Sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter up. My career consumes me sometimes. I know you've all been waiting with baited breath for this update, so I won't ramble on till it's over. Enjoy the chapter!
Walking instruments of war. Unstoppable juggernauts. That's what some of the team felt like after training. The new armor was not only easier to move in, but more resistant to stun bolts as well. They also soon discovered that the training droids sometimes seemed to have a hard time tracking and targeting them. After the third victory in their training, Daraay finally informed them that the coating on their armor was made up of a classified substance which actually worked to dissipate the fields of radars and biometric scanners. This resulted in a reduced signature when moving, and made the troopers almost invisible to scanners when they were stationary.
"Well…" Tharcourt grumbled dryly, "…I guess Thorne and I will be your decoys. You know, since somebody neglected to think we needed to be invisible too."
"Sorry, sir." Gallen shrugged. "Hope they didn't think you were expendable."
"Probably so, trooper." Drakken said with a cynical smile. He thought about the irony of it. Nobody bothered to make quality armor for officers, as officer's were rarely expected to be in the danger zone.
Whether it was a result of their new gear, the morale boost they gave, or a combination of the two, Tharcourt didn't know, but in their new armor, Delta-7 seemed to have increased in lethality and efficiency. They set the holographic training area for terrain after terrain, and most of the team seemed to be at the top of their game. If they were the best troopers in their respective fields before, now they fought like seasoned special forces operators should.
Freya had brought along her personal weapon, a sectional staff she said she had brought from her home planet, something she explained had had been passed down to her through the generations. None of the others had seen a weapon quite like the simple but elegant instrument. She held it out in one hand, a small bundle of sixteen-inch, hollow, silver metal rods connected to one another by chains of the same material. With a flick of her wrist, the sections all snapped into place, forming a nearly six-foot staff. Seemingly out of place in a training hall where blaster bolts were flying, she soon showed her prowess with the weapon.
Freya used the staff and a blaster pistol in unison against the training droids, surprising even Daraay with her nimble and acrobatic close-quarters fighting skill. In the mock-battles, the young woman was almost unbelievable. One end of the staff would knock aside a blaster, and a split-second later, the other end would deliver a crushing blow to the training droid's head. At one point, most of the team had to stop and watch as Freya used every part of the stick on a droid, striking it in the head with the middle, tripping it with a sweep, and then bringing the other tip down on its chest, deactivating it.
Two hours later, the team were resting on the catwalk, finished with the training exercise. Daraay used the railing to do some pushups, while Gallen lay on his back, one arm under his head, doing as little as possible. Satisfied with their new armor, Mets and Coleth jokingly slugged each other in the shoulders, and Ekks was sitting next to Lago, trying to explain to the young stormtrooper the difference between an Idiot's Array and a Pure Sabacc. Tharcourt and Thorne sat side-by-side with their legs dangling off the edge of the metal walkway.
"So, you learned to fight like that on your world?" Tharcourt asked. Freya looked at him and noticed he had a warm smile on his face for the first time in days.
"Aye. I learned to fight with a staff when I was a wee girl." She answered. "It's one o' the first weapons we pick up. I guess I just stuck with it."
"Still want to know more about you." The commander said. She smiled. "So, you all learn to fight as kids?"
"It's kinda who we are, I s'pose." She replied. "Every Beoh'an is born t' be a warrior. A' course we end up a' bein' farmers, builders, doctors an' all…but e'en then, we're still considered warriors. When we need ta', we'll put down our tools an' leave our offices an' go fight."
"You all just fight with staffs like that, ma'am?" Gallen asked, sitting up with a curious look on his face.
"Ach noo, trooper. Makin' war with wee sticks. That'd be right silly, wouldn't it, Gallen?" Freya shot back with a grin. "We start out with staffs an' spears. It's so we know what it's like t' be close to our opponent. It also learns ye to not be afraid." The sniper and a couple of the others looked like they didn't understand. Thorne rolled her eyes. "It's real easy to act all brave and manly when yer way off. Havin' t' fight yer enemy with yer bare hands an' blades make ye get used t' not flinchin'."
"I guess that makes sense." Felian stated.
"Sure it does, guys." Ekks remarked. "You get tough with your fists and mean with a vibroblade, you can use any weapon better." He tapped his temple. "You fight with your head if you wanna survive."
"I must agree with Corporal Ekks." Daraay nodded, coming up for air between reps. "A large percentage of combat is mental." Freya smiled and continued.
