Hey everyone!

TK-632: Thank you! Hackjob is a great brother and we will all miss him

Once again, back with Rex and his recovery. I'm really sorry if this section has dragged at all, but trust me, it's better than the original.

TW: Some flashbacks and panic attacks. More depressive and suicidal leaning thoughts.

Mando's translations at the end!

Rex could see the change in Neya Ha when the Kaminoans first disembarked. He hadn't noticed before, but the doctor slouched. Now he straightened to his full towering height. His hands, which he was normally constantly moving, were folded at his front.

"Doctor Neya Ha." The first long neck said as she approached them.

Rex recognized her. Nala Se. One of the terrors of Kamino.

"Doctor Nala Se." Neya Ha replied with a dip of his head.

Nala Se's bulbous eyes flicked to Rex.

"This is CT-7567, I presume." She said.

"Yes." Neya Ha said.

"Why is he here?" Nala Se asked. "It was not necessary for him to be involved in our arrival."

Rex glanced up at Neya Ha. His face remained calm, though Rex could see his hands twist slightly. The truth was that Neya Ha had confessed to be nervous and had asked Rex to be there when the other Kaminoans arrived.

"It is best that CT-7576-" Neya Ha said.

Nala Se immediately narrowed her eyes at the mistake. Rex guessed that Neya Ha was too used to saying his name. He remembered that Ahsoka used to get their numbers wrong all the time as a young Padawan. She always got their names right, though.

"Forgive me, a slip of the tongue." Neya Ha amended. "It is best that CT-7567 remains under near constant supervision. The clones are creatures designed to stay in a pack. This desire has been exacerbated since the other clones were removed."

Nala Se frowned.

"That is not a desirable trait." She said.

The other Kaminoans were moving past them, a walking forest of gangly necks and bulging eyes.

"We are working on a solution." Neya Ha said.

Nala Se looked down at Rex and Rex immediately lowered his eyes.

"It seems foolishness to me to attempt to repair this clone." She said.

Rex tried not to flinch.

"It is damaged far beyond anything we have attempted to mend before." She went on. "Both physically and mentally."

"We have orders to repair it regardless, do we not?" Neya Ha said.

"Yes." Nala Se said with a hint of weariness. "We will monitor your process with the clone and determine how effective your methods are."

She turned her gaze to Rex again.

"We will require a physical to determine its status."

Rex felt his chest tighten. Neya Ha was one thing, but normal longnecks performing a physical?

"That is not necessary." Neya Ha quickly said. "I sent the results of yesterday's physical to you."

"We require to see this for ourselves." Nala Se said. "Your reports have been- inconsistent."

Neya Ha stiffened immediately. Rex stole a glance at him. Inconsistent? What was Neya Ha putting in the reports?

"In any case, we will determine for ourselves the clone's progress." Nala Se said.

Rex had had physicals performed by Kaminoans before, when he was a little. It had been uncomfortable then, but now he was nearing a panic attack as three new Kaminoans watched him undress. Neya Ha was there, and Rex tried to focus on him.

Nala Se nodded to one of the newcomers, who approached Rex. Rex clutched at the sides of the examination table. Soft, clammy hands touched his ribs.

They turned to claws, digging into his flesh. Rex yelled, pushing at the talons. Mutterings he couldn't understand surrounded him. He crashed to the floor, trying to get away. The Karkadoan stalked towards him with a glint in its eyes. Rex scrambled away, but found himself cornered within seconds.

"Rex!"

That was a brother's voice. The guards were trying to get to him, but it was too late. The Karkadoan was closing in-

"Rex, look at me!"

There was suddenly a figure between Rex and the Karkadoan.

It was Sawbones.

"You okay?" He asked.

The Karkadoan's form wavered and vanished.

Rex nodded, breaths coming in gasps. He could see the Kaminoans watching from behind Sawbones. He realized he was jammed in a corner.

"That was a bad one, huh?" Sawbones went on with a tight smile.

"First one in a while." Rex muttered.

Sawbones' eyebrow quirked upward. Rex realized it was the first time he had spoken directly to the medic since his surgery.

"I'll stay if I can." Sawbones said.

"Thanks."

Sawbones helped Rex up and back to the examination table.

"Madame Se," Sawbones said. "I can perform the rest of the examination. In case he reacts poorly again."

Nala Se blinked slowly at Sawbones, but nodded.

