Hey everyone!
OneLittleSpark18: Well, like you said, you are willingly choosing this. This chapter is a lot less...soul crushing.
We're gonna be bouncing around heads today, just to get some different reactions. And things are going to get a lot happier today. Around a third angst, a third bitter sweet, and a third happy.
Mando'a translations at the end!
Plo watched Ahsoka run, his heart twisting with anxiety for her.
Let her not experience any more heartache. He pled to the Force.
He wanted desperately to follow her lead and find his lost sons, but the Council had given him a specific mission. Plo would have time later to reunite with his family.
He turned back to the terminal and after a moment of struggling with the interface, he found what he was looking for: Kilo squad.
He pulled up a map of Kamino and located the squad's barracks.
"Good luck, Master Aayla." Plo said to his companion. "I should be able to come back to assist you."
"Good luck to you as well, Master Plo." Aayla said.
Her eyes were shining. Plo guessed that she had her own loved ones to find. He would hurry, to allow for her to do so.
Plo began his trek throughout Tipoca City. Soon the odd emptiness was filled by clones, all of which stared at him.
"General Plo?"
"Jesse was right!"
"We're- we're free!"
Plo stopped to clasp hands or assure the clones of his purpose. He was in no hurry.
"Buir!"
Plo looked up at the call. He saw an unmarked clone barreling towards him. Plo knew immediately that it was Boost, even before the clone tore off his helmet.
Boost skidded to a stop in front of Plo. He stared at Plo with wide, wondering eyes.
"Buir?" He said. "Is it really you? Have you come to take us home?"
Plo folded his son into an embrace. Boost immediately hugged Plo back, laughing a little.
"It's true, Boost." Plo said. "You are coming home with me."
Boost's grip tightened on Plo.
"Thank you." The clone said, his voice shaking.
"I would not leave my sons to be used by the Kaminoans." Plo said.
He felt a little guilty as he said it. He nearly had left them here. Would he have had the courage to help his sons if the Jedi council had not given him permission?
Plo released Boost and set his hands on the clone's shoulders.
"I have a task I need to do." Plo said. "You must help your brothers prepare to be evacuated. Go to the terminal near the council rooms. General Secura will give you further orders."
Boost nodded.
"Yes, sir." He said.
Plo squeezed his shoulder one last time before Boost grinned and took off again. Plo watched him go, joy bursting in his chest. He prayed once again that he would be able to reunite with all of his sons.
Plo continued on his way to Kilo squad's barracks. He- wasn't quite sure what to expect. The boy would be physically older than most Temple initiates. While clones were individuals, they shared many traits. Plo did not know how Force sensitivity would work with those traits.
He reached the door and knocked on it. He could feel the child within the barracks, light that cast a sliver of a dark shadow.
A full grown trooper answered the door, apprehensive and suspicious. He purposefully filled the doorway so that Plo could not see in.
"What do- General Plo?" The clone said in surprise.
"Greetings, Boil." Plo said. The Force brought the clone's name to his remembrance.
"Rex did it." Boil muttered. "Kriffing maniac did it."
"Do you know why I am here?" Plo asked.
Boil looked him in the eyes.
"Yes." He said. "He's inside. Is it safe now, sir? Will you take him?"
"We are all going home, Boil." Plo said. "I promise you."
Boil's eyes widened, but he merely nodded. He stepped aside and let Plo in. Five clone cadets were nervously waiting within. They took in Plo, and more than one looked frightened.
One in particular stared at Plo with intense eyes.
"Are you a Jedi?" He asked.
"I am." Plo said.
"Rex did it." The young clone muttered, echoing Boil's sentiment. "Am-am I going to be a Jedi?"
"Yes, I believe so." Plo said.
He crouched down and held out a hand to the boy, like he had done with Little 'Soka so long ago. He did not miss the way some of the other cadets clutched to their brother, frightened.
The boy met Plo's eyes. Plo felt an inexperienced mind probe his own. He was open to the child, allowing him to clearly see his intentions. Soon any reservation left the boy's face.
"Are my brothers coming too?" He asked.
"Yes." Plo said. "All clones are being transported to Coruscant."
The other cadets began to mutter to each other. Plo looked over to Boil.
"Please follow me with your squad, Boil." He said.
"We're leaving now?" Boil asked.
"As soon as we can manage it." Plo said. "We will see how General Secura is handling things."
"Thank you for coming for Prime, sir." Boil said.
"You should thank Prime." Plo replied. "He is the reason you are able to come home."
Prime put his little hand in Plo's.
"I'm ready." He said.
