Star Wars does not belong to me. Just Skylar & Co.
Big thanks to laloga for reviewing!
Two more chapters and we'll get back to the action!
Two days later...
Thirteen stood with the rest of Sergeant Cordav's trainees, feeling completely naked in his brand-new commando issue black bodysuit.
"Sarge, what about our armor?" The clone trooper named Jesse asked. It had been Jesse who had taken Thirteen under his wing when Sarge had brought him to the barracks. The man joked around a lot more than he was used to. Although, nowhere near as bad as Doz and Devrin.
She chuckled, "'Cause you boys need to be able to fight if you're caught in nothing but your underwear." That earned the sergeant a few embarrassed looks from the men. Fives, the ARC trooper who was always glued to her side, was laughing softly.
"But we already know how to fight, Sarge." This time it was Cooper who spoke up.
"But you don't know how to fight dirty. Following rules of conduct won't get you out of tough situations like that." She turned amused brown eyes to the ARC. "And since you find this so funny... You first, Fives."
Thirteen actually smirked at the wide-eyed look that the younger clone gave the woman. I wonder why he looks so nervous? She's smaller than us. Shouldn't be too hard to beat her.
All seventeen gasped almost in unison ten minutes later as the Sergeant easily flipped Fives and he landed flat on his back. After giving him a hand up, Sarge looked over at them, "How about you show us what you can do, Jess?"
Jesse gulped, but ran at Cordav. She dodged him easily and caught his arm before she delivered what would have been a crippling blow to his stomach. The intensive training that the clones had undergone on Kamino had ensured that they were tougher than the average human man.
But Thirteen had never seen a woman hit that hard. Apparently, neither had Jesse. The other trooper pulled himself out of Sergeant Cordav's reach, watching her warily with wide eyes. And every single one them were watching their sergeant with new respect.
"Rule one. Never let your guard down. No matter how harmless your opponent looks."
She made to kick at Jesse's head and he dodged her, keeping himself well out of her reach. "Number two. Don't dance around," she grunted out as she launched herself at Jesse and tackled him. Within seconds, she had him a chokerhold, letting go quickly and pulling him to his feet. "Good try, Jess."
Pretty much the entire training session was her humiliating them. I know that she's not doing it for that reason. She's just trying to make sure that we're going to survive. Odds are that's not going to happen with most of us, but I can't blame her for trying. She really does care about us.
When he'd first met her, her concern for him had completely caught him off guard. But once Gabe had explained some of her history, he could understand. She's just like a clone. Almost.
She dismissed them but jerked her head at Thirteen. Why would she want to talk with me?
"Fives, why don't you go see where Beta disappeared to? Have them come back here, okay?"
"Sure, Sky." He's always calling her that. I wonder why? Probably 'cause she of how much she hates having us defer to her. He still couldn't bring himself to stop calling her 'Sarge' no matter how many times the woman had insisted that he call her by her name.
Cordav watched the ARC trooper walk out then turned her attention back to Thirteen, "How are you doing, Teen'ika?" This again. This is why she wanted to talk to me.
"I'm okay, Sarge."
"You sure? You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?"
Thirteen sighed, "Yeah, I know. I'm just not used to talking with anyone but my brothers..."
That's when it hit him. Hard. He squeezed his eyes shut, fists clenched. If he moved, he'd lose it.
"Udesii, vod'ika," she soothed. "Thirteen, please look at me."
"Sorry, Sarge."
Cordav smiled at him, "It's okay. Udesii, it's okay." She sat down on one of the crates and motioned for him to join her, "When I woke up on Kamino, the day you boys were shipped out to Geonosis, I thought that my world was over. I sat up all day and all that night, wondering how many of my brothers, and the rest of you boys, wouldn't make it back. And when I found out the KIA count for that day..." she shook her head, tearing up herself.
"I'm not trying to distract you and I'm not trying to make this all about me. I just want you to know that you're never alone. Especially with this. D'you know how we Mandos remember our dead?"
Thirteen shook his head, silent.
"We have a sort of daily remembrance. Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. Which is followed by the names of everyone we want to remember. It means 'I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.' We believe that as long as we remember the people that matter to us, they'll never really leave us." She squeezed his shoulder gently, "Including our brothers."
That did make him feel better, "Thanks, Sarge."
"You're very welcome."
He cleared his throat, "So, why did you ask Fives to get Beta?"
"Well, you're officially a commando now, Thirteen," she said, a huge grin on her face. "You've even got the number to prove it."
"Number?"
"Mmhmm. You're a regular RC now, Teen'ika. Hew's agreed to take you as his weapons expert." Since Gabe had been invalided out, Hew had become Beta's sergeant.
"Seriously? But I've only had a few days of training and-"
"You're good enough for us, Thirteen," said clone sergeant spoke up from behind them, making the former trooper jump. Sarge just chuckled. She must have heard Beta come up. I don't know how she did. "Since we're a man short anyway," Hew finished, clapping a hand on Thirteen's shoulder.
"On one condition, though," Doz said. "We figure out a nickname for you. Thirteen's kind of a mouthful."
Top smacked the back of the jokester's head. Not too hard, but hard enough to warn him.
Even Sarge was glaring at him, "Doz, can't you just be a little bit sensitive, you di'kut?"
Thirteen cleared his throat, he didn't like seeing them argue, "It's okay. I understand what he's saying, Sarge."
Doz nodded, as if that settled the matter, "Okay, then. Any ideas?" He opened his mouth to say something else, but Hew slapped a hand over his face.
"Now's not the time for one of your crazy ideas," the clone sergeant said as he released his brother.
"Kot."
All of them looked at Sarge, especially Fives, "Wasn't that the name you had me use on Zygerria, Sky?"
She nodded, "It means 'strength.' I think that fits perfectly."
Thirteen was already shaking his head, "Sarge, we already know that I'm not-"
His sergeant met his eyes, her expression stern, "You did not pull that trigger. That tells me that you are dralshy'a, stronger, much stronger, than you think." She smiled encouragingly at him, "Never tell yourself anything different. Okay, vod'ika?"
"Okay, Skylar."
Please R&R.
