Fox shielded him on all sides with troopers on the short walk from the Temple over to the RMB. They appeared to be nothing more than a squad going about their business.

Of course, an ordinary civvie would have no idea of our ways, Rex thought angrily. They have no idea about any aspect of our lives. No clue about anything we go through on their behalf.

He pushed out his angry sigh and let it go. He had no one but himself to blame for getting into this situation. He'd totally blown it in the Council Chambers. All he had to do was deliver his report, answer their questions and ask to be reinstated as Captain.

Instead, he'd gone in there and shouted at the Council everything he thought they were doing wrong. It wasn't his place to make his opinions known. Clones didn't have that right.

(Wasn't that the point, though?)

No, what he'd done was wrong and he deserved to go to the brig.

(I wouldn't be going to the brig if the clones had an equal voice in decisions that directly affected them.)

When Skywalker woke up for his medical treatments, he was sure he'd be hearing from him.'Rex, there is a right way and a wrong way to handle the Jedi Council.'

Yes, this likely fit Skywalker's definition of 'the wrong way.'

His General would be disappointed in him. And, Ahsoka, she was right there when he'd been brought out in binders. He didn't know if he could ever face her again.

Yes, well I might never see her again.

His feet stumbled and Fox gripped hard at his arm to steady him. "Easy there, Rex. You're alright."

I'm not alright. I screwed up.

The Republic Military Base loomed over them. Why was the place so big? The whole scale of it was wrong. The Republic couldn't possibly need such a vast facility if peace was soon within their grasp.

They passed through row after row of tanks, more suited to a city under siege than a capital away from the war zone.

Why not just build a fekkin' shield around the planet? Wouldn't that be a much more efficient way to protect from a possible Separatist invasion? Fighting street-by-street was a great way to terrorize the civilian population and maximize casualties.

I've been party to it too many times in the name of 'freeing' planets.

They entered through a side door so hidden that Rex didn't notice it until they were already upon it.

Why does this building need hidden entrances?

"This way. Need to get you checked in. I'll try to make it fast. Shuck your kit. You can't wear it here."

Rex sighed heavily and took off his armor. "Undersuit, too?"

"I should make you wear prison fatigues. It will help you fit in better, but since you won't be leaving your cell, it doesn't matter. You can stay in your blacks."

"I'm not leaving the cell?"

Fox shook his head. "Too dangerous, especially after what happened to Cody."

"Alright." He opted to stay in his undersuit. It was warmer than the prison garb Fox offered up.

What was the deal with the temperature in this place?

He'd been warmer on the gusty plains of Ando. He shook off thoughts of the snow planet and the life of freedom he'd given up. He'd made his choice.

He was patted down and divested of his hidden blades.

"Almost as many as the other one," muttered one of the shock troopers.

He didn't know what they were talking about, so he ignored the comment.

'If you don't have your weapons, be the weapon.'

Alpha's words came back to him and brought comfort in this new environment. He could defend himself. He likely had far better skills than most of those locked up in here, although he didn't have any idea of what sort of prisoners were kept locked up in the RMB.

I shouldn't be here. I should be at the barracks with my men. They need me. They've only just returned and there is so much to do. I've let them down-

"We're done here," Fox said, startling Rex out of his thoughts. "Come on, this way. I'm obligated to tell you you're on behavioral reprimand. So, you've been told. But, I'm not putting you back in cuffs. The Council can tell me what to do when I'm in the Temple, but down here, I run the place."

Rex raised up an eyebrow, curious where Fox was going with that statement.

"What now?" Rex asked, his voice sounding more unsure than he would like.

Fox snorted. "We head to your cell, you di'kut." Fox set out a brisk pace down the corridor. "You really told off Windu?"

Rex sighed. "Yes."

"What exactly did you say to him to make him so angry?"

Rex used his eidetic memory to repeat everything he'd said. Fox's eyes widened and then he laughed. It was a rare sound, coming from his brother. "Sorry, forgive me. I'm just trying to picture his reaction."

