Ahsoka had just gotten through a conversation with her now former master.
She had been livid about the information he gave her.
The clones hadn't been meant as their allies, they were truly meant to destroy the Jedi order.
Anakin explained it wasn't their fault, and the clones themselves had been unaware, and still were.
Though then he revealed that the council had uncovered that the Chancellor of the Galactic Republic was the sith lord they had been looking for the whole war.
Ahsoka didn't know how to take that.
She worried because if that's so, then Palpatine has to be very powerful as a force user and duelist, and extremely dangerous.
She mostly worried that the council would choose to confront him.
If that happened, she knew Anakin would be one of the ones there, so she was hoping the council would make a smart move.
And turns out they did.
The clone army was to be inoculated, effective immediately, but in secret. It would all happen when a battalion was on leave or not active for battle yet.
Ahsoka knew Tarkin would be here inspecting the 501st tomorrow, so she knew she had to keep this under wraps.
Because she knew Tarkin would tell Palpatine if he found out, so another challenge.
She wondered how the man was still an admiral after everything that happened to Anakin, and how he was still alive.
She figured Fives and Jesse would have plotted out his death and then have it carried out by now, but oh well.
Now she had to speak to Rex about it, who was now in his office as usual, after apparently getting his chip removed, along with Fives.
When she entered she found him speaking on a comlink device.
She had a feeling she knew who it was.
Rex sighed.
"No, no I'm fine, just angry that I was going to be used as a weapon against my generals."
She couldn't hear what the other person was saying, but she knew it was a man.
"Well I have to help commander Tano get the whole battalion inoculated before that evil shriveled sarlaac faced bastard puts his plan to work."
Ahsoka grinned, finding Rex comparing Palpatine's looks to a shriveled up sarlaac amusing.
"I'll see if I can get a break and come visit after this is done, screw the paperwork. I'm sick of not being able to see you."
Ahsoka hummed quietly, she felt she knew who this special person was, but you could never be too sure.
"It's gonna be fine, alright? Love you too, see you soon, and I do mean soon."
The comlink beeped, signaling he'd ended the call. He sighed and turned around.
"You know it's rude to eavesdrop."
Ahsoka shrugged.
"I know, I just wanted to hear you be cute with your boyfriend."
Rex blushed a bit and tried to look angry, but failed miserably.
"I...he...he is not my boyfriend!"
Ahsoka raised a brow.
"Oh? So friends say 'I love you' that affectionately?"
Rex just blushed further and rubbed the back of his head.
"Erm..."
Ahsoka chuckled.
"Relax Rex, I think you two are adorable. Besides I already knew."
"Probably from eavesdropping."
Ahsoka shook her head.
"Nope, let's just say I have my sources."
Rex stopped blushing and went serious.
"That's not why you're here."
"Unfortunately no. We need to figure out how to inoculate the men discreetly with Tarkin being here tomorrow."
Rex nodded.
"Just keep him out of the medical bay. I know Fives will have his pranks at the ready for that, he's ready to get one over on Tarkin anyway."
Ahsoka grinned again.
"What's the prank going to be?"
Rex just shrugged, though had a sly smile.
"I don't know what you mean. If I did, it certainly wouldn't include getting stuck in a dark room due to mechanical failures, and then having to deal with a bunch of monkeys that were somehow brought here from Earth."
Ahsoka laughed.
"Oh I can't wait to see that."
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The next day was going smoothly so far.
They were successful so far with keeping Tarkin's attention on other things rather than inspecting the medical bay of the barracks.
Jesse, Kix, Redeye, Mixer, Boomer, and multiple others got their chips taken out yesterday evening, and the process was continuing today.
Ahsoka was surprised that she was able to be so professional and mature around Tarkin, considering she wanted to just twist around and strangle the life out of him.
Another reason was because Barriss was there, mainly to be a support system so to speak.
Ahsoka couldn't explain it, her mirialan friend just had a very calming and soothing aura about her, much like her former master.
Luminara apparently got half the 41st inoculated already, so progress was already getting made fast.
