Hello everyone!
OneLittleSpark18: That's great to hear! But um...you're not going to be smiling though the whole chapter this time...
lady pomegranates: Ah yes, his purpose in this place. I'm definitely not going to be screwing with that.
Paladin Stormwind: Thank you so much! I try, lol. It helps that I'm getting to chapters and moments I've been waiting to write for months. Yeah, Bo Katan needs to just give up on that. It's clearly not going to happen.
Okay guys, it's a heavy one this time.
TW: Torture, medical torture, and psychological torture.
Let me know if you want/need a TLDR at the end if it's too intense.
Mando'a translations at the end!
Rex checked the chrono in the training room. Fifteen minutes until morning training was over. Then lunch, and then-
"Captain?" A small voice asked.
It was Prime. Rex was passing his slot in the shooting range. The little's voice was filled with concern as he looked up at Rex.
"Is there a problem, cadet?" Rex did his best to keep his voice flat.
Prime didn't say anything. He just studied Rex's eyes with a frown.
"Get back to the targets." Rex said, gesturing with his head.
"Yes, sir." Prime said, turning back..
Rex forced himself to keep walking and observing the cadets, trying to keep his mind off of what would happen during the mid day meal. He hoped that if things went poorly that afternoon, that his little brothers would be able to move on. Of course, he also hoped that they weren't all decommissioned if things went poorly. He gritted his teeth. This was risky, but it could also save Prime.
Boil was with Owl, who was improving somewhat. Rex was still worried about him. Their assessments were coming up and he wasn't sure if Owl was up to standard. If the Jedi came for Prime, was there perhaps a way they could take Owl as well? He supposed it depended on the Jedi.
"All right, cadets, pack it in!" Rex called the moment the chrono hit 12:00.
His squad obediently stopped shooting and began to clean and disassemble their blasters. Rex watched them. It wouldn't be long until they were sent into combat sims. They were so small. Had he really been that young when he had faced his first strategic challenge?
Prime kept shooting glances at Rex, but Rex pointedly ignored the boy. He could probably sense Rex's anxiety, but there was nothing Prime could do about it.
They lined up in front of him. Rex doled out his grading of their shooting. He tried to keep it neutral, neither harsh nor overly praising. They took the criticisms well, but kept their gazes down. There was not the air of fear Rex had noticed when he had first met them, but they were a long way from the happy cadets he had been training.
"Dismissed." Rex barked.
Kilo Squad followed Boil out of the shooting range. Rex watched them go. Would this be the last time he saw them?
Rex made his way to his own mess hall. Jesse wasn't there anymore. Rex assumed he'd been reassigned or deployed. He refused to believe otherwise.
Rex barely ate anything. He just pushed the food around his plate. He watched the chrono again. Twenty minutes left. Fifteen. Ten. When the chrono hit 12:45, Rex stood and disposed of his tray. It was time.
Now that the time had come, his mind had switched to mission mode. He walked with purpose through Tipoca City's halls. He only met a few guards, chipped troopers who walked past without acknowledging him. He had just about reached the exit to the nearest landing pad when-
"Rex!"
It was Prime again. Rex turned to see the cadet hurrying towards him.
"You are supposed to be in the mess hall, cadet." Rex growled.
Prime ignored Rex's false harshness and grabbed at Rex's hands.
"What are you going to do?" Prime whispered. "What's going on?"
Rex frowned down at his vod'ika.
"Come on." He said, jerking his head towards the door to the outside platform. It was his final destination anyway.
Rex remembered just weeks ago when he had taken Prime out here for the cadet to confess his Force sensitivity. The weather was the same, unsurprisingly. The rain and wind whipped around them. Rex was glad to see that Mereel had not arrived yet.
Rex picked up Prime again. Prime buried his face into Rex's shoulder. Rex let him sit there for a moment. He knew the littles missed moments like this. He couldn't help but give Prime a final goodbye.
"Prime, what I'm about to do is for you." Rex whispered into Prime's ear. "The Jedi will come for you."
"No!" Prime cried. "No, Rex! This is bad, I can feel it!"
"Is it bad for you?" Rex asked urgently. "Will this hurt you or the squad?"
Prime shook his head.
"Not for the squad."
Rex relaxed. Maybe he'd fail, maybe he'd get caught, but he could trust Prime's intuition that the squad would be safe.
