Cody glanced left and right, taking in his surroundings as he was led through corridor after corridor in the RMB.
They've really expanded the place. I don't remember all of this when I was here last...
Fox walked ahead of him and Cody was flanked by two Coruscant guard troopers with identical armor. He glanced at them and briefly wondered why the Corries didn't put any distinctive artwork on their kit. Fox and the other commanders seemed to be the only ones who painted their armor to stand out. It was as if they wanted all of the focus on them and they wanted their men to be able to blend into the background.
Considering most folks ignore clones anyway, that shouldn't be too hard.
Fox was silent, his shoulders high and tense. But, then again, in the few times Cody had seen his brother since they were deployed from Kamino, his brother always seemed tense. Ponds had a way with Fox and usually managed to get him to kick back a bit and have a few drinks with them. But, as time wore on, it was harder and harder to get his brother to crack a smile. It was as if Fox was slipping away from them. Was it this place? Was Coruscant slowly leaching the life out of Fox?
Cody glanced left and right to his guards. "Do you mind if I..." he gestured with his chin up toward Fox.
One of them must have said something to Fox over private channel as his brother slowed his pace to walk next to Cody and the two guards dropped behind them again.
"What do you want, Cody?" Fox didn't look at him, he continued to stare straight ahead as they walked.
This was not a good start. Ponds had warned him his actions in leaving Ord Cestus may not be viewed favorably by all brothers. He'd gone AWOL and some clones viewed orders as orders. In their minds, Cody was a deserter.
Fox always had been by-the-books.
Is that how he viewed Cody now?
Cody sighed. "I'd like you to at least talk to me, Fox. You might now agree with what I did, but we're still brothers."
"No," Fox said loudly, "you broke all manner of regulations." As they rounded a corner, he slipped his bucket off, and made a quick hand signal.
Eh...Cody wasn't familiar with that signal, but then again each battle group tended to develop their own unique signs and way of working together. He glanced behind him sharply as he heard a hiss.
Both guard members had also removed their buckets, reaching in to flip off the cam that automatically recorded all their moves as troopers.
Cody turned his attention back to Fox, who also now his bucket tucked under his arm. He was scrutinizing Cody. "Did you really take down Ponds' Captain? While cuffed?"
"That trooper is an asshole. He had it coming," Cody responded. He tilted his head to the side, giving his brother a slight, sideways grin. "It was a great takedown."
Fox raised up one eyebrow. "This isn't ARC training, Codes."
Cody sighed. "No. Back when we were training, I couldn't wait to finish and get out here. Now, I often wish I was back there with all of you."
Fox 'hmmmped' and didn't comment, but a look of deep sadness flashed across his face.
"Hey, are you alright?" Cody asked softly.
"Am I alright? I was ordered to lock you up, Cody. And, you're asking if I'm alright?" He rolled his eyes, Wolffe-style, and shook his head. "Unbelievable."
"I knew there'd be consequences for my actions," Cody admitted. "I'm prepared to face them."
"Are you?" Fox asked harshly, "Do you know what happens to clones in here?" He paled slightly, as if he'd said too much, and his voice dropped low. "I don't know if I can protect you, Cody."
"I'm not asking you, too."
Fox snorted out a bitter sound of laughter. "Right. I'm supposed to ignore the fact you're in a lockup here on Corrie and let them have at you."
"Who?"
Fox shook his head again. It was once again that look like he had said too much. "There are things you don't understand."
"Rejorhaa'ir ni. Gotal'ur ni suvarir," Cody whispered. [Tell me. Make me understand.]
Fox opened his mouth, and for a moment Cody thought his brother was finally going to open up to him. Then, a whole range of emotions flashed across Fox's face. Sadness. Anger. Pain. "Bic cuyir jate'shya gar don't kar'taylir. Vi Kelir not jorhaa'ir be bic tug'yc." [It is better you do not know. We will not speak of it again.] Fox switched the subject, and went back to speaking in Basic. "Flimsiwork has already been submitted by High Command for your court martial."
