"Commander Fox, come in here, please."
"Right away, Chancellor."
Fox inhaled sharply. The Chancellor's tone was laden with an ominous edge. "Thorne, Fore, Booke, stay here."
"Fox, that's against protocol. Protocols that you wrote."
"Thorne, stay here. That's an order. The shinies don't need to witness..." Fore and Book turned their heads, their gazes piercing as if trying to unveil the mystery in Fox's words. "...the inner workings on their first day. Take them on a security sweep of the level."
Thorne, his brows furrowed with concern, gripped Fox's bicep. "Keep your comm open."
Fox offered a curt nod and ventured inside, only to swiftly switch off his comm. The Chancellor was his responsibility.
"Sir." His feet halted, his voice choked as his gaze scanned the room. He'd stumbled upon scenes of carnage before, but nothing quite so chilling.
"Is there a problem, Commander Fox?"The Chancellor was seated behind his desk, hands folded serenely in front of him. Around him lay lifeless bodies, necks twisted in grotesque angles, their facial expressions evidence of their painful passing.
"No, Chancellor. Should I get started on cleaning up, or is there anything else you require?" Fox's eyes flitted across the room, tallying the bodies. Part of him wished he had Thorne by his side, but exposing the shinies to such a grim aspect of Corrie Guard duty was out of the question.
"Sit for a moment, Commander." The Chancellor's voice was disturbingly calm as he gestured toward the chair opposite him. A lifeless body, clad in a black uniform Fox recognized as spec-ops, occupied the chair. The same uniform was worn by all the casualties scattered across the room. Carefully avoiding the vacant, staring eyes of the deceased, Fox gently shifted the body to the floor. He wasn't a clone. Fox breathed a small sigh of relief that the targets of the Chancellor's rage were not brothers- this time.
Fox braced himself, settling into the chair. His voice was steady despite the dread building within him. "How can I be of service, sir?"
He braced himself as he sat down and faced the Chancellor. "How can I help you, sir?"
"Take off your helmet."
Fox didn't hesitate. He had learned long ago that questioning the Chancellor only made things worse. He removed his helmet and placed it carefully on his lap.
"You look weary, Commander. Are you sleeping well?" The Chancellor's voice feigned concern. Fox played along, like a trained akk pupp, giving the appropriate responses.
"Yes, Chancellor. All is well in the Guard." Fox had nightmares that plagued his sleep, as did every clone. He'd grown up with the nightmares and learned to cope with the disturbing visions of killing those they were being raised to serve. No, it was his insane workload that caused him to rely on stims and caf to maintain his body. His genetically-enhanced physique was showing signs of strain. His hair was greying and he looked older than Cody, Wolffe, Ponds and his other batchmates.
"Are your men adequately nourished?"
"Yes, Chancellor. The Guard is in peak physical condition." They didn't have nearly enough food and they both knew it. He didn't have nearly enough rations for the number of men he'd been assigned.
"Good. However, there may be additional ration cuts. Consider this a warning."
Fox's gut clenched; his men were already half-starved. The Chancellor loved to wield the threat of cutting either rations or medical supplies when he sought something. "Thank you, sir. The advance notice is appreciated."
The Chancellor nodded magnanimously. "Now, Fox, I must ask: are you aware that a squad of elite troopers absconded with Commander Cody from ArmyMed?"
Fox made a choked noise and could not contain his surprise.
"So, you didn't know, then. Interesting."
Fox still had no response. His mind was racing. Someone had taken Cody? Who? He resisted the urge to glance around the room at the dead squad of spec ops troopers. He'd seen their kind lurking around more and more lately and suspected they were connected with the Republic Intelligence Bureau. Spooks. Were they mixed up in all of this somehow? What had they done to, or failed to do, that had earned the wrath of the Chancellor?
The Chancellor steepled his fingers together as he continued to regard Fox. "You are not as well connected as I thought. It's almost... disappointing." For some reason, he was fascinated with Fox and kept him around when he'd eliminated so many others that he considered adversaries. But, his attitude toward Fox continually swung back and forth between studying him like a lab specimen and treating him like someone whose spirit had to be crushed at all costs. He gestured to the bodies. "Go on then. Clean up. Make it quick. I have another meeting coming up. It would be most unfortunate if I had to explain that you lost control and killed these individuals." He made another gesture that could not be described as benevolent. "Defective clone genetics and whatnot."