Rex managed to stay in the present during the rest of the physical, but he shook badly and could barely follow Sawbones' instructions. Finally, finally, Rex was allowed to dress again. He briefly wondered if this was all worth it.

The next part was better. The Kaminoans watched as he went through a few brief workouts and exercises.

"He is indeed at the physical level you have informed us of." Nala Se told Neya Ha as Rex finished. "However, his mental state is far different than in your reports."

"Today has been an exception." Neya Ha said. "On average he is far more improved than he has displayed today. The loss of his normal medic and introduction of foreign participants may have caused an anomaly."

Nala Se stared at Neya Ha, who submissively lowered his eyes.

"The fact that he cannot adjust to these changes is worrying." Nala Se said. "This furthers my concern that this unit is no longer fit for duty, and cannot become so again."

"We were instructed to repair this unit." Neya Ha said.

"It may be impossible to do so. However, I will observe it for a time before I make my recommendation." Nala Se said.

The rest of the day was Rex being watched by Nala Se as he went through his exercises. Neya Ha had suggested the shooting range rather than the sims. While Rex did perform somewhat better there, he knew it was not up to standard. He couldn't help but feel that Nala Se was studying him for reasons to argue for his decommissioning. Neya Ha was stiff and quiet the whole day. When he spoke to Rex, it was bland and distant. Rex had never noticed how emphatic Neya Ha normally was, at least compared to other Kaminoans.

Rex finally retired to his room. It was too quiet without Hackjob. He sank onto his bunk and checked his datapad. The only new message was the updated list of fallen clones. Rex closed his eyes and pressed a fist to his forehead.

The door chimed. Rex looked up in surprise.

"Come in." He called.

The door opened and Neya Ha ducked inside. Rex blinked. The Kaminoan had never visited their quarters before.

"How are you feeling?" Neya Ha asked.

"I don't know how well I can do with them watching." Rex said.

"That is to be expected." Neya Ha said. "I believe Nala Se knows this."

Rex put a hand to his head.

"She's trying to kill me." He muttered. "She wants me to get worse mentally and have me decommissioned."

"I'm afraid I agree." Neya Ha said. "I believe in Nala Se's eyes, you are irreparably defective due to your actions regarding Commander Ahsoka Tano."

Neya Ha's gaze shifted to a point above Rex's head.

"I'm afraid I have worsened the situation." He said. "I- have been falsifying the reports regarding your condition."

Rex snapped his head up.

"What?" He asked. "You've been telling me that they've been fine with my progress!"

"Because I have been lying about it." Neya Ha said. "It is why Hackjob was transferred. They believe you to be ready to return to the field in two months and that you are only physically behind."

Rex stared at the doctor, who was looking down in shame. He was ashamed that his first thought was that if it weren't for Neya Ha, it all would have been over much sooner.

"I did so when it became apparent you were not recovering as quickly as we had anticipated. I had hoped that if it seemed you were progressing on schedule, they would find no reason to interfere." Neya Ha said. "Then Hackjob and I would be able to find a way to help you. I was- not willing to let you be decommissioned."

Rex felt an odd jolt as something clicked about Neya Ha's behavior.

"That's what's wrong with you." Rex said. "You care and the other Kaminoans can't."

Neya Ha blinked slowly.

"You are correct." He said. "I possess a genetic mutation that allows me to feel more compassion than most Kaminoans. I inherited it from my mother."

"So you're like me." Rex said. "A small defect, and they let you live."

"Hardly." Neya Ha said. "If the other Kaminoans knew of this, I would be immediately killed. My people saw compassion as a hindrance to survival and a trait of lesser species. They bred it out of us."

"That- explains a lot." Rex said.

"Indeed. Comparatively to their own species, they are very lenient towards the clones." Neya Ha said. "You, for instance, and many of the custodial clones are allowed to live and have purpose. My sister was killed as an infant because her eyes were a deviation."

Neya Ha's voice lowered at the confession. Not only was it compassion that compelled Neya Ha to treat them well, but empathy.

"I'm sorry." Rex said.

"I suppose that is why I feel a kinship with the clones." Neya Ha said. "In any case, the Kaminoans are expecting you to be operating at a higher level than you have been used to. I will do what I can to assist, but you must be able to perform."

Rex didn't respond. Hackjob had shown him that he was capable of more, but after today, Rex didn't know if he wanted to be capable.

"Rex." Neya Ha said. "You forget that I monitor all of your incoming messages. There are many people who wish for your return."

