Fives takes a deep breath and steps into the medbay. Coric isn't on duty this time—it's another medic, whom Fives doesn't know the name of. The medic nods at him as he enters, and points towards the back of the room where the medic's office is.
"He's back there," the medic informs him. "Catching up on the stuff he missed while he was unconscious. He said to send you in immediately."
Fives sighs.
"Right," he mutters grimly. The medic gives him a sympathetic look.
"I'm sure it won't be too bad. He's not known for giving out excessive punishments."
"I know," Fives says. "But that doesn't stop me from worrying."
He doesn't regret what he did, but he's also concerned that Rex will use this as an opportunity to try and learn more about Domino's past. Rex is intelligent, and likes knowing fine details. It's part of what makes him such an efficient officer, and Fives knows that Rex is still curious. On top of that, in his first life Fives had created a close bond with his Captain. That bond doesn't exist anymore. Fives doesn't know if things will change because of that or not.
He drags his feet a little on the way over to the closed door of the small office. The door is closed. He hesitates to knock for a few uncertain seconds before he shakes his head in annoyance. It's ridiculous that he's getting so worked up about this. He'd known it was coming. He's an ARC, he's more than capable of facing down a little discipline. He knocks on the door firmly, and it slides open.
"Sir," Fives says automatically as he steps inside. "You wanted to see—?"
His voice sticks in his throat as he finally registers the sight of his commanding officer. Captain Rex looks terrible—his face is deathly pale, even though he's seated at the desk in the corner.
"It's good to see you, Fives," Rex greets, swiveling around in the chair. He doesn't stand, which is a bad sign. "I'm glad you made a full recovery." He sounds normal, but Fives doesn't let himself be fooled.
"Ah, sir," he begins, "Are you feeling alright? How long ago did you wake up?"
"Twelve hours ago," Rex answers curtly. "Thank you for the concern, soldier. I'm fine. Besides, we aren't here to talk about me." Fives stiffens to attention almost automatically as the Captain's tone inches back towards authoritative. He curses Rex's stubborn streak internally. After Fives had woken up, he'd needed the full day of bedrest Coric had prescribed. Naturally back then he'd fought against it, unsettled by the long wait and anxious to rejoin his brothers. Now, he's grateful he'd listened. He knows Rex wants to get back into the swing of things as fast as possible, but he'll burn out so much faster if he doesn't let his body recover now.
Rex sighs and continues before Fives can speak again. "I don't want an explanation from you, Fives. Believe me, I understand just as well as any of our brothers why you did it… and I don't blame you for it, either."
Fives blinks.
"You and your squadmates are close. Closer than most other squads are. I've known that since Rishi. I can see it in the way you move, in the way you interact. You care about each other more than you care for the Republic."
Fives inhales sharply. "Sir, I love my brothers, but I care for the Republic, as well." He doesn't like what the Captain has just said, because the Republic is the only real thing he has to fight for. That being said… he does care for his batchmates more than he does the Republic. Both are important. Both must be saved.
(If it came down to it… would Fives sacrifice his brothers to preserve the galaxy? That's not something he wants to think about, and if they can figure out a plan, that's not something he'll ever have to think about.)
Rex senses his discomfort and shifts tracks, thankfully.
"Listen, Fives, it was a good thing you were there. Cutup wouldn't have had the strength to stay alive if you hadn't supported him, and we both know it. That's not the real issue, anyway." Captain Rex reaches out to grab a datapad from the desk besides him, beginning to scroll through the information on the screen as he speaks. "You aren't a shiny, Fives. You weren't even a shiny on Rishi. You know better than to take risks like that. Listen, I don't know exactly what you and your squad have been through. General Ti reassured me that it was classified when I spoke to her of your transfer all those weeks ago, so I assume you've got plenty of experience. That being said, I know you're aware of all the things that could have gone wrong."
Through his own guilt Fives feels a surge of gratefulness for Shaak Ti's trust in them. Rex doesn't suspect that Fives knew what would happen. Instead, he thinks that Fives went along just because Cutup had been recruited—which is technically true. Fives probably would have done the same thing even if he hadn't known about the virus, because he's not going to lose a batchmate again, and there's always a chance something will happen. He can lower those chances by being there, though.
Fives winces as Rex flips the datapad around to show him a collection of reports all describing his frantic leap out of the gunship.
"This is more what I'm concerned about, Fives. I don't care that you came with us on the mission, especially because Cutup was recruited. Clones tend to perform better when they have a trusted squadmate watching their backs. But when you jumped out of the gunship, some of Tide Company panicked because they had no idea what was happening. On top of that, you could have been seriously injured during the drop, and then you wouldn't have been of any help to Cutup at all."
Fives drops his gaze guiltily to the floor. Rex is right—anything could have happened, and Tide company hadn't deserved the confusion and alarm they'd no doubt felt as Fives pulled off his stunt. In his desperation to get to Cutup, Fives hadn't stopped to think before he'd jumped.
"You could have contacted me," Rex tells him softly. "I could have made sure you got down on the ground, even if it was a little late. I know how much you care for your brothers."
