Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Vader was a creature crafted to perfection. His master picked through each individual gene like a gardner weeds his most prized bouquet. Even the slightest imperfection was cut off to keep from infecting the rest of the body. Every weakness, every hope, every joy was sliced out of Anakin Skywalker leaving only Vader. 

Vader did not need the simple light Anakin clung to. Where Anakin was unfocused and confused, Vader was sharp and precise. He was the sharpest knife ever cut, the deadliest kyber ever bled. Vader watched Anakin for months. He trained until his feet were calloused enough to be called shoes and his knuckles were permanently tainted red. He learned every attack Anakin ever made and every form ever fought. He started thinking two steps ahead, always sure of Anakin’s next move before Anakin himself. He could guess exactly how Anakin would start and end a fight just by watching the first three steps. 

And he did it all without the force. 

He didn’t need Anakin’s one great skill to kill. Where Anakin was hesitant in every order, Vader would kill any lifeform his master wanted dead. He had no conflicting morality as he watched the light leave his victims eyes. He felt victorious when they begged and disappointed when they accepted defeat. Where Anakin fought without thinking for more than one second, Vader was patient. He preferred to watch his opponents. To study his enemy so much that he didn’t need to pick up a weapon at all. Everybody has a weakness and all Vader needed to do was wait for the right time to exploit it. 

He killed separatist and clones alike. He shoved a bomb down the throat of a Jedi padawan and he didn’t blink. Death was what gave a meaning to life and he was mercenary granting his masters prayers. 

He was created to do nothing else. His master built him like the machines his original was obsessed with. Vader was an extension of the Empire, a weapon to his master, and a human to none. He had known nothing else in his life besides the taste of blood and hatred for Anakin Skywalker. 

As powerful as Anakin was, he was never going to be what his master wanted. Vader could see that. Anakin was a droid loving idiot with his dick shoved so far up his ass as he complied with every whim of a bratty senator. He was egotistical at best and downright pathetic at worst with the delusion that the entire galaxy revolved around him. 

And yet… 

And yet, he was who Vader’s master preferred. Anakin had the power of the entire galaxy at his fingertips but he was too weak to use any of it. He clung to every one of Sidious’s words and never bothered to craft a single thought for himself. He was the clay Sidious would shape into the slave he wanted. 

And then the idiot tried to refuse. Anakin Skywalker was handed the golden opportunity to control the entire galaxy and he refused. He finally formed his own thoughts and to no one's surprise it was the wrong one. Vader knew the power Sidious grasped. There was no escape. You either bent over backwards to support his command or you died. Vader knew that. He couldn’t wait to watch Anakin learn it. 

Vader has only felt truly happy once in his life; the day he beat Anakin Skywalker. Vader had watched him for years, he knew everything he had to know about the original and the other knew nothing of him. He had shock and intellect on his side. He was powerless and weaponless as he watched Anakin go down. He proved himself superior with a smile on his face. 

Sidious was infuriatingly indifferent. He got his slave either way, it was only a question of who and when. Anakin Skywalker was nothing. He didn’t deserve to be at the right hand of the emperor, Vader did. Sidious rewarded his victory with the key to a million stars whispering in Vader’s ear. The power was painful. It stabbed tiny needles into each of his cells so that Vader was cursed to only feel sharpness the rest of his days. 

The pain never went away. It built exponentially by the second. Vader fought to keep standing, to power through, but the only thing around him was pain. He had no body, the earth was no longer there, he was simply the embodiment of pain. 

No. 

No. He would not waste his victory to end up as useless as Anakin. He focused on each and every needle pricking at his skin and morphed them back into the body he once had. He harnessed the feelings into an invisible energy he could bend to his will. He stood and faced his master. He watched Sidious smile. 

They were going to burn the galaxy down until the last standing man was bowing at their feet. 

Vader started with the temple. He felt it was poetic to use Anakin’s men to slice through the Jedi. The clones were built just like Vader, but with a kill switch in their brains. It was invigorating to watch their brains turn into mush by just three little words. 

With Vader’s new power, he killed more Jedi than he had ever dreamed. He didn’t even need Anakin’s weapon, but he used it nonetheless. The kyber was in pain as it cauterized hundreds of holes into thousands of bodies. He combined its pain with his own. The Jedi thought he was Anakin. Their last thought was of mistaken betrayal. 

The younglings thought he would help them. As if he would actually care if any of them lived or died. He killed them slowly. One died at a time as the chambers filled with the screams of the rest. He felt their pain surround him and he consumed it. 

He left the temple in flames. 

Flames. 

That stupid girl showed up with tears in his eyes begging him to stop. He played the part. As annoying as she is, she is gorgeous. He let her kiss him and claim him then he felt her throat close. He almost laughed at her heartbroken face and pleading speech. This woman was responsible for an entire planet but couldn’t tell the difference between her husband and the superior version. He was so close to killing her. In just one day he would have killed Anakin’s entire organization and his wife. He would leave Anakin with only pain and then he would feed off of it. The thought of Anakin weeping as Vader threw the senator’s body at him would satisfy Vader for years to come.

Then Kenobi ruined everything. 

There were flames licking his body, melting his skin in a way a kyber never could. He saw only red. The needles were gone, all that was left was the icy cold pain of his neurons being fried. He was in agonizing pain. 

Pain.  

He woke up to pain he could no longer thrive on. He was in his suit, he had his weapon on his belt, his entire body was wracked with pain. But he could not focus on it. He could not manipulate it. He could not use it. 

Anakin had stolen his power, but Vader would get it back. He would kill Kenobi slowly just like he killed those kids all those years ago. There was a time when Vader didn’t need power to kill, this would be no different. The suit and the prosthetics did not make Vader inferior. He spent the last five years killing thousands while Anakin withered into a depiction of who he truly was. Vader will bleed Kenobi dry then have a feast with his remains as Anakin watches. He will meticulously weed out every support from Anakin’s life until there is nothing but rotting corpses at his feet. And when Anakin is left with nothing, when he is so broken that he is begging Vader for death, Vader will take that pain and burn the galaxy down. 

And he will do it all with a smile on his face. 

Chapter Text

Leia Naberrie-Skywalker felt that the rule ‘don’t go too far’ was entirely subjective. There was no constant measurement as to what ‘too far’ consisted of. Sometimes across the street was too far; other times it was completely fine. Leia was starting to wonder if Mom was coming up with a new distance every time she assigned the rule. And if there wasn’t a set distance, did the rule hold any merit? Could anything actually be too far? 

The tall tree with the stable branch low enough for her to grab onto if she jumped was not included in her definition of ‘too far’. The tree had perfectly spaced branches where she could easily climb up to the top without fear of any of the branches breaking. The top of the tree had minimal leaves, so she could see the entire sky with her back resting against the tree. Dad had pointed this tree out when they first got to this new base. Mom said it was ‘too far’. 

What is too far? How can the tree five feet closer be fine, but this was too far? How did a couple of feet completely change their safety? This tree couldn’t possibly be too far from the base. When she climbed all the way to the top, she could practically see her bedroom. If Mom or Uncle Rex looked out a window, they would easily be able to spot Leia, so there couldn't be any real question for her safety. This tree was the best tree in the entire forest to see the ships in the sky; a couple of feet outside of Mom’s rule would not risk their safety that much. 

Her brother did not share this philosophy. 

“We have to go back! The sun will set soon, and then we will be out past the boundary and past curfew!” Luke, the scaredy-pants, whined. Leia rolled her eyes as she climbed higher. Sometimes it was hard to believe he was the older twin. Leia felt that she deserved that title as she was more mature, confident, and social than the baby boy, but she was doomed to be born after him. It was so unfair! 

