#neither the guard nor the clone even knew who knocked him out

[lulu2992]

Very disappointed that a guard spotted this clone’s “body” from afar after I knocked him out with a wrench and that this incident cost me the Silent Assassin rating, but quite amused to hear Jean-Claude Van Damme say I “look like a carotte” in that disguise.

So all in all, not that bad.

[sonoftatooine]

Whumptober 2021

DAY 1: ‘ALL TRUSSED UP AND NOWHERE TO GO’ - BOUND

Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Jabba the Hutt, Grand Inquisitor

Warnings: Slavery, implied assault, attempted mind reading (?)

Summary: AU - The Clone Wars started early, and Anakin was never found by the Jedi on Tatooine. Instead, he was sold to Jabba the Hutt after his success in the Boonta Eve Classic. Years later, the Empire has formed, and its Emperor has set his sights on Tatooine and the Force sensitive slave that has been discovered there.

***

"The mighty Jabba bids you welcome, Grand Inquisitor."

The voice of TC-70, translator droid to Jabba Desilijic Tiure, kadijic lord of Tatooine, sounded clear through the halls of the Hutt's palace amid the echoes of his master's booming chuckle as the pale, yellow-eyed alien that had introduced himself as the Grand Inquisitor, Master of the Inquisitorius of the Galactic Empire bowed his head before the slug's raised dais in a show of respect as false and as manufactured as Jabba's show of welcome. Animosity was thick in the air, so tangible that each and every one of Jabba's slaves could sense it like the crack of a whip across their backs. This too was known to Anakin Skywalker, in the way that things had always been known to him—inexplicably, instinctively, no matter how much another being may try to hide the truth of their feelings—as he knelt on the hard stone at the tip of his master's tail, held down by by the rough grip of two Gamorean guards on his shoulders. He paid it little mind—he doubted he could make the slug any angrier with him, and soon, his opinion would no longer matter. Instead, he tried to focus purely on sensation. Of the pain in his head from the blow he had been struck when he'd tried to run the night before. The taste of the dry, dusty cloth that had been forced into his mouth, and the burn of the rough robes that had been twined tight around his wrists, rubbed raw and bleeding from attempts to escape. Anything not to have to think about the Inquisitor. About why the Inquisitor was here. About what was going to happen next.

"The great Jabba wishes to ask how you found your journey from the Core," TC-70 said courteously. "He expresses concern over whether you faced any complications on your way here."

That, Anakin thought, a little woozily as the wound on his temple throbbed painfully, was a pretty way of translating Jabba's words, which were something closer towards "this Imperial scum had better have a good reason for making me wait" than any true concern towards his guest. But this was a man that, for once, Jabba could neither afford to deride nor intimidate. The Empire's power was reaching ever further into the Outer Rim—ever since it had risen from the ashes of the Republic several years ago, when Anakin was fourteen. Now it had turned its attention to Tatooine, and the continued non-interference with Hutt rule on the planet had a price.

That price, it seemed, was Anakin.

"No complications, Lord Jabba," the Inquisitor replied with a sharp smile, a glint in his eye that said he knew that the Hutt's word had been nowhere near as polite as the droid had made them appear. "But the work of the Empire rests for no one. I am not hear to exchange pleasantries. Shall we get down to business?"

Anakin felt the slug's anger in the back of his mind, but it didn't show on his face. Instead, he let out one of his rumbling, full-bodied laughs, and waved a small, stubby arm towards the place where Anakin was held restrained in a gesture that was almost a shrug.

"If you think I have any intention of allowing you to overstay your welcome, you are a fool as all Outlanders are," he sneered. "Take the little shag and get off my planet."

"Glorious Jabba," TC-70 translated, ever obsequious, "invites you to inspect your purchase."

The Inquisitor's yellow eyes turned slowly towards Anakin, like an anooba that had caught the scent of blood in the air. An overpowering sense of wrongness, of danger shot through him, worse than any he had ever felt before, and he reeled back, tugging against the grip of the two Gamorean guards that held him in place. Two pairs of hands clamped down on him with bruising force, and he was hauled roughly to his feet. The cry of protest that escaped his lips was muffled by the gag, and his bound hands flew up to his chest, desperately trying to shield himself as he was dragged in front of the Inquisitor and held there in an unrelenting grasp. He never stopped struggling—anything to get out of the reach of this man that felt dark and dangerous and whose strange eyes were fixed on him with an unwavering intensity that he could neither understand nor explain—but after the beating he had received last night, and the meal he had been denied that morning, he felt as weak as a newly hatched bonegnawer chick. Small and helpless, fallen from the nest. No one to protect him from the cruel mercies of the desert. Defeated, he slumped in the guards' grip, head lolling down to the floor.

"Look at me, boy," the Inquisitor hissed.

No. Anakin felt the command reverberate in his head, but he refused to obey it. He screwed his eyes shut and held himself stock still, head bowed.

"I said look at me."

The only warning he had was a sense of a strange malevolence filling the air before his head was caught in an intangible yet vice-like grip, like an invisible hand wrenching his chin up to stare into the man's face. Startled and alarmed, his eyes shot open wide, crying out beneath the gag. What—? What was—?

He froze, suddenly choking on a terror so absolute that it stole what little of his voice the cloth forced into his mouth had left him as the malevolence he had sensed surged to supercritical. It whirled around him, stinging raw at the edges of his mind like grit against exposed skin in a sandstorm. Then, it was pushing against his barriers, pushing deep into his head. Even further, into the depths of his heart, where his most precious secrets were kept, scrutinising relentlessly until the hall of the Hutt's palace seemed to melt away in shadows. He had to get away, had to get this man away from him, but he didn't know— He didn't know how—

Consumed by panic, he felt something in him push back. Push and push and push, burning out the darkness like the blazing heat of Tatooine's binary suns. Faintly, like a distant echo across the horizon of the Dune Sea, he heard a shocked yell and an angry roar. The darkness retreated, and he was dragged back into reality by the remorseless tug of a Gamorean fist in his hair. Another fist, he saw as his vision cleared, was poised to strike a blow across his face, but it was held back by the same invisible grip Anakin had been caught in not moments before.

"No." The Grand Inquisitor's voice cut through the tension in the air like a vibroblade. A gesture of one long-fingered hand, and the guard's arm dropped sharply to his side. "No, this is fascinating. Fascinating. Yes, he shall do very nicely indeed."

Even confused and disorientated as he was, not sure what had just been done to him, nor what he had done in turn, it did nothing to stop the wave of horrified nausea that threatened to overcome him at those words. The fear that had been festering in him ever since he had been hauled before Jabba's throne and informed that he had been sold to the karking Emperor of the Galaxy in exchange for the Hutt's undisturbed sovereignty on Tatooine had reached a fever pitch that was on the verge of burning him from the inside out—and anyone else who happened to be in range along with him. He had spent all his life being passed from master to master—from Gardulla, who had seen no use for him except as winnings to throw into a betting pool, to Watto, who had valued his talents but hadn't had the strength to keep him, and finally to Jabba, the champion podracer who had defeated Sebulba another addition to his collection of costly slaves that he surrounded himself with in lieu of rich jewels and lavish furnishings. But this master, this master who wanted him for reasons that were a mystery to him—reasons that he wasn't sure he would have understood even if he were told, who wanted him so much that he was prepared to part with a considerable sum of money and potential territory, however insignificant, on the Outer Rim in order to acquire him... At least he had known why Jabba had torn him away from his mother after he'd won the Boonta Eve Classic. This master, poised to tear him from his homeworld, was an unknown, and one that terrified him beyond anyone or anything he had ever encountered on Tatooine.

"What happened here?" Anakin flinched as he felt the fingertips of the Inquisitor's black-gloved hand brush lightly across his injured temple. He didn't want the man touching him. He didn't want him touching him. But the guard still held him by the hair and he couldn't—

"The boy is defiant," came Jabba's voice from behind him. Ha, defiant. The slug had always called him defiant. Maybe defiant enough that the Emperor wouldn't even want him and—"He tried to run. My guards were forced to subdue him."

The sound of TC-70 dutifully repeating the slug's words in that officious tone of his lit a spark in Anakin's chest that turned his fear into a blazing inferno. Rage and terror, remembered from the previous night, from his flight across the desert under a binary sunset, guided by the whispers on the wind that had led him through the worst of Tatooine's dangers ever since he was a child. Those whispers had been so insistent that he must not under any circumstances fall into his new master's hands that in his desperation to get away, he hadn't even cared that his transmitter chip was still in. He had known, instinctively, that Jabba wouldn't detonate it—not when he still needed him alive. But those whispers had failed him. The guards had caught up to him, knocked him unconscious when he'd tried to fight back, and dragged him, bound, back to the Hutt's palace to be thrown into a cell to await the arrival of the Emperor's representative the next day. The whispers hadn't saved him, just as they had never freed him from a single one of his masters. They had left him to his fate, and he could see no way out of it.

"Is that so?"

The Inquisitor's finger trailed down from his temple to his cheek. Again, Anakin tried—futilely—to jerk away. He would have bared his teeth if he could, but instead he made do with a hot glare and a faint growl behind the gag. Anger wasn't safe for a slave, but he doubted he would ever be safe again now, and anger made him feel far less small than fear.

"Such fury...," the Inquisitor murmured, with a soft chuckle that set Anakin's teeth on edge. He made no move to withdraw his hand from his cheek. "The Emperor will be most pleased."

Your Emperor can choke, Anakin snarled in his head, but he could fast feel himself spiralling back into terror. The Emperor, who had sent this man to fetch him, who would surely rule over his slaves as ruthlessly he ruled over the Galaxy. He wouldn't let him take him. He couldn't— But he was bound, injured, helpless, and the Inquisitor had already proven that he didn't need to lay a finger on him to restrain him.

There was nothing he could do.

"I wonder," Jabba scoffed derisively; though Anakin couldn't see his face, he could easily picture the expression that was on it - bulbous eyes narrowed to slits, "how your Emperor keeps control of the Galaxy if he finds disobedience so appealing in a slave."

Once again, TC-70's translation rang throughout the room. The Inquisitor smiled, sharp and cruel.

"Not disobedience, Lord Jabba."

His smile widened and his eyes, fixed on Anakin, glinted with a promise that chilled him to his core.

"Besides, disobedience can be curbed. Some traits, however... They are more valuable than you could possibly imagine, and I'm afraid those cannot be taught."

[thefairyletters]

Ask me a ship and I'll tell you:

NaruSaku

Who proposed to the other first?

Naruto.

It took several practice sessions with Iruka (because Sasuke refused) pretending to be Sakura for Naruto to master the trick of kneeling and presenting the ring with an air of confidence. But when it mattered, Naruto tipped over his shoelaces (he never worn formal attire ever), accidently knocked over the table (somehow) and bumped straight into Sakura (some ninja he was), and that was how both got kicked out of the very expensive restaurant for causing ruckus.

But when Sakura said she thought "formal proposals were overrated anyway", he took her to Ichiraku, looked her dead in the eye while slurping on ramen, passed her the ring and popped the question illegibly.

Sakura understood anyway and threw a ring she brought for him on his face. She never said 'yes' but she didn't need to.

Who kissed the other first?

Naruto.

It was during a mission. They almost got caught by enemy guards (thanks to Naruto who doesn't know what it means to whisper) while they were following their target. Naruto did the only thing that would have possibly given them an edge. He pulled her to shade and initiated the kiss. Sakura only made sure they looked very convincing. Regardless to say, they got (kicked) out from the location, but without damage.

Later, this kiss inspired many more kisses that they began to steal from each other in the dark.

Who gives a good-morning kiss to other?

Sakura.

Although Naruto is always in bliss whenever Sakura stays night at his place and he is always up early if only to see her wake, it is Sakura who, when she wakes up, sleepily, kisses him first and gets out of the bed to prepare for the day. He always remain in bed until the shower is turned on.

Who likes to play with other's hair?

Naruto.

Between two of them, they both know it is Naruto's hair that is much softer to touch. It wasn't always like that of course.

But Naruto has always found Sakura's hair to be the prettiest thing he's ever seen. The way sunshine would turn it gold, and moonlight silver, has always amazed him. He would give special attention to her hair whenever they'd make love and cuddle. Once Sakura asked if he loved her only for her hair, which he doesn't refute, much to Sakura's chargin and amusement.

Who likes to play footsies?

Sakura.

There was something innately sexy about Sakura's arms and legs. It could be that she's got the best built – one that is lean and strong all the same – out of their peers. Naruto's breath hitch every time those legs brush his and her heels trace an imaginary line on his calves. They know they should focus on the meeting. They know it was inappropriate for a Hokage to be distracted in the middle of the what could be a very important meeting. But they also know his very playful and intelligent wife was adept at takes noting of everything. Everything.

Who is the dominant one?

Kurama.

As much as Sakura loves to be on the top, it becomes hard when a demon houses in your lover's body. More often than not, Kurama who more or less has become a part of their relationship would take over Naruto's body whenever Sakura would cross a particular threshold of dominance tolerated to her. Apparently, it was insulting for an alpha male like Kurama to be taken from above by a mere mortal woman, even if the said woman was his host's wife. Not that it was his body she was making love to in first place.

It's only because Naruto could feel everything even when Kurama takes his body that they put up with his sexism. Besides, Sakura doesn't mind.

Who likes to keep a picture of the other with them all the time?

Both.

They each wear a necklace bearing each other's photo inside, to remind themselves of the times they were missing out on, of their significant other waiting for them at return home, to keep them company for the late nights when they get too busy with their duties.

Who likes to buy the other gifts?

Naruto.

He always send his clones to get Sakura flowers to cheer her up on days he hears about loss in the hospital. He often requests Gaara for new poisons he knows Sakura will enjoy in her lab. He takes her out on dates even after years of marriage – particularly to that very expensive restaurant, where he had planned to propose to her, that had kicked them out. They act deliberately loud in that one, but they don't get kicked out of course. Nobody minds what you do when you have power.

Most days, they don't send gifts for one another not because they couldn't but because those things don't spark joy in the face of the brighter things. Like, when Sakura comes to pick him up from office after her late shift, knowing he would still be cooped up in his office because he lost track of time.

Who takes initiative in making physical contact?

Sakura.

She would hit him whenever he would make a mistake, forget something important, or skip meals. Then, next moment she would be patting him like he were a dog, kiss his woes away and be on her merry way. She would come to his office to check if he had his lunch, and would force feed him if he hadn't (more often than not). She would drag him out of his office if he isn't home by 12 or would stay and help him until the work is done. She wasn't gentle nor romantic by any stretch, but she would always touch him for one reason or other.

Who plans their dates?

Naruto.

His clones come in handy. They'd scout the area and report back their findings. Naruto would jot it all down, highlighting their specialities, an habit Shikamaru and Sakura drilled into him, and allows Sakura to make her choice for their next date. Life is simple for them when it comes to making choices. It is when they are together that life becomes exciting.

Who was shy on their first date?

Neither.

