Summary: A few weeks before Kenobi was due to arrive on Kamino in the original timeline, the clones wake up with memories of their lives up to their deaths. Rex stays strong for his brothers— he has to. But who will stay strong for him?
Snippet: When Rex opened his eyes, he felt numb. He thought he was dreaming, at first, because he was back in his pod on Kamino. He hadn’t been there in decades, but occasionally he’d dream about being with his brothers again. He’d eventually wake up, though, and remember that they were all dead and he was alone. Huffing, Rex rolled onto his side and hoped he would wake up for real soon.
———
I’ve had this written for awhile and finally decided to post it! I hope you all enjoy!
7567 sits alone at the table.
The numerous decoms of their batch means that no one has to risk the attention of the Kaminoans by sitting next to him. They will share his pod later, promising to remember him. Eventually he’ll be shared between batches as a cautionary tale and one of pride. It’s a cold comfort but it’s a comfort all the same.
That is why he startles when a larger clone drops onto the table across from him. It’s a CC, and they’re never allowed over with the CTs. They’ve passed in the hallways as they march along to the next tasks and later, once the CTs have enough training to be useful, they will send the CTs out into battle sims.
But right now, despite all sense to the contrary, there is a CC sitting across from 7567 and it is smiling—not a kind smile either, like 7567 sometimes sees shared between his batchmates behind their trainer’s backs. It’s a sharp slash that shows off a threatening number of teeth and a promise of blood.
“You’ve been requisitioned, verd’ika.”
A cold pit opens at the base of 7567’s abdomen and he feels himself collapsing in on it like a black hole. He doesn’t know what that means but he does know that it’s new. New things happening to him is never good. He licks his bottom lip and swallows hard. “Sir?”
“New orders.” The CC, 1010 the tattoo just below the hinge of his jaw denotes, leans in with a fierce expression. “Every CC batch is getting an ad. Do what you’re told and you won’t be decommed. Tayli’bac?”
“I don’t…” 7567’s breath hitches. He doesn’t understand what the CC is saying and he doesn’t know what it wants. “Tallyback?”
Some of the tension eases around CC-1010’s eyes. “Tayli’bac. Understand?”
“Yessir.” 7567 says, because he does now. He draws his brows together just the slightest bit and purses his lips in annoyance as he takes his last bite. “I know how to follow orders, sir.”
what's your favorite gelphie fic?
OOF just one is so hard. here's a few of my favs. though more than being my favorite fics these are my favorite gelphie authors so assume i love everything they've posted!
The Love Club by OrkButch. just delightful. extremely queer and extremely heartfelt. and it has my favorite things ever like grief, healing, learning to be in a relationship, and nuanced portrayals of elphaba & nessa's dynamic. very formative to my perception of book!elphie, i learned a lot about her with this fic even if it's a modern AU!
Wiretapped Life by tinyace. another fic that has aaaaaaall of my favorite things like grief, healing, learning to be in a rel--- you get the gist. also it has nor! more fics should have nor! no but seriously this fic is incredible and has some of the best explorations i've seen on asexuality, aromanticism, gender, queer platonic relationships, and how to navigate a shitload of trauma in a cruel world when you have so much love to give. the gelphie dynamic is so nuanced and the worldbuilding is so intriguing and well done and glinda is a poor little meow meow and agh. could talk about this one forever. also if you've read attrition you will like this one, it has so many similar themes sam and i are always joking our brains are the same lol
The Last True Eminent Thropp by Ridiculous Mavis. ask any gelphie fan who was here before november 2024 for their favorite gelphie fics and they will probably mention ridiculous mavis. read everything on her page, seriously. yes even if it's ff dot net. do it. do it right now. this one is my favorite of hers!
Per Aspera Ad Astra (Through Hardships Towards the Stars) by show_me_the_universe. this one is still unfinished but i have enjoyed it so much! gelphie are so cute and so teenagers and they go through so much and their dynamic with each other is the sweetest thing. also has great dynamics between the charmed circle which it's also one of my favorite things :)
Aftermath by narta_shall_survive. another one where glinda is a poor little meow meow. i read this fic like a year ago and brother it has stuck with me. i love the way glinda is written and it has my FAVORITEEE glinda & crope dynamic. also it blends musical and book in such a smooth way and the prose is so crunchy.
and my saint, she is dancing by Mayverix. this one is extremely clever and soo well written. i adore this author's prose so much. made me ache in the best way possible. the way book!gelphie is captured here is just superb.
oh and of course i love the classics aka gretchenmaurice's works. all of them from the long ones to the most recent ones :)
now!!! i haven't read too many movie fics (yet) but here are two that stuck with me and that i love and have very much informed the way i see and write the movieverse gelphie dynamic.
the faint of heart by Verannode. vampire!galinda. and if that wasn't enough she totally thinks she's in some sort of romcom while elphaba is in a supernatural mystery or something. it's just the best thing ever. the dialogue is so whimsical and hilarious and galinda is incredibly delusional and dramatic and i love her. i've reread this a bunch of times it always makes me laugh.