Fox sprang up and yanked his helmet back on. It helped hide the disgust on his face at the Chancellor's words.
One day I will show you defective clone genetics and whatnot.
He dragged the bodies feet first out the hidden back doorway, conveniently located steps away from a large capacity incineration chute. With practiced motions, he methodically dumped the bodies into the chute and quickly activated the cleaning droids.
The words resonated in his mind. Defective clone and whatnot.
I'd like to smear your what-not all over your lush burgundy carpeting.
One day, your what-not will meet the end of my blaster.
He heavy another body into the chute and smashed the incineration button watching as it quickly cycled red and then green. It was a high-end incinerator. Nothing but the best for the Chancellor, even in his secret backend facilities. (Most especially in his secret backend facilities where so much of the dirty work was done.)
He finished just as the Chancellor was greeting his next set of guests.
"Ah, Senator Organa, your presence graces these chambers. Please have a seat."
Fox couldn't contain a shiver as he imagined the senator in the same chair he'd been sitting in, likely the same seat the spec ops commander had been invited to sit in. It would likely be the place where he'd meet his end. In the midst of answering the same inane questions from the Chancellor, one day his neck would be unexpectedly snapped in the most painful manner possible. He wondered who would be tasked with dragging him to the incineration chute. Thorne? Stone? Hopefully not one of the rookies. It was too much to place on young troopers fresh out of Kamino. They shipped them out younger and younger these days. Ironically, his batchmates shipped him their most emotionally fragile troopers thinking Coruscant was a "soft" posting. In the beginning, he'd tried to explain to them it wasn't what they thought, without telling them too much, but they kept telling him he had no idea what it was like out there in the field fighting the war. 'You have it so easy, Fox.' And, they kept shipping him troopers that would be safer anywhere but on Coruscant. Fox slipped out the back exit and avoided looking at the incinerator chute as he silently made his way through the back bowels of the senate complex.
He tried to separate his emotions from the work he did for the Chancellor, but it didn't always work. Sometimes the faces popped back up again to him at night adding to his nightmares. He'd added alcohol to his list of coping devices. It helped dull the shouting voices in his head from all of those he'd unduly silenced too early.
He reactivated his comm, and Thorne's voice pummeled through with concern.
"Fox, what the fek? I've got Stone with me now. We sent the rookies out on patrol with Thorne. You alright?"
"I'm okay. Drained. More of the same."
"What does that mean?"
"Shab I shouldn't be discussing."
"You been working the forge again?"
Fox didn't answer, but his silence was telling.
"Shab, Fox. How many this time?"
"A squad. Not ours. Some of those spooks we've seen lurking about. I'm not sure what they did, but I have a hunch. I need to meet with Cody and Rex while they're still in orbit."
"Cody? He's at ArmyMed with a hole in his middle."
"He was. Somebody whisked him away. The Chancellor is livid."
"Who?"
"He said elite forces, sounds like Wolffe. We know he's in orbit, too. Take care of everything here. If the Chancellor asks for me-"
"Tell him you're down in the lowest levels battling the cartel. Fox, you sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, he took all of his energy out on that squad before I arrived. He was eerily calm by the time I got in there." Fox avoided mentioning the threat of more ration cuts. He had no idea what he would do if the Chancellor made good on the threat. His men would start dying of starvation if their rations were cut any further. He'd have to deal with that later, though. Right now, his batchmates were still in orbit and while they weren't close anymore, he still wanted to check on Cody. It was his own fault, really, he pushed his brothers away to try to keep them off the Chancellor's radar. It meant the Guard was taking the full wrath of his sadistic whims. It had been a terrible choice to make and his brothers thought of him now as aloof. He'd destroyed his relationship with his batch in his attempts to protect them. But, there was one thing he could do for Cody before he left orbit. "Have a shuttle ready for me and tell Silver to meet me at the landing pad."
"Silver? You said you're not injured." Thorne's voice carried the weight of concern that had become all too familiar. Fox wished the others would stop worrying about him and focus on their own survival.
