A Different Type of Soldier

Part One

Chapter 7

Not Dead Yet

Captain ED-0001 struggled to pick his loose hair up in his hand. This was his hundredth attempt at trying to put it up with only his one hand. It had been a mess ever since his scheduled shower that morning and he didn't want to deal with it anymore. He gathered his hair up in his one hand and attempted to fix it however it just fell back down into a mess, not able to stay up by itself. The Captain cried in aggravation as he hit his head off of the wall behind him in frustration.

"ED-0001, what's going on?" a sudden voice asked timidly. He looked up to see Sergeant Fuery entering his cell with two trays of food. It was dinner and the Captain didn't know how hungry he was until he smelled the sweet scent of pulled pork. The Sergeant set both trays down on the floor and hurried beside him. The Sergeant kindly put his hair up for him and the Captain thanked him.

"I guess it is difficult to do somethings with just one hand."

"Hell yeah it is," the Captain said bluntly as he pulled his tray of food closer to him. Though it smelled like pulled pork it looked like mush. He fumbled to pick up his fork with his left hand however it just kept skidding across the floor like a slippery penny. He growled with frustration and another hand reached out to pick it up for him. He looked up to see Sergeant Fuery holding his fork up for him, taking a bite out of his own sandwich.

"I wanted to do it this time," the Captain grumbled as he grumpily took the fork from the man. The Sergeant smiled light heartedly and the Captain returned it with his own small grin before he dug into his meal.

He put the warm tray on his lap and stretched out his bare feet as he rested against the wall. It felt good as he relaxed there with the Sergeant. He didn't want to think about anything else at the moment, not even the fact that this could be his last meal. The council's meeting was today he didn't want to think about the results. The fret had kept him up the night before and he didn't have the energy to repeat that thought process all over again. He sighed heavily as he carefully lifted a fork of mush to his mouth and ate it. The food tasted good for once though it didn't look like it.

"Sir-"

"Don't call me sir," the Captain retorted lightly as he took another bite.

"ED-0001, if you don't mind me asking… what was it like… to lose your, um, your leg?" The Sergeant asked surprisingly and the Captain looked up to see him staring at his metal foot where it was resting. He frowned, not really wanting to go into the detail, but Sergeant Fuery always seemed to be able to rope him into anything. The look in his eyes was all to familiar. The Captain set his tray off to the side and took a deep breath.

"Well, I could definitely say it was the worst moment of my life," he sighed, the Sergeant seemingly instantly intrigued.

"It hurt that bad?" He asked but the Captain just shook his head.

"No. I mean it hurt more than you could imagine but that wasn't what made it so terrible," he told him. "What made it the worst moment of my life was that when I was laying there I realised that from that moment on everything was going change. Everything that I knew was going to change and I had no control over it. Before that happened I felt like I had a choice. I could just make my life better if I wanted to, but at that moment I knew I was just a clone and you know the empires thoughts on damaged clones." The Sergeant nodded his head solemnly, letting him continue. "I learned a few things but they're nothing compared to what I lost-"

"Your leg?"

"something far more substantial than that," the clone sighed. Seeing as he wasn't going to continue the Sergeant fell quiet and they ate their meals in silence. The Captain found his meal to be more plain than he originally thought, not having an appetite anymore for pulled pork. Instead of eating it, he just set it off to the side and watched the sunset from the window in the far corner of his cell. He couldn't really see the world outside but he could imagine with the colors bouncing off of the walls. Maybe if he was really ordered to be executed, things might just be easier for him. He lost nearly everything, maybe it was just time to end things before he lost anything else. The Sergeant continued to eat his food and the Captain frowned slightly. The idea of death made him feel so alone, but now that he had company it felt like a silly idea to think about. Even losing everything, it was definitely was better than being alone. He picked up his own tray again contemplating on whether to eat it again when suddenly someone stormed in through the unlocked cell. He looked up in surprise to see the Colonel there absolutely furious at something or another. The Captain felt the trap in his gut open up as he realised that he must have just gotten back from his meeting with the council. He knew what was going to happen to him. He didn't know what to expect from the man. He didn't know what he was going to be sentenced to. But the last thing he expected was for the man to dump a giant duffle at his feet.

"Put that on you are coming with me," he growled at him. The Captain stumbled to open the duffle, wanting answers to the questions that were running through his head, but when he found his own armor stuffed in the duffle bag he just became more confused than before.

"What's going on?" The Sergeant asked taking the words right out of his mouth. The Colonel took to pacing the room in aggravation, obviously not handling the problem well.

"Just get him dressed. He isn't allowed to walk around without it. We need to get him to the mechanic-"

"Mechanic?" The Captain asked but the Colonel shot him a glare as deadly as any blaster he ever faced. The man nealt down beside where he was sitting and growled at him.