Cody took in this information. He'd known a court martial was a possibility, but it was still a punch in the gut. He took a deep breath before responding, trying to keep his tone neutral. "I... knew the risks when I went after General Kenobi."
Fox gave him a searching look. "I don't think you're nearly as calm as you're trying to sound. Other than Neyo, you're probably the most by-the-regs clone out of all of us. I still can't believe you did all of this." They'd reached the end of the corridor. Fox paused before they rounded the corner again into a more brightly lit corridor. "You risked everything to go after your General. I would not have done the same to go after the-" He stopped abruptly and the same quick flash of emotions flitted across his face, as if he were at war with himself.
"Fox," Cody stared at his brother with concern, "are you sure you're alright?"
Fox put up his hand in a staying motion. "Give... me... a... moment," he said through tightly gritted teeth.
Cody stared at his brother. Was Fox ill? Cody always thought Fox had gotten a shit assignment on Coruscant. The longer Fox was there, the less he seemed... the brother Cody knew. There was an undercurrent of bitterness to him- almost a darkness. Cody couldn't blame him. Clones were trained to be out in the field. Clones weren't bred to protect senators and have to throw themselves into civilian riots, (where clones inevitably got battered, killed and blamed for everything.)
Fox was stuck in a soul sucking assignment.
Cody had been assigned the 212th and Kenobi. He would likely end up court martialed and possibly put to death defending that assignment, but he'd still gotten very lucky.
"Stop looking at me that way," Fox hissed angrily. "I don't need your pity." He jammed his bucket back on and signaled for them to move on. "There is flimsiwork for us to review once you've been cleared from MedBay." He glanced down at his wristcomm. "I've... been summoned to a meeting." He signaled to the two troopers behind him and pointed to the one on the left. "This is Sergeant Orli. He will take over."
Fox pivoted on his heel and left.
The Sergeant hadn't yet put his bucket back on. He leaned in toward Cody. "Commander, is it true you threatened General Windu?"
Cody stared into the visor of the Sergeant, trying to figure out why he was asking the question. Was this a trap? His stomach churned in the way it had when he was a cadet and he wasn't sure what was happening during a training scenario. The same churning he felt when he was given orders by High Command that made no sense and would result in the death of brothers, and yet Cody had to order his brothers into battle anyway. There were times when there was no right answer. "I pointed out to the General I was in command of a large warship with two Legions of clones... yes."
The sergeant gave him a long, calculating look before jamming his bucket back on. What was he was trying to figure out about him? What was going on with the Coruscant Guard anyway? The Sergeant's demeanor changed, as if the conversation had never occurred. "This way, Commander. You are due at the medbay for an evaluation."
There was no further dialogue as they walked to the base medbay. Cody blinked at the overly harsh lighting as they entered the medical facility.
The medic who greeted them had a different demeanor from the rest of the Coruscant Guard, further throwing Cody for a loop. "Hello Commander. I'm Silver, Chief Medic of the RMB. Commander Fox sent word ahead you have a recent injuries in need of evaluation." He pointed to a medbay bunk with an overhead scanner. "Lie down. You can leave your armor on- for now." He stared up at the medic's scar curiously, as he worked the scanning machine.
How did a medic stationed on Corrie manage to get a scar running from their hairline down to their neck and disappearing into his medic's tunic. It almost looked as if he was cleaved in half.
The medic noticed his gaze and answered the unspoken question. "Belgaroth."
"182nd, then."
The medic nodded, although his eyes flashed for a moment with grief of brothers lost. The 182 had suffered devastating losses at Belgaroth. The unit was still around but had been reorganized a number of times.
"The locals there didn't take kindly to the prospect of unification with the Republic," Silver muttered.
Then, why not let them leave?
"I thought the same," Silver said quietly.
Oh, had he voiced that thought aloud? OK, change of topic. "How'd you end up here?" Cody asked.
"I was sent to ArmyMed," he pulled a scanner off his belt and spoke as he worked. "Since my entire squad was lost, I was reassigned here. It was meant to be a temporary assignment, but the RMB expanded so rapidly the posting became permanent." He continued to take readings, his face taking on the same thoughtful expression Cody's medics in the 212th always did when they were prepared to solve a problem with unerring accuracy.