PERENNIAL by anaphoruh. no joke this fic is one of my favorite ones ever. it's just so. i can't even explain it the way its written scratches my brain in the BEST way imaginable. the prose is so elegant and smooth i want to study it. it's the perfect blend of book and MOVIE which i didn't think was possible. the descriptions are so fun and engaging. the gelphie dynamic is delicious. galinda is insanely rich and elphie is her sugar baby in the most lowkey way possible. i adore it.
now not related to the movie at all. last but not least. there is Emerald City Lies by Beta Nova. listen to me. i would never recommend a fic on ff dot net that was last updated in 2016 if it wasn't worth it. i started reading this fic on a plane and it was so good i literally had to stop reading it so i could savor it. made myself read only one chapter a day and yes it's unfinished and yet i reread it once a year. it's so good.
anyway! thanks for asking <3
1. Rex wanting to get away from everyone because he’s stressed but doesn’t have anywhere to go where he won’t be bothered so he hides in a storage closet at the end of a lesser used hall.
2. Rex is naturally blond and when he was a cadet his batch was all normal, so they kinda shunned him and bullied him because being defective is highly frowned upon in clone culture.
3. I headcanon that Rex had a little brain damage from being yeeted every 2 seconds over 3 years which caused his chip to not work properly. Rex probably also suffers from chronic pain from all the injuries he’s sustained and then had healed in a matter of days because of bacta tanks.
4. Imagine after Fives death and it’s only Kix and Jesse left, Rex tries to make new friends with some shines, and then he sees them all die in their first battle and he gives up on trying to make new friends.
5. After Tup and Fives deaths the information on how they died is classified and Rex isn’t allowed to tell Jesse and Kix how they died so they get into an argument about it and end up not speaking to each other for a long while. Its not until much later when Jesse request for ARK training that start speaking again, but they act like their walking on eggshells when their around each other. Jesse only wanted training because he promised Fives a long time ago he’d look out for Rex if anything happened to him, and he doesn’t want Fives to come back and haunt him because he didn’t keep his promise.
6. Once on a mission Rex had to be left behind because they were ambushed and he got injured in the process. Nobody was able to go get him because they had to keep moving and Rex was captured. The whole time he was captured he didn’t think anyone would come to get him because he was just one clone.
7. Cody and Rex fought over Fives case, Rex somewhat believed Fives was right, but Cody didn’t believe it at all. Things got heated and things they didn’t mean were said, what ended it was Cody suggesting Rex was too emotionally unstable and threatened to send him back to Kamino. Rex was quite taken aback by this and left without another word, but they didn’t speak at all after that and then order 66 happened and they lost contact completely.
8. As a cadet Rex’s trainers were harder on him and would give him lower scores than the rest because of his blond hair which made him defective. This caused Rex to have a lot of anxiety as a cadet, as he was constantly threatened with decommissioning for not having a high enough scores.
9. He feels really guilty about dogma, like really guilty. It should have been him to pull the trigger but it wasn’t, and now Dogmas gone and he feels it’s his fault. He understood how Dogma felt, obey orders or face being decommissioned, it’s how he felt back at the beginning of the war. He would have taken Dogma under his wing and showed him it was ok to lighten up a little. But Dogmas gone, and it was his fault.
10. Has a phobia of wide open spaces, since he grew up on Kamino and in an in closed area his whole life, so when he suddenly placed in the vast expanse of space it didn’t sit very well with him.
11. Rex and Anakin were friends but were never close until ahsoka left. Rex felt that it was only the loss of ahsokas company that brought anakin to seek his presence. He just felt like filler for ahsoka.
12. Clones don’t get sick easily, their immune to most known pathogens, but Rex can get so stressed his body can’t take it and he becomes ill.
13. Rex has major survivors guilt way before order 66 happened but after the order it got much worse.
14. Rex and Wolffe fought too. Wolffe was upset and thought ahsoka had betrayed them and had killed their brothers, but Rex knew she would never. When it came out ahsoka wasn’t guilty things were awkward between them. Wolffe and Rex were close since they’ve known each other on Kamino.
15. Ahsoka never said goodbye to Rex when she left and he was upset about it because he felt he didn’t mean enough to her to warrant a fair well.
Sorry for being angsty city on main, Im sad and my favorite trope is hurt no comfort because I need therapy. Anyway, feel free to add your own!
Based on that post by @vclkyrxe
. . .
The pride Anakin constantly felt for his men was doubled with their latest victory and he swaggered down the hallways of the cruiser in an excellent mood.
The 501st had worked seamlessly alongside their brothers of the 212th, thriving under the joint leadership of Rex and Cody and making it out of their latest battle relatively unscathed, with minor injuries and zero fatalities. It was a tragically uncommon outcome.
Anakin congratulated the men he passed in the corridors, clasping shoulders and forearms, cherishing their smiles. Too often, they had so little to smile about. There were less and less troopers to greet as he neared the Jedi quarters; they had little need to venture down such hallways after all. Their absence saddened Anakin greatly, so used to their presence, wishing once again that he could be permitted to bunk with his men. The dog-piles of clones he often found himself in when resting mid-battle were surprisingly comfortable.
