Author's Note: This chapter... is dark. :)
~ Amina Gila
Umbara is dark. It's miserable there, to be honest, and Anakin wants to clean up here and get out as fast as possible. He can easily see why they were warned from the start that this wouldn't be an easy battle.
It's not.
They already all just about died, and Master Krell came in to offer air support.
"Thank you for the air support, Master Krell," Obi-Wan says, standing stiffly as the Jedi Master approaches.
Anakin wishes he could be air support himself. That's where he's best.
"Indeed, General Kenobi. The locals have proven to be more resourceful than we anticipated," the Jedi Master replies. He's enormous, towering over Obi-Wan and Anakin both.
"I sense there is more to your visit," Obi-Wan responds flatly.
"The Council has ordered you back to Coruscant, effective immediately."
Anakin's heart skips a beat. That can't be right. He looks wide-eyed up at his master.
"Is there some reasoning or urgency behind this request?"
"I'm afraid a request was made by the Supreme Chancellor, and the Council obliged. That is all they would tell me," Krell responds, and to Anakin, that seems a million kinds of wrong.
"I cannot leave my padawan and our men here alone," Obi-Wan objects, crossing his arms. It's dark, but not too dark for Anakin to see his scowl. He's not happy. Nor is Anakin. That doesn't make any sense.
"I'll be taking over in the interim."
"And I'll stay," Anakin adds, "Unless you need me, Master?" He's needed here. The thought of walking out of the battle makes the Force tense and coil. This is going to be a very, very dark battle on multiple levels. He knows that much.
"Yes," Obi-Wan admits reluctantly, "Remain here with Rex. See what you can do, but don't pointlessly danger yourself."
"When do I ever?" he asks, a bit teasingly, and Obi-Wan gives him a tired look. "Don't worry, Master. We'll be cleaning up by the time you get back."
"That is good to hear," Obi-Wan says dryly, heading for the gunship. Anakin waves to him until the door closes.
Krell is staring at him in a way that manages very successfully to make him feel wrong and stupid for doing so, but this is his master. It's not his problem if Krell doesn't understand their dynamic. No one really does. Still makes him uncomfortable, though.
"Master Krell," Anakin says, turning to him and gesturing to Rex, "This is Captain Rex. Our first in command. You won't find a finer and more loyal trooper anywhere."
"Your reputation precedes you, General. It is an honor to be serving you," Rex says, stepping up to Krell.
"I find it very interesting, Captain, that you are able to recognize the value of honor, for a clone," Krell replies. His presence is dark, and some Jedi just feel like that, though Anakin can immediately understand why. He's seen this before, many times, but never with a Jedi. Anger coils up inside him.
"Clones are Mandalorian by heritage," Anakin snaps back. It's not quite a snap, because he'd never talk to a Jedi Master with that tone, but anyone who knows him could tell exactly how angry he is. He has seen so many people treating his vode as lesser because of their origins. "It's in their blood. Moreso than me and you, I believe."
One thing Anakin has learned very well from his master is ways to politely be rude to people.
"And Mandalorians are not a trustworthy people."
"You don't trust the men who are laying down their lives for a Republic that hasn't even granted them freedom?" He's furious, if he's being honest, but Krell is a Jedi Master.
"My command is effective because I do it by the book," Krell replies, towering over Anakin. It makes him feel small and wrong and – this is familiar. He doesn't want to be here. It's making his skin crawl, but he stands firm, glaring back, because this is for Rex. "And that includes protocol, something you and your master are severely lacking in."
"Sometimes, the lives we save are more important than a win," Anakin answers, but Krell's already turning away towards Rex, ordering him to have the platoons ready to move out.
***
Krell is either stupid, insane, or trying to get everyone killed. That much is clear. The least he can do is not snap and growl at everybody.
Anakin has seen this attitude before. It's familiar to him, and Anakin hates what it reminds him of. It's wrong. This is Krell. He's a Jedi Master. He's not evil. He's not a bad person if he's a Jedi. He's... But that doesn't change how he's talking to the clones. It's wrong.
They've been walking for hours now, literally, and they're all exhausted.
Krell refuses to let them take a break.
He's going to get them killed. How can he not care? Jedi can be cold, yes, but not – this is the first Anakin's seen it this bad.
Not entirely unlike how Barriss killed a clone without thinking about it even a moment. She just did it, like he wasn't a living person with a family the same way all civilians are. She was thirteen and she was panicking, so Anakin can understand it, but he can't – not this. The hurt and anger boiling inside him aren't something he can just let go of.
