REPUBLIC NAVAL VESSEL - ASSAULT SHIP - "BASTILA SHAN" (RNV 2018/1984240565), CORE WORLDS SPACE - DAY 152, YEAR 21,410, 0115 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME


When the ship jumped out of hyperspace more than three days later, Kat thought they had arrived at the Qilliura system. She wondered when they were going to depart planetside. The shipboard intercom squawked into her platoon's berthing room.

"Now hear this, now hear this...All Marines from Fox Company, 605th Regiment, please report to Ready Room 20 in your combat utility uniforms. That is all."

The Marines stopped playing pazaak and dejarik and rose from their cramped bunks to wear their utility uniforms. Kat was one of the first to arrive in the barebones ready room. She sat on the backrest-less bench as her squadmates slowly flanked her. As she settled in, CSGT Lovell was typing on a datapad. "Typing a mail home, Squad Leader?" Kat asked.

He chuckled."Yes. Just wanted to update my wife and son. They were worried sick, you know? Last time I went away was on an expedition in the Galactic Eastern Colonies for 8 months. Never got shot at, but didn't stop from her sending at least 2 letters every week." Kat only saw his family once, during a Marine Corps dinner, but even from that, she knew they both loved each other very much.

"Hey, Can'Sarn't Lovell, tell Ledeev that I'm sorry fo' pulling that monster face on him before we left, aye?" yelled SGT Tarren from 1st Platoon as she passed by. She had done the maneuver while they were outside the spaceport, and the squad leader's son was still crying when they were loaded up into the speeder trucks towards the tarmac.

"Sure. You should make it up to him when we get back, tracking? He needs to see a therapist after what you've done!" he smirked devilishly. "Tracking, Command Sergeant!" she jokingly said as she sat down with her squad, flashing an obscene Dantooinian body gesture towards her basic training platoonmate.

"Attention on deck!" CPT Vlogel, the officers and the company first sergeant entered. They took positions in front of the pack as Vlogel cleared his throat.

"At ease. We're on our last stop before our destinations - Voxer Station Complex. Good news for you is that you'll be released on a five-hour pass, automatically effective immediately." He eyed the company intently.

"I'll remind every single one of you - don't add or subtract to the sentient population, practice the highest label of operational security - keep your lips and hands tight - and most important reminder - getting into fights with the local population and sneaking in contraband onboard will land you harsh penalties! We're going into combat - doesn't mean that order and discipline will be lax. That is all. Dismissed." He waved off before quickly leaving.

Captain Vlogel is so damned uptight.


OUTSIDE DOCKING TUBE 100, VOXER STATION COMPLEX, CORELLIAN SECTOR, 30 MINUTES LATER


"This station is huge!" Kat thought as she hovered over the holomap. The station was 20 standard kilometers long, 10 kilometers wide and made up of hundreds of docking hangars of various sizes, from the smallest starship to heavy cruisers. The main purpose of the station, however is a one-stop shop for star travellers, with an almost endless range of shops, motels, cantinas, restaurants and repairers for any need.

She eyed towards the nearest cantina - The Black Oblivion- Not too far from here. Once they were in their theater of operations, alcohol is considered a forbidden substance. "Might as well chug some down while I can…"

The Black Oblivion seems a very atypical cantina - Firstly, there weren't a lot of drunkards around, so Kat walked up to one of the tenders and asked, "What's the special here?" "Solo's Corellian ale - sweet and hearty...Like you!" he said with a smile. Kat was temporarily flustered. "Oh, uh… Thank you. I'll have one, then."

"You one of them Republic troops?" he said as he poured a mug. "Yes." Kat said, wondering if he's trying to pry information from her. "Seems to be a lot of you folks around recently. Anything happening?" he quizzed. "None important. We're just moving about." Kat didn't want to breach OPSEC, so she kept it curt as she took sips and chugs out of the mug.

"Seeing a troopship unload thousands of beings in military uniform strikes me as important." She was starting to get annoyed now. "Never heard of a Marine Expeditionary Unit?" "No." he seemed confused and curious.