Now Fives feels even worse. This Rex is not the Rex Fives had grown so close to—not yet, at least—but Fives had definitely been wrong in assuming that the two Captains are massively different. This Rex has the same values and perception skills as the first one—he just doesn't know Fives as well yet.
"I'm sorry, sir," Fives says quietly. "I didn't—I didn't even consider calling you. I didn't…"
"Didn't think I'd let you come along?"
No, that's not it. Fives knows Rex would have let him come along had he called in. He just honestly hadn't thought to ask in his panic.
"I wasn't thinking, sir. I'm sorry," he says again. Rex stares at him, and must see a bit of Fives' honest guilt, because he sighs.
"I want you and your brothers to survive this war, Fives. I want every brother to survive this war." The lingering paleness from the virus combined with the sudden weight of his words makes Rex look worn and tired. "I can't know what your squad has been through, but I hope you learn that you can rely on me for help. Otherwise there's no point to me even being Captain."
In his first life, Fives had full confidence in Rex. He'd trusted his Captain implicitly, even through Umbara and Ringo Vinda. He still does.
But Rex doesn't know things yet. He's not supposed to. Because of that, Fives had believed Captain Rex would be of no help to them. Now he sees that he's wrong. Even if Rex doesn't know what's going to happen, he's still dependable as alway. Domino squad may be alone in their knowledge, but they aren't alone. No clone ever is.
Fives takes a deep breath and meets Captain Rex's gaze.
"It won't happen again, sir. I do trust you. I… panicked, that's all. I swear to you, I'll keep a level head next time." And kriff if it isn't hard to admit that he'd messed up, because ARC training had taught him not to panic. All of his instruction had gone out the window once Cutup had gotten involved, which isn't a good sign. Fives needs to fix that before it becomes a problem, because his brothers will be in danger again eventually.
Rex nods at him and offers a small smile.
"Thank you, Fives. You're a good man." He leans forwards in his seat. "Even though I'm not angry with you for coming along, there are regulations in place that say you deserve punishment for it."
Fives winces.
"Whatever it is, it's fine, sir. I can live with it."
"Hmm. Ordinarily, a simple demerit on your military records would suffice, along with some general hard labor for the next few days. Since your stunt did more good than harm, it wouldn't be any more than that."
That's not too bad. Fives feels himself start to relax.
"Though, I don't even think the demerit is necessary. I think the job you're going to get will be enough."
Fives blinks in confusion. No demerit? Sure, Rex has enough weight to dismiss such a thing, but… what job is possibly bad enough to eliminate the need?
Rex is smirking. It makes Fives nervous.
"Sir…?"
"I'm using my powers of delegation, for once. The medics would approve," Rex says as he selects an option from a datapad and hands it to Fives. "I want you to take care of this. It's not too bad… from a certain point of view."
Fives skims the orders and freezes.
"No," he says automatically. "Oh, no. Sir, you can't be serious!" When Rex only lifts an eyebrow, Fives shakes his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"
"Not at all, soldier," Rex replies smugly. Fives' mouth drops open.
"No. I'm not doing that," he protests. Rex shrugs.
"I guess it's the demerit, then," he says mildly. Fives grimaces. While a demerit isn't the end of the world, it also goes on his permanent military record. He'd had plenty of them in his first life, but this time, he has brothers to watch out for, and too many demerits can result in being moved to a squad underneath a higher ranking commander so that the officers can keep close watch on the troublemakers. This would only be his first one, but Fives knows he's likely to get more. If he can avoid one, he will, no matter how horrific the alternative is.
"Fine," he forces out. Rex nods in satisfaction, finally standing and clapping him on the back.
"You'll be fine. Hopefully. Just try not to let anything too important get destroyed, alright?"
"No promises," Fives mutters darkly. "You may regret this, sir."
"I'd regret it no matter who was in charge, even if it was me," Rex admits wryly. "That'll be all, Fives. I need to…" he pauses and shakes his head, reluctant to even say it. "I need to get some rest."
"You do that, sir," Fives says petulantly, forgetting for a brief moment that this Rex isn't the one from before, but the Captain doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he casts Fives an amused grin as Fives turns to leave.
"Good luck," Rex calls after him. "You're gonna need it."
That's for sure. Fives grits his teeth and hopes fervently that it'll be worth it.
"Meesa is so excited!"
Fives has already changed his mind, and it's barely been ten minutes. He'd rather take fifty demerits than do this.
Representative Binks appears to be… dancing? In excitement? While holding his DC-15S?
Fives fingers the weapon in his own hands, set to stun, with no small amount of longing.
"Representative Binks," he says, and even though he tries to remain calm the words come out strained. The Gungan doesn't notice. "Can you please keep the barrel of the gun pointed away from any other living beings?" This isn't the first time he's said this. Binks stills for approximately point three seconds before he's bouncing again, the fins on his head flopping around comically.
"But meesa is so excited! Yousa teachin' me ta shoot!"