“Today is shipment day, Lukie.” She reminded her ‘big’ brother. Shipment day was the only day out of the whole entire month when multiple ships came to their base. Ships she’s seen before, ships that are brand new, ships Dad built, and ships she’s flown in. They brought food, weapons, people, spare parts, important information, everything! Mom made their shipment day the same as the empire’s so that no one noticed the excess amount of ships in the space near an empiric planet. Mom’s a genius like that. She thinks of everything, and she leads the rebellion like it’s the easiest job in the galaxy. Mom and Dad change the galaxy every single day while they forbade Leia from going on missions. The most they let her do was meet all the new people from the ships and learn as much as she can, but one day she’ll get to leave and finally be able to help people. And that day can not come soon enough. 

Leia knew that Luke liked to look at the ships too. She can feel it. She likes the elegance of the manufacturing, but Luke wants to fly them. The second she starts feeling an urge to pilot the pretty ships is the second she knows her brother is enjoying them too. All he needed to do was relax and they could sightsee in peace, but a relaxed Luke was much easier in theory than in practice. 

“That doesn’t change the fact that we aren’t supposed to be here on our own! Maybe we can go back and ask Uncle Rex to come out with us!” Luke felt most relaxed when following their parents' rules. Any slight rule breaking causes his heart to beat faster, which causes her heart to beat fast because of their bond. It totally ruins her enjoyment of breaking the rules. The only way for her to keep enjoying her time is to remind Luke of how much fun sightseeing can be, and that all starts with him climbing this tree!

“We will miss the ships if we do that!” 

“Then we can watch them next month.” Luke was such a baby! He would rather wait an entire month than break the rules for a few minutes? It was totally and utterly crazy! How could they be born on the very same day and end up so different? His breathing was picking up, and Leia knew it was only a matter of time before he started pacing. His frantic footsteps traced a path onto her heart until their heartbeats matched in speed. She had to stop this! She had to get him on board. 

“What if Dad comes back today?” They were told multiple times that Dad did not ‘leave’ nor was he ‘gone’. He was ‘away but will return soon’. Uncle Obi said it was because he needed special training. Mom said it would help him. Dad said he really didn’t want to leave, but it would be for the better in the end. That was three months ago, and there’s been no word from him since. Leia missed him. She missed how he walked her through fixing Lola. He’s never disappointed when Lola breaks. If anything, he’s excited that they get to work together in his shop. She missed training with him and how he makes everything into one big game. A lot of the time, it ends with Aunt 'Soka and Dad competing with each other. Sometimes Uncle Rex will join in too, and if they’re really lucky, they get to watch Dad duel Uncle Obi! Leia doesn’t know how she lived five years without knowing Dad, but she doesn’t like living without him now. Every day it feels like something is missing. Like she skipped an important event but can’t remember what it was. Mom hasn’t given them any updates about Dad, which Leia can’t help but see as a bad sign. The adults are always secretive when it comes to Dad, and secrets are never good. 

She knew Luke missed him too. They always talked piloting, and Dad would let Luke fly whatever ship he was working on. At night, Luke lists everything they’re going to do with Dad when he comes back. Dad’s ‘away’ not ‘gone’, so they should be constantly prepared for him to come back. Luke has ten different blueprints he drew to work on with Dad in Dad’s shop. Leia doesn’t understand half of them, but she thinks they look nice. Dad will probably find them a lot more interesting ‘when’ he returns. Mom missed him too. They were always holding hands and being super gross all the time, and now he’s gone. Not gone, away. Away but will return. Whatever that means. 

She watched Luke contemplate her words. He was torn between following rules and maybe seeing Dad. It’s been three months; he had to be coming back soon. He had to be. What better day to come than shipment day? He could blend in with all the other ships, and the empire would be none the wiser. She watched as her brother looked up at her, then back at the base, then up at her. He fidgeted with his hands as his eyes switched back and forth. Leia could tell the idea was sinking into his mind; all she had to do was play the next minute right, and they could watch the ships. 

“It’s been three months; he has to come back soon.” Leia urged. It wasn’t a lie. She really did believe that Dad would be back soon. Could it be today? Possibly, but she was not convinced. Luke didn’t need to know that, though. 

Luke looked at her one last time with wide, hopeful eyes. He sighed once, then jumped up and grabbed onto the first branch. Leia smiled and climbed to the top. 

—-- 

The twins sat back-to-back on opposite branches with the tree between them. Most of the ships were old news for Leia. Cargo ships carrying nothing but supplies were boxy with minimal designs. Cargo ships carrying people had a large bottom compartment for the passengers. The top was reserved for the pilot and crew because it was smaller. All components were made for necessity, not leisure. Personal ships were more Leia’s style. She loved whenever Senator Organa came to visit. His ship was standard style with the right amount of personal touches to make it stand out without being too flashy. Unfortunately, she was not seeing the senator’s ship in the sky. She wasn’t seeing anything new or exciting; it was a total bust! 

“Look, it's the star commuter 2000!” Luke pointed at the sky. Now that they were up in the tree, Luke had no problems with being out past the boundary and curfew, just as Leia suspected. He was so predictable like that. 

“That’s an old one.” Leia replied. Star commuter meant passenger ship. Passengers meant refugees, which meant Mom will host a dinner tonight to welcome them. Leia will have the opportunity to introduce herself to them, and hopefully she will get to learn about their culture and planet. Leia plans on being a senator one day, just as Mom had been. The emperor may have total control of the galaxy, but being a senator opens the door for her to fight his tyranny. The first step is learning as much about the galaxy as she can, and since her parents won’t let her leave unsupervised, passenger ships are her only hope. 

They stayed put until the sun was almost gone. For the most part, they admired the sky in silence, with one of them naming a ship whenever they saw a new one. It was so peaceful. She would never admit this out loud, but she was always the most relaxed with Luke around. They understood each other in a way no one else did. They had their bond in the force, but it was more than that. She knew what he was thinking if he tilted his head a certain way. He knew if she was mad before she did sometimes.They were connected like no other. He may be annoying sometimes, but he was her best friend no matter what. 

As the sky got darker, the temperature started to drop. She was starting to shiver. They should start making their way back, but the sky was still full of new arrivals. Shipment day had never lasted this long before. Normally, drop-off took an hour or so, but it’s been at least two hours, and the ships were still coming. There must be something different about today. Maybe Dad actually was coming today! There were double the amount of ships with a longer drop-off window. Mom wouldn’t change up the routine for nothing. She would only risk discovery if something big was happening, and Dad was big. This had to be for him! He had to be coming back today! 

Leia strained her neck to get the best view of the sky she could. She looked for anything that stood out. She wasn’t as natural in the force as Luke, but she still reached out for Dad. She wasn’t feeling anything different from their bond, so she focused on the space around her to find him. She was about to close her eyes to improve her focus when she was interrupted. 

“Lei look!” Luke pointed at the sky. Leia could feel Luke’s excitement build up as if it were her own. Sometimes their feelings blended together, making it impossible to tell who was thinking what. Was it his excitement or hers? She didn’t know. But as she looked to the sky, she did not care. There was an unmarked V-wing entering the atmosphere. It had no logo, no personal additions, and no markings. The engine was smoking, and the ship began to tilt uncontrollably as it descended. It did not take a genius to know that the ship was going to crash. 

“It’s Dad!” the siblings exclaimed in unison. They raced down the tree at once (Leia won, naturally). 

They followed the sound of the crash and the smoke trail to find the ship. They walked side by side through the roots and leaves. Leia almost felt like skipping down the dirt trail. Dad was back! They would be able to train with him again, fly ships, and work on droids together. Mom and Dad could go back to being gross and embarrassing, and they could all work for the rebellion as a family. 

They found the crash relatively quickly. They came to a crossroads once, so Luke closed his eyes and felt the force in a way Leia didn’t know how to yet. He decided the only way to go was left, so they went left. Despite constant reassurance from Dad, Leia did not believe that they have the same power. Leia can feel the force, and she can use it minimally, but anything more than a small push or summons and she’s useless. Uncle Obi likes to remind her that he too was a late bloomer and that power isn’t always easy. Luke was a natural, and so was Dad, but it’s not easy for her. She doesn’t normally mind. She had strengths that Luke didn’t and vice versa. She liked listening to Moms political speeches and talking to Senator Organa about life as a senator. Her interests did not align with having the force. But sometimes, like now, she wished it was natural. She wished she could close her eyes and find Dad as easily as breathing. She wished she could be like Dad, just like Luke.   