A vein of bitterness rose in Rex's throat.

"What about what I want?" He asked.

"What do you want?" Neya Ha asked.

"I want to rest." Rex said. "I want to be done fighting clankers, or my brothers, or my own body."

"I did not take you to be a selfish man, Rex." Neya Ha said.

Rex snorted and looked down.

"Is it selfish to be tired?" He asked. "Because that's all I am."

Neya Ha looked at Rex for a long time.

"No." He said. "My sister was not given the choice to live. You are not given the choice to die."

Rex jerked his head up, but Neya Ha was already standing.

"You will live, Captain Rex." He said. "You do not have a choice."

He left the room, leaving Rex bitter in the dark.

The alarm for 0500 went off, blaring in Rex's ears. He slapped at it, turning it off, and then curled in on himself in his bed. Two weeks. Two weeks of forcing himself to be better. Two weeks of increasingly harder sims. Two weeks of keeping up a brave face when all he wanted to do was rest. Now he was at his limit. He didn't know where he had found the strength to do it in the first place.

No, he knew. Neya Ha had forced him to keep going. The Kaminoans had watched them both like shriek-hawks. Rex was managing to perform at a slightly lower level than the long-necks were expecting. He hoped it was enough. Or did he hope it wasn't? Some days he wasn't sure.

Rex vaguely wondered where Neya Ha was this morning. He usually didn't let Rex lie in bed this long.

Rex closed his eyes and wondered if he could maybe drift off to sleep. It seemed unlikely. Sleep was hard to come by these days, though Rex was exhausted.

The door opened with a hiss and Rex heard Neya Ha's footsteps approach his bed.

"Rex." Neya Ha said. "You must get up."

Rex pretended to be asleep.

"Rex." Neya Ha said in a tone that made Rex open his eyes. "A new transport of injured has arrived. Hackjob is among them."

Rex found himself rushing into the room Neya Ha had led him to with an energy he hadn't had in weeks. The room was packed with hover-stretchers bearing badly injured troopers. Rex quickly caught sight of the red medic symbol on a trooper's pauldron. He ran to the stretcher and grabbed Hackjob's hand. He felt a surge of emotion stronger than he had had in months as he saw the bloodied bandages covering half of Hackjob's face.

"Hackjob!" Rex croaked.

Hackjob's uncovered eye opened to a slit. He focused a bleary gaze on Rex before shutting his eye again.

He mumbled something that sounded like 'vod' through cracked lips.

"I'm here." Rex said. "You'll be okay. Where's-"

Rex looked around for a medic. He saw a few moving the stretchers. Rex was going to call out to one when he noticed the Kaminoans. They were walking among the wounded, instructing the medics. The medics would either leave the stretcher or begin to move it out of the room. Some of the troopers being taken away gave cries that tore at Rex's heart.

The Kaminoans were choosing which troopers were worth saving.

One was approaching Neya Ha and Rex.

"What is this, Neya Ha?" The Kaminoan asked. "This trooper is unauthorized to be here and you were not assigned to this duty."

"This is CT-7567's personal medic." Neya Ha said. "He learned of the medic's arrival and I determined it would be detrimental to his mental state if he did not come."

Rex thought it was a poor excuse. Evidently so did the other Kaminoan, as his eyes narrowed slightly.

"This was not wise." He said and checked his datapad. "This clone's injuries are too severe. It must be decommissioned."

"No!" Rex said, grasping more tightly to Hackjob's hand.

Rex was used to brothers dying. It was a fact of life. But to have a brother he loved condemned to die in front of him might have been too much.

"It is possible for CT-8131 to recover from his injuries." Neya Ha said.

"It would be permanently damaged." The Kaminoan said dismissively.

"CT-8131 is a medic." Neya Ha said. "One that is stationed here, away from battle. I believe any residual damage from these injuries would not impede its ability to perform its duties."

Hackjob shifted, giving a grunt of pain.

"Don't move." Rex told him.

"Not- the boss- of me." Hackjob muttered, but lay still.

Rex felt himself positioning himself between Hackjob and the Kaminoan, as if he could protect his brother with only his body.

"What is the issue?"

Nala Se had approached them.

"Doctor Neya Ha does not believe this clone should be decommissioned." The first Kaminoan said.

"Why is this?" Nala Se directed her question to Neya Ha.

"CT-8131 is a highly skilled medic. Its skills would be difficult to replace." Neya Ha said. "It would still be able to perform its duties with whatever residual damage it retains."