Fives has a headache. This isn't worth it. Also, he'll be in even more trouble if he loses control and stuns the idiot, so this is a bad idea on so many levels.
He's going to find some way to get Rex back for this. Never mind that it's supposed to be a punishment. This is cruel and unusual.
"Just—" He pinches the bridge of his nose in an effort to stay composed. "Just hold still for a few seconds, okay? You won't be able to aim if you don't hold still."
On the other side of the range, a squad of Wave Company men are snickering at him. Fives groans under his breath and eyes his own gun again.
Maybe it would be easier just to stun himself, so he'll be unconscious for the next few hours. That option is looking better and better with second that goes by.
"Okay." Stay calm, stay calm. "Listen up, Representative Binks. Good aim comes with practice. Hold the weapon steady and pick a target."
Representative Binks nods sagely.
"Ahh, meesa see!"
The Gungan swivels, aiming roughly at a set of targets all the way to the left instead of straight ahead, closer to the lanes the Wave Company men have claimed. However, while turning he trips, stumbling slightly, and his grip on the weapon slips. It's already faced roughly towards the other clones, and the fumble is enough to aim it directly into their midsts. It fires before Fives can leap forwards stop it. A clone on the other side of the room lets out a startled yelp, tumbling to the ground
It's such a good thing Fives had the foresight to lock the Gungan's weapon on stun earlier.
The Wave men aren't laughing at Fives anymore, now that they've seen the true force of chaos Fives is struggling to contain. Those not wearing their helmets look bewildered and shocked at the careless display. Basic weaponry safety is the one of the first things taught on Kamino.
Representative Binks yelps at the sight of the Wave men gathering anxiously around their stunned comrade.
"Ah, uh oh, meesa so sorry!" Binks begins to jog his way over, and Fives realizes what's going to happen before it does—and that's a bad sign, that he can predict the Gungan's clumsiness before it even happens. There's a cart sitting in the center of the room, stocked full of weaponry that's been tagged as defective so that the mechanics can go about repairing them. "Meesa didn't mean to—" Representative Binks gets out, and then trips on his own feet again. He collides with the cart. A hefty Z-6 falls. Fives watches it go down as if in slow motion and his eyes widen in horror.
"Everyone hit the deck!" he shouts. The Z-6 collides with the ground as the dozen men dive for the floor. There's a brief second where the only sound Fives can hear is a tiny clicking sound from the weapon—the sound of malfunctioning machinery.
Then, the Z-6 activates, and blaster bolts go everywhere.
Echo grins in victory as he successfully brushes aside another firewall of the program he's meddling with. Even on a device as inefficient as a datapad, he's still fully capable of gaining access to tons of encrypted information that he'd never dreamed he'd see during his first life. The more he practices, the better he becomes… and he's never been more grateful, considering the idea he's just come up with.
A clone enters the barracks. Echo tenses automatically before glancing up, then relaxes when he sees it's just Fives.
"Hey, you're back. How'd things go with the Captain?" he asks, looking back down at the datapad in his hands. Fives lets out a groan.
"Fine," he bites out. "I'm fine." He sits on his bunk and sighs. He doesn't sound fine. Echo frowns and looks back up at his brother, studying him much more carefully this time. There are scorch marks across the chest plates of his armor, and the fabric of his gloves look almost warped by some form of heat.
"Force, what happened?" Echo asks incredulously. Fives' blue glove—the one all of Domino shared, that they'd stained when they'd finished Echo's armor—is almost completely blackened.
"Well, the good news is that I didn't get any demerits," Fives says wryly. He begins to strip off his armor. Echo blinks.
"What? How'd you get out of that?"
"The Captain gave me another job," Fives continues grimly. "To take the place of the demerit. Apparently, after the whole mess on Naboo the Generals decided that Representative Binks could do with some form of training. Captain Rex decided to delegate that task to me. It was… difficult. I'm fairly certain he needs a babysitter."
"Who needs a babysitter?" Hevy asks as he enters the barracks. Most of Beta, sans Del, trail in behind him, coming from a meal at the mess hall.
"Binks," Fives snarls bitterly. Cutup winces and nods.
"That's true. What the kriff did he do this time?"
Fives recounts the tale. Echo wishes he could be sympathetic, but seeing Fives' frustration is… sort of funny. Even though there's nothing amusing about brothers almost getting killed by something as ridiculous as clumsiness.
"The kick from the Z-6 kept it swivelling in every direction. No one was hit, but a couple men had close calls," Fives says. "I managed to get my hands on the gun, but nothing I could do would get it to stop firing, so I just had to point it downrange until the charge ran out." He raises his scorched gloves. "Heat nearly melted my gloves. I… may or may not have yelled at the Representative a little, after." He hisses as he starts to strip off the gloves. The skin underneath it is red. Coric hurries forwards to inspect it.
"Sithspit, Fives, you sure you aren't gonna get in trouble for chewing him out?" Nax asks from his spot at the table. Fives shrugs.
"I dunno. Hopefully Rex can forgive me for it. The Captain better be satisfied with my efforts, because I am not doing it again."
