"We lost two more cruisers!"

"Engines are failing!"

"Droids have breached the hull!"

"Hyperdrive's down!"

"We're losing altitude! Entering the atmosphere!"

"Sir! We lost the shields!"

"Admiral, your orders, sir?"

"This battle is lost. Take the escape pods. Live to fight another day."

"What about you, sir?"

"An admiral must go down with his ship."

"But–"

"That's an order, Captain!"

"...Sir. Yes, sir."

Captain Rex awoke, the sounds of battle and destruction fading from his ringing ears. He grimaced for the pounding in his skull and the aches in his body. His mouth felt like it was filled with the red dust of Geonosis. His usually sharp mind was scattered, unable to grasp onto a singular thought.

With some difficulty, he pried his eyelids apart and squinted against the light. Through the blurred haze, he made out a domed roof decorated with faded paintings. He tried to move, but found his muscles were too stiff and his right arm had been wrapped and secured to his bare chest by a sling. With a huff of frustration, Rex instead studied the artwork above idlely as his vision cleared.

A sudden stab to his cheek startled him. He slowly turned his head and nearly jumped at the sight of a young Togruta girl staring at him with wide blue eyes. Her skin was a vibrant orange, interrupted by white tattoos adorning her face. Blue and white striped horns sat atop her head. The pattern carried around each side of her face down to her chest, ending in two tips.

Rex had seen very few Togruta in his short lifetime and couldn't help the long gaze. She seemed to be studying him in return, her youthful eyes noting every detail. They stayed there for a moment, breathing and looking.

The peace was broken when the girl whipped her head around and called out, "Master! He's awake!"

Rex winced at the loud, abrupt noise. At her call, another Togruta entered the small hut. Unlike the young Togruta, this one was a fully grown woman with long headtails ending at her waist and horns curved high above her head. Her skin took a more reddish hue and her facial markings looked more mature.

The Togruta the girl called "Master" knelt beside the thin yet soft mat he lay on. Rex was not very learned about the galaxy, but he thought it strange someone would own a slave of their own race.

The older Togruta felt his brow with a cool hand before chiding the younger one, "It's not nice to be loud beside someone who is injured and has recently awoken, Padawan. Go now, your Master is searching for you."

  She has two masters? What's a Padawan?

The girl's dark lips formed a pout, but she bowed respectfully to her elder before dashing out of the house.

The remaining Togruta shook her head fondly after the youth before returning her attention to him. "Drink, soldier."

She slipped a strong arm underneath his back and helped him sit up while raising a cup of water to his lips. The captain drank greedily until the cup was withdrawn and he was eased back onto the pillow.

"My men..." Rex croaked as soon as his mouth was wet enough to speak.

"They're fine," she assured him in a soothing voice. This woman was evidently practiced in bedside manner. "We found all your survivors and they are being cared for."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Shaak Ti. And you are?"

"CT-7567."

She smiled as if expecting his answer. "I meant your name, Trooper."

  Rex blinked in surprise. Very few outside the GAR asked for his name, let alone knowing he had one.

"My brothers call me Rex, ma'am."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Captain Rex."

"How did you know I'm a captain?"

  "The way you asked for your men, your decorated armor, but mostly because some of your men have awoken before you and had asked for their captain." Shaak Ti's gentle smile shifted into a humored one. "They are very loyal to you."

"I should see to them." Rex turned onto his left side to get his good arm beneath him. Before he could rise, Shaak Ti's fingers lightly pushed against his chest. The slight pressure was enough to send him back down again, much to his annoyance.

"All in good time. Let me see to your wounds first."

Shaak Ti was gentle and quick yet thorough. Rex lay impatiently as she checked his injuries and rewrapped those that needed it. As she worked, Shaak Ti informed him of his condition. She noted the deep cut in his side from a large piece of shrapnel, his broken arm and concussion, plus the minor lacerations and bruises.

