Star Wars: 'Small acts of Defiance' *Rex fic*
Title: A small act of defiance
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Captain Rex, Attie, Anakin Skywalker, Torrent company, Ahsoka (mentioned only)
Ratings & Warnings: PG-14
Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it.
Author's note: This scene is more of a what-if that could (but probably didn’t) happen during the events of Order 66. Also be warned this is my first time writing as Rex so my apologies in advance if I got his voice/thoughts all wrong.
Order 66 was considered the proudest moment of every clone soldier in the 501st. All their short lives they had trained to bring about order, to restore the peace. To be able to storm the halls of the corrupt, to bring about justice made Rex’s heart swell with pride.
The sound of their boots beating against the durasteel plating echoed off the marble pillars filling the air with an unspoken sense of foreboding. General Skywalker’s expression was stony and dark as he led the troops up the stairs and into the main atrium of the jedi temple. Rex was right behind him along with the rest of his men.
It humbled the young captain to know that he was to be a part of this great moment in history. General Skywalker-now Lord Vader to them-promised them a victory that history would never forget. Rex had little reason to doubt him.
The jedi temple was warmly lit, an ironic welcome to its intruders. If the general noticed its strange beauty, his scarred expression didn’t reveal it.
Rex knew that alarms would go off the moment they stepped inside. The scanners on his helmet revealed a variety of movement, of approaching figures. It was expected. The jedi wouldn’t leave their stronghold unguarded.
“Take down every last traitor! Show no compassion. Show no mercy! They are not our allies anymore. Spare no one!
“You have your orders, you know what to do.”
The words were meant to invigorate and encourage the troops. Yet upon hearing Anakin’s statement, something deep within Rex’s gut twisted.
Before he had a chance to register what it was, the jedi revealed themselves. Soon instincts took over and orders were given. The strange feeling was shortly forgotten as Rex sought to protect his men while accomplishing their mission.
He didn’t ask why they had been ordered to take down the men and women who once commanded them. It wasn’t his place. Yet deep down he knew the answer.
The jedI order had grown corrupt and arrogant. They no longer cared for the men who fought under their command, or the Republic they swore to protect. Rex had seen it first hand through the treatment of his troops, their lack of regard to their safety or importance. He also saw the way they treated General Skywalker and his second-in-command. The jedI were hypocrites. They preached of peace and yet they supported the war more than any of the other factions or worlds.
It came as no surprise that evidence was found proving the jedi involvement to remove the supreme chancellor from power.
The jedI despite their age were still in fighting form. Their abilities with the Force made them formidable foes leaving Rex and his men forced to rely on their years of training to survive. Rex tried not to dwell on the irony or the strange sense of emptiness that came with the betrayal of camaraderie.
While some of the warriors put up a fight, most chose to defend. It was only at the shouts and cries of children did the captain understand why they were avoiding the battle. However, they weren’t here for the younglings, or so he believed.
Upon removing an elder female warrior, the captain noticed that the sound of children’s cries had fallen silent. Instincts told him that this wasn’t a good sign.
Without a second thought the clone captain made his way through the halls that were now riddled with the bodies of fallen jedI and clones. Some of the bodies were far too small to be adults and the sight of them filled Rex with a new sense of dread. There were so many.
He tried not to think of what he was about to walk into. Nor the fact that his brothers were responsible for the children‘s deaths. The very idea disgusted him beyond any words. Yet nothing could have prepared the captain for what greeted his eyes upon entering the council hall.
As in the great halls there were bodies of clone troops and jedi strewn about as though they were broken droids. There was no sign of lightsaber burns or cuts on their armour; no signs of laser wounds on the elder warriors either. Their pale, confused expressions belied a truth that even Rex didn‘t want to know.
Taking note of the burn marks that decorated the walls of the hall, and the debris caused by Force attacks Rex tried to replay their final moments in his mind. If only to understand what he was about to face ahead.
It was the sight of the broken council doors that held the greatest mystery of them of all.
The council doors hung slightly off its hinges as though some unseeing force had attempted to pry it open. It was covered in laser fire and looked as though someone had used a lightsaber, or a torch to cut open a hole.