Then as Tarkin entered one room, those 'mechanical failures' occurred, locking him in the dark room.
Then the sound of the monkeys, and then yelling and groaning in disgust.
Clearly he was now covered in...you guess, so Ahsoka was more than satisfied when Tarkin exited the room looking like actual...it was too much, it was gold.
Ahsoka would have to thank Fives for this, and likely Rex because she had a feeling he had a hand in this one.
Rex would deny it, but she knew when any of them were lying.
Tarkin promptly went to go shower and get his clothes cleaned.
Barriss smirked as she looked to Ahsoka, who was grinning widely in satisfaction.
"Now that is what I call...judgement."
Ahsoka nodded.
"You can thank Fives for this."
"I believe I shall."
Jesse came over, looking like he was about to just keel over and die from holding in his laughter.
"Are you sure this will work?"
Ahsoka thought for a minute, then shrugged, though she looked smug.
"Most likely, considering it will take a long time to get that stench out of his clothes."
Barriss raised a brow.
"Ah yes, I forgot about that factor."
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A few hours later, inoculations for the day were done, and Tarkin left.
Ahsoka was entertained by the day's events, but was relieved Tarkin was oblivious to the inoculations.
Fives was already spreading word of his prank to other battalions, first to Gree and Wolffe, then Bly, Phil, Hades, Leo, Cody, and others.
All of whom had been more than pleased by the result.
Tarkin questioned most of them the next day if something was going on behind the scenes that he just so happened to be the victim of the situation.
He only questioned Hades, Cody, Leo, Wolffe, and Phil, though all of them swore up and down they knew nothing of a conspiracy against him.
By that time the Jedi council knew of the situation.
Master Windu bluntly told Tarkin to his face that it was more than deserved, much to Tarkin's embarrassment and the council's amusement.
Even Ki-Adi-Mundi had been quite amused, though he tried to deny he found it funny.
Though the fun in games stopped when Fox confronted Rex that next evening.
Fox walked into his office without knocking, which prompted a comic remark from Rex.
"Does no one know how to knock anymore?"
Fox took off his helmet and frowned.
"Don't play that game with me Rex, I'm not stupid, what's going on?"
Rex raised a brow.
"Whatever do you mean Fox?"
"Why are the Jedi acting so off lately, and why are a lot of the other clones acting secretive. What are you all up to?"
Rex frowned.
"What are you insinuating?"
Fox lost his cool and just yelled.
"You know damn well what! So tell me what's going on! I'm sick of the hateful words, the insults, the jabs, the death threats, I'm sick of all of it! I'm sick of being left out of the loop just because I was only doing my job! Do you know even after I apologized to both general Skywalker and the 501st, I still get death threats from Jesse and Boomer occasionally? Ugh, I'm sick of everything, so just tell me and trust me for once in all your glorious lives!"
Rex was completely perplexed.
Fox had lost his mind.
Which Rex found gravely concerning because Fox was the quietest of all of them, and the most level headed.
But now Fox had snapped, and it had been their faults.
Ok, so Fox was wrong for his actions in general Skywalker's whole situation, but he was only doing his job in truth, despite popular opinion Fox had no choice but to arrest Anakin, with the camera in the cell, it would look like he choked Letta to death even when he didn't, so Fox was just doing what he thought was the right thing.
But none of the others saw it that way, they all thought Fox was just a cold and uncaring clone who was more like a droid than a sentient being.
Rex was very regretful they made Fox feel this way.
"I..."
"I don't care for your pity, I've had enough of this shit. Just tell me what's going on. Please, we were close once Rex, and we trusted each other with anything, just trust me again."
Rex remembered. He had been the only one on Kamino to stick up for Fox, look out for him, and even saved him from being decommissioned by those dastardly kaminoans. Everyone else (Hades and Cody being the only other exceptions) just ignored Fox, which resulted in him being so isolated to himself in nature.
Then when they got sent to war, Rex was sent to the front with most others, but Fox got sent to Coruscant, splitting them apart, and Fox was never the same.
