Chapter Text
Black ink stained the previously immaculate arm in a clever, harmonious tattoo. The said tattoo stretched from the back of the hand to the forearm and continued to progress. The ink wouldn't stop spreading; it would continue to stain the white skin again and again. Until there was no more white skin. Until the work of art was complete.
The tattoo depicted an intricate web of ivy. The multiple stems of the ivy crisscrossed and recrossed to form a mesmerizing design. The ivy was accompanied by leaves of various shapes and sizes, roses blooming here and there, and the stems were covered in thorns. It was as if the talented tattoo artist had decided to combine the ivy with the roses to create the perfect work.
Cody and Wolffe would have thought the tattoo was fabulous if only it were a tattoo and if it didn't endanger their little brother's life.
On Kamino, the clones had been lulled by legends. Generally, the legends the clones adored were those about the Jedi, of course, but they were also fond of legends about soulmates. The longnecks had always haughtily told the clones that they could never have a soulmate. Not because the cloning process forbade it. No, because they were weapons. And weapons had no feelings or souls.
But the fact is, Cody's mark on his left collarbone in the shape of birds flying away would prove the Kaminoans wrong. Clones have feelings. They can feel love, be brave or surprised, trust, and most of all, fear. And here, both Cody and Wolffe were afraid.
The marks appeared as soon as you and your soulmate first met. Cody got his the first time he met General Kenobi. Since then, they both had the same mark in different places on their bodies. The marks could take different shapes and sizes; some had a phrase tattooed on their skin, or symbols, shapes... The marks then formed identically on both people, but not necessarily in the same place.
Marks also reflected the progress of your relationship with your soulmate. The vast majority of the time, once you had your mark, it would not move. They remained the same shape until your death. Your mark disappeared when your soulmate died. The other majority was the absence of a mark, this simply meant that you had not yet found your soulmate or that your soulmate was already dead.
But in rare and dangerous cases, the marks would begin to change and grow. In those cases, there were two options: the soulmates had a serious argument, which would corrupt the mark, and the second was for one of the two soulmates to renounce their bond. This option often resulted in death. Soulmates could not live without each other. And the renounced person always ended up dying, while the other got off lightly. It was in the order of nature.
Such cases were rare. Everyone wanted a soulmate or, if necessary, was willing to compromise to avoid the other's death. Even the Jedi Council had long accepted the fact that soulmates could not be separated. Thus, the only time Jedi were allowed to bond was with their soulmate.
Yet Rex was indeed dying. So far the mark had only spread to his forearm, but soon his entire arm would be scarred, then his shoulder, his collarbone, and finally his chest. Their brother would die the moment the ivy scarred his heart.
And while Cody and Wolffe were surprised -and scared- to see the mark on their brother's arm degenerate, Rex was completely calm. As if he had already made peace with what was bound to happen to him. In fact, Rex seemed more upset that his brothers had seen his mark than by the mark itself.
But it wasn't their fault that their idiot brother had grazed his hand on a rock. Cody had ordered Rex to remove his glove and armband to treat the wound since they had fallen into a damp and stinking cavern. The Captain had hesitated at first before obeying because he would be no match against two worried commanders. And now, the cut had completely taken a back seat to the black mark.
Rex finally got out his own disinfectant and a clean bandage to disinfect and hide the nasty cut since his two brothers were completely useless. At least it wasn't deep enough to require stitches. Since his brothers were still paralyzed, the Captain managed to put his armband and glove back on on his own. He was about to leave Cody and Wolffe to search the cave when one of them placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Rex, we need to talk about this," Cody told him once he'd regained his composure.
He raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet, "about what? About the fact that we're potentially stuck in a cave because Wolffe told us the ground was stable?"
"I said it was potentially stable," the commander defended himself, crossing his arms over his chest. "The ground would have held if those idiot clankers hadn't been shooting at us."
"Good thing Cody was right about the lake then," Rex mocked sarcastically, turning on the light on his helmet to get a better view of the cavern. He had no idea which way to go to escape this dark place.
"Kriff, my com's out," Cody complained, seeing that his communications device had been broken by one of the rocks at the bottom of the lake. "Try yours"
"Nothing," Wolffe and Rex said at the same time. Although Rex had to speak louder because he was further away from them.
"Hmh. The cavern must be jamming your signals, and mine is broken."
"Good news," Wolffe added sarcastically, "my jetpack has been out of battery for a good two hours."