The wreck was at the bottom of a hill covered by a large bush. There were flames and metal pieces scattered all over the ground. As cool as the crash was, Leia knew it was dangerous. She stopped three feet in front of the bush, and Luke stopped with her. She wasn’t sure what to do. What if Dad was hurt? Would they be able to get him out of the ship without getting hurt themselves? Maybe they should have gotten Uncle Rex. 

“Hello?” She called out to the flames. At first, she hoped Dad wasn’t so hurt that he couldn't answer, but as the seconds of no response stretched on, a new thought occurred to her: what if this wasn’t Dad? This was an unmarked ship that fell out of the sky. This could be anyone. 

The bush shook. 

Luke tried to step in front of Leia, but she pulled him back. They would face this together, whatever it may be. Whoever it may be. They could not afford the assumption that this was Dad. The empire had taken control of nearby systems; who’s to say they won’t try to take their planet? She kept her weight on her toes, just like Auntie ‘Soka taught. This way she would be ready to run if she needed to. They didn’t have any weapons, they didn’t have a plan, and no one knew they were here. Standard protocol would send a small force out here after the crash to identify and capture any enemy, but that would take time. For the first time in her life, she considered the possibility that she had gone too far.

The first thing she heard was a groan. It sounded almost familiar. Was this someone they knew? Was someone coming today that Mom hadn’t told them about? Was it Dad? Could they be that lucky that this wasn't an empiric spy but an ally? Uncle Obi didn't believe in luck, but Mom did. Mom believed in fate and luck and good in the galaxy. Could it be fate that they were the ones to discover the crash?

The figure rose slowly. He seemed to have some injury preventing him from instantly killing them. Maybe from the crash or maybe from their prior location. Maybe they were returning from wiping out another rebel base and were on their way here to finish the job. 

White armor filled the scene. It was the same armor worn by those who infiltrated the streets of Tatooine. Uncle Owen makes them play the quiet game whenever they see this armor. No talking, no games, and definitely no force. This figure was not Dad. He would rather flaunt around a star destroyer naked than wear stormtrooper armor. Luke took a step back, pulling her hand with him, but Leia stayed put. Why did she recognize the trooper’s voice? Was it someone they knew undercover? What if it was a rebel? What if they needed their help? Her parents were always pushing them to help those who can’t help themselves. If this trooper was hurt, if there was the slightest possibility that they were friendly, then they should help them. Curiosity won out over her fear. With a flick of her wrist, the trooper’s helmet was flown off his head. In the back of her mind, she prided herself on her ability, but she would dwell on that later.

The face of their uncles stared back at them. She had recognized his voice, but she had no idea who was in front of them. Uncle Rex and Uncle Cody always spoke of their brothers in hushed tones. They wanted to find more brothers and free them from the empire. One was right here. If they could save Uncle Rex’s brother, then maybe no one would care if they broke the rules. Maybe Mom would be less mad if she knew that they were helping people just like she always preaches. 

“Excuse me, sir, do you need help?” Leia asked. Any trace of fear had completely left her. This was her uncle's brother. He wouldn't hurt them. They could take him to the base and hear his story of how he escaped while Uncle Rex made hot chocolate! Even Luke was less afraid as he stepped back at her side. He still held on to her hand, but his grasp loosened enough where she could barely feel it. The clone’s head snapped up at them. His eyes were wide in terror. He had the same face as her uncles, but Leia had never seen them wear that expression. She imagined his fear was directed towards the empire. He must have just escaped and hadn't fully processed his freedom yet. They should take him back to base as soon as possible.  

“We can take you to your brother Rex. He can help you, sir.” Luke had the same idea as her. Uncle Rex and Mom were the only generals still on the base. A week ago, Uncles Obi and Cody and Aunt ‘Soka left on a mission. Leia was out of bed when she was supposed to be asleep a few nights ago. She and Lola wanted to explore the base at night, and they stumbled upon Mom and Uncle Rex. She heard them say they were supposed to be back by now, but they haven’t heard anything. They tried reaching out to them, but there’s been no response. Mom wanted to comm Dad, but Uncle Rex convinced her not to. He said Dad needed to be away, but he didn’t say why. They never explain why. Maybe once they bring this clone back, Mom will see that Luke and Leia are ready in be involved with the rebellion. Maybe they'll get to go on missions soon! 

The clone was panting. He had a cut on his forehead that was bleeding. His eyes flickered between the two of them. Whatever he was scared of must be bad. Clones were fearless warriors. They didn’t scare easily, yet this one was almost frozen by fear. Leia wondered how he escaped. He must have been up against hundreds of stormtroopers during his escape. To leave with only a small injury was impressive. Not even Dad managed that most times. 

There was a clanking in the remains of the ship. It was probably more pieces of the ship falling from the fires. Leia didn't think too much about it, but the noise seemed to jolt reality back into the clone.

“You.. you two.. You’re both force sensitive?” The clone asked through pants. It was so strange to hear her uncle’s voices so unsure. 

“Yes, sir. We can help you if you just-” Luke started, but he was cut off by another clank from the ship. The clone jumped up to a standing position. He towered over them. Leia never realized how tall the clones were. She had grown up with her uncles involved in her life, but she had never seen them as intimidating. This clone, with his pristine armor and clipped blaster at her eye level felt completely different from her uncles. It didn't help that his eyes were stern and his face was deadly serious. 

“No! You two need to get out of here! Now!” He turned away from them and unclipped his blaster from his belt. He pointed his blaster at the ship. Was that what he was afraid of? Had he brought something dangerous with him? Was that why he crashed the ship? To harm his companion? Maybe this ship had nothing to do with the rebellion after all. Maybe they came here purely by accident and stumbled upon the rebellion. 

Leia was about to ask what else was there when the clone was shot in the leg. He was on his knees just as fast as the second figure appeared. He wore matching armor with the same exact face. 

“RUN!” The first clone warned them. Leia couldn’t feel her feet. She kept urging her legs to run, but they wouldn’t. She was glued to that spot on the ground with her eyes locked on the blaster pointed at them. Two clones had escaped the empire, but they were not the same.

“Good soldiers follow orders.” The second clone wore a blank face with his eyes glazed over. He had pristine form as he pointed his blaster in the middle of her forehead. Luke squeezed her hand tighter than ever before, but she didn’t mind. He pulled her feet out of the glue that had trapped her and began to run. She matched his pace, but they were half the size of the clone. He chased after them in a sprint, shortening the distance between them in seconds. Leia weaved her brother through the branches and the bushes to hide them. They were small, so they could fit in the crevices a clone couldn’t. They ran towards base. Someone had to be interested in the crash, and hopefully they had a blaster with them. Hopefully Mom was with them. Leia really wanted Mom right now. 

They ran as fast as they could, but they were not fast enough. No matter how many branches they ran under or roots they ran through, the clone was there. Right behind them with his blaster pointed and the aim of a mercenary. 

And then he started to shoot. 

Chapter Text

There was an unmarked ship pushing into the atmosphere. It wasn’t empirical standard, nor was it anything the rebellion used. It wasn’t big enough to be carrying anything of harm. It would be slightly uncomfortable for one person, and absolutely unbearable for two. It wasn’t responding to their attempts to contact, it was too busy burning through the sky. It wasn’t anyone they knew. It was too small for any of the teams on a mission, and it was not something Anakin would ever fly even in a life or death situation. 

