BOARD OF INQUIRY
Jester's eyes stung as he sat at the table in front of the Board of Inquiry and he took a moment to compose both his thoughts and his words. His right hand lightly rubbed over the flex-cast of his left. They'd been interviewing him for several hours and the formality of the occasion has been worn away by hard emotion and the seriousness of the situation, by the intimacy of the questions. He'd gone from 'CT-4646' or 'trooper' to 'Jester'.
It was almost over.
"It wasn't right, Commander. Not what he did. But we didn't…" Jester spread his hands, nearly knocking over the water glass in his anxiety, and shook his head. "I don't want to say we didn't know better, but it all started being good advice and quoted rules"
He glanced up into Commander Cody's face; it was hard and stern as he tried to remain impartial but Slick had been his sergeant. Never mind that Cody had only arrived a short time ago; he had vetted his sergeants and Slick had passed Commander Cody's personal interview. That would be bitter for the commander.
"Then it got hard." Jester glanced down at the table and ran his thumbs along the edge of it trying to remember a good example and found one. "Like when Punch requested some gear repair training he had missed on Kamino. It was denied." Jester licked his lips but didn't miss the Commander's eyes widen slightly in surprise then his face tightened another increment in angry disbelief. Jester thought that was good; Cody seemed to be the type of commander who encouraged maintaining certifications and cross-training.
"According to Slick, by Regulation 4.13.4, he'd been assigned and so had not missed any training because the regs said he wouldn't have been assigned without the training. When Punch asked the sergeant to help him fix the lateral gyroscope in his deece, the sergeant quoted regulation 8.83.73 sub a – 'all troopers shall be solely responsible for their gear'. He forbade any of us to fix the 'scope for Punch. Later, he got dinged for it."
Jester glanced at the civilian Prince Organa then General Kenobi, noting their slightly confused expressions. "That is, Punch received a demerit, for having a broken lateral gyroscope." Jester shrugged. "Which hadn't actually affected his targeting anyway so Slick would have had no way of knowing it was broken if Punch hadn't told him earlier."
"Fascinating," said General Kenobi, his fingers stroking his beard. Jester noted it was the same color as a clone's eyes. "What happened?"
"Sir?" Jester tipped his head to one side, wondering exactly what the general was asking, what specific part of everything that had happened did he want to know.
"About the lateral gyroscope," clarified the General. "Was it ever fixed? If so, how? Did Punch receive further demerits?" He didn't ask if Slick objected to sending his men into danger with insufficient equipment. That had been established early in the interview.
"Oh," Jester leaned back a bit in the chair, sitting straighter. "Chopper's deece developed a broken 'scope also. I think he did it on purpose." Jester gave a shrug and almost smiled. " When he fixed it, he called Punch over to watch him fix it. He didn't say a word beyond 'Punch, come here'." Jester gave a slight grin. "In front of Slick. Chopper liked to outthink Slick." His face fell. "Not that it helped; he got two demerits later in the day. Chopper, not Punch."
General Kenobi nodded thoughtfully, his forehead furrowed. Senator-Prince Organa's face was drawn and he was shaking his head sorrowfully. Commander Cody only stared forward, a gaze above Jester's head, with his lips tightly compressed. Captain Rex, his face a medley of mottled bruising, had narrowed eyes, staring at Jester. His face, behind the battle-marks, was angrily tight; he'd lost too many men on Teth.
Jester was concerned that Captain Rex would make it hard for him. Captain Rex hurt for his lost men on Teth and he wanted someone to take his anger on, someone he could beat with his fists until the pain went away. Jester hoped the captain could be fair in spite of his suffering; he'd given himself enough of a handicap with his hand.
General Kenobi gestured lightly at Jester and he felt something, like a quiet breeze, brush along his wounded hand. "The medics didn't approve of your broken hand and specifically told me to question you about it." He shifted in his chair. "In fact, they said they wouldn't certify you as battle-ready until I or Commander Cody overrode their recommendation to return you to Kamino."
Jester bowed his head in shame. Self-destructive behavior was highly discouraged on Kamino, punishable by reconditioning or, more likely, flash-drill retraining.