Their first date had been no different than any normal meetups they've had before. Except with lingering touches, an innocent kiss turned make up session, and a hug.

Who wakes up the other?

Before marriage: Naruto would wake up first and help Sakura get started on her day – would make her coffee just the way she liked, set her outfit out by the vanity, make sure her bag is set just so she doesn't miss her files, and make bath for them. He would join her on the bed, and wait for her to wake up so he could get his prize for his hardwork.

After marriage: They'd both be too exhausted to find energy in them to wake up. Sakura would be the first to get out of the bed, but only after giving Naruto his customary kiss, and would set bath for them. Her husband would still be lost to the world so she would carry his sleepy ass into bath and prepare him for the day so they could once again be on their way to face the world.

Who was shy in taking their relationship to next level?

Sakura.

When Naruto and Sakura engaged in a kiss that was more passionate than they ever experienced before, Sakura knew what was coming. Her mind was a turmoil of emotions that had nothing to do with the heat that flared inside her body.

Sakura was no stranger to kisses. She liked – no, loved – kissing Naruto senseless. She could think of hundred ways that could make Naruto respond to her with only a kiss, and she loved that he loved kissing her. But, her body was her vulnerability. She could think hard but still would draw blank if it's about telling one positive detail about her body. Naruto always looked at her like she was the only woman in the world – and while the sentiment was flattering, it meant expectations. She was terrified of disappointing him. She didn't want to consider the possibility of him finding her body undesirable. They were dating, not married. He had no ties to her, he was free to find someone who he'd be attracted to, a better life, with someone who'd be a lot, lot better than her. She loved him, and she knew he loved her, but the chances of her messing this up were astronomical and –

Naruto pulled away from the kiss to look at her, to understand why she froze in his arms. He didn't understand the reason behind her anxiety – why she would freeze whenever his hands would inch a little too close to her chest or a little below her hips – so he did what she really wanted him to: stop.

One night, Sakura murmured her fears into his ears and Naruto, who had never seen her look so timid and breakable, gave her what she needed the most: time.

Time until marriage so she wouldn't have a reason to be afraid.

Who hogs up the blankets in their sleep?

Naruto.

When it happened for the nth time, Sakura threatened to kick Naruto out of the bed with only his dear blankets to shelter him from cold. He nodded his consent of course, but it repeated the next day and the day after, too, but Sakura is nothing if not adaptable, so she has thus learnt to keep another blanket on her side of the bed so she doesn't die in her sleep on cold mornings.

Who is easy to get jealous?

Sakura.

You can't help some things from happening when your boyfriend-turned-husband is a war-hero, as Sakura learnt it one week into her dating him. While she isn't bothered per se – being considered quite a hit among men and popular across countries herself – but there is a bold line between people admiring your lover and people feeling up your lover.

It is only because her reputation and her glare which is known to promise suffering that people scurry away from Naruto whenever she is in the vicinity.

No, Sakura is just worried for Naruto. She knows her husband wouldn't try things if he knows what's best for him.

Who cooks in the house?

Naruto.

Sakura can't cook rice to save her life. Period. Everyone in team 7 is well-aware about her inability to be domestic in general. Naruto finds it endearing most of the times– times when she is not attempting to make him her test subject for her culinary experiments.

They don't need chef to make them dinner when they return home, Naruto always makes sure to send a clone to make them dinner. Sakura has more than once told him that she was the luckiest woman in the world to have him as her husband. He makes them fresh bentos through clones. He tries new recipes whenever he gets a day off and surprises Sakura with his skills. Their sundays involve just them and their kitchen.

Sakura still insists on making them dinner whenever she could. She learnt to make a decent ramen after a month long – disastrous – training from Ayame. Although Sakura always adds too much of something, Naruto always licks his bowl clean because to him her ramen is only second to Ichiraku.

Who 'protects' and who 'nurtures'?

Sakura protects him.

Naruto nurtures her.

.

.

.

(Ask me a ship! But not in the comments section lol)

[shenanigans-and-imagines]

Zena Lorell

Basics

Full Name: Zena Lorell

Age: 29 as of The Mandalorian: Season One

Sexual Orientation: Demisexual

Appearance

Species: Human

Skin Tone: Medium Tan

Eye Color: Hazel

Hair Color: Black

Hairstyle: Short curly bob

Build: Wiry

Height: 5’ 9”

Style: Usually seen in green work coveralls and boots; rarely ever completely clean

Personality

General Personality Traits: Stubborn, Compassionate, Guarded

Strengths: Intuitive, Dependable, Resourceful

Flaws: Abrasive, Stubborn, Withdrawn

Habits And Mannerisms: Always has to be fiddling with something be it tools, a loose coin or even just her hair

Secrets: There was a time, right when everyone her age was leaving either enlisting in the Imperial army or running off to the rebellion where she wished her father would just die already. She felt awful thinking it. Her father wasn’t a bad man, but he was a drunk a couldn’t look after himself. There were times he’d go on a bender and she hoped maybe she’d wake up, somebody would knock on her door and tell her, her father was gone. But it didn’t happen, and she would get this twisting feeling in her stomach every time the thought crossed her mind.

Regrets: Not leaving Mir years ago

Skills/Talents: Brilliant mechanic, excellent judge of character, able to contort herself into small spaces despite her height

Likes: Puzzles, Open skies, Exploring new planets

Dislikes: Alcohol, Thunder, Having to wear anything with a skirt

Guilty Pleasure: Doesn’t have many pleasures to feel guilty about; however I do see her having the equivalent of basic bitch music taste, will listen to any bad cheesy pop song that comes over the airwaves in a galaxy far far away

Defining Moment: Realizing the money doesn’t really matter to her anymore and she just wants to stay on The Razor Crest

Relationships

Friends: None really, she has acquaintances and not much else. But, Din gets there eventually.

Enemies: Imps (Imperials)

Rivals: She’s always in friendly competition with fellow mechanics to find the quickest and more efficient solution, but that’s all business. No personal rivals to speak of.

Lovers: She has an ex-boyfriend who went off to fight in the rebellion and never came back. She doesn’t know if that means he’s dead or just never wanted to come back. Other than that, nothing.

Relationship Status: Single and not interested in mingling. (At least at the moment)

Reputation: Doesn’t flirt and has a hard time recognizing when she’s being flirted with; has been called the equivalent of “fringed bitch” in a variety of languages over the years

Miscellaneous

Current Residence: The Razor Crest

Collections: Various fine tools meant for a variety of droids, ships and so on

Accent: Standard American

Voice: Low and a little husky

Signature Quote: “You owe me.”

Song: TBA

Backstory

Zena was born in a small outpost on the plateaus of Mir, a small planet in the far most reaches of the Outer Rim. Living so far from the core worlds, the population of Mir was able to stay out of The Clone Wars since neither the Republic nor the Separatist thought it held any strategic value. If was only after the end of the war did the population start to feel the reach of the Empire. Zena spent her early life following her father around in his workshop, asking questions when she could and staying quiet when men in uniforms and white armor came in to make special requests.

It was also during this time, she started to become aware of her father’s problems with alcohol. While he was functional for the most part, there was more than one occasion where she and her mother would have to go into the shop and finish wiring on a droid or ship just before the costumer arrived. Between her and her mother, they were able to keep it all together. Her father had a better grip on himself and was always loving and supportive when he was sober. But, things took a turn for the worse when Zena’s mother died unexpectedly leaving it just the two of them when she was seventeen.

Her father took it badly and Zena essentially inherited the business, working hard to keep them afloat. It was also during this time a lot of her friends were leaving Mir. The Imperial Academy was a guarantee ticket off world and promised a steady paycheck to send back to the folks and the ability to see the galaxy. A lot of people took it, despite a lot of grumbling about “core world folks butting their noses into people’s business”. Others still were starting to get wise to what a threat the Empire was. Rebels cells were growing on neighboring planets and some left without a word.

Zena wanted to join them, but she knew she couldn’t leave her father all on his own, even if she could send him money. So, she stayed and soon enough, she was left behind. She honed her craft, gaining a reputation of being one of the best mechanics in the system. There were still moments where her dad would sober up long enough to help in the shop and the two of them could have long conversations like they used to, but like clockwork he’d find himself in the cantina again and Zena would be left on her own.

She kept on like that until finally the alcohol finally took its toll. Her father died in his sleep when she was twenty four, just after Mir had gotten news of the destruction of the second Death Star and the death of the Emperor. She was free.

For the next five years, she started saving money. Every little bit of credits she could hoard together, she kept hidden all over her house. She was going to leave Mir. She was going to get her own ship, be her own Captain, and fly away from that hellhole and never look back. Finally, she was going to do what she wanted to do. That is, until a Mandalorian came into her shop asking for information.

[mando-chicken]

Tiny Spots | Clones and Their Cats

“When Commander Thorn’s Tooka, Spot, goes missing, he enlists the help of his brother, Commander Fox, to try and find his beloved pet. When they find her, however, they’re both in for quite the surprise.”

Another chapter based in the ‘Clones and Their Cats’ universe. The basis is literally just what it says on the tin - some of the clones have cats (and some other pets too) - all these fics will largely focus on the clones and their animal companions. Not all chapters/works are in chronological order, this one is set a few months before the first one.

Other works in the series:

Cat Sitter

Read on AO3

Tag List:

@cxptain-rex​ @spaghetti-666​

A knock at Fox’s door caused him to groan loudly, scrubbing at his face with a hand, before glancing at the chrono that sat on his desk, noting that he had been working at the massive piles of flimsi before him for almost two hours. His frown deepened when he also noticed that he had only managed to get part way through the first pile. “Come in,” he huffed, snatching the next document from the pile and scanning the mess of words that seemed to go on forever without actually saying anything of any real importance.

 Fox immediately narrowed his eyes when Thorn’s familiar head popped through Fox’s doorway, offering him a sheepish grin. “Uh, hey Fox, is Spot in here?” the younger clone asked, glancing around Fox’s office and at all of the usual hiding places of the Tooka in question.

 “Haven’t seen her all day,” he shook his head, returning to reading the flimsi before him, “did you try checking the storage rooms?” The sound of an affirmative, “the street out back?” Another affirmative, “and what about the Doctor? You know Spot likes to hang around at the vet clinic or at her apartment when you’re out on patrol.”

 “Dalthic says she hasn’t seen her either.” Thorn’s voice is unusually subdued, and when Fox looks up he can clearly see the way his eyebrows wrinkled. He still seemed to be glancing around the room, as if expecting the cat to suddenly poke its head out of one of the flimsi filled crates – something the animal was indeed prone to doing – because the boxes in Fox’s office were clearly superior for a Tooka to sit in compared to any other.

 Fox made a respectable effort at holding back an exhausted sigh, only allowing a brief puff of air from his nose to signal any sort of displeasure. Sure, technically it was none of his concern what happened to the cat, but Thorn absolutely adored the little creature and it was rather sweet the way he lit up the moment he spotted the ginger furball. Admittedly, Fox himself had grown somewhat fond of the Tooka, enjoying her quiet company when he was stuck in the office, even if he could live happily without the unseemly number of cat hairs that coated his blacks and found their way into his cups of caff. Not that he would ever admit such a thing aloud, that would only encourage more brothers to try and get their own hands on a pet.

 “She’ll be fine, Thorn, she knows the streets as well as any Guard,” he breathed, “I’m sure she’ll be back here in time to wake you up for feeding tomorrow morning.” Thorn had learnt very quickly that cats did not tolerate late feeding. Whenever he was out, Spot had evidently decided Fox was the lucky person who would get woken up by her ungodly screeching for food, forcing him to feed the animal, lest he have to spend the next few hours trying to sleep through the sound. So much for her being Thorn’s sole responsibility.

 Thorn only frowned at his words, shaking his head slightly, “that’s the thing, she hasn’t been to my quarters this evening, and it’s hours past feeding time. You know she’d never miss out on free food and especially not a main meal.” The trooper was shifting slightly, his fingers drumming along the side of his helmet as he clutched it in one of his hands.

 It was enough for Fox to take pause in consideration, the flimsi in his hand drooping slightly as he began to think to himself. No matter what, Spot was always present at mealtimes, often arriving a little while early to ensure no one forgot her feed.

 “And it isn’t just that either, she’s been throwing up recently, and keeps trying to hide from everyone. I thought she just wasn’t feeling well and it’d pass on its own in a few days, but now…” he trailed off with a sigh, looking down at the floor. It was typical of Thorn to think he had somehow failed his pet before they even knew if anything was actually wrong with her – a habit it seemed he had picked up from Fox himself – and he decided to quickly put an end to the line of thought.

 “Look, vod, I’m sure she’s fine. Have a little faith in her.” Fox placed down the document he had been working on, “go on and do your patrol, the boys will be waiting for you. I’ll just finish up these priority documents and then I’ll go and look around the barracks.” He was fortunate to have finished most of the priority work beforehand, only a few documents required for important meetings within the senate the following morning, and the rest could wait a while longer. It wasn’t as though Fox expected to get much further through the nasty piles of flimsiwork anyway.

 Seemingly, his reassurances were enough to take off some of the edge off Thorn’s worries, and the other commander was quick to give Fox a nod, straightening up and sliding his helmet smoothly into place. “Thanks, vod.” Thorn’s shoulders lowered slightly, as if his tension was slowly being drained away.

 Fox nodded back, beginning to shoo his fellow commander from the room with a few waves of his hand, “don’t worry about it, just make sure to keep the little beast in your quarters where you can keep an eye on her once I find her.” From the way Thorn snickered slightly and muttered a quiet ‘sure’ as he left, Fox’s gruff, annoyed tone hadn’t exactly come out as such.

 Within half an hour Fox had managed to scribble the final approval signature into place on the documents he was working through. He placed it on the pile of completed work with a relieved sigh, taking a moment to roll his wrist, frowning slightly at the way it ached with the movement. Although it wasn’t quite late, Fox knew he would have to be awake before dawn to begin some preparations for a guard detail later the following day, so he was determined to get a reasonable amount of rest beforehand.

 After taking a few moments to ensure everything was left in order, Fox exited his office and began the short journey to the main barracks attached to the lower story of the Guard building. If the Tooka wasn’t in Thorn’s quarters or office, the local alleyways or harassing the local vet for affection, then there was a solid chance she would be hiding out in the barracks.

 Luckily for Fox, the men were good at keeping their sleeping areas practically spotless – as per the regulations – so there were only so many places Spot could try to hide. But it seemed that no matter how many rooms he checked, nor how many brothers he spoke to, there were no signs he could find that would lead him to the cat’s current whereabouts. No one had seen her, not since the previous evening at the latest.

 Fox had been searching for well over an hour before Thorn eventually returned from his short patrol of the nearby area, only just taking the time to switch out with the next trooper assigned the route, before he was back to Fox’s side, questioning him on his progress. They both agreed to spend only another hour searching for Spot at the most, knowing they were both needed the following morning. Despite their efforts, however, neither of them could find the elusive feline, and Thorn was eventually the one to call the search off, albeit reluctantly.

