Snoozeville with rex maybe?
I’ve never written for Rebels Era Rex and I thought that I might give it a try. I hope you don’t mind! Rexsoka shippers DNI, this is purely platonic.
Snoozeville— character falls asleep somewhere that isn’t their bed
Rex was sitting in the common room of the Ghost after a supply run. Surprisingly enough, this one had actually gone off without a hitch (most likely because Ahsoka had decided to come with them for whatever reason), and they were able to get in and out of the planet quickly. Said planet, however, had been rather cold and damp and that did not make for a good experience.
Rex was well aware of the fact that he’d come down with a cold after being on that planet, if the pressure in his head and the incessant runny nose that was plaguing him were any indication. He really didn’t want to admit that he was sick, though, because he was a clone who had been raised on a planet where it was cold and wet constantly, but he wasn’t as young as he used to be and his immune system had permanently been compromised by the Blue Shadow Virus. However, he’d mellowed down since his days as a hot-headed captain and would admit his illness if anyone came and asked him outright… if not, then he’d go about his business like nothing happened.
He sighed to himself, as no one was in the common room with him, the rest of them elsewhere in the ship. He forced himself to keep his eyes open. It was the middle of the day cycle, according to the chrono on the wall, and he refused to go to sleep any earlier than necessary, no matter how tempting a nap was at the moment. He knew it would probably make him feel better, but… he didn’t want to admit it. He supposed some part of him was still that stubborn captain.
Ahsoka made her way into the room and slid onto the bench next to him, regarding him carefully.
“Rexter, you aren’t looking too hot,” she stated bluntly.
“Yeah, must’ve caught a cold on that planet,” Rex replied, sniffling as if to prove his point. He grimaced at the pressure in his head and sighed yet again.
“Wow, you’re openly admitting you’re sick? Because I distinctly remember multiple occasions where you refused to admit you were sick and then made yourself sicker as a result,” Ahsoka said, lifting a brow marking at him.
“Yeah, well, maybe I’ve gone soft in my old age,” Rex said, rolling his eyes at her as she giggled. He then yawned and suppressed an involuntary shiver as he felt a fever taking hold.
Ahsoka immediately grew concerned, “Oh, let me go get you some medicine and a blanket, and you can take a nap right here if you want to!”
Rex shook his head vehemently, “No, I don’t want to go to sleep right now. It’s the middle of the day.”
“So? Naps are one of the best things that have ever been invented. I used to nap all the time when I was a Padawan,” Ahsoka said, moving to stand up.
“Well, we clones were engineered to not need naps. I shouldn’t need one. I can last without one,” Rex said stubbornly, refusing to make eye contact with her.
Ahsoka sighed and settled back into her seat, laying a reassuring hand on Rex’s shoulder, “Rex, that may have been true when you were younger, but like it or not, you’ve aged a little and things like recovering from sickness are going to take a little more effort.”
Rex frowned and stared at the table in front of them. Ahsoka looked like she was going to say more, but Rex ruined the moment with a loud sneeze.
Ahsoka chuckled warmly, “At least let me get you some medicine and a blanket. You don’t have to fall asleep if you don’t want to.” Rex nodded. Ahsoka patted his shoulder and got up to get the supplies.
She returned only a few minutes later with medicine, a bottle of water, and a blanket, just as promised. After ensuring Rex took the medicine she provided him with, she sat down next to him and handed him the blanket, which he begrudgingly wrapped around himself.
They sat in silence for a few minutes, only interrupted by Rex’s occasional sniffle or stifled cough.
Ahsoka regarded him carefully in that time, and Rex was all too aware of her gaze on him.
“What?” He asked defensively.
“What’s really bothering you, Rex?” Ahsoka asked.
Rex frowned and shook his head, “It’s just… Ahsoka, I’m younger than you. I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have gray hair already and wake up with every single one of my joints aching. I shouldn’t fall sick so easily and it shouldn’t take so much for me to get back on my feet.”
“Oh, Rex,” Ahsoka said, gently shushing him, “I know. It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not,” Rex agreed, leaning against Ahsoka and closing his eyes, “Why did I have to be one of the last clones? All by myself?”
“I don’t know, Rex, but I do know that I and everyone on this ship are glad to have you by our sides, aged or not. And you’re not alone, Rex. You have me and you always will,” Ahsoka replied, adjusting the way that she was sitting so that Rex could be more comfortable.
Rex grumbled but didn’t respond, the lure of sleep calling his name. He fell asleep sitting in that exact position, head resting on Ahsoka’s shoulder. Ahsoka put a comforting arm around his shoulders and sighed, raging at the universe that had been so cruel to clones and had cast them such an unlucky lot at life. Truly, she didn’t know whether Rex was lucky or unlucky to live as long as he had, and she wasn’t sure that either of them wanted to know the answer to that.