It wasn’t appropriate, however. Not for a Jedi.
Voices startled him, having expected that familiar, lonely silence, and curious at why it was broken.
“… more careful, general. Today could have gone much differently.”
It was Cody. Anakin knew the timbre of his voice. He must be debriefing with his general and, from what Anakin was overhearing, this particular debrief was more along the lines of a lecture. He smirked, leaned back against the wall outside his master’s room to listen to him get told off for once.
“You needn’t worry, Commander. I had it under control.”
“Sometimes I wonder if you know what that word means,” Cody huffed in reply to his general’s airy dismissal. “Fine. Don’t be careful. Just, keep in mind, someday I might not be there. I could get shot down mid battle and you may not notice for the duration—”
“Cody,” said Obi-Wan, quite firm, and Anakin recognised that tone: chiding, but ultimately so gentle. “I would feel your loss instantly.”
Anakin nodded, so enthused with agreement that he forgot briefly that he wasn’t a part of the conversation. The clones had a habit of downplaying their worth. They couldn’t be blamed, of course, having been created by those who believed they were expendable, but Anakin knew different. He knew that, if Rex should fall, he would feel it.
There was silence following Obi-Wan’s words but it broke now with Cody’s softened voice.
“It does not… invalidate my point, sir.”
“Cyar’ika,” Obi-Wan sighed and the word stuck in Anakin’s mind, knowing in his heart that it was important, feeling the weight and emotion behind it. “I hear you… and I will do my upmost to ease your anxiety.”
“That feels like a weak promise.”
“Well, I know if I tell you I’ll stop being reckless, you’ll just see right through me.”
Cody chuckled, completely genuine, untainted with bitterness or exasperation. It was such an unfamiliar sound. “I suppose it will do for now.”
There was a moment of silence. Anakin had to hold himself back from prying, from reaching out into the force to know what was happening in that room.
“I need to see to the men,” said Cody. “For some of them, a victory is just as hard as a defeat.”
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
“Of course, general.”
The door opened and Anakin almost tripped over himself, realising quickly that he would not get away in time and simply leaning back against the wall, resting his chin in his hand with as much feigned nonchalance as he could muster. His goal had been to not draw attention. When Cody exited the room, however, the commander looked right at him.
His helmet was tucked under one arm, his eyes widening a moment, just a fraction, in surprise, before he set himself a carefully neutral expression.
“General Skywalker,” he acknowledged, setting off down the corridor, and Anakin grimaced a smile through his fingers.
“Cody,” he said in reply, closing his eyes in self-frustration when the man was out of sight because he definitely knew Anakin had been eavesdropping.
He wasn’t the only one.
“Anakin.”
Slowly, he turned his head. His hand lowered from his mouth. “Hey…?”
“What are you doing out here?” Obi-Wan asked, looking slightly alarmed, though it may have been because his hair was slightly out of place.
“I was coming to change out of my armour,” said Anakin honestly, “and then, well, I wasn’t expecting Cody to be down here and it, y’know, caught me off guard for a minute.”
Obi-Wan had a thoroughly unconvinced expression on his face, but he said nothing to contradict his former apprentice. “Cody was debriefing me on the battle. The men did well; the Seventh Sky Corps were very effective… Although, he was unhappy with the way I handled myself towards the end.”
“You mean when you were free falling between gunships?”
Obi-Wan’s jaw shifted. “Yes, precisely.”
An uncertain silence stretched out and Anakin shifted his weight between his feet. “So,” said Anakin, hoping to ease his master’s obvious and uncharacteristic discomfort, “‘cyar’ika’…? Haven’t heard that one before.”
“Ah, yes,” replied Obi-Wan, aiming for nonchalant, but no less tense. “It’s a Mando’a word. A… term of endearment, I suppose, for someone I admire and respect very much. Cody—all the clones, in fact—they aren’t used to praise. It’s good for him to know that he is valued.”
Anakin nodded, eager to validate him. “Of course, Master. I agree.”
In Anakin’s mind at least, Obi-Wan wasn’t doing anything wrong. Anakin loved his men like brothers, valued each and every one of them and hoped he conveyed that as much as possible. He knew his master had qualms about attachment, but it was a difficult thing to avoid in war. Without their friends in the clones, they would be lost.
It seemed, however, that—despite his master’s disapproval of such things—he was making a special effort to relate to his men, using words of their heritage language to address them, to assure them they were important. The older clones were fluent in Mando’a and many made it their mission to pass that knowledge on to the younger generations, now that Jango Fett was no longer there to train them. They would rarely have full conversations, but Anakin heard them speak the language often, words and phrases in passing. It had become so natural that he hadn’t thought twice about it.
He was unfamiliar with this new word, however. Rex had never said that before. Anakin new the Kaminoans had not treated the clones well, but he saw Rex with his brothers—with their younger troopers especially—and he knew his captain had not taken much personality from his creators. He was good with the men. He was less willing to accept praise himself, however.
