Fixing Our Broken Pieces || The Bad Batch

Chapter 11: Battle Scars

Rex's eyes widened, opening his mouth to say something but no words formed. Orla continued.

"It was stupid little things but people comparing me to Dooku started to bother me. I couldn't tell anyone, I had no one to tell. Even after I found Caleb it still went on, but it got worse. When Dooku announced himself to be a Separatist leader and working for a Sith Lord everyone said I would end up like him. Even some of the council members saw we were going down the same path. We both looked deeply into studying the force, we both connected to our siblings, both trained by Yoda and we were both at the top of our classes. Yet Caleb didn't see any of that or he didn't care, he would find every possible second to be near me. We spent hours roaming the halls, talking for hours. He was so curious and eager I spent hours teaching him things above his level so he could become a better Jedi. I even passed on things from Yoda, despite him being blind to my feelings, he was a good master and very knowledgeable. Caleb kept me from looking at the sith relics or learning about their power. I could never do that to him; he was the only one keeping me from temptation."

"I just thought you left the order because you saw they were corrupt. I didn't realize how badly some of them treated you."

"Yeah well, the Jedi aren't all good. I felt trapped in that temple for almost 20 years. After Dooku was found a Separatist leader and Yoda recruited me to a temple guard, it was rare I would ever get sent on an assignment outside of Corscount. I think Yoda was worried that I would find Dooku again. He saw me in the battle of Geonosis he made sure I didn't die so he could talk to me. Yoda didn't let that happen though, he faced him instead after Obi-Wan and Anakin."

"I...I see," was the only word Rex could form. Orla could see Rex's face, trying his best not to be angry. She put a hand through her curly hair, stressing over what he could be thinking

"I understand if you're-"

"Do you still feel that way?" Rex stopped her, not even managing to look her in the eye. He seemed understandably angry, he was born to fight the Separatists and the leader of them was Dooku. To him, she was betraying him.

"I know you think I'm saying I wanted to join the Separatists but I'm not. The Separatists were just another part of Sidious's evil plan and were abolished anyway when he came into power. Dooku didn't even really become a Sith until after Darth Maul was supposedly killed. I wanted to leave the order and join him because I thought I could become more powerful and come back and shove it in the council's face that I did what they thought I'd do, but I'd do it better. I could show them that I didn't need to be in that temple to become a better Jedi and go further in my studies. I don't think that now, now that I knew he joined Sideous anyway."

"But you still left, so didn't you prove it to them?"

A smirk appeared across her face, was that a compliment? "I guess I did, I realized as I grew up I could do it without Dooku. I wanted more but it wasn't power that I wanted, I just wanted to be useful and for people to see me in my light not, as a shadow to Dooku or Yoda."

Rex's face softened, "I'm sorry."

A small smile replaced her frown and she laughed lightly, "There's no reason for you to be sorry Rex, let's just move on we've got other important things to worry about right now."

"I know," he stopped her from getting up by grasping her wrist, "but I just want you to know, your feelings are valid, to me they're valid."

She gripped his wrist back "Thank you."

Multiple beeps started alarming from Rex's pocket. Letting go of her, he took out whatever was alerting him.

"Hold on, I'm getting a transmission."