'll be charged with treason and sentenced to execution." Anakin spoke before she could, the anger inside him manifesting in a threatening tone.
"If saving younglings from being massacred like livestock is treason against the Republic, then that's a punishment I am more than willing to take, Sir." Rex replied, spitting the last word out before he continued. "I tried to warn you Commander! Palpatine's behind it all. He wants us to destroy the Jedi and the Republic. But I won't let him. We won't let him."
"You'd rather be deemed a traitor?" Anakin asked, the threat still present.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Jesse spoke sadly this time.
"From where I'm standing, the only traitor here is you Skywalker." Rex replied, resolute.
"Ahsoka." The voice of one of the white helmed Clones spoke. Despite having his face concealed, Ahsoka recognized the voice.
It was Fives.
"Ahsoka… please, come with us. You don't have to be a part of this. You know it's wrong. Join us!"
"He's right, Commander." Rex joined in next, the previous hostility in his voice waning considerably as he addressed his former Commander. "I don't want to harm you, either of you. But you both know this is wrong. I know you both have issues with the Jedi Order, but this isn't the way to resolve it. Turn back now, before it's too late."
"There's nothing to turn back from Captain. I am loyal to the Chancellor."
"Then you are lost to us General." Rex replied sadly before he focused again on Ahsoka.
She didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to go with Rex, to help the Clones save the younglings. Wasn't that what she had intended on doing here in the first place? Saving as many lives as she could?
But if she went with Rex, she would be leaving Anakin, and then he would be all alone.
Alone… in a Temple filled with people trying to kill him. If she left him, she wouldn't be able to protect him.
"I…Rex…the Jedi…they…"
Images of Windu, or Kolar, flashed into her mind. They had tried to kill her!
But the Clones… Rex… he had trusted her, even after she left!
But the Jedi hadn't…they never had.
But Palpatine, and Anakin. They had…
"I…"
Her role as the Chancellor's Agent had been based on nothing but a lie. Palpatine was a Sith Lord. He was a monster!
But he had protected her. Helped her when no one else would!
And through him, she had been able to help others. Her position wasn't ideal, but even from the dark it was possible to help people… wasn't it?
That was all Ahsoka had ever wanted to do. Help people! Protect them.
And right now, everyone around her needed her help. Anakin did. Rex did. The younglings did.
But if she left to help Rex… then Anakin would be alone.
She had to help him… even if that meant…
"I… I can't leave him, Rex." Ahsoka spoke quietly, voicing her decision with a trembling voice. She wasn't one hundred percent sure, but here and now, in this situation, she couldn't leave Anakin alone.
God forbid what would happen if she did.
Ahsoka tried to ignore the smugness that radiated off of Anakin as she waited for Rex's response. She really didn't like this.
"Then I'm sorry Commander. Troopers, take aim."
Every instinct in her body snapped to attention, forcing herself into a combat stance.
"Don't you dare!" Anakin snarled.
"Take them down!"
The hallway erupted into blaster fire, but not the sort of fire that Ahsoka had been expecting.
A barrage of stun blasts sped towards Anakin, each of which he deflected with ease before Ahsoka fully realised what was going on.
Rex and the others weren't trying to kill them! They were only trying to stun them.
The Force screamed a warning towards her as a trio of stun blasts came her way, fired from the white helmeted Clone that she hadn't recognized. Tilting her blade, she blocked the blasts, letting her lightsaber absorb their energy harmlessly before another barrage came her way.
The Clones continued to bombard them with endless stun blasts, and each met the blue and golden blades of their former Jedi leaders.
That was until Rex got a lucky shot.
A single blast fired from his pistol snuck past Ahsoka's defences, crashing into her side.
Ahsoka cried out in shock as the electricity coursed through her body, a ringing sound echoing throughout her montrals in response.
"NO! YOU TRAITOR!" Ahsoka barely heard Anakin yell out in rage as she collapsed to the floor, her vision blurry and disorientated.
She wasn't unconscious however, not yet at least.
Groaning from her position on the floor, Ahsoka glanced up to see Anakin, fending off all seven Clones by himself.
Except, he wasn't holding his ground this time, he was advancing.
"An…Anakin don't…" Ahsoka muttered, fearing what was coming next. If Anakin got too close to the Clones…
The Force screamed again as Anakin unleashed a harsh Force Push towards the Clones.
Rex and Ridge evaded the push, with Jesse taking the brunt of it.
And in that moment, Anakin lunged with his blade, right towards Rex.
Only for Ridge to push his Captain aside and…
"RIDGE!"
Ahsoka wasn't sure who had cried his name, but it didn't matter. Despite her blurry vision, Ahsoka could clearly see the Clone with the helmet painted with her markings, impaled on Anakin's blue blade.
The conflict seemed to stop for a few seconds as everyone comprehended what Anakin had done.
And then Jesse screamed.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
The ARC Trooper opened fire on Anakin once again, this time with lethal shots, one of which grazed Anakin's arm before he had the time to defend himself.
Anakin grunted in pain as the shot made contact before he pulled back, letting Ridge's corpse fall to the floor as he began to deflect the blaster shots from Jesse.
Rex and Fives have both opened fire again, sticking with stun blasts while the unnamed trooper swapped to lethal blasts as well and aimed at…
Her!
"Kriff." Ahsoka muttered as she forced her body into a roll to evade the shots.
As she rolled, she caught a glimpse of Anakin deflecting a shot back at the unnamed soldier. The blue bolt crashed into his chest and knocked him off his feet. Ahsoka didn't know if he was dead or just wounded. She hoped it was the latter.
"Troopers! Fall back! Jesse, target the support columns!" Rex commanded as he began to back up, still firing his twin blasters at Anakin.
"Fine." Came Jesse's response as he shifted his aim away from Anakin and to the large support columns that held up part of the roof of the hallway they were in.
Ahsoka could see what they were planning. Collapse the roof and separate themselves from Anakin.
And from her.
Through the Force, she felt Anakin's anger once again. He too knew what their plan was.
"You're not going anywhere, traitor!"
Ahsoka watched as Anakin advanced again, crossing the distance between him and Rex with frightening speed as he continued to deflect shots.
She knew what he was going to do… and she couldn't allow it.
She wouldn't.
Pushing herself to her knees, Ahsoka reached into the Force and mustered all of the strength she could manage, and pushed.
The Force made contact with Rex, sending him careening backwards, but not before Anakin's saber made contact.
Ahsoka heard Rex cry out in pain. She saw her Master's blue blade cleave through the Clone Captain's right wrist, severing the hand from the arm with horrifying ease.