Rex didn't turn around to see Nala Se's face, but she must not have looked convinced because Neya Ha went on.

"I have been tasked with the repair of CT-7567. CT-8131 is imperative to its mental recovery." He said. "The loss of the medic may be irreparable."

"Then perhaps CT-7567 should not be repaired." Nala Se said. "Terminate CT-8131."

Hackjob seemed to hear and jerked under Rex's grip. Rex was forced to watch, helpless, as the medic approached Hackjob. The brother's face was pained and solemn.

"Lama Su will not be pleased to hear this." Neya Ha said.

He was angry. Rex could hear the slight sharpness in his normally gentle tone.

"Neither will he be pleased to hear of your loss of control over the child under your care. Or her near escape." Neya Ha said, words dripping with ice.

There was a silence. Rex didn't quite understand what Neya Ha meant, but he could sense the weight of his words.

"Do what you will with the trooper." Nala Se said. Her voice matched Neya Ha's in coldness.

Rex turned around to see her stalking off. The medic looked between Neya Ha and Nala Se, then relaxed and moved away.

"Thank you." Rex said once Nala Se was far enough away.

"There will be consequences for my actions." Neya Ha replied. "But I am willing to bear them. We must treat Hackjob."

Rex followed Neya Ha as the Kaminoan guided the stretcher away. Rex couldn't help but look back with a heavy heart at the other troopers in their stretchers. He wished desperately that he could do something for them.

"We have saved one." Neya Ha said quietly. "That is as far as our influence goes."

Rex swallowed and nodded. He looked down at Hackjob, who seemed to have lost consciousness. He was very aware that part of why Hackjob was alive was because of him. It seemed to make the weariness bearing down on him a little easier to bear.

Rex tried to relax. It wasn't easy. Having your brother suspended next to you in bacta was always unsettling. Hackjob was on his second day of dunking. Rex wasn't able to be by his side as much as he would have liked, but Neya Ha had helped him find the time after dinner.

Rex felt a nudge in his mind. He quickly checked the chrono. It was around his and Ahsoka's normal meeting time. Rex quickly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was ready to speak to her, at least a little.

It took a little while to settle down into the state of meditation required. Finally, she was there, first her presence and then her voice.

Rex?

I'm sorry, Ahsoka. For last time.

That wasn't what she was expecting.

You scared me. She said after a moment. What was going on?

Rex didn't quite know how to put it into words. So he tentatively took the memory of his despair and showed her a part of it. There was another pause.

Oh, Rex.

I'm doing better. He quickly added.

She didn't quite believe him.

But I'm still not at one hundred percent. He confessed.

May I see?

Rex hesitated before opening his mind a little wider to her.

He could feel Ahsoka carefully exploring his emotions. Sorrow was growing in her mind.

I'm sorry, Rex.

I'll survive. He told her.

She didn't reply in words, but suddenly he was engulfed in a wave of warm emotions. He weakly protested, feeling how much it strained her to do so. She ignored him and continued to hold his mind. He felt relaxed when she let go.

That will have to last. She said. We won't be able to do this for a while. We're joining Windu and Master Kenobi on Anaxes to help with the siege.

Good luck. He said. And- thank you.

Urcye mhi. She said.

Urcye mhi. He replied.

Rex was surprised when he opened his eyes to see Neya Ha standing in front of Hackjob's tank.

Rex was about to greet the doctor when he noticed Neya Ha's posture. His head was bowed, an interesting thing for a Kaminoan to do. His eyes were closed and his hands limp at his sides.

"Neya Ha?" Rex asked.

The doctor's only response was a tilt of his head towards Rex.

"Is there- something wrong?" Rex ventured.

"Nala Se has retaliated." Neya Ha said dully.

Rex's heart jumped into his throat. It could be anything from Neya Ha's reassignment to his execution.

"My privilege to contribute to the gene pool has been revoked." Neya Ha said. "I am no longer permitted to breed."

Rex blinked. It seemed an odd punishment, but it had affected Neya Ha deeply.

"I'm sorry." Rex said.

"I had hoped-" Neya Ha began twisting his hands. "I had hoped to pass my mutation on to at least a few of my children. Then perhaps compassion could have found its way back into the Kaminoan genome."

Neya Ha's head swayed in an interesting pattern that conveyed distress. Rex realized with a jolt that dark bruises were forming on the doctor's hands.