Rex couldn't ever find time to stop and contact Fox to stay in touch because of this stupid war, so that's how they became so distant.
Honestly he should have tried harder, poor Fox was already on the edge, but no one other than Rex knew that, but even he was unaware of how much.
Rex worried Fox may be suicidal now, but he couldn't ask that right now, but he would later, he wasn't going to leave Fox alone again.
Rex sighed, giving in, he just hoped this didn't backfire.
"The army is being inoculated."
Fox looked genuinely confused.
"Eh? Why would they need to be inoculated?"
"Because the Jedi council, and Fives and myself, uncovered every clone in the army has an inhibitor chip in their heads. They make us do whatever someone wants, whether we want to do it or not. We also found a list of 150 contingency orders within them. The worst being order 66, which brands the entire Jedi order as traitors to the Republic, meaning the entire clone army is to execute any and all Jedi on sight if the order is issued."
Rex stopped to observe Fox after that.
Fox's expression was unreadable.
Until it wasn't, then he just looked shell shocked.
"Inhibitor chips? Order 66? The Jedi being traitors? That...that makes no sense, who would do something like this?"
Rex frowned.
"Chancellor Palpatine. The Jedi also found out he is the sith lord, darth Sidious, the one behind the war. His plan is to use us to destroy the Jedi, but they know this now, thus the inoculation."
Fox suddenly looked a bit scandalized and furious.
"T-the Chancellor of the Republic is a sith? How is he even in office then?"
"According to general Skywalker, about 13 years ago, the former chancellor, Valorum, was ousted after a vote of no confidence passed in the Senate, and Palpatine was a candidate to replace him. He ultimately won the vote with a landslide, and became the new supreme Chancellor."
Fox narrowed his eyes.
"So he planned that too?"
"Most likely."
Fox looked down for a moment, trying to gather himself, then shook his head.
"I see."
He sighed.
"I...I'm sorry I lost it a minute ago."
Rex smiled a bit.
"Honestly, don't be, you had every right to. The others just don't get it, and me? I'm just a horrible brother."
Fox looked at him and frowned.
"What? You're one of the best Rex, and the best one I know. Don't say that about yourself, you're the best vod in the galaxy."
Rex managed to smile more genuinely.
"How did we ever grow apart?"
Fox shrugged.
"Not our faults, we didn't start a war."
Fox turned to leave, though turned back and gave Rex a smile, which was barely there, but it was there and it was genuine.
"Thanks for trusting me again Rex, I'm...glad we could speak at least a little again, even if about the war or whatnot. I hope, when this is over, that we can become as close as we used to be."
With that, Fox turned, put his helmet back on, and left.
And for once, Rex felt like things were going to be just fine.
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Fox was very...concerned.
What Rex told him was very concerning information.
The Coruscant guard commander was never a fan of Palpatine's really, mainly because the Chancellor always stuck him with so much paperwork.
Which was usually always pointless to do because more was added on endlessly anyway.
But to hear he was a Sith lord, and behind a plot to destroy the Jedi.
Fox didn't like it one bit.
But he'd be damned if he was going to let that old imbecile go through with his plans.
And so, Fox set about with a plan to confront and end that Sith, he wasn't afraid of death, but he wasn't about to let that evil bastard use his brothers to destroy the Jedi, and in the process, Quinlan, whom he pretended to hate, though Quinlan knew he loved him.
Not important right now, right now, there was a Sith lord to eliminate, and a democracy to save.
*So, Fox and Rex's conversation. Not how I intended it to initially go, but I can't help but like the result.
Also Fox deserves so much better, like fr😭...I'm so dramatic...
Anyway, now that Fox knows, what do u think is about to happen?
Who is Rex's secret little love interest?
And most importantly, will the inoculations be fully successful? Will Palpatine catch on? Will Fox go through with confronting Palpatine, and if so, will he succeed or will a horrible fate befall him?
Only time will tell...
I know, 'stop being so dramatic writer', lmao, we'll find out some things next chapter.
I won't spoil, but I will say things are about to go down...