“Should we fire, sir?” O’Lannon was a new recruit. He risked his life helping Rex and Ahsoka escape inquisitors, so they gave him a job. He was alright as far as shinies go. He didn’t shy away from blood or death, but the clerical aspect of the job constantly stumped him. Rex had been trying to teach him, but the man was testing his patience. He couldn’t work the computers, he had no idea what any button other than ‘fire’ did and he was too eager to fight to stay seated. He was a lot like Ahsoka when she was a shiny. Unable to sit still as if she was missing her one chance to fight. As if the next battle would end the war and she would miss her opportunity to help. 

There was an unmarked ship pushing into the atmosphere, and Rex watched it lose balance. It was going down no matter if they started firing or not. The probability the ship belonged to the enemy was relatively low, but Rex treated every threat with the same intensity. If any part of the empire found their base, the hundreds of lives here would have an approaching expiration date and that was not something Rex took lightly. 

“Gather a team for extraction, get all the weapons you think necessary but set to stun. We don’t know what we’re going to find out there.” Rex instructed. He tried to ignore O’Lannons eyes light up at the thought of taking action, and the way the man practically raced out of his chair to gear up. He supposed that shinies have to shiny, but the pure unbridled joy in fighting worried him. The eagerness to shoot ruined a lot of good lives. Lives both in front of and behind the trigger. 

Rex thought of the last time he was in this situation. Cody and Anakin were seconds away from their deaths all because of an eager shiny ready to take down the big bad empire. The hardest part about fighting a war was never shooting the enemy, it was learning when not to, and unfortunately for many, that lesson was learned through critical error.  

The team was made of four stealth agents along with O’Lannon and Rex. He took lead as they trekked through the overgrown forest that surrounded them. He understood the benefits of being hidden by nature, but he will forever hold a grudge against Padmé for choosing a planet with an ecosystem determined to cover every millimeter of the planet's surface. Every inch on the terrain had overgrown roots, weeds, and vines trying their damnedest to trip him. Branches from four separate trees blocked his field of vision as he pushed his way through. He wished one of the jedi had stayed on base just so they could use their ‘saber to cut this nonsense down. 

He followed a route that he estimated would end at the wreckage site from the east. He kept his blaster raised with his finger on the trigger. He tried to shoot as little as possible on missions. Fighting clankers during the war held no repercussions. Those scattered pieces of metal were collected and recycled without a second thought. To shoot at a stormtrooper, where the possibility that a blank face identical to his own lies behind that lifeless bucket, was a task Rex dealt with great caution. He will if he has to, but he can’t help but wonder how many of his victims have been vode. 

He’s not sure why his chip malfunctioned. He doesn’t know how he couldn’t shoot Ahsoka when everyone else shifted from friend to foe without the chance to fight back. He never wanted to be special. He knows that this is a gift and that he practically won the lottery of control chips, but it’s not something he enjoys. For the longest time he was the last one left. The sole clone to keep his mind while everyone else lost everything. 

He never had any regret taking down the ship of torrent company, his vode would view it as merciful to avoid living as a drone, and he shared that philosophy whenever shooting stormtroopers. If he had fired at a vod, then he would be saving them from a life of mindless control. He thought their fate was sealed. He thought he would forever be the last clone left with a mind of his own. 

Then Kote came back. 

Kote, who was controlled for five years, snapped back into existence meaning there was a way to bring them back. He didn’t have to be the only one left. Rex couldn’t help but think about the vode he killed. If he had just waited, he could have gotten them back instead of losing them forever. He and Kote had spoken about the chance of getting their vode back for hours on end. Kote wondered if he had ever unknowingly worked side by side with a vod. Rex wondered if he had ever killed one. 

Anakin had worked tirelessly trying to recreate the device his friend made, but the mechanical prodigy was stumped. The device was originally in Kote’s bucket, but the man returned bucketless so Anakin had nothing to go on besides ‘force memories’ whatever that was. Rex stopped paying attention to force shit ever since Ahsoka threw him off a cliff during the war. The first time. Even if Anakin could figure out how to deactivate the chip, they have yet to find any more vode. Kote seemed to be another one in a million vod who were free while the rest blended in with the sea of stormtroopers. If Anakin’s friend freed anyone else, the rebellion had no idea. 

There was smoke filling the air as more trees caught fire from the crash site. They were close. The roots and vines on the ground were joined by metal chunks and shards of glass. The sounds of alarms consumed the forest as the control panel of the remains lit up like the lower levels of coruscant. Rex positioned his blaster with pristine form towards the center of the mess. Right there, panting in stormtrooper armor, was a man who could kill this entire planet. 

“We’ve got you surrounded!” Rex yelled, “Put your hands where I can see them and turn around slowly!” The trooper raised one arm, but kept the other draped across his abdomen. He moved slowly, either due to Rex’s warning or pain. Rex couldn’t tell for sure. He kept his stance as the trooper turned, but all of his training fled his body the second he made eye contact with the trooper. Two pairs of identical eyes on identical faces stared back at each other, and while millions of others shared the exact same traits, Rex recognized this man immediately. 

“Bly?” Rex lowered his blaster. Even if Bly was still under control, he was injured, and Rex told himself the man wouldn’t be able to fight for long. Rex’s team surrounded them, guns blazed. Bly looked thin with haunted eyes. It was the same look Kote had when he first returned. It was the look of a man who has seen too much even by a clone’s standards. His side had a blaster mark right between his armor. Rex was next to him in a fraction of a second. Bly was sweating with uneven breaths, his eyes were everywhere and his hands were shaking. Rex had never seen Bly like this. As the youngest, the others went to extreme lengths to never seem hurt in front of Rex. They would always have some smile on their faces while claiming to feel no pain. Rex despised it. He couldn’t understand why they couldn’t just let their guard down and admit to being hurt. 

He’s ashamed to say that seeing Bly like this made him hesitate. He should’ve immediately looked at his ori’vods wound and gotten a medic, but all he could do was stare. Bly was here, but he hadn’t even seemed to notice Rex was too. He couldn’t get enough air in and way too much was leaving him. 

“General?” O’Lannon’s voice brought Rex back to his mind. They had to get back to base. They had to get a medic. Without another thought, he supported Bly’s arm across his shoulder and let his vod lean fully on him. 

“We’re gonna get you a medic, vod. You’re safe now, it’s ok.” 

They made it ten steps when Bly came back to himself. A hand snatched Rex’s face and grabbed on tightly. Rex was about to yell, but Bly beat him to it.

“The kids! He’s after those two kids. He’ll kill ‘em!” Bly’s eyes were locked on Rex’s, holding years of witnessed bloodshed and pain. He pointed further into the woods to show blaster marks on the trees. They were only four feet from the ground. Rex had no idea who ‘he’ was, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt which two kids would find themselves in the middle of a wreckage. He set Bly on the ground, gave an order to find a medic and get help, and then he ran. 

He ran like hell. 

-

The sound of a blaster firing at rapid speed made him double his pace. He’s not sure how the twins ended up in this mess, but with Anakin and Padmé’s genes he shouldn’t be surprised. The second there was a slight risk of danger, suddenly a Skywalker ended up right in the middle. Rex used to think that it was due to the war and the growing number of people that wanted to defeat his general. After eight more years of missions and fighting, he now understood how incorrect that sentimentality was. 

He found the twins behind a tree as a vod shot two bolts per second. This vod was precise and calculated, he should have been able to defeat two eight year olds in no time. But every bolt warped around the two as if an invisible shield protected them. Luke had his eyes closed as Leia covered his ears. 

Rex did not hesitate as he shot the vod; one stunning shot at the head, and the man went down. He fired twice more on the vod’s abdomen for safe measures then rushed to the twins. Leia looked uncharacteristically terrified as she held onto her brother. Her eyes were wide with tears streaming down her cheeks. Luke looked seconds away from passing out. Anakin had collapsed on the battlefield once after destroying an entire fleet of tanks. He explained force exhaustion to Kix and Rex once he woke up. Rex didn’t understand all of the inner workings of it, but he got the main idea; using the force takes energy, too much force means too much energy. For Anakin, that meant he capped off after using the same amount of energy as a small star to destroy a full battalion. For a novice such as Luke, he could only block deadly bolts for a limited amount of time. 