Anakin made a silent vow to change that.
. . .
Anakin spent the rest of the day honouring his vow, honouring his men left and right.
He did as he usually would, praising men in the corridors with “good work today”, and calling up to the clone mechanics atop the damaged gunships with “looking good”, and stopping by the infirmary with “rest up”. “Men” or “troops” would normally round off each encouraging call, but today he left them with “cyar’ika”. It earned him a lot of rapid blinking and confused smiles. Fives laughed aloud when he heard it.
“You too, sir!” he chortled when Anakin praised him in passing for a job well done, but he had always been boisterous. Jesse, walking beside him, stopped and stared, gaping a moment before Fives dragged him along.
Anakin knew the men must be accustomed to his praise by now, so he attributed their surprise to his newly learned term of affection and honour. He hadn’t spoken Mando’a before, it was true, and it clearly came as a surprise to his men. Anakin hoped they would become used to it. Each and every one of them deserved admiration.
“Captain,” Anakin greeted, settled in the debriefing chamber after an hour or so of practicing his new compliment, watching Rex enter, still fully armour-clad.
When the helmets were on, most clones preferred correct procedure and, as independently minded as Rex was, he was no different in that respect.
“Sir,” said Rex in return, lifted his hands to remove his helmet and it put Anakin at ease. “I spoke to the engineers. We only lost one gunship this time. The rest are repairable; some will need more time than others, but they’ll fly again.”
Anakin let him rattle on, listening patiently as his captain filled him in on battle time and potential changes. Rex was very much a man who believed his strategies could always be improved upon, no matter how much Anakin tried to praise him and his intelligence. It was just further proof of his humble, self-critical nature.
“Rex,” said Anakin, half interrupting his talk of rations and mentally kicking himself because he should have used that word. He would slip in in somewhere. “How are you? How are the men?”
“Very well, sir,” Rex replied with a small nod, not seeming surprised to be asked such a thing and that could only be good. “It’s not often we get out without losing anyone, so we’re all feeling very grateful. Worst injury out there are some second-degree burns. Kix is saying they’ll scar but won’t leave any lasting damage. We got lucky.”
“Luck has nothing to do with it. Your skill and tactical mind helped a lot of people today, cyar’ika. You should be proud.”
Rex didn’t brush off the praise as he usually would, and Anakin frowned as Rex stared, a slight flush to his cheeks.
“Sir,” he said eventually, cleared his throat, “if I may, where did you pick up that word?”
“Do the 501st not use Mando’a?” Anakin asked, worried now that Rex may have chosen to cut his Mandalorian ties and Anakin had just offended him. “I thought I heard you sometimes—”
“We—We do, sir. Many phrases are part of our daily… lingo, I suppose, but that…”
“Did I pronounce it wrong?”
“Sir… do you know what it means?”
It dawned on Anakin suddenly that it was an intimate thing to compliment someone in their own language. “Rex,” he said through an exhale, rising to his feet to take Rex’s shoulders. The captain’s flush deepened, keeping searching eyes on his general. “You deserve admiration. I know the Kaminoans taught you otherwise, but I make it a point not to listen to those who treat people like property… I know it’s a Mando’a word and I’m not a clone, so tell me if I’m overstepping, but I see us as brothers. I had hoped you felt the same.”
Rex gaped a moment, closing his mouth with a click. “Sir, I don’t think you know, so I’m just going to tell it to you straight. ‘Cyar’ika’ is a term of romantic endearment. Loosely translated it means ‘darling’ or… ‘sweetheart’.”
Anakin stared at him, slowly releasing his shoulders. The blushing was making sense now. “That can’t be right…”
“It’s what Fives calls his lovers… They seem to like it, I suppose, but—”
“That’s what Fives calls…?” Anakin echoed, trailing in disbelief because Fives’ response to being called Cyar’ika suddenly made a lot more sense now that he had that flirtatious context.
“What did you think it meant?”
“Well, I didn’t think that!” exclaimed Anakin, waving a hand because Rex’s lips were twitching in the beginnings of a grin. “Okay, no, there has to be some other context to it. Surely it can be used platonically.”
“It really can’t,” said Rex, tilted his head in interest. “Who taught you that word, sir?”
It clicked suddenly—properly this time—and Anakin exhaled in disbelief because there was no doubt in his mind that Obi-Wan knew the real meaning of that word. There was no question now that Obi-Wan had lied to him, or—at the very least—twisted the truth enough not to be honest at all.
“I made… an assumption,” said Anakin slowly, “and I was very mistaken.”
He wondered how deep his misunderstanding ran.
If it had reached a point where Obi-Wan was calling Cody by a name that could only be awarded to lovers, then the image he had created of his master in his mind must be very mistaken indeed.
This is so that they’re all in one place on tumblr! These aren’t in any particular order other than the one that I thought of them in as I was writing out the titles in this post. The links and summaries are below the cut! I hope this is helpful! As I write more, I’ll be sure to keep this updated.