 Defeated, but agreeing to spend some time in the morning continuing their search, Fox returned to his quarters for the night. It took him only a few minutes to mindlessly work his way out of his armour, setting it all aside in a neat pile, before he fell back onto his bed. The thin mattress did little to cushion his small drop, but he hardly cared, moving into a slightly more comfortable position on his back before grabbing his datapad from the side table.

 He silently skimmed through the ever-growing list of updates, ensuring there was nothing that urgently needed his attention. The screen of the datapd was the only feature illuminating the room, and Fox was silently musing to himself about how the Guard medics Fibula and Tibia would probably be berating him for causing potential eye strain, when he picked up the distinct sound of a Tooka’s meow.

 Practically rolling off the edge of the bed, Fox quickly dropped down to the floor, using the brightness of his pad to light up the small space beneath his bunk. It took him all of about four seconds – enough time to curse Thorn and the tube he was birthed from – before he reached out and snatched up his comm unit, calmly summoning the other commander to his quarters.

 By the time Thorn managed to reach him, Fox had switched on the lights and had settled himself on the floor. “When you adopted Spot, what exactly did the vet tell you to do?” Fox asked, glancing up at Thorn. His voice was soft and almost conversational, but his eyes glinted dangerously in a way that had the other commander shrinking slightly under the older clone’s gaze.

 “The Doc’ told me plenty of things I’d need to do…” he slowly answered, curling in on himself further when Fox made a show of taking in a deep breath, holding it for a moment, and then releasing it. He was mad. “Why do you ask, ori’vod?” Thorn was scared to ask but prayed to whatever deity was out there that he could perhaps try and suck up to the other commander and somewhat lessen his wrath, or at least what amount of it got directed towards him.

 Fox, however, saw through his futile attempt, eyes narrowing on his dangerously, “Don’t you ‘ori’vod’ me, Thorn,” he growled, “come and look what your cat’s done.”

 There was little room for argument with Fox’s tone, and cautiously, as if approaching a fierce predator, Thorn slunk his way closer, sliding down to kneel on the floor beside Fox’s bed. He glanced under it, only to gasp in both surprise and slight delight at what he saw. “Spot’s had kittens?!” he whisper-shouted, trying to be considerate of the five, tiny bundles of fur currently snuggled up close to Spot’s side. Thorn had the sense to at least attempt to look sheepish, but it was hard to maintain it with the way he kept having to fight down the urge to grin at the adorable kittens.

 “I thought you said you’d gotten her splayed months ago!” Fox couldn’t help snapping, “what the kriff are we supposed to do with kittens, di’kut?”

 Thorn gave a nervous chuckle, scratching at the back of his neck, “Uh, yeah, about that…” he merely offered an apologetic smile, though it began to look more and more like a grimace the longer Fox scowled at him. “Look, I’m sorry, but I got caught up with all the chaos we were having recently, and it just slipped my mind.”

 Fox had practically buried his face into his hand by that point. “That still doesn’t answer my question. We don’t exactly know how to deal with newborn kittens, nor what we should do with them.”

 “We can just ask Dalthic, she’s a vet, she’ll know how to look after kittens,” Thorn replied, reaching out to gently nudge one of the restless baby Tookas with one of his fingers. The fearsome clone commander looked as though he was going to burst into tears and desperately clutched his chest with a hand when the kitten made a tiny ‘mew’ sound in response.

 Fox already had his datapad out, shooting a brief message to the vet who had been kind enough to help Thorn adopt Spot in the first place. “You’re going to have to apologise to the poor woman, I’m sure she doesn’t appreciate being woken up at this hour,” he grumbled, sparing a glance at Spot and noting tiredly that it was indeed his blanket that the cat had stolen to give birth on.

 Thorn nodded, but didn’t seem to be paying much attention, too absorbed with stroking Spot’s head, informing her of just how adorable her kittens were. Spot was vibrating with happiness, purring so loudly that Fox was slightly worried the walls would start shaking if she purred any louder. “Some of the other brothers have mentioned wanting pets, maybe we could keep the—”

 “Absolutely not.” There was no way they would be keeping the kittens, much less giving them to other brothers in the Guard to keep as pets. As far as Fox was concerned, they had already broken enough regulations by deciding to keep one Tooka in the barracks, six would just be asking for trouble. “We’re not going to be keeping any of them, as soon as they’re old enough we’ll give them to the Doc’ and she can find them homes.” He absolutely meant it, no matter how put-out Thorn looked at being so quickly shot down.

 It was six weeks later, when Spot was happily sitting in one of the crates in Fox’s office, with four kittens spread out across his desk’s surface and one kitten attempting to lay on top of his datapad while he was using it, purring away happy and content, that Fox realised yes, they would indeed be keeping the kittens.

[siennahrobek]

Future Past

4/5 BBY

Ben stared at Cody, his face scrunched up in something of pain and the ever-aching sting of betrayal. This…was something he had never understood, why the clones had betrayed them, the jedi, him. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, he did understand something, to some extent. He had led those boys to war, to their deaths. It may have not been the Jedi way, but he knew others could want their pound of flesh. He just didn’t think the younglings and babies deserved that same fate. He shuddered just thinking about it.

“Cody…” he murmured, aggrieved.

The former commander did not even twitch at the sound of his name, if he even recognized it all. There was practically nothing in his eyes, just dark circles underlying them like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Ben didn’t really know what possessed him to do anything, but he reached out with the Force towards his mind…

Only to find nothing there.

It had been near fourteen years since Ben had last seen Cody, of course, but he still knew what he felt like. But where his determined and steadfast orange-yellow-gold shine used to be, was replaced with oily and slimy darkness; an abyss of nothing.

That was impossible. Unless….

Ben’s thoughts were interrupted by a fist to his face.

He fell back to the floor, surprised as Cody struck at him again in near the same spot. “Use of the Force is prohibited and punishable,” his monotonous voice announced. Ben tried to scramble away, but Cody pinned him down with another blow, there was a brief crack to his ribs.

There was another blow.

And another.

And another.

Ben lashed out, desperately, both physically and with the Force which threw Cody back into the door. It wasn’t hard, it was easy to stand back up and stand the former commander did, but Ben rushed towards him, flipping over his shoulder and holding him to the ground. “Strop struggling,” Ben hissed as he tightened his grip.

“Good soldiers follow orders,” was the reply.

Ben just sighed. “I’m sorry,” he stretched out his hand, nearly getting thrown off in the process and whispered “sleep.”

Cody flopped over, unconscious.

Ben sighed and sat down on the floor, his back hitting the wall behind him. He let out a large breath and closed his eyes, running a hand through his thinning hair. This…what was this? What possessed him to do this, to reach for Cody’s previously familiar presence. Sure, there was nothing there at first glance but surely, he had to be mistaken. After he recollected himself, Ben leaned forward and reached out with his hand and the Force.

He reached.

And reached.

And reached.

He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or horrified that he couldn’t find anything in Cody’s presence, or his mind. Perhaps it was both.

How could there be nothing there? Droids and machines were really the only things that could move and speak without having anything in their minds, being completely immune to any force suggestions or anything of the sort. And he knew that his old commander was certainly not a droid.

He had seen and felt his commander bleed too many times for that.

It had to be something else.

***

Luke and Boil had deviated from Ahsoka – she insisted to called Fulcrum no matter what – as she left to go distract Darth Vader. Neither one knew exactly what she did, but by the time they had gotten to the prison area, the dark cyborg was storming away, a dark cloud following him.

They took down the guards through a lot of the prison ward, pushing them in cells and locking them inside, whether they ended up dead or unconscious. It was quick work and although Boil rarely hesitated to shoot his fellow stormtroopers, Luke worked more with hand-to-hand combat, knocking them unconscious instead. It was something Ben could teach him on the ship, as they barely had enough room, but it was something useful. Luke had only wished they did more lightsaber sparring, but that was impossible in the space provided. The two of them eventually found the cell that held Ben – it was fairly evident due to the number of guards at the door.

It didn’t slow them down.

Boil certainly knew how to fight alongside a jedi.

It took a few moments to figure out how to open the cell door but when they did, they found Ben kneeling on the side of a purge trooper. He looked up at the movement of the door, his eyes widening as he saw who was there.

“Luke!”

“BEN!” Luke cried and threw himself forward.

“Behind you!”

Boil quickly tore off his helmet. “Sir, General! It’s me. It’s Boil! I’m okay-.”

General Kenobi – Ben relaxed immediately, and Luke threw himself into the older man’s arms, already crying rather loudly. He took to him and wrapped his arms around the boy. Ben tucked Luke under him as much as he could, holding him close.

“I’m so sorry, Ben, I’m so sorry,” Luke was all tears and snot by this point, apologizing every second as if that would undo everything that had been done at this point.

“It is alright, dear one,” Ben whispered, running a hand through Luke’s blonde locks.

“I never should have doubted you, you told me not to trust anyone and I….I broke all of your rules, I’m so sorry!”

“Luke, what you did was against my rules, yes, but we are alive, and you have even found some friends. We are currently uninjured. What happened has happened and we cannot change it so let us move on and do what we can, alright?” Ben explained, his voice kind and soft, full of such understanding and patience that made Boil miss back when he and his brothers were at General Kenobi’s side. Luke was different than General Skywalker in a lot of ways but their impulsivity tended to shine in both boys.

Boil stepped forward, just enough that he wasn’t in the hall. “Sir, General. There is something you should know,” he tried, uncharacteristically uneasy and stuttering. He looked around, ashamed and his hands gripping the helmet so hard he thought it would break. “We never would have shot you down. We-.”

“Were forced,” Ben finished with a nod, sympathetic and sorrowful. “I realized that when I reached for Cody’s presence here and found nothing in his mind.”

“Luke slammed me into a wall.” Boil suggested with a small but amused smile. It was partially amused. His head hurt, sure, but it got him out from that control and therefore, Boil would carry that pain with honor and without complaint. There wasn’t a complaint to be had; he had his mind again.

Ben smirked faintly at the attempt of humor; it was appreciated. “So, it is probably something in the brain, a chip of some kind. That seems to be the most likely scenario,” he turned to the boy and ran a hand through his hair once more. “Luke, I need you to reach for Cody, his presence. Focus on him with all your might and concentration. We may be able to find the offending device and disable it.”

“A-Are you sure, Ben?”

“Yes, I’m not powerful enough to do this by myself and you lack the precision. Together.”

The two of them kneeled next to the former commander, their hands outstretched. Boil had no idea what they were doing but he could feel some kind of pressure in the air. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me,” Ben mumbled, concentrating hard.

“I am one with the Force and the Force is with me,” Ben repeated, Luke speaking in unison with him. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me. I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.”

They repeated the mantra several more times. Boil stepped out of the cell and looked around, standing guard while they worked so they couldn’t be surprised with anyone who came around and too curious. Hopefully they would be successful, Boil knew they would need to move, and he would much rather not leave a brother behind. Especially not one of those closest to him.

He glanced inside, his brows scrunching. He had been on this ship for quite some time. Of course, he didn’t really have a train of thought to follow, as his will was not his own, but he hadn’t realized that Cody had been here. A purge trooper no doubt. Why Cody as a purge trooper? Boil couldn’t imagine what the higher ups were thinking; rarely were clones applied to such a position. Cody was good, of course, but…

The realization hit him harder than he had expected.

What a purge trooper was.

A purge trooper hunted jedi.

His heart sank. Boil swallowed heavily and glanced back, briefly. Even if they freed Cody from his prison… how would he react? Boil hadn’t personally killed any of the jedi, he hadn’t even known about General Kenobi being shot down until long after the deed had been done. How would Cody feel, knowing he was trained and sent out to murder the jedi?

Boil felt sick.

Luke was suddenly right next to him. “We think we did it,” he confessed rather quietly. “But we won’t know if it worked until he woke up.”

“Will that take much time?” Boil croaked.

“A few minutes, max,” he answered, just as quiet.

Cody came to just a moment later, muttered to himself, tears already running down silently as he awoke. He knew what was happening and the years of suffering and heartache were coming back to a place where he could act and react, to where he could express. He couldn’t stop the tears. Boil knew how that felt. Upon opening his eyes and seeing Ben, his tears turned into quite sobs. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry sir. I’m so sorry.”

“You are forgiven, for what it is worth, old friend,” Ben assured, quietly, kneeling next to him. “I didn’t blame you.”

“Please don’t haunt me sir. I don’t think I could take it.”

Ben frowned. “Cody. I am no hallucination nor a ghost. I am alive. I survived.”

Cody’s face scrunched up, disbelieving, as he shook his head.

“I swear, my dear,” Ben swore, taking his hand. Cody just stared at it, wide eyed and shocked. His own hands were shaking.

“Impossible.”

“I mean, its General Kenobi, commander. It shouldn’t be that surprisingly,” Boil snickered as he walked in, leaning against the doorway. He glanced back into the hallway, but his attention was on his former commander.

“Boil?” Cody blinked blankly.

“In the flesh, sir,” Boil saluted, a bit messily.

“This is real,” Cody noted, blinking rapidly, as if it would change in an instant.

“That it is,” Ben nodded and got to his feet, helping Cody and pulling him up to his feet and keeping him balanced. “But we must be moving if we are to escape the ship.”

“The ship…” Cody muttered, his gaze flitting around the floor before his eyes flew up to Ben’s in a realization the other soldier and boy didn’t understand. “Vader! Sir-!”

“I know,” Ben interrupted, flat but quiet. “I know, Cody.”

“Well, I don’t,” Boil pointed out with a small snort. “What about Vader?”

“…stay as far as you can from him,” Cody confirmed, staring straight at Ben. Whatever passed between them, Boil didn’t know, and they weren’t telling. Surely what Cody was saying was obvious and not what he had meant initially. It was something between him and the general and Boil didn’t mind, not as long as it didn’t hurt their chances of getting off the force-forsaken destroyer. “Chances are if we get into a confrontation with him, we die.”

The four of them got out of the prison ward as quickly as they could. Cody and Boil were certainly an asset, knowing the layout of the ship. They dodged soldiers the best they could but fought as soundlessly as they could when they had to. Luke was in between staying close to Ben and trying to get close to Cody, with his eyes shining. He couldn’t help but try to ask questions in the quiet and slow moments of their escape.

“How do you know me anyways?” Cody asked, hefting the weapon at one point. He had a lightsaber, something they all noticed looked vaguely familiar in design, but he took a blaster from a fallen soldier and didn’t touch the thing.

“Oh! Ben has told me loads of stories,” Luke replied with a bright smile as they hid temporarily in a closet. Ben and Boil were across the hall, waiting for the guards to pass through. “Of all of your adventures! You’re amazing!”

They got out of the room by that point, as Boil gave them a signal. Although his feet kept moving at their pace, everything else kind of paused, stunned until he met Ben’s gaze briefly. Whatever passed between them, it couldn’t be translated but it was nothing but kind and proud. Boil couldn’t be completely annoyed with this silent communication they seemed to still have, after all, Cody had been General Kenobi’s second in command at one time. They knew each other well.