One thing was certain, both the jedi and the clones had join forces to stop something, or someone. But whom could they have possibly fought and why?
The strange sinking feeling came over him once more and Rex paused to clear his thoughts. The answer clearly lied ahead but did he really want to know the answer?
Silently, he motioned his men who to remain put, but en guard. Approaching with caution, Rex aimed his weapon and prepared himself for the worst.
Just as he was about to tear open the grand doors, something caused him to pause. He could make out the lone silhouette of General Skywalker standing alone, lightsaber in hand. At Anakin’s feet were the lifeless forms of children. Through the helmet Rex could make out their fading heat signatures. Their passing had been recent, swift and violent.
The position of their bodies revealed their final attempts to escape. He could also make out the lifeless forms of the troops and jedI who had managed to break through the doors in an attempt to stop the slaughter. Rex’s stomach sank to his knees as his normally stoic thoughts struggled to accept what he saw.
Ever since the general gave the order to remove any and all jedi Rex couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Over the past couple years the clone captain had witnessed first hand Anakin’s descent from a level headed commander to a warrior drunk with blood lust. But not once could Rex imagine Skywakler reaching this level of depravity. For the first time in his short existence Rex found himself balancing the scales of personal morals versus orders.
Glancing behind him the captain caught sight of his men waiting, poised and ready to strike upon his command. Could he really go through with this mission knowing what their general had done, and what Skywalker-now Lord Vader to them- was capable of doing?
Taking a step back Rex gave a simple hand signal that ordered his men to quickly and quietly depart. There was nothing left for them here, not anymore. They had their orders, just as Lord Vader had his own. They were not trained to ask questions, nor to challenge orders. Doing so meant betrayal and that was one the one thing they had been fiercely trained never to do.
Yet as he made his way back to the temples lower levels Rex knew that something had to be done. Though he knew he was incapable of doing it, Rex knew that there was another who could.
His fingers shook as he began to program a simple message. His thoughts scattered as the demands of duty and his conscience warred within him. It was though every fibre of his being was demanding he resist.
“Captain?
“Captain, what are your orders?”
Atties voice sounded a million light years away as Rex struggled to activate his private comm channel. His hands fumbled and felt stiff as though incapable of typing in code that would connect him with the one he sought.
The easiest way to resist mind control isn’t to fight it or block it. You need to let it pass through you. Just clear your thoughts as though entering a state of meditation.
Falling back on commander Ahsoka’s words Rex paused in misstep and forced his thoughts to clear as though he were entering a trance like state. It wasn’t the first time he had done this and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. It wasn’t just about serving the new empire or satisfying his own conscience. This time it was about keeping a personal promise, one that he had made in the early days of her training and career.
Time moved to a crawl as his thoughts cleared permitting his fingers to move more freely across the portable holo-comm on his wrist. The message though simple, took all of his energy to process, leaving him feeling mentally and physically exhausted. As he sent out the message a strange sense of clarity came over him.
At one time Rex believed he had been created without subliminal programming, this experience spoke otherwise, and would not be soon forgotten.
“Captain? Captain are you alright?”
Snapping from his thoughts Rex turned his attentions back to Attie and the rest of his men. Rex didn’t think about what he had just done or the fact that it would be regarded as treason. They had a mission to accomplish and a republic to save. There would be time enough later to dwell on acts of defiance and its cost.
With a stern nod to the soldier the clone captain soon ordered his troops onwards. Departing for the training halls they faced the last of the jedI warriors who fought for their lives and the order they served. Though victory was inevitable, it felt entirely wrong to Rex now. All his life he believed that he was serving the right side-fighting along side the good guys. Now he wasn’t so sure.
But Rex’s doubts didn’t stop his feet from carrying his body to the lower sanctums of the temple. Nor did it prevent his fingers from pulling the trigger of his laser pistol, even on the unarmed.
Though he would never speak of it to anyone; for Rex, Order 66 would always be remembered as a night filled with regrets. However, the warning sent to Vader’s former padawan would never be one of them.
