Nakam and Jester's Excellent Adventure:
Well, I wasn't even three paces from being beamed to the surface of this planet, when I'd stepped in some excrement left by one of it's charming inhabitants.
"Welcome to Coruscant" I could hear Jester laughing through my com-link.
"This place is disgusting." I mumbled in response as I stood there both trying to survey my surroundings and shake off...my booty. "Man I hope this isn't an indicator as to how the rest of this mission is going to go."
"Well, this is the place where the Sith shit runs deep you know." Jester giggled.
"I'll remember my hipsters next time." I muttered.
"Come on let's go this way." Jester indicated with a not so subtle point of his blaster. "Maybe there's a good bar down here. I could use a stiff one." He snickered.
"Too much of that and you'll be a stiff one." I told him. Jester just laughed.
We continued on for about ten minutes, through some narrow streets of very dense pedestrian traffic. Jester was about fifteen paces ahead of me when some strange alien walked between us smiling at me; (or at least I think it was smiling). I looked at him a minute; (or at least I think it was a him), when he suddenly tucked credits into my utility belt. OK? I thought to myself as this creature quickly disappeared down some ally. Coruscant's most wanted? Bribe maybe? I shrugged it off as I grabbed the "cash" out and hurried to catch up to Jester.
"Here's your lunch money." I told him as I handed him the items.
"Where'd you get this from?" Jester seemed surprised as he looked at the lute.
"I don't know some big hairy... something back there." I shrugged. "It looked at me a minute and when I looked back, it stuck this in my utility belt."
"And than ran into some ally right?" Jester started laughing.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" I looked at him.
"That's your payment for a quicky!" He answered.
"A quicky?" I glared suspiciously at Jester. "Do I want to know?" I cautiously inquired.
"No." Jester answered curtly.
"OK." I suddenly wasn't feeling well. "What if he doesn't get his... quicky?" I asked.
"Oh no, it's not his quicky." Jester explained. "He'd give you a quicky. They like the taste of human...er; you know." Jester coughed. "Pay big money for it. Good deal if you don't want to sit down for the next two days." He started to snicker.
"You're shittin me right?" I mumbled as I suddenly now felt a bit faint.
"Oh no, I wouldn't shit you Nakam." Jester giggled.
"Well, what if it comes looking for us?" I peered cautiously behind me.
Jester paused a moment and looked me over; his eyes resting on my blaster. "If he does, just shoot him." He simply shrugged as he continued to walk. "Another thing I forgot to tell you. Don't make eye contact with the big hairy ones."
"Yeah, I'll remember that." I mumbled. "Thanks for the tourist's tip."
Two days! Ouch. I cringed as I peered over at Jester wondering if his advice was born out of personal experience? Than again, pictures I don't want in my head. I shook the thought away.
We continued on for another fifteen or so minutes. I was just getting over the hairy alien "John" when I saw another ghastly scene. Several droids transporting a large slug on a plush canopied platform.
"What the hell is that?" I mumbled, a bit surprised when Jester started laughing again. Oh yeah, he can hear me. I suddenly remembered; not quite sure at this point if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"That's a Hutt." Jester answered.
"Ah What?" Came my befuddled inquiry.
"Not a what; a Hutt." He laughed again. "And female too!" He turned toward me and stuck his thumb between the plates of his pelvic and leg armor. "Hahhh Thiiiiiit!" He hissed.
"Jester, it's a slug on velvet!" I commented rather dryly, not really knowing why I was the only one who seemed to notice there was something wrong with this picture.
"Velvet, silk, satin. Take your pick; the hairy John or her? Who'd you like to slip between the sheets with tonight?" Jester started to howl.
"After you brother." I retorted.
"Me Nakam! OK, at least we're the same species!" Jester countered, just before he turned and pounced on me.
"Hate to see you drunk." I only shook my head at him as he fell to the ground laughing hysterically. Several civilians and a couple of androids walked by shaking their heads. Stoned clones. Yeah, I can imagine. I let out a sigh as I watched them scurry away before I pulled Jester off the street.
