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Farewells and Reunions
CT-7567, KILLED IN ACTION
There it was, in bold lettering. The very fact which shook Cody to the core. Despite the control chip, the Empire, all of it, this was the one thing rousing Cody from his holier than thou imperial thoughts. Finally, the validation Cody had not really wanted to see. Ever! After all this time, the records having been updated and so, it was, official.
Rex, was gone.
It did not help Cody’s mood, his feelings as they now were, that he had started to rethink the whole imperial regime. The endless sieges of countless systems trying to resist the invasion, the not wanting to yield to the imperial rule. The killings in the name of the Empire. The point of it all really. Where they making the galaxy any better? Was this for the betterment of the whole? And what about the clones? A lot of them fleeing the imperial ranks, not seeing the worth of being a soldier following the Empire’s orders. Not any more.
And Cody too had his nagging own doubts, becoming more insistent as days went on.
Cody sighed heavily, wiping away the few errant tears off of his face. The news having made old feelings rise to the surface. Those Cody had thought he had buried a long time ago. How wrong he had been.
But, what was there to do now? To simply carry on? To be the good soldier he was bred and born to be? Or, perhaps, there was another alternative after all? Perhaps, there was still time for him to do, something more, something better?
Cody had heard the rumours. They all had. Some of the clones taking things to heart, the rumours and that there really was something better for them out there while going awol. Was this a choice for Cody to make too? Become an enemy of the Empire? Did he dare to even consider such an option?
To jump ship and to become… a rebel?
Cody was still standing by the desk, picking up the discarded datapad from it having thrown it there after the initial shock of reading the news when arriving to his quarters. And so, sitting by said desk, Cody’s usual routine for the evening before it was time to retire. To get some sleep before another day for the Empire would begin. After all, Cody considered himself a good solider, who followed orders… right?
Yet, sleep mostly seemed to elude him. Guess, Cody wasn’t such a good solider after all?
*
“The Cody you knew, is gone, Rex. His heart, is with the Empire now.”
It wasn’t a reminder Rex really needed. The one he had lost among so many. Only loosing Cody was even more personal for Rex. The two having shared everything, literally, their perfect partnership, relationship, being lovers before the war ended… only to have everything of it shattered when Order 66 kicked in. The chips having taken over. More so for Cody than Rex though, Rex having had help with his own situation. Rex only having heard at a later point Cody having gone totally bonkers, imperial as it were during the activation of the chips. A complete one-eighty for the man Rex thought he knew.
Only it wasn’t his fault. It wasn't any of their fault.
And yet Cody had remained with the Empire all this time.
“I hear ya.” Was all Rex managed to respond.
The attitude of some of his friends about those clones still loyal to the Empire… well, it made Rex sometimes want to scream right back at their faces. Telling them it wasn’t the clones fault. But, they were right and Rex needed to accept the fact that not all the clones wanted to leave the Empire even if the chips had started to deteriorate, the control of the clone troopers loosening, the lot of them starting to think of their own again.
“The ship is prepped. Our contact is waiting for us a the rendezvous point.”
“I will be there, don’t worry.”
Rex tried to forget the news he had just received, about yet another world having succumb to the Empire. But it wasn’t just that which made Rex feel disgusted about the whole ordeal. Rather the very fact, that one Commander in particular had been in charge of said occupation. CC-2224. Marshal Commander Cody.
Alas, there was nothing for Rex to do about it except to accept the facts. That some of his friends, his family, even his former partner, were loyal subjects to the Empire.
The Cody as Rex had once known, was gone.
*
The planet which Rex had landed on was lush to say the least. There was no life part from the animal and plant life existing there. Nothing of interest to the Empire, at least for now. The only thing indicating someone else, a humanoid life from was present, was the the blinking dot on Rex’s scanner as he approached the pickup point. The smoke of a crashed shuttle filling his nostrils as Rex moved close enough to see the hunched over figure by the wreckage.
Rex felt his heart jump to his throat as the figure got up and started waking towards him.
“Cody?” The shaky voice dared to ask.
“Rex?” Cody had heard the rumours of Rex still being among the living, despite what the Empire thought and had made official. Cody being only too happy those rumours were true. Perhaps the rest of the chatter had merit too?
“You… you’re my pickup?” Rex was there to get yet another defecting clone, help them out, only to find out he was standing face to face with, Cody.
“It would seem so.”
The two former lovers stood there for a long spell, staring at each other, mostly in disbelief, as it had been… too long.
“I, I thought you were with the Empire.”
“I was. But… things… have changed…”
Rex stood there staring at Cody. Still not sure if he could trust the man or not.
“So, you want out then?”
Rex was being cautious, not wanting to tip his hand just in case this was a set up after all. As the last he had seen was the commendations of a job well done for the Clone Commander.
“Yes, it’s… the Empire is not what I thought it would be…. I have begun to see things more clearly lately.”
Cody could not really explain the change, not really. But, it was as if a vail had been lifted suddenly and he could see things more clearly, think, more clearly too.
Rex had seen this before, the chips loosing their effect ending up leaving the clones confused and not sure as to what had happened. Not really even if they had been the ones doing the deeds and retaining the memories of those events.
“I can help you, if you trust me to.”
Rex could not be sure, but he wanted to be. This was, Cody after all. His, Cody. No matter what others might think or say, Rex still believed Cody could be redeemed. That Cody wanted to be redeemed.
“I— would like that.” Cody managed a soft smile, one in a longest of whiles for sure. But seeing Rex, well, it stirred something within him. The smile coming out automatically just because of Rex.
Rex nodded, checking his scanner for the umpteenth time, which was only proving the point of him and Cody being the only ones on this Force forsaken planet.
“My ship is close by.” Rex offered then. “If you are ready that is.”
Cody had no doubts, he knew what he wanted. And that was to be, with Rex.
“I am.”