The commanders were still talking together as Rex finished examining all the rock walls as he circled the cavern. Eventually, he found a hole in the wall large enough for them to fit through one at a time if they crouched.
"We'll have to go out the old-fashioned way then," he said, drawing his two brothers' attention to the hole. "There's one problem, I don't think Wolffe and his ego will fit through that little hole."
Wolffe punched Rex in the right arm in revenge. "Don't be jealous because I have a Jetpack and you don't, Vod'ika."
The captain went first, then Cody, and finally Wolffe, who reluctantly had to leave his jetpack here.
The hole opened into a dark, narrow underground corridor. Rex led the way, as the corridor wasn't wide enough for all three of the clones to walk side by side.
"All right, Rex, your diversion almost worked, but we haven't forgotten about your mark's degeneration," Cody told him, looking around as if he expected a ferocious beast to emerge from one of the walls.
"I'm trying to get us out of here, I don't see how this is a distraction," Rex's smile was visible even though he was still wearing his helmet.
"The dying don't joke around, Rex," Wolffe's voice was harsh. None of the commanders appreciated that Rex was acting so recklessly in the face of such danger. They didn't want to lose him, not like this. Rex was supposed to end this war with them, but now, their little brother will die even if the war ends.
"I wasn't aware of this law, I'll inform Hardcase then because he's already planned a joke to tell before he dies."
"That's a figure of speech, idiot! You're going to die because your fucking soulmate is neglecting you."
"What Wolffe is badly trying to say, is that you're dying and you wouldn't even tell us."
Rex's helmet made a strange noise as he sighed directly into his sensor. "I already knew you'd worry or do something stupid. Besides, I'm more likely to die from breaking my neck because of one of the general's plans than from that damn mark. And it's progressing slowly, I thought I'd die before it killed me."
They continued walking, pondering what Rex had just said. Their footsteps echoed heavily on the damp stones of the underground passage. Rex hoped there weren't any Clankers ahead of them because they would definitely hear them coming. Especially since their vision was poor; no sunlight penetrated the cave, and only their lights kept them from walking blindly. But the lights on their helmets would soon go out if they weren't careful.
Rex took one of the light sticks from his belt to illuminate the path and turned off his helmet light to conserve the battery. He had two, and the sticks had a capacity of six or seven minutes. If Cody and Wolffe had the same number as him, then they had six. That was better than nothing. The two commanders turned off their lights as well and let Rex lead the way.
"Who's your soulmate?" Cody finally asked him, still worried and hoping he could convince Rex's soulmate to accept their bond. "A native you met on one of your missions? Or a foreigner you saw once? You know who it is, right?"
Rex pretended to check where he was walking to avoid having to answer. The ground was slippery and muddy.
Cody grew impatient at his little brother's lack of response. "Does your soulmate hate clones?"
No response. Rex could hold his tongue whenever he wanted.
“Maybe one of the Seps,” Wolffe mocked, playing along, “which is why the mystery soulmate doesn’t want our dear little brother.”
"Not one of the clankers then," Cody chimed in, joining the other commander's joke, "you need a soul to have a mark."
"So Grievous is off the list. Does Wat Tambor count?"
“Well, he’s a humanoid. So maybe? Ask him next time you see him.”
"Sure, I'll invite him over for a cup of tea next time he tries to kill us," Wolffe replied, rolling his eyes.
Rex huffed in exasperation. He hoped the path would be finished soon, or he was about to commit murders. Maybe a good idea. After all, the ground was slippery...
"But you think Dooku has a soul? Or did he sell it to the dark side?"
Cody shrugged, "I don't know, I'll ask Kenobi. Hey, Rex, didn't you meet Ventress on Christophsis?"
“Yes, Ventress adores the general so much that she visits us often,” Rex replied, finally deciding to join in on his brothers’ jokes. He lit his second glowstick and threw away the old one that had just gone out. “But I think she has a thing for the 212th too.”
"Well, the general is charming."
Wolffe and Rex chuckled at the same time. "Yeah, I'm sure dear General Kenobi is very charming," Wolffe whispered to Rex, who chuckled.
"No need to be rude because nobody wants you, Wolffie."
"Cody scores a point."
"Yeah yeah, at least I don't have a Seps as a soulmate."
"Or a senator," Rex mocked. "I think Senator Chuchi and Fox are still in the middle of the gossip."
"Can't be worse than Bly and General Secura," Wolffe pretended to vomit. "They were looking at each other with hearts in their eyes the last time I had to work with them. I swear they're even worse than Cody and Kenobi."