What Died Didn’t Stay Dead — The 501st suffered a devastating blow on Umbara with the loss of Captain Rex at the hands of Pong Krell.
Rex doesn’t understand why he’s still around after having died, but he realizes that he might be able to use this to the advantage of all of his brothers.
Or: Rex is a ghost, and he’s just as confused about it as everyone else is.
Mars AU — A role-reversal AU in which Rex gets caught in the explosion at the Citadel and is experimented on by the Techno Union, and Echo is promoted to Captain of the 501st. This series explores what would be different and what would stay the same.
Losing Track (of What We’re Fighting For) — the first installment, which spans from Rex’s rescue through Order 66
Cool Clone Commanders (+ a Slightly Less Cool Captain) — A series of missing scenes and brotherly shenanigans during Losing Track (of What We’re Fighting For)
Brand New War Begins — Order 66 has been executed and the galaxy is in shambles. In an attempt to pick up some of the pieces, Rex and Echo split into groups on missions to save those who may have survived. Meanwhile, two lost souls run into each other and the future of the galaxy is drastically changed as a result.
Golden Heart — Kix has always wanted to help his brothers; that’s why he’s always wanted to be a medic. One day, when he’s first starting his medical training, he helps a blond cadet with a concussion. Years later, after the war has begun, history repeats itself.
A Bit of Tin — Echo notices a familiar medal on display in the Bad Batch’s ship and asks them about it. It leads to a conversation about their old batchmates.
When You Let it Leave, it Can’t Hurt You — The Bad Batchers find a holopic in their barracks when they return to Kamino after a mission. It holds nothing but bittersweet and painful memories for Echo, but he eventually learns that just because it hurts doesn’t mean he should forget.
Promotion — When Anakin Skywalker is Knighted, Rex is given a promotion as well, much to his surprise.
Homecoming — After the Clone War ended with the reveal of Chancellor Palpatine as a Sith Lord, Fives and Echo get the reunion that they deserved all along. The rest of Domino Squad joins in on the fun.
Comfort — Kix has been awake for nearly 24 hours trying to save as many brothers as he could. A breakdown was inevitable. Luckily, Echo is really great at comforting brothers who are hurting.
Tackling Grievous — Cody tackles Grievous yet again, and Rex comms him to give him a piece of his mind. Obi-Wan’s enjoying this far too much for his own good.
Keep Your Eyes Open — Cody gets a concussion during a battle, but luckily Rex is there to make sure he stays awake.
I Know You — “This is not who you are. I know you better than that.”
Anakin says these words to Ahsoka on Mortis. Years later, Ahsoka says them to Anakin on Malachor.
What’s in a Name — Fives has been in ARC training for 2 weeks when he runs into Clone Force 99, who are preparing to ship out of Kamino for their first mission.
Or: Fives meets Clone Force 99 and accidentally gives them their other name.
Where I Confess My Doubt — A supply run takes Ghost Crew to Umbara. Everyone’s worried about Rex.
A Great Man — To Rex, Fives was a great man, and great men deserve to be remembered. *Ao3 link here*
The One Left Behind — In which Death watches a particular clone captain repeatedly lose, and still continue to fight.
Only Time Will Tell — The clones wake up with memories of their lives up to their deaths only a few weeks before Kenobi was due to arrive on Kamino in the original timeline. Rex stays strong for his brothers— he has to. But who will stay strong for him? *will likely end up being a series of oneshots*
Chapter Two - Trust Read on AO3
Summary: Ever since Ashla could remember, she’d dreamed of the sea. Words: 2224 Warnings: near drowning, killing and cleaning of a fish (non-graphic)
**********
Ever since Ashla could remember, she’d dreamed of the sea.
Many of the dreams were lovely; swimming through long kelp fronds, picking up shells from the sandy ocean floor, or simply floating weightless beneath sun-dappled waves. Things she could attribute to trips to the aquarium and vacations taken with her adopted family.
But some dreams were dark and terrifying.
Monsters with glowing eyes reaching for her from lightless depths. Blood staining the water crimson. Unspeakable pain that left her shaking and sweating when she woke.
And a little boy with golden eyes.
Keep reading
For the clone hc thing uhhhh because of the blue shadow virus, Rex's immune system had been compromised leading to him getting sick easier then other clones, but he hates to admit it when it happens so he tries to power through the sickness. It falls to torrent (mostly Kix) to bully him into resting when this happens XD
Summary: Rex’s immune system has never been the same since the Blue Shadow virus. Cue Torrent company holding an intervention.
Pairing: None
Tags: sick rex, caring brothers, torrent company being the best vod, rex is very loved, but also stubborn when he gets sick
Word Count: 922
A/N: This was fun to write! Mando’a translations at the end. Headcanon submitted as part of this post.
|| Masterlist || Tag list ||
Rex gave a disgruntled sniffle as he walked down the halls of the Resolute, shivering lightly even under his full armour. In one hand he held a datapad and a stack of flimsi reports, in the other, a handful of tissues.