Cody looked about the sterile, oversized medical facility and then back at the medic. "You like this posting?"
"No. I miss my brothers, but they're all dead."
Shab. So much for changing the topic.
"I'm... sorry."
Silver sighed. "I'm not the only clone to lose brothers." He glanced around at the drab grey and black decor that dominated even the medbay. "Do I like it here?" He repeated again, and then laughed with bitter irony. "I'm stuck in prison. What's not to like?"
"If it helps," Cody winced as Silver probed at his shoulder, "I appear to be stuck here, as well."
Silver gave Cody a quelling look. "Yes, but as I understand it, you went on an unauthorized mission with a dozen men under your command." He gave Cody's shoulder an experimental tug.
Cody hissed in pain. "I did." He kept talking, trying to distract himself from the pain. "I also threatened a Jedi General. Everyone likes to keep reminding me about that one."
"It was more of a passive aggressive threat, but I heard about it, yes." Silver rearranged Cody's limbs to reset his shoulder. "This will be unpleasant."
"Of that, I have no doubt."
"I'm a combat medic stuck on the largest city planet in the galaxy." Silver reached over to a nearby tray and grabbed a hypo. "I don't belong here.I'm going to inject you with Diamorpazepamazine. It's a strong muscle relaxant. It will ease us both through the process of setting your shoulder."
He sounds like Cavil.
The 212th had lost their CMO at the Battle of Darkknell and the loss still cut deep. Cavil had been with them since the beginning. A feeling of warmth spread through his body and his muscles relaxed. As the tension left his shoulders, the pain began to ebb. He glanced up at Silver. "You're right, you know. This is no place for a combat medic." He examined the medbay again with a critical eye. "I would get bored here, too." His tongue tripped over the word and he repeated it, trying to get the syllables to form properly.
"I should warn you, Commander," Silver said, "the diamorpazephamize combined with what is likely battle exhaustion will quickly affect your judgment and give you feelings of detachment or numbness."
Cody disagreed. The drug wasn't making him detached. He was feeling better. "I'm fine, really. Matter of fac... fact... I'll take another shot when you have a chance. Hey!" Cody hadn't thought this clearly in a long time. "You should come back with me to the 212th!" He bobbed his chin for emphasis. "We're the best Legion out there. Of course the boys in the 501st would disagree. But, seriously, Silver, we have some good times there."
"Says the person facing court martial," Silver muttered, arranging Cody's limbs even tighter.
"Hey, hey," Cody mumbled, "you and Fox make it sound so personal." He rolled his eyes. "So, we stole a ship and sabotaged a medical station. Honestly, you guys would've done the same. And, we didn't hurt anybody. We locked them up-"
"You should definitely stop talking now, and I'm going to forget anything you say under the grounds of medical privilege. Brace yourself." He leaned in close to Cody, pulling him up against his chest.
"I won't feel a thing," Cody bragged and then yowled in protest as the medic set his shoulder. "Ow!" He stared at the medic accusingly. "Silver!"
The medic secured the injured joint in place, bandaging Cody's shoulder tightly to his chest. "You probably won't remember half of this come morning. And, that's probably a good thing."
Cody's eyes were already closing.
Silver eased him back onto the bunk.
# # #
"You'd like me to intervene on behalf of Commander Cody?"
"Yes, Admiral. You have high ranking connections," Rex looked Yularen in the eye. "And, we trust you."
"I'm flattered by your faith in me, Captain. But, the charges facing the Commander are extremely serious. AWOL. Desertion. Sabotage of systems at Ord Cestus. The assault and confinement of two Republic pilots. Stealing a Republic Shuttle. Coercing a dozen troopers to desert-
"Sir, those dozen men-"
"Captain, the Commander has made it very clear he wants to take full responsibility for everything that occurred, so it is viewed as coercion. At the very, least he is facing court martial. At the worst," he met Rex's eyes frankly and honestly, "he'll be sent before a firing squad."
