#inhibitorchip

He felt himself slipping away into a sea of red and was powerless to stop it. He tried but the rage overtook him and all he could hear was "good soldiers follow orders" over and over in his mind even though he never believed that before; but in this moment he did....

RIP Jesse - a true Republic patriot. We don't blame you....

i love you man saint valentine sends you glory

*just after Order 66 and Ahsoka has to save Rex. If you couldn't tell the finale is literally one of my favorite arcs! :) - AC

Ahsoka moved to the med console and started typing.

                  “R-7 run a scan. See if you can find the inhibitor chip the report talked about.”

R-7 chirped and linked to the console. A med droid came from an alcove in the wall and began scanning the unconscious Rex’s head. Ahsoka looked at the console screen showing Rex’s brain; nothing.

                  “But the chip has to be there. Check again.” She watched the droid run the scan again. CH-33P beeped.

                  “How close are they?” Ahsoka asked. The droid gave a hurried set of beeps.

Ahsoka turned to RG-G1.

                  “GG, if they override the door controls you have to reseal it fast.” 

GG moved to the control panel on the door. Ahsoka turned back to the yellow astromech at her side.

                  “R-7, anything?”

The droid beeped negatively. 

                  “Ughhhh” Ahsoka growled in frustration. She knew Rex was right. He had to be. Suddenly an idea came to her. She quickly moved to Rex’s side and placed a hand on his chest plate. He looked so calm; like he was sleeping. Ahsoka took a dep breath and moved her hand to the side of his head. She closed her eyes.

                  “I am one with the Force and the Force is with me….I am one with the Force and the Force is with me….I am one with the Force and the Force is with me..”

She continued the mantra and held Rex’s head in her hands. His lips slowly began to move copying her words then his familiar voice began saying the words with her. The med console beeped and Ahsoka’s eyes flew open. R-7 chirped.

                  “You found it?” she asked as she turned to the large med screen on the wall. A red dot flashed on the scan of Rex’s brain. 

Commotion sounded from the other side of the door. Ahsoka was snapped out of her focus.

“R-7 get him under and get that thing removed.” 

The droid beeped questioningly. 

“I don’t know if it will work, but if it doesn’t, we’re dead anyway.” 

Ahsoka pushed a button on the med console. The operating table with Rex’s still body moved into the operating chamber. She turned to the locked med bay door. Troopers who were overcome with wrath from Order 66 were outside trying to break the door.

 “Get ready on the door!” 

Ahsoka shouted as she jumped in front of the operating chamber and took a defensive stance. She grabbed her lightsabers from her belt, and they hummed to life. This had to work. She didn’t know what to do if it didn’t, but Rex needed her.

GG chirped desperately as the troopers pried up the heavy metal and pushed their way in. Blaster fire erupted. Ahsoka pushed away the first few troopers using the Force. She wasn’t going to hurt any of them under any circumstance.

She deflected a few bolts as they whizzed by her, but the troopers were still advancing. One of her lightsabers flew from her hand shot by a blaster bolt. She continued deflecting as she was backed up against the med console. 

PEW! PEW! PEW! 

Blaster bullets whizzed by her narrowly missing her shoulders. They found their targets who were trying to enter the room. GG regained control of the heavy door and it slammed shut.

Ahsoka slowly turned around to find Rex sitting up on the operating table, his blasters drawn. His face was twisted in dazed shock as he stared at the closed door breathing heavily. She took a cautious step toward him. 

“Rex? are you okay?” she asked gently. 

He came to. The realization of what he had done hit him. He had just tried to kill his commander and one of his closest friends then he had knowingly and willingly turned his weapons on his own brothers. He had killed them. His mind raced with adrenaline and pain, but he steadied himself. 

“Yeah…yeah kid, I’m okay.” He slowly nodded. 

He swung his legs over the operating table and held his head in one hand. 

“Sorry for what happened earlier. He winced in pain.

Ahsoka deactivated her lightsabers and rushed to his side. He glanced at his pistols then at her with a horrified look in his eyes. 

“I could’ve killed you.” 

Her face softened and she took his gloved hand. 

“It wasn’t your fault, Rex. I’m alright.” 

Rex shook his head slowly. The frightened look in Ahsoka’s eyes when he aimed his pistols at her would forever haunt him.

“I couldn’t stop it….”

Ahsoka felt his hands begin to shake. She gave him a reassuring squeeze.

                  “It’s ok.” She said softly.

She stood up and took a step back. Her brows furrowed with concern.

“How widespread is this?” 

Rex gave her a desperate look then he said what she had been dreading to hear. 