Ever since he contracted the Blue Shadow virus the previous year, Rex found he fell sick more often than most of his brothers, and that it hit him harder when he did. But, he was a soldier. He was the Captain of the 501st Legion and he had work to do. He wasn’t about to let a little sickness get in his way. They were at war, for Force sake!
Unfortunately, his vod’ikas had other plans.
----
Jesse was first to spot their ori’vod looking, well, for lack of a better word, osik. If it hadn’t been for the puffy eyes and coughing, the stumbling would have given him away. He tapped a few buttons on his wrist comm, tapping through to Five’s private comm link.
“Fives, we’ve got a protocol 57, spread the word.”
“Damn it, again?”
Fives responded almost immediately with a chuckle, and Jesse could hear shuffling on the other end, then a few beeps and Echo joined them. Before long, the rest of Torrent company was on the comm.
Fives chuckled as he and Echo made a quiet escape from the training room,
“Right, let's have a clean sweep this time, eh vod?”
Dogma laughed,
“Don’t worry, we got this. 34th times a charm, right?”
Tup elbowed him, and Fives continued.
“Echo and I are on point, we’ll run interference at the armoury and push him up to the bridge. Hardcase, you find him and get him to us.”
Jesse rolled his eyes as the rest of his brothers recited their jobs. “I’ll get word down to Kix. Good luck di’kuts.”
Jesse rolled his eyes as the rest of his brothers recited their jobs. “I’ll get word down to Kix. Good luck di’kuts.”
----
Rex was idly rubbing his temples as he headed for the mess hall, too engrossed in his datapad to notice Hardcase approaching him at first. Engrossed may be the wrong word, when really he was just trying to make the words stop moving.
“Captain…” Hardcase jogged to catch up with him. “Sir, are you alright?”
Rex snapped out of it, turning to face the trooper. He cleared his throat, balling his tissues in his palm.
“Hardcase, I’m fine, why do you ask?”
“You're headed for the mess and lunch finished an hour ago.” He nodded to the empty mess hall, beginning to guide him away and down the brightly lit hallway. “Are you sure you’re alright? Echo was looking for you to oversee an inventory in the armoury but I can help him if you’d like. I think Kix is still down in medical if-”
“That won’t be necessary. Thank you, Hardcase.”
The man just shrugged and clasped his hands behind his back. “I have the next training session, I’ll walk with you to the armoury, Sir.”
Rex loved all his vod, really, he did. But he did not have the energy for Hardcase right now. Still, he powered through, nodding his head.
Hardcase did. not. stop. talking. and gesturing energetically the entire time. He saluted the Captain as he stopped outside the armour, where Fives and Echo were conveniently just leaving, standing to attention.
He gave them a wink and left them in the company of their now exhausted Captain.
Rex waved his hand to put the arc troopers at ease, nodding inside the inventory and coughing.
“You needed me to do an inventory?”
Echo shook his head, “It’s alright Sir, Fives assisted me.”
“Are you alright, Captain? We can handle the bridge report this evening, why don’t you turn in early? You must be exhausted-” Fives tried, maybe they’d get lucky.
“I’m quite alright, boys.” Rex said suspiciously. “Why do you all keep asking if I’m alr-”
Rex cut himself off with a rather large sneeze, followed by a coughing fit. Fives grinned, giving Echo a look behind his ori’vod’s back.
“I think Tup was looking for your Sir, you might want to catch him on your way to the bridge, it seemed important.”
Rex suppressed his complaints and rubbed his temple, nodding. “Thanks vod.”
He set off again, and Echo was straight on his comm.
“Dogma, he’s all yours.”
----
On his way to find Tup on the bridge, Rex caught Dogma sprinting at the other side of the hallways, a stack of flimsi in his hand. Rex wasn’t in the mood for this, groaning and rubbing his temples.
“Dogma, what did I say about run-”
“Sorry Sir, I wa- wooooah-”
Dogma skidded to a halt in an attempt to salute his Captain and ‘tripped’, landing on the cold durasteel floor and clutching his ankle.
Rex kneeled beside him, shaking his head with a sigh. “Dank farrik, not again. Come on, let’s get you to Kix.”
Dogma let Rex help him up and limped all the way to the medical bay where Jesse was standing with Kix, grinning.
Kix just rolled his eyes and shooed Dogma away, who promptly stood on his perfectly uninjured feet and joined Jesse at the door.
“What the-”
Kix pointed to the nearest cot. “On the cot, Sir, you look like bantha shit.”
Rex opened his mouth to protest, and was hit with a fit of coughing. Scowling, he resigned himself to his fate and climbed up onto the cot. He shot a look at Jesse and Dogma, standing smugly in the doorway wearing matching smirks.
“Di’kuts.”
Jesse and Dogma just grinned as Hardcase, Fives, Echo and Tup’s heads appeared one by one, sticking around the doorframe.
“We love you too, ori’vod.”