Some of the other Ghost crew members wandered in at different points, but they were all shushed pretty quickly upon seeing Rex resting on Ahsoka as he was (her fierce glare towards Ezra when he’d been about to yell at Zeb had certainly helped things, as well). Eventually, she fell asleep in her seat as well, sitting with her fellow survivor and brother.
Chapter One: The Cadets
Rex woke up with a start and immediately knew something was wrong. He screwed his eyes shut and thought back to the night before. All he had done was sign some reports and pass out onto his bunk after feeling lightheaded. Nothing was wrong then. Something sure felt wrong now. He sat up, yawning and looked to the mirror at the other side of his quarters. And screamed. Jumping up, now wide awake, he stumbled over to the mirror and stared in terrified awe. The cadet in the mirror stared back. His blacks were now about 6 sizes too big and his short blond hair was now sitting around his shoulders. Just like he had it when he was a cadet. “No, no, no, no, no!” He cried, unable to tear his gaze away from his new reflection.
The door to his quarters opened with a small whoosh and the General stood in the doorway, looking around worriedly.
“Rex, are you okay-“ Skywalker stared at Rex who was now very slightly panicking. “Cadet, what are you doing in Captain Rex’s quarters, wait, no, what are you doing on the ship?”
Rex had to say something. He turned to the doorway hesitantly.
“Sir, I’m Rex.” He said, startled at how young his voice sounded. The General stared at the little blond child that was standing in oversized blacks in Rex’s quarters. Rex couldn’t tell if the General believed him or not.
“Wait, wha- how, that’s-“ Skywalker stuttered, visibly confused at the situation. “Rex?!”
“Yes, sir.” He replied, attempting to stand at attention, but only managing to look like he was trying to fix his posture. This is a dream, right? He thought furiously, staring at his now small hands. He looked in the mirror again. He looked eleven years old. He looked his physical age.
The General’s comlink started to aggressively beep at him. Not breaking eye contact with Rex, he answered the call. “Skywalker here.”
“Anakin, something has happened to my troops.” General Kenobi’s voice came through urgently. “I need you to come to the Negotiator and bring Rex."
"Why?" General Skywalker asked, curiously. General Kenobi cleared his throat and said:
"It appears they have.....turned into children, somehow."
Skywalker looked at his comlink in a mixture of horror and panic. Rex sat down. So it’s not just me. He thought. Then immediately regretted it when Fives, fully grown, came sprinting down the hall, almost crashing into General Skywalker.
“Sir, I can’t find Echo or Rex!” He doubled over, panting. It was obvious he had run halfway across the Resolute looking for Skywalker when he couldn’t get ahold of Rex. Looking into Rex’s quarters Fives froze, staring at him. Skywalker rolled his eyes and walked over to the end of the corridor, so he could take his call in peace. Fives barely noticed him.
“Ca-Captain?” He asked cautiously. Rex sighed.
“Yes, Fives.”
Fives looked like he was going to pass out. Then he doubled over laughing.
"Fives!"
"S-sorry-" Fives gasped between cackles. Rex's comm started to aggressively beep from the other side of the room. He got up and immediately tripped on his oversized blacks, which caused Fives to fall to the ground wheezing. Rex rolled his eyes and answered the call.
"Captain!" A young voice yelled from the comlink, "Sir, you have to get to the barracks!”
Fives stopped laughing. “Echo?!” He called crawling over to Rex and the comlink.
“Fives! I’m stuck in the vent!” Echo replied, panic growing. Rex sighed as Fives collapsed in a new fit of giggles.
“How did you get in the vent?”
“Well, I woke up as a cadet and panicked, so I climbed into the vent.”
“But the vents are small enough for a cadet to fit into.” Rex replied, confused.
“Yeah, but not for a fully grown clone!” Mumbled another voice.
“Don’t tell me Hardcase got stuck in the vent again?” Rex asked already done with day, even though he only just woke up. Fives was now suffocating with the force of his own laughter. Rex ignored him.
“Hardcase got stuck in the vent again.” Echo confirmed, “Please help us.”
“Yep, Rex out.”
He turned to Fives, who was practically dying on the floor. “Fives, stop laughing and go help your brothers.” He attempted to use his usually commanding tone, but that made Fives laugh harder. Sighing, Rex went over to his small closet, and pulled out a spare cadet uniform. It was regulation to keep at least one cadet uniform in the barracks, just in case a kid got on the ship. Again. Rex shoved Fives out of his quarters and changed.
It had been years since he had worn this uniform and he felt nostalgic, standing in the soft fabric. Grabbing one of his DC-17 blaster pistols, he opened the door and started to walk towards the barracks.
“Oh, hell no.” Fives said, plucking the pistol from Rex’s grasp.
“Hey!” He protested attempting to seize the blaster that Fives was holding above his head. “Give me the blaster, Fives!” He yelled, now trying to kick the other in the shin.