They had eventually got close to the hanger bay where the ship was parked. Although it wasn’t actually in the dock, it was very close. Luke hadn’t exactly told them about the person that brought him here except that Bail Organa had sent them and they went by the name Fulcrum. He would glance at Ben once in a while when her name came up, but he didn’t give her up.

They were so close.

They thought they would make it.

Luke was first, moving towards the entrance to the ship, with Ben right behind him, Boil bringing up the flank. Vader approached and the entrance to the ship closed tightly as he held out his hand, using the Force to prevent their escape.

Ben put his hand on his saber, ready to use it. Luke had found it near the guard station, where Vader had temporarily put it due to his immediate attention bringing drawn elsewhere. The master hadn’t used it during their escape. Cody couldn’t imagine why.

“Of course,” Vader hissed through his vocoder.

Cody glanced at the ship and then at Vader. Again. Again. He…he knew what he had to do.

In a dead sprint, he bolted in the opposite direction, away from the ship and away from his general and brother.

“Cody!” Luke shouted.

“Cody?” Ben’s voice rose. A second later, “Cody! No!”

Instead, the former commander shot a few rounds at Vader before throwing the gun away. He needed to distract Vader as long as he could. The beast battled the bolts away easily but his grip on the entrance had wavered. Close. Not quite enough.

Cody wanted to say he hated the feel of this saber; the one he had been using as a Purge Trooper, one that had trained amongst Inquisitors. There were few purge troopers that trained with the darksiders, as they generally used double ended electrostaffs but for some reason, Cody had been singled out by Vader. He kept the former commander close, got him trained with a saber. It was easy, he supposed, since he had already had some of the basics down from his time working with General Kenobi, going through katas and even sparring with him on occasion. Cody had never been entirely sure why Vader had chosen him. He knew who the Sith was, to him it was apparent. Vader always came across as obsessive and he wanted people to hurt. Cody just wasn’t sure who he was trying to hurt. Cody, General Kenobi, or Vader himself.

But he couldn’t completely hate the hilt of the saber, because the design was reminiscent of General Kenobi’s and that was a saber he was used to holding. It was so natural in his hand; nearly a comfort.

He held it in his hand and ignited the red blade, moving into an opening stance that he had been using during his training. Then he threw himself at Vader, swinging the saber as hard as he could.

Vader was much too strong. Cody’s own strength would never hold, as well built and solid as he was, and he knew it. He had blocked a few blows, but the monster of a man was pushing him hard. It took everything the older commander had not to be tossed away like a ragdoll, but he was being pushed back.

“Commander!” Boil yelled. “Get out of there now!”

“Go, Boil, get them out of here!” Cody shouted, gritting his teeth as he slashed against Vader, only to be blocked too easily.

“Not without you, sir!” Boil hollered back.

“That’s an order!” Cody replied, in something of a growl and a yell.

Boil’s heart was breaking, and everyone knew it. But he turned into the ship, shoving the boys inside.

The last thing Cody saw was Ben and Luke’s horrified expressions…

Before Vader slashed down with his saber through Cody’s shoulder, taking his head.

***

Boil flew the ship. It felt like he had lost the last of his brothers. He was numb. They all were.

Ben and Luke had crumpled to the floor from where Boil had pushed them inside and hadn’t moved since. It took hours to get back to the planet that they had come from, to retrieve their own ship. They had left ‘Fulcrum’s’ where Luke had first entered, not too far from the pirate base. Ben hadn’t even asked Luke what had happened between passing out and awaking in front of Vader.

There was nothing really to bury aside from a black helmet, but Luke insisted on creating a grave anyways. They found a little, mostly uninhabited planet where Ben, Boil and Luke had created a little marker near a tree in the middle of nowhere. They had set the helmet on the site, but Boil through Cody would have preferred to burn the damn thing. It was a terrible reminder. He voiced this but no one moved. Not even him.

Only a few hours were spent there before they all returned to Ben’s ship and took off. There was no real destination in mind, just to keep away from the Empire, to keep away from Vader. They had somehow lost him, between Fulcrum’s dismantling of their hyperdrive and the other chaos she had caused afterwards. The distraction and work had been appreciated.

There was little talk at first before Luke started carving into a little wooden block. There was a few around the ship, used as props generally, or just stacked in his room. The carves were slow and precise and he would watch Luke’s tongue slip out of his mouth a little when he was concentrating. It was almost an amusing sight. Boil didn’t know what the boy was making, and Luke wasn’t telling.

So, he didn’t ask.

Ben’s ship was tiny to the point that having three people inhabit it was a bit of a stretch and more than just a little squished. More of than not, Boil had to cuddle up with Luke during the night hours, as there wasn’t much room in the way of sleeping areas. Boil himself was used to it, as his brothers used to love large piles when sleeping, so it didn’t bother him. Luke didn’t seem to mind much either, rather taking to the new arrangement with some zeal.

True to his nature, Kenobi spent most designated sleeping hours awake instead.

It turned out Boil could not say no to Luke. When the boy had asked about his stories, whether it be about Ben or Cody or any of his brothers, Boil had barely hesitated. They were all gone now but at least he could pass on memories. That was really all a clone could do. He told him about all the good stories, snippets of friendship and loyalty, victory and glory. He told Luke about his best friend and batchmate, Waxer, and how they seemed to be the top General Kenobi retrieval specialist while Cody had been a lightsaber retrieval specialist. Where Cody always seemed to end up finding Ben’s lightsaber when he dropped it, he and Waxer had a tendency to find General Kenobi himself when it was needed.

Luke loved that. Even Ben had cracked a smile.

He told the boy about Ryloth and the little twi’lek girl they had befriended. About how she had mistrusted them at first because she was scared and starving but then she led them around and helped them in the battle that would free her village, used as human shields. He told him about how General Kenobi would carry her and how she ran to him when he had nearly died. How, when everything was said and done, when the village was free and they had to move on to the next village to help, she had waved and shouted back at them. How she called both of them brother.

The stories went through most of the vaguely better times of the war. Pranks that people used to play on one another, dares and bets and time travelled between planets. He told Luke about the one time he had been able to walk in the Jedi Temple and tried to capture how amazing it was and how Waxer had hugged a little jedi child because they loved them, and the child practically threw himself at the clone.

Luke eventually asked what happened to Waxer, once the stories ceased to include him. Boil had just kept on talking. There hadn’t been nearly as many good times when Waxer stopped being involved in them.

They used to always include him.

Ben, piloting at the time, had stiffened, but didn’t say anything.

Boil nearly started crying when he told a short tale of Umbara, the terrible dark planet, a traitor and the act of friendly fire. He didn’t give many details, he couldn’t. His voice had wavered and his hands, although set under his legs, wouldn’t stop shaking. It was one of the deaths that had hurt him the most, losing Waxer. All the clones had been Boil’s brothers, but he and Waxer were somewhat of inseparable. At least, he had thought that once.

Luke had plastered himself to Boil’s side by the time he was done, half hugging him and cuddling up to his side as if that would take all of the horrible feelings and grief away. It didn’t, of course, but a Jedi had a way of making one feel like everything was going to be alright, that in the end, you would be with loved ones again.

There had been a long time of silence for the next set of sleeping hours. Ben would try to catch Boil’s gaze to say something, but it often came out in silence. Rather, he often ended up putting his hand on the clone’s shoulder. Boil had appreciated the silence, actually, as there was little to say on the matter. He didn’t need apologies; it was a fact of war. It had been a long time ago and he had heard enough words from Luke.

Boil, for all that had happened, had not expected General Kenobi to send him away.

He had not seen another clone aside from Cody in years, nearly ten. He knew most of them were probably gone, dead on backwater planets, used as cannon fodder for the Empire. Boil didn’t know what was going to happen moving forward but staying with Luke and Ben seemed like a pretty good and solid bet.

Until it wasn’t.

***

Boil had fought General Kenobi until nothing was left. He didn’t want to go. There was not a thing or person out there he knew for him except General Kenobi and his kid. Boil loved Luke. Waxer would have practically adored him; he knew for a fact. It wasn’t just that Luke was a youngster, and Waxer had a soft spot for those. It was more of the idea of how Luke was. With his curiosity and kindness, his determination and loyalty. Waxer always wanted to have more the mind of a child, where one could be open to all sorts of thoughts and ideas and magic.

He finally understood what Waxer had meant. They had talked about it a few times and before, he never really got it. Not until now. Luke had matured plenty, probably more than most, due to his status of being on the run, of being hunted. But he still had that kindness and curiosity, and he gave everything. All of his things, his heart and his soul to those he loved.

Boil had been so honored when Luke had told him that he loved him. They had been travelling for near weeks together, squished together in the ship, travelling through hyperspace and Boil never really could recall how the conversation came up.

“I love you,” Luke had said with a lopsided grin.

Boil had stared. Ben’s eyes softened into something sympathetic and sad. That should have been Boil’s first clue, looking back on it.

He didn’t think Luke had expected anything back, which made his expression all the more enjoyable when Boil had said it back. “Love ya too, kid,” he added, and near violently toiled with the boy’s blonde hair. Luke had laughed so freely and so loud, it gave them all grins and it all ended up in a little tumble around the kitchenette area.

They had ended up breaking a cup, but Ben wasn’t even mad.

It was less than a week later when Ben pulled Boil aside on a stopover planet and tried to explain what had to happen next; give Boil suggestions on where to go next. What he could do. He never seemed to give Boil the option of staying. Boil had never really entertained the idea. The ship was grey, Boil loved Ben and Luke, and he would stay. He thought that was how things were now.

“I won’t slow you down.” Boil tried as the two of them were being chased through the city by stormtroopers. Boil’s aim had never been in question and his mark hit more often than not. The stormtroopers on the other hand, it was amazing they could hit the broad side of a barn. Ben rarely pulled out his saber unless it was against another saber or training Luke and his aim wasn’t awful either.

Boil supposed he had gone undercover as a sniper once.

He matched Ben’s stride and even kept up fairly well even when the clone knew the former jedi was using the force to go faster. It was a little exhausting, but he would keep up, if only to convince the general that he could. That he wouldn’t slow them down if he just allowed Boil to stay.

“I’m used to – even comfortable with – close quarters. It doesn’t bother me.”

The ship they were travelling in was tiny. Ben often slept on the pullout couch near the kitchenette while Luke had his own little room. It wasn���t much, there was actually barely any space but Boil never, never complained. A slept in a few places a couple of times, including the pilot or co-pilot seat in the cockpit, on a chair in the kitchenette or even, just as easily, the floor wherever there was room.

It hadn’t been long until Luke dragged him into his room to share his makeshift bed. Luke had even talked about getting a hammock for him and spent plenty of time trying to figure out how it would fit. Boil didn’t sleep a whole lot anyway.

“I can be of use.”

Boil didn’t know how to do a lot of things except war. He was a soldier, through and through. But in this new galaxy, this new reality, he knew he would have to learn something else, anything else, to help and keep up. He did whatever research he could, read all of Luke’s books and Luke himself had even taught him a few skills.

The former trooper had even gotten them out of a pretty sticky situation with a whole star destroyer, getting them all away with little fanfare and no shots fired. The Empire had been none the wiser.

“I won’t slow you down, I swear. I may look old, but I’m fit, I can move.”

He was in shape, even with his rapidly greying hairs and prominent wrinkles. And Boil kept himself that way, always finding time and space to better himself physically, to work out, just to keep up and make sure he did. Luke helped him a little too, teaching Boil some of the things the Jedi used to help their own condition.

Silently he would whisper when no one else was around to hear him plead, “please, please don’t make me go.”

Boil could have sworn he had worn General Kenobi down to tears, or, at least, near there. Every time the subject was brought up, his expression had been something of remorse and sympathy, as if this was something he did regret.

“It is too dangerous,” the general had repeated for the countless time. It was often his go to when it came to rebukes of Boil’s reasons to stay. He rarely disagreed with Boil on why, he never told the clone that he didn’t think he could keep up, he never told him he wasn’t of use. It was just variations of the same answer, over and over again. “We have Vader’s attention, especially now.”

“You can use my help,” Boil insisted.

“Boil, please,” General Kenobi implored, setting job jaw with the expression of his brows and eyes near pleading. Saying no to General Kenobi was near impossible, he had realized, but he had done a pretty good job as of late.

Please don’t make me go.

I’d rather die for you or Luke than alone for nothing.

The eventual goodbye felt overwhelmingly bitter with too little of the sweet. He wanted to stay. Where was he supposed to go? What was he supposed to do?

General Kenobi would never let him.

“I value you too much to condemn you to this life I have, needlessly.”

I’m condemning myself, Boil had thought and wanted to scream. This wasn’t right, he was supposed to stay. There wasn’t anyone else out there for him. His brothers were long gone, his lifespan wouldn’t last that much longer. I want to stay with the person I have left. You could use me around. I’m useful, I swear.

“If you really want to fight the Empire,” Kenobi had tried as they waited. “Bail Organa’s rebels could use your expertise,” he offered in a desperate attempt for the former trooper to agree. “I heard Ryloth is fighting back as well. Perhaps we could contact General Syndulla to see if we can find Numa.”

It was a low blow.

Ben wouldn’t let Luke come to them for the final departure. They didn’t know the people they were meeting and so Luke would stay with the ship. The boy, obviously, did not care for this idea. But they ended up saying their goodbyes there.

Luke tried to give Boil a box of band aids, each, although dusty and old, had once been painted with a tiny twi’lek child on the front. He recognized it and nearly started to cry. He pushed the box back towards Luke.

“You’re gonna need those a lot more than I will,” he tried to joke. “Especially with your training.”

In the end, Luke had kept them but unwrapped one and curled it around Boil’s finger. Then he set a small wooden figurine in his hand. It was a tiny starfighter, one that used to be used back in the Clone Wars. There were few words that had been said but there were enough tears that had been shed in turn.

Organa ended up having them rendezvous with a small crew – The Ghost.

They were an odd sort. A twi’lek female (the pilot and brains of the crew, Boil was sure), a large cat-like beast, the most colorful Mandalorian anyone had ever even heard of, a murderous droid and a pair of….jedi?

Boil had not expected to see a jedi, much less two. Apparently, neither did anyone else.

The older one, upon seeing General Kenobi had looked shocked, his eyes wide and nearly in tears. He wasn’t dressed like a jedi, but Boil could see the parts of a lightsaber hanging from his belt. It was a little odd thing, separated from one another but it was a good cover, he supposed. His hair was fairly dark, pulled back into a little ponytail and his dark blue eyes were piercing in a way that Boil wasn’t sure he could understand.

“M-Master Obi-Wan?” the elder choked out.

“Hello, Caleb,” General Kenobi greeted warmly, tucking his hands into his sleeves. “It is very good to see you alive, well and amongst friends.”

The padawan beside the older – Caleb – looked nearly as surprised. He was rather short with a mess of blue black hair and…was that lightsaber a saber or a blaster? Boil couldn’t tell. The padawan looked up at Ben, a bit taken back. “Wait he’s…whoa.”

