The four clones had brought Anakin into the barracks, much to the joy of the rest of the men.
Rex especially, as he'd almost lost it when Ahsoka told him Anakin left the order, so was relieved to see him here.
To say Rex hated a lot of people right now would be an understatement.
He didn't hate Fox, he knew Fox was just doing his job and with the way it looked on camera it would appear as if general Skywalker had choked the woman to death.
He hated Tarkin the most given he pushed for the death penalty, and oh, he would get that man back for trying to kill his general.
Next was the Senate, who didn't even seem to care if he was innocent or not, and most seemed to vote guilty just for the heck of it.
Senators Amidala, Tills, Chuchi, Mothma, Organa, Kayleen, Valotta, Robb, Ibris, and a few others had sided with general Skywalker, but were easily outvoted.
The Chancellor however had done nothing.
Then the Jedi council, from what Ahsoka said, just threw him to the wolves so to speak.
Only a few of its members still took the general's side despite everything, but it hadn't been enough.
To say that the clone battalions hadn't liked that would be putting it mildly.
Some, like Riya, Bacara, Spier, and Monnk had been disappointed in their generals.
Leo was shocked to hear that the former student of his general was behind it all, though he shook it off and changed the subject if brought up now.
"General Skywalker." He saluted.
Anakin waved him off, still not liking how they refer to him as that.
"Rex please, just call me Anakin, we've been over this thousands of times. Besides I'm not a Jedi anymore."
"So? Doesn't matter, you're still our general." Rex answered with unwavering confidence.
Anakin honestly liked that about all of them.
Loyal to the end.
"Uh, thanks?"
"That was a compliment sir."
"Well I figured that, I'm just saying..."
Rex groaned.
"Even now you're still impossible."
"Okay, first we need to talk about attitude, then we need to discuss how horrible you are at socialization."
They walked side by side, as Rex was taking him to an empty quarters he could use as a living space, at least a temporary one.
"I wouldn't say that." Fives whistled innocently as Rex looked at him murderously.
"What do you mean?"
"Well-"
"Fives do you want to die?" Rex questioned.
"Haha, jokes on you, I've wanted to die since a year and a half ago." Fives replied with false amusement.
Though there was seriousness in that as Anakin knew he was referring to the rescue at the Citadel on Lola Sayu.
"Seriously, what?"
"Word is, Rexy got a boyfriend." Hardcase teased from the other side.
Rex was always soft on him due to his ADHD, though also soft on him ever since Hardcase barely survived Umbara, so unlike most, Hardcase had no worries about Rex potentially killing him.
Anakin blinked.
"Huh, didn't know you were gay. Then again I thought I knew all your secrets by now." He joked.
Rex sighed.
"Hardcase, I...you..."
"Huh?"
"Never mind."
"So who is he?" Anakin prodded.
Rex looked at him like he'd grown a second head.
"What?"
"Nope, that only works with Hardcase or Tup, what's his name?"
"Could you-"
"And where does he live?"
"Sir-"
"And what's his profession, and-"
And even as Anakin annoyed him but in a brotherly way, Rex found he was quite glad to still have him around.
*Anakin being overprotective of the boys. As he should be, 😌💅.
Anakin: you can't date him.
Rex: why?
Anakin: cause I don't approve...yet.
Rex: but sir-
Anakin: no buts, until I approve, there better be no flirting, or anything else, got it?
Rex: like you and senator Amidala have never done it?
Anakin: ...
Fives: osik...
Jesse: oh, you're dead Rex.
Rex: well sir, you see what I mean to say is...
Anakin: ...I find your attempt to escape me disturbing...
Lucas: ...
Author: ...(looks at the story on Wattpad)...
Lucas: was that part of the script?
Author: (shakes head).
Lucas: *mumbles to self*, then again it is Anakin Skywalker, chances are he'll go off script occasionally, mostly because the author of this AU gives the characters too much freedom.
Author: ...
Author: this is why Disney bought your franchise and ruined it.
Lucas: crud...
Anakin: you just went in for the kill didn't you? No mercy.
Author: what can I say? I'm savage, 😎.
Author: and the Fandom.
Fandom: 😎😎😎😎😎.
Anyway now that I've got that out of my system...from very dysfunctional chaos, back to our story...