Both Rex and Fox fell silent as soon as they entered the Jedi Temple. Rex had been inside the Temple many times before with both General Skywalker and Commander Tano, but it felt different being here without them. The atmosphere was hushed, as always, but it seemed more oppressive now. Everytime he came here, there were less Jedi roaming the hallways. It was a stark reminder the Jedi were sending their own off to fight the war, including padawans.

Rex tapped his thigh plate nervously in the lift as they headed up to the Council Chambers.

"Quit it," Fox hissed. "I get that you don't want to be here. Just keep your cool."

Rex gave Fox a slanted look. "Keep my cool? Is that how you manage these things?"

Fox snorted and then muttered quietly under his breath in Mando'a. [This is the least of what I have to deal with.]

Rex wasn't sure if he'd been meant to hear the words, or if Fox was muttering to himself. He didn't get a chance to question Fox further. The lift doors opened and they were immediately set upon by a pair of Temple guards. "Remove your helmets and show us your ID."

Both clones eased their helmets off, careful not to make any sudden moves. The bounty hunter attack earlier in the day at the prison made anyone in clone armor suspect. Rex and Fox both extended their forearms so their embedded codes could be scanned. Both Guards looked confused.

Rex and Fox exchanged a look. It was the kind they did when dealing with natborns who did not understand their ways. These Guards obviously were not familiar with the way Kaminoans distinguished one clone from another.

"You're cleared," said one of the guards abruptly. "Commander Fox, the Council is waiting for you. Proceed inside."

Fox nodded politely, his manners impeccable. His head tilted slightly, indicating he was looking at Rex.

Good luck, Rex signed, using ARC sign language. They could take their buckets away. But, even then, clones had their own private way of communicating.

I'm not the one who needs it, Fox signed back. He pivoted sharply on his heel and headed into the chambers.

"You will wait here in the anteroom until summoned."

"Of course," Rex acknowledged, "any objections if I put my bucket back on?" The guard tilted his head questioningly at the unfamiliar term. "My helmet." The guard gave a vague hand gesture. Rex chose to interpret it as an affirmative. He slid his bucket on and sighed in relief at the small privacy it afforded him.

There wasn't enough room in the small antechamber for him to pace comfortably. He settled for sinking down onto one of the padded benches. It was surprisingly comfortable.

I could take a bucket nap while I wait. No one would be the wiser.

No, I need to be at the top of my game. I won't be if I'm still groggy and half-asleep.

At times like this, he would usually catch up on flimsiwork using the voice controls in his bucket. But, he'd only just returned and not in an official capacity. He did not have any flimsiwork to complete. It was one of the few upsides of having been decommissioned.

Rex did a mental review of everything he and Cody had discussed on the journey home. He refused to think of it as a 'cover story'. It was a... detailed accounting of events. He was here to deliver a report to the Council, like he had done dozens of times before. Nothing different.

He glanced at his chrono. Fox had been in there an hour already.

He was wrong, though. Everything was different now. He had his Legion back, unofficially, but somehow it felt different. They made it safely back to Coruscant, but that felt different now, too. And, he couldn't stop thinking about the Legion he left behind on Ando.

He headed over to the large windows overlooking the top level of Coruscant. At all costs, he had to protect the men left behind on the Andoan moon.

Rex allowed his breathing to slow, and his mind to slowly let go of his racing thoughts. A deep sense of calm flooded over him, and he lost all measure of time.

# # #

"You may go, Commander Fox. Send in Captain Rex."

Fox nodded to the Council members and made a hurried exit before they came up with any more action items. Although, they weren't as bad as... Fox didn't want to think about him. But, he did anyway. He reported directly into the Chancellor and the man was a nightmare. As the war progressed, he passed more and more flimsiwork onto Fox. A decade of training as a soldier and now he processed flimsiwork.

"I will see you out."

Fox glanced over in surprise as General Plo Koon fell into step beside him. He resisted the urge to glance back at the other Council members for their reaction. Jedi could do as they wished, he supposed.

"Don't be long, Plo. We have many questions for the Captain," Windu called after them, an unmistakable trace of annoyance in his voice. Then again, Fox had never heard any other tone of voice from the man.

"How are you, Commander?"

How am I?

Fox had no idea what to do with that question.

Overworked. Stressed. Worried about the safety of his men. He said none of those things, of course.

Fox and the Jedi Master walked silently out the chamber doors, and the doors swished shut behind them. Before Fox could summon Rex, and once they were out of earshot, Plo Koon turned to Fox. He handed him a datapad.

"What's this?" Fox asked, looking down in surprise at the item in his gloved hand.