Ahsoka wanted to be sick, but she didn't have the time.
Rex crashed to the floor behind him, out of range of Anakin as the ceiling suddenly began to come down on him.
Anakin however made no move to evade. Instead he continued to push, single-mindedly focused on his goal. He was going to kill the Clones, even if it got him killed in the process.
She wouldn't allow that either. She had to save…
A large cream coloured blur suddenly darted right past her and towards Anakin, grabbing him around the waist as he cried out in surprise before he was thrown back clear of the falling rubble, his saviour following suit.
Anakin crashed to the floor next to her, Ahsoka using her arms to stop him from rolling as the roof finished collapsing, separating her and Anakin from their old friends.
As the debris settled, Ahsoka glanced up at Anakin's saviour.
Before her, a wide smirk on her face, stood Masana Tide.
"Hey guys. Need a hand?"
His hand was gone. Just… gone!
A broken bone could be mended! A bruise would heal over time. A blaster mark resolved with a bacta tank.
But his entire hand… it was just… just not there anymore!
There was no way Kix was going to be able to heal this one up. The medic was going to kill him!
"Kriff! Rex!"
"Oh god!"
"Captain… hold still!"
That last one was Kix, he could tell. He was the only one in the 501st who dared to command him, and he was also the only one who Rex was scared of.
Well… had been. Now he might very well add Gen…
No… he wasn't their General. Not anymore. Not ever!
Rex felt Kix's hands wrap around his arm, inspecting where his hand used to be. He felt the medic begin to wrap bandages soaked with bacta around the wound, even as Rex winced in pain. He tried not to cry out in agony.
His hand was gone!
From what he knew, lightsabers cauterise wounds. He would be ok, for now. Assuming it didn't get infected before he could…
He didn't know. How did one even treat wounds like this? Skywalker had a mechanical replacement. Would he have to get one too? Would he even be able to afford one?
Where would he get one from? Kix was a great medic… but a mechanic he was not.
"Captain, can you hear me?"
Rex didn't answer. He had too many things to consider.
His hand was gone. Skywalker had cut it off. Skywalker had killed Ridge! He had tried to kill him too!
Tried too… but then why hadn't he succeeded? How was his hand being cut off the worst that had happened?
He remembered Anakin charging, her remembering flying backwards suddenly, he remembered the pain as his hand was severed from his body, he remembered…
Flying backwards? Had something hit him?
The Force! That was what had hit him. Someone had pushed him back… and if Anakin had been charging to kill him…
Ahsoka! He remembered! He had seen her, in the corner of his eye, on her knees, arms out, palms facing towards him!
She had used the Force to push him away from Anakin.
She had saved his life!
"Mr Rex, Sir? Are you ok?"
The sound of a young female voice snapped Rex out of it. For a moment he thought it was Ahsoka, but it wasn't. It was the young Tholothian girl that had been part of Master Sinube's group. She was kneeling beside him and Kix, trying to get his attention.
Despite the pain, he forced a smile beneath his helmet.
"Yeah… yeah kid… I'll be fine. You got a spare hand lying around anywhere? I seemed to have misplaced mine."
The girl giggled in response to his joke, something that was contrasted by the way Kix replied with a deep sigh.
"Of all the jokes to make Captain…"
Despite the discomfort he was in, Rex forced himself to shrug his shoulders in response, hoping his attempt at humour would help calm anyone who was worried down, the younglings especially.
Despite everything, he was still the 501st's leader, and they didn't have time to mourn the loss of his hand just yet, let alone Ridge and the shiny they had brought along with them. Rookee had only recently joined them and everything, and now he was dead!
There would be time for that later. Right now they had to escape.
Groaning as Kix continued to gently bandage his wound, Rex reached his remaining hand over to his wrist to tap his holocomm, only to realise the futility of the action.
He didn't have a holocomm anymore. It had been destroyed when his hand had been severed.
"Poodoo." Rex muttered under his breath, earning another giggle from the female youngling who had gotten his attention. "Jesse, can you contact Phoenix? Let him know we've got survivors who need extraction."
Jesse nodded once before he moved a few steps away to make the call uninterrupted. Rex could tell from his body language that the ARC Trooper was angry, barely keeping it together. The loss of Ridge, and betrayal of Skywalker had evidently hit him hard, not that Rex blamed him. After the business with Krell…
The sound of another commlink ringing drew Rex's attention to Fives, who wasted no time in answering.
"Echo? Everything ok?" Fives asked, desperation in his voice.
"All good Fives. We managed to get to the objective, though I can't help but question the sanity of letting him out. What if he turns on us?"
"It's a risk we've got to take Echo. There are too many Clones under the sway of sixty-six. We need something to even the odds, even if it gets our brothers killed."
"But what if he attacks the Jedi too? I thought we were trying to save them?"
Rex took that opportunity to speak up, gesturing for Fives to come closer.
"He's a Sith, Echo. They are inherently cowards by nature. If he's released, his goal will be to escape, not slaughter."
"Hopefully. Ok Captain, we trust you. The Batch will let him out. Did you find Skywalker and Tano?"
Rex hesitated in answering, flinching lightly as Kix finished up the bandaging.
"We did Echo." Fives answered for Rex, picking up on his hesitation. "They couldn't be reasoned with. Skywalker killed Ridge and Rookee and Rex lost a hand to his saber."
"Damn this conspiracy." Echo's reply came with a heavy hint of despair, something that Rex felt in unison with him.
"I know, brother. We managed to rescue some Jedi younglings in the process. Once Phoenix sends an extraction location, we'll forward it to you and the Batch. Understood?"
"Copy that Fives! Good luck!"
With that, the commlink went dead as the Jedi Temple shuddered from a distant explosion.
"Jesse?" Rex called out to the ARC Trooper as he too closed the line he had been on.
"Hanger Bay Four Captain, Phoenix will rendezvous with us there."
Nodding his head, Rex used his free hand to push himself to his feet, his single DC-17 firmly grasped in it.
He might be wounded, but he wasn't out of the fight, not just yet.
"Then let's get moving Troopers."
Ahsoka accepted the clawed hand Masana offered her, the towering Dowutin pulling her to her feet with little effort.
"Thanks for the rescue." Ahsoka said, hoping she sounded genuine, if that was at all possible considering the situation around her.
"Hey, anytime pal. We make a good team and all, don't we 'Skyguy'?" Masana replied in a cheeky manner to Anakin, who rose to his own feet, a look of anger on his face.
"Rex just tried to kill us. Get a message to Appo and Fox. Order them to eliminate the traitor and any of his allies on sight!"
"Anakin!" Ahsoka cried out in shock.