Plo looked fondly at the little boy.
"Come." He said.
He nodded to Boil and led Prime by the hand through the door.
"All right, cadets, let's move out!" Boil said, and the group followed.
Prime clutched tightly to Plo's hand.
"Um," Prime said as they entered the hallway. "Can I ask you a question, sir?"
"Of course." Plo said.
"How do I be a Jedi?" Prime asked. "How does it happen?"
"First you will be taught at the Jedi Temple and learn much about the Force." Plo said.
"Is that what I can do? The Force?"
"Yes." Plo said.
"What's the Force?"
Oh dear. Plo thought. Of course the boy would have little idea, thanks to the Kaminoans. Plo began to explain the Force, the Jedi, and all the other questions Prime peppered him with. Plo was not bothered by this. He was glad to see that the boy's inquisitiveness had not been squashed by his environment. It had been months before Plo's own men had felt comfortable asking him questions like these.
"Sir, what do you mean by 'no attachment?'" Prime asked after a brief explanation of the Jedi Code.
Plo hesitated.
"The Jedi frown upon attachment to others." He said slowly. "They believe that those attachments both lead to the Dark Side and prevent a Jedi from doing his duty."
Prime's face had contorted into an expression of confusion and fear.
"Does that mean I can't see my brothers when I become a Jedi?" He asked.
Plo did not know how to answer. The answer should have been no. That's what the rest of the Council would have said. But it wasn't fair.
He was saved from answering by a familiar presence hitting him. He let the dilemma slip from his mind. He did not want to give an answer yet. Prime gave him an odd look.
"Master Plo?" He asked.
"Come with me, Prime." Plo said.
He followed the presence, the presence of his oldest son. Was Wolffe all right? In a way, the Commander was fragile. He was rigid and the war had strained him greatly. Plo knew Wolffe hated Kamino. How had he handled being back?
Plo found Wolffe, followed by a troupe of young men, arguing with another clone.
"I'm not listening to anything those long necks say." Wolffe was saying. "I'm only moving my cadets if a Jedi themselves tell me-"
Wolffe caught sight of Plo and his mouth dropped open. Then he looked away in shame. Plo's heart ached. Wolffe had a horrible habit of blaming himself whenever he needed Plo's assistance or rescue. The weeks after he had lost his eye had been particularly bad.
"Wolffe." Plo said.
"Hello, sir." Wolffe muttered. "I assume that we are indeed evacuating?"
"Yes." Plo said.
Wolffe was still not looking at him. Plo would have called his son to him, but he knew that it would make things worse. Wolffe would not react well to being 'coddled', as Wolffe himself called it, in front of his brothers.
"Come with us, Wolffe." Plo invited. "We can prepare for the extraction and see if we can't find more of the Wolf Pack."
"Yes, sir." Wolffe said.
He was staring somewhere above Plo's head. Plo's heart sank. Instead of comforting his son as he so desperately wished, he gestured to both groups of clones and began his way back to Master Secura.
Aayla watched more clones fill into the docking bay. She had decided to do this by legion. It was far easier. She had so far seen many of her men, men who had lit up at the sight of her and been eager to say hello. She was so glad to see them alive and well and she greeted each with enthusiasm. Yet she had not seen Bly, and each of her men had not seen him since arrival. They did tell her that the Commanders and Captains of the army had been assigned to train cadets. It only slightly cheered Aayla. They were hours away from getting to the cadets; she wanted to get the legions loaded up first.
"General."
Aayla turned to see Axel, the 327th ARC trooper, approach. He grinned broadly at her. Aayla clasped his proffered arm.
"Axel." She said. "You are well?"
"As well as you can expect us to be." Axel said. "Haven't been reconditioned, at least. Are you okay?"
"Of course." Aayla said. "Why would I not be?"
"I don't see Bly." Axel said.
Aayla flushed. She knew that her men knew about her and Bly's relationship, but they never spoke of it.
"I have not reached his squad yet." Aayla said. "I cannot go searching for clones I personally know. We must focus on getting the clones off of Kamino."
"You'll still need a break." Axel said. "And I'm sure a Marshal Commander would make things go more smoothly. I can take over for now."
Aayla hesitated. She shouldn't. She shouldn't. She would see Bly when it was his time to load onto the ships, she shouldn't.
"Do you know where his squad is located?" Aayla found herself asking.
Axel smiled.
"I happen to have that information, yes."
Aayla could feel Bly long before she was near his squad's barracks. He was so warm and steady, unchanged in the months they had been apart. Her heart was pounding by the time she reached the barracks. She jabbed the control panel, opening the door, and there he was.