"It's not for me. Tell him to grab his medkit and deployment pack. He's getting off Corrie."
# # #
Rex stalked through the corridors of the Resolute, trying to keep his temper under control. He was already tense about Cody's shooting.
The atmosphere on the ship was palpable with tension in the aftermath of Cody's shooting. Despite all efforts to immerse the troops in training, the underlying anxiety persisted. What compounded Rex's fury was his inability to question Ko. The swiftness with which the 212th Captain was moved to the RMB bewildered him. Why was he not informed?
Upon reaching Appo's office, Rex pressed the buzzer. He stood there, foot tapping restlessly against the floor, clenching his fist as impatience surged within him.
This was once my sanctuary.
The room had always been designated for a commander, and General Skywalker had entrusted it to Rex as the highest-ranking clone aboard the ship. While it was reasonable for Appo to inherit the space, Rex couldn't suppress his irritation at having to wait for permission to enter what used to be his domain.
"Enter," came Appo's indifferent voice through the door comm.
Inside, Appo was engrossed in a datapad, its soft light casting an ethereal glow on his face. Rex expected Appo to look up, but the commander didn't acknowledge his presence.
Rex surveyed the room that had once been his. It was immaculate, almost sterile. Rex's office had always been a place of work, often cluttered with datapads, flimsis, and charts. Appo's version was too pristine, void of character.
His patience wearing thin, Rex threw decorum out the window. "Why did you transfer Ko?"
Appo looked up at him, and then narrowed his eyes, considering the question. "I received a request for his transfer. Everything was in order. What's the issue?"
"Everything happened so fast, I didn't get a chance to question him regarding the shooting." Rex fixed him with a piercing stare. "It's not typical for clones to turn on each other."
Appo gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Battle stress. He was one of the clones held captive on Darkknell."
"So were you, and most every clone on this ship." He planted his hands on the edge of the commander's tidy desk and leaned in toward Appo. "Aren't you the least bit curious why he shot his commander?"
Appo backed up slightly in his chair and sat up straighter, putting more space between himself and Rex. "Not for us to determine. There are others better suited-"
"But Ko is one of us!" Rex's voice seethed with frustration. "As is Cody."
"Very well, Captain, what do you propose I do?" Appo challenged, meeting Rex's gaze. "Do you want to interrogate him in the RMB?"
"Yes, that's a start. We need to understand why this happened," Rex responded, making an effort to rein in his temper. However, even as he spoke, he sensed that Appo might not be the ally he needed in this investigation.
Appo took an agonizingly long time mulling it over. Just as Rex was about to change his approach, Appo halted him with a raised finger. "You may proceed to the RMB, Captain, but with conditions."
"And what would those be?" Rex inquired warily.
"You need to check in on a regular basis. Directly. With me."
Rex felt his blood boil. Check in? He was accustomed to giving status updates to General Skywalker in battle, but to 'check in' like a rookie? His rank as Captain had always commanded respect and autonomy. But now?
"Agreed," he conceded through gritted teeth.
Appo nodded, his attention already back on his datapad. He waved a hand in Rex's general direction. "You're dismissed."
# # #
"Sir, we're on final approach." The pilot's voice shook Rex from his thoughts.
"Thanks, Epic." Rex replied, still peering out the window at the endless cityscape below. Coruscant's spires gleamed blindingly in the light of the late afternoon sun, the crisscrossing lanes of airspeeder traffic that snaked between them visible as lines of tiny, glistening specks, interrupted occasionally by the larger shapes of cargo craft or starships.
There'd been a time when he'd found the planet's constant flurry of activity and breakneck pace exhilarating, but after months savoring the calm and quiet of life on Ando, Rex had returned to find that Coruscant's dizzying blur of sights and sounds had lost their appeal. More and more, it felt like the planet's glimmering surface covered up something sinister that was malignant and spreading throughout the Republic.
"The shuttle is freshly stocked, Captain," Epic tossed back over his shoulder. "Electro-water and protein bars in the overhead cabinets. I vouch for their quality—far superior to what they used to cram into these compartments."