"Then it's okay." He said. "Prime, I have to do this. You're not safe here."
"Rex, please!" Prime begged. "I can't be a Jedi!"
"Why not?" Rex asked. "It's okay, brother. They'll be excited for you to join!"
Prime shook his head.
"The Jedi are good." He said. "I'm not good. I- I'm the one who killed CT-2517."
Rex felt his blood run cold. Their old trainer?
"You must be mistaken." He said. "The records say he died of a heart attack."
Prime nodded.
"I made his heart stop." He said. "He was hurting Kotep and I wanted him to stop and it was the only thing that I could do."
Rex swallowed. He didn't know much about the Force, but he was sure that the Jedi frowned on the ability to stop hearts.
"It doesn't matter." Rex said. "The Jedi can help you. But you need to go back to the others, now."
Prime just clutched harder at Rex.
"Don't go!" He sobbed. "Don't go!"
"That's an order, Prime." Rex said harshly.
He pulled Prime away from himself and set him on the ground.
"Go!" Rex ordered.
Prime scrambled away. Rex watched Prime scurry away down the hallway. He waited a few minutes longer before Mereel stepped out into the rain.
"Was that the one?" Mereel asked as he reached Rex.
Rex nodded. He had told Mereel of Prime, and had made him promise to bring news of the cadet to the Jedi.
"Good thing I got the camera loop up, then." Mereel said. "Wouldn't look good if they saw him at our meeting spot if we get caught."
Rex grunted. In his mind, it was shifting from if he got caught, to when. This was a risky plan, even with a NULL's involvement. It was even more risky for the person left behind, Rex. Mereel would be able to escape with little problem once Rex had done his part. Rex himself would have to find a way back alone.
"You have the equipment?" Rex asked as he put on his helmet.
"Wouldn't be here if I didn't." Mereel said. "By the way, the passcode into the building is 3493."
He passed a wrist gauntlet to Rex. Rex put it on with a grimace. He had training in whipcord launchers, but not many clones used them. Mereel also handed him a training blaster. It wasn't much, but it would stun well enough.
"Ready?" Mereel asked.
Rex nodded and aimed the launcher at the lip of the roof. No going back now. He released the cord and it shot out with a whistle of air, followed by the slithering noise of the cord unraveling. Mereel did likewise. With a sharp clink the end hit the roof. Rex tugged on his cord. It seemed secure. Rex hit another button and the cord began to wind, jerking Rex into the air.
It was a stomach twisting feeling, being lifted through the air against the rain and wind, the only anchor being his wrist. He eventually scrambled onto the slick metal roof. He gave silent thanks to the Force for his boots and their incredible grip. Mereel soon came onto the roof, his movements seeming more controlled than Rex's.
Rex looked to Mereel, who silently gestured to one of the other buildings. That was the flight control tower, where Rex would have to take out six chipped troopers and give the permissions for Mereel's ship to take off.
Rex gave a thumbs up and set off across the slippery roof. Mereel headed in the opposite direction. He'd have to take on a dozen troopers in order to get to the targeted ship. Rex figured a NULL wouldn't have much problem with that.
Rex reached the edge of the first roof and shot out his cord again. This time he suppressed a shiver of fear as he was pulled to the next building. Before, if he fell, he'd just land on the platform below. Now there was only churning sea beneath him.
He managed to get onto the next roof and glanced back. He saw a whitish speck three roofs over. Mereel was going quickly. Rex needed to hurry, too.
Rex traveled across two more roofs and was starting to shiver from wet blacks when he reached the flight tower. He entered the passcode Mereel had given him and the door slid open. Rex slipped inside. It was empty; not many people, clone or longneck, had access to the building. The clicking of his boots sounded too loud as Rex hurried forward. He counted the doors as he passed.
Two left, two right, three left, three right - there! Fourth on the left!
Rex took a deep breath before he entered the next passcode and the door slid open into a lift. He stepped inside and the lift doors closed. He readied his blaster. The lift chimed as it slowed and the doors began to swirl open. Rex immediately started firing at the first glint of white plasteel. He was rewarded with a shout and the sound of two bodies hitting the floor. Rex ducked under the return fire and nailed another trooper in the head. The blaster shots sparked as they peppered the wall next to his head. Rex shot twice more, but only succeeded in bringing down one.
