Cejanr (A Rexsoka SWTCW Fanfic)

34

"Until Kenobi became Caedus." Rex filled in solemnly. "Kriffing haran, sir. That was almost five months ago."

"It was. And I've kept the bond as tight as I can. I can't keep it shut for much longer without hurting myself."

"But to open it would be to expose yourself to him." Rex shuddered with a grimace, tightening his grip on his blaster. The scar down his back burned with the memories he spent at Caedus's hands. Anakin nodded.

"That's why I need you here. To watch me. Restrain or even stun me, if you have to." Anakin said, meeting his captain's eyes. Rex nodded, and sat cross legged on the ground next to him.

"Anakin, you're between a rock and a hard place. If you don't get out of there after an hour or to, I'm stunning you and calling both Kix and General Koon." Anakin nodded.

"Good." He winced as he let down his shields, the headache coming back at full force and nearly making him cry out. He was dimly aware of Rex lurching forward to grip him by the shoulder. The pain faded as he pulled at the bond and blew it as wide as he could.

He settled into the warmth of the force, shivering and trying to escape the pure cold that radiated off of the bond. Then came a shimmer. A familiar presence against his mind, not forcing itself in, but just sitting there. A presence horribly familiar yet sickeningly twisted.

Get tired, did you my old padawan?

The voice that echoed in his head sounded concerned. A memory floated to the surface of his mind. His master, caring for him as a child. They had been together for nearly a year when Anakin had taken ill with a bad case of influenza. He didn't remember much, just cool, slightly rough hands against his skin and his master scolding him in that fondly exasperated tone when he threw up on the floor.

Anakin didn't answer, suppressing a shudder of disgust.

Ah. So it's going to be that way.

Just cut the bond, Sleemo. Cut it and it wouldn't have to be anyways.

Anakin growled angrily to the person on the other end. He felt a wave of... Sadness? Suddenly, the pressure against his shields was gone and he knew Caedus had slipped inside his head. His eyes snapped open in his panic. Or maybe they didn't. He couldn't tell. What he could tell that was that Caedus was right in front of him, their noses almost touching. Anakin yelped and fell backwards, and the sith laughed.

Rex was there, his blaster at the ready.

"Anakin!"

"I-It's ok. He's just toying with me." Anakin mumbled, as the Caedus that he could see but was not really there stood up. Rex nodded and sat back, still gripping his weapon.

"Ah, so the little clone is here to guard you. Make sure I don't ruin his general?" Caedus asked, walking right through Rex and around the room.

"Why else?" Anakin answered aloud before he remembered that Rex could hear him too.

"Sir?"

"Sorry, Captain. It's nothing. Ignore my words." He said hastily. Caedus chuckled again.

"Ah yes. The loyalty of the clones, as adorable as ever." The sith smiled, and for a second, unless Anakin missed it, the yellow of his eyes dimmed and flecks of blue appeared. They were gone a moment later, but suddenly Caedus seemed a little more tense than his confident calm. "And how are the men of the 212th? I hear they've merged with the 501st."

"They're not your men and I won't tell you anything." Anakin growled. They yellow in the sith's eyes brightened a little more, and he sighed almost dejectedly.

"No, you won't. I could just look into your memories, but that's so much more messier work than simple illusions." Caedus sat on the desk that took up a third of the small room.

"Never stopped you before." Anakin said. "I will tell you this. Cody will never forgive you for what you've done."

There. A flash of blue amidst the yellow at the mention of his former commander. A flash of blue and a flash of pain.

"Nor do I expect him to. Clones are such loyal creatures... to break it is like breaking the trust of a child. Which, in hindsight, they are. Now that I think of it, I do miss commanding flesh troops. The droids are only programmed with so many jokes and conversations to have during downtimes." He stiffened once more, that almost imperceptible straightening of the spine.

"You failed your men." Anakin growled. "You chose this."

"You failed me!" Caedus yelled suddenly, getting to his feet and up into Anakin's face. "You're the one I'm bonded to. A bond we let grow far longer than we should have. I don't think I could cut it now if I tried. You could have felt what Tyrannus did to me. You could have spared my the pain!" He screamed, something Kenobi had only done on a handful of occasions. Raw pain and anguish echoed through his voice.

"I felt it. I felt it but when I confided in master Yoda because MY MASTER WAS DEAD, he chided me for reaching to attachments that were gone." Anakin retorted coldly, raising his voice. Poor Rex jumped out of his skin.

"It's your fault I fell! That I was at the mercy of those monsters until I became one myself! The things they made me do-"

"YOU TURNED AROUND AND DID TO MY PADAWAN! OUR PADAWAN! MY CAPTAIN! YOU DID THE SAME THINGS TO THEM!" Anakin yelled back, his voice ragged and his vision blurring with tears.

"I was kinder to them than what Tyrannus was to me." The blue was back, and the sith stumbled over his words just a little. Anakin's eyes widened.

"Obi-Wan." He whispered thickly past the lump in his throat. "He's fighting you."

"Obi-Wan is dead."

"LIAR!" Anakin roared, lurching to his feet and lunging at the figure. Of course, he passed right through him and hit the floor, rolling over to rest at the door. He panted slightly glaring at the offending figure and pushing his hair out of his face. "My master is alive. I can see it every time in your eyes."

"Your master was weak."

"He is stronger than you. I know my master better than anybody else. If there's one thing he's good at, it's the long game." Anakin growled, testing the area around the bond. "He'll come out on top. I know it."

The jedi slammed the bond shut with a gasp. He swiped furiously at his eyes, looking at Rex. Caedus was gone.

"How much-"

"All of it. I don't think screaming to the air in front of you is a sign of a stable mind. Are you alright?" Rex was at his side, helping him to sit up. Anakin was shaking.

"I... have a headache." He said hoarsely. Rex nodded.

"Understandable. With all due respect, Sir, get some rest. That's an order." He helped Anakin over to the bed shoved in one corner of the room. Anakin nodded and sat down. Rex hesitated for a moment, before helping his general's trembling hands remove the little armor he wore. As soon as the bits of plastoid were gone, the General flopped back onto the bed and all but passed out. Rex gingerly pulled the blankets up around him before retreating.

He couldn't bring himself to touch the general's mind, so he sat outside of the doorway for a few hours, just to be sure he wasn't going to go psycho and kill everyone because a kriffing Sith was in his head.