"He tried to kill us Ahsoka! He betrayed the Republic!"
"And you killed Ridge like it was nothing!"
Anakin pivoted towards Ahsoka suddenly, marching up to her, standing face to face with her. Despite her growth spurts, and despite her armoured form, he still towered over her.
She had never in her life been intimidated by him, even when he had been annoyed at her in the past.
But now, as he stood, glaring down at her, she felt a pit grow in her stomach, not that she would ever admit it.
Before anything could happen however, Masana inserted herself between the two of them, her own towering form dwarving both of them.
"Let's save the arguments for later! We've got bigger problems right now. Skywalker, Fox told me to tell you that they are attempting to gain access to the Council Chambers, but a Jedi Council Member is blocking their path. The troops requested your assistance."
"Which Councillor?"
"Didn't say, just that they needed your help fast."
Anakin seemed to consider the Dowutin's words for a few brief moments before he sighed, the anger that had been bubbling around him in the Force relenting, only slightly.
"Fine. In the meantime I'd like the two of you to secure the hangars. We need to prevent any potential escapes from renegade Jedi."
Ahsoka bit her tongue at the order Anakin had given her. She wasn't his Padawan anymore. He couldn't order her around like a soldier. She was the Chancellor's personal agent!
'And said Chancellor is a Sith Lord! Not exactly the best person to be proud to serve!'
Ahsoka ignored the voice in her head. Now wasn't the time to be stuck with another internal debate. If she could secure the hangar, maybe she could prevent some more Jedi from sharing a tragic fate. If she could convince them to surrender…
"Copy that boss. Good luck against that Councillor." Masana spoke for them both, one of her clawed hands resting on Ahsoka's armoured shoulder in the process. Ahsoka knew that it was supposed to be a sign of comfort, but right now she felt nothing of the sort.
Anakin only nodded in response before he took off in a stride, heading away from the collapsed hallway that now separated them from Rex and the younglings.
As her former Master rounded a corner and left her sight, Ahsoka released a sigh she hadn't known she was holding.
This was wrong. So very very wrong!
"Hey, you ok kid?" Masana's voice hit her montrals, softer than she'd ever expect from someone as tall and imposing as the Dowutin.
Taking a second to calm herself, Ahsoka replied.
"Yeah, I'm good. Come on, we've got a hangar to secure."
The halls of the once revered Jedi Temple were a mess.
Blaster marks, lightsaber scorches, fallen Clones and Jedi, all littered the various hallways that the remainder of the 501st Elite and their youngling entourage travelled through.
Rex had seen many things in his life that would haunt him. But this was something else. If he made it out of this alive, he knew already that he'd be seeing that nightmare in his dreams again and again.
Glancing ahead of him, Rex watched as Fives took point, scanning each intersection they passed by, just in case. So far since being separated from Skywalker and Tano they had gotten lucky and not run into any resistance, be it Jedi or Clone.
Rex knew however that their luck would run out eventually. Luck always did.
"Anything Fives?"
"Nothing, Captain. All clear. Move on up."
Rex gestured with his remaining hand to the group of younglings, led by Master Sinube, behind him to follow, which they did. Jesse and the rest of the team brought up the rear, covering their flank.
The group continued to move forward cautiously, watching every direction, just in case.
"How close are we to the hangar?" Jesse piped up, his tone of voice still clouded with grief over Ridge and Rookee's demise.
"Not far now. A few more corridors and…"
Master Sinube's response was interrupted by the sudden sound of a blaster rifle discharging, followed by a blue bolt sailing past Rex's head, missing by an inch.
"TRAITORS!" The cry of a Clone echoed from behind, causing Rex to pivot on his heel, his remaining hand raising his blaster before he let loose a trio of shots.
The first shot missed the target, crashing into the distant wall behind the approaching Clone who was painted in the red colour scheme of the Coruscant Guard.
The second and third shots hit Rex's target in the chest.
The Captain of the 501st watched as the red and white clad trooper crashed to the Temple floor, unmoving.
"Rest easily brother. You deserved better." Rex spoke aloud as he turned his attention back to where Fives was leading the way. He didn't like killing his own brothers like that, but it was necessary in the current situation. If he had been under the chip's influence, he'd want his own brothers to put him out of his misery too.
Keeping up with the strides of a Dowutin the size of Masana Tide was no easy feat, that was for sure. Doubly so when the woman in question was sprinting at max speed.
Ahsoka was fast, but her shorter legs left her at a severe disadvantage when it came to matching the Dowutin's pace as they ran towards the closest Temple hangar. In any other situation, she'd have relished the challenge of keeping up with Masana. Right now however she had other things on her mind.
Yet despite that, she managed to keep up with the Dowutin, though her legs would no doubt ache in the morning… if she lived to see the morning that was.
The two charged forward, rounding another corner and vaulting over a piece of debris that had evidently fallen from the roof in the process before they were forced to come to a sudden halt.
Two Jedi Temple Guards stood at the end of a long hallway, lightsabers ignited, moving towards them. Their faces were covered by their masks, but Ahsoka could feel the anger in them. They wanted revenge, something that wasn't the Jedi way.
"Uhh… friendly?" Masana called out as she ground to a halt, her clawed feet digging into the ground around them.
Masana got her response when one of the Temple Guard's drew his arm back, before bringing it forward with incredible speed, sending his saber staff careening towards the Dowutin in a vicious arc.
Masana's green blade flashed into existence just in time to defend herself as she cried out in shock.
"Ok! Not friendly! Point taken!"
"Stand down Temple Guard!" Ahsoka called out as she ignited her own golden blade, moving into a defensive position in front of her.
The guard who had thrown his saber reached out with the Force to pull the hilt back to his hand, catching it with surprising ease as he began to twirl it before him as he advanced. The second guard began to move forward too, his own saber staff ignited and ready.
Neither of the guards spoke as they approached, and Ahsoka already knew they couldn't be reasoned with.
That meant that she and Masana had to fight.
The Jedi Temple hangar was a sharp contrast to the hallways Rex and his team had been navigating only minutes earlier. Rather than an eerie sense of dread from a prior battle, the hangar was the epicentre of a large-scale battle.
Jedi and Clones stood against one another, a sight that flooded Rex with despair.
This should never have happened. Damn the Chancellor!
Rex watched in horror as a young Jedi, no older than Ahsoka had been when she joined the 501st, vaulted towards a squad of Clones, cutting three of them down in one swing of his blue blade, before impaling another without hesitation. Rex was almost filled with hope for the Padawan's survival, before another squad of Clones diverted their attention to him, overwhelming him within seconds and gunning him down without remorse.