He won't even address Rex by his name, and Rex does well at hiding how upset and hurt he is by it, but Anakin can still sense it. The most he can offer is a silent, steady presence beside him.
Anakin feels helpless as everyone marches to their doom. It reminds him of not so long ago, when he was captured on Felucia by Trandoshans. The constant fear and helplessness of being hunted, of living in constant fear and tension without any weapons or anything to defend himself with, without any hope of getting off-world – that's what this reminds him of.
It feels the same.
Similar.
So similar.
There was nothing he could do for one of the padawans who died. He tried, but there was nothing...
Just like so many of his men.
Just like Echo at the Citadel when Anakin could do nothing but stand there and watch as one of his best friends blew up. Like so many people did on Tatooine.
People.
Not droids. Not slaves. Not – they're people. They deserve to be treated like it.
"Sir, we're ready to bring our forward platoons in for a surgical strike on the city's defenses," Rex says, stepping up to Krell.
"There won't be any need, Captain," he replies.
"Sir?" Rex asks, confused, and Anakin stares. He has a bad feeling about this.
"All platoons will execute a forward assault along the main route to the city," Krell answers.
That's when Anakin steps forwards, because a padawan he may be, but these are his friends, and this is such a stupid plan. "My master's plan was to divide our forces," Anakin interjects, "Engaging them on a full-front assault is too dangerous."
"And what do you know of the art of war, padawan?" Krell asks almost mockingly.
"Everything I know, I learned from my master," Anakin replies firmly, "And he is the best Jedi there is."
"Does he have a straight victory streak?"
"No, but there are losses in war, the same as victories. We learn from our mistakes, and we don't have the entire army at our disposal. And even if we did, this plan is far too risky."
"You forget I outrank you, padawan," Krell throws back, "You are unaware of the price that must be paid." As if Krell actually cares about the clones, is friends with them and knows them by name.
He wants to cry. "No," Anakin objects, stubbornly standing his ground no matter how he feels about it. "A full-frontal assault is too risky. We can't go that route. Not without reinforcements or air support."
"We will do what we must to achieve victory," Krell orders, "This battalion will take the main road straight to the capital. You will not stop, and you will not turn back, regardless of the resistance you meet. We will attack them with all our troops, not some sneak attack with a few men. That is my order. And you will follow it explicitly."
There's nothing Anakin can say to that. He's – outranked. He can't disobey Krell. He's a Jedi Master, and Anakin's just a padawan. The Jedi didn't want him in the first place. It's been seven years since Qui-Gon looked back at them defiantly with a "I will take Anakin as my padawan learner" no matter what the most powerful people in the Order had to say. He can't – he needs to be worthy. Needs to... Krell is a Jedi Master. Anakin can't talk back to him. Not unless he asked his opinion.
"Yes, Master," he mutters, backing off, because he knows now is when he needs to stop pushing.
"I'm sorry," Anakin says quietly to Rex and Fives, because even if there's really nothing he can do, he still owes them that. He's their commander, but he's still failing them.
"It's not your fault, kid," Rex promises, because he's always so good. He always stands by Anakin, no matter what mistakes he's made, or what he's caused. Anakin doesn't deserve that. certainly not right now.
He's failing them every step of the way.
Anakin can sense how upset his vode are about this, but there's nothing he even has to offer them.
It's a given that Anakin goes in front, and somewhere on the way, he senses something... amiss. Wrong. Off, but he can't place what. It's familiar, though. "Something's wrong," Anakin is mid-saying, and that's the moment an explosion rings out.
Mines.
Great.
He hates mines. Everyone does, but still. Anakin can sense the danger, but it's so much harder to pinpoint.
And predictably, that's when the Umbarans themselves attack.
"We have to fall back!" Anakin yells once the first cannon – or is it fighter? He can't tell – shot lands. "There's not enough cover."
Fives nearly gets shot on the way, and Anakin sticks as close to him and Rex as he can, trying to cover. There's too many, and he's hopelessly overwhelmed, but he's not going to stop. The only thing he has ever been is what he fights for, that he's always willing to keep getting back up.
"CT-7567. Do you have a malfunction in your design?" Krell demands, storming towards Rex as the last few clones – including Anakin – finish exchanging fire with the Umbarans. "You've pulled your forces back from taking the capital city. The enemy now has control of this route. This entire operation has been compromised, because of your failure." He jabs a finger at Rex's chest, shoving back a step.
