Standard Disclaimer: Star Wars is the uncontested property of George Lucas. I lay no claim to the galaxy far, far away. I am merely a single traveler, who was unfortunate enough to have several plot bunnies lodge in that cobwebbed thing I call a brain.

The original idea for this vignette collection came to me after reading Eregnar's drabble series, The Heart of Man. I don't pretend to keep to a word limit, but every chapter will be dedicated to a specific emotion as well.

Author's Note: The first two chapters of this series are "missing scenes" from my story Call of the Mockingbird. The rest of the collection will be made up of 'snapshots', focusing on Gaff and the 49th Blazer Corps. These vignettes follow a very loose order. Updates should occur every Monday, unless Darth Real Life gets his bony fingers on me again.

Cheers! impoeia.

Disconcerted

Eyat Command Base, Gaftikar, Outer Rim, 21 BBY

For once, it was Gaff who stood at attention in front of a desk, waiting for his superior to proclaim a judgement that might make or break him.

The fact that Clone Marshal Commander O'sic was sitting in what Gaff had come to think of as his office, behind his desk, just added a touch of surrealism to the experience. Gaff had been the highest-ranking military officer in the unit ever since leaving Kamino and taking over planetary security on Gaftikar. Aside from his reports to GAR HQ - and his single realtime comm transmission with High General Yoda and Windu - Gaff hadn't been in the position of subordinate since his short debrief with Commander Levet at the beginning of this assignment.

Perhaps that was why he was now fighting down the urge to fidget like a cadet. Lack of experience.

"This seems to have been a more exciting post than GAR HQ promised you, Commander," O'sic finally said, never raising his eyes from the datapad.

Gaff replied with great care, thinking over his words carefully before speaking them aloud. He did not, after all, want to appear conceited with success, nor reveal the initial misgivings he and his company had felt with their first assignment. Neither would be appropriate for a man of his rank.

"We were a rookie company, sir, and this posting has taught us much." Which was, he had to admit, nothing but the truth.

Commander O'sic gave him a searching look, as if evaluating him for some hidden motive or meaning.

"And at a price," he added, a tick starting up in his scarred cheek.

Gaff kept the wince at this casual mention of his losses on the inside. "Yes, sir. A steep one." Seventeen dead. It was the first time Gaff had lost men under his command and though he intellectually knew that he could lose more, if not all of them, in a battle-scenario like Teth or Jabiim, that number still kept him awake at night and he still found himself looking for those missing faces in the mess or the barracks.

The tick in Commander O'sic's cheek increased, then ceased.

"Losing men never gets any easier, Commander, but you'd best get used to it. Blazer Corps is heading into the Outer Rim Sieges and according to the latest reports from the 501st, Grievous is on a rampage. He doesn't like losing and General Skywalker made a fool out of him at Bothawui. Now he's taking it out on the Saleucami and Arda system."

Gaff drew in a sharp breath, feeling a heady rush to his head. He almost missed the rest of Commander O'sic's speech, as he grasped at the implication of the other man's words.

"Sir," he could hardly force the words out. "Does this mean…"

O'sic waved a hand, as if forcefully dispersing Gaff's excitement. "Blazer Corps is still more than two-hundred men shy of a full battle group. General Arhen believes that you and your men would make a good addition to the 49th and I happen to agree. Besides, incorporating your company saves us another trip to Coruscant. We can pick up the rest of the men we need at the reppel deppel on Ord Cestus."

Gaff swallowed at the mention of the reppel deppel - the Replacement Depot. He'd overheard stories as a cadet about the depot from the experienced troopers, who'd returned to Kamino to pass down their knowledge to the cadets.

None of the stories had been good or flattering.

O'sic's keen eyes had not missed Gaff's reaction, small as it had been, and the tick in his cheek started up again.

"The request for your company's transfer has already been sent to GAR HQ, pending approval. Make sure you and your men are ready to leave. General Arhen does not intend to remain past the arrival of the Nabooian envoy and his group and you will find that I have a preference for giving little notice." He raised a pointed eyebrow and Gaff thought he saw a flicker of amusement in the commander's eyes. "I expect my men to be ready for anything, at all times."

Gaff gave a sharp nod and stood a little straighter. "Yes, sir. I understand."

O'sic gave another wave of his hand, this one a clear dismissal. "Dismissed, Commander. See to your affairs."

Gaff saluted, then turned sharply on his heel, elated, determined and just a little insulted all at once. F Company was finally taking its place in the war and yes, his men would be ready to leave whenever Commander O'sic gave the order to move out. He's see to it personally. Or better yet, he'd sic Kase on the men. That should ensure every trooper of F Company was eager and prepped to leave at the drop of a bucket.

The door swished open and Gaff almost ran into the person on the other side.