Rex wanted to open fire. To avenge the Padawan, but he knew if he did, he'd draw attention to those he was trying to protect.
He couldn't help the Padawan. He couldn't help his brothers. He couldn't help the rest of the Jedi stuck fighting for their lives in the Temple.
But he could help Master Sinube and his younglings. That would have to do, for now.
"Phoenix, we are at the hangar. Where are you?" Rex heard Jesse speak into his commlink as the squad moved in cautiously, trying to stay as far away from the combat as possible. If they got spotted, things would go horribly wrong.
"On approach now Jesse. Hang tight." The voice of Phoenix came in response, filling Rex with the first semblance of hope he had felt since entering the madness.
Turning his attention to Master Sinube, Rex spoke.
"When the extraction arrives, you and the younglings get aboard. Phoenix has orders to get you to a safe zone. You can trust him."
"What about you and your men Captain?" The eldely Jedi Master inquired, his lightsaber held tightly in his hand, just in case. He had discarded his cane at this point, and was clearly relying on the Force to move faster than usual.
"Don't worry about us Master Jedi. You and the younglings are just the first group we intend on extracting. Phoenix will circle back around once he's dropped you off."
A myriad of emotions covered the Cosian Jedi's face briefly before a resolute one came to dominance as he nodded once before turning to address the younglings, repeating Rex's instructions to them.
"Captain! We've been spotted!" The cry of Kix hit Rex's ears, drawing his attention away from Master Sinube and his younglings and towards an approaching squad of Clones clad in the blue of the 501st.
His own men.
Beneath his helmet, Rex grit his teeth and raised his remaining hand.
"Defend the younglings!"
"For the Republic! For the Jedi!" Jesse yelled aloud as he stepped forward, opening fire on the approaching 501st without hesitation. They had all agreed to do what they had to to ensure the survival of as many Jedi as possible. None of them wanted to kill their brothers, but the chip left them with no choice.
Rex's squad opened fire alongside Jesse, felling several 501st Clones with well placed shots before the first barrage of blaster fire came their way.
The sound of a lightsaber igniting hit Rex's ears as much to his surprise, the elderly Cosian Jedi jumped in front of the Clones, his light blue blade moving in defensive arcs around the Clone's front, shielding them from blaster fire.
Rex fell into tandem immediately, firing his blaster through the gaps left by Tera Sinube's bladework. He knew the sword and shield move. He had perfected it with Ahsoka and Ana…
He stopped that train of thought as fast as he could. He didn't want to think about them right now, Skywalker especially.
'God Ahsoka…. Please be careful.'
Another 501st Clone fell to his blaster, followed by another. Rex regretted every lost life. They would haunt him to his dying days and beyond.
But it was necessary. He would do what he had to do.
Another lightsaber ignited from behind as one of the younglings, the Wookiee, jumped to join Sinube, his green blade deflecting several shots with surprising ease for someone as young as him.
Rex continued firing. Clones continued falling. Until…
"Phoenix is here!"
Rex breathed a sigh of relief at Kix's comment as a Republic LAAT entered the hangar, moving to land one of the available landing pads.
"Master Jedi! Get your younglings to the ship now!" Fives called out as he put down another two 501st Clones who were trying to sneak shots past Rex's squad and hit the younglings. Rex cursed the chip again for making this happen.
"Let's go younglings!" Sinube called out as he thrust his hands forward, sending a powerful Force push at the remaining 501st Clones, knocking them off their feet and buying them the time they needed to run for it.
Rex was about to turn and run with the Jedi to cover them when he saw something that filled him with dread.
A Clone… Appo to be precise…armed with…
"No."
There was nothing Rex could do to stop Appo from firing the rocket launcher in his hands. He tried in vain to shoot down the missile as it sailed from the weapon towards its target, but none of the shots landed.
He could only stand and watch as the missile soared towards the waiting LAAT.
"GET DOWN!" Rex cried.
The missile struck Phoenix's gunship, causing it to erupt in a ball of flame. Those who hadn't heeded Rex's call were knocked to the floor from the explosion and resulting shockwave.
When the flash of the explosion had subsided, all that was left of Phoenix and his LAAT was a flaming wreck.
"No! Dammit! Phoenix!" Jesse's cry was heartbreaking. How could everything have gone so wrong?
Rex turned his attention back to Appo, who was loading another missile into the launcher to fire again.
Rex didn't hesitate. He raised his DC-17 and fired a single shot.
Rex felt nothing as the blue bolt crashed into Appo's neck, sending him sprawling to the floor, clutching the wound. His body spasmed for a few seconds before it fell still.
A pale yellow blade crashed into Ahsoka's golden one as the Temple Guard launched their assault. One had gone for her, whilst the other had gone for Masana.
That was perhaps the only advantage she had in this instance. Having to deal with one foe at a time was easier than multiple targets.
Despite that, she knew that she was no match for a Jedi Temple Guard. They had earned their place as the defenders of the Jedi Order for a reason. Describing them as formidable duelists would be an understatement.
Bringing her blade round, Ahsoka deflected a series of strikes from the Temple Guard as she began to move back, surrendering ground to the Guard as he or she advanced. Beneath the armour it was impossible to tell what species or gender the Guard was. For all she knew she could be fighting a Human, or a Rodian, or a Kaleesh!
Whatever this Guard was, they were strong, and fast too. Their saber staff twirled in swift arcs, aiming to bisect her more often than not.
Gold deflected yellow again, and again, and again. Defence was her only option. Ahsoka was left no room to attack!
Evading another series of strikes, Ahsoka began to consider her options. She would lose a lightsaber duel, that was for certain, unless the guard tired faster than she did, which seemed unlikely.
That left her two options. She could run and hope she could lose the Guard in the hallways, but that would involve leaving Masana behind to fend for herself, which she didn't want to do. She was here to save people, not leave them behind to die.
The Force however was her other option. This Temple Guard was powerful with their blade, but they seemed to be lacking the use of the Force in the duel. Perhaps she could use that against them!
Clashing against the blade of the Guard once again, Ahsoka brought them into a brief saber lock before she launched her first counter offensive.
Reaching into the Force, she pushed her free hand forward, directing the Force towards the Guard in the process.
The impact of the push sent the Guard stumbling back briefly, granting Ahsoka some room between them to catch her breath, if only for a few seconds.
The Guard wobbled on their feet for a moment before they regained their footing, falling into a ready position once more.
"Impressive." The Guard spoke, their voice modulated, but clearly female.
"I learnt from the best." Ahsoka quipped in response as she brought her own blade into a ready position.