They were aboard an upgraded Nu-Class Attack Shuttle with noticeable enhancements compared to its predecessor. Similarly, Rex's armor and much of the equipment on the Resolute had been upgraded in anticipation of the prolonged siege in the Outer Rim.
"Thanks, Epic," Rex said, snagging a bar and water.
"Great to have you back, Captain," Epic remarked, reflecting a sentiment Rex had been greeted with by nearly every clone he encountered in the 501st.
"This is where I belong," Rex replied, giving a modified version of the response he offered to the troopers, ignoring the twinge in his gut when Ando crossed his mind.
With skill, Epic navigated through the shipping lanes, deftly sidestepping an overloaded bulk freighter. "Where were you, Captain?"
Rex had anticipated the question. "My transport crashed on a moon. I was the lone survivor. Took me a long time to make my way back." Epic had probably heard rumors but wanted to hear it firsthand from Rex.
It was a version of the truth. The same one he'd given to the Jedi Council.
Epic nodded with sympathy, as he wove through heavy commuter traffic with the same grace he used to dodge incoming weapons' fire. He banked the nimble attack shuttle sideways before dropping lower. "Medical transport, right?"
"That's right."
"Some of those older R2 models glitch out at the worst times."
Rex didn't comment. He'd taken great delight in frying the droid pilot of their medical transport. His nostrils filled with the phantom smell of the singed circuits. But, he always left that part of the story out.
Epic, perceiving Rex's reluctance to elaborate, wisely changed the subject. "We owe you for extracting us from that mess. Bad place- that Darkknell." He sighed heavily and did a graceful roll to dodge a heavy lane of traffic. The inertial dampeners kicked in to keep the gravity stable. It was a perfectly executed move.
"Nicely done."
Epic grinned. "It's all about the journey, right?" He set them down on one of the many landing pads of the RMB, landing with such precision that Rex didn't even feel it when the ship touched the duracrete.
"Thanks, Epic. Not sure how long this will take."
"These candy-striped Corrie Guard troopers can suck it for all I care. I'll be right here, awaiting your return."
Rex smiled beneath his bucket, relieved the spirit of his 501st troopers had not been broken by their imprisonment. He jumped out the side hatch, intent on finding Fox. He had commed him earlier to discuss Ko's disappearance, but Fox had not responded. Exasperated, Rex contacted Thorne. 'Fox is meeting with the Chancellor. Can it wait, Rex?'
No. It couldn't wait. Cody had been shot and Rex needed answers. Now.
Rex's frustration mounted; he couldn't comprehend the Coruscant Guard's behavior. Furthermore, he couldn't fathom Fox's actions, which weighed on him. Rex's focus, however, needed to remain on Cody and his investigation.
Two Coruscant Guard troopers guarded the lift's entrance.
"Captain Rex, sir," the first guard saluted in a manner so crisp it would've given Alpha a run for his creds, "we have orders to keep you here." Rex couldn't fault Fox's troopers for their decorum. They were better at the spit and polish than his boys in the 501st.
"By whose authority?" Rex challenged.
"Mine," Fox answered, materializing from a side stairwell, trailed by a second shock trooper carrying a considerable amount of kit.
"What's the meaning of this?" Rex demanded.
Fox motioned towards Rex's shuttle and signaled that they were going back up.
Rex's scowl deepened beneath his helmet. He was aware of Fox's wariness regarding communications being monitored, but Rex had needed to confer with Ko. His mind raced as he was about to protest, but Fox had already boarded his shuttle.
With no other option, Rex followed. Navigating the RMB without Fox would be impossible.
"Set course for the Negotiator," Fox ordered Epic.
Epic turned to Rex for confirmation, who gave a reluctant nod. Fox outranked Rex, but ever since their rescue from Darkknell, his men had made it repeatedly clear their loyalties were with Rex first and foremost. It was humbling, and dangerous, for all of them.
The pilot adeptly guided the shuttle through the thickening evening traffic.
Fox removed his helmet and toggled a switch inside, then activated a device on his belt.
"A jammer?" Rex inquired, casting a worried glance toward the flight controls.
"It won't affect flight operations. We use these regularly. Our conversation doesn't need to be recorded."