“Uh uh uh, cadets can’t have blasters.” Fives sung at him, obviously absolutely delighted at being able to tease his Captain with no real consequences. Well, not no consequences.
“Fives,” Rex breathed in his most dangerous voice, “give me the blaster, or you’ll get so many demerits it’ll seperate you from Echo.” It still worked.
“Yes, sir.” Fives replied, handing it over.
The second they got to the barracks, Rex really wished he was fully grown and not for the first time today. Half the men were running around screaming, and the other half were kriffing cadets. This is really bad. Rex thought as he yelled, “Everyone calm down!”
The commotion stopped. Everyone was looking at Fives, like he was the one who yelled. Rex rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “What is going on here? I take a break for, what five minutes, and all of you are screaming and running around like headless nunas!”
All eyes were on him now as the men processed what was going on.
“Captain, is, is that you?” Jesse whispered, uncertainly. Rex sighed again.
“Yes, Jesse, it is me. Now what have you idiots done about Hardcase and Echo being stuck in the vent?”
“Oh, absolutely nothing, sir.” Kosi piped up happily. “We were just laughing our sheds off at him while he struggled.”
You have got to be kidding me. Of course it was Kosi of all people who said that confidently. Rex could give him 100 demerits and he still would refuse to let it be a big deal.
“So where are they.” Rex sighed. Kosi pointed over to the far corner where a pair of armoured legs could be seen, kicking around pointlessly.
“Oh, great.” Rex muttered as Fives dissolved in laughter once more. “Banjo, Jesse, grab Hardcase's legs and see if you can manage to pull him out."
Banjo nodded and walked over to the vent instantly, while Jesse, still laughing, had to peel himself off of the floor. Rex rolled his eyes again and looked around. "Wait, where's Kix?"
And of the cadets put up his hand from the top of one of the bunks.
"I'm here, sir." He called, climbing down. Rex stared. He still had that intricate buzzcut, even as a cadet. The Kaminoans probably hated that.
"Kix, shouldn't you be in the medbay?"
Kix shrugged. I felt really lightheaded and couldn't concentrate, so Overflow said he could cover my shift." Overflow was the new medic that came in with Banjo, Clancy, Kosi and Vibe, and already he showed an impressive knack for knowing when troopers were tired.
"Any other cadets, follow me. We're going to the medbay to get this sorted out." Rex yelled over the laughter that had kicked up again.
About 40 cadets awkwardly waddled over, some had attempted to make their oversized blacks fit, but to no avail. Fives was still suffocating on the ground, Kix looked at him worriedly.
"Yo, you good." One of the cadets asked, poking Fives.
"He won't be if you keep poking him, look," another cadet said, kicking the suffering ARC.
"Cut it out, Clancy!" Banjo commanded from the vent.
*** *** ***
Rex would never live this down. Ever. The second him and the rest of the cadets filed into the medbay, Overflow was doubled over laughing. After a couple of stern looks and half a cantina of water, he managed to regain some composure.
"What happened?" He asked, completely in awe, as yet another cadet in oversized blacks stumbled into the room.
"I got no clue, mate." Clancy yelled over Rex's head. Overflow laughed, walking over to his batchmate. He shook his head, still chuckling, he said:
"Alright, first things first. We need to get you idiots some actual clothes."
Clancy's smile got even wider as he stared in awe at his older brother.
"You don't mean-" he started but was cut off by Overflow's comm.
"Overflow, why you got, like, 300 cadets in the medbay?" Rex knew that voice anywhere. His youngest batchmate.
"Those 300 cadets are troopers who got....shrunk." Overflow said, haltingly. Rex could practically hear the smile in his voice as he replied:
“Custom hoodies?”
“Custom hoodies.”
Tax cheered and disconnected the call. Clancy was jumping and running around yelling:
“CUSTOM HOODIES!”
Rex rolled his eyes. This was going to take a while.
This fic is FILLED with OC’s, sorry 😃. I’m not gonna update this if it doesn’t get attention, so yeah.
This is so that they’re all in one place on tumblr! These aren’t in any particular order other than the one that I thought of them in as I was writing out the titles in this post. The links and summaries are below the cut! I hope this is helpful! As I write more, I’ll be sure to keep this updated.
What Died Didn’t Stay Dead — The 501st suffered a devastating blow on Umbara with the loss of Captain Rex at the hands of Pong Krell.
Rex doesn’t understand why he’s still around after having died, but he realizes that he might be able to use this to the advantage of all of his brothers.
Or: Rex is a ghost, and he’s just as confused about it as everyone else is.
Mars AU — A role-reversal AU in which Rex gets caught in the explosion at the Citadel and is experimented on by the Techno Union, and Echo is promoted to Captain of the 501st. This series explores what would be different and what would stay the same.