He stood, instructing a group of physically 10 year old clones. He turned as the door opened and his amber eyes met hers.
"Aayla-" Bly was cut off as Aayla stode forward and pulled him down to kiss him.
He made a soft noise of surprise but quickly wrapped his arms around her. Aayla had no plans of releasing him until one of the cadets made a noise of disgust. Aayla broke away.
"That's how we say hello on Ryloth." She said.
"Y-yeah." Bly said, breathless.
"Ew." One of the cadets said. "Do we have to do that?"
"Only if the Twi'lek does it first." Aayla told them.
"Is that your General, sir?" Another cadet said. "The one you told us about?"
Bly shifted his hold on Aayla, putting his arm around her waist.
"Yes." He said. "This is General Aayla Secura. She's- a good friend."
"You do that to friends?" The first cadet said. "Nat-borns are weird."
Aayla laughed and Bly smiled.
"You five go ahead and meet with Pi Squad." Bly said. "I have something to discuss with the General."
"Yes sir!" One of the cadets said and all five shuffled out of the room.
The second the door was closed Bly pressed Aayla to his chest, leaning his cheek against the top of her head.
"I missed you." He muttered.
Aayla gave a shaky snort. What a plain way of putting the pain of their separation. She tilted her head back, dislodging Bly, and kissed him on one of his golden tattoos. She laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat with closed eyes.
She could feel tears drip onto her head and his breath hitched.
"Aayla." He said after a minute. His voice was raw. "Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde."
Aayla blinked and looked up at Bly. She knew what those words meant. She had offered to say them with him, but he had made excuses. Aayla understood that he felt unworthy and inadequate to be her husband.
"Why now?" She asked him.
"If we're parted again, I want that promise." He said. "If- you still want to."
"Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde." Aayla said.
He let go of her with one hand and touched her face. His eyes were shining.
"Ner Aayla." He said.
"My Bly." She replied.
He kissed her, slow and sweet. Aayla felt like her heart was being stitched back together. Kark the Jedi Code. She thought vaguely as Bly ran his hand up and down her back.
She finally broke away, trailing her hands down his arms to hold his hands.
"We need to finish the mission." She told him. "Can I count on your help?"
He nodded. She let go of his hands and turned to leave the barracks. She glanced back.
"Just to let you know, Bly," She said. "I do have private quarters on the ship we took."
Bly went pink.
Kal had never wanted to set foot on this damned planet again, but he wasn't going to leave his boys alone. He did garner some pleasure from the shocked and horrified looks on the Kaminoans' faces as they saw him. He didn't take the time to appreciate them fully: his boys had been in cryo long enough. The Kaminoans, afraid that they wouldn't be able to control the commandos, had kept them frozen for the entire time. Kal had suspected that they'd do something like that.
Kal entered the room that he despised. It was huge, rows upon rows of coffins. A shiver ran down Kal's spine. What if they hadn't come? How long would these men just sit, frozen and barely alive? The thought of Dar or Atin waking up years later, their riduur left behind, made him sick.
The cryo pods were being watched over by a single Kaminii. Kal just glared at the long neck, who bowed and stepped away from the controls.
"Get out." He told it, which it did with haste.
Kal snorted at it fleeing. Cowards. He turned to the controls. There were a good four thousand commandos left, all frozen here. Well, all except Fi. But according to the records, Fi was dead.
Kal cursed as he pressed a button. The kriffing Kaminoan had logged out when it had left. Luckily, Kal was pretty good at slicing Kaminoan technology in particular. It was only a minute or two before the controls were open to him.
The commandos were separated by squads. Good. Made things a hell of a lot easier for Kal. He'd get them all out, of course, but Omega Squad was his priority.
It took a few button presses and then Kal heard the hiss of air that indicated a cryo chamber releasing. He left the controls and found the four caskets he was looking for. He didn't wait to heave the lids open. Technically it was better for the system to wait a while, but Kal didn't give a damn if he broke the things. He didn't want his boys to wake up trapped in a coffin.
He waited then. Waking up from cryo was a slow process. It'd be a minute before his boys were conscious. He watched their faces, pale from the frost. His chest constricted at the thought that they'd been kept in here all this time.
It was Niner whose eyes flickered open first. He groaned and tried to raise his head. Kal immediately reached down to help him, getting Niner into a sitting position. Niner tried to focus on Kal with bleary eyes.
"Kal'buir?" He mumbled. "Sitrep?"
Kal laughed at the military term. Always the good little soldier, Niner. Kal pulled him close to plant a kiss on his head.
