A/N: Rex learns all…
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In the end, it really comes down to chain of command and the responsibility that Rex has to his brothers. He's a Clone Commander, the Captain of the 501st. He doesn't have the luxury of sticking his head in the sand and hiding from the big bad reality around him.
No, he needs to know everything so that he can decide what to tell those serving under him, plain and simple. And so, staring Anakin Skywalker right in the eye, Rex nods.
"Tell me everything, General."
… And so he does. Rex listens, feeling an increasingly complex array of emotions the longer the General speaks. Anakin, or rather Vader, is right… it is a sordid tale. The clones were aware of the Sith of course. You didn't fight under Jedi Commanders and Generals for a year against a movement led by a Sith Lord in the form of Dooku without learning all about the Dark Side and the Order of Force Users most associated with it.
Of course, learning the difference between a Fallen Jedi and a Sith had also been something that Rex and his brothers had been forced to figure out really quickly, especially given how much the war seemed to take its toll on their Jedi superiors.
… But never in a million years would Rex have imagined the entire Jedi Order had Fallen to the Dark Side. Nor could he have possibly guessed that his and his brothers' entire creation was all just one more move in a thousand year old Sith plot to destroy the Jedi once and for all.
It's… daunting, learning one's entire life is a lie. The entire time he and his brothers had been grown and trained and prepared for war, it had been understood by all of them that the Jedi would be their superior officers. The Jedi would lead and they would follow, full stop.
But to hear Vader explain it, that was part of the trap. The Jedi Order was not meant to wage war. The Masters and Knights and Padawans were not trained to lead soldiers or command armies and fleets. That they'd been forced into those roles anyways had been a byproduct of extremely skillful maneuvering by the Sith.
If it wasn't for Geonosis, the Jedi might have rejected leadership of the Clone Army altogether. If it wasn't for over two hundred Jedi dying in that arena, the Order might not have ever accepted command. That's a strange thing to think about for Rex, given all of his training was built on following the Jedi into battle.
Not that it would have mattered in the end anyways, to hear Vader tell it. Because the bio-chip that had been removed from Rex's head and that would be removed from every other clone's head as well, was designed to take away their free will and turn them against their Jedi superiors at the drop of a hat.
Order Sixty-Six… that was what Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, aka the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, would have used on all of them. It wouldn't have mattered that they fought alongside their Jedi leaders for months and months. All of the battles, won or lost, all of the blood, sweat, and tears… none of it would have mattered.
Rex likes to think he would have fought it… that he could have fought it. But he can tell from the way his General speaks that it would have been all but impossible.
And Vader is still his General. Even if he's revealed himself to be a Sith, different in creed and sect than Sidious and Dooku, he's still Rex's General. He's still the man who Rex has fought alongside across every battlefield of this damned war.
When Vader finally comes to the end of explaining just how badly they'd all been played and how Rex and his brothers were ultimately intended to be used and then discarded, the man falls quiet, letting Rex take a moment to process things.
Rex definitely does take that moment… along with several more. Because quite frankly, it's a lot. It's a fucking shit load to process. Eventually though… he comes out the other side more resolved and determined than ever.
"What happens now, General?"
Vader arches a brow.
"That will depend largely on you and your brothers, Rex. You make the decisions now. The bio-chip is removed. You should age at a normal biological rate from here on out. And… you and every other clone will be given the opportunity of an honorable discharge."
That last revelation has Rex's eyes widening in disbelief, even as Vader continues on unabated.
"The Republic is no more at this point, obviously. As such, the Grand Army of the Republic has transitioned into the First Imperial Army. All of you have been folded in as previous members of the GAR, but unlike with the GAR, the FIA requires every soldier to be consenting and most importantly of all, paid."
Looking quite pleased with this next bit, Vader chuckles.
"As such, you and all of your brothers have the chance to leave the FIA now rather than signing the new contracts. If you do, not only will you be allowed to do so, but you will also all be taken care of afterwards, with generous pensions and continuance of care for as long as you all live."
When Rex remains speechless with no idea of what to say, Vader's eyes soften somewhat and so does his smile.
"Your contributions to the galaxy will not soon be forgotten by the broader public, Rex. And the harm done to you and yours by the Banite Sith will not soon be forgotten by me or the Empress."
It's a lot more than Rex was expecting. But more than that… he has no idea what he would do with a civilian life. So in the end, once he's done getting over his shock at having the option in the first place, he asks the most important question that comes to mind.
"What's this about a new contract?"