Rex took off his helmet. "What's happening?" he whispered to Fox, casting a sidelong glance at the unfamiliar clone seated beside him. "I came to interrogate-"
"I received your messages. Ko isn't at the RMB."
Rex closed his eyes, trying to dispel his annoyance that Fox hadn't responded to his messages and trying to work through all of the implications of a development that made no sense, (in a continuing series of developments that did not add up.)
He opened his eyes and noticed Fox studying him with a weary, but concerned look.
"How is that possible?" Rex demanded. "Appo approved his transfer orders and he was sent down with an escort of 501st."
"So you said in your comm, but he's not at the RMB. I never saw those transfer those orders and didn't receive any prisoners out of the 501st or 212th today. I would've noticed such a thing. He's not there, Rex."
Rex scrubbed at his face, feeling like weeks had passed since he'd woken up that morning. "Someone intercepted him. We're missing a clone captain and an escort squad of 501st troopers."
"Were they all wearing the new armor? They have trackers." Fox tapped the bracer in his Phase 2 for emphasis.
Rex's eyes widened and he immediately tapped out a furious note on his wristcomm to Fives and Echo. Fox made no effort to hide his interest in leaning over to read over every word as it was written. In some ways, he was a stranger to Rex and in other ways, he was the same wily Fox that had earned his name during training.
"You spelled 'absconded' wrong." Fox's gloved finger tapped at Rex's wristcomm and quickly retyped the word for him.
Rex snorted and held out his wrist. "Do you want to finish typing the message for me?" He hadn't expected Fox to take him up on the offer, but his brother quickly finished up the note, ending it with a flourish. Rex leaned in and read the ending. He made a choked noise. "Love? Are you fekkin' serious, Fox?"
Fox grinned and just for a moment, things were okay between them again. He sobered up and rested his head against Rex's, his unshaven cheek and soft curl both scratching Rex's face and tickling him at the same time. "We'll figure this out," Fox muttered in a voice so weary, Rex wasn't sure if he was talking to him or himself. He sounded so exhausted, Rex thought he was going to fall asleep right there.
"Are you alright, Fox?" Rex asked back, keeping his voice low, out of deference to the unknown trooper beside them.
Fox shook his head imperceptibly, with a motion so slight, Rex almost thought he'd imagined it.
Rex took a good look at Fox, noticing for the first time the gauntness to his cheeks. When had his brother gotten so thin? He slid a rations bar from his belt pouch, the one he'd grabbed earlier and hadn't had time to eat, into Fox's palm. Fox stared down at it like it was something he hadn't seen in a long time. "This shuttle is fully stocked," Rex muttered, his voice even softer. "I'm instructing the pilot to leave everything with you when he goes."
Fox started to tremble in a way Rex had never seen him do before. The guard trooper sitting next to them kept his gaze fixedly ahead and said nothing.
"Fox," Rex whispered, "if you need-"
"You can't get involved, Rex. You're in too much trouble already for bringing those troopers home."
"But-"
"No. I have to handle this on my own. You, Cody and Wolffe need to stay out of it." He lifted his head from Rex's and fixed him with a stare so piercing there was almost a darkness behind it. "When you leave here, stay away from me."
"Fox-"
"You don't know what you're dealing with, Rex." His voice had a desperate edge to it and only piqued Rex's interest further.
Rex's wristcomm vibrated, signaling an incoming message. It interrupted the moment and they both leaned in to read the message, somehow needing the reprieve from the intensity of their discussion. Echo and I are already investigating the tracer codes for Captain Ko and all troopers in the escort squad. They are nowhere on planet or in the Coruscanti system. Expanding our search further. Love you, too. (Your message made Echo a little emotional.)- Fives
Fox 'hmmped' in amusement, and suddenly the darkness was gone as it had never been there. "You have to show your men some appreciation, Rex. It's the little things that matter."
"I appreciate my men," Rex said defensively.
"He appreciates us," Epic chimed in from the pilot's station. "Coming in on The Negotiator."
"Eat that bar," Rex prodded, gesturing with his chin, toward the ration that Fox was still holding like it was something very precious.
Fox looked down at it reluctantly, as if he'd rather save it, or give it away.
"You should eat it, Commander."