"So much didn't make sense," Jester glanced at his left hand where a thin flex-cast curled around his hand and wrist. "I'd fight the wall when I didn't understand why or how or what." He sucked in his lower lip then blew out a breath. "I'd go out and fight the barracks wall by the south exit. I'd slam my body and my hand against the wall in frustrated misery until the physical pain was greater than the mental uncertainty." He looked into General Kenobi's face. He had kind eyes; it might be an illusion but it was easier talking to those eyes than looking into the faces of the two clones at the table. He didn't want to see Commander Cody's scorn, not with what he planned to ask if they didn't send him to Kamino.
"I realize now it was all to keep our attention off him. How could we notice his treason if we were so wrapping up in our own shortcomings? If we were trying to deal with demerits and double duty like Chopper, or having opposite shifts from your best brother like Sketch and Punch. And Gus," Jester shook his head. "He tried so hard to be a good sergeant's second but you need a good sergeant for that and Gus didn't know any different."
Jester stared down at his thumbs, so full of sorrow for his squad brothers he felt like crying. Slowly he lifted his head, once again to General Kenobi. "What have you done with them?" His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.
It was Captain Rex who answered. "Chopper is being court-martialed. The others have been re-assigned; Gus to the 41st Elite, Punch to the 224th on Mimban, and Sketch to the Coruscant Guard." He paused for a moment. "We didn't realize Punch and Sketch were brothers. Neither mentioned it."
Jester lifted a shoulder in a near shrug. "Slick made it somehow shameful, as if having a brother meant you were weak and needed…" He let the sentence trail into nothing as he thought of Punch and Sketch worlds away from each other. They'd been brothers since the beginning. He waited a moment then spoke into the silence. "Is there anything else, sirs? Any other questions?"
Senator-Prince Bail Organa looked down the table at the others. "I don't believe so."
"No," murmured General Kenobi. "Cody? Captain Rex?"
Commander Cody was as still as a statue, his face still pained. "No. Thank you, trooper."
Captain Rex, at the opposite end of the table from Senator Organa also looked down the table and there must have been some signal because he turned his battered and bruised face back to Jester and began speaking. "We are re-assigning you…"
"I'd rather stay with the 212th, sir." Jester's voice was firm as he interrupted a superior officer and he absently wondered where his stutter had gone. He hadn't stuttered since the night Slick had turned traitor; since he had told the others what to do and they'd done it.
Captain Rex blinked in surprise at the interruption, then turned his head slightly toward the others.
"It's for your benefit," explained Senator-Prince Organa to Jester. "We're sending you and the others to new generals and commanders; new troopers who don't know you; who won't associate you with any wrongdoing."
Jester shook his head. "We're not traitors and sending the squad away will make troopers think we are. There are already rumors about Slick's squad."
"This entire escapade with Slick has been classified," Commander Cody leaned forward, his arms on the long table in front of the Board, his hands loosely clasped together. Under the hardness, he looked tired and injured as if he'd been broken by his Slick's treason, as though it was his fault. "Rumors are all anyone will hear; nothing will be confirmed or denied. But the 212th knows enough of the truth in this rumor to make the troopers unhappy to have you as one of them."
Jester nodded, understanding. They were re-assigning the squad for the troopers' protection, not to get rid of troublesome troopers even if that's when their new generals and commanders might think. "Perhaps it will be an uphill battle, sir. Perhaps it will be one battle I can't win. But I think the fight will be worth it."
He stared into the Commander's eyes, challenging him. "I want to stay with the 212th so they'll know that the traitor was an aberration. So they can see me every day and realize that I am not Slick; so they will realize that we – Gus, Sketch, Chopper, Punch and myself – are loyal troopers and good brothers. Our reputations have been destroyed by being under Slick's command; but I want the honor of rebuilding them among my first company."
Cody glanced away, slightly down and slightly toward General Kenobi, granting him the decision as if he was afraid to mak it. Jester's attention followed Cody's to the Jedi general. He looked into the general's face and saw compassion and sadness.
"The 212th needs this…" Jester shrugged, looking for the right word and saw it in Cody's haggard face. "The 212th needs this healing as much as any of us."
"It won't be easy," General Kenobi shifted back in the chair, relaxing slightly, his arms over his chest, one hand lightly stroking his beard as he contemplated the trooper.
Jester chuckled. "I'm a clonetrooper, sir. I wouldn't know how to handle 'easy'."
A/N - So Jester is now part of the 212th. Next comes Jester meeting his new sergeant and squad.
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