---
Vod’ikas - little brothers
Ori’vod - big brother
Osik - shit
Di’kuts - idiots
Vod - brother
Dank farrick - fuck
Found a thing I wrote a while back with the concept of Cody taking Waxer's spot on umbara...... should I post it on here 👀
Fives stared blankly at the wall
Half an hour ago he had awoken to a horrible sensation in his body and a massive headache. He remembered the events of the previous time of his nap (he refused to say he fainted) his nausea increased when he stared at his new body and promptly emptied his stomach.
Rex wasn’t doing much better, after crawling out of his cocoon and being fussed over by whole group wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t helpful that they both were naked and could see the major changes. The poor Captain had unfortunately came out with another change with two sets of arms rather then two.
Oddly after a close examination by Kix noted that Rex’s and Fives’s parts that changed where noticeably different. To their Wing pattern’s and to the leg joints hells, their antenna where different.
Thankfully Skywalker ripped some of his tunic to make a makeshift poncho for the both of them and and Kenobi surprised the rest of them by stitching some pants for the both of them. When asked how he knew to sew, he said and Fives quotes “Between having Qui Gon as a Master and having to watch Anakin, one needed to learn a such a skill.” Whatever that meant. Anakin sulked slightly after that.
Now, Fives and the Captain was sitting on the makeshift table half-heartily nibbling on some rations that Kix and sternly ordered them to eat.
Fives could tell that Rex was barely keeping together and honestly he felt the same, so he called over Echo and Ahsoka to distract them both while Skywalker, Kenobi and Kix quietly debated on if this was a permanent.
Fives pulled his poncho over himself and curled his wings closer to his back, praying if this was some shitty nightmare or prank.
“Fives? You look like you need some rest, why not you lay down for a bit?” Ahsoka eventually offered after she sensed the mood dropping.
Fives only nodded, Ahsoka took a spare cloth and folded it a couple of time to resemble some sort of bed mat. Fives ignored the worried stare of his batchmate and shut his eyes to pretend that he was going to sleep.
Rex was panicked when he woke up to say the least.
After struggling to open some sort of thick slimy film over himself he discovered himself with wings, antenna and inhuman legs. What was even more humiliating was he was small, small enough to fit in Cody’s hand who had nearly picked him up in a distressed attempt to see if he was ok.
Rex bit his hand though when he came to close, though he might had hung out with the Wolfpack too much. After some much needed calming down (Rex thanked the stars that Obi Wan Kenobi was there) they settled on focusing on maintaining on Fives and Rex’s dignity and made them both ponchos and pants. It helped a little, thankfully due to Skywalker’s lest then impressing handwork on the ponchos it covered most of their wings. Thankfully Obi Wan’s work ended up fitting more nicely.
Rex twitched when Fives quieted down and went to bed, Rex knew Fives was only quiet when he was really distressed or dissociating after a bad battle. Rex would of course comfort his Vode, however Rex wasn’t feeling the best himself and quietly excused himself to bed. As he laid down he wondered what this meant for him and Fives.
As everyone was asleep, with only the soft snore being the only noise, nobody noticed the growing rash on Kix’s and Cody’s legs and back
idk what to title this. it's basically about rex's life mostly pre-christophosis. ive been staring at wookiepedia for the past ten minutes and i've just now decided i'm going to use a mix of canon and legends content so if you thing something is factually wrong (and a lot will be) then your right, but im not spending two hours delving through old comics.
doing research it states as though arc troopers were made only after seeing battle, but idc, so rex and cody were made before they ever left kamino.
this is for @taylorswiftscar, i really hope this lives up to your expectations. if you (somehow) like it, i could do a part 2???
also, btw, most clone trooper numbers here are ones i made up. i googled each to make sure they wont real troopers but if they are, sorry.
warnings: death, mentions of war, war, fighting, battles, fight training.
CT-7567 reached a hand up to touch his short, soft blonde hair yet again, staring into the mirror with a shattered expression.
Why does my hair have to be different? He thought glumly, slowly running his fingers through the short hairs with glossy eyes. CT-7567 used his other hand to gently play with the ends of his cadet uniform - a blue tunic over a red long-sleeved top and red pants held close to his torso with a black belt.
Around him, the other cadets busied themselves with pulling on their own clothes, the room filled with quiet chatter and the sound of their black boots hitting the floor.
"You alright there, 7567?" A voice called and the blonde clone turned to his brother - who of course shared the same tan skin and hazel brown eyes but had his own cropped brown hair. CT-4826 gave him a soft smile before grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him along the hallway. "Let's go, 7567! I want to be first!"
-
"Did you hear?!" CT-7567 turned to see the other clone cadet - unique only for his shaggy dark hair - as he scurried across the silver floor to their bunks.
"What?!" CT-4826 called from the bunk above CT-7567, leaning down to hear better.
"I heard that CT-3383 went out in the rain and fell into the waters!" CT-4526 exclaimed quietly and CT-7567 shrank back in his bed, closer to the wall and further from the tales. "I heard he got eaten by the sea serpent!"