Rex's startled slightly at the voice of the Coruscant Guard trooper sitting next to him. He'd forgotten he was there.
Fox shook his head. "I know when I'm beaten." He tore the bar in half and handed the larger portion to his fellow Guard trooper. "Rex, this is Silver, my CMO."
# # #
Their shuttle had barely landed when Wolffe stomped up the ramp into the ship. "Auxiliary conference room, now."
"Get bent, Wolffe." Fox made a crude gesture. "I'm here to see Cody. I don't have time for your games."
"This is about Cody, you shebs for brains. Whatever it is, you can tell it to Rex. I'm here to make a delivery and then I have actual work to do back on Corrie."
Wolffe scoffed. "Sure, because you're swamped with work there."
Fox's face reddened as he grabbed his helmet and stormed off, his trooper scrambling to gather his gear and follow.
"That was uncalled for, Wolffe."
"Yeah, well Fox has always been a pain in the shebs and he's gotten ten times worse since he was given that soft posting."
"Wolffe, something's up with Fox–"
"Besides him being the most insufferable di'kut in the fleet? Meet me in the auxiliary conference room. There's something you need to hear."
"Let me talk to my pilot first, then I'll be there."
When Rex boarded the shuttle again, the pilot was raiding the cabinets in the shuttle. He cast a guilty look toward Rex. "Sorry, Captain." He hung his head down.
"Epic, appropriating supplies is a serious offense. I would've expected better. I had you in line for a promotion- to get your own squad."
The pilot remained silent until more footsteps echoed up the ramp. "Hey Epic! Got the supplies you asked for–"
Seeing Rex, Oddball halted. "Uh-oh."
"I don't need this today, boys. Someone better start explaining."
Epic kept his head down guiltily. "The comm line was open to the back. I heard your whole conversation with Commander Fox. I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I know those were private words, but I have a batchmate in the Guard and I thought maybe..."
More pilots appeared at the hatchway with supply crates in hand.
Oh.
Rex stepped forward and squeezed Epic's bicep affectionately. "You're a good trooper, Epic. I'm late for my meeting." He turned to leave and then paused, as all the pilots stared at him in confusion. "Make sure you send the supply requests directly to me. No need to trouble Commander Appo with this mix-up, understood?"
The pilots all placed their boxes down so they could salute Rex on his way out of the shuttle.
Rex quickened his pace toward the auxiliary conference room, anticipating Wolffe's impatience.
Two members of the Wolfpack in Phase II armor stood outside the doorway of a nearby conference room. Rex immediately recognized them as the two most senior members of his Pack, Sinker and Boost. They nodded to Wolffe as he entered the room and then resumed their sentry position.
Fives and Echo slid into chairs on either side of him.
Rex stared at them.
"Before you say anything, Rex, I ordered them here."
"What's this all about?"
"I know about the disappearance of Ko, and that you're missing a squad. I also know you've tasked Fives and Echo to look into it."
Rex scowled. It was unsettling how Wolffe knew everything that was going on, even the internal affairs of the 501st.
Wolffe puts his hands up. "Before you get your hackles up, we need to work together on this one for the good of Cody." He tapped his bracer. "Boys, bring in Ko's bucket."
Sinker and Boost joined them, carrying an unmarked Phase II helmet, with the slight enhancements distinctive only to clones of command class.
"Let the 501st boys look at it. See if they can spot it."
Echo and Fives crowded in with Rex as he took possession of the helmet. He held it in his hands, staring in the visor and running his hands carefully over the exterior. Not finding anything remarkable on the exterior of the helmet, he flipped it upside down carefully in his hands and studied the electronics inside. Fives and Echo spotted it at the same time he did.
"This should not be there," Rex said, pointing to an extra component nestled into the communications array. It was discreet and blended in well with the rest of the electronics. If he had not torn apart his own helmet, he would not have spotted it. He was surprised his ARCs spotted it so easily. It spoke to how much they meddled with electronics in their spare time. He looked over at Wolffe in confusion. "What does it do?"
"Near as we can figure, it is nothing more than an extra transmitter."
"Can we take a closer look?" Echo asked and inhaled in anticipation as Rex handed over the modified piece of equipment.
"Do your thing."
