Star Wars: Loyalties Series

Severed Loyalties: Part 1

Six months after Order 66

Even with a blaster under his farmer's shirt, Rex felt vulnerable in public without his armor. He tried not to let the two Mandalorians realize he was looking at them. One wore blue and white armor. The other wore black and white. With their helmets on, Rex couldn't see their faces, though they were the same height and appeared to be of the same build. Rex wondered if they were siblings. Under normal circumstances, he liked Mandalorians but these two made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

"You want something to drink?" The Twi-lek bartender's voice almost startled Rex.

"Just bantha milk." Rex wished the two Mandalorians would take their helmets off. Why are you so worried about those two? Rex had met a few Mandalorians in his time on Saleucami. He normally felt more comfortable around them than he did around any other group of people, probably because Mandalorians were generally the warrior type.

The bartender slid the milk to Rex. Rex watched the two Mandalorians while he took a sip of the milk. They weren't ordering food, so they were probably looking for someone. What bothered him was they didn't appear to be watching anything in particular, or even looking at the people coming in the doorway. Whoever they're looking for, they've found him or her. They're just too good at what they do to look at their target. 

Rex looked away from the two hunters. Behind him, one walked toward the bar. When Rex heard the Mandalorian's footsteps, something about the sound tickled Rex's memory.

A chill shot through Rex. Until a year ago, he'd heard those footsteps every day of his life. They were the footsteps of a clone. Clones? Out here and in Mandalorian armor? Rex's mind flashed back to the last Mandalorian he'd talked to, one who recognized him as a clone. The old bounty hunter had warned him that the Imperials were hunting clone deserters and Jedi with assassins. They've found us. 

The clone grabbed a drink from the bar and went back to the corner of the room where he stood with his buddy.

"Something wrong?" the bartender asked, jolting Rex out of his thoughts.

"I want you to send a message to my brother Cut. Tell him that the hunters are here."

The Twi-lek looked confused. "I'll do that. Anything else?"

"Tell them not to wait for me." Rex tossed a few credits on the counter and headed out the door. If he could lead the pair of assassins away from Cut's farm, maybe he could buy Ahsoka and Cut's family some time. If I'm lucky, they're just after a clone. Maybe they don't know about Cut and Ahsoka. Rex stepped into the barn, where he'd left the eopi he'd borrowed from Cut.

Instead of going straight to his mount, he stopped in the darkness by the door frame. Two sets of footsteps came toward the barn. Rex drew his pistol. If he shot the first one in the throat at point blank range, maybe he'd be able to kill the assassin. With their armor, his chances were slim even if he surprised them.

The lead assassin, who wore black and white armor, stepped through the doorway. Rex leveled his blaster pistol at the man's throat, his finger pulling the trigger as he did so.

The assassin dodged to the right and toward Rex. The red laser glanced off the side of the assassin's helmet. He slammed Rex's hand into the wall, forcing Rex to drop the pistol. Rex elbowed his attacker in the side but the armor meant any attack hurt Rex more than the assassin.

Rex kicked the assassin behind the knee.

The assassin stumbled and fell, dragging Rex down with him. Rex pounced on him and tried to yank his helmet off but the other clone assassin grabbed Rex in a stranglehold and jerked him off the black armored one. The black armored assassin sprang to his feet and twisted Rex's arm. The pair shoved Rex to the dirt floor, where they used their combined weight to hold him. With the side of his face pressed to the floor, he could barely see his captors.

Rex went limp and tried to catch his breath while they held him even though every instinct told him to fight. There was no reason to exert energy when he was beaten. Just kill me and leave. Don't look around for others. Rex hoped Cut and Ahsoka could fight the pair off. Not that it would do him any good. If you share any blood with me, you'll finish me fast, he mentally urged the two clones on top of him.