Fandom: Star Wars
Characters: Captain Rex, Attie, Anakin Skywalker, Torrent company, Ahsoka (mentioned only)
Ratings & Warnings: PG-14
Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it.
Author's note: This scene is more of a what-if that could (but probably didn’t) happen during the events of Order 66. Also be warned this is my first time writing as Rex so my apologies in advance if I got his voice/thoughts all wrong.
Order 66 was considered the proudest moment of every clone soldier in the 501st. All their short lives they had trained to bring about order, to restore the peace. To be able to storm the halls of the corrupt, to bring about justice made Rex’s heart swell with pride.
The sound of their boots beating against the durasteel plating echoed off the marble pillars filling the air with an unspoken sense of foreboding. General Skywalker’s expression was stony and dark as he led the troops up the stairs and into the main atrium of the jedi temple. Rex was right behind him along with the rest of his men.
It humbled the young captain to know that he was to be a part of this great moment in history. General Skywalker-now Lord Vader to them-promised them a victory that history would never forget. Rex had little reason to doubt him.
The jedi temple was warmly lit, an ironic welcome to its intruders. If the general noticed its strange beauty, his scarred expression didn’t reveal it.
Rex knew that alarms would go off the moment they stepped inside. The scanners on his helmet revealed a variety of movement, of approaching figures. It was expected. The jedi wouldn’t leave their stronghold unguarded.
“Take down every last traitor! Show no compassion. Show no mercy! They are not our allies anymore. Spare no one!
“You have your orders, you know what to do.”
The words were meant to invigorate and encourage the troops. Yet upon hearing Anakin’s statement, something deep within Rex’s gut twisted.
Before he had a chance to register what it was, the jedi revealed themselves. Soon instincts took over and orders were given. The strange feeling was shortly forgotten as Rex sought to protect his men while accomplishing their mission.
He didn’t ask why they had been ordered to take down the men and women who once commanded them. It wasn’t his place. Yet deep down he knew the answer.
The jedI order had grown corrupt and arrogant. They no longer cared for the men who fought under their command, or the Republic they swore to protect. Rex had seen it first hand through the treatment of his troops, their lack of regard to their safety or importance. He also saw the way they treated General Skywalker and his second-in-command. The jedI were hypocrites. They preached of peace and yet they supported the war more than any of the other factions or worlds.
It came as no surprise that evidence was found proving the jedi involvement to remove the supreme chancellor from power.
The jedI despite their age were still in fighting form. Their abilities with the Force made them formidable foes leaving Rex and his men forced to rely on their years of training to survive. Rex tried not to dwell on the irony or the strange sense of emptiness that came with the betrayal of camaraderie.
While some of the warriors put up a fight, most chose to defend. It was only at the shouts and cries of children did the captain understand why they were avoiding the battle. However, they weren’t here for the younglings, or so he believed.
Upon removing an elder female warrior, the captain noticed that the sound of children’s cries had fallen silent. Instincts told him that this wasn’t a good sign.
Without a second thought the clone captain made his way through the halls that were now riddled with the bodies of fallen jedI and clones. Some of the bodies were far too small to be adults and the sight of them filled Rex with a new sense of dread. There were so many.
He tried not to think of what he was about to walk into. Nor the fact that his brothers were responsible for the children‘s deaths. The very idea disgusted him beyond any words. Yet nothing could have prepared the captain for what greeted his eyes upon entering the council hall.
As in the great halls there were bodies of clone troops and jedi strewn about as though they were broken droids. There was no sign of lightsaber burns or cuts on their armour; no signs of laser wounds on the elder warriors either. Their pale, confused expressions belied a truth that even Rex didn‘t want to know.
Taking note of the burn marks that decorated the walls of the hall, and the debris caused by Force attacks Rex tried to replay their final moments in his mind. If only to understand what he was about to face ahead.
It was the sight of the broken council doors that held the greatest mystery of them of all.
The council doors hung slightly off its hinges as though some unseeing force had attempted to pry it open. It was covered in laser fire and looked as though someone had used a lightsaber, or a torch to cut open a hole.
