Thirty Two


"Are you seeing this?" Fives couldn't believe his eyes as he began to move out from his vantage spot.

"Stand down Fives," Rex said gravely. He had seen the man also and he knew it had to be a clone, although, there was something odd about his appearance.

Fives had seen it as well, but unlike Rex, he knew exactly who he was looking at.

Standing out from behind the tree he made his presence known.

"Fives!" Rex yelled down the comm.

Ahsoka kept her eyes fixed on the Jedi, having dealt with him in the past she was more concerned how he would react at their intrusion, for a second time.

"He's on to us," she said slowly as Stoyan turned in her direction.

Then, the familiar surge of adrenaline.

.

They had taken just over one standard month to set their plan in to action.

"Fives," Tash cooed one night after making love, "you aren't serious about going on this trip with Rex are you?"

He knew what she was really saying.

"I mean, the odds of you finding this man are remote at best, and well, just the trip itself," she stammered, "you're both not as fit as you once were."

Fives continued to stroke her hand before he brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of it.

"Rex may not be in peak physical fitness Tash, but he's strong again. Mind, as well as body."

"But Fives," she implored.

"I hear you alright?"

Fives rolled over and faced the other direction.

Tash knew that the conversation was now, well and truly over.

She was satisfied that her point had been taken into consideration, even if she did feel bad outlining the obvious, especially when Fives had worked so hard over the past 4 weeks.

If the truth be told, Fives was just as nervous as she was about heading out on a new mission.

In the not so distant past, he would think nothing of it. Grabbing his gear along with his orders, as a soldier he knew no better.

But he now had limits; he couldn't push his body as he had done in the past. There was no bacta to fix whatever lay in front of them. Fives sighed as he closed his eyes, knowing he too, would have to have that talk with Rex in the morning.

.

"Listen Fives, as an ARC, your surveillance skills are second to none. We need your eyes on this. If I had any doubt of your ability, I would have said so before now." He placed both hands squarely on the ARC's shoulders, "but I understand if you want to stay behind with the girls."

In saying the girls, he meant Tash and Piia.

It was then Fives saw the glint in his old captains eye and he knew what Rex had said was true.

He had no other option.

One last mission to save them all from an early grave.

He owed it to Rex.

Tash on the other hand wasn't so understanding. Her sarcasm and acerbic wit something the three had to endure on a daily basis.

"You mean to tell me," she said over the dinner table, "the three of you, two clones and a Togrutan Jedi, are going to fly to Scillal, undetected, find this guy, who, need I remind you, doesn't want to be found, and just, ask him for his DNA?"

Rex, Fives and Ahsoka stopped eating and let the woman have her rant.

"ARE YOU ALL INSANE?" Tash screeched and her chair fell back as she stood.

Ahsoka having none of her psychological mumbo jumbo looked at the men seated and replied chirpily, "yep."

"What are the odds?" Tash blurted out.

"We've have worst, haven't we Rex?" Fives never felt so alive.

"But you're not fit, young men anymore!"

"Listen Tash," Fives stated, "it's just simple recon. No going in lasers blazing, and Ahsoka and Rex have met him once before."

"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot," she looked directly at Rex as she spoke, "that ended real well didn't it?"

Rex nodded thoughtfully, then replied.

"The main thing is, that we found him once. And we have a chance, I'd be the first to admit it's slim, to have a second chance."

Silence.

Rex did have a way with words, and Tash could now see why the men always looked up to him.

"But what if you get caught?" She could feel tears prick her eyes.

"Then, we'll deal with it. Just like we did in the past."

She knew she was defeated, once the men had set their mind to something, there was no persuading them otherwise. So while Rex and Fives worked out, attempting to gain back their youth, stupid pride and some muscle tone, she quietly bought three return passages to Scillal.

The main passenger terminal was nowhere near the Shipyards that Fives and Skywalker had broken into during the war, but through his meticulous research Fives had discovered that the ship-building corporation were currently committed to a large contract for the Empire.

It was vital intel.

They would need to keep a wide berth of the yards for fear of being discovered, heading south to the vicinity in which they had landed some eighteen months earlier. Once there, they would lay low, keeping to the outer village limits, watching market places and cantina's.

They all knew a man like the one they were after was a master at going about his business unnoticed.

.

Once dirt side, they worked in perfect unison.

They kept a steady pace, and although Rex had thoughts about Fives slowing them down, his inclusion had payed off ten fold when he managed to squirrel information regarding the lost Jedi from a slightly inebriated lady over a drink late one night.

"She thought I was someone else," he rushed out as he limped into their makeshift camp in the forest.

"What do you mean?" Ahsoka asked, obviously confused.

"Well, she thought I was his son. She kept banging on about how I stood her up. Seemed real annoyed I never got back to her apparently," Fives flashed a knowing smile and Rex couldn't help but laugh.

"There's no doubt about you Fives. But one things for certain, we need to keep on our toes, there could be Imperial troopers impersonating as civilians." They all sat silent as Fives shuddered from the cold. Rex stood and placed a hypothermal wrap around his shoulders, "you should get some kip. Need a shot?"