"General Krell, in case you haven't noticed, Captain Rex just saved this platoon. Surely you won't fail to recognize that," Fives cuts in, half snarling, stepping forwards. He's steadfastly loyal, and Anakin admires him for that.
"ARC-5555, stand down," Krell hisses, lightsaber igniting.
Fives freezes with the blade so close to him with a "sir yes sir."
"This is why Master Obi-Wan made the plans he did," Anakin interjects, pulling Fives back from Krell's lightsaber. That the Jedi would even pull one on him makes him sick. This is Fives. He's already lost Echo. "He knew the dangers would be too great for us to have a frontal assault."
"And perhaps the plan failed because of your insistence," Krell snarls at him.
"Maybe," Anakin replies, "But if there's one thing I've learned about war, it's that fighting over a disagreement just gets more people killed. We need to work together."
"Then you should learn your place as a padawan learner," Krell replies icily.
Maybe he really is the problem. Anakin has no idea.
Maybe it is him, always has been, and he's just trying to blame it on everyone else because he can't live with that. Maybe... he doesn't know. All he does know is that he misses Obi-Wan unbearably, and he just wants this to be over.
***
It feels like it's just getting worse from here. If Krell hadn't forced them to attack in such a reckless manner, maybe they'd be farther, but maybe... Anakin has no idea. He's trying to trust himself, but it's so easy for that to be shaken. He and Rex have been fighting side by side practically nonstop with hardly any time to breathe or regroup or think.
They have to keep altering things and... coming up with alternative plans to press forwards.
Including Fives and Hardcase going in to steal a couple Umbaran ships, which nearly gets everybody killed, but it works out.
Anakin offers to take the stolen fighter in himself, but Krell denies his request, insisting it's a waste of resources they don't have. Anakin was injured in an explosion – nothing too serious, but it is true that he should be resting instead of being up and about, and Krell uses that as an excuse for why he can't go. Like Anakin isn't a former slave and hasn't had worse. He broke both his legs at once in his second-last podrace. That was worse.
"The attack on the Capital is to continue as planned," Anakin sighs, sitting on one of the bunks in the barracks.
"There's always another option," Fives shrugs, "We go ahead with our plan and suffer the consequences."
"You would be court-martialed," Rex argues, sitting down beside Anakin and balancing his helmet on his knee. "If it were up to me, and we had the time and the training, I would say, 'Do it.' But it's out of my hands and the truth is, you are no pilots."
"Come on," Jesse whines, "If Hardcase can fly one of these things, we all can."
"Yeah, he wasn't really flying," Tup interjects, "More like avoiding crashing."
"Look," Anakin said, "I can go in there and figure out how to fly. You might not be pilots, but I am. We might not have much time, but I can teach you what you need to know. This is something we have to do."
Dogma comes in, and the conversation breaks up after that. He's new, and Anakin doesn't know him very well. He's unreasonably loyal, almost maddeningly so, and he doesn't understand. They don't need word to get out, and with an exchange of glances with Rex, he and Anakin leave their barracks.
Fives sprints after and the doors shut behind him. "This is about more than just following orders."
Yes, it is. It's about the gaping emptiness he feels over Echo's loss to the Separatists, something they will never truly be able to let go of. That's one loss Anakin doesn't think he'll ever forget. It was too sudden. Too wrong. To senseless. Too brutal. Echo didn't have to die.
"It is," Rex agrees, turning back to him. "It's about honor."
"Where is the honor in marching blindly to our deaths?" Fives asks dubiously. He's angry, and so is Anakin, but there's really nothing any of them can do.
"It is not our call. We are part of something larger. We're not independent of one another."
"I'm sorry. I cannot just follow orders when I know they're wrong. Especially when lives are at stake."
"He's right, Rex," Anakin interjects quietly, "I'm not comfortable disobeying orders like this either, not without my master –" because Obi-Wan does it all the time, and Anakin does by default "– but you are still people, and you deserve to be treated like it."
"We might not agree with General Krell's strategies, but we have to follow his orders if we believe in what we're fighting for."
"I can't believe that. I can't believe this," Anakin argues, shaking his head. "I – I know you want to trust him, Rex, but I can't, and I can't let us fail."
"What's your call, Commander?"
"I just need Fives," he replies, stepping back, "And someone else. We need those ships. Try to keep Krell busy. I'll see if I can do something."
***
Do something, they do. Anakin, Fives, and Jesse take off – Hardcase was desperate to come, but considering his piloting skills nearly leveled the hangar, Anakin turns it down – into the space battle above.
Anakin breaks off ahead, taking out the ship before they make a run for it.