“I have so many questions,” Caleb confessed, his voice full of confusion.

“Unfortunately, I cannot stay long.”

“Why not?” Caleb asked, clearly disappointed and probably a bit hurt.

“We have much of Vader’s attention. It is not safe for us to be in one place long.”

It was the reasoning he had continued to give Boil over and over again; the reasoning the old clone couldn’t stay with his general and the kid. He had started to hate hearing it.

“Oh,” Caleb sighed, shoulder’s slumping as he glanced away.

“I see you have a padawan.”

“Uh…oh yeah,” the man shrugged, a bit sheepishly. He had been so caught up in seeing the older master, someone he knew, he had forgotten of other things. “This is Ezra Bridger. Ezra, this is…”

“Master Obi-Wan Kenobi,” the boy replied in a bit of awe.

“I go by Ben these days,” he chuckled but Boil had found little humor in it. “It is good to meet you, young Ezra. I have no doubt that Caleb is an excellent teacher.”

“He goes by Kanan these days,” Ezra replied with a grin. “And yes, he is an excellent teacher.” Caleb – or Kanan, Boil supposed – looked down and away, apparently unsure of the statement.

“Caleb, you should know,” Ben started, catching Caleb/Kanan’s eye and setting a hand on his shoulder. “Depa would be so proud of you. For surviving, coming back and helping those who need it.”

“I don’t know…”

“Trust me,” Ben insisted. “She was my friend, and I knew her quite well. Do not doubt her pride and love for you.”

Boil had no idea where he had come from, the newest presence. He had barely recognized him specifically. After not seeing another clone brother for so long, they were all too familiar and completely strange to him all at the same time.

“Goodness – Rex is that you?”

Past Present

Commander Cody’s expression turned professional and calm in an instant as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him. He clipped his helmet to his belt, keeping it off and moved towards Luke, who standing in front of Ben as straight as he could. Shoulders back, feet width apart, Luke reminded himself. He couldn’t help it; Cody had that type of presence.

As the Commander got closer, he stopped and looked at Luke up and down. “I know who you are.”

Luke blinked blankly. That could have meant any number of things. It partially made Luke a bit uneasy but then he reminded himself that this was commander Cody. It would be fine. “I…I’m sorry? Did you…did you travel here too?”

Cody shook his head, and it was followed by a shallow shrug. “You look just like Skywalker when he was young.”

Luke had not expected that. Had the first time Luke met Cody; had he known right off the bat? If anyone had guessed who his father was, no one had ever made it known to him. No one had told him that they knew. He didn’t realize it was so apparent. “H-How?”

“General Kenobi showed some holos a few years ago,” he added, calmly. “Can’t say I’m entirely surprised. He and Senator Amidala aren’t exactly the subtle type. What I am surprised at is that you don’t want to talk with your father more. Rex has told me how you and General Skywalker have interacted. It’s more suspicion with some curiosity. One would think it would be the other way around.”

“Don’t…” Luke grimaced. “Let’s not call him that, okay? No one besides you and me know and I think it would bring a whole lot more problems than it would solve at the moment. Definitely bring a lot more questions and accusations.”

“Alright. I can understand that,” Commander Cody nodded.

“The future…isn’t great,” Luke started uneasily.

“I gathered that as well.”

“But…I have an idea of a plan.”

“The Skywalker I know tends not to think or plan and although many times success is stumbled into, many tend to get killed,” Cody replied, calmly, raising an eyebrow.

“I was raised by a Kenobi,” Luke started but nearly took it back. His father had also been raised by Ben. “I know you don’t trust me,” he admitted begrudgingly. “And I get that. But…this… this is so much bigger than you, than me, than anything. And if I am going to succeed on saving the jedi, the troopers, the galaxy, Ben,” he emphasized. “I need help. I can’t do it alone. And Ben trusts you so much. Please help me, Commander Cody, you might just be my only hope.”

Cody straightened and his gaze softened. He had definitely been won over. “And I suppose you have it, kid. What do you need from me?”

Luke’s smile was practically blinding, it was so bright. It was a great distraction that Luke had learned to use many years ago.

The needle slid in carefully into his arm and Commander Cody clearly hadn’t seen it coming, especially considering the stiffening of his body and the turn to stare at the teenager, surprised and betrayed.

He would have to understand. Later.

“Sorry, Cody,” Luke apologized as the commander quickly turned drowsy. “I don’t have a perfect handle on sleep suggestions yet. This should take but a moment.”

As the commander collapsed, Luke did his best to catch him, although Cody’s bulk weight really just brought Luke down with him. It took plenty of struggle, but Luke finally managed to drag the body over to the medical scanner. “Alright,” he huffed, leaning against the equipment. “Can you do a continuous deep scan? Something is going to pop up and I need you to remove it,” he told the nearby stationed medical droid.

“Of course sir,” came the monotonous reply.

Luke leaned forward, stretching a hand forth towards the commander and reached.

Please, help me.

He reached and reached and reached.

He knew he couldn’t disable it by himself, only with Ben’s precision and Luke’s power had the two been able to disable the chip the first time without actual surgery. And Ben wasn’t exactly in a position to help this time around.

Trust in the Force, Luke.

It will guide your hand.

Luke took a deep breath and placed a hand on Cody’s head, cautiously and delicately, barely touching skin. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me,” he whispered as he reached out into the clone’s presence and form. He reached and reached.

He repeated the mantra and this time, Cody muttered alongside and in unison with him as Luke continued to reach within the Force. He could do this. Just reach. “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.”

It was a few, rather long moments until anything happened. Luke repeated himself, with Cody’s voice with him in time. “Anomaly detected,” the medical droid announced.

Luke could only sigh in relief as his grip pulled away. It worked.

“Permission to remove?”

“Yes, yes please remove it,” he murmured, giving into a small yawn.

The surgery had taken a lot less time than Luke had anticipated. Of course, most surgeries he had seen or knew about were very old fashioned without good and modern tools. He nearly collapsed in the chair when the droid announced the success of the surgery. He had an ally now. Arfour was mostly a backup, although he enjoyed her candor and investigative prowess that would aid him, but it was nice to know he had a flesh and bone being with him as well. One who could now no longer be brainwashed into trying to kill the jedi, including Ben, given the order.

The recovery time was short too, although to Luke it had felt a bit like forever. Some of it was because of the sedative, although he didn’t use much. Soon enough, Commander Cody began to awaken, groaning with no doubt a bit of a pounding headache. He tried to sit up and Luke got to his side to assist. “What did you do to me, kid?”

“I’m sorry,” Luke apologized, genuine as he met commander Cody’s eyes. “I didn’t know if the Sith could tell if I told you about them. I had to remove it first.”

“Remove what?” The confusion was authentic.

“A chip in your brain that brainwashes you and overrides any sense of self, loyalty or choice,” he replied bluntly, his gaze rather sympathetic.

Cody���s expression was priceless. If it hadn’t been for the situation, Luke probably would have laughed. After meeting him the first time and all of Ben’s stories, it didn’t seem like it could have been possible, this coming from him. “What?” Cody muttered.

“I have a lot to tell you,” Luke admitted as he stood back. Cody sat up further and brought his legs back over to the side of the cot. “Well, sort of. Ben was a bit tight lipped about the downfall of the Republic, the Jedi and the clone troopers but I will tell you what I do know.”

“The downfall…of the jedi?”

Luke nodded. He wasn’t entirely sure how much Cody would believe him, but Ben had always said he trusted Cody, that he was good, honest and reliable. Luke would trust him too. He just hoped that Cody would believe what he had to say. That would make things a lot easier. “But we need allies. Do you have a short list of troopers you can absolutely trust?”

“Of course,” Cody nearly snorted, as if that were obvious. There is Rex-.”

“No.”

The sudden and short reply had both surprised him and Cody. They stared at each other for a moment, a little unsure on how to proceed.

“What?”

“Not Rex.”

“Why not?” Cody looked rather offended on his brother’s behalf. Luke could understand, there were plenty of times he had gotten offended on Ben’s. But this…this was a delicate and highly secretive situation. They couldn’t take that kind of risk. “Rex is an extremely loyal, trustworthy and intelligent trooper.”

“I agree,” Luke replied with a nod. “But he spends too much time with Skywalker.”

“Your father?” Cody questioned, his brows furrowing. “Why would that matter?”

Luke grimaced.

“Luke,” Cody warned, slowly. It reminded Luke of the times Ben had said his name when something was wrong, and he knew Luke had been in the middle of it. “Is Skywalker a danger to my brothers?”

“Not anymore than he is currently, leading troops into battle,” Luke assured. It wasn’t exactly the best answer, he would admit, but he didn’t want Cody to know anything that would hinder their plans too much. “Look Commander. Trusting Rex is not the issue but if he knows, Skywalker may notice,” he tried to reason. “And there are others we cannot trust that Skywalker might.”

Cody’s expression was highly suspicious, and Luke started to sweat a little. If Cody didn’t accept his reasoning, if he asked too many questions on identity…well, Luke wasn’t sure if he could give the commander the responses and answers he wanted. “Alright,” Cody conceded. Luke let out a silent breath of air. “I don’t like this but alright. For now. How many troopers are you thinking?”

“Just a handful. Close knit, whoever you can trust the most. I’d prefer the 212th I think,” he admitted although he doubted Cody was going to choose any of the men that weren’t his battalion. Luke knew he was a marshal commander and had a lot of say with many groups of troopers but the 212th were his battalion, his go to men, his closest brothers. Aside from Rex of course. “I…this is going to be hard without Ben. And I’m not the leader type, he is.”

“Alright, I’ll gather some troopers and you figure out how to explain…whatever it is,” Cody said, uneasily as he stood up. He grabbed his helmet but paused before putting it on.

“The downfall of the galaxy?” Luke suggested.

Cody just sighed, shooting him a tired look as he put his helmet back on. “Yeah. That.”

After Cody left, Luke found a pad of paper and a pen to write with, trying to figure out how to explain what he knew. Once he had a bullet point list of all that he did know….he felt as if it was a little lacking. He sat next to Ben’s cot while thinking. Glancing over at his guardian, he shook his head. “I really don’t know what I’m doing Ben. I wish you would wake up so you could help me. I really don’t know what I’m doing. And I don’t have all the answers that you do, that the troops are going to want.”

Any movement Ben’s body made was miniscule and only apparent to those who were studying closely. Luke sighed and hoisted himself up on the side of the cot.

“If you could, I’d really appreciate if you woke up,” he pointed out. “Or at least give me some ideas on how to keep going with this.”

As predicted, there was silence. Not even a movement.

“Yeah, I know,” Luke crossed his arms. “I gotta figure this out for myself.”

***

Luke nearly started crying when he saw the troopers Cody had brought back with him. They all had their helmets off, with an assortment of tattoos and haircuts. He looked around them. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was expecting or what he wanted to see because of course he didn’t recognize any of them except….

“BOIL!” Luke couldn’t help his cheer as he realized he did recognize one of them. Sure, he was a lot younger now, with no grey or white hair or the number of wrinkles when Luke knew him before, but Luke definitely could recognize that stupid mustache. Before anyone could stop him or even he realized what he was doing, Luke barreled across the room, hopping over an empty cot and leapt…

And the soldier in question barely had time to drop his bucket to catch him, completely shocked. Massive confusion permeated the Force, swirling all around him and nearly making the boy’s head hurt, but one voice burst out into uncontrollable laughter. “

I knew we would see each other again,” Luke announced proudly, giddy.

The trooper was too shocked to do anything but barely keep a hold on the boy, so he didn’t fall. “Do we know you, kiddo?”

It wasn’t Boil speaking, but Luke looked over before jumping down from Boil’s arms. His eyes were sparkling, he couldn’t help it. There weren’t many soldiers here, less than a dozen, including Helix who had come in late, but it was still so many. He was going to meet several of the 212th, of the people Ben led and loved. His mind was bursting with questions, especially on who was who.

Boil glanced over at the clone, concerned and confused. Could it…

“Are you Waxer?”

Everyone blinked, the surprise continuing.

Waxer just smiled though. “Yeah! That’s me!”

Luke thought his heart would just burst right then and there. Boil had spent quite some time with him and Ben in the past…future…. whatever, and a lot of the stories he told had Waxer in them. Just another person Luke always wanted to meet and thought he would never get the chance.

The boy nearly curled on himself. “Yes,” he whispered.

Before they could ask any more questions, Commander Cody took command of the group and directed them to sit down, although it mostly, as it happened, to be on the floor with a lack of chairs. Luke kind of preferred it that way; it was something he was used to more. This was going to be a bit of a long conversation. Cody started with introductions.

“Alright. Everyone, this is…Luke,” Cody said carefully, gesturing to the blonde. Luke waved, cheerily. He appreciated Cody’s discretion with his heritage. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust these boys to keep it to themselves, but Luke thought the less they knew, the safer everyone would be.

Although from the glances they were giving him, it seemed they had some kind of suspicion.

“Luke,” Cody continued. “These are some of my best. You obviously know Boil and next to him, Waxer. And Helix, of course, our commanding Medic. You got Trapper, Crys, Wooley, Longshot, Gearshift, Barlex and Threepwood.”

Luke waved again, “Hi. It is…it is really amazing to meet you all. Ben has told me…loads.”

They all looked at one another, curiously. “Good things I hope?”

He laughed. “Of course!”

With a wave of his hand, the group that had started chatting died down and carefully, Cody briefed the group on what he knew so far, what was happening.

That Luke was a time traveler and more than likely, Ben – General Kenobi – had as well. It was an odd explanation for Ben’s weird coma, and it made all of them uneasy, but Luke found it rather hilarious that they seemed to accept the concept of time travel with relative ease, with few questions on how it happened itself.

Luke had made a brief conversation about the events that had happened prior to moving through time. Although he could tell they were anxious with questions, especially where they were while Ben was in danger and who this new, dangerous sith enemy was, they did an admirable job refraining from asking too many queries.

Cody continued his brief about how General Kenobi and Luke were found and how his coma was probably force-related. They all groaned at that notion. It had made Luke grin; it appeared they were fairly familiar with all sorts of shenanigans when it came to the force and Ben as well.

As they continued, things got serious as Cody said they would require surgery to continue with the briefing. They were given little explanation, but Cody had said he went through it, and it was for both General Kenobi and Luke’s safety, as well as being essential to the better future they wanted to try and create. There was a bit more knowledge gone out as Luke helped Cody explained what would happen during it.

“This is…” Luke struggled to explain. “I’m asking you to trust me”

To his infinite relief, they did.

The surgeries moved fairly quickly, as Luke poured as much as he could into them, but it was exhausting. By the time they had gotten through everyone, Luke felt nearly dead on his feet, even swaying into Trapper’s side. He had been the first and had already been up and on his own feet, so he easily caught him.

“Oh wow,” he murmured as Trapper held him up. The last one to have gone through the surgery, Threepwood, was already waking up from his. “That…that was a lot.”

“I’m sorry, kiddo,” Cody frowned, moving around towards him. “You can sleep after we talk, okay?”