"Requesting back-up at flight control tower! Rogue trooper-" The clone was cut off as Rex shot him in the back.
Rex hadn't been fast enough. More troopers were likely on their way. It didn't mean Rex couldn't finish the mission.
The final trooper moved, heading for the lockdown switch. Rex didn't let him make it halfway. Rex hurried to the control panel. He stood, tense, as he waited for Mereel's request to make it through.
A light flashed, indicating that the ship on platform 5 was requesting permission to lift off. Rex entered the final passcode and hit the button to approve the request.
Mereel's voice crackled through the comm.
"Nice job." He said. "You do well as an extra body."
"Get out of here." Rex said. "They know I'm here."
There was a moment of silence.
"Thank you." Mereel finally said. "If I can, I'll have someone come back for you."
"Don't bother. But tell- tell Commander Ahsoka Tano that- I'm sorry." Rex said. He could hear the lift moving. They were coming for him. "Now go!"
He shut the comm off and clutched the side of the control panel. The panel flashed, letting Rex know that Mereel had made it out. Rex heaved a sigh of relief, and then lifted his hands in surrender as he heard the troopers rush from the lift.
They didn't even bother taking Rex to the detention level. He was marched straight to an examination room. Only a spark of fear flared in Rex's chest as he saw the pristine table with the straps. A Kaminoan, Nala Se, was waiting for them.
"CT-7567." She said as Rex was prodded in. "I am unsurprised to hear of your rebellion."
Rex didn't say anything. He kept his eyes lowered. He refused to show defiance. It could lead to his squad being punished.
"Remove your armor, blacks, and briefs." Nala Se continued. "And proceed to the examination table."
One of the troopers jabbed his blaster into Rex's back when he hesitated. Easier to get rid of the body without having to strip me themselves. Rex thought as he undid his armor. He was glad that he had not brought the picture Jesse had given him, though he wished he had taken a longer look at it that morning.
He kept his hands from trembling. He forced his mind to be blank, to not think how this room was the last thing he'd see, that the last voice he'd hear was a longneck's, how he would never get to say goodbye to the people he loved.
The examination table was cold against his bare back as he lay down. The troopers wasted no time in strapping his arms, chest, and legs down. Memories of being a cadet and enduring the long tests of the Kaminoans flashed back to him. He'd gone through more than most because of his blonde hair.
"You are dismissed." Nala Se said.
The troopers left, leaving Rex alone with Nala Se. The fact that he was going to die slammed into Rex. He had never truly feared death. Few clones did. He certainly didn't want to die, but during the war, death was just an inevitable fact. But now- he still wasn't afraid, but the idea of dying hurt. He didn't want to leave. He didn't want to make his brothers and the others he loved mourn him.
He didn't want to make Ahsoka mourn him.
He would miss her. He had been so long without her, but he didn't want to be without even the memory of her smile. But soon he wouldn't even have that.
As Nala Se began the tests of poking, prodding, and scans, Rex let his mind wander to better times. He recalled the sound of Ahsoka's laughter, the weight of the twins in his arms, the smell of fresh caf. He even tried to remember the bickering between brothers.
He realized after a while that the tests had stopped. Nala Se seemed to be waiting for something. Someone entered the room and Rex heard Lama Su's voice.
"What are your findings, Nala Se?" Lama Su said.
"There is nothing to indicate the cause of his rebellion." She said. "I would be more sure if I were to perform an autopsy, but from the preliminary tests, it is simply learned behavior."
"A fine specimen of a unit." Lama Su commented. "A pity that his skills will not be able to be passed down. Could he not be reconditioned?"
A bolt of true fear fired through Rex's veins. No. He would not suffer the same fate as Dogma.
"His chip is removed." Nala Se said. "However, there is the chemical process of reconditioning."
"I am aware." Lama Su said thoughtfully. "It is a prolonged process. However, if it is successful, we can recondition the rest of the clones without chips and undo the damage the Republic has done."
"Very well, Prime Minister." Nala Se said.
Rex's panic was rising and he began to strain against the bonds.
No- No, I won't- Rex thought.
There was a prick at his neck, and his body began to fail him.
"No." Rex slurred. "No."