Losing Track (of What We’re Fighting For) — the first installment, which spans from Rex’s rescue through Order 66
Cool Clone Commanders (+ a Slightly Less Cool Captain) — A series of missing scenes and brotherly shenanigans during Losing Track (of What We’re Fighting For)
Brand New War Begins — Order 66 has been executed and the galaxy is in shambles. In an attempt to pick up some of the pieces, Rex and Echo split into groups on missions to save those who may have survived. Meanwhile, two lost souls run into each other and the future of the galaxy is drastically changed as a result.
Golden Heart — Kix has always wanted to help his brothers; that’s why he’s always wanted to be a medic. One day, when he’s first starting his medical training, he helps a blond cadet with a concussion. Years later, after the war has begun, history repeats itself.
A Bit of Tin — Echo notices a familiar medal on display in the Bad Batch’s ship and asks them about it. It leads to a conversation about their old batchmates.
When You Let it Leave, it Can’t Hurt You — The Bad Batchers find a holopic in their barracks when they return to Kamino after a mission. It holds nothing but bittersweet and painful memories for Echo, but he eventually learns that just because it hurts doesn’t mean he should forget.
Promotion — When Anakin Skywalker is Knighted, Rex is given a promotion as well, much to his surprise.
Homecoming — After the Clone War ended with the reveal of Chancellor Palpatine as a Sith Lord, Fives and Echo get the reunion that they deserved all along. The rest of Domino Squad joins in on the fun.
Comfort — Kix has been awake for nearly 24 hours trying to save as many brothers as he could. A breakdown was inevitable. Luckily, Echo is really great at comforting brothers who are hurting.
Tackling Grievous — Cody tackles Grievous yet again, and Rex comms him to give him a piece of his mind. Obi-Wan’s enjoying this far too much for his own good.
Keep Your Eyes Open — Cody gets a concussion during a battle, but luckily Rex is there to make sure he stays awake.
I Know You — “This is not who you are. I know you better than that.”
Anakin says these words to Ahsoka on Mortis. Years later, Ahsoka says them to Anakin on Malachor.
What’s in a Name — Fives has been in ARC training for 2 weeks when he runs into Clone Force 99, who are preparing to ship out of Kamino for their first mission.
Or: Fives meets Clone Force 99 and accidentally gives them their other name.
Where I Confess My Doubt — A supply run takes Ghost Crew to Umbara. Everyone’s worried about Rex.
A Great Man — To Rex, Fives was a great man, and great men deserve to be remembered. *Ao3 link here*
The One Left Behind — In which Death watches a particular clone captain repeatedly lose, and still continue to fight.
Only Time Will Tell — The clones wake up with memories of their lives up to their deaths only a few weeks before Kenobi was due to arrive on Kamino in the original timeline. Rex stays strong for his brothers— he has to. But who will stay strong for him? *will likely end up being a series of oneshots*
"My memories, they get fuzzy here and there, I don't remember a lot most the time, except Fives, I can't forget him, and sometimes, I really wish I could-"
TW for Echo being absolutely awful to Rex and blaming him for Fives' death in the worst way possible.
Echo knew he wasn't the easiest to live with. Sure, he wasn't as much an ass as Tech was in the morning or as annoying as Crosshair, whose insecurities leaked out like a broken facet, but he still wasn't easy. He didn't take a whole hour to do his hair like Hunter and regularly dropped knives, and he also didn't look right through his brothers, able to place exactly what was wrong like Wrecker. He wasn't as bad as he could be, but he wasn't better.
He used to be better. He used to be perfect. But he'd fallen so far, half the time, Echo didn't know who he was anymore. His name didn't really feel like his anymore. But what would his name be? Echo looked down at his arm, studying scars he didn't remember getting, they danced up his arm until his clothing covered the rest. Ever since Rex rescued him, he was trying to place himself in this universe again. He was supposed to be dead. He wasn't supposed to get a second chance. But he wasn't, and he does.
Echo let out a sigh as he commed Rex, some part of him always sparked back to life when he spoke to his former Captain. But Rex didn't answer, so the last living part of Echo stayed dead. He'd just go inside.
"-No, if I ever do something as shitty as that, just leave me, let me suffer in my own stupidity, it'd do me good." Crosshair chuckled as he took a drink, "Your turn." He said before looked over to Echo and gestured towards a glass, "Join us?"
"Please, join us," Tech took a drink, "Alright, if I turned evil, shoot me on the spot and take my bed, don't let Wrecker or Hunter have it. They stink."
"-What are you two even doing?" Echo asked as he sat down. He gladly took a glass and poured himself a drink.
"I don't know if you'd call this putting together our wills, but that's basically what we're doing, except only in the case we turn evil, not if we die." Crosshair filled him in, "-and we're drinking, so it works."
"Seriously though, if I turned evil, or something more stupid than usual, I know you'd just let me think you'd never come-"
"-But we would," Tech laughed, "Not right away of course, but we'd never actually leave your sorry ass." They laughed some more, "You'd be dead within the week." Their banter continued but Echo stopped listening.