He and Cody had discussed it as a strong possibility on the way back to Coruscant, but to hear it confirmed chilled Rex through to the core.
The Admiral stood up and walked to the window facing Coruscant again. He was silent for a long moment. Finally, he turned back to Rex. "Do you know why the clone army was created, Captain?"
Rex was quiet, thinking about his answer. "I have often wondered."
"I'm not sure either," the Admiral admitted. "But, on a basic level, clones were created to follow orders. An entire Army of men bred for a single purpose. To follow orders." He paused for a long moment, still looking out. Admiral Yularen had a thoughtful way about him. "Do you see now why Commander Cody's actions will have such serious repercussions?"
"He... acted on his own." Krek. Is that why this is such a big deal? Cody thought for himself?
Fek. I did that for two months on Ando. All of the clones on Ando have turned into independent thinkers. Turns out, we do it very well. And, that is exactly what the Republic doesn't want.
"It sets a dangerous precedent," the Admiral said. "The fear will be it will have a ripple effect throughout the Clone Army if it is not swiftly punished. I will... see if I can put in a good word." His tone was not entirely convincing. "High Command has been screaming for the Commander's head from the moment he left the medical station."
Rex sighed heavily. He changed the subject. He was loyal to Cody, but he also still had to attend to the rest of his brothers. "Sir, I also need to work out housing for our troopers." He gestured outside toward where the Resolute and the Negotiator were sitting off in space. "My understanding is our barracks on Coruscant have also been reassigned."
"All of that is true. Your status with the GAR has not been worked out."
"Yes, sir. But, right now my concern is for my men. And..." he added in, "my commander."
"Your loyalty is commendable, as is your dedication to duty. I have always admired that about you."
Rex was thrown off by the compliment. He never quite knew where he stood with the Admiral. But, then again, natborns generally confused him. Ahsoka was always honest with him, but the rest of them puzzled him with their ways of thinking. He had a sudden yearning for the simplicity of his life on the icy ball of rock in the mid-Rim. He'd given up so much with life on Ando to come back. He'd given up his own command. His own Legion. Freedom. But, his gut told him his future was here. He had important work which was yet unfinished.
He walked the Admiral back to the hangar bay and watched his ship take off back to Coruscant.
# # #
"Move along?" Fives asked in a dangerously low voice. "What do you mean move along?"
"Now, Fives, calm down," Kix said soothingly, knowing what the ARC was capable of when riled up. He'd seen both Fives and Echo in action. Having recently seen the carnage Echo alone caused in the control room, he didn't want Fives to take his temper out on the arrival crew at ArmyMed. To them, this was simply a routine arrival. "Let me handle this," he said to Fives privately over an internal channel.
"If they try to separate us from Echo, I will handle them," Fives growled, stepping closer to the clones trying to take Echo. Two security clones stationed at the entrance to the landing pad looked over their way. "Fives." Again, the single word was voiced in a clear command tone. Fives stopped immediately, blinking at Kix in surprise.
He took a step back and decided he would let Kix handle it.
"My name is Kix, medic for the 501st," Kix said, addressing the clone who'd handed him the datapad. "You are?"
"Sergeant Kirby. I handle everything on this landing pad."
"Well, Sergeant, we have been assigned here for the duration of this clone's stay by the authority of Captain Rex," Kix said in a voice that brokered no argument.
Kirby was visibly taken aback. "Captain Rex?" He looked toward Kix in confusion. "Captain Rex of the 501st?"
"Is there another?" Kix asked.
"No, but, I thought, well, that is... Your Captain... He..."
"If you need to verify his authority, go ahead." Both Kix and Fives crossed their arms across their chests.
Sergeant Kirby studied them both and then gestured. "You may walk with us, while I confirm your orders." He gestured to his team to proceed inside with Echo's hoverstretcher. "I need to get this patient transferred and clear this landing pad." They proceeded into the massive medical complex. Fives and Kix could tell from the tilt of his head he was talking on his internal comm system. After a long moment, he turned back to them. "Admiral Yularen has confirmed you may stay here. Let's get moving. Time is critical here at ArmyMed."
# # #