He's exhausted, but it – it worked, and they made it. Or might have. That's all that matters.
Krell is waiting for them when they arrive back in the tower's command center. "Padawan Skywalker, I heard your little excursion succeeded," he says. "You have accomplished a very brave act."
With no thanks of Krell himself of course, but none of them are brave or stupid enough to say so.
"Unfortunately, you have also committed a serious crime," Krell continues, "By disobeying my direct orders."
Yeah. Technically, yes, they did, but it happens. "I know what I did," Anakin replies, "Jesse and Fives were obeying my orders as their commander over yours. I know I broke some rules, but I was doing what I had to, to protect those under my command and help win this battle." He's doing what Obi-Wan would've wanted, but he's a little reluctant to bring that up right now. Krell already has so little respect for his master.
"And disregarded the specific orders of your medics," he continues, "You will remain inside the base until further notice."
Considering what happened, well, Anakin has to grudgingly admit that's a fair choice.
***
"We should be out there fighting," Fives grumbles, glaring at the wall, "Not stuck here inside."
"We knew what could happen," Jesse points out, "Being confined is far less severe than I was afraid of."
"Yeah," Anakin agrees, leaning against the wall. They're not actually stuck in a cell or anything, but it feels close enough. Krell sent the others to babysit him. And it's working, or else he'd already have snuck out. He can feel his brothers dying. Can sense it from many klicks away. He wants to be out there with them, no matter what he promised his master about not being reckless. They need his help.
Anakin can't deny that.
Fives is itching to get back into the fighting. He always has been since the Citadel. Maybe even before, but it seems worse now.
"Anything specific?" Anakin asks, because he's upset, too, but he needs to ask if Fives wants to speak his mind.
"I'm worried about what Krell's up to," Fives admits, "He doesn't like clones. Maybe he's not trying to get us killed, but I don't know what else he's aiming for."
"I don't like him, either," Anakin replies, "But he's still a Jedi Master."
"He's using Rex to control the rest of us," Fives grumbles, "That's what's most upsetting.
Yeah. He is. Even Anakin is upset by it, but he understands. He doesn't blame Rex – he understands that himself. He's in the same position, except Krell is choosing to ignore him because he doesn't have the same sway over him that he does for Rex. Anakin's a Jedi. Rex is not.
"Yeah," Jesse agrees, sighing.
For a few minutes, they just sit in silence. There's nothing he can say, anyway. "Something's wrong," Anakin offers at last, because there's a disturbance in the Force, and it's only growing. "I can't place it."
"Nearby?" Fives queries, perking up. "Maybe someone finally decided to take Krell down a peg or two."
"That's wishful thinking," Jesse argues.
"I'm afraid it's much worse than that," Anakin cuts it. "I can feel Rex. He's angry." It's something darker, though. And he's afraid of what it is. Anakin can think of precious little that would make Rex so furious. Even with serving under Krell, he's remained remarkably calm and levelheaded, no matter how upset Anakin himself was. Rex is good at being calm when Anakin needs him to be.
Anakin wishes he could do something for Rex sometime.
"Clearly, someone's as good as dead," Fives supplies.
Oh, yeah. Definitely.
The door opens.
Rex looks closer to murder than Anakin has ever seen. There's a sharp fury in his dark eyes, and his expression is tense. "Sir," he says, and Anakin pushes himself to his feet.
"Rex, what happened?" he queries worriedly.
"Krell's setting us up," he answers shortly, "He sent us out after the 212th. He's trying to kill all of us."
His heart skips a beat, and Anakin stares. He's going to be sick. "Krell – what?!" he breathes.
"He told us the Umbarans were disguising themselves as clones. He gave the same report to the 212th and sent us against each other. I was able to stop it, but not until..."
Not until they already lost many more brothers on their own hands. Anakin doesn't even know how to feel about that. "That's why he wanted me to stay in here," he realizes sickeningly, "Because if I was with you, it would have stopped the fight before it began."
Fives was right all along, wasn't he? Krell really is trying to get them killed. But what could he hope to gain by it?
Unless...
He doesn't know.
It doesn't even matter.
"Let's go," Anakin says, a wave of raw fury crashing over him, drawing his lightsaber.
Krell is not going to live after what he's done to their entire battalion. To Rex, to Fives, to each and every one of them. Anakin is not going to stop until he's dead.
Together, they march into the command center, Anakin igniting his lightsaber and the clones moving into position around the room.
"General Krell, you are being relieved of duty," Rex says icily.
"It's treason then," Krell replies, and this is the first time Anakin can really feel how dark he is.