Rex laughed, "Reminds me of when Secura was teaching the Commander how not to get too attached when she and Bly were practically stepping on each other."
Cody nudged Wolffe playfully, "Commander, huh?"
"No," Rex said, turning to his two idiot brothers. "It's not Tano. I swear."
"All right, apparently we've hit a wall here," everyone turned to Wolffe, thinking he was joking. "No, literally."
Indeed, the corridor ended abruptly because part of the wall had collapsed. They inspected the makeshift wall to find a gap. Wolffe finally found one, but he would have to give one of them a leg up to get through.
“There’s a passage at the very top of the wall, Rex can get through with a lift,” the commander quickly silenced Rex’s protest. “Once you’re on the other side, you’ll just have to keep going without us. Our generals will probably be able to move the stones without compromising the whole structure.”
Rex eventually agreed to Wolffe's idea, even though he wasn't thrilled with it. They decided to throw the glow stick across the passageway to see if the floor was where it should be. Wolffe gave Rex a leg up once they were sure it was safe.
Yet, the stubborn Captain didn't completely obey his commanders. He did manage to force his way through the wall. But once on the other side, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he looked for a way to clear the path and finally found one. Indeed, the wall had collapsed onto a sturdy wooden plank. So there was another way in, but it was blocked on the other side of the wall by stones.
“Hey! I can make a way for you by moving a wooden plank, but you have to clear your path!”
He heard rustling on the other side of the stone wall and grabbed the edge of the heavy wooden plank when Cody gave the signal. Rex had to pull with all his might to get the plank off the wall. The worst part wasn't moving the plank away, but pushing all the rocks that had fallen onto it. The captain even placed his foot on the wall to gain more leverage.
Rex's right forearm was aching like hell when Cody finally made it across. The degenerating mark was weakening his arm slightly, and the wound had reopened from the strain. At least the commander gave him a hand to lift the plank until Wolffe was across.
Together, they carefully put the wooden plank back in place to prevent the stone wall from collapsing and weakening the structure.
"Since I saved your life, can we move on and try to get out of here?"
"And deprive us of our fun? In your dreams," Wolffe sneered, picking up the glow stick that was now only emitting a faint light.
Rex shook his head wearily and took the staff from the commander. He'd continue to lead the way if they kept up this stupid game. They'd been playing this game for at least ten minutes.
Fifteen minutes later, the two commanders were still speculating about the identity of Rex's soulmate. He was earlier worried about the fact that they only had two intact glowsticks left and they still couldn't see any light coming from outside.
"You know we're still on a mission?" he asked tiredly as Cody and Wolffe imagined him with Yoda. Yoda. Kriff. They're even crazier than Fives and Hardcasse, the two commanders just hid their mental insanity better. "And that there are probably Clankers looking for us? You should focus."
"The hallway goes straight ahead, Rex'ika. I don't see what you want us to do other than walk," Cody replied, his voice slower than usual.
They had been on this planet for a month, fighting day and night. The three clones were exhausted. In addition to overseeing battles, they also had to take care of pre and post-battle logistics. They had to monitor their respective battalions to avoid slackening, handle supplies and paperwork, attend councils and meetings, mobilize and share information to prepare for battles. The most delicate task was multitasking to coordinate their troops internally and coordinate together to avoid problems.
This kind of trivial but important detail was systematically handled between the three of them. Their generals delegated this task to them each time, assuming that Cody, Rex, and Wolffe could handle it. And they could, but in the confusion of battle, it was sometimes mission impossible.
So, they'd pulled a lot of sleepless nights. Rex knew he hadn't slept a wink in the last 50 hours. The worst part was, today was supposed to be their last battle. They'd won. But instead of celebrating the victory with their troops, they'd fallen into a cave and now had to get out.
"We might as well rest here," Rex muttered to himself, though his brothers heard him, and he spoke louder. "We're finally out of the rain. And can enjoy some quiet time. The Clankers won't be able to come up behind us without us hearing them, and our comms are down. We might as well make the most of it."
"Is that what you're going to explain if our generals who are looking for us find us here dozing?"
Rex was at a loss for words, but Wolffe saved him. "I'm not against the idea. It's a little damp, but much less so than outside. Anyway, we don't know when we'll get out of here or if the generals are on the right track. Did they even see us fall?"