"The WolfPack asked if I could find a way to get it Commander Cody. This was a fortuitous meeting," the Jedi Master nodded, "the Force does indeed work in mysterious ways." He gave Fox a long, thoughtful look. "If you ever need anything Commander, Wolffe knows how to get in touch with me."

"Uh...Yes, sir," Fox had no idea how to unpack that statement. "I'll... take care of this, sir." He tucked the datapad into his belt and looked around for Rex.

"You can go, Commander," the Jedi Master dipped his chin toward Rex, indicating he would bring the Captain in. Fox nodded and hurried on his way. Jedi were strange creatures. The Guard was lucky they didn't have a Jedi General. They were better off. Weren't they? He shook his head slightly, pushing away the tempting thought of having someone to watch out for them. He ignored the Temple Guards and headed into the lift. He had an enormous pile of flimsiwork awaiting him on his desk and it wasn't going to do itself.

# # #

"Captain?" Plo Koon approached the 501st Captain.

There was no acknowledgement he had spoken.

So, this was the clone thought lost and dead.

On a hunch, Plo Koon brushed Rex gently with his own awareness.

Captain?

—Sir?

It was an automatic response done without thinking. The Captain spun around to face Plo Koon.

"General, sir!" he snapped to attention. "Sorry, sir," he blinked rapidly several times, seemingly unaware of what he'd just done. He looked toward the council doors, "is it time for my meeting?"

Plo Koon studied the Captain another moment. He was different from Wolffe. The more time Plo spent around the clones, the more he realized they were only identical in their outward appearance.

"Walk with me, Captain." Plo turned to the Temple guards. "Tell the Council we need a few minutes."

Rex had no idea what Wolffe's General wanted with him. He fell into step next to him and they walked down the long corridor leading away from the Chamber entrance. Rex heaved out a sigh of relief. Even if it was only a temporary reprieve, he was glad to be away from the Chambers.

The Jedi Master was silent for a long moment until they were well away from the Council Chambers. He finally paused by another massive window, settling down into a cushioned alcove. He patted the space next to him.

Rex remained standing, frozen in indecision.

"You're not in trouble, Captain. I only wish to speak to you."

Rex sat down, as ordered, but his spine was ramrod straight.

Plo Koon studied the Captain for a long thoughtful moment, trying to decide how to proceed with a clone he didn't know nearly as well as Wolffe. "Where did you learn to meditate?"

"Sir?"

"It is unusual behavior for a clone."

He wants to talk to me about meditation?

"I don't understand, sir."

When in doubt, stall for time by asking for clarification.

"I seek only to understand. I am curious, by nature. Anything you tell me remains in confidence between the two of us." He pretended to study one of his long claws with interest. "There are many things I opt not to share with the Council." At Rex's surprised look, Plo added in diplomatically, "The Council is pressed for time, so I am judicious in sharing information."

"Of course, sir," Rex said, his head dipping with a respectful nod. "Very wise, sir." I can see why Wolffe likes him.

"Tell me only what you are comfortable sharing," Plo Koon prompted. "The Force will be your guide. It guides all living things."

Rex nodded and decided he could safely share small bits of information. "To answer your question, sir, I need to give you a bit of context."

The General gave him an encouraging nod and Rex continued on.

"On my last official mission for the Republic, I was with Commander Tano. I was struck with a new type of Separatist weapon designed specifically to penetrate clone armor."

"The one they call clone shredder ammo."

"Yes, sir. I may be the first clone they tested the new weapon on." He tried to keep his voice steady, but the memory was still raw and painful.

"I read the reports. We all did. The evidence of this new weapon pushed up the timeline of the Phase II armor program."

"I heard. When I was struck, t here was a long delay before we could leave the planet. Commander Tano and I were alone, having been assigned as a strike team. The meditation skills Commander Tano shared with me were..." Rex stopped and took a deep breath as he struggled to encompass the experience into words. He met Plo Koon's gaze. "She saved my life, sir."

"Very interesting. You appear to have learned a great deal."

"Sir?" Wait. What did he mean by that? Have I done something wrong?

"Come. We should return. I am sure the Council is eager to hear what other stories you have to share."

Rex nodded and walked in side-by-side with the Jedi Master. He didn't sense any ill intent from Wolffe's Jedi.

"Is everything alright?" Mace Windu asked as soon as the chamber doors opened, his voice expressing his displeasure at the delay.

Plo Koon nodded. "Yes, I was just getting to know the Captain better."

He'd have to ask Wolffe more about his Jedi later. He was learning more and more that like clones, not all Jedi were created equally.

The Council Chamber doors closed behind them.

"Greetings, Captain," Mace Windu began, "we have many questions for you."

# # #