The ARCs bent their heads together, switching over to a private channel as they did a deep dive into discussing the mods on the helmet.
"And you think this extra transmitter is somehow connected with Ko shooting Cody?" Rex asked, trying to keep an open mind, but no part of this made sense to him.
"Quartermaster records show that Ko's helmet was delivered later than the rest of his gear, with no explanation," Wolffe revealed.
"That doesn't explain our missing Captain," Rex said, exasperated. "Or, why I'm missing a squad of troopers that have mysteriously left the system."
"What's Fox's take?"
"Not much. He seemed unfocused, claimed no involvement."
Rex switched to a private channel. "Fox is on our side, Wolffe."
"Maybe once."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Haven't you noticed he's changed?"
Yes, Rex had noticed he'd changed, but he didn't want to have that argument right now. "Fox isn't the priority right now." Although, something in him screamed they should be paying more attention to Fox. "Something's off about clones shooting each other."
"Exactly. Ko was as loyal as anyone here and I personally witnessed him take a blaster bolt for Cody once. This doesn't add up."
Rex had seen that, too. Ko had nearly died to save Cody. Like all of the men in the 212th, he was very loyal to Cody. "Nothing about this makes sense. Were there any warning signs before it happened?"
"We've spoken to witnesses." He tapped his bracer. "Comet, bring in the others." Trapper, Waxer and Boil filed in, acknowledging the two commanding officers with a nod. The seats around the conference room table filled in with the 212th and Wolfpack troopers. "Troopers, we want to hear from each of you what you witnessed from Captain Ko before the attack."
"Before the attack on Cody, Ko seemed disoriented, like he had a severe headache," Trapper offered.
"Cody asked if he needed to halt the training," Boil added.
"He was defensive. Unusually so. He insisted he was fine and wished to continue the training," Waxer said.
"But, it was obvious he wasn't right like he was taking ill," Boil finished.
Fives and Echo looked up from their work and exchanged a rapid-fire glance. The look didn't go unnoticed by Commander Wolffe.
"ARC troopers, you have something to share?" Wolffe said, staring them down.
"No, sir." insisted Echo.
The ARC troopers had a rapidfire hushed conversation.
"Troopers," Wolffe growled.
"We have something that could possibly explain erratic behavior in a clone, but it's a stretch. Just a theory."
"Fives," Echo pleaded, "we have no proof. We don't know if this is related."
Wolffe rolled his eyes and looked over at Rex. "Should I shoot them now to put you out of your misery?" His Wolfpack troopers huffed in amusement. He addressed the ARCs again. "Out with it."
Fives shot Echo an apologetic glance. "Echo was badly injured at Darkknell and had a complicated recovery. While Echo was recovering at ArmyMed, he underwent several brain scans, some…unauthorized."
Sinker and Boost huffed in amusement again.
"I like him," commented Boost, "are you sure we can't have him for the 'Pack?"
"No," Wolffe and Rex replied without hesitation.
Fives smirked.
Rex motioned for Fives to go on.
Echo was staring fixedly at the wall as if dreading the reveal of the rest of the story.
"During the last of these scans, we found... uh... something."
Rex startled. This was news to him. Although, he'd barely had a chance to speak with his ARCs since Echo had resumed active duty. Cody's shooting had thrown everything into chaos. "Define something."
"Echo's brain scans revealed an anomaly that isn't an anomaly. The previous CMO of the 212th found the same thing in the brains of other clones when he also did... eh... unauthorized scans."
"Define unauthorized," Wolffe pressed.
Echo sighed. "According to the medics, clones are prohibited from doing Level 5 subatomic scans of the brain."
"Why?" Wolffe pressed.
"No explanation given."
Wolffe looked intrigued. "Make sure I get a copy of those scans." He dipped a chin at the ARCs. "Good work."
"Is that all you have for me, Wolffe?" Rex pressed. "I want to see Cody."
"He looks terrible, but he's awake. I just came from there."
Rex looked over at the 212th boys. He wanted to go into Cody with some good news. "How is morale in the 212th?"
"We're keeping everyone too busy to gossip... much. Tell the Commander we'll keep the 212th running until he's back on his feet," Waxer promised. Boil and Trapper nodded in agreement. "We'll be in to see him as soon as the medics give the okay."
