Author's Note: This chapter is another "missing scene" of my story Call of the Mockingbird. You know, I was so proud of myself when I finished that story. It wasn't until after I had posted the very last chapter, that I realized I had actually forgotten to finish one of my plot threads. (Facepalm) Let this be a lesson to every writer trying out a long story for the first time: Make notes! Lots of them! And for the Force's sweet sake, organize them!
Anyway, I decided not to go back and change the final chapter of Call, because I actually liked how it turned out. So I'm tying up that particular loose end here, where I can give it all the attention and space it deserves, plus have a little fun on the side. Laloga, if you're reading this, thanks for listening to all of my little freak outs. As a reward, here's your own piece of Kase. Hope you enjoy.
Stolid
Companion piece to Disconcerted.
Eyat Command Base, Gaftikar, Outer Rim, 21 BBY
In the organized chaos of departure, Kase was an island of calm.
"Trooper, those boxes are stenciled 'fragile' for a reason. You are to handle each box according to its label. Carry; you are to refrain from juggling ammo clips unless specifically ordered to do so by your superior."
He never had to raise his voice to be heard above the din; his orders carried well and clear over the landing pad, where troopers were busy loading the waiting LAATs.
Without taking his eyes from the bustling lines of troopers, Kase addressed the man standing behind and slightly to the right of him.
"Lieutenant, contact Gos and Radar and remind them that they are to lift off as per the schedule given to them at the beginning of their shift. I will permit no excuse for tardiness."
"Yes, sir," Sighter said and hastily tapped out the relevant orders on his datapad.
Kase closely followed the progress of a squad of troopers hauling medical equipment. Though the Stalwart had several fully functioning medbays, the equipment was too precious to leave behind.
GAR SOP for breaking down a base was to remove any and all resources and tools, whether it was functional or not, so as not to have it fall into enemy hands. The Gaftikari were not enemies of the Republic, per say, but neither did Kase categorize them as trusted allies. After all, if the locals were completely trustworthy, then the GAR would have ordered F Company to relegate some of their more outmoded tech to the ruling government. That too, was standard operating procedure, as detailed in the manual for proper relations towards the local civilian population.
But GAR HQ had ordered a total breakdown of the base upon F Company's departure with General Arhen's Blazer Corps and Kase understood this as tacit approval to harbor a healthy dose of mistrust towards the Gaftikari.
The medical equipment came with them, along with every last piece of cutlery and flimsi.
Kase was about to open his mouth and reprimand a trooper - this one decked out in Blazer Corps' maroon piping and flaming star insignia - for not properly closing the lid on a crate marked 'Hypos', when Saw usurped his prerogative.
"You there!" Saw called out, pointing a finger at the offending trooper and hurrying to catch up with him. "Close the lid on that crate. We don't need it falling over during transit and spilling hypos everywhere."
The Blazer Corps trooper had stopped at Saw's first exclamation and was turning around ponderously under the weight of his burden.
Kase noted with approval the man's attempt to come to attention at being confronted by a higher-ranked soldier after identifying the medic's and sergeant's insignia on Saw's otherwise unmarked armor, despite the heavy crate in his arms.
"Sir."
Kase's approval vanished as the trooper - a private - then proceeded to simply drop the crate to the ground at Saw's approach.
Even from several meters away, Kase heard the clink of hypos and recognized the stiff lines of Saw's shoulders. The medic was no more appreciative of the private's rough handling of medical equipment than the captain was.
"A bit more care, Trooper," Saw said and pointedly knelt down by the crate to close the lid properly, double-checking - as per regulation - to make sure the catches had properly closed.
"Would you like to inspect the contents as well, sir?" the private asked solicitously. "To make sure all the hypos are still there?"
"That won't be necessary, Private," Saw said as he rose, dusting his hands off. "Lieutenant Wess oversaw the inventory himself and he is a meticulous man."
Yes, Wess was meticulous and Saw was just a bit too literal at times.
