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“Do you ever think about what’s out there?”
Rex tears his gaze from the cavernous expanse of Kamino’s endlessly rainy sky to glance over at Howzer, who still has his head tilted up, carefully regarding something beyond the smothering clouds.
He’s always doing that. Rex wonders what it is he’s missing.
“War, Howie,” Rex says shortly. They’re in the middle of yet another boring vigil shift—part of their training, as usual—and he’s too occupied with trying to stay awake to engage in mindless conversation right now. “War’s out there. A war we’ve been training our whole lives to fight in.”
At that, Howzer lets out a scoff and turns to look at him through his orange-lit visor. “Don’t tell me you believe that, Rex.” He leans against the wall and lets out a very pronounced sigh. “I mean, yeah. Sure. We’ve got a war to fight.” Howzer tilts his head to the sky again. Rex follows. “But I know there’s more than that waiting for us.”
There’s a short pause. Then—
“Girls?” Rex teases, smirking. Howzer snorts. “Sure.” He shrugs and gestures vaguely to the sky. “But also life, Rex. Sentients other than the long-necks and droids. Animals we’ve only ever seen in holos.”
“And better food,” Howzer adds as an afterthought, and they share a dry laugh at that.
“I mean, look up there,” He continues, a residual smile still on his face, “You see the stars out there? The other worlds beyond this soggy rock?”
And Rex doesn’t have the heart to tell his little brother, ever the dreamer, that he can’t see osik beyond the dense clouds and the endlessly black sky. So he nods, and imagines some instead, because—even though he’ll never admit it to his brother’s face—it’s a pretty decent night for stars.
And maybe it’s the rain, or Howzer’s words having their intended influence on him, because then Rex begins to picture more than just stars.
On those stars, there are worlds at peace. Worlds that don’t need war. Worlds that don’t need clones to fight their battles. In the grand scheme of things, that’s all they ever are, anyway; just clones. Created for the sole purpose of war.
It gets quiet then as the truth sinks in, the same way rain gets everywhere on Kamino—and just as unavoidably so. Rex can tell the same thing is on Howzer’s mind.
“But,” His brother starts, his voice suddenly quiet, “You’re probably right, Rex. We won’t ever see any of that, will we?”
And as much as Rex wants to agree, the quickly dimming stars in Howzer’s eyes holds him back. And then he decides then and there that he—they’ll be more than that. Forget the Kaminoans, the Republic, and the war: they’ll be more, so much more, than the original purpose they were made for.
“You don’t know that,” Rex objects. “Look there.” He points somewhere high above them, at a spot neither of them can see. They pretend anyway. “That’s Naboo. The land of art and agriculture. They have royal guards. They’ll be in need of good men like you.”
Howzer smiles like he knows what Rex is doing. He follows suit, pointing somewhere on their right. “And that’s Coruscant. Capital of the Republic. Probably all the crime you’ll ever need to keep life interesting.”
Rex snorts. “That depends on the side you’re on.” But he continues the game. “That’s Alderaan. A world for artists and musicians.”
“And that’s Lothal.”
“That’s Korriban.”
When their knowledge of notable planets around the galaxy is finally exhausted, hours later, the beginnings of sunrise are already beginning to peak over the far, far horizon, casting their faces and the dome structures around them in its watery grey light.
And miraculously, very miraculously…the days-long downpour finally, finally lightens into a soft drizzle.
“I’m going to change the galaxy someday, you know,” Howzer says then, hope back in his smile and his voice the sort belonging to dreamers and believers. Rex returns the smile. “I don’t doubt that for a second.”
“Hey.” Howzer claps a hand on his shoulder. “And so will you, Rex.”
Maybe Rex is deluded. Maybe he’s a dreamer, just like his vod.
But at that single precious moment, with Kamino’s rain brushing down their backs like kisses from Life itself and the stars in the night sky brighter than ever, maybe—
—maybe Rex just might be a believer, too.