"It would be wise to surrender," Anakin warns, eyes narrowed.
"You're committing mutiny," Krell throws back.
"Explain your actions," Rex demands furiously.
"For ordering us against each other," Anakin adds.
"Oh, that," Krell muses, like he has no remorse for any of the senseless murders he's just committed. "I'm surprised they were able to figure it out, for clones."
"You're a traitor to the Jedi Order," Anakin throws back. He's stepping out of line, making a decision that a padawan should never have to, but he has no other choice. Someone has to do it. "And to the Grand Army of the Republic. Surrender now, and you'll be handed over to the Council for trial."
"Bold words for one so young," he mocks, "Your master isn't here to save you."
Obi-Wan has said the same to Anakin before, but he doesn't let himself think. Krell is going to try to get under his skin, make him angry and off-balance. "Good thing I don't need him."
Krell lashes out with the Force, and Anakin blocks it, jumping at him with his lightsaber. Their blades clash a couple times before Krell backhands him and goes for the window.
***
It's Tup's idea to lure him into one of the sarlacc type creatures and stun him. It worked, too, for as much as Anakin tried to fight him himself. It was hard to find him amidst the chaos, to make it to a one-on-one duel.
Dogma is the only clone hesitant to the change of plans, but it wasn't something any of them could control.
Krell is planning to join the Separatists. He thinks the Order will fall, and that's enough for him to do this. Krell won't stop unless he's dead, and he's playing on their loyalty and hesitation to kill him.
The Separatists are attacking though, and they don't have time to wait.
Rex can't do it. He's trying, but Krell is spending the entire time mocking him and Anakin just...
He knows what he needs to do.
Obi-Wan wouldn't hesitate to do what needs to be done. Anakin doesn't know how to, but in this moment, he knows what he needs to do. Doesn't matter how much it hurts. Rex's hand is shaking and he's lowering his blaster, and this isn't the Jedi way to kill someone unarmed but he – he knows what he needs to do. That doesn't make doing it any less hard, but he doesn't think. He just takes the blaster from Rex and fires himself.
Everyone freezes, staring at him.
The blaster clangs to the floor when he drops it.
Anakin turns away. Doesn't think he can stand here and watch. He's out of the room and halfway down the hall when Rex catches up to him. "Kid, you okay?"
"Honestly?" Anakin asks, pausing, "No." Rex is quiet, just waiting for him to talk. "I just turned on my Code. Our way of life. He was unarmed. He – he deserves to die, but that wasn't the Jedi way."
"There's nothing else you could have done," Rex supplies, touching his shoulder. Anakin leans into it, and Fives shows up on his other side a moment later.
"I'm sorry it took so long to figure out," Anakin says, still not looking at them. He can't. Not after what happened. "I should've known that he Fell."
"What he did wasn't your fault, Anakin," Fives promises, as he approaches. "Krell's choices were his own. Not yours."
"I know," Anakin acknowledges, "But still. I'm sorry."
"We all made a lot of mistakes here," Rex replies, as Fives tugs Anakin into a hug, "None of us more than the rest. It wasn't your fault."
He knows, but it'll take time to accept. A lot of time. For now, Anakin just lets himself relax a little in the embrace of his two best friends in the galaxy.
***
Obi-Wan takes it... like Obi-Wan takes it. Which is to say, he's very angry.
"– and you fought him," he continues, "You could have died."
"I know," Anakin replies, "But we stopped him." Sometimes, it hurts that Obi-Wan doesn't have more faith in him. Anakin doesn't really understand why he's like this, and probably never will. "We couldn't let him escape. If he joined the Separatists..."
Obi-Wan should be angry at him. Anakin killed a Jedi Master. Shot him through the heart, even if he was unarmed and defenseless. He just.
Maybe it was the right choice, but whenever he thinks about it, he still feels sick. Anakin has never killed anyone not in war before. Hasn't even thought of it. It's not something Jedi do, but Anakin just did. He'd feel better if Obi-Wan was angry.
"I understand why you made the choice you did," his master admits finally, though frustrated, "And I suppose I cannot fault you for it."
"The Council?" Anakin asks softly, "What... did they say?"
"You made the right choice, Anakin, regardless of what they said," Obi-Wan promises, "Don't doubt that."
He does and probably won't ever stop, but... but still.
"The important thing," Rex cuts in, stepping forwards, "Is that we all made it off. That's all."
He's right. He usually is, and Anakin's glad that one thing at least is back to normal, even if nothing else is or ever will be.
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