CT-7567 shuddered at the thought of the huge, mysterious creature supposedly lurking in Kamino's dark waters. CT-7567 wasn't afraid of much, but the tales he heard about the serpent made him shiver.
"Oh shut up, 4526," CT-4826 complained, rolling his eyes. "The sea serpents aren't real."
"Yes they are!" CT-4526 replied with a frown, a flicker of hurt playing at his features. "Stop lying, 4826! The Kaminoans said their real!"
"The only sea serpent here is you!" Another cadet giggled from across the room, darting over to the bunk and tackling CT-4526 to the ground. "You should be called Serpent!" The two cadets rolled around on the floor for a bit as CT-7567 turned to face the wall, pulling the sheets over his head and cowering.
-
CT-7567 watched as CT-3383 walked back into the barracks days later, smiling sheepishly as he held his left arm - which was tightly bandaged from his elbow to thumb.
"3383!" CT-7567 cheered as the cadet waddled in, racing over and hugging the brunette's right side tightly - although carefully not touching his left. "You're okay!"
"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked with a tilt of his head and CT-4826 scoffed.
"4526 over hear thought a sea serpent got you" CT-4826 explained, turning to face the cadet with a disappointed look.
CT-4526's bottom lip turned up in a pout as he clambered into his bunk to hide. "Not my fault," he grumbled. "One of the squad-cadets said he did."
The three other cadets exchanged worried glances before the blonde scrambled over to his brother. "It's alright, 4526." He told him, draping an arm over his shoulders. "I believe there really is a sea serpent, but at least 3383's here, ay?"
"Yeah."
-
"Watch your step, 4526!" CT-7567 cried out, slouching down behind the metal barrier to hide from the droids. He glanced at his armor, which was now scratched up from diving and rolling around the citadel training center.
"Go, 7567!" CT-3383 called out, CT-7786 peering out over his shoulder. "Make the run!"
CT-7567 nodded, sucking in a breath before rolling out to the side, racing along the metal floor to the tower. His shaking hand grasped the grappling hook attached to his belt and tossed it up, latching onto the wall.
Clambering up and up and up until finally he was over.
The blonde clone grabbed the staff and held it in the air, cheering as the droids deactivated.
-
"CT-7567 at your service, sir!" The blonde clone saluted, shoulders shaking slightly as he stared at the ARC Trooper in front of him.
"CC-2224 at your service, sir!" The clone next to CT-7567 announced. He was one of the 'classic'-looking clones - the ones with the tan skin, hazel eyes and short black hair. CT-7567 had never met him before this moment.
"At ease, troopers" the ARC Trooper told them, and both their stances relaxed ever so slightly. "I've been informed you both performed valiantly in your training and therefore are being prematurely promoted to ARC Troopers." CT-7567's face broke into a grin that he tried to hide. "My name is Alpha-17 and I'll be taking you for the next part of your training."
"CT-2224" the brunette clone introduced himself again and so CT-7567 did the same, frowning when Alpha-17 shook his head in dissapointment.
"What are your names, boys? Not your numbers," Alpha-17 asked and CT-7567 bit his lip.
"My name is my number" he told the ARC Trooper hesitantly, and CC-2224 nodded in agreement.
"Well, we'll just have to get you names."
-
"2224!" CT-7567 cried out with a grin, lunging towards the clone and wrapping his arms around him. "That shot was amazing!"
"Your tactic was too, 7567!" The brunette exclaimed, punching his brother's arm softly.
"You two make a great team," Alpha-17 told them with a proud grin. "Maybe to greater a team."
-
"7567! 2224! Come here!" Alpha called from the other end of the barracks, and the two younger clones scurried to meet him. "I've decided on names for both of you, if you like them."
CT-7567 nodded eagerly, jumping from foot to foot in excitement. CC-2224 was in a similar state, bouncing up and down. Individually was something clones weren't usually recognized for, and having an individual name was startling.
"2224," Alpha began, looking him directly in the eyes. "I dub you... Cody."
CC-2224, no, Cody beamed with joy, happiness radiating off of him in huge, endless waves. "I love it, thank you Alpha!"
The older clone gave him a gentle smile before turning to the patiently waiting blonde. "And 7567! I dub you, Rex."
-
"You ready to go, Rex?" Alpha asked, gently placing a hand on the Arc Trooper's back. Rex nodded, breathing in deeply and letting his adrenaline take over.
"Yes, sir!" He told him confidently, rolling his shoulders back as he switched the hand gripping the handle of the gunship. It wobbled in the air slightly before making a backwards motion. They were landing.
"Good luck, kid" his brother told him gently. "K'oyacyi!" Alpha patted his back one last time as the gunships doors opened and the clones around them filed out.
"K'oyacyi!" Rex called back, grasping his dual pistols - something he'd been allowed only recently but instantly loved - and rushing out into the sandy terrain of Geonosis.
hope y'all liked that! (to anyone actually reading this)
K'oyacyi means 'hang in there' or 'come back alive' or 'stay alive' in Mando'a.
btw i haven't read over that so thats why there may be several mistakes...
Have a great day!