Kat took a big chug out of the ale."I'll make it short - We take a regiment of Marines, maybe two or three, stick them on ships and have them patrol all parts of Republic space just in case anything happens - it could be an Imp invasion, or it could be a planetary natural disaster. We don't need to have anything happen because that's what we're there for in the first place. To make sure that "nothing" happens in all your lives." The bartender looked like he was slapped with a nexu hide glove.

Kat chugged the rest down, got up and threw a credit chip on the bar.

"Keep the change."

She continued to walk the station, feeling the buzz of the ale inside her, but still fully functional and capable. She regretted being so condescending to the bartender, and he was right - almost every tenth person in the station was in a Republic military uniform.

She stared at the galore of shops lining the station decks, until she saw one store - "00 Tactical - Weapons, Acessories and Clothing" in imposing red Aurebesh script above the entrance with a smaller sign hanging out "Military Personnel and Soldiers of Fortune Welcome!" Okay, now her interest is fully piqued.

She entered the store and walked around - it was full of tactical gear such as plate carriers, armor plates, rucking backpacks, equipment pouches and vags ballistic eye protection and helmets, mess kits and canteens and bottles, first aid kits and uniforms of all camouflage patterns and colours.

Behind the squad of shopkeepers hung rows and rows of weapons, ranging from blaster pistols to assault cannons, while in front and in other secured see-through counters throughout the shop, were displayed an array of weapon accessories, from close quarters optics to ultra-long range scopes, laser sights, magazines, tactical flashlights, bipods and grips, accessory mounts, adjustable stocks, rifle slings and pistol holsters, weapon cleaning kits and tools, vibroblades and knives, gas and face masks, tactical gloves and observation gear such as macrobinoculars, electrobinoculars and rangefinders.

To the rear of the shop, lay a test-firing range, only enterable with the shopkeepers' permission. It was a gearhead-trooper's heavenly dream. Kat found herself slowly becoming one as she perused everything on display. She stopped at a nearby catalogue screen as she keyed in the products that she could try out directly.

"I wonder if I would need this Theed Arms 272 Optic is super light and compact - we'd be in urban areas, after all. The variable optic we're issued is good, but is heavier and bigger than the five heavens! Or maybe get the ArmaTek 556 Hybrid Sight with the 5X-Magnifier - at least I'd get some range still. The reticle is better too... Oh, maybe I should a grip-pod combo for better shooting, if I get that lighter optic. Those two combined are still lighter than with the VO. What is the Marine Corps thinking with that optic? 'Light infantry', my boot! Hmmm… should I get an infrared-laser rangefinder? That could help with pointing out targets."

Kat's thoughts continued to meander as she backed away from the screen and roamed around the huge store again. She stopped at a section of the store which had uniforms and plate carriers in the three variants of the Marines' digital camouflage - woodland, desert and snow - the most three common biomes in the galaxy, which accounted for at least 60 percent of the total recorded environments. There were also pouches of various sizes and functions located on racks in the section. She entered below the "Galactic Republic Marine Corps Camouflage Equipment - Authorized Purchases Only : Please Scan Your Military Identifcation Document Card Before Entering" sign into a turnstile, where she scanned her card.

"Look at all these plate carriers! Maybe I should try one… It's lighter… and... less cumbersome, too! What company is this from? ExoTac Armors? I wonder if I could send a personal gear statement to Captain Vlogel before getting back to ship. Wait- I got a feeling he won't approve a whole plate carrier. Let's just get some extra pouches… and magazines and weapon accessories. Agh, blast it! We're going to a place where we can't spend a lot of creds. Why not get things that can make the mission easier?"


DECK 6, REPUBLIC NAVAL ASSAULT SHIP RAS 2018/1984240565 (RNV BASTILA SHAN), 0622 CST


"Merrick? What the blasted damnhell is that large box you're carrying?" yelled out SGT Avrock, the Bothan's ears perking up. The assistant squad leader rarely spoke to her, so it shocked her when he yelled at her in one of the berthing corridors. "Just some new gear, Sergeant!" she sheepishly replied. "You cleared it up with MARSYSCOMM?" he asked almost angrily.