One thing was certain, both the jedi and the clones had join forces to stop something, or someone. But whom could they have possibly fought and why?
The strange sinking feeling came over him once more and Rex paused to clear his thoughts. The answer clearly lied ahead but did he really want to know the answer?
Silently, he motioned his men who to remain put, but en guard. Approaching with caution, Rex aimed his weapon and prepared himself for the worst.
Just as he was about to tear open the grand doors, something caused him to pause. He could make out the lone silhouette of General Skywalker standing alone, lightsaber in hand. At Anakin’s feet were the lifeless forms of children. Through the helmet Rex could make out their fading heat signatures. Their passing had been recent, swift and violent.
The position of their bodies revealed their final attempts to escape. He could also make out the lifeless forms of the troops and jedI who had managed to break through the doors in an attempt to stop the slaughter. Rex’s stomach sank to his knees as his normally stoic thoughts struggled to accept what he saw.
Ever since the general gave the order to remove any and all jedi Rex couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Over the past couple years the clone captain had witnessed first hand Anakin’s descent from a level headed commander to a warrior drunk with blood lust. But not once could Rex imagine Skywakler reaching this level of depravity. For the first time in his short existence Rex found himself balancing the scales of personal morals versus orders.
Glancing behind him the captain caught sight of his men waiting, poised and ready to strike upon his command. Could he really go through with this mission knowing what their general had done, and what Skywalker-now Lord Vader to them- was capable of doing?
Taking a step back Rex gave a simple hand signal that ordered his men to quickly and quietly depart. There was nothing left for them here, not anymore. They had their orders, just as Lord Vader had his own. They were not trained to ask questions, nor to challenge orders. Doing so meant betrayal and that was one the one thing they had been fiercely trained never to do.
Yet as he made his way back to the temples lower levels Rex knew that something had to be done. Though he knew he was incapable of doing it, Rex knew that there was another who could.
His fingers shook as he began to program a simple message. His thoughts scattered as the demands of duty and his conscience warred within him. It was though every fibre of his being was demanding he resist.
“Captain?
“Captain, what are your orders?”
Atties voice sounded a million light years away as Rex struggled to activate his private comm channel. His hands fumbled and felt stiff as though incapable of typing in code that would connect him with the one he sought.
The easiest way to resist mind control isn’t to fight it or block it. You need to let it pass through you. Just clear your thoughts as though entering a state of meditation.
Falling back on commander Ahsoka’s words Rex paused in misstep and forced his thoughts to clear as though he were entering a trance like state. It wasn’t the first time he had done this and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. It wasn’t just about serving the new empire or satisfying his own conscience. This time it was about keeping a personal promise, one that he had made in the early days of her training and career.
Time moved to a crawl as his thoughts cleared permitting his fingers to move more freely across the portable holo-comm on his wrist. The message though simple, took all of his energy to process, leaving him feeling mentally and physically exhausted. As he sent out the message a strange sense of clarity came over him.
At one time Rex believed he had been created without subliminal programming, this experience spoke otherwise, and would not be soon forgotten.
“Captain? Captain are you alright?”
Snapping from his thoughts Rex turned his attentions back to Attie and the rest of his men. Rex didn’t think about what he had just done or the fact that it would be regarded as treason. They had a mission to accomplish and a republic to save. There would be time enough later to dwell on acts of defiance and its cost.
With a stern nod to the soldier the clone captain soon ordered his troops onwards. Departing for the training halls they faced the last of the jedI warriors who fought for their lives and the order they served. Though victory was inevitable, it felt entirely wrong to Rex now. All his life he believed that he was serving the right side-fighting along side the good guys. Now he wasn’t so sure.
But Rex’s doubts didn’t stop his feet from carrying his body to the lower sanctums of the temple. Nor did it prevent his fingers from pulling the trigger of his laser pistol, even on the unarmed.
Though he would never speak of it to anyone; for Rex, Order 66 would always be remembered as a night filled with regrets. However, the warning sent to Vader’s former padawan would never be one of them.