The next ten or so minutes were uneventful, that is until Jester spotted a continua.
"Hey come on; let's go in there." He poked at me before he pointed to the bar.
"No, I don't want to go in there." I flat out refused.
"Party pooper." Jester sighed heavily as he folded his arms like an angry two year old.
"Yeah, I know and I got the proof on my boots. You wanna see?" I retorted.
"No, I believe you." He said. "Come on. Let's go!" He mumbled as he grabbed my arm and dragged me along.
"Alright. Alright. Let go of me." I protested when we reached the entrance.
"Take your bucket off." He instructed. "Act like you're in this army."
"You mean act like a du'kit." I mumbled. Jester shot me one of those looks.
"OK. Fair enough." He suddenly threw his hands in the air as he slipped inside and made a survey of the joint.
Much to my surprise, it really wasn't that busy. Than again is was the middle of the day. Even a place like Coruscant had it's... standards - I guess? I shrugged as I walked over and took a seat next to a guy who was alone at a corner table. I like corners. I nodded in satisfaction as I spent the next minute or so casing the establishment myself. Being "backed in a corner" was never a good feeling, but at least I could see everything that was going on and less of a chance of someone sneaking up on me. One of those side effects of PTSD I guess.
I plopped my helmet on the table as my eyes drifted toward the stranger tucked in the corner. I could see he was another Jango clone and one that had seen either combat or a bad accident. One side of his face was all scared.
"Hello." I nodded. He only sat glaring suspiciously at me before his attention returned to his beverage.
"Jester." I whistled a bit when he'd finally emerged from the men's room. I waved him over, keenly noting that the clone hiding in the shadows of the dark corner seemed suddenly interested in the name. What's the chance they know each other? I pondered a moment. Naw, that would be too weird. I dismissed the thought with a slight wag of the hand.
Jester came tripping over, after he'd managed to secure us some 'liquid refreshment'; as he called it. Was it fatigue or had he already taken a couple of swigs of this stuff? I wasn't sure; but after the past hour or so of wandering these freaky streets, I was ready for something that had a little kick to it too. Jester plunked the mugs down, followed by his helmet before he suddenly froze.
"Chopper?" He whispered in a nearly inaudible voice.
Chopper, Chopper. I've heard that name before. My thoughts began to rewind as I squinted searchingly at Jester and than glanced back at this other fellow.
The corner ducking stranger peered anxiously at Jester. Was it the nerves of; did I know this fellow and was happy to be reunited to a long lost brother, or did I know him and hope he didn't realize he'd recognized me? Several minutes passed as these two former comrades seemed stuck in a time warp. I could tell they knew each other, but didn't seem to know what to make of that fact. Jester slid his drink out of the way and slowly sat down.
"This is Nakam." Jester whispered his introduction. "He's a fr... No, he's a brother." He stumbled over his words. The stranger said nothing, but glanced briefly at me.
"You're a brave soul." I lent my observation. "Been a long war." I quietly acknowledged. "Welcome home."
The stranger's blank face twisted into a frown as his empty eyes filled with tears. He still didn't say anything though, just pulled the collar of his jumpsuit up over his face and let it take his grief away. He sat for several more long minutes just watching Jester. Jester made a few attempts at some small talk; but this man, whom I could now identify as Chopper didn't respond.
"It can't be you're still alive." He finally mumbled to Jester. "You've stopped shaking."
Jester sat quietly for several more long minutes seemingly not knowing what to make of his friend's observation.
"Yeah, Uh... I guess I don't shake any more." Jester glanced down at his hands and than back at his long lost brother.
"What's it like on the other side?" Chopper mumbled as he drew in a deep breath, obviously trying to hide the well of emotion dammed up within the plates of armor.
"It's good on the other side." Jester sniffled as the tears came dripping out. "You can come too." He pleaded as his friend got up to leave. "Wait Chopper!" Jester followed him half way across the room. "I forgive you." Jester called after him. Chopper suddenly stopped and slowly turned around.