"The Kaminoans' came for you, Ner'ika." Kal said, keeping Niner close. "But we've got you out. Everything's okay."
Niner tried to pull away from Kal to look around. Kal didn't let him.
"How long have we been frozen?" Niner asked once it was clear he was stuck. "Did anything happen?"
"A few months. Too long." Kal said. "And we freed the clones."
"Oh." Niner said. "That's- good."
Kal let go and ruffled the confused Niner's hair.
"So, you still want to get out of the army?" He asked.
Niner nodded solemnly.
"Well," Kal turned to Dar, who was stirring. "Let's get you home then."
In the end, Ahsoka and Cody managed to come up with the right combination of orders to get Rex to dress himself and rest. They'd taken him from the examination room and to a quiet recovery ward. Even when he laid down, Ahsoka noticed that he did not close his eyes. He stared ahead, blank.
"Rex," Cody said. "I order you to sleep."
"A good soldier does not sleep until the all clear is given." Rex mumbled.
"You're safe." Cody said. "It's all clear."
Rex shook his head.
"It is not safe." He said.
Ahsoka exchanged a worried look with Cody and Jesse.
"I'm- I'm going to go find a medic." Jesse said.
Ahsoka nodded. Jesse and Cody still deferred to her, despite her lack of actual rank.
It was a surprise when only a few minutes later Jesse came back, joyfully dragging Kix along.
"Kix?" Ahsoka said. "I thought you stayed with the rest of the troopers we brought."
"General Secura came and got us." Kix explained. "She said you hadn't come back, so I figured I'd go and find you."
His gaze fell on Rex.
"What'd they do to him?" He asked quietly.
"Reconditioning." Cody said.
Ahsoka closed her eyes against Kix's shocked expression.
"He's refusing to sleep." She said. "He also just needs a once over, I think."
Kix approached Rex.
"Rex," Cody said before Rex could protest. "I order you to let Kix look you over."
Rex obediently let Kix perform a short assessment.
"He's malnourished." Kix said after a minute or two. "And dehydrated. That burn on his neck is infected. He needs bacta, rest, and an IV."
"I don't think the long necks are going to stop us." Cody said. "Use what you can find in here."
The first thing Kix did once they gathered the supplies was sedate Rex. Even then, Ahsoka could see him furiously resist the drugs, trying to force his eyes to stay open. But finally he was forced to relax and he drifted off.
Ahsoka sat by his side as Kix worked on setting up an IV. There had been a tightness in Rex's expression and not all of it left when he fell asleep. He still looked strained. For a second Ahsoka allowed herself to pretend that Rex was just being treated for his neck and malnutrition and that when he woke, he would smile at her.
But it wouldn't happen.
The blacks they found hung loosely on his frame. Rex twitched in his sleep as Kix applied the bacta to his neck and let out a whimper. Without thinking, Ahsoka reached out and ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. She didn't know if it would help, but she had enough of sitting and doing nothing.
Jesse stood after Kix finished wrapping Rex's neck. Ahsoka glanced up at him.
"I have to know." Jesse said. "Why is resisting sleep? What kind of reconditioning is this?"
Ahsoka didn't know if it was a desire to understand, or morbid curiosity that compelled her to stand and follow him and Cody. They returned to the examination room where they'd found him and Jesse began scrolling through the database.
"Found it." Jesse said. "I knew they'd record it. 'For science.'"
The file was labelled 'Chemical Recondition Test Alpha.' There was a series of video logs. Jesse selected the first one. Greenish night vision footage appeared on screen. He'd been kept in darkness.
Ahsoka watched Rex carefully explore his surroundings. Though the footage was a little grainy, Ahsoka could see by the way he moved that it was her Rex, the one they'd taken away from her.
Ahsoka caught her breath as Rex was shocked for banging on the door.
All three of them watched, horrified, as Rex was forced to stand at attention, electrocuted for any sign of weakness. Audio of a Kaminoan droning on about what a good soldier was played throughout. Ahsoka wanted to cry when he was shocked for trying to sleep.
Jesse closed the log and opened the next one. It was Rex strapped down to a table. A Kaminoan administered something to him and he began to thrash against his restraints. For a few minutes Rex writhed. Finally he stopped, and the Kaminoan stepped forward.
"What is your designation?"
"My name is Rex."
The Kaminoan shook its head and administered something else. Rex began to shake. Ahsoka clutched the side of the console as he screamed.
"The first dose has been unsuccessful. Further measures must be taken to weaken his resolve. Return him to the room."
