Across the Stars

Chapter 4

Rex tripped as he moved quickly trying to avoid the senator. He pushed his arms out to catch himself but found that he surprisingly wasn't falling anymore. Shira chuckled lightly and Rex flushed a deep red. He snapped to attention. "Sorry sir." He said, eyes foreword.

"Oh please, don't feel bad I'm the one who ran into you." She paused. "Care to join me for some caf? I was going to sleep but I can't, and I really would rather get some work done." When Rex stiffened visibly at this, Shira placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please? I'd rather not be alone right now, and I want to get to know all of you better."

Rex? Have caf? With a senator?

He forced himself to make eye contact with Shira, and then immediately regretted it. Those clear blue eyes and inviting smile made Rex's training as a soldier falter, then fail all together. He found himself nodding, even though he hadn't remembered giving his head permission to do that.

Shira smiled, and a warm glow light up inside Rex's chest. He forgot all about Razor's insults, and about protocol and he just followed her deeper into the ship. They eventually reached a common area with a booth that could seat 4 comfortably surrounding a circular table with a holoprojector built inside. "Please sit, I'll make the caf." Shira wandered over to the caf machine and flipped a switch to get it started.

"So, Rex, tell me about yourself."

Oh force no. If the Senator was expecting Rex to open up to her and talk about himself then this was a very, very bad idea. "Not much to tell Senator, just another clone."

Shira frowned at him. Wrong answer? Rex thought to himself.

"Rex..." Her voice trailed off. The caf machine started to whistle, but Shira ignored it. She walked over to him and sat down on the opposite side of the booth.

Her eyes wouldn't look up at him, for the first time since meeting her the Senator looked rather...well she looked rather broken. She finally raised her hands on the table and intertwined her fingers together. She slightly jerked her head upwards to make eye contact as if pushing past a weight keeping it down.

"Rex, I'm not blind to the completely inhumane conditions you have been raised in. I've seen videos of Kamino. They try to butter it up for the public, make them feel better about themselves, but I've..." her breath caught, she seemed to trip over a word, "I've seen enough abuse to recognize it when I see it."

Rex tried to keep his breathing normal. Where was she going with this?

"I know the vast majority of my fellow senators, and the populas of the republic for that matter, do not, and may never see the value of you and your brothers. I hope you see that it is different for me. I see you."

I see you.

Rex screwed his eyes shut. He couldn't help it. Suddenly he was back on Kamino.

It was Rex's first time with live ordinance, he was 5 years old, biologically 10. Most clones were able to handle live ordinance even at a young age, but the sound and light was overloading Rex's senses. He couldn't breathe properly. Each breath came out a ragged desperate attempt for air, for something to clear the fog entering his brain, making it impossible to move. The blaster fell from Rex's hands. He could hear distantly the sound of Cody calling his name, trying to get him to get down, to move, to do something.

Finally, Cody ran over and tackled Rex, dragging him to nearby cover. Rex curled in on himself, hands over his neck, shaking and trembling. Suddenly the alarms stopped, the lights came on with a resounding boom and the explosions finally stopped. Cody placed a hand on Rex's shoulder.

"Rex. Rex, vod'ika, you have to move."

It was like Rex was underwater, he barely even registered that Cody was talking to him.

A voice cut through the fog. Harsh, cold, unfeeling. "CT-7567 you useless lump get up!" Rex curled in tighter on himself, he didn't even think that was possible. Darcun stood over him now, his fur rippling in anger. The bothan bounty hunter had been placed in charge of Rex's unit and was one of the toughest of the bunch of hunters training the clones. Dengar loomed over Rex's trembling figure. He reared his leg back and kicked Rex in the side. Hard. Rex flinched and whimpered from the pain in his side.

"Darcun." A calm voice cut through the noise clearly. Jango.

Voices exchanged over Rex; he couldn't bring himself to focus on them. Finally, Jango's stern but calm voice won the argument of some sorts. Rex felt himself being lifted into Jango's arms and laid against his beskar, cool on his skin. Rex didn't move, he barely breathed, but that didn't stop the tears from chasing each other down his cheeks.

Jango reached his quarters and stood Rex in front of him.

"Ad'ika. Son."

"You're not my buir!"

The words hung between them.

You don't protect me; you leave me to them. I'm not yours, I never was.

"I understand ad'ika. More than you know. Just accept this advice, you won't make it out of here as you are if they see you."

Stay hidden.

Stay quiet.

"Rex?" Rex unscrewed his eyes; Shira had grasped his hand. "I've said something wrong, please tell me?"

Rex didn't pull his hands away. The touch was keeping him grounded. He lifted his mouth in a half-smile. "Us clones aren't supposed...shouldn't...being seen isn't good."

Shira's eyes seemed to darken, Rex couldn't tell if it was anger or sorrow, probably both.

"Rex, I'm sorry. Thank you for telling me."

Shira finally grabbed the caf then chuckled. "Rather burnt, not sure that we should drink that."

"Senator, Rex, we are leaving hyperspace now."

Shira looked up at the intercom.

"Well Rex, welcome to Brentaal IV."