Kase saw the private's head dip in what could have been either amusement at the medic or repentance for his misbehaviour. Kase knew himself to be lacking in certain aspects of interpersonal relationships, but he excelled at logic and given the trooper's disregard for GAR equipment, logical reasoning indicated that the man would also lack in proper respect for rank.
True, Saw was only a sergeant and a sergeant of the newest company in Blazer Corps' overall structure, but complex inter-company alliances aside, the fact remained that Saw outranked the man and had reprimanded the trooper on a legitimate failing.
"Private." Kase pitched his voice in the direction of Saw and the Blazer Corps private. Both troopers turned towards him and Kase jerked his head for the private to approach.
The man did so, trotting until he stood in front of Kase. The private saluted. "Sir."
"Your serial number, Private?"
"CT-87-5656, sir."
"Very good, Private. Carry on."
The private hesitated a moment, clearly confused at the short summons, before returning to his assignment of carrying boxes and crates.
"Lieutenant Sighter, compose a message for Commander O'sic and inform him that trooper CT-87-5656 is to be put on report under GAR regulation, Article 134, Clause 1: offenses involving disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the Grand Army of the Republic."
Sighter jerked a little in surprise, his eyes flickering from Kase to the retreating form of the private.
"Sir." Sighter fidgeted with the brim of his uniform's cap. "The private is not a member of F Company."
"He is, however, a member of the 49th Blazer Corps, of which F Company is also a part of and I, as a captain in the above mentioned corps, have noted his misbehavior and am recommending disciplinary actions to the battle group commander, as is my right and duty." Kase raised an eyebrow at Sighter. "Any more questions, Lieutenant?" There was not even the slightest trace of sarcasm in the question. Kase sincerely wanted to know, so that he could put the lieutenant to rights immediately.
Sighter swallowed. "No, sir."
Kase returned his attention to directing the trooper traffic on the landing pad, reminding himself that Sighter was new to his rank and Commander Gaff believed in giving newly-promoted troopers an adjustment period of three days.
The Kaminoans had had no such rules concerning promotions, but Gaff was Kase's direct superior and he would follow orders. Sighter had not received news of his promotion to lieutenant until yesterday evening, which meant the man still had a day and a half left to get used to his new responsibilities.
At the back of his mind, Kase wished for Zapps.
His former second had been bred and trained for his duties back on Kamino and had understood his captain's requirements.
But Zapps was dead, a victim of a civilian sniper and Sighter was his replacement. Circumstances required of Kase that he adjust accordingly and teach Sighter what was expected of him and he would. That was his duty.
Not an hour later, a new commotion drew Kase's attention.
Most of the smaller material had been lifted to the orbiting Stalwart and troopers assigned to the clean-up had switched from carrying crates to pushing repulsor trolleys, loaded down with the heavier and in part, more sensitive items of the base.
For the purpose of efficiency, the troopers had formed several lines and were bringing in loads and walking off again with empty trolleys in an orderly fashion that Kase could find no fault with.
At the edge of the landing pad, however, several troopers were detouring out of their lines, pushing their trolleys to the side and back, forming a bubble around some kind of obstacle. Kase felt himself frown.
"Lieutenant, remain here and oversee procedures for the foreseeable future. I will be back as soon as permissible."
Sighter looked startled to be placed in charge, but nodded. "Yes, sir."
Kase walked towards the disturbance, noting with growing discontent that whatever was disrupting his departing procedures, was moving steadily up the lines and towards the waiting larties.
Men stepped aside as the captain made his way through the throngs and then, suddenly, Kase was in a pocket of space, shared with him by Hatch and Knock, who were holding a bound Kezner between them.
Commander Gaff, who'd been leading the small procession, halted at his captain's appearance.
"Commander." Kase looked at Kezner's scowling face in open surprise. "I was led to believe that the prisoner was not to be transported until the following day, 0800."
"There has been a change in plans, Captain." Commander Gaff explained smoothly and motioned for Kase to fall into step next to him. "General Arhen has requested that Mr. Kezner be transported to the Stalwart immediately. Apparently, the Nabooian envoy feels that his presence will be a disruptive influence during the rest of the peace talks."