The log ended.
Ahsoka felt sicker and sicker as they explored what had happened to Rex through the logs and notes. They would keep him in the dark for hours, days, withholding food and water from him. Whenever he tried to sleep, they would not only torture him, but administer a drug that simulated terror.
Then they would take him and give him the chemical that was to recondition him. Every time they would ask his designation. For the first while he would respond with his name. Then they would inject some drug that caused him excruciating pain. Around the fourth or fifth time, he replied with 'CT-7567.'
They had given him pain relievers then.
But even though he gave them what they wanted, they persisted with the treatment. Ahsoka watched Rex retreat further and further into himself, until he was the blank slate they had found.
Jesse closed the file. He leaned forward, putting his head in his hands.
"Demagolk'se." He whispered. "Why couldn't they have just killed him? What was the point?"
"If I see one of their damn faces, I will kill them." Cody said flatly. "I don't care. I'm going to kill them."
Ahsoka struggled to release her rage and grief into the Force. The feelings latched on to her, tearing at her as she pushed them away. She felt raw and flayed as she managed to expel most of it. Remnants of the emotions clung to her heart.
They were silent as they stared at the blank screen.
Ahsoka knew that she should go and help direct the extraction, but when she moved to leave the room, she found herself just returning to the recovery wing. Cody and Jesse followed her. Rex still slept, jerking every once in a while. Ahsoka settled next to him again and held his hand.
"What did you find out?" Kix asked.
Jesse began to explain in hushed whispers. Kix's horror joined their own in the Force.
"Why?" Kix whispered. "What's the point? Why go through all the effort?"
"Rex is one of the best." Cody said, his voice still flat. "Maybe they figured it'd be worth it, if they could get him under control."
They all looked at Rex, twitching and disturbed as he slept. The Kaminoans might have regained control, but Ahsoka wondered how functional of a soldier Rex would have been.
Mando'a:
Buir: parent, often translated to papa for males, which makes me melt (clones calling Plo Papa, yes please)
Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde: We are one when together, we are one when apart, we will share all, we will raise warriors. Mandalorian marriage vows. The only thing you need to do to get married is say it to each other.
Ner Aayla: My Aayla
riduur: Spouse
Kaminii: Kaminoan
Kal'buir: Papa Kal
Ner'ika: Little Niner
Demagolk'se: Plural of Demagolka: someone who commits atrocties, a real-life monster, a war criminal - from the notorious Mandalorian scientist of the Old Republic, Demagol, known for his experiments on children, and a figure of hate and dread in the Mando psyche.
I love the opening line of this, Plo hoping that Ahsoka won't experience more heartbreak. HA. Do you not know who is writing this, Plo? But yeah, a little happier this time around. Plo gets to see his sons and meet Prime. Every time I read the scene with Prime asking if Plo is Jedi, I can't help but think of Din Djarin asking LUKE FREAKING SKYWALKER if he's a Jedi and Luke is just like: "?I am?" and then before that, Din asking BOBA FREAKING FETT if he's a Jedi and Boba's just like: "Oh no? He's stupid?" Sorry for the tangent, I just love those scenes so much.
Plo is DEFINITELY becoming EXTREMELY disillusioned with the current state of the Jedi. Why shouldn't Prime get to see his brothers? Wolffe is also repressing feelings here, but those will be dealt with soon.
Here's a treat for you Blyla fans. And for me. It's nice to write happy every once in a while. The joke with Aayla saying 'that's how we say hello on Ryloth' has been jumping around my head for almost a year. I even drew a little picture of it. When my sister read this scene, she was like 'you stole that from a comic!' and I was like 'um yeah my comic?' She was confused for a second. For some reason it just makes me MELT with Aayla calling Bly 'my Bly.' And Bly calling her 'ner Aayla.' (I may or may not want Rex to call Ahsoka 'ner 'Soka' at some point) If you cannot tell, Aayla also is very disillusioned with the Jedi council. (you could probably tell by the fact that she immediately married Bly the second she saw him)
A few notes for those not familiar with the Republic Commando series. One, the Kaminoans kept the commandos in cryo in between missions for a while. I reimplemented that here. Two, Darman(Dar) and Atin are married. Three, Fi is one of the clones that manages to escape the army. He's dead in the eyes of the Republic but lives happily on Mandalore with his Mandalorian wife.
And then back to the angst. Let me know if any of the details of Rex's reconditioning don't make sense.
Welp, back to the grind. I've got 3.5 weeks left of my internship and I am ready for it to be OVER.
Wear your masks if needed, remember to review, and have a great week!