"And if they do, there's a good chance they'll decide to jump into the hole. Or they'll decide to follow the same path as us. In which case, we'll definitely hear them coming because of the wall. And if not, they'll go through to the other side."
"It doesn't matter. We're not on vacation here, we need to get out of here as quickly as possible. So get moving, you lazybones, or I'll arrest you for insubordination."
Wolffe scoffed, "You can't arrest me, Commander. You're not even in charge here."
“Of course, I’m in charge.”
"In your dreams, maybe."
“It was my operation!”
"But you were in my zone! So in my operation."
"You made us fall into this hole!"
"Hey!" Rex intervened, placing himself between the two commanders. "I found the hole in the cave and saved your asses earlier, so I'm in charge. So, we keep walking. Cody's right, we can't sleep while our generals are looking for us, maybe. We only have two sticks left, so next we'll have to take turns putting on our lights. We need to decide now what we'll do if our lights fail before we get out. Do we keep going in the dark, or do we stop?"
"We're stopping," both commanders said simultaneously. "The path could split in two without us knowing, or we could get lost. If we lose our lights, then we're stopping," Cody added.
Wolffe considered the situation as Rex reluctantly dropped the glowstick as it died down and Cody lit his first. "Cody, do you remember if the cave systems are extensive?"
"Yes, quite a few. The rain has naturally dug countless tunnels into the planet. I think we're in one of them rather than an underground corridor. The tunnels vary enormously in size; the smallest can take three steps, and the longest... we could walk for days."
"I don't know about you, but I wasn't really prepared to fall into one of the tunnels today. With our rations and water, we could last a day or two, it's true, but not the batteries in our armor. It'd be dead in three or four hours at this rate."
Their armors needed batteries to power functions like internal heating, lights, and their respirators for toxic areas or space. Only the communications on their helmets and wrists were independent. None of them had time to change their batteries due to all their other concerns.
"Then," Wolffe continued, "I suggest we turn off our heaters to save our batteries. We'll warm up once we're out of here."
They all reluctantly turned off their heaters. It wasn't that the planet was excessively cold, not like Hoth. But the constant rain was cooling the planet, and the extra warmth their armor provided allowed the three clones to endure the pain and fatigue in their muscles. Unfortunately, it was a luxury they would have to do without for now.
In addition to walking on a slippery floor, they would now have to endure the cold of the tunnel. Great.
They were out of glow sticks, and Wolffe had turned on his helmet light when they reached a crossroads. The tunnel split into three corridors, each darker than the last. They decided to stay together and not split up, as it would be foolish to do so. So, Cody came up with a plan for choosing which tunnel to choose. They entered each corridor, took thirty steps inside, turned off their lights, and took off their helmets and one of their gloves.
So, they would choose the most promising corridor. The one that would either have air flowing through it, or that would be a little less dark than the others, or where they would hear some rustling. It was impossible for all three corridors to go even deeper underground. There had to be one that would take them outside. The three clones then agreed to take the one in the middle. Hoping it would be the right one.
They walked for another hour before deciding to take a break. If Rex had counted correctly, they'd been walking for about three hours without a rest. And before they fell into the tunnel, they'd been fighting for four hours. They needed a break.
"Okay, Rex, you can tell us your secret now. Given our chances today, we might take your secret to our graves."
Cody elbowed Wolffe in the side for his abrupt tone.
Rex hesitated, but one look at the jaig eyes on his helmet, which he had taken off to breathe, convinced him to talk: "You have to promise me that you'll respect my decision and not interfere. I'm not joking. This situation is my choice, and I ask you to respect it even if you don't approve."
It took some negotiations, but both commanders finally agreed.
“It's… hum… it's General Sykwalker… I felt the mark etched into my skin when I met him.”
Cody frowned in disbelief, as he had a good opinion of General Skylwaker, despite the recklessness he shared with Rex. "He's against your link?"
“No… well, I don’t know…? We haven’t talked about it.”
"He doesn't recognize the link?" Wolffe asked, barely hiding his anger.
"I-I don't think he has any marks," Rex admitted, looking at his helmet. The reflection in the visor could only be described as pitiful, with the deep circles under his eyes. Rex was exhausted, and not just from the recent battle or the war more broadly, but rather from his unrequited love with his general. "I've seen him in various stages of nudity since the war, and there aren't any roses tattooed on his skin. He has no marks."
Cody thought about it. "I've heard stories like this before, but I really didn't think it was possible. To me, they were just rumors or stories to scare children."