"You learnt from a traitor!" The Guard spat as she advanced once again, her blade poised to strike.
That was until a green blade came from the side, deflecting the yellow blade of the Guard and sending her stumbling back once again.
Out of the corner of her eye Ahsoka saw Masana charged towards her target, her towering form dwarving the Guard just as she did everyone else.
The Dowutin launched another trio of strikes towards the Guard, sending her stumbling from each impact before she was on the receiving end of a harsh headbutt.
Masana lunged her head forward, crashing it against the helmet of the Temple Guard with a resounding crack.
As the Temple Guard collapsed to the floor, Ahsoka could see the helmet cracked from the impact. The Force told her that the Guard was still alive, just out cold from the impact.
Turning her attention to where Masana had emerged from, Ahsoka saw the second Temple Guard crumpled on the floor too, one of their arms bent in an unnatural direction, clear evidence of it being broken. A quick check in the Force confirmed that they too were alive, just passed out from the pain.
"Woah… how did you…" Ahsoka began to question, completely stumped at how easy Masana had made that look. Jedi Temple Guards were among the most dangerous duelists in the galaxy, and the Dowutin Knight had embarrassed them with ease.
"Eh… they aren't so hard when you've had some practice against one of their own before. Our Pau'an compatriot taught me and Bil how to fend off their style a while back. Just gotta get right up in their faces before they get up in yours."
"Not the soundest advice I've ever heard Masana." Ahsoka quipped in response as she regained her breath.
"Heh, probably why I never took a Padawan. I can teach you some tricks if you'd like though?" The Dowutin replied. "Now come on… we've got to get to the…"
Masana halted mid sentence, and Ahsoka knew why.
The Force suddenly felt very very dark.
Anger. Hate. Fear. All hit her senses. Something was very wrong.
"Do you sense that? It feels… familiar…"
It did feel familiar. Ahsoka had sensed it before.
"It can't be." Ahsoka muttered as the Temple rumbled from a distant explosion.
Another sound hit her senses, the sound of heavy metallic footsteps.
Glancing ahead to the direction she and Masana had been going before they had encountered the Temple Guard, Ahsoka saw a single figure round a corner.
The figure froze as they turned their head to face Ahsoka, a pair of golden eyes staring back at her with anger.
Through the Force she felt a rise in anger directed at her, before the figure turned down the hallway and began to sprint away.
Ahsoka wasted no time and charged after him.
There was no way she was letting Maul escape!
"NOW WHAT DO WE DO? WE LOST PHOENIX!"
"JUST KEEPING FIGHTING JESSE!"
The cries of his brothers as they fought to defend the Jedi did little to change the situation for Rex.
Phoenix was dead, and with him their extraction. The hangar was too hot with combat to steal another ship, something that was likely the same with any other hangar bay the Jedi Temple had.
Walking out of the Temple's front door would be suicide. The 501st and Coruscant Guard would have that secured.
So they couldn't fly and they couldn't walk. Rex cursed under his breath as he gunned down another chipped Clone, this one wearing the red colour scheme of the Coruscant Guard. He didn't know them as well as he knew his own blue clad men, but they were still his brothers.
Brothers who were being mind controlled to do something he knew they would hate.
"WE CAN'T HOLD THIS POSITION FOREVER REX!" Fives called out as he took down another trooper himself, a shot glancing across his shoulder piece in the process.
"ANYONE GOT A SHOVEL SO WE CAN DIG OUR WAY OUT OF HERE?" Jesse yelled out, sarcasm dripping off of his tongue.
Normally, the absurdity and bad timing of Jesse's comment would earn him a reprimand. Now was not the time for such things after all.
Except this time, Jesse's words gave Rex an idea.
Firing another series of shots, Rex turned to Tera Sinube and spoke.
"Master Jedi, you used to be on the Jedi Council right?"
"I'd be more than happy to tell you about my long career when our lives aren't in peril, Captain." The Cosian Master quipped in reply, his blade moving to deflect another shot away from Rex.
Undeterred, Rex continued his line of questioning.
"Can you still get into the holocron vault in the Archives?"
Master Sinube deflected a few more shots before he replied, a smirk coming to his face. He had clearly worked out Rex's plan.
"Traditionally, only active members of the Jedi Council may access the vault. However, considering the circumstances I daresay it may be time to rebel against certain traditions."
"That's all I needed to hear Master Jedi." Rex replied, feeling a small spark of hope once again. Maybe there was still a chance.
"What's the plan Rex?" Kix's voice was oddly calm considering the chaos around him. He was crouched on the floor next to the Wookiee youngling from before, bandaging a small burn on his arm from a stray blaster shot.
"We make for the Jedi Archives. There is a secret passageway beneath the holocron vault that leads to the lower levels of Coruscant. It may be a way out of this nightmare." Rex replied, gesturing with his bandaged stump towards the passageway they had used to enter the hangar in the first place. "Fives, you are on point."
"Copy that Captain!" Fives replied as he did as he was ordered, moving towards the exit, the rest of the team in tow.
"Take the right path ARC Trooper Fives!" Master Sinube called out from behind, directing the team as best as he could under the current situation.
A few members of the Coruscant Guard attempted to pursue them, but they were quickly cut down by Jesse's blaster fire.
As they ran through the Temple hallways, Rex spoke directly to Jesse.
"Jesse. Inform the Bad Batch of our destination. No doubt securing the Archives will be a priority target for the Chancellor and his men. We might need the extra firepower!"
Jesse nodded and did as he was commanded. A few moments later as the halls shook with another distant explosion, he reported his success.
"Hunter and his men are on route Captain. They'll rendezvous with us at the holocron vault."
"Good work Jesse." Rex answered as they pushed forward, encountering surprisingly minimal resistance.
He dreaded to think where Skywalker was in all this. Part of him prayed he had been crushed by the falling rubble from earlier. It would have been kinder on them all.
Ahsoka ran. Her fangs were bared. Her heart was racing. Her muscles were aching.
But she couldn't let Maul escape. She wouldn't!
How had he even escaped from his cell? Had someone let him out? Had he broken out in the conflict?
She supposed those didn't matter… not at the moment. All that did matter was catching that monster and ending him once and for all.
She didn't want to kill anyone, but for Maul she would make an exception. If he escaped, the damage would be severe for everyone.
Ahead of her she saw Maul charge past a pair of Clones firing upon a Jedi. The Zabrak raised a single hand in passing, knocking all three targets to the floor with ease as he continued on, passing round a corner and out of sight.
Ahsoka growled beneath her helmet, unable to stop the anger that was building inside her.
He wouldn't escape! Not again!