"No, the alcohol will do the trick tonight," he yawned as he moved over towards his swag, still wrapped in the shiny material. Rex helped him down to the ground again, knowing that this trip was beginning to take its toll physically on Fives.

"Is he okay?" Ahsoka asked as Rex returned to the fire.

"He'll be right," he lied as he wrapped his hands around his shig for warmth.

He looked over at Ahsoka.

She had proven herself time and again. It all became clear to Rex then.

Whatever they had been through during the course of the war, the reason he was created, even though it was found to be a lie, was for the greater good.

The Jedi, however ill equipped, really did try to make a difference, but their naivety had cost them the victory they so rightly deserved.

She spoke first, continuing to look into the flickering light, "he's still here Rex, I can sense it."

He remained quiet, he trusted her ability with the Force and knew they would find the man who would change their lives again.

.

They continued forward, the turn in the weather and Fives' disability had significantly slowed them down.

"Move on. Without me," Fives said one morning when his joints just wouldn't cooperate with the rest of his aching body.

"That's a negative soldier," Rex said helping him to his feet. He then packed up his friend's kit and waited for Ahsoka to move forward.

"Relax Fives and let me help," she said as she took some of his weight through the Force.

"No, Commander, you'll give our position away."

"Just for a little while Fives, I feel we haven't far to travel today."

.

"We're surrounded!"

Echo looked at the man who had moved out from behind the large tree. He ascertained from the angle he was standing at that he could take him down in a flash.

This man, standing in dirty, wet civilian clothing was injured, but the priority wasn't the hunched over figure in front of him, it was the unknown amount of men lurking behind.

He moved forward so fast Fives didn't have time to brace himself for the physical impact.

Ripping him around and pulling his arms tight behind his back, Fives yelped at the degree of roughness that was used, but nothing more than he would have done in his prime.

He felt Echo's breath hot against his neck. A sob escaped as Fives closed his eyes to the exquisite pain of finding Echo alive, setting in play a gambit of emotions, all of which rendering him unable to talk to the one person, the only person in the Universe, he wanted to listen.

Then the sound that brought more hot tears streaking down his cheeks, "who'd ya bring huh? How many more? Tell me before I snap your neck just for the hell of it."

Fives had to gain some clarity and fast. He of all people knew what a trained, fit ARC was capable of.

He cleared his throat, "five oh first." With the numbers came another tug at his arms, "argh," he cried out.

"You mean Vader's First," Echo hissed in his ear. "If you have a number you'd better spill it quick soldier."

""ARC trooper."

"Ohhh, got me an ARC have I?" There was a level of malevolence Fives had never heard in Echo's voice before, and it scared him, "well, the Empire must be all out of Fett if they're deploying the likes of - "

[crack]

The sound of skull contacting with cartilage was unmistakable and for a millisecond Echo lessened his grip, but Fives was too weak from the exertion to move away completely and was quickly pulled back into the ARC's stronghold.

"Nice try," he said as he sniffed up blood, "let's try this again, shall we?"

With everything he had remaining, Fives spoke quietly,"5555."

Time seemed to stand still.

It was like a vacuum, sucking all the air momentarily, leaving in its wake only ringing silence in his ears.

Fives felt dizzy from the pain and Echo swayed slightly before he thrust the captive in his arms forward onto the damp earth in front of him.

Taking a step back he looked at the crumpled man lying on the ground.

Fives began to cough, and once the cool air caught in his throat he was unable to stop until the spasm finished.

Echo took a step forward, his voice cracking as he yelled out the order, "STATE YOUR DESIGNATION SOLDIER!"

"ARC [breath] trooper [cough] 55 [breath] 55."

"What?" Echo's hands grabbed his head in confusion, as he began turning in circles, he felt like ripping every hair out in frustration. "Now? YOU COME TO FIND ME NOW?"

Fives regained composure and turned to look at Echo, "we didn't know you'd be here."

The look of incredulity was replaced by blankness. Echo continued to stare at Fives who was attempting, unsuccessfully to get up.

"Ner vod," he said holding his arm up.

"I HAVE NO BROTHERS!" Echo's chest was heaving as the realisation of just who was lying in front of him registered. Then the movement on his left as another ghost from his past stepped into sight.

"Stand down trooper," Rex said in a controlled tone.

Rex moved forward slowly, his arms raised in front of him, "I am going to help this man to his feet," he said as he bent down and hauled Fives off the cold ground.

Echo remained riveted to the spot, and Rex could tell by his stance he was wound tight, ready to fight without a seconds notice.

"JUST WHAT THE FEK IS GOING ON HERE?" Echo's eyes were wild, frantically seeking out Stoyan for guidance.

But another Jedi appeared. "State your designation for the record," it was Ahsoka, taking control.

Echo laughed hysterically, "I am long gone from those days Commander."

Rex swung around, with Fives limp in his arms, his mouth open finally in recognition.

"Oh what the fek," he stood straight, his eyes forward, "for the record, ARC trooper 21-0408," before he spat out vehemently, "Ma'am."

.