"Aye, Sergeant!" The shopkeeper had convinced her to buy after saying he had a direct line to Marine Systems Command after she picked her gear out, which meant she didn't have to go through Captain Vlogel to get the gear approved first.. "Gods damn it, Merrick. Carry on." before he went on his way.

As she entered her berthing, she noticed that she's not the only one to go on a shopping spree. "Kat! You too, huh? Join the party?" asked LCPL Marc Rhyss, the squad's designated marksman. He had bought a new grippod - "It's the new BlasTech FRG-3, baby!", two extra magazine pouches, batteries for electronics and a lot of dummy cords, nicknamed two-fitfty cords, nicknamed so because it could stand a load of 250 kilograms.

Kat sat down on her bunk, opened the box with a vibroblade, and started showing off a haul to anyone who would listen. "Got a ArmaTek hybrid sight - 1X holographic optic and 5X magnifier - which is way lighter than the optic we're issued…" "Yeah, right, that's the salesbeing poodooing you to get to buy stuff! Variable optics are way better!" Kat recognized that as a voice of someone from Weapons Squad, but she decided to not pursue it. "Next up is this EGB-10 grippod from Merr-Sonn, and it's super light!" "Can I see it?" said Rhyss. Kat threw it to him. "You're right, this is lighter! Seems a bit fragile, though…"he said skeptically. "Yeah, we'll have to see in the field, though…"Kat said somewhat defensively.

"What else did you buy, Kat?" "Oh, just some extra pouches, one of those HydroBack water pouches that you put on your back, and a whole lot of dummy cord, just like you. After I had to pay out of pocket for that missing optic, I'm not letting myself get into trouble like that again!" "Hells yeah, Marine!"

The intercom shrilled before it ordered. "Now hear this...All Marine Personnel, please report to the nearest hangars for personnel accountability. That is all."

Scattered groups of Marines were gathered off to the sides of almost every hangar onboard. They were from different battalions and regiments, most were in various states of intoxication and everything was disorganized chaos. Finally, they set up a few droids to serve as registrators at every exit and they were all finally let go after swiping in their tags and ID cards.

Kat was about to take a nap when CSGT Lock of Headquarters Platoon called into their berthing room. "Everyone, to Ready Room 15. Now…!"

The room was unbearably packed. Marines were jam-packed onto the benches, and also on the deck floor, where they sat legs to bags. The room typically fitted a whole company - this time, the whole battalion is there.

"Uh-oh." Kat struggled to fit herself into the back of the room.

After a short wait, the Battalion Commander, LTCOL Sean Dowlta, entered. He was a cyborg in almost every way, and his personality reflected that. Kat's hunch is that they're about to be in trouble.

"At ease, Marines. Now…! I am greatly disappointed in you, Marines. We're supposed to go into battle, and yet you're acting like wildmen. We have received numerous reports of fights and assaults, and we've been only here for FIVE damned hours! Every single Marine that is involved in a recorded incident will be subject to an Article 20 - a Non-Court Punishment. Minimum punishment will be docked pay for 30 days and demotion of one-rank. This outfit needs some good discipline, and I'll make sure there will be extra training before we arrive in theater."

The battalion commander was fuming, cheeks red and eyes nearly popping out. "

"There is no more to be said. Get the damned hell out of my sight! Dismissed!"


Kat decided to stay away from any of the punished Marines. Not because she thought less of them, but she was scared to interact with them. "Let them cool down." CSGT Lovell is now SGT Lovell for attacking a civilian who reportedly had Imperial sympathies, while CPL "Doc" Coohass is now LCPL Coohass for drunkenly and publicly urinating in public outside "The Space Road" cantina. There were at least ten others punished for such mistakes.

She silently typed out one final letter to her family before she arrived in theater. It was nothing that she hasn't said or typed, but she knows her family loves the constant assurances.

After cleaning her gear (both old and new), she decided to sleep - she had been up for almost 20 hours. After a few days of sleeping under the slight hum of engines and intercom announcements, she found it to be soothingly relaxing as she drifted off into a deep doze.