"And yet, it's real," Rex mocked falsely. "I can't just go to him and show him the degeneration of my mark and tell him it's his fault. There's no proof since he doesn't have a mark."
"But then how can you be dying if your bond is one-sided?"
“I don’t know, Wolffe. I consulted Kix when I noticed what was going on. At my request, he didn’t put it in my file because I didn’t want to lose my rank due to my possible imminent death. He’s been doing some research privately. He has several theories. The first is that Skywalker’s mark is on a part of his body I haven’t seen yet, like his skull or his butt. Then, he based it on cases where soulmate marks don’t match. Like when three people are soulmates. Or when one person has two marks. Kix has ruined his health studying all the flaws in marks. Like you, Cody, he’s heard the rumors about someone without a mark. And… and it’s always the one with the mark who dies.”
"I see. The person with the mark unknowingly rejects the bond when they see their soulmate doesn't have one. Unfortunately, the unmarked one can't die because the effects of the bond don't apply to them," Cody guessed with dread. The more he spoke, the more he hated his theory.
"It's Kix's idea, yes. For him, it would be psychological."
Wolffe hesitated before asking, "So all you have to do is stop thinking about it and the degeneration will stop?"
“The problem is, I can’t control it! I don’t think about Skywalker or our bond during battles. It’s been a month since I’ve thought about it, and yet a new leaf has appeared and the stems continue to grow.”
"Kix has another idea, doesn't he?"
Rex felt uncertainty rise in him as he felt his brothers' gaze on him, "He thinks it has something to do with my mutation. That there's a problem with my genetic codes like with my blond hair. That's why he can't find a cure. My case is literally unique. My mark would then be nothing more than a mistake of nature that will be fatal to me."
"Rex'ika…" Cody began painfully, as if he couldn't believe he was actually going to have to say this: "you're not a mistake of nature. There was a problem with your tube, that's all. Keeli had one too, and many others. Mutations happen more often than the Long Necks are willing to admit."
"Yet, I'm the only one dying because of a one-way connection."
"Maybe it would work out if you talked to Skywalker about it."
“I told you it’s out of the question!”
There was a long silence as Cody and Wolffe took in the painful news and Rex hesitated whether to confess the whole truth or not.
Finally, he decided to tell them everything, "There is something else. But you can't tell anyone. Not even your Jedi because if this secret gets out it will cause a lot of heads to roll, including ours. You know there's something between Skywalker and Senator Amidala?" They nodded because they had heard rumors. "Well, one day he confided in me... they're married."
"What?!" the two brothers asked in unison.
“They know they’re not soulmates because neither of them has soulmarks, but they still decided to get married in secret. They married for love or something like that. A-and the general is afraid the senator will file for divorce if she ever meets her true soulmate,” Rex hugged his legs to his chest. “He’s not afraid of what will happen if he has a true soulmate, he hasn’t even considered it, because to him the senator is his soulmate. No matter what the cosmic universe says.”
“That’s why you won’t tell him anything,” Wolffe realized furiously. “You don’t want to destroy his marriage to Amidala! You’re crazy! You care more about his happiness than your own. You care more about how he’ll feel if you turn his world upside down than how we’ll feel when we lose you! We’re going to lose you, Rex, and you don’t care. Your men are going to lose you. Tano is going to lose you. Skywalker is going to lose you. We all care about you, and You. Don’t. Care!”
Rex stood up to face Wolffe, "I do care! Much more than you think. But Kix himself doesn't know what's going on. Maybe I'd die even if I told Skywalker, and then I'd have caused him pain for nothing!"
“And maybe talking to him will fix everything!”
“Or maybe it won’t change anything. Maybe he won’t believe he’s my soulmate since he doesn’t have a mark. Even if he does, that doesn’t mean he’ll choose me. She’s his wife and I’m his Captain. The senator will always win. I’m no match against her. I’m a soldier, Wolffe, I was made to die on the battlefield, not to live a romance with my general. Remember your promise, not a word to anyone.”
Rex started to walk again to find the tunnel exit when Wolffe pushed him against the nearest wall and held him there, "I will keep my promise, you have my word. I will not say a word to Skywalker as long as you are alive. But the moment you are dead, the moment the doctor shows your beloved general that damn mark, I will tell him the truth. I will tell him that he was your soulmate and that it was his fault you died."
The captain pushed the commander away, turned on his light, and continued walking. This time, he didn't wait for the commanders to follow him.
"Why did you tell him that?" Cody asked, grabbing Wolffe's arm.