Crosshair's words echoed in his head, "-You'd just let me think you'd never come-" Echo looked at his brothers, laughing away at such a ridiculous thought: losing one another. Echo envied the fact they never had to live with the pain of a forever goodbye. He envied the fact they could joke about it and that's all it was: a joke.
"I'm gonna go move Hunter's knives slightly out of place-"
"This is why you're the smart one, good man, Echo." Crosshair nodded, refilling his brother's glass once more before he left.
"I'm the sma-"
"No-"
Their banter was fazed out yet again as Echo headed in the direction of Hunter's knife collection. He shifted a few of them but moved them back, he couldn't go through with it. Even if it was meant to be a joke, Echo found it cruel. He didn't know why, so he just stared at them, Crosshair's words still echoing in his head. "You'd just let me think you'd never come-"
Echo knew they were joking, he'd made those same jokes with Fives, Jesse, and Kix countless times. He'd laugh and drink with his brothers just as Crosshair and Tech did. But they were brothers and Echo was just invading. Echo went outside, reminding himself that there was nothing for him back with the 501st, without Fives, that there was no home with the 501st. Not anymore. Echo missed his family, but he was with his family.
Fives was dead, and when he died, Echo imagined everything bright and wonderful died with him. Every sunrise and blooming flower ceased to exist now that Fives was dead. Echo, though not bright nor wonderful, died too. He didn't exist without his brother.
Echo wondered how Fives carried on without him, who got him out of trouble, who consoled him after a battle, who loved him when Echo left. Did Fives know I was alive? Did he know I wasn't dead? Could he feel it? Did he know? Echo wanted to ask Rex questions about his brother but everytime he did, he'd watch the Captain start to down. He'd full with such sorrow, such... Guilt.
His comlink blinked and Echo answered it, Rex. "Echo, hey! Sorry, I just got back to Coruscant-"
"How did he die?" Echo inturrupted Rex, who froze instantly.
"W-What?"
"Fives. How did he die, what happened, what actually happened?" Echo practically hissed but desperation made him a monster. He was more machine now anyways, so what was the difference between monsters and men, men and machines?
Rex's stomach twisted in a knot, he felt his heart break all over again, "-I" Rex looked up at the scowl on Echo's face. Rex couldn't do it. He couldn't tell him. He opened his mouth and nothing came out. He gave Echo a plea, refraining from crying.
"-It's because of you, right? He's dead because of you?"
"Echo-"
"Tell me!" Echo screamed, "Tell me that you got him killed! Tell me that it's your fault he died!" Echo wanted to tackle Rex to the ground, it was his fault, it was written all over his face, Rex knew what happened, he was there when it happened, and he didn't do anything to save him, "Tell me how you got my brother, my best friend, killed, Rex, tell me how you killed my brother."
"I didn't, I didn't-" Rex mumbled as his eyes teared up and his voice was a desperate whisper, "Echo, please." Rex looked at Echo, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Echo, I didn't save him."
Echo saw a tear run down Rex's cheek and it only filled him with anger that quickly came then simmered away because some part of Echo knew it wasn't Rex's fault, but all the same, "He was my brother and he came to you for help," Echo sobbed, breaking his shell of anger on the spot, "He came to you for help and you got him killed-" shaking his head, Echo wished he hadn't said anything at all, that he hadn't picked at this wound, if only he'd just let it bleed. "He needed you and all you did to help was have a bullet shot in his heart-"
Rex was light years away from Echo, crying at the blue imagine of him, teary eyed and angry and all because he couldn't talk and he couldn't hang out. He'd been rendered powerless in shock, so all he could do was cry and accept all of Echo's yelling. Everything Echo accused him of, Rex believed. He'd gotten his brother killed and that was on him. He needed him, and instead, Rex got him shot. "I can't do this Echo," Rex looked up, "Everything you said, I can't defend against, I know, I know I failed you and Fives-"
"Don't say his name!" Echo cried, "You don't get to say his name, if you had been better he'd still be alive!" Echo knew he wasn't who he should be, he knew he was being awful and he knew better. But he didn't care. He didn't care. God dammit, he didn't care. So through teary, bloodstained eyes, he took aim, "You don't deserve to be here, Rex, Fives does, he would have never done that shit to you, he would've done something." Echo cried, absolutely furious.
All Rex could do was stand there, head hanging low as he tried to gather the will to hang up and end it. But he deserved it. He deserved each punch Echo threw, he deserved to hate himself all over again. "He would've done something-" Fives would've fought to hell and back, Fives deserved to be alive, and if Rex could trade places, he would, if only to see Echo smile. But that's not how this works. Echo wasn't even yelling anymore, he was only crying. Through his crys, he choked out all the anger at its target "-It's your fault, it's all your fault, you didn't do anything, you didn't do anything and he died because of it,
Because of you-
Summary: While in mandatory quarantine, Rex's gets a visit from a brother he's been missing terribly.
