34 Months After Geonosis
19 BBY
.oOo.
"I just need you to listen to me, please!" Fives said, finally emerging from his hiding spot behind the crate.
"I'm not really sure we have any other choice." Anakin, clearly angry, spoke.
"I was framed... because I know the truth! The truth about a plot, a massive deception!"
"By whom?" Rex's face was scrunched up as he stepped close to the border of the ray shield.
"Well, there's a sinister plot in the works against the Jedi! I have proof of it! I can prove that everything I know is true beyond a shadow of a doubt!"
"Show me the evidence." The once playful voice of General Skywalker was now gone, turned into a cold commanding voice.
"The evidence is in here." Fives pointed to his head. "It's- it's in here. It's in all of us, every clone, to make us do whatever someone wants. Even kill the Jedi. It's all in here."
"Let's just get you some help first." Anakin said, he noticed Fives tense up. What he didn't notice, was Rex running his hand over his head, thinking about what Fives had just said. "Then we can review everything. It will be okay, Fives. We'll sort this out."
"You don't believe me!" Fives yelled.
"Fives, listen to me." A small Togrutan girl walked out from behind a crate. She set two silver lightsabers on the crate, and slowly walked towards Fives. "After everything that just happened with my trial, I do believe you. I know what you're feeling right now. Alone, hopeless. I get it. I believe you, we just need more evidence. To get that, you need to come back with us. I can't speak for Rex and Anakin, but I will protect you from the Coruscant guard. You won't go unheard."
"I'll protect you too, Fives."
"If Ahsoka and Rex are, I will too." Anakin agreed.
"Fives, who is behind the plot?" Ahsoka asked, still cautiously approaching Fives.
"It's the chancellor. He's manipulating everything!"
"It couldn't be. The council would have sensed it." Anakin argued.
"It's him, I swear!"
"I believe you, Fives. We'll go speak to the Council with Rex too. They'll listen."
.oOo.
34 Months After Geonosis
19 BBY
The two months since Fives' discovery had meant a lot of change throughout the galaxy.
Fives was a celebrity, hero of the galaxy. He led the search for his lost brother, Echo, eventually finding him on Skako Minor. Fives and Echo fought with the 501st until the Seige of Mandalore.
After Chancellor Palpatine was found out as the Sith Lord, the Clone War ended. There was finally peace in the galaxy. The worlds that had chosen to leave the Republic during the war had rejoined. The senate elected Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan to be the new Chancellor. Chancellor Organa had chosen Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo to be his Vice Chancellor, but she had gone to Naboo for leave after her two children, Luke and Leia, were born. Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker had disappeared, but everyone with a brain knew that he had gone to Naboo with Senator Amidala.
The Jedi and clones were thanked for their brave efforts in the war. While no rules changed for the Jedi, the clones were allowed their citizenship in the Republic. They could make one of two choices: one, stay in the G.A.R. but get paid for the work they do, with paid vacations; or two, leave the G.A.R. and live throughout the galaxy.
.oOo.
Aayla sprinted through the G.A.R. barracks hall, trying to get to the 327th wing as fast as she could. She skidded to a stop infront of the large door. Calmly, she walked in, making all the heads of the 327th members turn. A chorus of whispers saying 'kriff' and other swear words from around the galaxy filled the room.
"Look, General, I know we're not supposed to be awake at 03:30, but-"
"Sid, shh. Boys, I have an announcement!" Aayla turned the lights on in the big room. "Bly, come here for a second please."
The commander rose off his bunk and walked over to Aayla. "Yeah?" He whispered.
"Do you want to say it or should I?" Aayla handed her datapad to Bly.
"Holy kriff." He was in shock, amazed.
"What is it, Bly?" Reno tried to look at the datapad, but Bly pulled it away.
Maybe we should let Reno say this. He's good at announcing.
Sounds good to me.
"Reno, please read this to the boys." Bly handed the datapad to Reno.
"To all clone members of the Galactic Army of the Republic." Reno started. "The entire Republic is thankful for your heroics on the front lines of this war. To show the galaxy's appreciation, the senate has come to a reasonable conclusion." Reno paused and read ahead. His face lit up immediately. "Permission to say it freely, Commander?"
"Permission granted." Bly nodded.
"Each and every one of you di'kuts is a citizen of the Galactic Republic!"
"You're kidding." Sid said, believing Reno was pulling one of his infamous pranks again.
"Nope. All of us have a choice to make. According to this..." Reno waved the datapad in the air, "thing, we can either stay in the G.A.R. and get paid for the work we do, or we can leave and do whatever the kriff we want!" Cheers filled the 327th barracks. "Now, we couldn't leave for another two months, at the start of the new year, but that's still better than never!" Reno informed the clones after the cheering died down.
The rest of the night was filled with conversations about who was doing what and who was going where.
"Bly, we need to talk." Aayla spoke quietly.
"Let's go." Bly stood up off his bunk and walked towards the door. "Cover us." Bly whispered to Sid and Reno on the way out.
"Where are you going?"
"We have some things to talk about."
"Fine." Sid said with an eye roll.
"Sid, don't make fun of them. Our skit might come true if you let them talk." Reno scolded.
Bly rolled his eyes and Aayla laughed before walking out the door. "This way." Bly grabbed Aayla's hand and pulled her into a storage room.
"Do you have your lightsaber?"
"Always."
"Great, light it up."
"Why?"
"Trust me." Aayla lit up her lightsaber, illuminating the small room with a tint of blue.
Bly quickly found what he was looking for, a string hanging from the ceiling, and pulled it down, revealing a ladder leading to the roof. They climbed up the ladder onto the roof in the dark night.
"Since when is it so nice up here?" Aayla asked, amazed at the quality of the roof.
"Since all the boys in all the battalions chipped in for the furniture." Bly sat down on the couch under the small pavillion, Aayla joined him.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"Right, so. After the... no, um. Where do you... What do... Have you... umm."
Bly pulled Aayla closer, keeping her warm unlike the chilly Coruscant air.
"Could we talk about something else first?"
"Of course."
Aayla and Bly had lost track of time while taking and cuddling when Aayla finally worked up the courage to ask her question.
"What will you do? Once you can leave, I mean."
"That depends on what you want to do."
Aayla lifted her head off of Bly's chest and sat up.
"Me? The Jedi didn't get the same freedom as you."
"You could leave the order."
"Where do you see us going? What do you 'want' with this?" She motioned to Bly and then to herself.
"I want to spend every minute of every day with you for the rest of my short life."
"Why short?"
"Rapid aging."
"I think the senate has a solution for that. They're finishing it up. That's why all of you have to stay until next year."
"You're kriffing kidding."
"Nope."
"Back to the main topic. What do you want?"
"Bly, we want the same thing, but-" she paused.
"But what?"
"We're different than the rest. We don't know how to live a normal life."
"So we'll figure it out together."
Aayla smiled. "Where would we go?"
"How about a remote planet? Someplace nice, preferably warm."
"Sounds good to me."
"Nothing like Kamino, it's way too rainy."
Aayla chucked. "We'll have to do some research over the next few months."
"I guess so."
"Want to stay up here?"
"On the roof?"
"Yes, I want to watch the sunrise."
"We'll have to find a planet with a beautiful sunrise for us to watch every morning."
"You'd get up that early every day?"
"If you want me to."
Bly and Aayla watched the sun rise, cuddled together on the couch.
.oOo.
Hi readers! Sorry for the update being a few days late! We lost power for a few days and we've had no wifi or internet until now. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!