Rex was not amused. "He was angry. Very angry."

"I can well imagine. That man does not have a sense of humor." He leaned in and murmured quietly to Rex: "Ori'jate vod." [Well done, brother.]

Ori'jate? His actions had gotten him locked up. He moved through the complex beside Fox barely registering what he was seeing, except rows of identical cells. Larger versions of the brig like they had on the Resolute. He'd never had cause to be thrown in the brig. He'd been taken prisoner by the Seppies on several occasions, including the time with Ventress, but had never spent any significant amount of time locked up. While his ARC training had covered interrogation techniques, he was dreading the isolation of being in a cell.

Fek it all, Rex. Why couldn't you just be a good soldier and follow orders?

"This is it," Fox said, stopping at a guarded corner cell, "I'm giving you the same speech I gave Cody. For your own safety, you won't be allowed out for meals or exercise. Your cell will be guarded at all times." And, then, almost as an afterthought, he added in, "And, you have a cellmate."

A shared cell?

The facility was enormous, why was he in a shared cell?

Fox signaled to the troopers guarding the cell. One stood back to watch the prisoner within while the second lowered the shield. The lights blinked out in the cell, preventing Rex from seeing the interior.

What was going on? Was this a trap?

Rex was given a gentle shove into the interior and the shield snapped back on with an ominous hum.

He was tackled to the floor of the cell before he could take a step. He raised his fists defensively.

"Rex?"

"Cody?"

His brother studied him for a long moment, before squeezing him tightly. "Fek, Rex. It's good to see you. But, what are you doing here?!"

Rex deferred the question. "I heard about the attack. Are you alright?"

"I'm a little injured," Cody admitted, carefully rolling off Rex and settling gingerly onto his side.

"Probably not the wisest move, then, to be tackling me, you di'kut."

"I'd say it was worth it to see the look on your face," Cody teased, laying back and looking at the ceiling. He looked over at Rex. "But, I'll admit I thought you were another attacker."

"Fek, Cody, that's not good. Fox said someone is trying to kill you. Do you have any idea who or why?"

His brother pushed out a breath. "No. I figure I'd be in trouble because of Ord Cestus when we returned home-"

"And, then you insisting on taking the fall for everything that happened-"

"You would've done the same." Cody pushed up on one elbow, wincing as he did so. "It was my responsibility as commander to protect all of the men, including you. So, how did you end up here?" He leaned in. "What's the plan?"

One of the shock troopers looked back through the force shield. "There better not be a plan."

"Go back to guarding, Orli. This doesn't concern you," Cody called to the guard.

"I am guarding."

Rex raised up an eyebrow at Cody's banter with his guard.

Cody shrugged. "I've been bored. We talk. That's Orli."

"Lieutenant Orli," the guard corrected, looking back over his shoulder.

Cody rolled his eyes. "Only shinies are obsessed with rank."

"I'm not a shinie! I'm almost 12!" Orli objected.

Cody smirked at Rex, obviously enjoying the banter. "That one there is Bodie."

"Sergeant Bodie," the second guard corrected, but there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Back to the plan," Cody said, his voice a touch too loud.

Both guards shook their heads.

Cody turned his full attention to Rex. "Honestly, though, vod. Why the fek are you here? I thought you'd be at the barracks with the men. I know we're close, but this is a misbegotten sense of loyalty, even from you."

"It's not that, Codes. I fekked up."

"What happened?" All traces of earlier humor were gone and his eyes pierced into Rex.

From the body language of the two guards, they were intently listening, as well. There was no avoiding it. Since he'd been arrested by Fox and a large contingent of shock troopers, word of what happened had likely already spread throughout the Guard.

Rex stared up at the unnerving red and black ceiling tiles. How could he sum up what he had done? There was no easy way to say it. "I mouthed off to the Council. Primarily General Windu. I'm here on behavioral reprimand."