"I understand, Commander." It did make sense to Kase's reasonable nature. Kezner had been the one to rouse a good number of the locals into rebellion in the first place and he was the reason behind the GFH's failed attempt at taking the base. Removing him from the planet would remove a source of discontent. "However," Kase went on smoothly, "I would have appreciated a note of warning, so as to properly organize a transport."
Gaff nodded, understanding Kase's implied rebuke. "The next larty up will suffice, Captain. And besides, there were….other mitigating circumstances that required the prisoner to be transported off-planet at this time."
Kase was about to ask Gaff for an explanation when the line of troopers ahead of them broke apart, to reveal a woman and child standing before an idling larty. The woman clutched the youngling to her side, her face pale and her eyes darting about in agitation. The youngling, a boy with curly hair and blue eyes, was more interested in staring at the troopers.
Behind them, Kezner gasped. "Maraneel. Owen."
Gaff stepped to the side, grasping Kezner by one shoulder and leaning down slightly towards the shorter man. "I suggest, Kezner, you make this opportunity count and say a proper goodbye to your family."
Kezner glanced at Gaff, then at Kase, who returned his gaze cooly. The former GFH leader opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again and simply shouldered past the troopers, walking stiff-legged towards his wife and son.
Kase watched as the boy ran forward to embrace his father's middle. The woman hesitated, her eyes darting to the binders around Kezner's wrists, before she too stepped towards her husband and embraced him.
Kase and Gaff watched the family's interaction, while Hatch and Knock stepped back to a discrete distance.
"Commander Arhen requested the family be given a final chance to meet, before Kezner was shipped out."
Kase glanced at his commander, feeling wariness rise in him at the mention of the most unorthodox Padawan. He did not at all approve of someone as lax with the rules as she to being instated as a commander in the Grand Army, but voicing his misgivings in Gaff's presence was an exercise in futility and Kase did not approve of wasted efforts.
"I do not suppose the commander went through the proper channels to arrange this meeting before she left." It was more of a statement than a question and they both knew it, which was why Gaff didn't bother to answer and Kase did not probe further.
Though they might differ on how to lead a company, Kase knew Gaff understood him well, without him needing to elaborate on points of protocol and regulations.
A choked sob from Kezner's wife drew Kase's attention back to the family and he watched dispassionately as the woman wiped at her streaming eyes.
"Has the prisoner already been sentenced?" he asked, more out of a sense of duty to make conversation than actual interest. Kezner had, after all, been neutralized as a threat to F Company's mission on Gaftikar. Everything else that followed was a civilian matter.
"This morning," Gaff confirmed. "He has been sentenced to eight years in a Republic prison for acts of violence, stirring civil unrest and species persecution. His sentence would have been longer," Gaff added, with notable pride in his voice, "but according to the trial records, Commander Arhen forwarded evidence of Kezner's cooperation during the riots from our mission reports. The jury has decided to be lenient as a result."
"And you approve of this, sir?" Kase asked, just to be sure of his commander's reaction.
"I do," Gaff admitted. "I do not agree with Kezner's opinions or his methods, but I understand his motivations." He nodded towards the small family. Kezner was kneeling in front of his son, talking to the youngling earnestly. The boy kept shifting from foot-to-foot, in a manner that reminded Kase of Sighter. It would appear that the youngling did not agree with everything his father was saying, though he kept any objections to himself.
"Those closest to you are worth protecting, Kase," Gaff added, in a voice so soft only the captain could hear.
Kase studied his commander's face carefully, then turned that same studiousness on the Kezner family.
A minute passed, before Kase said, "Yes, sir. Good luck with the transport."
He gave his commander a crisp salute, then walked back to where he'd left Sighter, trusting Gaff to restore order in the vicinity once his task was completed and the prisoner had been taken off-planet.
As stolid as a rock holding steady against the ocean's assault, Kase dove back into the surrounding chaos, straight-backed and determined.
They had a base to disassemble.