Warning: Hallucinations caused by sickness.
[Sometimes I remember Rex got infected by the Blue Shadow Virus and that recovering from that probably didn't happen in just one day, regardless of there being a miracle cure... It's probably left a mark on his immunity system...]
[THIS STORY IS NOW ON AO3]
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Kix opts to quarantine him despite limited contact with the infected population of the little planet they'd been sent to help evacuate. A plague had run through, destroying a great part of the sentient life forms on said planet, and unfortunately Rex's armour had been breeched during an altercation with a delirious citizen.
Kix decides to quarantine him, because despite his limited contact Rex still got sick in the end. Because his immunity system had been absolutely ruined by his past run in with the BSV. The medic knows best in the end. Gives him several shots of whatever miracle cure the GAR has concocted to fight this menace of a disease, and leaves him to rest and recuperate. But the captain of the 501st can't help but feel uneasy by the decision anyway.
Everyone knew clones didn't do so good in isolation. They were raised in communal circumstances and trained to be dependant of each other's help out in the field, so separation anxiety was something of a common occurance among vode that either lost their squadrons or closest batchmates. Independent survival had to be taught to the clones that expressed enough hardiness to become ARCs.
Rex had earned that honour himself. But he was nothing if not a very social creature. And being confined to a lonely cot was... It was doing things to him.
Between the wet-sounding coughs, the sudden instances where he was overcome by vertigo even as he lay still, and the fogginess that came with flare-ups and fever, Rex wasn't sure what was worse... The fact he felt like he'd been run over and dragged by a hovercraft, or the fact it was getting hard to figure out if the things he was hearing and seeing were real or not.
Because he could swear Keeli was just sitting there with him. Watching him. Talking to him.
He didn't know his vod was on leave... He could have sworn he was on Ryloth...
"Easy now Seven..." His batchmate, his older brother, purred softly as he ran his fingers through the blond fuzz atop Rex's head. "It's just a little cold..."
"M'not supposed to get those..." He murmured back miserably, as he tried to lean into the contact. Everything hurt and he couldn't move. The covers felt really heavy on top of him. "M'a clone..."
"Even clones get sick vod'ika..." Keeli whispered soothingly. "We're engineered, but not even we can remain strong forever."
"No... s'just me... M'broken..." Rex whined. The aching muscles and sore throat made it hard to say more, but Rex didn't have to. Keeli knew. " Came out wrong..."
"No you didn't."
"I did..." His eyes burnt and he could feel tears slip down his flushed face. Past shame making his stomach feel funny. "Wrong... Hair... Everyone's... Everyone sees... M'cooked up wrong..."
"Your hair doesn't make you wrong. It makes you unique." Keeli frowned. "And I'm sorry... I'm sorry that we dyed it back on Kamino. That we tried to hide it, and made you think it was something to be ashamed of. We just wanted to protect you..."
"Ori'vod..." He wanted to reach out and hold Keeli's hand. He still couldn't bring himself to do so. It was all so unbearably hot and his body wouldn't obey.
"It's ok Rex... Rest now. I'll see you again some day..."
"Stay... Please..." The sickly clone whimpered. "Don't go..."
"I can't vod'ika... I'm dead..."
Keeli wasn't there anymore. Rex was alone. His heart ached as he remembered. Remembered that nearly all his batch was gone. That he was one of the last.
"Don't leave!" His nerve shattered and he yelled through a strained throat. "Keeli don't leave me! Keeli!!!"
The curtains parted. Kix rushed to check up on his captain as his strangled and incoherent screams and sobs annihilated the peace and quiet of the medical wing. Rex was out of his mind with delirium and fear, the fever reeking havoc in his mind as his immune system fought the leftover effects of the plague.
It was hard to see his brother so distressed, but there was nothing more he could do besides sedate him and wait out the effects...
Spoiler: This is an excerpt from Sea Shadow
Twisting upward, Rex fires at its eyes, but misses entirely. The creature snarls at him, knocking the blaster from his hand with its other enormous front leg as it trots across the island, towards a central… something, where the land slopes down sharply, dropping fast enough that it almost looks like it must go deep within the planet’s surface.
The creature bends low into the cavern, and then it’s tight grasp on him lightens, and it just… drops him. Rex scrambles to catch onto the grassy covered slope as he falls, finally rolling until hits a rock, which slows his fall. The land down here is slightly flatter at least – and he pushes himself upright, looking around.
The monster – which apparently can breath out of water and that’s even more disturbing – is gone now, leaving him down here alone.
The place surrounding him almost looks like a forest of sorts underground, with a strange glow surrounding him, a source of light that isn’t coming from the surface. But his… comm is broken, and he’s stranded on an island something in the middle of nowhere – what does that thing want with him anyway? – and he has no idea what to do now.
oh dear, oh dear. have some Umbara (derogatory)
(tw: major character death)
“Sir!” Waxer skids to a stop, out of breath. “I’ve found the platoon leader. He’s still alive.” The forest shivers around them, imaginary enemies blinking red eyes in the distance.