"They'll never forgive any of us." He muttered sternly to Jester.
"There's only One who's forgiveness we really need!" Jester replied with gaunt conviction.
"No." Chopper shook his head, slowly turned back around and walked out of the Continua.
"Wait!" Jester called after him as he hurried outside himself.
Suddenly came a squeal, a boom and a crash. Jester screamed. I jumped up, grabbed our gear and ran outside. Some man with a small hover craft was cursing Jester out.
"DAMN CLONES!" He yelled as he jumped back in his vehicle and sped away.
Chopper lay on the ground. His lifeless eyes stared into the sky as blood oozed from his mouth and one ear. I could tell just by looking at him that he was already gone. I hurried over to Jester who was trying desperately to shake his friend back to life. I could hear some faint siren in the distance. Police or ambulance, what ever it was; we had to get out of here.
"Come on Jester." I gently whispered as I put my arms around his shoulders and hoisted him to his feet. Jester just turned his head and looked at me. OK He nodded as he glanced back down at Chopper, grabbed something off the body, threw his helmet on, shouldered his blaster and went running in the direction of the hover car.
I paused a moment or two to survey the surroundings. I knew Jester had flipped into combat mode and there would be no catching him on foot. Ah, I'm in luck! I felt a wave of relief when I laid eyes on one of those speeder bikes I'd seen these troopers flying around here on. Despite the fact that I'd never ridden one of these jiggers. How hard can it be? I hoped for the best as I hopped on and took off.
I'd managed to find Jester, although I could tell from the knots of traffic that there was no way we'd ever catch the guy who hit Chopper. Jester jumped on the back of the bike, still caught somewhere between Coruscant and the battlefield; his affect blank and his emotions as flat-lined as Chopper's heart rate.
"Yes, the mission comes first." He mumbled to me. "The mission always comes first."
"I'm sorry Jester. I'm sorry that happened." I tried to console him.
"I know." He sighed. "It's not your fault though."
"I know it's not; but." I squeaked as we made a sudden hard left to avoid hitting a building. "I need your help." I mumbled through gritted teeth and knotted stomach.
"Yeah, what?" Jester answered without even as much as a flinch.
"How do you drive this damn thing?"
After a few brief instructions. I managed to pull over and stop the speeder. We switched places, as I figured Jester knew better how to pilot this beast than I; (or at least I hoped he did). We got back on "the road" and after a few minutes of humming through the streets; Jester suddenly asked a question.
"Nakam, why does it always happen that way?" He inquired.
"What?" I replied.
"Why am I here and he's not?" Jester mumbled.
"I don't know." I mumbled in return. "I've asked the same question myself hundreds of times. I still don't have the answer."
"Do you think he made it to the other side?" Jester asked another question.
"You mean to heaven?" I peered around Jester, almost as if I could see the thoughts in his eyes.
"Is that what you call it?" He quietly mumbled.
"Yeah." I whispered. "The light side of eternity." I sighed. "That's heaven."
"Hum." Was Jester's only response.
Another ten minutes or so had passed before Jester finally pulled the speeder over. Both of us were still lost in our own little worlds, trying to strike that balance somewhere between the past and the future. The temporal and the eternal. My thoughts wandered as I began to pray for Jester. Lord, You said You came to heal the broken hearted and bind up their wounds. I really want to believe there's room somewhere in that statement for a desperate clone who walked into moving traffic.
We sat quietly, resting just on the outskirts of some small park. There were several other men arrayed in our same armor wandering the perimeter and I really wanted to take this stupid
helmet off, but wasn't sure that would be a good idea. Jester had reassured me that it was OK, since the Empire was now starting to recruit "natural borns" as he called them. But I'm still a clone you know. I chuckled at the irony of that.
"But I know he's here somewhere. I can feel him." I was suddenly startled by a woman's voice in my helmet; (or at least I think it was in my helmet)? I sat up and looked around. Jester had preoccupied himself by throwing little pebbles into one of the fountains. So, thus I concluded that he was not getting the same message.
"How do you know it's him?" A voice that sounded like one of us replied.