“Yes sir, commander sir,” Luke giggled, a bit drowsily. His head was full, his thoughts, although straight forward, were sluggish.

Everyone’s eyes softened with amusement and sympathy.

“Can I…can I sit down though?”

“Of course,” Barlex said before Cody could even respond. Luke didn’t bother to crawl up onto a cot, as there were plenty in the medical bay. Instead, he just dropped to the floor, taking Trapper down with him. There was a light laugh throughout the ranks and they all circled around on the floor near Ben’s cot.

It took a moment before Luke and the others got settled but once they did, he threw himself into what he knew. “What was taken out of your heads were chips,” Luke explained with a yawn. “Or at least, I’m pretty sure they are. The first time Ben and I had experience with them, we weren’t able to take them out, just disable them. With Boil, I threw him into a wall – long story – and with Cody, Ben and I disabled it with the Force. I’m not precise enough to do it by myself. I don’t know how they work, but they are the reason the clones massacred all the jedi.” It felt like it took him forever to get through that speech, as Luke did his best to focus himself so he wouldn’t drop off and lose his place.

There was absolute silence.

For the longest moment, no one would say a word. Luke didn’t look at any of them.

“A-All the Jedi?” Crys nearly squeaked. It sounded weird coming from a clone. Luke nodded.

“Even…. even the babies?” Waxer’s face paled drastically.

Luke nodded again. “Led brainwashed to march on the Temple,” he answered. “Ben wasn’t there when it happened, but I’m pretty sure he saw the immediate aftermath. He… he doesn’t really like to talk about it.”

Waxer bolted upright and to his feet to throw up in one of the sinks. Boil got up and followed, patting his shoulder in a comforting gesture. Everyone looked rather green and sick. Luke couldn’t blame them. To be violated and used in such a way, to attack and massacre the people you cared about and cared about you, he couldn’t imagine.

It was a few minutes before Waxer and Boil came back to the group and sat down. They all just waited patiently.

“The Republic was made into the Galactic Empire,” Luke continued, although a bit vaguely “…by the Sith. My mother died giving birth to me a couple days after.”

“Your father?”

Luke shifted uncomfortably. He probably shouldn’t have mentioned it but somehow, he just seemed led to. “That… is complicated. I don’t know exactly what happened and it’s really Ben’s story to tell.”

The others looked a bit confused and exchanged glances. A few of them studied Luke closely, even glancing at Cody for confirmation on their thoughts. To his credit, the commander’s face gave nothing away.

“But General Kenobi survived,” Wooley suggested, near eagerly. They all leaned forward, so full of hope that their general was alive, had survived. That they hadn’t killed him.

“Yes,” Luke answered. “He brought me to my aunt and uncle who raised me until I was about 8-ish,” he waved his hand flat and horizontal to give the time a little leeway. He didn’t remember a whole ton from that time, even now. “And then Ben took me away.”

“Jedi don’t take children from their families,” Waxer defended. It certainly wasn’t something he was intending to say, as Luke could see he appeared a bit rather taken back and regretful of his words.

“They were murdered,” Luke countered with a heavy swallow. “And I am force sensitive. The Empire kills or tortures those who are. No matter your age or anything. Even if you have nothing to do with the Jedi. Even if you have never heard of the jedi, the empire will kill you. Or torture you until you join them. Besides, Ben is the closest family I have, even before he took me with him.”

Thankfully, the troopers seemed to leave it alone.

“Do you know what happened to us?”

“The troopers in general?”

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, shaking his head. “Ben didn’t talk about you guys…after the Empire rose to power. I’m not sure if he even knew what happened to you afterwards. Perhaps you became part of the Empire’s storm troopers. Your armor looked kind of like theirs. It is where we found Cody and Boil.”

None of the clones seemed to like that notion.

“You recognized Boil and was friendly,” Waxer pointed out, curiously. “Anyone else you came across in the future?”

Luke hummed as he thought about it for a moment. “We found Kix in a statis pod on a Separatist ship. I was pretty young then and Ben quickly sent him off to Senator Organa to start a new life. I met you, commander, but it was…brief.”

The implication was rather clear, and no one wanted to speak of it.

“And then Boil if course. I found him by accident around the same time we found Cody. Accidently broke his chip by throwing him into the wall with the force,” he glanced at the trooper, apologetically. Waxer just grinned and punched Boil lightly in the shoulder while a few others chuckled. “He was with us for a bit, but he couldn’t stay because we attracted too much attention from Vader. It was dangerous.”

“Where did you send me?” Boil asked.

“Bail Organa again, I think,” Luke shrugged. It seemed that was the one person Ben seemed to really trust, even though he was involved with the government of the Empire. Luke later figured it was because not only of their previous friendship while Ben was in the Jedi Order but also the fact that Organa had created a rebellion to fight against the Empire near immediately after its construction. “Either to start a new life or join his rebellion. I don’t know what you chose.”

Boil growled, a scowl clear, on his face. “I do.”

Luke yawned again, leaning against a reclining Trapper. “I’m sorry I don’t know a lot. But I needed some help. Ben…Ben will need some allies to prevent all…all the horrible things from happening. And if he doesn’t wake up…I’m gonna need a lot of help if I want to do…to do what I can,” Luke murmured.

“How about you take a nap?” Commander Cody suggested.

Luke hummed again but his body seemed not to care what he wanted. “I shouldn’t really. Need…need to protect Ben…like he does…”

“We will protect him,” Cody promised.

“Promise?” Luke hated how he sounded like a child. Cody’s eyes just softened.

“We promise.”

“He…all I got.”

***

No one fell asleep as fast as Luke. As he snuggled into Trapper’s side with his other side flanked by Gearshift, they all glanced at one another, unsure of what to say next. How to proceed.

“I know he didn’t give us a lot but that…”

“It was enough for now,” Cody confirmed, glancing down at his hands, trying to think. “We keep this quiet for now until we either get to the Temple and can speak with Jedi council or General Kenobi wakes up with new orders.”

They all agreed silently.

“What about…Cody, the entire GAR is chipped,” Barlex said with the shake of his head, near disbelievingly. “What do we do with that?”

Cody glanced at Luke, the boy already snoring against the troopers, near completely at ease with the company. “I’ll contact some other commanders,” he decided. “To warn them. If anything, they can discreetly get their own chips removed. It may be easier to keel the generals alive if their commanders aren’t forced to try to kill them. But I will tell them it stays quiet until we come up with a real plan.”

“At least the surgery isn’t too bad,” Threepwood shrugged.

“The scanners didn’t pick it up, we need a jedi for that,” Longshot frowned.

“Our scanners only go up to atomic level four. A level five is more likely to pick something like this up,” Helix explained. “We have several specimens of this chip; I will work on examining them and figuring out how they work. Threepwood, would you mind giving me an assist?”

“Of course.”

“No one tells the Jedi unless General Kenobi gives permission or we get in front of the Council,” Cody commanded, his eyes sweeping over the lot of them, his gaze hard and determined. “And that means, Skywalker. Especially Skywalker.”

“Why?” He wasn’t entirely sure where the question came from. Cody answered easily.

“One, he’s terrible with secrets. The boy still thinks he is subtle, which he is very much not,” Cody pointed out, pulling up his hands to number on his fingers. “Two, he’s buddy-buddy with the Chancellor and it’s pretty apparent that the Jedi don’t particularly completely trust him.”

“If I remember correctly, he is constantly overriding their suggestions,” Wooley added. “General Kenobi doesn’t complain about it out loud but any one of us could see how difficult it is to go through briefings with him.”

“Also, there was no war in the Republic that made it into an Empire,” Cody added.

Crys’s eyes narrowed and frowned. “That means the Chancellor cannot be trusted at all.”

“Luke said the Sith took over, could he… be it?” Longshot suggested quietly. It seemed like treason, even suggesting such a notion. It was, Cody knew. Their duty was to the Republic. If even the Chancellor, the leader of said Republic, was a threat to its existence, Cody and his boys would do their duty to protect it. Protection of the Jedi was unsaid.

“Wouldn’t the Jedi know?” Waxer asked, uncertain. His faith and appreciation for the jedi and their abilities was well known throughout the ranks, as he was often found in conversation with General Kenobi or visiting Jedi, asking questions about anything and everything. Boil was often there as well, as he tended to stick to Waxer’s side, and although he acted as if he was bored and annoyed, everyone knew that he was listening closely and attentively.

“I don’t know,” Cody confessed, shaking his head. It seemed likely that the Jedi would know such things but then again, he was sure there would be plenty of ways for Sith to hide themselves. There was for the Jedi, as General Kenobi had once explained. Besides, there were plenty of darksiders running around too. Cody didn’t know if that changed anything. “Stay here with Luke. No one gets too close to General Kenobi. We don’t break promises. I… I have a few calls to make,” he ordered. The entire group nodded.

***

Cody was uneasy when he was summoned back to the bridge, not after his group call with several of his batchmates, nearly all of which were commanders. Some of them had not taken the information well and he had to spend plenty of time trying to calm them down and convince all of them not to tell their jedi. Or anyone for that matter.

They decided to wait and attempt to plan. He coordinated with Commander Colt and Alpha-17 on Kamino, asking them to investigate these chips and any other way to take them out without anyone knowing the wiser. He could still feel Commander Colt’s blank stare through the blue holocall and he could still see Alpha-17’s shoulders and muscles coil into something so tense, Cody thought they would snap.

His messages with Commander Fox was shrouded in encryption and code. They didn’t often use it, with the fear of anyone they didn’t want to know, finding their messages and it would take some time for them get complete missives across. He would have to call him later.

He ended his calls, calm and collected, a bit relieved. They were starting to plan. People knew some things; it was a start. Whatever happened in Luke’s past, with the downfall of the Republic, the Jedi and their brothers, that would not happen this time. Not if Cody and his brothers could help it.

Cody had been quickly summoned back to the bridge, as contact with General Windu had been reestablished. He stalked down the halls, calming himself and wrapping himself in as much shields as he could muster, just like General Kenobi had taught him and some of the other curious troopers.

Upon coming to the bridge, a trooper announced his presence. The holocall from the middle table flared to life. Around him was General Skywalker, Commander Tano and Captain Rex from the Resolute at one side and General Windu with Commander Ponds and another officer on the other.

Cody’s gaze just passed over Commander Ponds and their eyes met, briefly. They had spoken only minutes before. His dark eyes went back to General Windu. “Is everything alright, sir?” Cody asked.

“No,” General Windu suppressed a sigh. He kept himself the picture of professionalism the best he could. He just seemed tired to Cody. The Commander feared what would happen this time around. Last time, they were all murdered. Would the outcome be better this time? General Windu took a breath. “Please note I am highly against this.”

“Uh-oh,” Ahsoka muttered under her breath, but it was caught through the call.

“What’s going on Master?” Skywalker asked, trying to cover for his padawan. He straightened himself and glanced at Cody, but the commander avoided his eyes and kept them on the higher ranking General.

“General Tiin is finishing his campaign on Umbara alongside General Krell,” General Windu explained, gravely, pressing his hands against his vambraces across one another. “They are doing quite well, but the population has resurged, and the fleet needs some reinforcements to achieve victory.”

“Oh no,” someone groaned.

“Kenobi’s fleet is the only one close enough,” General Windu added, with a near bitter snarl. It was the most feeling he had seen from the general in quite some time. He must be really tired and really irritated from him to let it show through a holocall, especially one with General Skywalker. “We are hoping that your reinforcements will help…persuade them to retreat.”

“I don’t like this,” Skywalker muttered, looking down at the table map.

“I don’t either,” General Windu emphasized. Cody’s mind buzzed; he had rarely seen General Windu agree so much with General Skywalker. Either he was just too tired to argue, or General Skywalker was actually being willing enough to be agreed with. “To make matters worse, the Chancellor has requested your accompaniment to a festival for protection detail,” he added, pointedly staring at them.

“I…I can’t leave Obi-Wan,” Skywalker curled his fist and looked away.

“I agree.”

General Skywalker’s head whipped back up to meet General Windu’s stony stare, certainly surprised. Cody, of course, agreed, but was surprised that it was a general consensus, only because the two of them rarely seemed to agree on anything. General Skywalker often argued with all of his superiors, although it didn’t always seem as apparent with General Kenobi as it was with others.

“Not only do we need you on the front at this time, especially with Kenobi indisposed,” General Windu explained, prudently. “But nearly all Force-related coma cases have significant better recovery when surrounded by familiar presences. None are more familiar to him than yours. Which is why I had to deny the request. He…was not pleased.” General Windu’s gaze, if possible, had darkened further at the mention.

“Perhaps I should talk to him,” General Skywalker started, almost in a rush to get the words out of his mouth. “Surely if I explained...”

“What Skywalker?” One could certainly hear General Windu trying to hold back a snap. It wasn’t his patience breaking but it was certainly being tested. Cody wondered what was happening over on Coruscant that was making him so on edge. “Explain to him that one of our top Generals is not available and we don’t know why? In an unexplainable coma?”

“Perhaps he could help,” General Skywalker tried. “Obviously not with the coma stuff but with the GAR-.”

“The one person currently available and qualified to lead such a force is standing next to you,” General Windu pressed flatly. Cody looked away, trying not to let the heat on his face show through the call. “Anyone else would be non-jedi and non-clone. You barely listen to Kenobi; would you really listen to someone else? Not to mention most of military generals don’t particular work well with Jedi and their tactics…. we don’t agree with.” He stopped and sighed, shaking his head. “Look… Anakin,” he stressed, surprising everyone by using his first name. That’s when you knew he was trying, and he was serious. “This is very temporary until we can get a look at Kenobi. Who knows, maybe this is just exhaustion, and he will wake up tomorrow. We just do not have the time right now to explain everything and no time to do anything else or change plans.”

There was a long silence through the bridge, with the only sounds being the officers working at their own stations, away from the table as everyone in the call finally let that sink in. General Windu took a deep breath to continue.

“Now,” General Windu said. “General Krell will take the 501st…”

“Shouldn’t I be with my men?”

Cody just wished General Skywalker would stop questioning everything his superior said. Questioning superiors when it was warranted was one thing, but nothing General Windu had said was abnormal or unreasonable.

“You are one of the best pilots we have,” General Windu started off with a compliment, probably hoping to lessen the blow of taking General Skywalker from his direct troops. “General Tiin needs your piloting skills. And if something does happen, would it not be better to be closer to Kenobi?”

General Windu is completely manipulating him, any of the troopers can see it. Cody was pretty sure Skywalker didn’t, but it works anyways.

He accepts.

The rest of the briefing goes a lot more smoothly now that positions were out of the way. General Skywalker would help General Tiin with the piloting. Cody, alongside the upcoming Jedi that was near coming was to direct the space battle. It was nice to understand and know that the high Generals had faith in his ability to lead, even outside of General Kenobi. General Krell would lead the 501st fairly directly on the ground, with the 212th under Sergeant Waxer to box the opposing forces in.

