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During the mission on Umbara, CT-6922 –as general Krell liked to call him– seemed to be more and more insistent on following the general's orders by the letter more and more as time passed. There was no rational reasoning he could come up with beyond feeling the need to impress someone. His brother Tup even made fun of him for it once.
As the clone was trying to rationalise his change in behaviour, he was suddenly interrupted by the general himself. What could he possibly want at this time? They were done with everything for the night and everyone was asleep but them apparently. Despite everything, Dogma still had the audacity to notice his change in stance, how his face felt different, the weird feeling in his stomach.
"Trooper, why are you awake at this time of night?" Krell asked with what Dogma could only interpret as concern for him, despite knowing better.
"I don't know, sir." The clone responded, trying his absolute best to show respect while not looking the man in the eyes.
"Look at me when I'm speaking to you CT-6922." The jedi demanded with a strict voice. The trooper nodded and looked at the general, acting like everything was okay.
"Why are you here, sir?" Dogma finally found the courage to ask the general. For whatever reason this was more nerve-racking than anything, even the war.
"Checking on the diligence of the likes of you." Krell said dismissively, a hint of degradation in his voice.
Dogma seemed satisfied with that answer as if it was completely logical. When the general left, he was now alone with his thoughts. Thinking about the jedi, how he wished to somehow approach him beyond just being a trooper under his control. Somehow find a way to show his dedication beyond just his duty. Somehow, some way, show Krell who he is under the armour, the helmet. Maybe even literally. Hoping someday his fantasy could become reality. Despite knowing it never could and it never will.
What was this urge to talk to the general, be around him, even though his orders were practically suicide missions? He could ask Tup, he definitely knew... If not him then captain Rex must know, or Fives. They were more experienced, but they hated him. Everyone did other than Tup, who was about as inexperienced as he was. But it was worth a shot.
The next morning, Dogma had made a note to get up earlier than usual just to find more time to talk to his brothers about this. So he waited, and waited, and waited until –finally– Tup woke up.
"Why do you seem so tired?" Tup asked his brother, worried for his sanity. Something had been bothering him but he just couldn't quite figure out what it was.
"Slept late, got up early. Nothing to worry about but I do need to ask you something." Dogma admitted, he wasn't sure if his brother had an answer but he needed one before it started actually affecting him mentally.
"Yeah? What's wrong?" Tup took the opportunity to figure out what's been bothering Dogma.
"Hypothetically speaking always, if I, let's say, wanted to hang out with the general and talk to him and get closer to him and feel all weird when he's there and-" Dogma tried finishing the sentence but was cut off by Tup.
"You like him. That's all I can say." He said because that's genuinely the only reaction one can have to hearing their best friend and brother has a crush on Pong Krell of all people.
"Oh... That about solves everything." Dogma says, almost disappointed. Disappointed that everyone will laugh at him, that his feelings won't go away, that the general will break his heart before he fully processes the situation.
"Also, don't tell anyone." Tup notes, hoping he got the message across.
That's good... No one finds out, I do my job as intended and everyone's happy! Yeah, sounds nice... Dogma told himself, as if he could even function properly around their general.
With that in mind, the troopers went to get ready together, careful so as to make sure that the news don't spread beyond the two. Fives just so happened to be around the corner though and he overheard their quiet conversation.
Immediately, the ARC trooper decided to spread the news to Jesse which spread to Hardcase and then Rex and then to Krell. Exactly what Dogma and Tup were trying to prevent.
Apparently, the general knows Dogma's biggest secret not even a day into realising himself. Knowing that, he knew it was either now or never –hopefully never though– for him.
"CT-6922, I've heard some rumours about you. Are they true?" Krell asked with fake concern, masking his disappointment and hoping it wouldn't ruin his reputation.
"What rumours, sir?" Dogma tried asking seriously, he knew what the rumours were and he knew he felt his face sweat and heat up. He's never been luckier to wear a helmet.
"I'm sure you've heard." Krell ignored Dogma's question, assuming he's lying.
"I guess I have, sir." The clone said, hoping to get over this sooner.
"Then why did you lie?" The jedi asked intently. His eyes showing he never truly cared except for when he gets to punish him, and any clone for that matter.
Dogma stayed silent, he had no answer. He was caught, the general was going to be mad at him, punish him or f he really wanted to. He was afraid of what that could be but it was intriguing, what the jedi could to to him...
"Are they real?" The general asked once again, looking expectantly at the clone in front of him.
"Yes, sir..." Dogma couldn't look at general Krell in his eyes, he knew what that meant but he wasn't that scared, or at least as scared as he expected.
"Now leave." Krell demanded of the clone. Reluctantly, he stepped away and returned to his brother.
From there, Dogma contemplated all the ways of suicide available to him due to the unforseen circumstances.
"Hey Dogma, what happened?" Tup asked his brother because he was worried.
"Krell knows.." Dogma said and left it at that.
"Knows what? Oh..." Tup came to the realisation and hugged his brother because he felt bad.
"He probably hates me now."
"He always has, we're clones." Tup pointed out the obvious.
"Guess you're right." Dogma nods along to Tup's logical conclusion.
After that conversation Dogma still stayed with his brother because they were also best friends.
After a day passed, Dogma's thoughts were all over the place due to yesterday's events, he couldn't possibly process what happened.
"General Krell wants to speak with you again.." Tup informs his brother, who he saw get up and ready to talk to the jedi.
Right after that, Dogma was already on his way to talk to Krell, despite his lack of excitement.
"I heard we needed to speak, sir?" Dogma asked, failing to make eye contact.
"After considering your offer, I've come to terms with the fact your serving under me will no longer be effective with this new information brought to life. You are to get sentenced to death by your brothers, or me. Depending on what I consider fitting." Krell nodded along to his own statement as if it made complete sense.
"I see sir. Thank you for informing me..." The clone agreed to his general's terms and left the office before having the time to question his decision.
With that in mind, Dogma decided not to tell anyone, not even Tup. He had come to the conclusion that he should've killed himself when he had the chance and decided to do so in that moment. Planning to do just that, he loaded his gun, took it into his mouth and pulled the trigger before anyone could stop him. The gunshot wasn't necessarily loud, exactly what he needed.