Echo snorts at the irritated look on Fives' face and grins when his brother smacks at him in retaliation.
"Why are he and the Senator even still here?" Zeer asks. "Shouldn't they be halfway back to Coruscant by now?"
"Who knows," Echo says quickly before Fives can attempt to lie that he doesn't know. Both ARCs are more than aware of Senator Amidala's relationship with General Skywalker. The two had done a fairly good job of keeping it a secret at the beginning of the war, but by the end they'd both pretty much stopped caring if the men noticed anything.
During a war, every day could be your last. Fives doesn't blame them for wanting more time together.
The rest of Beta squad starts to shed their armor, not paying very much attention now that the story is over. While they aren't looking Echo catches Fives' eye and signs something to him quickly:
Need team meeting. I have news.
Fives nods and nudges Hevy besides him, passing the message along silently. It doesn't take long for the entirety of Domino to get the memo.
"I haven't gotten food yet," Echo says after a few more seconds. "Fives, you haven't either, right? Wanna join me?"
"Sure, anything to get my mind off of Gungans," Five replies grimly. He finishes stripping off his armor, and they exit together, making their way to the little conference room that rarely sees official use and has become the private meeting point of Domino.
Hevy, Droidbait, and Cutup join them a few minutes later, having come up with some excuse to leave the barracks. Droidbait closes the door behind them, and everyone settles into the chairs at the small table.
"What's this all about?" Droidbait asks, looking between the two ARCs. Fives shrugs and points at Echo.
"It's on him," he says. "I've got no clue what's going on."
Echo takes a deep breath.
"I think I know how we can get our evidence," he tells them bluntly. No use beating around the bush. There's a moment where everyone freezes in collective surprise, and then Hevy leans forwards, eyes wide.
"How?" he asks, voice thick with hope. "How, Echo?"
"I think," Echo says, "That I can hack into the Kaminoan's databases."
"You can do that?" Cutup blurts out incredulously. Echo shrugs.
"Technically, no, but I could with a little bit of inside help," he says. "The Kaminoans aren't going to let their most important records be out in the open where anyone with a datapad and a slight aptitude for beating firewalls can access it. For that stuff, you have to be physically connected with their mainframe. The stuff they do have public is practically useless. Just stuff about our creation and whatnot. There is a brief paragraph on inhibitor chips, but it's that same blasted lie they told Fives originally."
"They'd definitely have information on the true purpose of the chips in their private records," Fives says. "But you just said you have to physically be there to get that stuff."
"That's why we can recruit someone on Kamino to help us out," Echo points out. "If I can convince someone to hook into one of the Kaminoan's consoles, and then connect that to me, I could get access without having to be there myself." Echo is pretty sure he can do it. The Kaminoan firewalls will be tough to crack, but if there's one thing he knows about his mind, it's that it's wired for that kind of stuff now.
"This all sounds great, but who do we know on Kamino who won't immediately turn us down?" Droidbait asks. "We can't just go to anyone and ask us to sneak into the archives. Aren't the clones you guys know from your past life still in training? They get caught, and they won't ever be sent out."
Everyone cringes at that thought. Fives grinds his teeth audibly.
Without warning Hevy jerks in his seat. Everyone turns to stare at him in surprise.
"Ninety-nine," he says. "Ninety-nine would do it."
Echo thinks back on his memories of the old clone, determined and loyal to his brothers to the bitter end. He thinks of the hopeful old man who'd clutched Hevy's medal to his chest and mourned silently for yet another brother who would never come home.
Hevy's right. Ninety-nine will do it.
Hevy groans and puts his head down on the table. Everyone stares at him again in concern until he raises his head, a guilty expression on his face.
"Ah, kriff. I was so distracted by the fact that I was even alive that I didn't talk to Ninety-nine before we got shipped out," Hevy moans, and he looks truly devastated by that fact. "And I didn't even—I didn't even come back the first time. What did he… did he—?"
Echo shares a quick glance with Fives, frantically wondering what the best thing to tell his brother is at this point. Hevy knows that Ninety-nine was killed in the battle of Kamino, at least, but in the grand scheme of things they hadn't had the opportunity to tell him much more than that.
"He didn't forget you," Fives tells Hevy quietly. "I'm pretty sure he had your medal on him when he died. He was a brave man. Is a brave man," he amends.
Hevy inhales sharply at Fives' words and then lets the breath out slow. He goes silent for a long moment, and none of them blame him for it.
"So, what, we just call Ninety-nine and ask him to somehow connect into top-secret Kaminoan files, no questions asked?" Droidbait asks. "It's undoubtedly much harder than it sounds. A lot of things could go wrong."
"Why don't we just contact General Ti?" Cutup suggests. "Surely she'd help us."
"She wouldn't be able to get close to the rooms she'd need to in order to help us," Echo informs them. "She's a Jedi. I wouldn't be surprised if they're keeping tabs on her every second of the day to make sure she doesn't know about the chip. Ninety-nine is inconspicuous, and he's maintenance. For all we know he dusts off the console we need every other week as part of his routine."