As the planning came to an end, General Windu ended it with a near plea, surely hoping to keep General Skywalker out of as much trouble as he could. “General Skywalker, let Commander Cody do the tactical plans. He is trained with this and knows how to move large amounts of people. He can work at a bigger scale.”

General Skywalker doesn’t particularly care for this but nods and then stalks away. Cody meets General Windu’s eyes and stares, holding it fiercely. He cannot interpret this any other way than to wait. The others finally depart until it is mostly just him and the General. There are others still around, but they are not paying attention.

“Sir,” Cody greeted, slowly.

General Windu hesitated and looked at him, expectantly. “Yes, commander?”

Cody looked around, a bit paranoid. He couldn’t do this now, not with so many around and able to hear anything. He needed some privacy, but he wasn’t entirely sure how he could ask for it. Or, either, if he could. Was that disrespectful? Wrong? General Windu came with high regard from General Kenobi, Cody’s general certainly had a lot of good things to say about him. Ponds certainly seemed to like and respect him. And although Cody never saw anything but respect from the High General, that didn’t mean he was easy to talk with alone.

“I…uh…how long does…this type of exhaustion typically last?”

The general narrowed his eyes, searching him for answers. His reply was slow and deliberate. “Twenty-four hours to three days, usually.” He barely paused. “I must depart, commander.”

Cody’s chest sunk. “Of course, general. Thank you.”

The call ended and he just stood there frozen. He tried not scream. His comm beeped with a message. Office.

Oh, so he did notice.

Thank the Force.

Although he tried not make it apparent that he was running away, Cody moved with quick certainty that made everyone around him know not to ask questions about it. He got into his office and closed everything. There was a situational jammer and the door locked thrice. Her certainly had to put multiple locks on his door because yikes, some of his troopers were trouble.

General Windu’s visage popped up on the desk, much smaller and not life sized as he was on the bridge. He looked as if he didn’t move at all. “Do you have something else, commander?”

“I’ve learned some things from Luke, the time traveler,” Cody started, straightening himself. “I believe I can trust you with.”

This certainly got his attention. An eyebrow rose as General Windu leaned a little forward, certainly interested in what Cody had to say. “Yes?”

“The Sith Lord…” he started, cautiously.

General Windu’s eyes narrowed, and his entire body stiffened. “Do you know who it is?” he near demanded. He bit back anything else he was about to say, allowing Cody time to speak.

“Not for certain, sir,” Cody shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure if Luke knows either. He said the Republic was made into a Galactic Empire at the end of the war and it wasn’t the Separatists who did it.”

“We did believe the Sith was manipulating both sides,” General Windu pondered with a frown. He was probably contemplating with himself but apparently was comfortable enough with doing it in front of Cody to hear. “Our investigation has been a bit slow; the war and other duties have taken a lot of our time.”

Cody knew this. What was to come next would put more on their plate, he understood but if it was to help the jedi and his brothers survive, Cody would do all he could.  “It’s not just that sir,” he continued. “He made it sound like it had been easy. I think the Sith you are looking for is powerful and a leader in the Republic, one that could easily take over the government completely.”

He seemed to understand Cody’s meaning. His eyes had widened a fraction as the realization came about and he stared at him. “You don’t think…”

“I think it is a distinct possibility,” Cody confessed. It seemed like a logical leap. It may have been treasonous but whatever helped the Republic, jedi and troopers survive. “Either that or someone is pulling his strings directly.”

The general’s face hardened into that of stone. “Thank you for this information, commander. You have done the Jedi and the Republic a great service.”

Cody hesitated but plowed through. “And sir?”

“Yes?”

He had to know. They had to know. Just in case something went wrong; Cody had to make sure that the jedi, at least to some extent, knew. “Just so you know… whatever happens, believe the troopers are on your side; on the side of the jedi.”

General Windu stared at him intently, trying to decipher his meaning.

“I…will keep that in mind, commander.”

***

When Cody finally returned to the medical bay, his group of 212th boys were snoozing, piled up around Luke in something of a cuddled up heap. His eyes softened as he picked through them. Luke was practically hugging Boil, leaned up against Trapper on one side and Longshot on the other.

As he got to the other side, he found Helix being the only one awake, next to General Kenobi’s bed side. “They’ve been asleep for about a forty-five minutes,” Helix reported, easily. “I couldn’t. Threepwood helped me a little with the chips but…”

Cody smirked and shook his head. “Commander Colt and Alpha-17 are looking into it, discreetly. It’s alright. This whole thing with General Kenobi had put everyone on edge. And Luke could use the sleep. I don’t think he has slept in a while.”

“I would believe you,” Helix nodded. “And for what I’m sure is to come, he’ll need the sleep.”

“How is General Kenobi doing?” Cody asked instead.

“Not much change. A few twitches once in a while. More so than before. Whatever is happening, at this pace, I don’t think whatever is happening will last long,” Helix explained, although it was rather vague for both their tastes.

“Let’s hope he awakens soon,” Cody mused. “We are being redirected.”

“What?” Helix hissed. “How could we possibly do that? With our general like this?! Who ordered this?”

Cody shot him a glare. “We don’t have a lot of time or choices. We are the closest and the only one who can assist General Tiin and General Krell on Umbara. It wasn’t as if we have much of a choice. I just wish General Kenobi would awaken beforehand. He’s lived this before; he could give some insight on the battle.”

Helix shook his head. “This is not a good idea. We can’t possibly rely on General Skywalker to lead such a group of men. He’s…fine with the 501st but with all of us?”

“General Windu is sending us another jedi to help out, he’s close. But I…. I am in charge as of currently,” he said quietly. Helix glanced at him, a little surprised.

“That’s good, you would be better at it than most. Between you and General Kenobi, you two had good campaigns,” Helix replied. “Who is this other Jedi?”

“Just someone to help out, apparently not so much to lead overall,” Cody shrugged. “He was coming before we were redirected to Umbara. He’s one of General Kenobi’s friends. He’s mentioned him before; Quinlan Vos.”

[redrobinhoods]

Age of Heroes | Chapter 9, Homecoming

AO3 Link | 2200 words (approx) | Prologue, Chapter 8, Chapter 10

Chapter Summary: Ahsoka follows Anakin to Mustafar, leaving the 501st to guard the Jedi Temple.

“The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins. It always wins because it is everywhere. […] The brightest light casts the darkest shadow.”

- Revenge of the Sith novelization

Rex stared at his reflection in the mirror. He clicked the flashlight in his hand back on and shined it into the reflection of his eyes. His pupils contracted once more, and when they light was pulled away again they began to slowly dilate to a normal size. The influence of the chip was gone. Rex rubbed his eyes and reached for his comm. Ridge should have checked in by now. His check-in time had come and passed in the last minute and while Rex wasn’t one to berate his men over a minute, it was concerning.

“This is Commander Rex, Ridge come in.” He waited for a response and received none. “Ridge, please acknowledge.” He was already moving to the barracks door. He’d been a fool to listen to Jesse. “Jesse, come in.”

“You don’t sound like you’re asleep, sir.”

“Where is Ridge?”

“Guarding the Temple entrance as you ordered. I’m going over there now for a breath of fresh air. He didn’t check in with you?”

“No. Be careful, Jesse.” Rex had to stop himself from pleading with the man. Jesse was an ARC now, he’d gone through the same training Rex had and more recently at that. He didn’t need a lecture on precautions. Rex made his way to the speeder hanger and vaulted into the one closest to the door. He didn’t hear from Jesse again until he was in the air.

“Rex, they’re dead. If I had to guess, I’d say a lightsaber killed them.”

“I’m nearly there, don’t approach the Jedi alone.”

“I’m going to regroup with the others in the lower atrium. We’ll be there when you arrive.”

Rex landed the speeder outside the door of the Jedi Temple, leaping out before its momentum had ceased. He knelt by his nearest brother, searching for signs of life among the fallen bodies. He found none. But Jesse’s observation had been correct. They were killed by a lightsaber. Rex scowled and drew his blasters before entering the Temple.

---

Ahsoka looked down onto the burning wastes of Mustafar as they landed. In times before, she would have surely said a little quip like ‘why do the bad guys always have to pick scary bases?’ In times before, one of the clones would have surely responded ‘aesthetic.’ In times before, Anakin would have surely laughed at them. But there was no laughter, no jokes, and no clones today. Not for the first time, she reached for her comm and rolled it between her fingers. All she would have to do was press a button and she would know if Rex was alive. Not even that, if she’d reached out far enough into the Force she would be given the same answer. But she did neither. It was better to not know. Ahsoka had always associated fear with the gut-clenching adrenaline rush of falling, but now she could understand fear as a cold dread creeping over her shoulders. She shuddered and pulled her cloak tighter. It wasn’t hers, but it smelled like her clothes anyways. Maybe her men weren’t physically with her, but she still wore their bodysuit and cloak and she knew that they would be there in spirit if they knew where she was.

When their landing gear touched down she dismounted after Anakin, flinching back at the wave of heat that greeted her. While she had sought a hot shower for sensation yesterday, she now found it overwhelming.

“Artoo, stay with the ship.” Anakin commanded as he strode ahead.

Ahsoka looked back and gave the astromech a fond shrug in response to his less than affectionate string of beeps. Once out of R2’s hearing she spoke for the first time in hours. “We’re not going to negotiate with these sleemos are we?”

Anakin stopped and looked back at her. “No. The Confederacy of Independent Systems has refused to negotiate for peace. The Chancellor has ordered us to eradicate them before they regroup and strike against the Republic.”

“Their new superweapon?”

“Our spies indicate that it’s nearly complete. But if we act now, we can end this before we’re drawn back into the war.”

If they didn’t end the war now, more clones would die. Her friends, her brothers, would die if she and Anakin failed. “I understand, Master.”

---

Obi-Wan was reeling from the footage he had just seen. Anakin… it wasn’t possible. He took a small amount of solace that he hadn’t seen Ahsoka at his side, but that was only one recording. But it was just as likely that she was dead, if not by Anakin blade then perhaps at Rex’s hands. He had seen a set of jaig eyes in the periphery of the recording. Of course, when Anakin had fallen, he had brought the entire 501st with him.

Obi-Wan faltered when Yoda stopped before him. He looked up to follow Yoda’s gaze. Between them and the doors stood Rex, dual blasters drawn at his hips, blocking their path. Obi-Wan hadn’t sensed his presence in the building before. He must have just arrived.

“Captain Rex.” Obi-Wan greeted sourly.

“Commander Rex, now.” Obi-Wan took notice of Rex’s missing pauldron. He hoped that Ahsoka hadn’t been killed for Rex’s gain.

“I see. Master Yoda, l would suggest that you take another route to our destination.”

“That would seem wise, Obi-Wan. Meet you at the ship, I will.” Obi-Wan drew his lightsaber as the small Jedi Master went back to a staircase into the lower auditorium they had just passed.

“I don’t want to do this, Rex.” But Obi-Wan knew that Rex didn’t have a choice. Just like Cody. CT-7567 raised his blaster and began firing upon Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan reached into the Force and shoved him backwards, sending him flying across the walkway before them. CT-7567 rolled to his feet and resumed fire before his momentum had ceased. He was accustomed to being thrown by the Force.

“Is that what you told my men before you slaughtered them? That you didn’t want to do it? I saw the carnage you left behind.” Obi-Wan continued to block CT-7567’s shots. He had yet to send any back in the commander’s direction, but he was afraid that that might soon change.

“I didn’t have a choice, Rex.”

“Jedi always have a choice.” Not clones. Clones didn’t get the final say in the matter. Obi-Wan sent a bolt back at CT-7567, knocking one of the blasters from his hands. Using the Force, Obi-Wan sent it over the edge of the walkway. He advanced towards the clone. It was time to end this.

CT-7567 raised his remaining blaster and fired once more at Obi-Wan. They were too close. Obi-Wan made a choice. He swung his lightsaber in an arc, deflecting the blast. For the last time that day Obi-Wan heard the sound of boiling plastoid as a wound opened up from the clone’s waist to his shoulder. CT-7567 fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Obi-Wan kicked the remaining gun aside and advanced on the fallen clone. He used the Force to remove the man’s helmet, he needed to know if he had killed him. With the helmet gone, Obi-Wan found himself staring into CT-7567’s eyes. Except they weren’t. They weren’t the eyes of CT-7567, nor of CC-2224, nor any of the helmetless clones guarding the Temple entry. Rex raised his head to look at Obi-Wan and bared his teeth in a snarl.

“Cody is dead.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes.” There wasn’t anything else to say. Nothing Obi-Wan could have said would’ve helped. They were far beyond that.

“You killed him.”

“Yes.” There was no point in denying it.

“Traitor.” Rex’s head fell back against the temple floor. The single word burned into Obi-Wan, joining the day’s pain. In a way, it was Rex’s death. The death of the captain he had known before, had fought beside over the last three years. Perhaps Rex’s physical death as well. His hands never reached for the gash across his torso, remaining limp at his side. Obi-Wan didn’t know if that was good or bad, he didn’t want to know how deeply his blade had cut into the clone’s chest. He suspected that either way, the pain of the wound was dulled by the pain of his betrayal. Order 66 was over, maybe for Rex it had been over from before their confrontation, but it didn’t matter anymore. Obi-Wan had betrayed the clones just as they had betrayed him. First Cody, then the many who had stood in his path as he and Master Yoda entered the Temple, and now Rex. “Anakin was right about the Jedi.” The words were soft, not snarled through bared teeth like the others, but Rex’s eyes seethed in quiet rage and pain.

Obi-Wan knew what he should’ve done. He should’ve set his blade into Rex’s heart, watched as his chest stopped heaving and the light left his eyes, watched his pain end. He wished Rex would’ve fought back after he’d fallen, made it easier for Obi-Wan to end his life. But Obi-Wan found himself unable to raise his lightsaber. So instead he turned to follow Yoda out of the ruins of the place he had once called home.

He was nearly to the doors when he heard the anguished scream. He turned back to the temple to see a clone, an ARC trooper, running up a flight of stairs onto the walkway. Obi-Wan’s grip tightened on his lightsaber, but the clone didn’t turn towards him. He stopped by Rex’s body, pulling off his own helmet as he crashed to his knees. “Rex, Rex, stay with me.” The clone pulled his limp commander into his lap, cradling him close. “Not like this.”

Obi-Wan knew the clone. His name was Jesse. Maybe it still was, maybe he was CT-5597 now. Either way, he was fiercely loyal to Rex. Obi-Wan watched for a moment, listening to Jesse’s pleas for Rex to stay awake, to stay alive, hoping to see the commander stir, but Rex remained limp and unmoving in his brother’s arms. Jesse screamed for a medic and that was when Obi-Wan knew he had to go. He had killed enough clones today. Obi-Wan whispered a silent apology before he crossed the threshold of the temple, stepping out of the smoky air into the weak sunlight of Coruscant.

---

Ahsoka stumbled as new wave of agony reached her. Rex. He was alive, and he was in pain. A battle droid took notice of her panic and advanced towards her. She growled and pulled it into the blade of her lightsaber. She should have stayed on Coruscant. She should have stayed with Rex. The galaxy just had to fall apart when she was in the shower.