Rex woke up in degrees. First he was aware of his thoughts, confused and jumbled as they were. Then awareness of his body returned, and then feeling. The ground was cold against his still naked body. There was- something around his neck, but he couldn't move to feel what it was. Eventually, his sluggish muscles responded to his commands. When he opened his eyes, the room was pitch black. He sat up. Rex fumbled with his fingers to the weight around his neck. He froze as he touched it. It was familiar, horribly, horribly familiar. A Zygerrian shock collar. How the hell had the Kaminoans gotten one of these?
A terrifying thought hit Rex. Had they sold him to the Zygerrians? No- no. They had said they were going to recondition him. Still, Rex had to slow his breathing and tried to ignore the collar's weight.
He felt around the room. It was small, only a few meters long and wide. It was bare of anything, at least that Rex could feel. Eventually he found the seams of the door. It did not open at his touch, unlike many of the doors on Kamino. His searching fingers found no access panel. He was locked in, which shouldn't have surprised him.
He sat, hand on the door, the realization of what was going to happen to him sinking in. He tried to swallow the fear, but it got stuck at the collar.
Deep breaths, like Ahsoka taught you.
Fear mingled with grief, a bitter cocktail.
I'm sorry, Ahsoka.
Tears burned at his eyes.
I want to go home.
The childish thought rang around his head. Most of the clones weren't useful to the Kaminoans in their current state. Why couldn't they just let them go home to the people they loved?
Anger like he'd never felt before at the Kaminoans surged through him. These creatures didn't care that he had people he loved. They didn't care that he thought and felt. They didn't care that his reconditioning would break Ahsoka Tano's heart.
He slammed his fist against the door. He knew no one would come, neither brother or longneck. But he wanted to show them that their crimes didn't go unrecognized.
He pounded again. A soft click from around his neck let him know what was going to happen a millisecond before it did. Rex's limbs locked up as electricity burned its way through his nerves. He would have screamed, but his jaw was frozen shut. He could only make a raw noise that hurt his throat.
As quickly as it had come, the electricity stopped. Rex lay on the ground, chest heaving.
A Kaminoan's voice began speaking from somewhere above. At first Rex thought it was a reprimand for his action, but he realized it was a strange mantra.
"A good soldier endures. A good soldier does not display emotion."
Rex frowned up at the unseen ceiling. The voice continued, describing a 'good soldier,' or at least a good soldier in the eyes of the Kaminoans. Things like following orders, never questioning a superior officer, and even to stay at attention until the at ease order was given.
Was this their attempt at reconditioning him? No, they had said something about chemical reconditioning. What was this for, then?
He sat up and shivered. He curled in on himself to preserve his body heat. The mantra continued. For a while Rex listened, fascinated by the strict expectations of the Kaminoans.
The words began to pound at him.
"There's no point." He said aloud. "I'm not a good soldier."
Immediately the collar sparked to life and Rex was left writhing on the floor. He could taste both blood and bile by the time it stopped. He should have known that speaking would get him shocked.
He pulled himself back up into a sitting position. The words hadn't stopped. He hated the sound of the Kaminoan's voice. He hated the calm way it told him to never act like a sentient being.
He couldn't stand staying still any longer. He was built to move and act, not sit and wait for his demise.
Even that didn't seem real. Maybe they were just going to keep him in here until he died. That was preferable.
He went to push himself up from the floor, but decided that push ups were as good as any distraction.
Once he was tired of push-ups, he moved to situps. The exercise helped warm him, but soon he grew thirsty. He ignored it for as long as he could, but eventually he had to resort to mere pacing. He didn't know when they'd give him water next.
As he paced, the fear returned.
They're going to forget me.
Dead brothers were remembered. Reconditioned brothers had to be forgotten.
That was a clone's greatest fear. There was nothing else they left behind besides the memories in their brothers' minds.
The twins won't even remember me in the first place.
He didn't know if that was a comfort or even more painful to think about. The ache in his heart told him the truth.
He pushed aside the thoughts of the twins before they could wander into more painful paths.
His only alternative was to listen to the Kaminoan's mantra again. He found himself pacing in rhythm with the words.
At first they were just an annoyance. Slowly each time the Kaminoan began the sentence with 'good soldiers,' it cut a little deeper into Rex's head. He wanted to scream at them to shut up, but he knew how that would end.
His feet began to ache with each step. He didn't stop. He was a caged animal. He needed to move and this was one of his very limited options.