"I say we give it a try," Fives says. "What do we have to lose?"
"Ninety-nine," Hevy mutters. Fives raises an eyebrow at him.
"It was your idea in the first place, Hevy," he points out. Hevy bites his lip.
"I know, I just—he's a good man. I don't want anything bad to happen to him, especially if it's something that we're responsible for. For all we know we'll be sending him straight to certain death—"
Fives puts a hand on Hevy's shoulder, and looks at Droidbait carefully.
"Look, it's not a perfect plan. But it's the only one we've got. Ninety-nine is a good man, but he's also a good soldier, and he's proud of it. I know he'll do what he can to protect his brothers, just like any of us would do. Have a little trust in him, alright? If he feels like he can't do it, we'll call it off and find another way to do this. If he can… we might as well take the chance. We need this information if we're going to convince anyone about the chips."
Droidbait nods in approval, convinced by Fives' steady logic. Hevy holds out for a little longer, expression wavering.
"If something happens to him… I won't forgive myself. I don't think this is a good idea."
"We need to let him decide if he gets involved or not. Also, he hasn't agreed to anything yet," Echo reminds them. "This is just a possibility. Let's call him. He's our best option until we can think of something else."
Hevy swallows nervously and finally nods, but he still doesn't look happy.
"Alright, it's settled for now, then," Echo says. "We'll contact Kamino and see if this idea takes us anywhere."
"We'll have to somehow get access to a long-range holoprojector," Fives points out. "Our comms aren't nearly powerful enough to reach Kamino."
"There's also the possibility that the Kaminoans will be able to intercept the transmission," Hevy adds.
"Leave that to me," Echo says. "I can encrypt the departing message well enough to keep the longnecks out."
"When is this going down?" Cutup asks. "We've gotta be careful. All of the holoprojectors on the ship are either smack dab in the middle of command centers or open to the public. They aren't exactly in private places."
"I'm sure we can pull enough strings to clear a room for a few minutes," Fives says. "We'll just have to be smart about it. Regardless, whatever we do, we've gotta do it soon. The faster we can ask, that faster we'll know if this is going to work or not. Here's what I say we should do—"
"Uh—we might have to hold off on contacting Kamino for just a little bit, guys," Droidbait interrupts. When they all turn to him, he's holding his own datapad in his hand, staring down at a received message. "Beta squad just got a whole new set of orders. The 64th battalion in en route to meet with 501st in two standard hours. Torrent Company will receive them, so our orders are to prepare for their arrival."
Echo frowns. "That's right. I forgot about that."
"The 64th…? Isn't that… Captain Keeli's battalion? Under General Ima-gun Di?" Hevy says slowly. "Why are they coming to meet us?"
"They're en route to Ryloth," Fives says. "At least, that's what they were doing at this time during our first life. They didn't have time to stop at a Republic outpost to restock before their assignment, and we're positioned fairly close to their hyperspace lane. They'll resupply from our stocks—that's why we're needed, for a lot of the manual labor. General Di will meet with General Skywalker. Then they'll head to Ryloth… where they'll—"
He cuts himself off. Echo closes his eyes for a brief moment in remembrance. Everyone had heard the story of Captain Keeli and the 64th, who fought side-by-side with their valiant General to the last man in order to allow the Twi'lek rebels to escape. The rest of Domino look at them in confusion before the realization hits.
"Wait, they're going to—!?" Cutup begins, and then blanches. "All of them? The whole battalion?" he asks quieter, understanding Fives' unspoken ending. Echo nods grimly.
"The droids mount a full-scale invasion against Ryloth while they're stationed there," he says softly. "The 64th get overwhelmed. They're able to hold out long enough to allow hundreds of civilians and rebels to survive, but they're decimated in the process. Not even General Di makes it out of there."
The room is silent for a long moment.
"Kriff," Hevy whispers eventually. Droidbait's face has gone pale. Cutup bows his head.
"Blast it. Can we even… can we even do something about this?" Droidbait mutters helplessly. "If they don't go to Ryloth, the civilians will die. We can't—we were created to help the civilians."
"Better for us to die than the actual people of the Republic," Hevy says mournfully. Echo winces at his words.
Fives has gone strangely silent. Echo glances at him and lifts an eyebrow at the determined set of Fives' jaw.
"Fives…" he begins, unsure if he should be worried or not. Without warning Fives slams his fist on the table, surging to his feet. Everyone jumps at the loud sound, staring up at the ARC in surprise.
"No," Fives growls. "No. So many brothers are going to die. We've got to do something."
"What the—Fives, we can't!" Echo replies instantly. "Then the Twi'leks will die!"
"Are you serious? You've been telling us we can't change our brother's deaths this whole time, and now it's suddenly fine?" Droidbait cries, also leaping to his feet.
"This is different!" Fives defends. "There's got to be another way—maybe if General Di was aware of what's going to happen, he'll be able to plan better—"
"Fives, we don't know enough details about the invasion of Ryloth to be able to tell him much more than that they'll eventually be surrounded and taken out while defending Cham Syndulla's forces. That's all either of us remember, anyway," Echo points out, struggling to bring rationality back to the conversation—
"There could have been other ways so the rest of our brother could have lived, too!" Droidbait protests at the same time, voice cutting right over Echo's.