Wolffe gave all of the troopers in the room a stern look. "None of this goes further than this room unless you are discussing it on a closed channel with someone who is present here today. Understood?"
Wolffe walked Rex out. "We're in uncharted waters, brother."
# # #
The medbay was quiet when he entered. There was no sign of Fox, who must have visited and left again.
He heard quiet voices in the back and found his way to a private alcove near the back of the medbay.
Cody was speaking with the Coruscant Guard trooper Fox had identified as his CMO.
"Rex!" Cody greeted, his voice hoarse and wheezing. He put a hand to his chest and winced.
"Easy Commander," the guard member cautioned, "remember what we said about being kind to your lungs."
"Where's Fox?" Rex looked around in confusion, wondering why he left his man behind.
"Already headed back to Corrie," Cody reduced his voice to a careful whisper out of deference to his lungs. "This is Silver."
"We've met."
"My new CMO," Cody grinned.
"I've heard a lot of stories about you Captain," Silver said, dipping his head. "Looking forward to working together."
"You're transferring in from the Guard?" Rex regarded him with confusion.
"Silver saved my life at the RMB," Cody said with affection. "More than once. Thanks again for the knife."
"You saved yourself. Commander Fox offered me a transfer and I took it," Silver explained to Rex. "Coruscant was not for me."
"Welcome. Cody has been looking for a CMO since..." he grimaced, remembering how the 212th lost both of their top medics at Darkknell.
"I heard," Silver dipped his head respectfully, "I won't try to replace them, but I'm honored to serve."
Cody gestured weakly across the medbay. "Why don't you let Glitch show you around?" It was a gentle dismissal.
"Captain. Commander." Silver dipped his chin and headed off across the medbay.
Rex took a moment to study Cody. He looked much better than Rex had expected. His chest was bandaged and his voice sounded like he'd inhaled too much battle smoke, but he looked much better than he'd expected. His coloring was good, and other than his difficulties speaking, there was an energy to him there was very Cody-like.
"What kept you so long?" Cody hoarsely demanded. "Fox told me you rode up with him from Corrie."
"Wolffe insisted I meet with him about Ko. Did Fox tell you the latest?"
Cody's countenance turned dark. "He's missing. I'm aware. Fox promised to launch a full investigation on his end from the RMB."
Interesting.
"I'll let you know if we find anything," Rex promised. He studied Cody critically. "I can't believe you're awake already. You were shot point-blank."
"I don't remember much; bits and pieces. It's... jumbled." He shook his head. "Guess this was a good field test of Phase Two."
"You didn't have to do the field trials yourself, Cody."
The half-hearted humor fell flat between them. "Uh... Waxer, Boil and Trap they're holding things down in your absence; keeping the men busy with drill practice. Waxer, in particular, shows leadership qualities."
"I was thinking of promoting him," Cody stared off into space for a moment; lost in thought.
"Hey, I should let you rest, brother."
"Thanks for checking in on me," Cody's tired voice tore at Rex. He didn't deserve to get shot by one of his own men.
Rex quickly departed medbay to head back to the Resolute. At some point, Rex would need to talk to Cody and tell him everything. Ko wasn't even in the system anymore. His helmet had been tampered with and there was a transmitter that shouldn't be there. Not yet, though. Not while he was still recovering and they had more questions than answers.
He also realized he'd never sent an 'update' to Appo. He sighed beneath his bucket. Epic beckoned to him from a shuttle. "Captain, I just returned from shuttling Commander Fox back to Corrie. You ready to return to The Resolute, sir?"
Rex nodded. "More than ready."
He settled into the co-pilot's seat, not wanting to sit in the back of the shuttle.
"Commander Fox says thank you," Epic said quietly, as he started up the shuttle and waited for permission to take off.
"It was your idea. You and the other pilots were willing to stick your necks out to help the boys in the Guard."
"Yeah. Commander Fox was... very surprised. But, sir, you're the one who taught all of us that brothers don't leave other brothers behind."
# # #
A/N: The scene with Commander Fox is new and was suggested by a reader. I loved the idea and had a great time writing it. It perfectly fits in with Fox's later plot arc.