"Because he feels just like you." The woman reported. "Well, not exactly like you, but he feels like a clone; you know." The woman amended her description.
"Shiloh?" I stood up and looked around.
"Got him! Stay there!" Shiloh's voice instructed. "And don't look around. The guards are searching for us. We'll send instructions."
"OK." I mumbled as I quietly sat down.
"Hey Nakam?" The next voice I heard coming through my com-link was that of Jester.
"What?" I suddenly turned to him.
"I got a coordinate flash on our private channel. You know anything about that?" He questioned.
"That's our cue; let's go!" I told Jester.
We hopped on the speeder and took off toward where the GPS was instructing us to go. It was at least a twenty minute ride through cross sections of heavy traffic. Jester jumped into one of the troop transit lanes the last ten minutes. We managed to dodge police and a few other patrols; as I suppose it was only those of listed itinerary who were suppose to be flying these lanes. We dropped down into the lower street traffic, where we finally landed under a building's outcropping. A man, who looked to me to be another Jango clone dressed in civilian clothes, pointed us to park the speeder in some sort of storage unit. Once we pulled in, he closed the door behind us. Boy, I hope that's not a bad sign. I thought to myself.
We got off the speeder just as this other man was coming in one of the shed's doors. Jester had taken his helmet off and was cautiously creeping up to another obvious ghost from his past. Once the man had finished locking us all in; he turned around.
"Fives?" Jester whispered. The other man looked at him as if he thought he should be able to finger the name but was having difficulty. "It's Jester." Came his answer.
"Yes, Jester. I do remember you." The other man; (who had a five tattooed on his forehead) replied in blunt recognition. "Hey brother!" He announced as he ran toward us and the two embraced. Well, I'm glad this reunion went better than the last. I blew out a long slow breath.
"Fives, this is Nakam. He's one of Shiloh's brothers." Jester introduced us.
"Nice to meet you." Fives stuck his hand out.
"Hey, I guess some thing never change." I smiled warmly as I heartily accepted his familiar greeting. "Good to see a friendly." I nodded.
"Yeah it is. Especially around here." Fives acknowledged. "Come on, let's go up stairs. We got other friendly's to meet." So we proceeded to a lift and spent close to fifteen minutes walking a labyrinth of narrow halls and locked doors.
"What is this place?" I queried in befuddled consternation. "Some sort of old government bunker?"
"No." Fives laughed. "It's just an apartment building on security steroids. We got a variety of good neighborly types in here." He chuckled. "Some crime lords, drug dealers, underground resistance movement, lot of deserter clones and a few Jedi. Welcome to one of Coruscant's ghettos."
"Ahh, nice." I mumbled a bit warily.
"Well, here we are." Fives announced as he began punching numbers into one last door. A little red light on the frame began to blink and someone came from the inside to unlock it. The stranger cracked a little slit; just wide enough for us to slip inside. Before us stood a third Jango clone with two small alien children hiding behind him.
"Hello, my name is Ace." He introduced himself as he quickly locked the door. "I see you've already met Fives." He continued. "This is Katiah and Borras." He looked down, around and behind him. "Hey!" He growled playfully at one of the children.
"Ace huh!" I smiled as I offered a handshake. "Ace as in pilot?"
"No, Ace as in bandage." Came a third voice from the other room. "He's a medic."
"Thanks Rex. I was just moving up the ladder of prestige there!" Ace hollered over his shoulder.
"You're prestigious enough bro." Came a forth voice and a bit of a confusing one at that, on account of the fact that it was actually female.
"Bro?" I flashed Ace a curious look.
"Any medic in this army that can deliver a baby is an ace to me." The face behind the voice suddenly appeared in the hallway.
"Holy Blaster Bolts! It's the girl clone!" Jester suddenly exclaimed as the rest of us burst into blurts of snickers.
"Subtle, aren't ya." I elbowed Jester.
"Holy Blaster Bolts?" Ace muttered as he threw Jester one of those ridiculously dumb looks.