Vader gives him an amused look at that, making it abundantly clear that the General all but expected this of him. Rex doesn't flush though… he has better self-control than that.
"As previously mentioned, every member of the First Imperial Army needs to be consenting and paid. Anyone who joins the Empire's military services from here on out will sign on under contract for a set number of years. At the end of which, they can sign on for another set amount of years."
Rex narrows his eyes and slowly nods.
"And we clones will also be offered these contracts?"
Scoffing, Vader just grins.
"Of course. You and your brothers will all be allowed to join the FIA properly if you wish. We would be foolish to turn away one of the galaxy's best trained, most experienced fighting forces at this point."
Heh, now the General was just trying to get a reaction out of him. Rex doesn't give it to him, instead just giving Vader a dry look.
"I imagine you're expecting most of us to stay signed on, aren't you General?"
Chuckling, Vader shakes his head.
"I know better than to think otherwise, that's certainly true. While part of me thinks all of you deserve to learn what life there is to live outside of war… I cannot deny that the universe is a dangerous place and the Empire will always have need of competent soldiers and commanders. You and your brothers might be clones, but you're people first and foremost… and veterans of the first galactic war that this galaxy has seen in centuries."
Looking Rex right in the eye, Vader continues on solemnly.
"Your value, Rex, is incalculable. Whatever we wind up paying you and your brothers for your service, I still feel like it won't be enough. Certainly not enough to make up for all that was done to you… or the brothers you lost along the way."
That… that gets an involuntary reaction from Rex. He flinches and his lips turn downwards. He'd been trying not to think about it, admittedly. It was bad enough to learn they'd all been hoodwinked, to find out that they were all just pawns in a mad man's galaxy-spanning bid for control.
… But if Rex started to think about all of the clones who didn't make it to this point, either because the long necks decommissioned them or because they'd died in the course of this war… he wasn't sure what he'd do. He…
Vader's hand suddenly lands on Rex's shoulder and Rex gasps, realizing belatedly that he's leaking. Saline has made its way out of his eyes and down his cheeks… he's crying.
"It's alright Rex. They wouldn't begrudge you a few tears for their memory. You and all of your living brothers… will continue to live on not just for yourselves, but for them. To keep their memory alive, no matter what."
As Vader speaks, Rex feels something in the air. It's almost as though his grief and anger and despair are being… lessened as time goes on. It's only belatedly that Rex realizes the Sith Lord is pulling on those emotions while at the same time seemingly bolstering him.
He's never felt the Force so strongly before. He's certainly seen enough insane feats by the Jedi to know the Force exists, but it's always just been a… tool to take into account on the battlefield. Only now does Rex get a taste of the Force himself, even as his chest expands and he finds himself standing taller and squaring his shoulders.
He doesn't wipe his tears from his cheeks, even as they stop flowing. Like Vader said, his fallen brothers would not begrudge him this much in memory of them.
"… Thank you General. I'm not going anywhere… and I feel confident in saying the rest of the 501st will agree. You and the Empress can count on us."
Vader smiles and claps his shoulder one last time before pulling away.
"We know Rex. We know."
-x-X-x-
Obviously, he and Padme had known what the ultimate result of freeing the clones from their bondage would be. While they could remove the bio-chips from their heads and reverse the gene therapy that aged them faster, they couldn't exactly take away the training and conditioning that had made them into such an effective fighting force in the first place. To do so would be to rob them of their identities, forged in battle as they were.
So yes, when it came down to it, its unsurprising that the vast majority of the clone army ends up agreeing with Rex. More than 99% of Jango Fett's clones choose to sign contracts with the First Imperial Army, effectively continuing their lives as soldiers, just for the Empire instead of the Republic and with pay instead of for free.
The less than 1% that choose otherwise are given everything Vader promised Rex. Honorable discharges, generous pensions, and a continuation of healthcare for the rest of their lives. As far as the galaxy should be concerned, they are heroes one and all.
Of course, the Empire isn't going to stop there. The clone army that Kamino made for the Republic was never actually big enough to protect the Republic as a whole, let alone take care of the needs of its successor state. No, both he and Padme had big plans for where things would go next… and they would be expanding the military to meet the needs of those plans.
… But for now, Vader finds himself returning to Coruscant to meet with his wife. Padme has a surprise for him, or so she says. Meanwhile, he's decided it's long past time for him to impregnate his Empress.
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The Vote:
[ ] Stick with Vader's POV - 20%
[X] Switch to Padme's POV - 80%
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Inconceivable (Invincible AU): https://www./series/2600396/inconceivable-invincible-au/
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