Rex checked Luke’s pulse just in case, and found the boy was in fact alright. He lifted the kid on his hip, and the boy melted into his arms in an instant. He’ll probably be asleep before they even make it back to base. 

“Is he ok?” the normally confident and assured voice of Leia Naberrie-Skywalker, was suddenly timid and shy. Rex knelt down to her eye level, making sure to keep Luke stable. He watched as Leia looked over her brother before looking at Rex like he held all the knowledge in the world. If only that were true. 

“He will need lots of rest and a good dinner, but yes he’ll be ok.” Rex assured her. Anakin had slept for half a day then ate five ration bars in a row to be ok. Rex knew the severity of the man’s need for fuel the second he asked for his third ration bar. Those weren’t something eaten out of enjoyment alone. Rex checked if Leia had any major injuries and was relieved to find none. He already had to tell Padmé her children inherited a death wish, he did not want to tell her they almost succeeded. Leia nodded and started walking back home, but Rex wasn’t done. He grabbed onto her hand, gently but tight enough where she couldn’t escape. “What were you two doing out here? You are way past the borders where it’s safe, you could have been seriously hurt! Does your mom even know you were out here?” 

Rex watched as Leia avoided his eye contact. She squirmed in his grasp, but he wasn’t letting go. Sometimes they were so much like their father. All three of them would leap over a canyon before checking if they could make it, just because it would yield the best results. Rex didn’t know if they loved the thrill or simply couldn’t live any other way, but he’s come to terms with being stressed by Skywalkers until the day he dies. 

“We wanted to see Dad.” Leia whispered her answer. Rex felt his authority turn to mush. He likes to think that he was never a pushover and kept a tight grasp on the men under his command. It was easy with his soldiers. If one person fucked up, it could risk the mission and thousands of lives. With his niece and nephew? They broke the rules, risked their lives, and almost died just for the possibility of seeing Anakin. And Rex turned into goo. How could he blame two little tubies who only wanted to see their dad? It was the same thing Anakin would do just to see Padmé. 

Fuck. He was absolutely a pushover when it came to them. 

“It’s ok, I know you miss him.” Rex wiped her eyes before lifting her in her opposite hip. Just like her brother, she sunk into his arms. They were getting too big for this, but if they didn’t complain, Rex would carry them until he physically couldn’t. 

“He’s not coming back yet, is he?” The young girl asked. Her brother was softly sleeping right next to her. Rex did not have a real answer. He had a guess, but he did not know the exact date of Anakin’s arrival. No one did. This wasn’t something he could just complete after a standard amount of time, it was more than anything Rex understood. He was pushing himself farther than anything they know to be possible. It could take another month, it could take another day. Not one of them knew which it would be. 

“No, not yet.” 

O’Lannon took Bly to the medics while the stealth team handled the other vod. He too would get a check-up but under a more controlled environment. They’ve never dealt with a vod with an activated chip before. Rex didn’t recognize the other, but he would uncover that with Bly later.  For now, he carried Luke and Leia all the way home. If he were to go back to the start of the war and tell his shiny self that one day he would be carrying the son and daughter of his ‘celibate’ jedi general, he would think he lost his mind. But here they were, and he loved it. 

- 

Padmé was understandably furious. The twins were going to be in their room for a long time to rest and reflect on their actions. Rex helped get Luke into bed then beelined to the medical center. He needed answers. How was Bly here? Did he know where the rebellion was or was this luck? Who was the other vod? Where did they come from? 

His feet took him to the medbay without any input from his mind. He couldn’t comprehend it. Bly was here. It felt like Kote all over again, but somehow completely different at the same time. They watched Kote for weeks before actually seeing him in person, but not this time. Bly just appeared out of thin air with no warning and no time to prepare. Bly was here. 

How was he here? 

He set his blaster to stun and kept it in reach. He wasn’t looking forward to using it, but there was no logical explanation for how two stormtroopers stumbled upon the rebellion on the one day thousands of ships flooded the hyperspace lanes. To not only find the planet they were on, but to land just meters away from their base was more than just luck. It was too coordinated. Too calculated. 

Too dangerous.

If they were sent here and Rex failed to identify the threat, he would never forgive himself. If they destroyed the rebellion before waking up, they would never forgive themselves. He would not be letting that happen. 

There was an argument happening in the medbay. Two voices with differing intensities disputed the need for medical treatment. The voice identical to the one inside Rex’s mind argued that he was fine. The other voice disagreed. Rex walked faster. Their medic, Mori, was sternly coxing Bly back into bed while the man tried to explain that he ‘was fine’ and ‘didn’t need to be there’. Four eyes turned to Rex as he stepped into view. 

“Rex! Tell her I’m fine to at least walk around!” 

“General, the patient needs a full examination.” 

“That’s a complete waste of resources and equipment!” 

“I will sedate you if I must.” 

The two voices spoke in different tunes of different songs, instantly overwhelming Rex. Luckily, after years of Skywalker, Tano, and every other vod pulling this same shit, Rex was adequately trained. Rex placed a cup of water in Bly’s hand and shoved the man back into bed. 

“Mori will conduct a full examination-“ Rex was cut off by a loud scoff from Bly and a cheer from Mori. 

“Thank you!” The junior medic smirked at Bly. The mature and decorated war veteran stuck his tongue out at her. 

“After the two of us talk.” Rex finished. Mori’s elation quickly turned to frustration at his order. She was confident and skilled, so Rex would never call her cocky, but she was stubborn. He could tell she had more fight in her, but Rex gave her one of his ‘don’t push this’ glares before she could start her rebuttal. The young girl did not look frightened as other young shinies often did at the glare, but she did back down. 

“Yes General. Let me know when you’re finished.” She eyed them both before walking away. 

“General Rex huh?” Bly, the asshole, asked. How dare he joke after literally falling out of the fucking sky! After bringing a potentential danger right to the rebellions front door! The man was sitting up now, looking Rex over. He seemed a lot healthier than when Rex first saw him, which made Rex feel a whole lot better for what he was about to do. 

Bly yelped as Rex put the head of his blaster directly into the man’s wound. Bly hissed in pain. He looked seconds away from vomiting, but Rex didn’t back down. He couldn’t. The rebellion was a small force scattered throughout the galaxy. Any major hit and the movement would be set back years if not decades. There was so little hope in the universe and Rex would not risk it for one vod. No matter how much it killed him to. 

“I am going to ask you for information and you will deliver it honestly or I will pull the trigger.” Rex threatened the first freed vod in three years. He had to. His duty was to the rebellions and he had to protect it. 

Bly nodded without any quip or comment.

“Walk me through everything. From the moment you woke up to how you found these exact coordinates.” Rex slightly pushed his blaster deeper into the wound. Bly squirmed with pain. 

“Ok! Ok! I don’t fully know all of it, but I’ll tell you everything I swear, just back off!” 

Rex withdrew his blaster, but he kept it aimed with his finger on the trigger. He nodded for Bly to go on. His ori’vod took a deep breath. 

“I woke up in the barracks. I don’t know how. One minute we’re on Felcuia with the general-“ Bly cut himself off. The monitor his heart was connected to doubled in speed. He looked like he stopped breathing. “Aayla! I- I-! fuck. I- I didn’t- I killed-!” 

Words were lost through heavy pants. Bly held onto his chest as tears filled his eyes. Rex repeated his vods name over and over again, but the man never heard him. He grabbed Bly’s hands and spoke them both through a breathing exercise. He put Bly’s head on his shoulder. 