Cody hates it here. “Who is it?”
Waxer swallows and his face pales. “It’s—” he clutches the helmet in his hand tighter, duraplast creaking in his grip. “It’s Rex.”
Keep reading
Anakin cursed
That wasn’t a new thing. Specially since he was lost in the middle of the forest with no cell service. Anakin wondered who was so important enough that both Ashoka and Obi Wan would drag him out in the middle of nowhere.
“It will be fun Anakin” He muttered “They are good people, he said” Anakin threw his hands up in the air in frustration.
“I’m OBi WaN KeNoBi and I LIKE DIrt and TREES and torturing my YOUNGER BROTHER!” He kicked a hollowed tree stump. “Stupid trees.”
A few days ago…
“Anakin, can you take a couple of days off work pleaseeeee? Obi Wan and I want you to meet some people and their realllyyy cool!”
Ahsoka and Anakin were sitting in a cafe in which Anakin spent most of his time programming for his job. Anakin looked up from his programming for a second to look at her. “Yeah sure, if I want to get behind this project.” He snipped
She rolled her eyes “come on! It’s Obi Wan’s friends and-“
“Obi wan has friends?”
“Haha ha, anyway their really cool! And I’d think you would get along with Fives and Rex.”
Anakin frowned “What kinda name is Fives?”
Ahsoka grinned knowing that Anakin’s curiosity would probably get him to come along. “Fives is a good guy… although he tends to attract trouble like a certain someone I know.”
“I don’t know what your talking about.” Anakin said his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“It’s settled! You’ll come with us to meet them!” She said cheerfully
Before Anakin had a chance to respond she wrote down an address on his notebook he kept on him to help sort out his programs and scurried off.
Anakin stared at the address before shrugging “what’s the worse that could happen?”
Present day
It was a lot worse. Anakin had now been wandering for an hour after parking his car near a rusted pole that had the address on it. As he trudged through the muddy trail he found that the pathway had slowly disappeared into the surrounding woods. And when he turned back to look at the trail he found it vanished completely.
Now here he was yelling at nothing and kicking some poor tree log, hoping that Obi Wan or Ahsoka would magically show up.
Eventually he came across a stream and attempted to follow it to lead him somewhere.
“Don’t follow that stream” whispered a unfamiliar voice from the trees.
Anakin to his embarrassment later shrieked and slipped on a loose mossy patch only for home to hit his head. Dazed and as he lost consciousness he swore he saw a person coming toward him at a distance.
Part 1 done! I love @waterlily707’s moth au. its so cute! I made it a modern au as well cause idk how to put it in a cannon universe. Part 2 will hopefully come soon if my schedule lets me. Part 1 Is a little short but in part 2 I’ll try to make it longer!
what's your favorite gelphie fic?
OOF just one is so hard. here's a few of my favs. though more than being my favorite fics these are my favorite gelphie authors so assume i love everything they've posted!
The Love Club by OrkButch. just delightful. extremely queer and extremely heartfelt. and it has my favorite things ever like grief, healing, learning to be in a relationship, and nuanced portrayals of elphaba & nessa's dynamic. very formative to my perception of book!elphie, i learned a lot about her with this fic even if it's a modern AU!
Wiretapped Life by tinyace. another fic that has aaaaaaall of my favorite things like grief, healing, learning to be in a rel--- you get the gist. also it has nor! more fics should have nor! no but seriously this fic is incredible and has some of the best explorations i've seen on asexuality, aromanticism, gender, queer platonic relationships, and how to navigate a shitload of trauma in a cruel world when you have so much love to give. the gelphie dynamic is so nuanced and the worldbuilding is so intriguing and well done and glinda is a poor little meow meow and agh. could talk about this one forever. also if you've read attrition you will like this one, it has so many similar themes sam and i are always joking our brains are the same lol
The Last True Eminent Thropp by Ridiculous Mavis. ask any gelphie fan who was here before november 2024 for their favorite gelphie fics and they will probably mention ridiculous mavis. read everything on her page, seriously. yes even if it's ff dot net. do it. do it right now. this one is my favorite of hers!