"When we get a might bit older, we're taught t' use blasters an' what 'eavy weapons we have on our planet. We still practice throwin' fists till we're out of school. Then ye get to go do whatever ye want…or whatever trade ye have set aside fer ye…if ye don't wanna be in the army proper."
"What was your job?" Drakken asked. "Did you have some career picked out or waiting on you?"
"I was…" She began, and gave a nervous smile. "Me parents had most a' me life planned out. They was um…bigwigs in me clan up on Breoh-Lar. I sort a' begged and threw a right tantrum till they let me run off an' join the Imper'l Academy. Wasn't nay done wit' me schoolin' yet. I was sixteen an' I wanted me a change a' scenery." She laughed. "No wars on Breoh'Lar. Not in a good while. Figured me parents'd be right proud a' me if I went off and found one somewhere else. You know, came home a war hero an' all."
"Your people really do have this whole Warrior Race thing going on, don't you?" Tharcourt asked. "It's interesting for sure. Reminds me of all those stories I used to hear about the Mandalorians."
"Oh, aye." Freya said with wide eyes. "I heared o' them too. Ne'er met one, but I'd like ta, to be sure. Reminds me of me own people."
"So…" Gallen began. "…any of your people ever go off and become mercenaries or bounty hunters?"
"Ye'd think so." Thorne answered. "An' ye do hear of it now and again. Me father's gardner left off t' be a mercenary. Said he needed some excitement in his life fer once. The head o' Clan Doograth spent some time bein' a bounty hunter afore he came back to accept his title." She thought for a minute. "I know a' one or two more, but that's all I know personally. Most a' us are real homebodies.
"Wait a minute." Tharcourt interjected. "You ran off when you were sixteen, and came all the way to Coruscant alone to join the Navy?"
"Sounds pretty adventurous o' me, I know…" She remarked. "An' believe me, you lot…it was a shock on me system bein' there…fer a long while." Drakken nodded sympathetically.
"Alright…" He groaned, hefting himself up. "I sit on this grating any longer, I'll have a grid tattooed on my ass." A few of the troopers chuckled. "You men go get some chow, and you can go back to the barracks and clean up. And my only standing order for now is to please get those damned crates out of my rec space." Gallen groaned lazily as he rose to his feet.
"Yes sir, we'll get the office cleaned up." Felian said.
"Thank you, sergeant." The commander nodded, then turned back to Thorne, who was now standing and straightening out her pleated skirt. "You hungry, Thorne?" She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically.
"I knew ye were gonna ask that." She replied. "Soomhow…I must have a gift." She shook her head. "Yee, a' course I'm hungry, Drakken."
"Well, let us adjourn to the officer's mess then, ensign." Drakken said with an emphasized bow and a gesture of the arm.
"I'd be right honored, c'mander." Freya returned, and the two of them left the training hall.
"Well…there they go." Coleth commented. "Another date, you think?"
"Sure looks like it." Gallen said. "Must have made up for whatever little tiff they had." Lago stuck himself in between the two troopers.
"Wait…the commander and the ensign had a fight?" He asked, not wanting to be left out of any juicy information about his commanding officer.
"You didn't notice?" The sniper queried. "I think they had a little lover's quarrel or whatever. Looks like they're over it now though.
"Well, glad they did get over it." Lago said. "They make a good couple." He had no sooner gotten the remark out then Felian had grabbed him by the back of his armor's collar.
"Somebody needs to get those crates back to the cargo bay." The scout sergeant stated. "And I think I found my three volunteers."
Drakken and Freya entered the officer's mess just as the room was clearing out. Evening dinner had just ended, and most of the officers were now returning to duty. The two of them stood back for a few minutes, allowing the room to finish emptying, before they grabbed two trays and approached the server. The mess sergeant nodded a greeting, and their food was dispensed with the usual efficiency. As always, they found a table in the corner, and sat side by side.
"You seem t' be in better spirits, Drakken." Thorne commented, taking a bite of her roll. "Uhus starn a…" He glanced at her with an upraised eyebrow. She paused long enough to chew and swallow the dry bread and wash it down with a drink of water. "Heehee…sorry. I was startin' t' get awful concerned for ye."
"Yeah, well…" Tharcourt muttered, stirring his meat and vegetable casserole around listlessly. "I guess I just needed a good fight to get some of my anger out, you know?"
"Aye." She agreed. "Nothin like beatin' the tar outta somethin' t' make you feel better. I went through so many pillows as a lass." Drakken chuckled. "I know ye were still stewin' over what happened in me ol' room."
"Mm." Drakken sounded gruffly as he chewed on a bite of his food.