Another Separatist made a break for the door. She halted his forward momentum and with a few strides was able to strike him down with her lightsaber. Frustration churned within her at their feeble attempts to flee.

“Cowards.” She spat under her breath. She couldn’t imagine the clones giving up and running in the face of defeat, nor even the battle droids that the Separatists employed to do their dirty work. Her frustration was at a boiling point. It boiled over at the next Separatist who tried to run from Anakin. Ahsoka reached into the Force to stop her and the Geonosian stopped in her tracks, reaching for her throat. This time, Ahsoka did not step forward. Instead she squeezed her fingers together and watched the Geonosian’s neck crumple under her power. The Geonosian hit the floor and Ahsoka felt the sickening feeling of satisfaction. For a moment, guilt surged within her as she thought about what the clones or Master Plo would have said, but only for a moment. In her position, she thought, they would do the same.

She stepped forward to prevent the coward Nute Gunray from scrambling towards the doors. He backed into the table instead, looking back and forth between her and the advancing Anakin.

“The war is over.” He tried to plead. “Lord Sidious promised us peace. We only want-.” His pleas were cut off by Anakin’s lightsaber and he fell to the floor.

“Master, Tambor.” Ahsoka pointed to the conference room door that the Skakoan was fleeing through. Anakin nodded and strode after him, leaving Ahsoka alone.

She examined the empty room around her. Or, at least, it was empty if one didn’t count the corpses. A little voice inside her head that sometimes sounded like Master Yoda, other times Master Windu, but often Master Plo, reproached her for her loss of control with the Geonosian. But there was another voice in her head now, a voice that didn’t belong to any being that she knew or had ever heard. That voice purred approval. Despite the heat of the planet, despite the warm cloak that enveloped her, despite the temperature-controlled bodysuit, she felt a shiver run up her spine into her headtail. Then again, perhaps the warmth of the planet and the insulation of her clothing did not matter. It wasn’t a cold shiver, but one of excitement.

[mando-chicken]

War Dogs | Clones and Their Cats

“Hardcase has come up with a flawless plan to get their brother a gift. Kix isn’t so certain that it’ll be a good idea. Jesse just wants to see what sort of chaos he can encourage Hardcase to create.”

A fic focusing on our boys in the 501st in the ‘Clones and Their Cats’ universe. The basis is literally just what it says on the tin - some of the clones have cats (and some other pets too) - all these fics will largely focus on the clones and their animal companions. Not all chapters/works are in chronological order, this one is set just after the Citadel.

Other works in the series:

Cat Sitter

Tiny Spots

Read on AO3

Tag List:

@cxptain-rex​ @spaghetti-666​

“I still think this is a terrible idea.” Kix was doing his best to soothe the headache that was already threatening to rear its ugly head by massaging his temples, but the very thought of what Hardcase was suggesting was utter madness and would undoubtedly end in nothing but more stress for the already overtired medic. The fact that Jesse was actually agreeing with Hardcase’s mad scheme certainly wasn’t helping either.  

 Hardcase simply chuckled at his brother’s plight, grinning from ear to ear like his plan couldn’t possibly backfire and get all three of them into some serious trouble. “Ah c’mon Kix, you said it yourself, the poor guy is barely eating, won’t speak to anyone, and only sleeps when he drops from exhaustion,” the heavy gunner reminded him, his smile faltering slightly for the briefest of moments, “if he won’t let any of us in to help then maybe this little fella can help where we can’t.”  

 “Y’know, ‘Case does have a point. It’d take his mind off what happened for a little while at the very least, and you were the one to bring up the topic.” Jesse simply placed a hand on Kix’s shoulder, offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile, before leaning back into the waiting room chair.  

 Kix merely subjected his brother to a harsh stare, crossing his arms with a huff, “all I said was that animals were good for lowering stress, I never said that we should up and get one on a whim.” He was glad that the vet clinic was otherwise unoccupied – they'd thankfully chosen a quiet day when there were neither clients nor vode coming and going – he only pitied the receptionist who had been subjected to almost an hour of their back and forth arguments. Before he could continue to counter his brothers’ madness, the door to the adoption section of the clinic slid open, one of the resident veterinarians stepping through accompanied by a medium sized crate.  

 Hardcase leapt to his feet, energy radiating off him as he beamed up at the vet, “Is it all done? Is he ours?” 

 Dalthic simply laughed good-naturedly at his enthusiasm, holding out the crate for him, “He’s officially been registered to you,” she confirmed as the clone gingerly took the crate from her arms, “I know you said he was a gift for one of your brothers, and he doesn’t have a name yet, so feel free to drop in again soon and I’ll update his details for you.” 

 Hardcase seemed just about ready to run for the door and sprint back to the barracks, but Kix managed to keep a hold of him long enough for Jesse to confirm a few last questions. “You did it discreetly, yeah?” he asked, unable to stop his brow from crinkling slightly.  

 The doctor nodded, her expression becoming serious, “Of course, I’m well aware of the potential risks you’ll face if the GAR find out that he belongs to you, I’ve taken care of the details so that nothing can reveal that he is registered to clones, it just shows up like any other patient file.” She waited until they all breathed a collective sigh of relief before continuing, “however, we’ve only been able to adopt out Tookas to you boys since they can easily be hidden; this guy will not be quite so easy to hide, so if you do have any dramas feel free to bring him back and I’ll see if we can arrange something else.” 

 Kix knew that Dalthic was a friend to clones, he’d heard plenty of stories of her helping brothers adopt pets under the table, and she’d even helped Denal to adopt Torrent, the sweet kitten in the barracks next door to theirs, but it was reassuring to have her confirm it in person. “That’s great to hear, we’ll make sure he’s taken care of, ma’am.” 

 Apparently, that was as much talk as Hardcase could stomach, eager to get back with the newest member of their squad as he already began walking towards the door, “thanks again, Doc!” he shouted back, his signature grin firmly back in its rightful place.  She offered him a brief wave and then he was gone, already out into the bustling streets of Coruscant. Jesse tried to offer an apologetic smile on behalf of their rather excited brother, but the vet simply waved him off with a genuine smile of her own. “I’ll see you boys later,” she hummed, offering Kix and Jesse a nod in farewell.  

 The two brothers were quick to go after Hardcase, managing to weave their way through the lunchtime crowds with little difficulty. They caught up with him soon enough, and from there it was only a short walk back to base. With it being noon, most of their brothers were already in the mess, so there wasn’t anyone to stop them or to question the strange crate one of them was carrying through the barracks and soon enough they reached their destination.  

 It had been almost two weeks since the Citadel and Fives was not doing well. He had survived and managed to escape, yet it felt as though his very heart and soul had been abandoned on the platform alongside his missing batcher.  

 He hadn’t cried. There’d been no time for him to actually let down his guard enough to process what had happened until they had been safely whisked from the planet’s surface, and then he’d been swarmed by brothers trying to offer their support. They wanted to do right by him, to keep him surrounded by caring people at all times, yet he’d never found himself feeling lonelier. In truth he wasn’t sure he even wanted to stop feeling lonely. 

 The numbness was better than the agony that twisted through his chest every time he so much as glanced at Echo’s empty bunk. It was better than having his emotions raw and spilling over the threshold where the Captain and the rest of his vode could see it. It was better than accepting that his brother was no longer by his side where he’d promised to always be.  

 He was tempted to ignore the knocking someone was doing on the outside of the barracks. All of the other brothers were either training or in the mess hall, so whoever was knocking was obviously looking for him. Knowing that they’d likely just try and track him down later, Fives shouted for whoever was seeking access to enter, not bothering to glance up from the datapad he was looking over – and by looking over he meant staring mindlessly at the display while he allowed his thoughts to run rampant – he was, however, snapped from his trance when he heard something heavy being placed on the floor.  

 Rolling over onto his side, Fives regarded the three brothers who’d entered the barracks, taking note of their rather sheepish expressions. Hardcase was clearly anxious or excited about something, Jesse kept glancing between the aforementioned brother and Fives, and Kix looked as though he was half a second away from snapping at the other two troopers, or perhaps slapping them both upside the head.  

 “Well, are you going to tell him or not?” Kix crossed his arms over his chest, assuming his ‘irritated medic’ stance, which was usually enough to send most men running for the hills, “you geniuses came up with it, I’m not going to be dragged into it with you.”  

 Fives simply rose a questioning eyebrow while Jesse spluttered out an indignant sound, “Excuse me? This was Hardcase’s idea, I just encouraged him.”  

 Kix looked just about ready to argue the statement, but Fives was able to stop him from going any further by raising a hand. He’d already pulled himself up into a sitting position, allowing his legs to dangle freely from the edge of his bed as he frowned up at the three brothers gathered before him, “what do you guys need to tell me?” Hardcase was grinning and Fives was briefly worried by what sort of mania his brother had in store.  

 “Well, I saw something the other day and we-” Kix shot Hardcase a foul look, “I, thought you’d like to have it.” he finished, fingers itching to get on with it. When Fives didn’t say anything further, he continued, “but you need to, uh, close your eyes.” 

 Fives’ frown only deepened, he really wasn’t in the mood for any surprises – he was tired and just wanted to be left to himself – but he knew better than to try and argue with a brother as stubborn as Hardcase once he’d set his mind on something, and closed his eyes, albeit with a slightly defeated sigh. He heard the sound of the crate being opened, followed by something scrabbling against the smooth floor for purchase.  

 “Okay, okay, hold out your hands,” he could hear the energy in the other clone’s voice, followed slightly by a poorly concealed chuckle, probably from Jesse.  

 He held out his hands as instructed, suddenly wishing he’d been wearing his gloves, just in case. But to his surprise, what his hands met was warm and soft, and Fives suddenly jerked, eyes snapping open when he felt the thing move. “What the kriff–” looking up at him, whole body squirming with uncontained energy and excitement, was a small Ring Dog, and not just any dog, but a puppy. It was wriggling about, its rear end swaying from side to side from where Fives held it, dangling in mid-air as its tail wagged at about a mile a minute.  

 “Hardcase, where the hell did you find a puppy?” the ARC trooper near enough choked out, still reeling at the thought that his brothers had somehow not only managed to find a dog, but somehow also sneak it into the barracks. At his words the puppy made a soft bark, only growing more excited when Fives looked away from the other trooper and back at it again.  

 Hardcase himself looked to be absolutely beaming yet again, pleased that Fives had asked, “well, you see, I was out with Jesse and Kix the other day at Seventy Nine’s and we overheard one of the Guards talking about his pet Tooka, and that reminded me of Denal and how he has Torrent, and how happy she makes him, and then Kix mentioned something about pets helping to lower blood pressure, and then—”  

 “We adopted him from the vet clinic a little ways down from the Guard base.” Jesse suddenly said, cutting off whatever lengthy rambling Hardcase was about to spiral into, much to the aforementioned clone’s disappointment if his expression was any indicator. Fortunately, Jesse didn’t seem to be too worried by the glare being pointedly levelled at him.  

 “Yeah!” Hardcase quickly continued, “we thought that maybe ya could do with some company.” The longer Fives actually stared at Hardcase, the more he could see that, while excited, the trooper was rather nervous, his fingers twitching restlessly at his sides. Clearly, he was worried about what Fives would think of their ‘gift’, but before he could speak up Jesse once again chimed in.  

 “But hey, we’ve already disturbed you enough, we’ll just leave you to it.” Neither Kix nor Hardcase were able to argue, for Jesse grabbed both of their arms and began hastily dragging them out of the room.  

 Fives blanched for a moment, looking between his retreating brothers and the puppy still swaying in his hold, “wait, ‘Case, Jesse, what am I supposed to do with this thi—” he was cut off by the door to his quarters being abruptly closed as the other three clones made their escape. Still slightly stunned, it took him a moment to finally come back to his senses, gently placing the puppy down on the floor. Immediately it began to sniff at his feet and legs, occasionally making a pleased huffing noise, before looking back up at the ARC trooper with its big brown eyes.  

 The puppy just about reached Fives’ knees when stood, covered in a thin, oak-coloured fur, with several rings of chocolate brown wrapping around its legs and tail. A small blue collar hung around its neck, and Fives was quick to reach out and inspect it, turning it around in his hands to try and find if it had a name on its tag.  

 Finding no tag he was forced to assume that the dog had yet to be given a name. He recalled that Jesse and Hardcase had called it a ‘he’, and with a quick glance underneath the happy pup, he could confirm that it was indeed a male. He still had no idea if he’d be keeping the animal – clones weren’t exactly the sort of people who could keep pets – but he couldn’t just leave the poor thing nameless, regardless of whether he would be keeping it or not. He would have to speak to Echo, he had always been better at picking names than— 

 His face fell as a quiet voice inside reminded him that no, he wouldn’t be receiving any help from Echo. Not now, and not ever again.  

 With a sigh Fives dropped back onto his bunk, staring up at the bunk above as his thoughts quickly began to sink their talons into his mind, dragging him down into the deep abyss. He had no one to help him, Echo wasn’t there to grab his hand and pull him from drowning in the pitch-black waters of his inner thoughts. But someone else was.  

 Fives was jerked from his trance-like state by a cold nose nudging at his hand, followed briefly by several slobbery licks to his fingers when he still didn’t respond. He looked down to the puppy, meeting its eyes and watching as its expression exploded into joy the moment he did so, tail already back to wagging at its ridiculous speed.  

 “What can I do for you, dog?” he asked quietly, moving to run his fingers over the puppy’s head. The dog simply offered him a bark, attempting to lick his hand the moment he stopped his petting motions. “Why don’t you come up here?” Fives asked, patting at the top of the mattress to try and encourage it to join him. The moment he stopped the Ring Dog did just as he was asked, springing from the floor and landing on the bunk beside the clone, already shoving his head under Fives’ arms and trying to reach the ARC’s face to give him a good licking.  

 Fives wasn’t able to stop the laugh that suddenly escaped him, trying in vain to try and swat away the determined pup and save his face from slobber. A single lick to his chin was the closest the dog got, but he seemed to be satisfied with his efforts, plopping down on Fives’ chest and huffing in his face. “Stars, your breath stinks, dog,” he groaned, scrunching up his nose and trying to turn away. The dog merely wagged his tail again.  

 “You think that’s funny?” The dog simply wagged his tail faster. He had only a moment to brace himself before the puppy launched at him again, this time trying to lick at Fives’ ears. And for a long, blissful moment, the mourning ARC trooper is rendered a laughing, happy child.  

 The next morning, Rex is more than relieved to see Fives wandering around the base. He’s still not interacting with his brothers as much as usual, still a little withdrawn from his surrounds, but he’s not completely closed himself off, and for that, the Captain is willing to overlook the small puppy following around at Fives’ heels. If continuing to pretend he is completely oblivious to the animals ‘stealthily’ being acquired by members of the 501st means that his men have the chance to actually heal and have some sort of joy in their depressing lives, then it’s something he would happily do a thousand times over.