There were rumors throughout the command squad that Bly had a thing with his general. Rex had heard snippets of it from Wolffe and Ponds, but nothing was ever confirmed. He had tried asking Kote about it, but the eldest practically shut down whenever inappropriate relationships with generals came up. He believed there was some truth to the rumors despite the lack of confirmation. Bly looked at his general like she hung the stars in the sky. He praised her skills and even defended all the crazy Jedi shit she did. They seemed closer than just friends. 

Rex never learned the specific details on how his vod killed their generals. His own men stormed the temple with Vader and imagining any one of them killing the younglings made him want to sob endlessly for days. Learning exactly which methods engraved into them were used to betray their greatest friends and allies was not something Rex spent time thinking about. He couldn’t. Kote never once brought up shooting Obi-Wan. Rex and Ahsoka do not talk about the events that occurred that fateful night. All details are reserved as private memories that will die within them. 

He’s had eight years to dwell on that night. Bly has had no time at all. From what Kote has told him, all time under the chip was lost. He remembers the five years, but he was not conscious for any of it. One second here, the next somewhere completely different with five years of someone else’s memories. He wished Kote was here. Rex doesn’t know how to help. Kote initially pushed away, he doesn’t want Bly to do the same. He would leave Bly alone and let him process his freedom, but he needed the answers. He needed to know the rebellion would be safe with the two of them here. 

He wished Kote was here. Kote would know what to do. 

Bly’s breathing evened out after a few minutes of breathing together. Tears still raced down his face, but Rex ignored them. 

“I killed Aayla.” Bly confessed in a whisper like a ghost in the wind. Silent but haunted. Rex had no idea how to respond. Thankfully, Bly kept going. He was no longer looking at Rex, opting for the floor instead. Rex didn’t mind the change. He didn’t know if he could look Bly in eyes and not fall apart, and him falling to pieces was the last thing either of them needed.

 “One second we were on Felucia, then I got a comm. We… we killed her. No thought about it. We just heard the order and shot. There was no humanity to it either. There were about ten of us near her and every single one of us shot at her. She never even had a chance. And… and then after. After we slaughtered her like savages, we didn’t stop. We must’ve shot for a full minute while she was dead within seconds… she didn’t even have time to light her weapon. She didn’t even have time to realize it was us…” Bly spoke quietly like he was registering his words for the very first time. As if he had no idea what would come out of his mouth until it reached his ears. Rex set his blaster down. This was not a man capable of hurting them. Not anymore. 

“I woke up in the barracks on Lothal. It was the middle of the night and the whole room was asleep. There was a natborn there, waiting. Watching. It was like he planned out the exact time I would wake up. He told me about the chip. He said he shut it off but I would need surgery to remove it. He had a ship for me. Coordinates programmed and everything. He said two hundred ships were leaving today to ship out supplies for the emperor's new project and no one would notice if that one ship went missing. He gave me a blaster, told me the route and then he just left. No name or anything.” 

The tension eased as Bly spoke. He seemed to be distracted by his words to think about his memories. Rex had a guess on who the man was, but instead of lightening his confusion, it shifted it. How did Anakin’s friend know where they would be? How did he know Bly would follow his instructions? Why did Bly blindly follow a strangers orders?

“You didn’t question his intent?” 

“Of course I did, but what were my options? Wait around to get decanted or die on a natborn’s whim? I decided to take my chances. I got dressed like I always would to not raise suspicion. I was seconds away from leaving when I saw him, 9043. He was sleeping in the back corner. He was a shiny that shipped out to us two weeks before the war ended. I don’t think he even had a name yet. I knew it was him, though. He was a bit more runty than an average vod, a bit off center in his eyes. He was a good shiny though, better than most which was probably how he never got recycled. Sort of like you, but not as good. I knew his chip was still active or else the natborn would’ve grabbed us both, but I couldn’t leave him. He only had two weeks without the longnecks. He never got to live. I figured I would help him wherever the natborn took us. If my chip shut off, so could his right? And well… yours too apparently.” Bly eyed him. Rex knew he would eventually have to share his own story, but that could wait. They had time. 

“I told him it was an order from the admiral to fix the ships. He didn’t put up a fight. Hell, he didn’t even speak. He just sat there and let me work. The ship was only large enough for me, but we made it work. Watching him sit there lifeless… that was me you know. Just hours ago I looked the exact same.” Bly refused to make any eye contact. Rex never told Kote, and he would never admit this out loud, but he had wondered what it was like under control. Not during the order, he had seen enough of that first hand to get the message, but when there wasn’t a mission or a fight. What was it like? What did they do? Did they wait for a new order? Did they have enough to do that there was never downtime? He knew he could never ask this, he’s not even sure he could form the sentence in the first place, but there was always a what if moment echoing in the back of his mind. What if he wasn’t different? What would his life look like now? Would he be mindless, sitting in some empirical building waiting for his next order? 

There were tens of thousands of men with the answer to that question, and until just hours ago, Bly was one of them. And then there was 9043. To think there were shinies out there who lived solely under the control of either the longnecks or the empire. He didn’t even have a name yet. Rex felt like vomiting. He felt like screaming. The longnecks will pay one day. The empire will pay one day and Rex will free his brothers. He must. 

He will. 

“Once he realized we were committing treason to the highest degree, he started fighting me. Got me good in the ribs and of course my gut as you know. He got the control panel right as we were approaching the atmosphere. I thought we were goners. Could you imagine? Some natborn risks his life to save mine and I immediately die. What a joke that would be.” 

Bly finally looked at him. Rex couldn’t speak. What a joke that life would be. What a joke life is now! How humorous it is that the greatest army created in the history of time could be destroyed by two words! What a punchline that Rex out of everyone was spared. What a joke indeed. 

Bly was looking at him expectantly as if Rex could come up with anything to say. How do you respond to something you know nothing about? His chip never worked, he still had his Jedi general and commander, and he never served under the empire. He was ‘lucky’ that way. He was the last one left for years and now he couldn’t connect with his own big brother. The same man that taught him in secret to keep him from getting decanted. The same man that helped with survive the stress of Anakin and the war in general. The man that was always there with a smile and a joke to keep the room light even in the darkest times. The best Rex could do was fill in the eight years of gaps between then and now. 

So that’s what he did. 

He explained how his chip malfunctioned. How he and Ahsoka escaped. He explained how Bail approached Ahsoka at the twin’s fake funeral and mentioned the thought of a rebellion. He explained their missions and how they built their command. He explained Vader and Anakin and how they found out. He explained that the natborn that freed him was probably the same one that freed Kote. He felt like he was talking for hours, but once he started, he couldn’t stop. He needed to tell Bly everything. From the smallest brush stroke to the main portrait, Bly had to know every step involved. Bly nodded along, he asked questions if he wanted to, but for the most part he just let Rex flood the room like a dam with a leak. He knew that talking wouldn’t heal Bly or even help him that much, but it was good to be doing something instead of sitting there and staring at his ori’vod like an idiot. He spent way too much time feeling useless in this life. It felt nice to pretend he could actually help. 

“What happened to 9043? He didn’t hurt those kids did he?” Bly asked after Rex took a moment to breathe. Rex shook his head and Bly let out a sigh of relief. 

“The kids are fine. A bit shaken, but nothing more. We have him sedated for now. He’s cuffed to a bed and stripped of his weapons. The medics should be examining him now.” Rex explained. How they would help the kid, Rex didn’t know. Anakin has yet to replicate his friends device and Rex doubts the man sent the instructions with Bly. Anakin’s arrival date was a loose estimate that changed by the second. Who knew when the man would be able to make a device anyways. They couldn’t leave 9043 in that state for that long. They could try the surgery, but they’ve never done it with an active chip. What if that did more harm than good? 

“Ok. Ok, that’s good.” Bly nodded to no one in particular. He looked at the wall in front of him as his mind processed the foreign world that surrounded him. He woke up not even a full day ago. That isn’t something to just move on from. Rex has never seen Bly so serious. Even during the worst battles of the war, Bly found some way to make a comment that got the rest of them to smile. Rex wanted to do that for him. 