Per Aspera Ad Astra (Through Hardships Towards the Stars) by show_me_the_universe. this one is still unfinished but i have enjoyed it so much! gelphie are so cute and so teenagers and they go through so much and their dynamic with each other is the sweetest thing. also has great dynamics between the charmed circle which it's also one of my favorite things :)
Aftermath by narta_shall_survive. another one where glinda is a poor little meow meow. i read this fic like a year ago and brother it has stuck with me. i love the way glinda is written and it has my FAVORITEEE glinda & crope dynamic. also it blends musical and book in such a smooth way and the prose is so crunchy.
and my saint, she is dancing by Mayverix. this one is extremely clever and soo well written. i adore this author's prose so much. made me ache in the best way possible. the way book!gelphie is captured here is just superb.
oh and of course i love the classics aka gretchenmaurice's works. all of them from the long ones to the most recent ones :)
now!!! i haven't read too many movie fics (yet) but here are two that stuck with me and that i love and have very much informed the way i see and write the movieverse gelphie dynamic.
the faint of heart by Verannode. vampire!galinda. and if that wasn't enough she totally thinks she's in some sort of romcom while elphaba is in a supernatural mystery or something. it's just the best thing ever. the dialogue is so whimsical and hilarious and galinda is incredibly delusional and dramatic and i love her. i've reread this a bunch of times it always makes me laugh.
PERENNIAL by anaphoruh. no joke this fic is one of my favorite ones ever. it's just so. i can't even explain it the way its written scratches my brain in the BEST way imaginable. the prose is so elegant and smooth i want to study it. it's the perfect blend of book and MOVIE which i didn't think was possible. the descriptions are so fun and engaging. the gelphie dynamic is delicious. galinda is insanely rich and elphie is her sugar baby in the most lowkey way possible. i adore it.
now not related to the movie at all. last but not least. there is Emerald City Lies by Beta Nova. listen to me. i would never recommend a fic on ff dot net that was last updated in 2016 if it wasn't worth it. i started reading this fic on a plane and it was so good i literally had to stop reading it so i could savor it. made myself read only one chapter a day and yes it's unfinished and yet i reread it once a year. it's so good.
anyway! thanks for asking <3
Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex Characters: CC-2224 | Cody, CT-7567 | Rex, Obi-Wan Kenobi Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode: s04e13 Escape From Kadavo, Implied/Referenced Torture, Whipping, Caretaking, Platonic Cuddling, Protective CC-2224 | Cody, CC-2224 | Cody Has Issues, CC-2224 | Cody Needs a Hug, CT-7567 | Rex Needs a Hug, CT-7567 | Rex Whump, Hurt CT-7567 | Rex, CC-2224 | Cody has PTSD, Clone Trooper Mistreatment (Star Wars), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Slavery, Exhaustion, Aftermath of Torture Summary:
Cody and Rex after Kadavo.
Hi! I'm sorta new to tumblr, so I hope I'm doing this right. Can I get a 'whatever' sickness prompt with Rex from tcw?
You did it just right! One story with Rex reluctantly accepting help coming right up.
Rex is an incredibly stubborn clone. He can ignore his own health in great extremes. But there is one symptom Rex cannot ignore.
Barfing.
Rex cannot handle vomit. Not when his brothers do it, not when he does it, not even when an animal does it. So when Kix normally has to drag Rex to the med bay, if the good Captain throws up he will show up of his own free will.
As he has this morning.
Kix gives him a wry smile. “I’ll get you a disposal unit, sir.”
Rex eyes the door mournfully, debating whether or not he can ride this one out on his own. Especially when he catches a whiff of the other unfortunate souls in med bay.
“I’ll give you a private room,” Kix adds.
Rex reluctantly surrendered to Kix’s tender care. But that does not mean Rex’s reluctance is over. Oh no, getting him in the med bay is only the first step in getting him to accept help. Rex was a self-sacrificing dikut, and since he was in a private room, Kix couldn’t see when he was getting queasy and needed another hypo.
True to form, when Kix comes to check on him, the captain is laying flat on his back. On the floor. He’d thrown up, tried to get a glass of water to rinse his mouth out, gotten extremely dizzy, ended up on the floor, and hadn’t been able to get up again.
Kix sighed. “This is what the call button is for, Rex.” He pressed it into Rex’s hand. “Use it.”
When Rex did use the call button, it was for a glass of water to rinse out his mouth and for Kix to bring him a new disposal unit.
Kix rolled his eyes. “Rex, you do not have to suffer in silence. If you even think you might vomit, call me. We have medicine to prevent that.”
Rex remained silent, further proof of his reluctance to show “weakness”.
Kix glared at him and Rex opened his mouth.
Kix didn’t let him speak. “The men don’t need me more. They’re getting better because they actually tell me all their symptoms.”
Kix stared pointedly while Rex desperately tried to avoid eye contact. At last, Rex cracked.
“Well, my nose has been a bit runny and my throat’s been sore this last week. My whole body ached, but I thought that was just the campaign. And last night I was freezing, so I might have a little fever.”
“39.5 celsius,” Kix corrected as he stood up. “You have Puffer Pig Flu, and if you’d come when your symptoms started, you would not be currently tossing your rations.”
“Thank you, Kix.”
Kix smiled. “Your welcome, ori’vod. Next time just let me help you sooner, okay?”
Rex nodded like a good little patient and Kix snorted. Like Rex was ever going to be anything but reluctant and stubborn about accepting help.