"Ought ta let it go. I have. It was just…a thing." She said. "Don't ye be beatin' yerself up o'er it. We're still pals, Drakken." He swallowed and washed down the mass of synthmeat and potato with a gulp of water. Tharcourt glanced over at her and shook his head lightly as if agreeing.
"Yeah…" He sighed. "You're right, Freya. I guess I let myself get irate over nothing. Wouldn't be the first time." He thought for a moment. "You aren't mad about it or anything?"
"Me? Aw Drakken…why'd I be mad about a little smooch from me c'mander and best mate?" She said dismissively. "I mean…it wasn't that bad." Drakken nearly choked on his water.
"Freya!" He exclaimed in a hushed tone. She giggled.
"Ye see? If ye can have a laugh about it, it's not a big deal." Thorne stated.
"Mm. Granted." He agreed. He decided to change the subject, and get back to what they were talking about before. "So…you mentioned that you kinda ran away from home to join the navy. Why?"
"Like I said, I'm Breoh'an. I think it's in me blood." She answered, then took a big bite of the mushy entrée, swallowing quickly and taking a sip of water. "To be honest, I was s'posed t' be captain of the guard at me parents' house once I was outta books."
"Oh…so you'd be in the military either way…wait, what?!" Drakken half-exclaimed. "You sort of failed to mention that one." Freya blushed a little and meekly took a bite of her roll.
"I um…eheheh…" She began. "Kinda let that'un slip huh?"
"Uh…yeah…now you have to tell me." Drakken said with a smile. Thorne rolled her eyes.
"Well, is like this, Drakken…" She began. "Me parents are…higher up in me clan. When yer an official in a big ol' family as mine, ye got practically yer own household guard. It's up tae the eldest son t' be the 'ead of the guard. Since as me parents only 'ad me, an' I was sure no dainty thing, it would 'ave fell t' me. So I was right groomed fer it."
"Huh. You were raised to be a military commander." Drakken commented. "That's kind of impressive."
"Well, how'd you end up the wise ol' chieftain a' fightin' men?" Freya asked. He shrugged.
"I guess I was just thrown headfirst into it." He admitted. "I think it took about six months to go from a dumb kid to a guerilla leader."
"You were a rebel?" Thorne asked with a little shock.
"Not against the Empire." He clarified. "It was a different war…a different galaxy back then. It was durring the Clone Wars. Eventually, my enemies became the Empire's enemies, so I joined up, and never looked back." Freya was slowly chewing a mouthful of her food; a questioning look on her face. She swallowed, and motioned toward Drakken with her cup.
"Sounds like there's a story there." She pressed. "An' ye left all the good parts out."
"Hm…if it's a story worth telling…" Drakken muttered. "I might tell you one day…not many good parts to it, though."
"Ye seen a lot a' fightin, ain't you?" She said in a soft voice. Freya noticed his eyes dropped for a moment.
"Stars…enough to get a taste for it…learn to love it, come to hate it, then get bored with it. Then I think I started all over from scratch."
"An' where ye' fall on that now?" She asked seriously. He turned his head toward her and gave a sly smile.
"We are on standby, my dear ensign. Got a mission sometime in the next couple of days." He stated. "And I've never seen the team so ready for a scrap." He nodded almost imperceptibly, and turned back to his tray again. Drakken raised his cup, and paused. "I am…so glad that I have the people I do in my unit, Freya. I think that matters more than anything in combat…having the right people." Her lips twitched up in a little smile. Drakken and his annoyingly esoteric and vague answers…
"That…include me…Drakken?" She asked in a whisper, stirring the remains of her food.
"Like I said…" He answered, "I'm glad I have the right people with me."
Finally, Thorne gets a little backstory, and miracles never cease, we learn a tiny little bit about Drakken's past too. And what-ho? A mission is coming! Their first together too. Don't worry. I'll not be keeping you waiting two weeks for the next chapter. It may be up tomorrow, in fact!
Know what else is up? The Youtube for my circus sideshow. That's right, I at last got it up and running. Well, my kid did. I'm terrible with things like that. As promised though, to see the premier episode and our last shows of the year, go to Youtube and search for Doctor Drake's Exhibition of the Bizarre (Because this site doesn't like links). You should see the channel right away. If any of you would care to subscribe, I would be most grateful. I plan on doing a reading of this story on the channel, as soon as it's fully posted here, with a full cast of voice actors.
I will keep you no longer. I have to get up early tomorrow to go to Spirit Halloween and film our Spirit Haul vid. Expect the next chapter up tomorrow night. Until then my loyal readers, keep that dial tuned in right here. Cheerio!