"'Bait, you know we have to be careful about changing too much. What if we change something major on accident? Then everything we know won't matter—" Cutup says in an attempt to pacify him, but it only makes things worse. Droidbait glares at him.
Ohh, this isn't good.
"Maybe that's a risk we'll have to take!" Droidbait argues hotly. "Maybe we have to change things in order to fix this! So far we haven't done anything except see brothers get killed while we struggle to find our footing! I'm sick of watching clones die for nothing!"
"This is a war, Droidbait. This is our war. This is literally the only reason we exist. We're going to lose people no matter what we do," Fives snarls. Droidbait's glower snaps to him instead, and Echo feels himself start to panic. This is bad. They just barely got over a teamwork issue—a second one in a row will destroy the squad if it isn't stopped right away. He glances over at Hevy, who seems to have come to the same conclusion.
"Alright, alright!" Hevy shouts, effectively pausing the chaos. "Stop it! This argument is pointless! For kriff's sake! We can't change what's happened in the past. Right now you two both want the same thing, anyway!"
Fives and Droidbait eye each other for a moment longer before slowly returning to their seats. Echo lets out a sigh of relief.
"Listen to me, guys. There are reasons why we couldn't help our brothers in those other situations. Reasons like: If we save this brother, this General will die. We had to make sacrifices in order to keep ourselves and our officers alive," Echo says calmly. He looks at Droidbait. "We'll do what we can to save our brothers, but Fives is right—we can't save everyone. You call for change? Fives wants change, too. It's not his fault that we couldn't save our brothers before. Besides, we can't focus on that anymore. Now, we've got to focus on what we can change. I think this is something we might be able to fix without risking something bigger."
Echo is quickly learning that Droidbait is terrifyingly good at holding grudges. He waits anxiously as Droidbait stares at him for a long moment. Finally, Droidbait exhales. His arms are still crossed, and he doesn't look happy, but much of the tension drains from his body.
"You're right," he admits discontentedly. "This isn't the time to argue about it."
Echo sighs in relief. Crisis averted… for now.
"You say we should tell General Di about what will happen on Ryloth, Fives?" Cutup asks, picking the conversation back up. Fives nods and takes a breath.
"They should still go to Ryloth," he says. "It's true that without the 64th, Ryloth would have fallen before the other battalions could arrive, and the freedom fighters would have been decimated. But if we could at least warn General Di of what's coming, maybe… maybe they'll have a better chance at holding out. They could find a way to last long enough for the 501st, 212th, and 91st to arrive."
"It's… possible," Echo mutters. "And who knows what will change if we tell them."
"Exactly," Fives says. "And unlike most times like this, I don't think we'll be very much affected by telling them."
"I say we do it," Droidbait says.
"Me too," Cutup chimes in. Hevy nods.
Echo closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "It can't hurt to try," he agrees, and hopes fervently he isn't wrong about that. Fives grins at him.
"It's settled, then," he says. "We'll do this, and afterwards we'll worry about Kamino."
Droidbait's comlink beeps. He frowns at it and picks it up.
"Hey, DB, are you with your brothers?" Attie (because it can only be Attie) asks. "Don't wanna rush you guys or anything, but we just got new orders, and Del wants us all ready to go."
"We're on our way back right now," Droidbait tells him. "Tell Del we'll be there in a minute or so."
"Gotcha. See you in a few."
The next few hours are nothing but carrying heavy boxes of supplies up to the hangar deck. The 64th's Star Destroyer Valiant arrives and sends gunships over to pick up the supplies. The hangar decks are quickly full of a mixture of 501st blue and 64th brown, working together in lighthearted camaraderie.
Fives wants them to live so badly. The 64th are cheerful men, with odd but contagious senses of humor that one man claims they've inherited from their General. It sounds a bit odd, considering General Di had seemed a very composed and respectable when he and Captain Keeli had stepped off of the first gunship. Fives believes it, though, because General Kenobi seems perfectly respectable at first too until you realize he's just as crazy as General Skywalker himself.
Although he's reluctant to admit it, Fives knows that in some ways, Droidbait is right to accuse Fives of hypocrisy when it comes down to this. Fives has been telling them that it's best to not get involved with stopping the deaths of brothers around them. Fives is afraid of changing something and putting everything they know at risk. This time, though… this time Fives can't see a way how the survival of the 64th will change anything related to the 501st.
Captain Keeli is a legend. Not quite so much as Captain Rex or Commander Cody, but enough so that most clones know his name and reputation. He's brave and loyal, a fierce warrior and a clever strategist. The dual pistols he carried with him have seen just as much use as Captain Rex's.
Fives had admired the older clone greatly in his first life, and he still does now—more so, even, now that he knows the Captain's previously tragic end.