"The Girl Clone!" Fives threw his hands in the air as he flashed his Jango sister a surprised expression of pure and utter lunacy.
"Yeah, it's the girl clone." She murmured as she shook her head, seeming a bit annoyed.
"That's Bethlehem; or Bethie for short." Ace gestured behind him. "Hey what's Rex doing?" He inquired of her.
"Making lunch." She started to laugh as she peered behind her. "Or at least, trying to."
"Hey, I heard that!" Came a growl from the kitchen.
"Good!" Came Fives reply. "Than get your shebs out here, there's someone you're gonna wanna meet!"
"Hey, I don't care if we're all deserters. I still out-rank you!" Came a forth Jango brother, clad in what looked to be pajamas, with a loosely tied apron wrapped about his torso and bearing a dish towel in his hands.
"Captain Rex?" Came Jester's surprise expression of utter shock. "You ditched the blond hair." He mumbled in awe.
"Yes we all remember the old Captain Rex, Well, here's the new softer, more domesticated Captain Rex." Fives presented his former commander as he started to snicker.
"Shut up." Rex grunted as he gave Fives a good slug. "A real man can still cook a souffle and don't you forget that!" He continued to poke a few more times at a giggling Fives. "Was a day I only had to put up with that from Cody." He mumbled.
"Oooouch." Fives whined as he rubbed his shoulder.
"So who we got here?" Rex continued to dry his hands before he turned and threw the towel at Bethie; who was still back there snickering.
"That's Jester and I'm Nakam." I introduced us; (and I think for the first time too)?
"Jester? Jester! Ahhh, yeah. I remember you." Rex wagged his finger at his former subordinate before he paused a moment and shifted positions; now not seeming sure if his memory was serving him correctly. "You're different?" Rex looked questioningly at him. "Weren't you... real nervous type?"
"Yeah, I was a real mess." Jester reluctantly admitted with a shrug. "Till I got captured by these clowns." He giggled as he pointed to me.
"Yeah, and fine clowns ya'all are!" Rex interrupted as he stuck his hand out in a familiar greeting. I smiled as I gave it a shake in return for a good natured brotherly slap on the shoulder. "Well come on in and sit down." Rex welcomed us into his kitchen. "With the way these slobs eat, I made plenty of food." He laughed.
"Hey, hey, hey." His brothers all protested.
"And?" Fives glared at Rex as he vigorously pointed at Bethie who was already sitting at the table with a fork in one hand, a knife in the other and a smirk on her face.
"She got a better excuse than you." Rex retorted. "There's two of her."
"Yeah, and you neglect to mention the other one of her is only five kilos." Fives grumbled at Rex.
"Well yeah, but I don't see her other five kilos sucking milk out of your body!" Rex countered as Ace burst out laughing.
"Yeah Fives, I'd like to see that one!" Ace howled, almost falling off his chair.
"So would I?" Bethie snickered.
So we sat down to a hearty lunch. All served up by a former army captain who I later learned had been dishonorably demoted for a "stupid incident" as he'd referred to; but never elaborated upon. Both he and Fives had been working with the underground resistance and some inside help. They were hacking into this newly formed empire's mainframe defense computer in order to extract people and information. Shiloh, who appeared later upon our lunch scene with a Jedi named Alexandria, was filtering technological information to this resistance. Alexandria apparently had a lot of "friends" in this ghetto. Some of which were truly trusted confidants, while others existed purely on a mutual "peaceful co-survival" agreement.
Much to my aching dismay though, I'd learned Shiloh was wounded when this order 66 came down. He'd later had most of his left leg amputated due to an infection. One of the other clones in this building managed to secure him a hover / wheelchair, when it's previous owner was suddenly found dead in one of the streets below. Drug deal gone bad; they'd guessed. Shiloh had said he was fairing well enough, given the circumstances they were all in; but I could tell, something just wasn't right with my old friend. I couldn't quite put a finger on it, but I knew he just wasn't well. Oh God, I prayed as I laid down in this cramped apartment to sleep that evening. Please get us all out of here alive.
