Cejanr (A Rexsoka SWTCW Fanfic)

12

Rex clutched the edge of the speeder. He and Anakin had been dispatched to hunt down the wayward ARC trooper. He was once again reminded why he never cared for riding with his general. He gritted his teeth as the general whipped though turn after turn, the breakneck pace would've flipped any wheeled vehicle. As it was, they were continually turned almost a full ninety degrees as they rounded a pinhead of a turn to come to the local interstellar docking and staging area. 

Lunch tried to make a second appearance more than once as they skidded to a halt. He leaned his head back against the leather headrest for a short bit as he waited for the nausea to pass. Anakin was already leaping out of the speeder, forgoing the door completely to vault over the rolled down window. So that's why he had grabbed the convertible. 

Rex followed him out, using the door like a normal person, and raced after his general to the nearest crew terminal. He stopped and knocked on the barrier, drawing the workman's attention away from his datawork to look at him.

"Business of the Grand Army of the Republic." He said, pulling out his lightsaber and showing it to the man. It was good as a identification for jedi. "I need every shipment from Kamino to here within the last twelve hours." He growled. The workman sighed. 

"Here at this docking port or Corascant in general?" He said tiredly, taking his sweet time pulling up the files.

"Corascant." Anakin said shortly. "Would you hurry up? We're tracking a dangerous fugitive." He snapped. Rex's HUD comm lit up. His eyes widened behind the visor. 

"Sir." He said quietly. 

The workman's display lit up. "Just one, returning. It came in the next port down about thirty minutes ago." He said blandly. 

"Great. He could be anywhere now." Anakin groaned. "We'll start there. Rex?"

"No need sir. I know where he is." He said quietly. Anakin frowned. 

"You do?" He asked his eyes widening. "How?" He growled.

Rex sent the coordinates Fives had just sent them to Anakin's comm. "He told me. He says come alone, and to trust him." Anakin laughed a little, glancing at his wristcomm and heading to the speeder. 

"That's rich." He said bitterly. Rex climbed in after him and cinched his seatbelt down as tight as was comfortable. 

"Please, sir. Anakin. Let's at least see what he has to say. I find it hard to believe that he would do something like this." Rex begged. Anakin sighed. 

"I'm calling in the Corascant guard. I'll tell them to stay out of sight until I give the signal." He growled softly. Rex sighed. 

"The Corascant guard don't like you. And if they see me..." He let the thought hang in the air. Anakin glared at him. 

"Keep your karking bucket on then. But I'm calling them. Fives has always been unpredictable." His tone told Rex that there was no arguing. Rex tried anyways.

"But loyal. He's always been completely loyal to the republic. Go off book? Yes. Disobey orders? Only for a perfectly justifiable reason. But try to assassinate the kriffing chancellor?" He shook his head. "That's not Fives."

They came to a warehouse. Part of Rex noticed that it was the same warehouse he and Ahsoka had been captured in. Ventresses apartment wasn't far from here. They walked into the warehouse, and Rex reflexively rested his hands on his blasters. He looked around, but he couldn't find Fives. 

But they figured out he was actually there soon enough. The rayshield that descended around them was proof of that. 

"Please, listen." Came Five's voice from somewhere out of sight. It was strange, both strained and almost slurred. Like he was drunk. "They did something to me. I removed the chip. I was fine. They... they drugged me. The chips... they're meant for something more." Rex saw him. In shiny's armor and helmetless, his head shaved and a bacta patch above his temple, was Fives. He was swaying slightly on his feet.