“You know who’s kids those are?” Rex smirked. The topic of his generals not-so-secret relationship was popular within the command squad. The amount of times Rex complained about standing guard while his general did Jango-knows-what in closets with the senator were off the charts. Rex swore he was a door guard longer than he fought clankers and that’s saything something. 

“Who?” 

“Anakin and Senator Amidalas.” Rex laughed as Bly’s mouth dropped open. 

“No!” 

“Yep. They have eight year old twins.” Rex informed. He watched Bly do the math that current eight year olds had to have been conceived before the empire was created. 

“Fuck! That means I owe Ponds at least a few hundred credits.” Bly shook his head and the two of them chuckled. The joy died out at the mention of their brother. Whatever happened to Ponds, neither of them knew, but Rex doubted it was anything good. They sat in a silence filled with mourning and guilt, but Rex wasn’t going to leave. He wouldn’t add loneliness to weights on Bly’s mind. 

“Were you actually going to shoot me?” Bly broke the minutes of silence they had both lived in. Rex smiled and aimed his blaster at the wall. A blue stunray shot out of the weapon and broke apart with a loud *BANG*. 

“I couldn’t have killed you, not even if I had to.” Rex smiled and so did Bly. They were together, and soon Kote would be there too. It wasn’t enough, and it would never make up for what they lost, but it was more than they had hours ago. That was good enough for Rex.  

-

Rex stayed there until Mori came back. She was very clear about conducting her examination with or without either of their consent, and this time Rex let her work. He wanted to stay, but Bly kicked him out. 

“You’ve seen enough of me today, go lead your men General Rex’ika.” He preformed the most exaggerated salute possible like the asshole Rex knew him to be. Rex promised he would come back very soon and Bly didn’t doubt it once. 

O’Lannon was waiting for him outside the doors. He looked on edge with his right heel tapping the floor as quickly as his eyes darted across the room. Rex straightened his back, full attention on the younger man in front of him. 

“O’Lannon?” Rex’s voice snapped the man into attention. 

“Sir! We conducted a full search of the crash site along with the reminants of the ship. We didn’t find anything substantial except for this.” O’Lannon handed Rex a slip of paper. He read it once, then twice, then a third time just to make sure of what he was seeing. He couldn’t believe it. Rex was used to his generals' involvement in reckless and unconventional antics, but this was something he would normally tell rest of them about. Anakin wouldn’t casually risk his families safety like this. He would risk his own safety without a second thought, but the twins? Padmé’s? Absolutely not. 

“Does General Amidala know?” 

“Not yet. I came to you first.” O’Lannon stated nervously like he was afraid of getting reprimanded for not following protocol. Rex was too distracted by the paper in his hands. What was the context of this? What did Rex not know and, more importantly, how can he find out?

“Report this to her then get Fulcrum on comm by any means necessary.” Rex commanded and handed the paper back to the shiny. O’Lannon saluted then scurried off to follow orders. 

Rex wished that Anakin was not currently on the most secluded planet in the galaxy so that he could ask him one thing: what the hell has he gotten them into now? 

The Emperor continues his half of the deal so long as Skywalker follows through on his end. In exchange for the information previously provided to me, tell Skywalker it’s 145,600Hz. Anything else and it won’t work. 

Thank him for me, he’ll know why. 

~ K

Chapter Text

Red liquid dripped from his hands like a leaky faucet. The normally thick liquid gushed out in waves like criminals escaping their prison. It was too much. Too red. Red handprints on his armor, red paint on his face, red in the kid’s mouth. Glass in the kid’s eyes. Cody has seen more red in his lifetime than most. He has seen brothers bleed out in his arms just as this kid was doing. He has seen death. He has caused death. He has been responsible for children never returning home, partners never holding their beloved, people never breathing again. But he’s never seen anything like this.

This child could not have been older than a second stage tubie. Older than the twins, but younger than Boba was before the war. And every ounce of his blood was staining the grass around them. His white armour appeared crimson, his face looked injured, his lungs drew in particles of the thing this kid so desperately needed.

This village had been at a standstill ever since they arrived here. The inquisitors found an underground safe haven full of force sensitives of all ages. The rebellion came with a team of ten soldiers trained by Cody himself to protect the civilians of this town. For five days they fought against the inquisitors while escorting as many force sensitives off the planet as they could. Cody had hope in his eyes. A vision that this would work and that they could keep the galaxy safe. They sent two of their men to guide the force sensitives off planet. They would rendezvous at their base on D’Qar before securing them passports and transit to other planets. He had watched Obi-Wan smile as they boarded. Another job well done was on the tip of his tongue, Cody could practically hear it. Right as their team’s ship approached the atmosphere, it burst into an array of different shades of red and black. There were no remains to bury, no bodies left screaming, only the image of Vader’s ship with its blaster still smoking.

With Vader on their team, the inquisitors launched into attacks more gruesome and inhumane than Cody thought possible. The village mayor was hung by the feet in the middle of town square. Vader stabbed his red light of death through the man's eyes and watched him die. Without Skywalker’s power, he grew more monstrous by the day. Any hint of humanity had been sucked away like a black hole leaving only murder and revenge. They started out with a team of ten.

Only Cody, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka remained.

The two former jedi were fighting the inquisitors. Vader was hiding behind them, scared to have his power beat by the man that turned him into a machine. He stood behind the scene, weapon still on his belt, almost daring anyone to try to attack. This kid approached him from behind with a blaster in hand. Instead of using the weapon that cauterized any wound it created, Vader used the robotic arm to pull the boy's intestines out of his tiny body. He threw the boy to the side. There was no thought in Cody’s mind besides running to the child as he screamed and cried in pain.

There was nothing Cody could do. He had no medical supplies, no surgical training, and no miracles at his fingertips. This boy was going to die, Cody knew it, the gods knew it, hell, even the boy knew it, but he would not die alone. Cody should be helping Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. They all have been fighting for days on end, they could only duel for so long. One on one was brutal enough, but this was two on five. They were going to tire and Cody should go help them. He should start shooting the inquisitors. Taking them out with his precise aim and murderous hand. He should be trying to end their tirade.

But he couldn’t. Instead he put the boy’s head in his lap and used the kids’ torn up shirt as an attempt to slow the bleeding. He stroked the boy’s hair and whispered calming mantras. The same he did when vode died in his arms so many years ago. He took his bucket off and the boy looked at him with wide scared eyes. Those blue iris knew they would stop seeing very soon. Cody has seen this look before, but never in someone so young. It was a sight he never wanted to see again.

Within seconds, or maybe hours, his tiny body drained all of his blood. His eyes glassed over, and his lungs stopped working. Cody never got to learn the name of the warrior brave enough to take on Vader alone. And he never will.

He closed the boy's eyes and covered his abdomen as much as he could. Later, someone who knows the child’s name, who knows his favorite color or favorite subject in his lessons, will find him here. Their life will never be the same as they mourn the loss of their child. It will be the worst day of their life. They do not need to see their child’s organs along with that. He put his bucket next to the boy’s head. A hero needed the funeral of a warrior. He said the only prayer in Mando’a he knew and took a deep breath.

He wished he could do more. He wished he could find the boy’s family. He wished he could have found a medic in time or stopped the boy from ever attacking Vader in the first place. He can’t do any of that. But he can stop it from happening again.

Cody fired at the inquisitor behind Ahsoka. The two force sensitives were working in tandem, with attacks started by one and finished by the other. They worked well blocking each attack while getting their own defense in. An outsider may believe that they could win like this. That the two Jedi could fight for hours and never waver. That they could cast out the evil once and for all and save the day. Cody knew better. His companions were slowing. They were leaving space for attacks that shouldn’t be there. It was only a matter of time before they made room for injury. Cody was slowing. With each second passed, his mind reminded him of the child whose blood he now wore. He shot inquisitors while praying that this fight would simply end. He lost his determination. He wondered how bad it would be if they lost this fight, just so that it would be over. The only bloodshed would be his as Obi-Wan and Ahsoka were captured. They would bait Skywalker out of hiding and they would succeed. The rebellion would fall. The emperor would win once more.