"Due to some complications you have been placed under my command. Don't think this means you walk free, not that. I will have guards and eyes on you at all times. You won't be able to sneeze without asking me permission first, got it? I don't want you talking to any of my men, I don't want you looking at anyone. Do as you are told and put that damn armour on. We are getting you an arm," the man seethed. The Captain froze where he sat as he was trying to digest all that he was told. They made him a part of their military? He was even more confused than before. There was no way that could have possibly been true.

"What are you trying to pull here? Tell me the truth!" The Captain argued not believing the Colonel at all however the man just seized a chunk of his shirt and lifted him up to meet his face. He could nearly feel the anger radiating off of the man.

"i only wish I was joking. Now get your gear on," he hissed at him. As he dropped him he pointed to the Sergeant who was just as confused as he was and ordered him to help. Since he only had one arm, the clone troopers armour was a bit difficult to put on. The Captain quickly picked up his yellow marked chest piece and slid it on over his head. He positioned the equipment where it needed to go, buckling what he could and explaining to the Sergeant what he couldn't. Before long he had all of it on except the right arm pieces and he carefully placed the helmet on over his head. The Colonel, seeing him with his gear on looked like he found a new amount of hatred for him. Even the Sergeant, who never saw him in his gear before looked a little offset, like he was finally seeing him as the enemy. The Captain felt out of place in the uniform that once made him comfortable in the proximity of his company. Now he just felt like a lost chess piece that was being tossed around.

With little time to wait, the Colonel grabbed him by his chest plate and hauled him out if the confinement cell, the Sergeant scurrying behind him trying to keep up.

"Where are we going?" He asked as the man lead him farther and farther into the base than he had ever been before. It was different there, not as dark as the cell he had been trapped in.

"to one of our mechanics. I can't have an armless soldier working under me. You are already in the way as it is. We are going to get you a new arm-"

"That's going to take months!" He exclaimed.

"And it is very painful so I hope you enjoy every bit of it," the man huffed as he stopped then outside the large door of a workshop. "There will be guards coming to watch over you, in the meantime Fuery you are going to stay here. Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. If he does, shoot him," the man ordered taking his own blaster from his belt and handing it to the young soldier. Sergeant Fuery looked absolutely frightened to be holding it in his hands. He didn't seem to like weapons that much and he glanced nervously to the Captain.

"Y-yes sir," he stumbled, not able to disobey orders. With a nod of his head, the Colonel turned on his heel and entered the workshop. ED-0001 turned to look at Fuery curiously as he heard small chatter coming from the workshop. The Sergeant just shrugged his shoulders unknowingly as he was as much list as he was.

"Did it hurt to get your leg?" The Sergeant asked him bravely. As they listened to the indistinguishable chatter.

"I wouldn't say it was enjoyable but compared to when I had my muscles developed it was a piece of cake."

"Oh," the Sergeant replied quietly and their conversation ended there as the Colonel yelled at him to get in there. The Captain scurried to open the door but the instant he stepped foot into the room he found himself dodging a flying metal object.

"Hey!" He exclaimed but the things just kept coming at him and one managed to hit him right on the head. He fell to the hard ground and gripped his aching head just to notice that they were wrenches being thrown at him.

"Get out of here!" he heard a woman scream as an oil rag hit his helmet. He looked up to see a person who he couldn't describe very well because they were wearing a coverall and a welding mask. They throwing whatever was closest to them and seemed to have run out of heavy metal objects and resorted to oil cloths and funnels. The Captain was dumbfounded as he listened to all of the curses that flew out of that woman's mouth. He didn't know half of them existed but here she was screaming them at the top of her lungs. The Colonel tried to calm her down but with little success. He only really had to intervene when the woman grabbed a monkey wrench and started to come at him. The Captain squirmed backwards in a pitiful attempt to get away but the Colonel grabbed the wrench from her before she could get a swing in.

"Ms. Rockbell, I know you are upset-"

"Upset?! Upset?! That doesn't even begin to describe it! I don't want that bastard in here!" she exclaimed trying to take back the wrench but the Colonel ripped it out of her grasp.

"You already agreed to taking on a patient. You have nothing to do and if this clone is going to be under me, I need him to have an arm," the man said.

"I didn't know it would be a clone!" she yelled. "I don't want anything to deal with that monster!"

"Hey!" the Captain exclaimed, standing up from where he was knocked to the ground. "I am not a monster!"

"You are as much as I am concerned!" the woman growled as she cocked back her arm and slugged him in the head. He was sent back reeling, clutching his head in pain as the mechanic pulled back her arm and seethed as the helmet took the blow. He grasped her fist and hissed as she tried to soothe her hurting knuckles. She cursed again and stormed back over to the cluttered work bench to walk off the pain.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" the Captain asked quietly to the Colonel who just gave him a glare in return.

"You."

"What did I do?" he retorted.