"I was just trying to make him understand that Skywalker will learn the truth no matter how hard he tries to hide it. I just hope he tells his general the truth now."
"Me too," replied the 212th commander as he resumed his march.
The air in the tunnel, besides being damp and cold—it must have been dark outside—was awkward and tense. Now, neither of them wanted to speak to break the heavy silence that had settled between them.
Rex walked ahead, sulking and brooding over his dark thoughts. He had always been ready to die, but not like this. Now that his brothers knew the truth, it was even worse. The captain was so lost in thought that he didn't hear his brothers speak because they thought they had heard something. He himself couldn't hear anything beyond his pounding head. He had a splitting headache from worrying so much.
Yet, if Rex had concentrated, he would have heard the faint rush of water coming from far ahead, he would have heard the rain falling above him, or the distant sounds of explosions coming from his left. Rex heard none of this, even though he should have. If he had, then perhaps he would have stopped like Cody and Wolffe had just done. And then perhaps everything that happened next would never have happened.
He continued walking until a terrible and violent explosion coming from the other side of the wall caused a large part of it to collapse. Rex just had time to turn his head to see a battle taking place in what must have been the main entrance to the cave when the ground beneath his feet collapsed. The explosion had done more than destroy a wall: it had shaken the entire structure of the cave and the path in front of Rex completely collapsed. His brothers shouted his name as Rex was dragged down the newly created slope. The captain couldn't even stop his fall because the slope was slippery and muddy.
Instead, he pulled out his grappling hook and placed it on his DC-17, as he could see the slope was leading him toward a wide opening that led to nothingness. Not nothingness, Rex realized, hearing the torrential current. Especially since, from what he could quickly see, the long, deep river was extremely choppy. Rex wasn't sure he'd ever be able to get out of the river in the face of the fast current.
Rex had barely applied the grappling hook to his weapon when the slope abruptly ended, and Rex fell directly toward the raging river. There must have been an eight-meter gap between the mountainside cave and the river. It would be a painful fall if he fell. But Rex turned skillfully, aimed at the wall above the hole he'd fallen through, and fired.
He groaned as the wire suddenly tightened and his body was propelled against the rock, but Rex held firm despite the sudden tension in both his shoulders. Kriff, the rock face was smooth and wet, so there was no ledge for Rex to reach for safety. Only one solution: climb back up the cable and try to swing toward the main entrance to safety. Relative safety, since a battle must have caused the explosion. Oh well, one thing in its time.
As usual on this planet, it was raining cats and dogs. So not only could Rex see nothing, but he also had trouble climbing quickly because of the rain. The worst part was when he realized his grip on his weapon was slippery. Rex hadn't realized it before, but there was dirt and dust on his gloves, making the rifle's grip muddy.
Rex fell for the third time today.
He quickly resigned himself to his fate. He was going to die either way, so it might as well be quick. But his body didn't fall. In fact, he was paralyzed in mid-air. Which was odd but not unusual. Rex could feel the force around him, surrounding him like a comforting blanket, engulfing him, keeping him from falling. A Jedi was holding him, Rex realized, as his heart skipped a beat or two. He relaxed as he got closer to the sky and let it happen as the Jedi brought him closer to the main entrance of the cave.
Rex was barely on the rocky, dusty floor of the cave when two large hands touched his shoulder and hip to steady him. The captain let himself be shuffled when he felt a gloved hand cup his shoulder. He blinked the rain from his eyes and recognized a familiar face accompanied by an equally familiar, confident smile.
"Well, Rex, it's not time for a bath yet," his general said, smiling at him.
The mark on the back of his hand throbbed with a good deal of pain. But the moment was quickly ruined when Anakin resumed his duties as general. The General easily understood that Rex was unfit to fight and forced him to crouch behind a metal crate. He winked at him before leaving.
Apparently, the cave built into the mountainside had been requisitioned as a storage room by the Separatists. The cave was the only way to access the cavern into which the commanders and the captain had fallen. Of course, Anakin and Obi-Wan's two squads had come face to face with the remaining Separatist droids when they came to rescue their soldiers.
The battle was quickly over, and the remaining droids were destroyed. Cody and Wolffe, who had participated in the end of the battle, could finally rest now that they were safe and certain that Rex had not died in his fall. In fact, their little brother was surrounded by his general and his men.
"He's going to let himself die for love," Wolffe spat coldly at Cody.
Cody could only agree with what Wolffe had just said.