Ahsoka pressed on, sprinting as fast as she could. She was distantly aware of Masana, following in her stead, keeping pace with her whilst yelling expletives at the retreating Zabrak.
Whilst she didn't follow suit, she couldn't help but agree with every insult that left the Dowutin's mouth.
Vaulting over the forms of the two Clones and the Jedi, Ahsoka rounded the same corner Maul had and pushed on. Ahead of her she saw Maul slip round another corner, clearly trying to lose her in the labyrinth-like corridors of the Jedi Temple.
The joke was on him though. She knew these corridors like the back of her hand. She had grown up here after all.
"He's heading for the hangar!" Ahsoka heard Masana call out from behind her, further cementing Ahsoka's resolve.
Maul would not escape!
She rounded another corner, and another, before finally she found herself in one of the Jedi Temple's many hangars.
The place was a war zone. Blaster fire echoed throughout the hangar, crashing into lightsabers as Jedi desperately tried to defend themselves from the onslaught. Those Jedi that were able to close the gap between them and the Clones cut them down with ease, the sound of their lightsabers piercing through the Clone armor hitting Ahsoka's montrals.
She hated this. She hadn't wanted this.
But right now she could do nothing to stop it. She had to focus on Maul.
Surveying the hangar, she saw the Zabrak. He charged towards a line of Clones who were guarding a Jedi starfighter with their lives, evidently trying to stop anyone using it to escape.
They spotted the approaching Sith Lord too late, and by the time they had raised their blasters in his direction, Maul had acted.
Ahsoka saw Maul reach out with the Force and snap the Clones neck with a single flick of his wrist.
Rage flooded Ahsoka even more. She was going to kill him!
Redoubling her pace, Ahsoka sprinted and vaulted into the air, coming down on Maul's location.
The Zabrak turned and evaded her downward lightsaber swipe at the last moment, before sidestepping two more strikes from the Togruta.
"This is your doing Tano! Witness the consequences of your apathy."
Ahsoka snarled again as she lunged towards Maul, fully intending on impaling him on her golden blade.
Again, Maul moved to the side out of reach, before extending his own arms and grabbing Ahsoka's wrist, preventing her from using her saber anymore.
"Now live with them!" The Zabrak spat as he shoved Ahsoka back, before following up with a harsh Force push.
Ahsoka grunted as she found herself sailing backwards, crashing into a large object behind her with a resounding clang thanks to her armor.
It took Ahsoka a few moments to realize that said large object she had hit was Masana, who was now lying beneath her having been knocked down from the impact.
The Dowutin groaned lightly before she spoke, humour in her voice.
"Pretty forward of you Tano. At least buy a girl a drink before you jump them."
If the situation had been vastly different, Ahsoka would have chuckled at Masana's comment. That or made a comment that would have made Obi-Wan groan and Anakin proud.
But this wasn't the right situation… not at all.
Pushing herself off of Masana's form whilst muttering a small apology, Ahsoka vaulted back to her feet just in time to see the Jedi starfighter the Clones had been protected lift off.
"Oh no you don't!"
As the fighter began to move towards the hangar exit, Ahsoka reached out with the Force.
The fighter shuddered at the sudden way it was being manipulated, trying to push forward and out of Ahsoka's grasp.
Ahsoka could imagine Maul behind the controls, his expression sneering as he tried to escape.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka spotted Masana move up alongside her, one of her own clawed hands extended out, clearly manipulating the Force in the same manner she was.
Beneath her helmet, Ahsoka smiled darkly.
Maul was not going to get away that easily.
"Oh kriff!" Masana cried out suddenly, and Ahsoka saw why.
Maul had managed to rotate the fighter so that it was facing them somehow, and Ahsoka knew exactly why he had done so.
"Get down!" Ahsoka cried as she dove to the floor, breaking her hold on the fighter in the process.
The fighter's weapons opened up with reckless abandon, energy bolts firing at where Ahsoka and Masana had been standing moments before.
With their manipulation of the Force broken, Maul was free to move the fighter, and he wasted no time regaining control.
By the time Ahsoka had pushed herself back to her feet, the fighter was nothing more than a distant speck that was travelling away from the Jedi Temple and into the nighttime sky of Coruscant.
Maul had escaped… again.
More and more chipped Clones got between them and the Jedi Archives.
And more and more chipped Clones fell to their free-thinking brothers.
A scant mercy, all things considered.
As another Clone fell to his blaster, Rex felt a wince of pain where his amputated hand was. It was strange being without it, and it hurt like hell, despite the facade he was trying to put on for the younglings.
They couldn't afford to see him break, not now. He'd bare the pain, as well as the phantom itch.
Despite that, he knew that he would need serious medical attention soon. Kix had done what he could to patch the wound, and he had as always done a spectacular job.
But lightsaber wounds were never pretty, even if they cauterise the wound. Rex wouldn't bleed to death, but he could easily get the wound infected.
He'd need a bacta tank at the very least.
"Are the Archives close, Master Sinube?" Rex asked. He had been to them before of course, but that didn't mean he knew the way. Sinube, however, had lived in the Temple for years like the rest of the Jedi.
"They are Captain. Just round the next bend. Be warned however, I sense conflict within."
"Not surprised. Securing the Archive would be a prominent target for most Commanders. Fox might be an arse at the best of times, but he's not stupid." Rex replied as he continued to move forward, his team behind him, each covering a youngling.
As they rounded the corner, they were greeted with the entrance to the Jedi Archives.
The doors had evidently been blown through with some kind of explosive, and within as expected were many Clones dressed in white and red armour.
"Coruscant Guard. You think Fox is in there too?" Jesse spoke from behind him, supporting the young Tholothian female Jedi, watching her back. She wasn't as nearly as competent with the sword of shield tactic as Ahsoka or Anakin, but she was skilled.
"If he is, make sure you eliminate him. Cutting off the leadership of the chipped Clones might throw them into disarray. Give the other Jedi a chance to escape." Rex said, disliking his words as he said them. He might not like Fox, but he didn't want him dead.
"I count thirty Clones in there. We've got no chance against that many!" Kix spoke up next, his helmeted head surveying the Archives from round the corner.
Rex too had done his own number count, and had counted thirty seven Clones within the Archives, all patrolling in small squads, likely searching for Jedi survivors.
Despite the odds being severly against them, Rex smirked under his helmet. Whilst the vast majority of the Clones were dressed in the red and white of the Coruscant Guard, there were five troopers patrolling the Archive as well, each dressed in red and black custom armour.
Knowing full well that they were merely waiting for the signal, Rex spoke.