For a moment, all he saw was pale blond hair and bright, teal eyes.

Ro.

But in almost the same breath, he realized that the person he'd almost bumped into couldn't be Ro. For one, this person was far taller than the diminutive Jedi; as tall as a clone. For another, he was male.

"General Arhen." Gaff quickly backpedaled, trying to put as much distance between himself and the Jedi as possible, without losing his balance.

With a move as graceful as a wind brushing the top of a wave, General Arhen slid away and to the side, neatly avoiding any possibility of a collision, while at the same time reaching out a steadying hand towards Gaff.

"Careful, Commander." The grip on his bicep was strong, sure and Gaff looked into those teal eyes again in startlement.

It was disconcerting, seeing Ro's eyes in a male face. This was the first time in the four days since the general's arrival that Gaff had been so close to the man and now that he was, he could see that it was not just eye and hair color that the Jedi shared with his sister.

General Arhen had a strong, determined face, but the outlines of his cheekbones and chin showed evidence of the same delicate bone structure as his sister. His eyes were also just as large and clear and the mouth as generous and gracefully curved as hers.

The experience of seeing Ro's features reflected in a man's face - that of her brother and a Jedi general to boot - was entirely disconcerting. Even more so was the realization that heat was warming his cheeks.

Mortified, Gaff quickly broke eye contact with the Jedi. It was not courteous behaviour on his part, but Gaff figured that blushing because the general - who would soon be his commanding officer - reminded him of his beautiful sister, was even less appropriate.

He glanced to his right and realized to his growing dismay that Commander O'sic's eyes were on him as well. O'sic had a keen gaze that reminded Gaff of Wren, except that the commander displayed little of the cutting sardonic edge Wren was infamous for.

But O'sic missed little.

The barest tightening around the eyes let Gaff know that O'sic had noted the young commander's reaction to the general. But what O'sic might make of Gaff's confused response, Gaff couldn't tell; Commander O'sic had donned a mask of polite attention that was utterly inscrutable, even to a fellow clone.

"Everything alright, General?" The commander asked pleasantly, half-rising from the chair.

"No harm done, O'sic. Commander?" This was directed at Gaff and the young commander's attention snapped back to the Jedi with the force of a whipcord.

"Fine, sir," he hastened to assure. "My apologies for almost running you over, sir." What a fantastic way to start working together with the man, Gaff thought in dismay.

General Arhen's lips curved into a gracious smile and his eyes danced with inner amusement. "No need to apologize, Commander. You have my word that I shall abstain from court-martialing you until you do something truly egregious, such as spilling my morning caf."

There was a dry chuckle from Commander O'sic, but Gaff found he could not tear his eyes away from that smile. It was Ro's smile; though far more contained, it was just as sincere and touched by a sense of wicked humor.

And this time, there was no denying the heat suffusing his face.

Gaff did not give in to the urge to duck his head and run like an unseasoned shiny. He gave the general the salute he was due and left the office. Though admittedly, his retreat was a tad more hasty than was proper.

And there was no fighting the relieved sigh when he heard the office door sliding shut behind him, cutting off Commander O'sic's and General Arhen's voices.

Gaff ran a hand through his hair that was slightly shaky. Disconcerting; that was the only way to describe it. Gaff was used to seeing the same face over and over again, but that ghostly reflection of Ro on her brother's face was just...utterly disconcerting.

His comlink beeped and Gaff, made aware that he was standing about like a dolt in the middle of a busy corridor, quickly pulled his bucket over his head.

"Yes?"

"Sir," Wess' voice over the comm sounded tired. "Sergeant Wren has been released from medbay. You said you wanted to be informed?"

"I did." And before he could think, he said, "Have the sergeant come to my office."

Wess acknowledge and it wasn't until Gaff heard the click of the closed channel that he remembered his office was occupied.

Damn.

It wasn't often that Gaff cursed, even in his own mind, but this was certainly the perfect opportunity for it. Helplessly, he turned about, facing down the door to his office - which, at the moment, wasn't his office at all.

There was only one other office in the small base and that belonged to Captain Kase. And that office was currently being used as temporary sleeping quarters for himself and Kase, as General Arhen and Commander O'sic had been assigned those quarters upon their arrival - as befitted their station.

The only reason he did not bang his head against the door was because it would not do for the men's morale to see their commanding officer indulge in such unbecoming behavior.

No more than five minutes had passed since Commander O'sic had informed Gaff that he and F Company would become part of the 49th Blazer Corps. The assignment wasn't even official yet and already, Gaff had to think of a diplomatic way to kick his two immediate superiors out of what was - technically - his office, so that he could go about his own duties and have a private debrief with a man who wasn't even - again, technically - a part of his company.

In the privacy of his helmet, Gaff groaned, before raising his hand to knock on his office door.

What a way to start.