Cody blinked in surprise. "What exactly did you say?"

Rex leaned up on his elbow and repeated the conversation with Windu again.

Cody digested his words. "I see."

"That's all you have to say?"

"Well, I could put you on report, but seeing as we're both in the brig, it would do little good."

Rex stared at him, stonily silent.

"That was a joke."

"A joke."

He was trying to reconcile his straight-and-narrow, by-the-books brother with the more easygoing version who evolved during the past few months.

"I'm not laughing, Codes. What I did was wrong. I should be-"

"Everything you said was true, Rex. Maybe it wasn't the time or the place to say it. But, I'm not going to fault you for saying what we've all been thinking. You're the first clone with the gett'se to say it out loud to a high-ranking Jedi."

"And, I'll probably be the last," Rex muttered, laying back again to stare at the ceiling in defeat.

"What's done is done. While one of us probably should be at the barracks, I'll admit it is a relief to see you."

"If it helps, Admiral Yularen is taking care of the men."

"That's good. How is he?"

"Eh... he became a member of the Security Bureau while we were away."

Cody's eyes widened. "That is not good."

Rex frowned. "I don't think he was there by choice. He was reassigned."

"We don't know that." Cody made a dismissive gesture with his uninjured arm. "Regardless, nothing we can do about it now. It is good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too. And, no, I didn't do this on purpose, but I am glad I'm here." He reached down and gave his brother's hand a quick squeeze. "I was worried."

Cody cast a glance toward the force shield. "Because these shock troopers have been using me for target practice?"

"I already apologized for that, Commander," Orli called in through the force shield.

Rex looked over at Cody, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I thought it was Fox."

"Orli said he took the shot." Cody cast a suspicious look at his guard. "Are you just saying that because you want me to think you shot me?"

The shock trooper stared straight ahead and didn't respond.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Cody sat up more slowly, pulling himself to a sitting position next to Rex. "I'm bored. Restless. Wish I was back with the 212th. But, I'm not seriously injured. Lucky for me, the Corrie Guard can't shoot for osik."

"Says the trooper with a hole clean through the middle of his leg," Orli retorted.

"Orli, leave the Commander alone," chastised a deep voice.

The lights switched off in the cell startling both of them. The force shield dropped and Fox entered. "I was told to deliver this to you. Against my better judgment, I am doing so. You can watch the message, but you can't keep the 'pad. I'll be back in five."

He unceremoniously dropped the pad in Cody's lap and left the cell, reactivating the shield. He pulled Orli and Bodie aside, speaking to them in low tones.

Cody wasted no time activating the pad. The Wolfpack logo immediately popped up, prompting a puzzled glance from both Rex and Cody. What did Wolffe want with them? Ever since Abregedo, the 104th had been focused on search and rescue. They rarely engaged in campaigns with the 501st and 212th. So, what did Wolffe want with them now?

"Cody, I need to make this brief."

When had Wolffe been anything but brief?

The message was recorded on his bucket cam, but based on the shaking and movements he was either in the middle of a battle or a LAAT in rough landing conditions. "We saw your transmission to the Jedi and heard about your arrest. The WolfPack stands behind you." His voice dropped. "Many others are standing with you. Hang in there, Cody. Vode An." The camera view switched to his pack, and as Rex suspected he was on a gunship. It was crammed with members of his Wolfpack. They all snapped to attention, saluting sharply. "For the brotherhood," Wolffe said in his deep baritone and cut the transmission.

Rex stared over at Cody puzzled. "What?!"

Cody was staring down at the darkened screen, also clearly at a loss. "I don't understand. Wolffe makes it sound as if-"

The lights dimmed again and the force shield dropped. Fox entered, sharply giving the ARC hand signal for silence. He gestured for both clones to come with him.

Rex looked at Cody, eyebrow raised, an uncertain feeling rising up in his gut.

What happened to not being able to leave?

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