"You were born," the Colonel stated as he strode across the room where the young woman was doing her best to calm herself down to a manageable level. "Ms. Rockbell-"

"No-"

"Ms. Rockbell, you are the only one on this planet who can help me. Orders came right from General Grumman himself. You need to do this," he said. The woman growled to herself before she flipped up the welding mask from her face. Huge blue eyes glared at the Colonel. The Captain was rather shocked to see her. Though her face was covered in some oil smudges and grime, she was, to put it plainly, beautiful. The Captain was expecting some sort of hag, but instead she seemed to be only eighteen. With a sigh of defeat, the woman finally accepted.

"Fine. Fine. It's going to take a while to even get his port installed. He's going to cry like a baby when that happens," she duly smirked. The Captain growled at her as she stated that. It was like all the Colonel and her wanted to do was cause him pain. He already had enough wrenches thrown at his head.

"Very well," the Colonel accepted. He turned back to the Captain and frowned at him. "Do what she says. There will be guards here at all times to keep track of you. I will check up periodically. If there is any funny business I will send you back to the empire in pieces. Got it?"

"Got it," the Captain huffed. The Colonel glared at him one more time as if daring him before he walked out the door. Sergeant Fuery scuttled in after he left, the pistol he was given hanging loosely in his belt. He looked like he didn't know what in the world happened but was at least glad to see that no one was hurt with the ruckus they were making. The Captain heard some clattering behind him as he turned to see the mechanic shoving large pieces of metals off of her work bench and into a waste bucket. She tossed her mask carelessly to the side and seemed to try her best not to even look at him, muttering blueprints under her breath as she tried to figure out all of what she would need.

"Take your clothes off and get on the table," she ordered him. The Captain felt himself turn violently red as he was taken strictly a back by what she had just said.

"W-what?" he stumbled, taking a step back from her. The rolled her eyes and looked up at him rather annoyed.

"I said get undressed and get up here, I need to measure you, you idiot. You need an arm right?" she huffed. He nodded his head dumbly. "Honestly, I wonder how they even assign rank in the empire if this is what I have to deal with," she muttered under her breath. The Captain felt a flame of aggravation light up in him as he stood next to her. She was the most violent gearhead he ever met. She might not have been an old hag but she sure acted like one. He wanted to retort and comment on her own capabilities however he knew that would have just started a pointless argument which might have gotten physical. That was the last thing he needed especially with surgery around the corner and Sergeant Fuery on guard with a gun. Like the Colonel said, he just had to follow orders and get this done as soon as possible. It would only take a few months right?

With the Sergeant's help he was able to get back out of his gear. He was questioning why he had to put it on at all but the Sergeant just explained that it was probably to tell him apart from everyone else. The Captain couldn't withhold any more joy than he was at that moment. He just knew people were going to use this against him. He already had wrenches thrown at him he didn't need anything else. He hopped up on the bench that the mechanic had motioned to and he took off his helmet so he could slip his shirt off. He really wished that he didn't have to, not in front of her, but she was glaring him down before, just wanting to get it over with herself. He took his helmet off and was about to take his shirt off when he heard a tiny gasp in front of him. He looked up to see the mechanic staring at him wide eyed and curious. The Captain felt a little annoyed that she was just staring at him like a zoo exhibit and he just glared back at her in return.

"What are you looking at?" he huffed as he tossed his shirt off of the table.

"Just not what I was expecting," she returned. The Captain raised his eyebrow curiously.

"And what were you expecting," he asked flatly. The mechanic sent him a glare as she took out measuring tape and a marker.

"I was expecting a common joe with a big nose and an ugly sneer," she grumbled.

"Funny, I was thinking the same about you," he said honestly but he just got a slap on the head in return. The mechanic started to measure around his stump of an arm and trace an outline with the marker. She was muttering to herself as she examined what was left and soon started to draw where she was going to place support bolts. The Captain looked down at his arm to see that it was covered in surgical lines and blueprints. He remembered how painful his leg was to even get that attached, now it was his entire arm. He grimaced even thinking about it.

"What's the matter? You aren't chickening out on me," the mechanic huffed as she saw his expression. He shook his head quickly to ward off her insulting ideas.

"Just… remembering…," he muttered. The mechanic stood up and and looked at the measurements she recorded, tossing the marker down carelessly in the toolbox under the bench.

"I will ask Granny to prep the operation room and I will get the metal fittings. You better be prepared," she growled at him, eyeing him as if she expected him to run out of the door with his tail between his legs. The Captain stood his ground and just glared back at her. He knew that she and the Colonel hated him and that they would much rather have this automail surgery go as painful as it possibly could for him, but he had been through worse. He had his arm shot, he had his leg chopped off, he even had his muscles grown on him when he was first taken out of his growing pod. He could take it.

"Bring it on," he challenged, making the mechanic smirk with evil glee.

"My pleasure."