He shot the middle inquisitor in between their eyes as Obi-Wan cut their lightsaber out of their arm. One down. Cody joined their formation as they fought three on four. It wasn’t ideal, but they’ve survived worse. They will survive this. They must.

With the three of them working together, they morphed into one. One being with four weapons, six legs, and six arms. Obi-Wan went high, Cody went low, and Ahsoka slashed right across the middle. The wound cauterized the moment it formed. The girl staggered, but she did not fall. Not yet. Cody went in for the second attack, but he was met with the blade of a different inquisitor. Obi-Wan was handling two, Ahsoka fought the third, and the fourth was locked on Cody. Each blaster shot was blocked and aimed at the former jedi. One bolt grazed millimeters from Ahsoka. Cody switched forms from defense to offense. He needed his opponent unarmed to prevent more harm than good. He ducked, kicked, and side stepped hoping to confuse the other enough to steal his blade. He was winning. He was panting and his vision was blurring his surroundings together until all that was left was lines of colors, but he was winning.

Until another red line ignited.

Vader launched at him. One lightsaber Cody could handle, but two were asking death to come claim him. He braced himself for impact. He was only a human with no insight to the supernatural power that surrounded him. He wasn’t winning this alone.

As he felt the heat cling to his skin, as his vision was once more filled with red, the world froze. Blue light countered the red in front of him. Five red blades circled two white and one blue one with Cody in the center, blaster raised.

“Obi-Wan…” The deep voice of a modulator spoke through the anticipation, “Your skill diminished greatly since our last meeting.”

“And yet you have not been able to kill me.” Obi-Wan smiled. His eyes remained on the eye holes of Vader’s helmet. His confidence never waivered. Cody searched for an opportunity to escape. He knew this fight could not continue for long. Their only chance of survival was fleeing. He looked for an opening, a crack in the formation built but the inquisitors, but there was nothing. He saw Ahsoka tighten her grip on her blades. He watched her eyes scan their enemies same as Cody. She didn’t seem to arrive at a different result.

Vader slashed his blade on the ground in front of Obi-Wan.

“When I kill you, it will be because you begged me to.” Vader always spoke slowly and full of thought. Cody wondered if that was purposeful or a result of Vader's last encounter with Obi-Wan. That the lava deformed his throat so much so that the mere act of speaking fast pained him. Cody hoped that was true. He hoped even blinking caused the Sith pain.

“I can’t see that future occurring. Your predictions may be more accurate if you still had the force.” The taunt left Obi-Wan’s mouth and Vader immediately shifted. He spun his ‘saber and raised his weapon. Obi-Wan readied his stance, but he was not the intended target. Ahsoka was. Vader cut her back open in one fell swoop. She dropped her one ‘saber with an inquisitor stealing the other. The three others pounced on Obi-Wan like animals. Predators disarmed their prey until Obi-Wan was on his knees with his arms bound behind him. Vader held his blade an inch from Cody’s throat.

The inquisitors took his blaster and cuffed his arms behind him. They fitted Obi-Wan and Ahsoka with force suppressants. Cody wondered how soon they would kill him. Would he even make it to their ship? Would he make it one more step? Clones were always expendable in the empire's eyes. Clones without their control chips were just a waste of DNA and flesh. All he could see was red. Red lightsaber, red wounds, red organs, red blood dripping down his body. To think he may die with undiagnosed shock almost made him laugh. Laugh like Skywalker with crazed eyes and a slim form. Laugh like he did as he promised to kill the Hutts on the day he died. He wasn’t sincere then. He never planned to follow through on that promise. Maybe they should have gone. Maybe then he wouldn’t die a wannabe hero like that little boy. Maybe then he could actually change the galaxy for the better.

“You have over-served your purpose.” Vader commanded. Before he could attack, the inquisitor to his right was flown backwards. There was no sound besides her screams, no movement besides her trail. She disappeared into the fog that formed around the village. A faint blue light appeared. The inquisitor on his left followed. Then the one by Ahsoka, then the two by Obi-Wan.

The sky darkened as clouds covered the sun. The ground shook, trembling under the sheer power standing on it. Through the fog a man not quite human emerged. His eyes had a glint in them that was too light. His signature smirk that was slightly too wide plastered on his face. He disappeared three months ago, to never be heard from again. His hand was clutched in a fist. Cody realized only then why Vader hadn’t killed him yet. He couldn’t. He was frozen in time like a relic at a museum, forever to be stared at and observed. His weapon, that was only an inch away from Cody’s neck, could not move any further. His neck, which had followed the disappearance of his team, could not turn back. His fate was sealed.

Skywalker lifted his fist and the Sith slid towards him. He rotated his hand in sync with the Sith Lord's body. He shut off his weapon and stuck it on his belt. He then grabbed the red blade and repeated his actions until his belt held two swords. Two blades responsible for more deaths than any other in the galaxy.

Skywalker spoke, but the sound did not travel to their group. Cody tried to move closer, but he found himself frozen as well. He looked through the corners of his eyes to see Obi-Wan and Ahsoka just as stuck. All six eyes were trapped on the two men with identical DNA. All six eyes yearned to move forward. To fight the Sith. To hear the Jedi. To question why Anakin had not killed Vader yet. Why did he shut off the weapons? Why has he not ended this? Without Vader, the emperor has one less attack dog. One less animal eating his way through thousands of victims. Why hasn’t Anakin killed him like he killed the inquisitors?

Vader walked past Anakin into the fog, and Anakin let him. He let the sith walk away. The fog cleared to find four bodies and no Sith. With a wave of his hand, all three cuffs left their victims and the three were released from Anakin’s hold.

Obi-Wan acted first. He supported Ahsoka and they limped toward their brother. Anakin stood with his eyes on Ahsoka’s back. The injury was not fatal, but Cody has no idea how the kid was still standing. They hugged Anakin like they never imagined to see the man again. Obi-Wan placed his hands on Skywalker's face. Ahsoka joined their bear hug as if she had a permanent right to the spot in between them. Anakin caught his eye and smiled at him. He smiled back and held up a fist which Anakin properly bumped with his own fist. Cody let them have their moment. He was surprised how long Anakin had been gone. When briefing his mission, he was only supposed to stay for one month max. He lost all contact the moment his ship left the ground. Obi-Wan kept imagining scenarios in which Anakin died or was captured again. He started planning rescue ops for the mission after this shitshow. Cody knew Obi-Wan needed this moment.

Once the trio broke apart however, he could not ignore what just occurred.

“Why did you let him go? You could have killed him!” Cody felt like he was lecturing twenty year old ‘General Skywalker’ and not the man he had come to know and like as a friend, but he didn’t care. Skywalker would have caused a massive dent in their enemies forces, but he let the man simply walk right past him. Cody needed to know why. Ahsoka and Obi-Wan were both looking at Skywalker expectantly. The man looked almost bored at the accusation.

“It wasn’t his time.” Skywalker shrugged and started walking away towards his own ship. Cody knew Skywalker would not elaborate more. Some missions Skywalker would do something absolutely reckless and outlandish and he would not know the reason. He would shrug and say ‘it’s how the force willed it’. Sometimes he would look confused if Obi-Wan or Ahsoka asked him. They would ask why and he would say ‘you didn’t hear the warning?’ He never expanded on the things he heard or the feelings he got. Cody didn’t think he knew how. As if the force simply sent instructions and Anakin, being the most direct line, was the first to hear and act on them. The details got lost in transit. Cody wished there was more. Wished Skywalker had the capacity to form the words explaining why in Jango's name he let a Sith Lord go without harm. But he would never get more than ‘it wasn’t his time.’ And he just had to accept that. “Now come on, they need our help!”