“Ahsoka, it’s all of us. The entire Grand Army of the Republic has been ordered to hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights.”

*I've been on an Order 66 kick lately. It's just so interesting to see how it would affect a variety of characters. Also Hunter showing his soft and caring side just makes my heart melt. NOT my art btw!" :) - AC

Omega lay curled up in the gunner’s chair in her makeshift room. Hunter slept in the pilot’s chair of the Marauder with his boots resting on the edge of the console. He may have been asleep, but his heightened senses had made him ready for anything at a moment’s notice. Wrecker snored from an alcove in the back of the cockpit. His senses…not so much.

Omega’s dream: 

She, Hunter and Wrecker walked through the forests of an unknown planet. Suddenly, she heard a click behind her and turned around to see Hunter and Wrecker with their blasters drawn and trained on her. Hunter’s eyes were wild. He shook his head to make the burning feeling go away. He could feel the rage building and there was nothing he could do to stop it but he had to warn her Omega. He cried out to her just as the chip overtook him.

“Omega! Run!” 

Omega gasped as their fingers pulled the trigger…

                  “Ahhhhh!” Omega cried out. 

Hunter’s eyes snapped open, and he sat bolt upright in his chair. 

“Omega!” he gasped under his breath. 

He almost tripped over Wrecker’s foot as he rushed out of the dimly lit cockpit. Wrecker slowly stirred as he stumbled by. Hunter tore back the curtain to the gunner’s loft to find Omega curled up in her chair with her eyes squeezed shut and doll pressed to her heaving chest. 

“Omega, what’s wrong!?” 

He gasped looking around her room for any sign of a threat. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through him. When Omega finally opened her eyes, they were wide and wild with fear. 

“Are you ok?” he asked almost franticly. 

There was no answer besides the sound of her rapid breathing. 

He sighed softly and extended a hand toward her. He knew what happened.

“It’s just a nightmare.” 

She shook her head and held her doll even closer. Hunter took another breath and calmed himself as much as he could.

“What happened Omega?” he asked.

“Y-You shot me.” She stammered.

“What?” He breathed in shock.

“You and Wrecker shot me on a mission.”

 Tears rolled down her cheeks and she began to sob. 

“The chips malfunctioned.”

Hunter was at a loss. This was a much more serious nightmare than he was thinking. 

“Shhh. Shhh Omega. You’re alright. It’s ok.” 

His voice was gruff but also gentle and reassuring as he tried to calm her. He slowly moved toward her. Fear sparked in Omega’s eyes, and she pulled away.

“Rex didn’t mean to scare you.” Hunter continued, “It was all just a nightmare. Wrecker and I would never hurt you. No matter what happens.” 

“You didn’t mean to, but you couldn’t control it. Just like Rex said. You told me to run but it wasn’t enough.” She sniffed.

He reached his hand toward her in the small space, and she hesitantly took it. He gently gathered her in his arms. Tears still rolled down her cheeks.

“It was so real.” She gasped. 

He held her close and felt her heart racing.

“I know…I know..” he whispered as he started to gently rock her back and forth. 

He remembered his own worst nightmare. It was the same as hers. Rex had scared him too. He took a slow breath and closed his eyes. He knew how she felt. He really did but he couldn’t tell her. He just hugged her tighter.

“We’ll be ok, Omega. I promise.” 

She looked up at him with wide eyes.

“How do you know?” she asked.

He gave her a soft smile.

“I trust Rex. He’s our brother. He knows what to do.”

She buried her face in his chest. Her voice came as a muffled sob.

"What if he doesn't. What if you die?!"

Hunter ran his fingers through her blonde waves.

"Omega, look at me." he stated calmly.

She lifted her red and tear-stained face to meet his gaze. He gently took her face in both his hands trying to brush away as many tears as he could with his thumbs.

"I'm not going to die."

Omega sniffed and placed a hand on his wrist. Hunter searched her amber eyes brimming with more tears. He never realized how much they matched his own.

"Being a clone means you trust your brothers. That's what keeps you alive." I trust Rex...Do you trust me?"

She nodded before throwing her arms around his neck and burying her head under his chin. He was taken aback for a second then he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Ok." He smiled.

Wrecker’s head popped up the stairs to see Hunter sitting on the floor with Omega in his arms. 

“What’s the matter kid?” he asked innocently. 

“She had a bad dream.” Hunter replied. 

“Ohhhhh” Wrecker nodded. 

He put a giant hand on Omega’s shoulder as gently as he could.

“It’s ok kid.”

Another tear rolled down Omega’s cheek. She couldn’t bear to think about losing them.