He doesn't want it to happen again. The 64th deserve better. And Fives is sick of waiting. Things need to change. Droidbait is definitely right about one thing—maybe it's time for them to start taking risks.
A 64th Sergeant called Deadline is currently recounting the tale of their most recent campaign on the planet Dega in the Outer Rim. Fives drags himself out of his own thoughts to listen in.
"...so the five of us were headed towards the end of the tunnel when all of a sudden, a dozen or so clankers show up just outside and start firing into the cave. We get to cover and start firing back, but before we can make any progress, tons of SBDs show up and march inside in front of us. There must have been hundreds of 'em—"
"Deadline, it was twenty-five at most," another clone interrupts. Deadline scowls at him as he picks up a crate of ammo.
"Shut up, Tag. I'm telling this story! So, we thought we were goners, but then we hear this weird sound—like a roar, or something, echoing through the cave from behind us. Then we all get really worried, because who knows what kind of creatures live down there—"
Behind Deadline, Cutup is carrying a crate of rations. Fives doesn't miss the way he shudders at that.
"—but then we see this blue streak of light shooting down the tunnel, and realize that it's the General! He just barrels past us, howling like some sort of demon—I dunno, it must be Nikto thing or something. The Captain's right behind him, pistols firing so fast that you can't even tell one baster bolt from the next—!"
"It's physically impossible to shoot that fast, Deadline—"
"Shut up, Tag! Anyway, a whole Company comes up behind us. Except they weren't even needed, with how fast the Captain and the General took care of those droids. I dunno much about the angels of Iego, but if the General had claimed to be one right about then I would have believed him instantly—"
"I'm sure he'd be amused to hear that, Deadline," a clone voice interrupts.
"Tag, I swear, if you interrupt me one more time," Deadline growls, turning towards the voice—and then freezes when he sees it isn't Tag this time… it's Captain Keeli. The man has his helmet tucked neatly underneath his arm, and had somehow slipped into the hangar without anyone noticing.
"Ah—kriff—I mean—Sir!" Deadline splutters, snapping to attention. Muted chuckles ripple through the hangar as Captain Keeli raises an eyebrow at the unfortunate man.
"How was the briefing, sir? Where's the General?" a 64th soldier who hasn't yet shared his name yet asks.
"He's still with General Skywalker," the Captain answers. "I'm just checking up on you boys. Are we still on schedule?"
"Yessir," another 64th man says. "We shouldn't be too much longer, sir. Give us a half hour, maybe a little more."
"Good. The General wants to leave as soon as they're done. He'll probably be finished in an hour, so we'll be right where we need to if your estimate is accurate. Keep up the good work."
"Thank you, sir!" the clones within hearing range chorus back at him as the Captain turns to leave.
Fives sees his chance. He doesn't think he'll get an opportunity to speak to General Di himself, so Captain Keeli is the next best thing. Fortunately Hevy is nearby, and Fives shoves the crate he'd been carrying into his brother's arms.
"Fives, what—"
"I'm going after the Captain," Fives explains quickly, and doesn't wait to hear Hevy's response. He hurries after Captain Keeli's retreating form.
He catches up to the Captain just as the man is entering the hallway—which is fortunate. Some of Torrent had given Fives odd looks as he'd hurried out. This way, no one unnecessary will witness what could potentially go very wrong.
"Sir!" Fives calls. Captain Keeli stops and turns. He looks surprised to see a member of the 501st hailing him.
"What can I do for you, trooper?" he asks. Fives salutes quickly and steps a tiny bit closer and takes a deep breath.
"Sir, I have some information that you might find useful," he blurts out, glancing around to make sure no one is close enough to overhear. Fortunately the hallway around them is empty.
"Let's hear it, then," Captain Keeli says. He doesn't understand yet. Fives shakes his head and shuffles his feet nervously.
"I… sorry, sir, it's not anything official. To be honest with you…" he hesitates for a split second, and then it all comes out in a rush. "I know this is sort of against regulations, but it's crucial information. Just a few minutes of your time, sir, that's all I need. It's extremely important. Top secret. Off the records to anyone except you and your General."
Captain Keeli frowns at him. Fives can see his hesitation, his suspicion. He's wondering if this is some sort of joke.
"Trooper, this is hardly—"
Panic suddenly rises in Fives' throat. He needs the Captain to listen to him. He knows this is unorthodox, but this is the only chance he's going to get. If Captain Keeli turns him down… Fives doesn't know what he'll do.
He reaches up to rip his helmet off.
"Sir, please," he begs quietly. "Please, I know this is ridiculous and you have no reason to believe me, but give this a chance. I need to talk to you. Please."
The other clone stares at Fives intently for a moment. Fives isn't exactly sure what Captain Keeli sees, but whatever it is, it's enough to make the man sigh.
"Alright, trooper. Off the records, then. You have my attention. What is it?"
Fives winces. "In private, sir," he amends. "This isn't—no one else can hear."
Captain Keeli frowns again but inclines his head. There's a decently-sized storage room just to the left that isn't being used. Captain Keeli leads the way inside. Fives closes the door behind them.
