Between the Shadows

Chapter 5 - Between the Shadows

"No putting strain on this," Kix orders, as he finishes applying the bacta to Anakin's injured arm.

"With your work, it'll be healed in a day either way," Anakin tells him cheerfully.

"Not if you damage it further."

"Don't worry, Kix," Anakin promises so he doesn't make him freak out anymore when he already has enough to worry about as it is, "I broke bones all the time even back when I was a child. This one's nothing to worry about."

"I don't find that reassuring, General," the medic replies flatly. "Repeated traumatic injuries to the same bone can have serious consequences if they do not heal precisely the previous times."

Oh fiiiine. No point in arguing with him. "I know," Anakin agrees. "But it was usually my legs that broke, not my arms so that shouldn't be a concern."

Kix doesn't look any more impressed at the comment. "Was Jedi training that... rigorous?"

Anakin distinctly mentions Rex mentioning that he got broken limbs a couple times while training on Kamino. It's no wonder that's what Kix assumes. "It was from before that. I used to race pods and that did not always end well."

"Yes, I remember you mentioned that once," he confirms, sounding mildly amused this time, "And I assume you were too stubborn to stop despite your injuries, just like you are now."

"Yes," he agrees cheerfully, patting Kix's shoulder with his good arm. "Don't worry, I am not intending to come back soon." He stands, turning for the door.

"General," the clone's voice interrupts.

He turns back. "Yes?"

"I know it isn't my role to ask but how is the... investigation going?"

Word wasn't supposed to get out to anyone but considering how invested Kix has been in this and how much he actually understands the physical details of how these chips work, Anakin can't blame him for obsessively worrying about it.

"It's worse than I initially thought," he confesses bluntly, "But we're making progress on finding out who was behind all this. It goes far deeper than the Kaminoans."

Was Fives right about how far?

Kix's expression flickers with visible concern. "How deep?" he asks, "If it was a Jedi who had us created, I don't understand why they would... put this kind of device in us."

Because it wasn't a Jedi but how is Anakin supposed to tell Kix, or any of the clones, that they were created by Dooku to be nothing but tools in his war, to fight and die and lose their brothers for nothing?

Kix watched so many of his brothers dying, unable to save them because they were too far gone or too short on supplies. How could Anakin tell him that everything he's done is nothing but playing Dooku's game, that it never meant anything because the war never needed to happen at all? Because it wouldn't have happened if Dooku hadn't made the clones in the first place? Not that Anakin can imagine such a world, but he can't imagine what it would do to any of them to know that.

"I don't know if the Jedi's intentions were as sincere to the Order as they may have seemed," he replies finally, touching Kix's shoulder, "Don't worry about it right now."

The clone nods. "Thank you for telling me, General. But whatever you're getting into, don't forget to take care of your arm."

Anakin doesn't know if he wants to groan or laugh more. Of course Kix is still worried about that even in the face of all his brothers being potentially mind-controlled. The concern is appreciated even if he's definitely going overboard about it, though.