"Good thing we've got backup then."
Through body language alone, Rex could see that his brothers were confused by his words. They were even more confused when Rex began to move forward, heading towards the Archive entrance.
As he entered the threshold of what remained of the doorway, one of the black and red armoured troopers caught his eye and nodded once.
Rex nodded back, and then all hell broke loose.
The black and red troopers burst into action, felling eight of the Coruscant Guard in under a second. Upon realising they had been betrayed, the Guard attempted to fight back, but it was ultimately futile. Between Rex and his 501st Elite and the black and red troopers, the Coruscant Guard squads were eliminated in under a minute.
If they had been Battle Droids, Rex would have been proud of the display and execution of the skirmish.
Without wasting time on pleasantries, Rex gestured to the Jedi.
"Get to the holocron vault!"
The group broke into a sprint, traversing the Jedi Archives. Many bodies littered the floor as they passed, both Jedi and Clone. Rex noted that there was no sign of the Chief Librarian amongst them. Perhaps she had escaped the carnage.
Master Sinube took point, heading directly towards the sealed holocron vault door, his hands beginning to work on the various panels on it to gain access.
As Rex moved to cover the eldely Jedi Master, he heard the sound of someone speaking.
"So nice of you to join us, Captain."
Rex resisted the urge to shudder at the tone of the other Clones' voice. Out of all of the Bad Batch, Crosshair was the one that filled him with the most unease. It wasn't that he didn't trust the sniper. He just found him… creepy?
"Glad you boys made it." Rex replied as the rest of the Batch arrived, Hunter and Echo leading the way.
"Wish it were under better circumstances Captain. These are the Jedi we're protecting?" Hunter replied, gesturing to the younglings.
"We can't leave them here Hunter."
"No argument from me Rex. These kids are innocent. You've got our support."
Rex nodded in gratitude as the Bad Batch began to take up positions around the younglings and 501st Elite, protecting them from any unforeseen ambushes.
"Master Sinube? Any luck?" Rex turned his attention back to where the Cosian Jedi was working. The elderly Master didn't respond immediately, clearly focused on his mission. No doubt it wasn't easy to get into the holocron vault. Doubly so if you no longer possessed the rights to enter it.
"Contacts! Coruscant Guard incoming." Crosshair's voice was followed by the sound of his rifle discharging a single shot, one that took down an approaching chipped Clone with a clean headshot.
"Stupid regs don't understand the meaning of the word 'cover'." The sniper quipped as he fired another shot, downing another Clone that dared charge towards them.
"Is it just me, or do they seem more aggressive when the chip activates? Kind of like they lose their sense of actual tactics?" Echo called out as he shielded one of the younglings, firing his blaster in tandem with Rex.
"Seems like it. Self preservation isn't something they seem to consider."
"Ironic really! We were told those chips were aggression inhibitors, when actually they seem to multiply the aggression factor of a Clone's brain in ways that…"
"SHUT UP AND SHOOT ALREADY, TECH!" Wrecker's bombing voice drowned out the Clone genius as he took point, firing his blaster at the increasing number of incoming Coruscant Guard.
"For once I concur with Wrecker. Fall silent and shoot something already!" Crosshair sniped as he sniped another Clone.
Upon the sniper's words, Tech huffed aloud before he fired out three shots, scoring four kills in the process.
"How did you do that?!" Wrecker yelled.
"Mathematical precision. Brute force does not always solve everything."
"You gotta teach me that!"
"If we get out of here Wrecker, I will." Tech replied as he fired again, downing another Clone.
The conflict continued. Coruscant Guard fell with ease to the combined might of both the Bad Batch and 501st. But for every one they downed, two more seemed to enter.
"We can't hold his position much longer!" Rex called out, hoping his words would get Master Sinube to speed up.
"Speed is not everything Captain. I once taught your Jedi Commander that."
Rex's head pivoted to Sinube suddenly as the Cosian's words hit him. He had taught Ahsoka once?
Before Rex could ask what he meant however, the eldely Jedi took a step back, and the door to the holocron vault began to open.
"Nice work Master!" One of the younglings called out, his lightsaber blocking a blaster bolt in the process.
"I agree with the kid. Everyone get inside now!" Rex ordered as he began to back up.
The younglings hauled through the door first, followed by Master Sinube.
Jesse, Coric, Kix and Fives followed next, leaving Rex out front with the Bad Batch.
"Clone Force 99. Fall back!" Hunter called out as he took a turn and ran through the now open vault door. Tech and Echo followed swiftly, leaving Rex out front with Crosshair and Wrecker.
Crosshair fired off another three shots before he too turned and ran inside.
That left Rex with Wrecker.
They both began to move back together, covering their retreat with a barrage of blaster fire.
Just as Rex crossed the threshold of the doorway however, a shot crashed into his face.
"ARGH!"
Rex cried out as the impact knocked him back, a burning sensation covering his face. He was distantly aware of the holocron vault door being shut in the process to seal the approaching chipped Clones out, but right now he had bigger issues to contend with.
The Clone Captain scrambled with his remaining hand to remove his helmet, throwing it on the floor in the process and breathing a sigh of relief when the burning stopped.
His helmet was broken, a clean hole where his eye had been in the visor. He was lucky the shot had only damaged the helmet and not gone straight through.
The helmet however was ruined. He'd get no more practical use out of that.
"Do you think that door will hold them?" Jesse inquired as moved beside Rex, checking him over for any more injuries.
"It'll hold them long enough." Rex replied as he turned and gestured down the long corridor behind them. "I take it the defences are offline?"
"That they are, Captain. We have a clean shot to the vault itself, and from there the exit we seek." Master Sinube responded as he regained his breath from the chaos beforehand. Despite his willingness to assist in combat, Rex had to remind himself that the Cosian Jedi was very old.
"Then let's not waste anymore time. Move out Troopers!"
Rex took point, directing the Clones and the Jedi down the same path Master Windu had guided him in the past. The journey was short, and soon, Rex found himself entering the same side room as before.
"Master Sinube, we need the Force to open this tunnel." Rex spoke, recalling the events from before. Windu had done something with the Force to open the hatch. Surely Sinube could do the same.
The Cosian Jedi nodded and moved forward, extending both hands and focusing for a few seconds.
"Uh… Rex… we've got a problem." Coric had been unusually silent since the events with Skywalker, but now his voice held nothing but dread within his tone.
"What's wrong Trooper?"
"They are cutting through the door."
Rex didn't need to look to see what Coric meant. The chipped Clones were moving faster than he had anticipated.
Luckily for them, so was Master Sinube.
Within moments of Coric speaking, he heard the sound of the hatch opening.