The Captain stops by the wall and turns to face Fives. He crosses his arms.
"What is this all about?" the man asks seriously. Fives' heart rate picks up. Who knows how the other clone is going to take this. Fives could be rejected immediately. This could be a horrible idea…
But Fives knows he has to try.
Echo finds Fives in the hangar, staring out into space watching as the 64th's Valiant disappears into hyperspace. Echo can't see his face, and that makes him worried.
"Hey, Fives… are you alright?" he asks tentatively. He'd seen Fives go after Captain Keeli, and if it had gone badly… he needs to know, but he'll let Fives bring it up himself. Echo isn't going to ask.
"Echo…"
Echo braces himself for bad news, but when Fives turns to face him, he's grinning.
"He believed me. I told him everything I dared to, and he believed me."
Echo's mouth drops open. An incredulous smile spreads across his face.
"He had questions. Some I could answer, some I couldn't, but it didn't matter in the end. I don't know why or how, but he believed me," Fives continues. "They might—they might actually have a chance this time."
Echo laughs and grabs Fives' shoulders.
"Good job, brother," he says. "Good job."
"He said he'd make sure General Di is aware of everything," Fives says as if in a daze. "We might have finally done something to help our brothers."
The expression of hope and joy on his face is stunning.
Echo hasn't seen him look like that in a long, long time.
A week later, the 64th battalion, lead by Jedi General Ima-Gun Di and Clone Captain Keeli, no longer exists.
Echo, Fives, and Cutup are alone in the barracks sitting at the table when they receive the notice. The look on Fives' face makes Echo's heart clench. His brother reads the report silently, and his expression of devastation and shock is almost physically painful.
"Fives—" Echo tries to begin, but he stops when Fives lets out a snarl that's trapped between sorrow and rage, flinging the datapad at the wall. It shatters into a thousand little pieces. Cutup flinches violently, eyes wide as he stares over at the two ARCs.
For a long moment, the room is silent, save Fives' shallow, disbelieving pants.
"What… what is this?" he breathes out. "Why—why did—we changed it. It should have… no. No, no—it should have changed! Why did it still—!?"
He lets out a wounded sound and rises from the table. He starts to walk away—to go where, Echo doesn't know, but he doesn't get very far before he stumbles. Echo and Cutup move quickly to intercept him, grabbing him before he can leave.
"Fives, maybe you should sit down," Cutup tries. Fives shakes his head.
"No, I don't—I don't understand. They're dead. They're all dead. Even though they knew, even though they believed us—" His voice cracks. "It didn't change anything. It didn't kriffing—"
He stumbles again. Echo and Cutup reach out to steady him once more, bolstering him between them.
Echo knows why this is hitting him so hard. Fives had invested the entirety of his hope into the 64th battalion. He'd thought that it would be the beginning of change, the beginning of making a difference. A way to finally start fixing what the Chancellor has destroyed. He'd had complete faith in Captain Keeli.
But apparently it hadn't been enough.
"Fives, sit down," Echo says firmly. Together, he and Cutup manage to half shove, half guide Fives to his bunk, where he sits down heavily and hides his face in his hands.
"Is it even possible to change anything?" Fives moans. "We tried to fix this, but it didn't—does this mean—what if it's impossible to change things? What if we can't do anything?"
Echo opens his mouth, searching for words of comfort, but none come. The rational side of his mind tells him that even though the 64th had known what would happen, there still would have been too many droids for them to hold out against. The less rational side is falling into a panic, because Fives does have a point. They'd tried to change something, and it hadn't worked. The outcome had been the same.
"I thought it would be enough," Fives whispers. "I thought they would be able to… I don't—I don't know what to do. What's the point of us being back again if we won't be able to change anything!?"
Echo swallows nervously and shakes his head, sitting down next to Fives. Cutup takes up their brother's other side.
"I… I don't know, Fives," Echo says softly. "I don't know." His voice wavers just a little even though he tries to keep it steady.
What else can he say?
He doesn't have a better answer.
Echo and Cutup huddle closer to their grief-stricken brother, and silently wonder why.
A/N: This would have been up sooner if my beta/brother hadn't taken his sweet freaking time reading it over. To be fair he's taking midterms right now, so I guess I can't really blame him.
Admittedly I don't know the fine details of this issue, but I've been hearing things that concern me. Wait until tomorrow to see what happens, but if we lose net neutrality and you can't get to this website you're welcome to send me your emails and I will email people updates, or create a massive shared google document or something. I'd like to finish this project, but there's no point if no one is able to read it.
On an actual story-related note: I'm messing with the chronology of the clone wars just a little bit, to make things a tad more convenient. Hopefully no one's bothered by that.
At the end of "Blue Shadow Virus", there's a scene where Obi-Wan comments that maybe Jar-Jar Binks should have some official training. That's where that whole scene originates from, and it wasn't actually my idea in the first place. It was a guest who commented a few chapters ago who gave me the idea. Thanks, friend!
Hope you guys enjoyed. I'm very grateful for your encouraging comments, thank you for your support!