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Rex stared at the far wall of the gunship, only barely resisting the urge to glance down at his chrono again.
By almost all accounts, the mission had been a rousing success - no one had been injured or killed, they had managed to steal nearly twice the amount of fuel they had originally planned to get… but in doing so, they were nearly six hours behind schedule, and it would be well after midnight by the time they made it back to base. That in and of itself wasn't the issue - Rex had pulled more than his fair share of all-nighters and late nights during the war - but it was an unexpected change in his schedule, which meant it was an unexpected change in Cody's schedule.
"Everything all right, sir?" Goldie asked, catching his eye from across the ship. "You seem upset."
Rex shrugged, not wanting to get into the specifics of his partner's wellbeing with someone else, and especially not with a younger vod who had admitted to practically idolizing Cody. "Just tired. It's been a long day."
"How's Commander Cody?" Goldie pressed, apparently missing Rex's meaning entirely. "Any chances he'll be joining us on missions soon?"
No, Rex thought but didn't say aloud. Cody had divulged almost nothing about what he had seen and done as a Purge Trooper, but Rex had seen enough to make an educated guess. He knew it was bad enough that Cody was having a difficult time adapting to life outside the Empire, and Rex wasn't going to push it - not when Cody seemed to struggle with even the smallest changes to his daily routine.
"That's up to him," Rex said carefully, "but for now I think he's content to help us strategize when and where we want to hit next."
Goldie looked a little disappointed, but nodded. "It'd be cool to see the two of you in action side by side again."
Rex swallowed, giving in to look down at his chrono again. "Yeah, it definitely would be."
It took every ounce of willpower Rex possessed not to sprint for his quarters the moment their ship settled on the landing platform. Realistically, it didn't matter whether he took the time to help Goldie and Plums to unload the Tibanna Gas or not - Cody would either be asleep or he wouldn't be - but that did little to ease the knot of anxiety in his chest. There was so little he could do for his cyare - he couldn't erase the lightsaber burns or take away the haunted look in Cody's eyes, but at least for the past month he had been there for Cody. Exactly the way he wasn't at the moment.
He never should have agreed to go on this mission, Rex thought as he punched the turbolift button with more force than entirely necessary. Even though Cody had insisted he go, he should have started with something closer - something that wouldn't have him getting back six hours late.
Rex sucked in a deep breath, running a hand through his hair as he watched the numbers creep up to his floor with excruciating slowness. Cody would be fine, he told himself firmly, and the overwhelming sense of dread gripping his heart was merely the byproduct of his exhaustion. Cody was fine, he was safe, and Rex could deal with his own mess of feelings later when he had the time.
"Everything is fine," Rex whispered to the empty corridor as the turbolift doors hissed open. "It's fine, Cody is fine, we're all just fine."
He punched in his door code, the tension easing in his chest at the Cody-shaped lump he could see curled up on the couch. He'd have to make sure Cody knew he could use the bed next time, but other than that, everything was exactly as it should be.
Or it was, until Cody screamed.
"CC-2224," the Chancellor - no, Cody realized with a start, the Emperor - said, his scratchy voice sending a chill down Cody's spine, "do you know why you're here?"
"No, your Excellency," Cody replied stiffly. Judging by the way the Red Guards were flanking him and the lack of other clones in the room with him, he suspected it wasn't for anything good - not that there was much he could do about it. Even if he had wanted to try to escape, he had the sinking suspicion his body wouldn't respond as it should.
"You are here, CC-2224," Palpatine continued, taking a step closer towards Cody, "because you failed."
Cody swallowed, suddenly feeling incredibly exposed without the safety of his helmet to hide behind. "Your Excellency?"
"You failed to locate the body of General Kenobi on Utapau, did you not?" Palpatine sneered. "Thereby failing to execute Order 66, and thus failing in the singular purpose for which you were created?"
"No one could have survived that fall, your Excellency," Cody stated, forcing himself to stay perfectly still. "Not even a Jedi."
"And yet I have it on good authority that Kenobi did survive the fall," the Emperor said coldly, "and thus, you have failed me, CC-2224."
Cody's throat went dry, but he kept his eyes focused on the far wall, not daring to even breathe as the Red Guards stepped closer to him.
"In ordinary circumstances," Palpatine said, turning away from Cody as he spoke, "such a blunder would be grounds for immediate decommissioning."
Cody had long since accepted the fact that he would die young, but he had always imagined it would have been in battle, alongside his vode. To die alone, a traitor to his vode and the Republic alike…
"However," Palpatine said, turning back around again, "given your exemplary service record, I am inclined to grant you leniency."
"Thank you, Your Excellency," Cody ground out, unable to tear his eyes away from the malicious smile growing on the Emperor's face. "I will-"
The first bolt of lightning hit him square in the chest, the scream escaping his lips before he could stop it. White-hot agony coursed through him, driving him to fall to his knees.
"Of course," Palpatine continued, sounding entirely unbothered at the way Cody was gasping for air on his knees in front of him, "You will still need to be punished for your failures."
Cody had been here before - from trainers on Kamino to natborn officers who thought themselves above everyone else, he knew there was only one correct response, even as he braced himself for the pain he knew would accompany it. "Yes, your Excellency."
Rex was at Cody's side in an instant, his kitbag all but abandoned in the doorway.
"Cod'ika, wake up," Rex said softly, placing his hand on Cody's back. His whole body was shaking, and the pained gasp Cody let out may as well have shattered Rex's heart right then and there.
"You're safe here with me," Rex continued, fighting to keep the fear out of his his voice as he pressed himself up against Cody and the couch. The wasn't the first time Cody had suffered from vivid nightmares, but none of them had left him screaming before. "But I need you to wake up, okay? Whatever you're seeing, it isn't real."
Cody's eyes flew open, unseeing in the darkness as he frantically looked around for something to latch onto. "Please-"
"Cody, it's me," Rex said, taking his partner's face in his hands. "It's Rex. I've got you."
"R..ex?" Cody whispered, a faint spark of recognition in his pained expression. "Where…?"
"My quarters, Cod'ika," Rex replied, pulling Cody into his lap. "Nothing can hurt you here."
Cody nodded slowly, a sob catching in his throat as he let Rex take most of his weight. "'m sorry."
Rex shook his head, his own eyes brimming with tears. "Not your fault, cyare. I should have been here for you."
"No, I… I should be better than this," Cody whispered. "I'm holding you back, I- I'm a liability, with the holes in my memory and-"
"Cody," Rex said firmly, cupping his partner's face so he could see Cody's eyes, "It doesn't matter."
"But-"
"You're not a just another purge trooper anymore, cyare," Rex murmured, pressing a kiss into Cody's forehead. "And all that matters to me is that you're safe."
Cody nodded, burying himself into Rex's chest. "Promise?"
"Always."