Once she was finished, she helped him stand. Although the room spun when he did so, Rex was adamant on checking on his men. Shaak Ti looked skeptical, but respected his wishes and aided him outdoors.

Rex squinted against the sunlight as his eyes adjusted. The planet was green and lush, kept healthy by the blue lake with a waterfall feeding into it. They were in the midst of a village made up of little houses built similarly to the one he had woken up in. In the center of the village like a crown jewel sat a modest temple made of stone.

People of all species wearing robes resembling Shaak Ti's carried out their duties within the village. They treated each other as one community, bowing in greeting and walking and chatting in pairs. Rex often spotted teenagers and young adults sporting a braid or a string of beads following elders around as if stitched to the hip. Children played or sat before a teacher in schooling. Rex had never seen a tribe so mixed before.

"Come," Shaak Ti urged after giving him a moment to ogle. "Some of your men are resting in the houses. I will take you to the ones who asked for you."

Eagerly, he followed her to a small group of Clones talking to a few of the villagers. Most sported injury, but seemed to be on the mend if they were up and lucid. They're faces lit up as they recognized their leader.

One of them, Fives, approached him first and gripped the shoulder of his whole arm vigorously.

"It's good to see you, sir. Though I can say you've had better days."

"You don't look too well yourself," Rex replied, noting the bandages and the limp.

Fives shrugged and pulled him closer to their brothers. Echo waved him over from his seat on the grass, one leg stretched out and covered in wrappings.

"How's the leg, Echo?"

"Fine. Should be back to normal in a few days." Despite the nonchalance, Echo seemed nervous. His voice dropped to a whisper as he continued, "Sir, have you... noticed the company we found ourselves in?"

Rex glanced around to see if any of the villagers were in earshot before responding, "No. Though I have found this tribe rather... unusual. Do you know something I don't?"

"Jedi," Jesse hissed as he joined their circle. "Sir, they're Jedi."

Rex heard rumors about the Jedi from within the GAR to the very depths of Coruscant. Jedi were traitors. Cowards. At the brink of war, the Senate had asked them to lead the Clone armies against the Separatists for the security Republic. The Jedi, who claimed to be peacekeepers, refused and abandoned the Republic and their temple on Coruscant.

Rex ignored the throbbing against his skull as he turned to search Shaak Ti's belt. A cylinder of metal clipped to her hip caught his eye. There was no doubt about it: their rescuers were Jedi.

And Jedi, by order of the Chancellor, were to be brought into custody or executed for treason.

My idea was that the Jedi left the Republic and Coruscant before the war began. I think they would have thrived and survived as a community and religious group if they had left the control of the Senate and the Chancellor. They serve the Senate, but the government abused that and disregarded their beliefs and independence. As you can see, I'm a Jedi sympathizer.

But I still wanted to make the Jedi-Clone friendship possible. So the idea was that the 501st crash landed on the planet the Jedi relocated to. Because of their compassion, the Jedi helped the Republic soldiers even though it meant exposure. Rex and his men would interact with the Jedi, especially Anakin and Ahsoka, and learn that what they were told about the Jedi was false. Eventually, they would return to the Republic with a fresh perspective that they would attempt to spread to their brothers. They would be skeptical until others such as Cody and Wolffe stumble upon the Jedi and reach the same conclusion. Then when the Jedi are outed in some way (maybe by Pong Krell or a zealous Clone like Dogma), the Clone troopers would defend the Jedi instead of executing Order 66. Or alternatively, they try to protect the Jedi against themselves because they can't fight the chips and the Jedi have to figure out a way to save their friends and in turn themselves.

I don't know if I'll continue this. The writing is a bit sloppy because I'm tired and I didn't want to edit. But that was my early morning idea that I had to write at least a snippet of. I hope you were entertained by that tidbit. I think there are some "Jedi leave the Republic" fanfics out there if you are intrigued by that concept.

May the Force be with you.