"Nice work General!" Rex said, unable to stop himself from producing the honorific.
"The credit goes to you for this plan, Captain." The elderly Jedi responded as he gave Rex a warm smile.
Turning his attention briefly to the sealed vault door, Rex nearly did a double take at how much progress the chipped Clones had made.
They were already a third of the way through cutting the door open.
Snapping into action, Rex began to issue commands.
"Kix, Jesse, take point down the ladder. Secure the bottom. Master Jedi, you and the younglings go after. The rest of us will bring up the rear."
"Sir yes Sir!" Kix responded as he moved towards the hatch entrance, grabbing hold of the ladder as he began his descent. Jesse followed next with a nod of respect towards Rex.
As the two 501st Clones disappeared down the whole, Sinube began to direct the younglings towards the shaft.
One by one the younglings entered the shaft, and one by one they were saved from the slaughter above.
It wasn't what Rex had fully intended when he and those loyal to the Jedi had entered the Temple, but it was something.
He had saved someone at the very least.
"They are nearly through!" Fives yelled as he began to move towards the hatch, leaving Rex with the Bad Batch to go last.
"Get moving Trooper!"
As Fives began his descent, Rex turned to Hunter and his squad, fully intending on letting them go next.
The leader of Clone Force 99 however had a different opinion.
"We'll buy you some time Captain. Get those kids out of here."
"What? Hunter, what are you…"
"I said get moving. Those regs are gonna break through regardless. If someone doesn't stay behind to hold them off, they'll just follow you down the hatch."
Rex hated to admit that he was right. The last thing he wanted to do was leave anyone, be it brother or Jedi behind.
But if anyone could hold off any army of chipped Clones and survive, it was the Bad Batch.
With reluctance, Rex nodded in acceptance before turning to face Echo, saluting at the former 501st ARC Trooper with his remaining hand.
"Good luck soldier."
"You too, Captain." Echo replied, snapping into a salute within an instant. "Now get the hell out of here and save those kids."
Echo had never been a forceful person. He had been quite happy to sit in his corner of the mess trawling over countless regulation documents. The 501st had relied on him to keep them all updated on any rule changes within the Galactic Army of the Republic over the course of the Clone War.
Seeing him now however, he was a completely different person. Gone was the reserved ARC Trooper, instead replaced with a warrior, one who was willing to lay down his life for everyone.
Rex couldn't be prouder.
"As long as you boys make it out of here alive too."
"I've no intention of dying in this dump." Crosshair was the one to respond from his position in the corridor, rifle aimed at the doorway the chipped Clones had almost cut through.
As much as Rex wanted to retort, he knew he was out of time.
Moving towards the shaft, Rex began his careful descent.
The distant sound of an explosion, followed by blaster fire confirmed what he already knew.
The chipped Clones had broken through, and the Bad Batch had no choice but to fight.
He wanted to help, but he couldn't. He had to protect the younglings.
Thus, with much reluctance, Rex balanced himself on the ladder with his legs, before reaching up to seal the hatch behind him.
Author's thoughts
*Hides beneath my desk*
... is it safe to come out yet? Are you guys mad at me for this chapter?
So yeah... this chapter. Just over 10k words, and it took a long time to write, so sorry about that. I hope it was at least enjoyable though.
This was a tricky chapter to get right, what with the constant back and forth between POV's, especially when trying to show how both Ahsoka and Rex are faring with the ongoing situation. The standoff between Rex, Anakin and Ahsoka in particular was a tough one to write because no matter how I did it, someone would dislike it. There is a lot I could say regarding this chapter really, but honestly at this point I'm happy to let everyone else have their own interpretations of events. Plus I don't want to give anything away for the final few chapters either.
That said I do know that Rex's... shall we say, lethality, in this chapter might turn some people off... and that's fine. Rex loves his brothers. He takes no joy in killing them. But this time round he doesn't have Ahsoka and her moral high ground ordering him to go to stun blasts, so instead he stays on lethal shots like Boil did previously. Suffice to say this is something that will scar him.
Another thing when writing this chapter after the release of Clone Wars Season 7 and other content was that I could sneak in a few references, cameos and parallels. I hope you enjoyed them.
I suppose I should at very least give a R.I.P to Ridge, Phoenix, Appo and Rex's hand at bare minimum. Sorry guys! It was a bad chapter for the Clones... but not nearly as bad as it has been for the Jedi! 0_0
Thank you once again to my beta reader 'ArrinSnyders' for beta reading, correcting my mistakes and keeping me motivated with funny memes.
Next time round we deal with the aftermath of everything that has happened these past few chapters.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
princesselsaamidala22: Yeah... I'm not too sure if he is doing that great right now. :(
Alamout: I'm not too sure if that's a good thing or not! I wouldn't even know where to begin with one of those! XD
the Mandalorian terminator: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed one of the worst days of Caleb Dume's life. XD
Yeah I felt bad about Yularen and I'm still not 100% happy with his demise, but with how Boil was acting it was kind of necessary.
Besides... if I decide to bring him back I can just pull a 'Somehow, Yularen has returned' for a laugh. XD
60FPS: Gotta change the scenery every now and then. More perspectives is always fun to explore too. Glad you enjoyed it. :)
Alfredo12StarLegionaire: Yeah there aren't that many ways you can write an escape from a Venator really. I tried my best though with the unique twist of Boil leading the mission instead of one of the Jedi. Hopefully it was enjoyable enough. :)
tf330129: Thanks! Glad it was interesting.
Ryan1017: The whole Order 66 business is tricky no matter how you look at it. With the chips the Clones are sympathetic pawns of Sidious, but without them they become complacent participants of a mass genocide that didn't discriminate from children, no different from what the Nazi Stormtroopers of the Third Reich were.
I'd honestly argue that there was a large proportion of Jedi Generals and Commanders who were good and treated their troops with respect. Anakin, Ahsoka, Ob-Wan and Plo are all obvious examples, but then you've got Jaro Tapal and Cal Kestis, Depa and Caleb, Mace Windu, Shaak Ti and many many more. It only takes one General Krell or Barriss Offee to stain the perception of the masses, and out of anyone the 501st have the most case of being willing to exterminate the Jedi thanks to their experience with Krell, as well as the injustice that Ahsoka faced at the hands of the council. But that still doesn't make any of it right. In most societies, the Clones would be seen as monsters for their actions and likely charged with war crimes. Of course the case can be made that the Jedi deserve some of the flack and charges too.
So like I said... it's complicated for sure. End of the day, everyone was Palpatine's pawns. Some just had more choice to be pawns than others.