Rex's muscles began to cramp. He tried to work past the pain, but he didn't have the water to help ease the cramping. Eventually a particularly bad one spasmed up his leg and he fell to the floor. He massaged the point of pain, but it took a while for the muscle to relax. Once it did, Rex found that he did not have the energy to stand again.
Sitting made the Kaminoan's words even harder to tune out.
"Good soldiers do not question superiors."
I'm not a good soldier.
"Good soldiers are willing to give their lives."
I don't want to be a good soldier.
"Good soldiers follow orders."
Shut up!
Rex couldn't listen a moment longer. He clapped his hands to his ears like a cadet facing ordnance for the first time. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the muffled voice.
The collar came to life. Rex choked at the pain. It seared his insides for what felt like hours. Then it let go of him and he was once again on the floor.
He removed his hands from his ears. He wasn't shocked.
Rex grit his teeth at the implication. He had to listen to the words.
He stayed on the floor, breathing heavily. A part of him was frustrated. Couldn't they recondition him and be done with it?
Without warning electricity flooded his body again, burning pain into every nerve. Rex's muscles contracted and scrabbled with useless hands against the collar. When it stopped, a new Kaminoan's voice spoke over the eternal mantra.
"Stand at attention."
Rex's pain riddled mind took a moment to understand the words.
An order. He finally realized.
In a moment of pure defiance, he ignored it.
The pain returned, but only for a few moments. A quick jolt, to get Rex moving. He hated himself as the fear around his neck compelled him to his knees and then to his feet. He straightened his cramping muscles to stand ramrod straight. He waited for the 'at ease' to come.
It didn't.
Rex stood at attention in the darkness, the constant mantra of 'good soldiers' battering against him. After a good ten minutes he began to wonder if they were even watching any more. Likely they expected him to hold attention like a good soldier until he was relieved.
Rex wasn't a good soldier.
He relaxed his muscles and allowed his shoulders to drop. Immediately the collar flared to life, sending Rex spasming to the floor. He hit the ground hard, the tang of blood filling his mouth, but that was nothing to the electricity searing his body. It ended, finally.
"You will stand at attention." The Kaminoan's voice had returned. "A good soldier remains at attention until told otherwise."
So this was the game they were going to play. For a moment Rex considered staying on the floor and seeing how far they would take the torture. Maybe it would even kill him. Something in him balked at the idea, so Rex once again made the laborious journey to his knees and then to his feet.
If they wanted him to stand at attention, so be it.
He stayed in the rigid position for what felt like hours. The words continued.
"Good soldiers follow orders."
That one seemed to be repeated the most often.
The adrenaline of the constant shocks had faded and his exhaustion was returning. He blinked a few times but couldn't stop his chin from dipping slightly.
Once again the electricity coursed through him and his legs went rigid. He fell to the floor hard and a sharp pain cracked through his nose. He grunted through his clenched jaw. He could feel the blood stream down his face.
"Return to attention." The Kaminoan said. "A good soldier remains at attention until told otherwise."
Rex swallowed bile as he forced himself to his knees again. It was almost too much to get on his feet, but he did. Then, he stood at attention.
The minutes stretched out. It felt like the Kaminoan was speaking in slow motion. Rex's muscles protested, but he dare not relax them. They had known exactly how to get inside his head. The weight of the collar on his neck was nearly enough by itself.
His mind began to wander, desperate to get away from the incessant droning of the Kaminoan. He remembered when he had stood at attention with pride, when he graduated from training, when he became an ARC, when he had received his jaig eyes. He remembered standing next to General Skywalker and Fives on the day the war ended. He remembered straightening for Ahsoka whenever she entered the barracks, and her laughing 'at ease.' He hadn't loved her then, not like he loved her now.
In spite of the pain it caused, he remembered her. He remembered the quiet times together, reading. He remembered doting over the twins with her. He remembered the look in her eyes when she looked at him, as if he weren't one of millions of the same face.
Tears streamed down his face in a moment of aay'han, joy and grief. Joy that he had known her and had tasted love that the Kaminoans had never intended him to feel. Grief that he was going to lose it all at the hands of the same creatures that had brought him into the galaxy.
The collar burned and once again the pain stripped him of any control over his body. Rex crashed into the ground again, this time jarring his shoulder.
"Return to attention." The Kaminoan said as Rex tried to get up again. "A good soldier does not allow emotion to overwhelm him."