Rex didn't think before reaching out and grabbing Neya Ha's hand, pulling it away from the other. He barely noticed the clammy, squishy skin.

Neya Ha blinked down at Rex and surveyed the bruises with an air of surprise.

"Oh." He said. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry." Rex said again. "If it weren't for us-"

"I made my choice." Neya Ha's voice was quiet but firm. "I chose to save Hackjob's life."

"Thank you." Rex said.

"I consider you and Hackjob- friends." Neya Ha said. "And that is what you do for friends."

Neya Ha glanced at Rex with a strange look in his eyes. It was uncertain, but hopeful.

"Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman." Rex said.

Neya Ha looked down at Rex with confusion.

"A friend during danger is a true friend." Rex said. "It's a Mandalorian saying. "

Neya Ha's eyes brightened. Rex briefly wondered if the doctor had had any friends before. Then Neya Ha's expression twisted into one of grief again.

"At least Hackjob lives." He muttered to himself.

Rex found he had another reason to keep going.

Rex stood, clenching and unclenching his fists, in the shuttle bay of the station. Hackjob leaned on crutches on his left, while Neya Ha stood quietly on his right. The shuttle to take Rex to his new assignment was now late by five minutes.

He wasn't going back to the 501st. Some higher up had requested a few ARC troopers for a long term reconnaissance mission. Neya Ha had immediately volunteered Rex for the task. It would not be as grueling as the siege on Anaxes, and Neya Ha hoped it would be a good transition. Rex hoped so too.

All three of them perked up as a shuttle came into view.

"Here we go." Hackjob said.

He gave Rex a smile. Or more accurately, half of his mouth turned upwards. The residual nerve damage from the blast Hackjob had been caught in had left half of his face paralyzed. He had trouble with his hands and legs too, but Neya Ha said with enough therapy, he would recover.

Rex managed to return the smile. He would miss Hackjob. His tenacious brother was one of the best men Rex had known.

"I want reports, you hear?" Hackjob went on.

"Of course." Rex said.

"I too would like updates, if it is not too much trouble." Neya Ha said.

"I'll be glad to." Rex said.

Neya Ha looked very pleased. The shuttle entered the bay and landed with the normal clunk and hissing.

The door opened and two troopers came walking down the ramp. Both bore the winged pauldrons and kamas of ARCs. One wore pale purple paint and the other was decorated in a dark green.

Rex felt a jolt of anxiety. It had been a while since he had acted as an ARC. He hoped his new squad wouldn't think too badly of him.

"I'm assuming we're picking up the trooper without crutches." The one in purple said.

"That's right." Rex said, stepping forward and extending a hand. "Captain Rex, 501st."

The purple trooper took it.

"Bev, 176th." He said. "This is Rust, 729th."

Rust gave a nod.

"Welcome aboard." His voice was slightly lower than the average trooper's.

"We're on a tight schedule." Bev said. "Let's go."

Rex turned to Hackjob and Neya Ha.

"Ret'urcye mhi." Hackjob said.

"Urcye mhi." Rex replied. "Don't leave it to chance."

Hackjob rolled his eyes before clasping Rex's arm. Rex proffered his hand to Neya Ha. The Kaminoan took it.

"Thank you." Rex said.

"Be well, Captain." Neya Ha said solemnly.

Rex nodded and turned back to Bev and Rust. He took a deep breath and stepped forward. Another step back to his men and Ahsoka.

"Let's get going." He said.

Mando'a:

vod: brother

Uryce Mhi: We'll meet again. Variation of normal Mandalorian farewell

Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman: A friend in danger is a true friend. Mandalorian saying

Ret'urcye mhi: Maybe we'll meet again. Traditional Mandalorian farewell

We have finally reached the end of the Rex Recovery Arc! We'll be getting a lot more Ahsoka in the next chapter, thank goodness. I think I considered letting Hackjob die for like, a second, but that would wreck havoc on Rex. I hope Rex's state of mind makes sense. He's recovering, but not recovered yet. He's in the right mindset now though. Once again, I prove that I hate miscommunication, so that didn't last long. Also yes, Neya Ha is referring to Omega. She has attempted to escape the facility. I don't know why Neya Ha knows. Don't ask. And of course, being the Kaminoan hater I am, Neya Ha is only nice because he's genetically defective.

Well, that's all I can think of.

Wear your masks, remember to review, and have a great couple of weeks!