Halcyon 🪐⋆｡°✩ Paul Arteides ✩⋆｡°🪐 / A Star Wars Story

17.

Captain Rex had been left in-charge of the 501st in Arrakeen. With his general out in the desert, the clone was to wait for orders, and keep an eye on the Harkonnen.

The clones spent their days training and exercising. It was the only way they knew how to pass the time when there wasn't an immediate threat. Rex oversaw his team in a training room that the Harkonnen had allowed them access to.

With an array of weapons, which set the clones on edge at first, the room had cement floors and solid walls. Windows were slanted to keep the room lit, but the heat was kept out by the complex's constant air conditioning.

On the fourth day of their general's absence, Captain Rex was in the training room for their morning exercises. He watched his soldiers practice their combat, which he had ensured to prioritise since arriving on Arrakis. If they were to enter battle, their blasters would be near useless against Holtzman shields.

While in his armour, Rex received a buzz on his commlink. He looked away from the sparing clones and pulled out the device. With a crease of his forehead, the captain read the message on the screen.

Contact the Jedi Council at once.

It was from Coruscant. Rex almost never received direct messages from the Jedi Order. It was always through General Skywalker. Perhaps because of his absence, the Council were begging the audience of the next in command.

He asked his lieutenant to keep an eye on the training while he left the room. The pouch on his belt that held his transmitter was in his hand before he made out into hallway. Rex did a quick scope of the empty hall, before sending a connection to The Core.

Beeps faded in and out, before the hologram fizzled into view. Rex held the transmitter at torso level and watched as it formed a shape.

Jedi Master Mace Windu was sat in his chair in the temple's meeting room.  With one ankle crossed to lean on his thigh, the man appeared relaxed, but with the state of the galaxy, that was far beyond the truth.

From the few times Rex had met the man, he was made aware of his dislike for General . Even in the hologram, Windu held a prominent frown on his face and his brow low over his eyes. His features pulled the rest of his face down, leaving no space for wrinkles to form on his shiny forehead.

'Captain Rex, the Council have been informed of Master Kenobi and Skywalker's venture into the Arrakis desert. Have you had any word since their departure?'

'No, sir. The Harkonnen dropped them into the desert four days ago. No word of contact with the Fremen yet, or of their finding of Commander Chihari.'

'Then I have a new objective for you.'

Captain Rex remained silent, but was surprised to hear this. Never had he received instructions from the Council.

'While Kenobi and Skywalker are absent, the Council are asking for you to conduct a personal investigation.

We are investigating the Harkonnen's invasion of Arrakis here on Coruscant. We have been making contact with the surrounding systems to try and get to the bottom of how this invasion was made possible.

As you are in the prime position, the Council would like you to conduct some research. We have reason to believe that reinforcements were provided to the Harkonnen from here in The Core.

From who and how, we're not yet sure. We need you to act as an informant and try and find out who these reinforcements came from.'

'How do I do that, sir?'

'Find old transmissions. Perhaps any workers that would have been kept from the previous Atreides operations.'

Captain Rex didn't feel right right about this. The Council were asking him to investigate the Harkonnen while in their complex. Without his general, Rex was assuming that he would just be interacting with his team, and perhaps the servants for special requests. He had seen how the brutal the Harkonnen were. They wouldn't take too kindly to find one of their guests sifting through their records or asking their staff about the Atreides massacre.