Rex wiped away the offending tears. They couldn't even let him feel for his fate. He felt sick as it took more effort than ever before to get to his feet and stand at attention.
"At ease."
Rex nearly couldn't release his cramping muscles, even though all he had thought about for the past few hours was how much pain they were in. He finally forced them to relax and a sob of relief nearly escaped him. Only fear of what the retribution would be kept him silent.
He was exhausted. He eased himself down onto the floor. The Kaminoan mantra was just a haze in his mind. The floor was cold, but he didn't care. He had slept in far worse conditions. Right now even his thirst and hunger paled in comparison to his fatigue. He closed his eyes.
A few things happened at once. A sharp jab of pain, different than the electricity, shot into his neck. Then the collar activated. Rex's strained muscles were forced to clench again and all he could do was groan. When the electricity finally, finally left his body, he found that he was terrified. His breathing came in short gasps and panic threatened to overwhelm him. With that fear came confusion. What was happening?
One thing was clear. A good soldier apparently did not sleep.
Rex sat in the corner of his dark room, head on his knees. He fought to keep his eyes open. He was sure it had been days since this hell had started. The Kaminoans forced him into a cycle of standing at attention for hours and 'resting.' Every time he'd come close to sleeping he'd been shocked for longer and longer intervals. And always with it came that strange fear.
He was afraid most of the time now, afraid that he'd slip up and fall asleep. Sleeping was not safe.
An unfamiliar noise sounded. Rex looked up. It was neither the constant voice of the Kaminoan nor his own cries of pain, the only sounds he'd heard for the last few days.
The door to his little room opened and the light burned Rex's eyes. Before he could see again, rough hands grabbed him. Instinct made him buck, trying to break away from their grip. He lashed out with a weaker fist than he would have liked and met only cold plasteel.
He was shocked for his efforts. It was long enough for his muscles to remain rigid after the collar had turned off. It allowed his trooper assailants to lift him and drag him from the room. His eyes took a long time to adjust to the lights of Kamino. By the time he could clearly make out his trooper captors, they had reached another small examination room. The troopers forced Rex onto the examination table and strapped him down.
Rex began to breathe in heaving gasps. They had had their fun with him. It was time for the reconditioning. Desperate, he brought to his mind every memory he could of his brothers and those he loved before he lost them forever.
Nala Se came in and calmly did something to his collar. Rex hissed out a sharp breath as something jabbed him in the neck. For a second there was nothing and then-
7567 stared up at the ceiling. He waited for the next order.
No!
Rex fought against the heavy pressure on his mind.
No, no, no! I will not-
Good soldiers-
NO!
Rex broke through the oppressive feeling encapsulating him. He was aware again of his surroundings. He became conscious of sharp pains where the straps held him down. Had he struggled against them? But- the thing pressing against him had gone. He had resisted their reconditioning.
"What is your designation?" Nala Se asked.
Rex glared at her.
"My name," He snarled. "Is Rex."
It was clear to him that nothing they did could change that.
Nala Se blinked slowly at him. His collar stabbed his neck again. Then a new pain coursed through him. It burned worse than the electricity. The familiar fear crescendoed in his chest. Everything faded except the fear and the pain. Rex heard someone distantly screaming and realized it was him.
The first thing he was aware of was Nala Se's frigid voice speaking.
"The first dose has been unsuccessful. Further measures must be taken to weaken his resolve. Return him to the room."
Rex realized with a horrible feeling as terrible as the pain that this was only the beginning.
Mando'a:
vod'ika: little brother
aay'han: bittersweet perfect moment of mourning and joy - *remembering and celebrating*
Ohhh boy. Sorry guys. Though, once again, this scene was originally MUCH worse. To the point where my editors thought that Rex couldn't come back from what I did to him. I'll go into more detail later as to what exactly is happening to him. BUT- his actions got Mereel out. Who knows about Prime. Who can tell the Jedi. The same Jedi who might be able to solve this whole problem...
...I really like writing Rex pining for home. I liked the angst. Oh, and heart stopping is a canonical Dark Side power. Uh oh, Prime, gotta stop that if you wanna be a Jedi.
I'm sorry about this week being just as angsty as last week's Guilty. It is what it is.
Anyway, wear your masks, remember to review, and have a great few weeks!