Apprehension

The air in battle ops was thick with apprehension.

Garett watched the holo, his face impassive, as Grievous jammed the electrostaff into his former Master's back. Someone drew in a sharp breath as General Koth screamed with the pain, but no one said a word.

The cyborg's face loomed close, his eyes seemingly fixed on Garett alone.

"Listen to me, Jedi. I do not care about your politics. I do not care about your Republic. I only live to see you die!"

The recording cut off.

Garett continued to stare at the empty air for several seconds more, replaying the image of Eeth Koth being tortured by Grievous, before he pulled himself together and focused on the here and now.

The young Knight glanced at the other occupants of the room, taking in their reactions to Grievous' transmission.

O'sic's face was as blank as Garett's, his inner feelings only revealed by the steady tick in his scarred cheek.

The other three company commanders appeared to be in varying stages of shock.

Whynge, one of the veterans, had a dark look on his face, while Commander Nek had grown noticeably paler. Nek was fresh off of Kamino - a shiny, in clone parlance - and he looked like a man whose hydrostatic bubble had just been violently burst.

From the few verbal clues O'sic had dropped and his own interactions with Blazer Corps' contingent of rookies, Garett knew that clones had a rather...ennobled perception of Jedi; especially those fresh from Tipoca City. Nek had just gotten a crash course in a Jedi's mortality and he didn't seem to appreciate the lesson in the least. Garett felt a twinge of pity for the man. The expression on Nek's face reminded Garett of the day Jedi Master Du Mahn, one of the caretakers in the younglings' wing, had decided his sister was too old to continue sleeping with a security blanket. Nek had that same lost, confused sense surrounding his Force-signature as the then six-year-old Ro had displayed.

The newest company commander in their ranks, Commander Gaff, was stricken, but doing a good job of hiding that fact.

The two frigate captains, present only as holo-images, were blank-faced and deadly serious.

Garett breathed in the potent mix of turmoil permeating the battle ops and breathed it back out, releasing it and his own feelings into the Force.

"General Koth's forces have been decimated," he announced into the silence. "More than half of Horn Company's troopers were killed by Grievous' forces. Steadfast and a good third of its support cruisers have been destroyed." Each pronouncement fell into the intense quiet like a pebble into a meditation pool, causing ripples that slid against his senses. "Blazer Corps," he continued, "has been ordered to remain on course."

The declaration caused a ripple in the Force as the men around him reacted to the orders. Even O'sic shifted slightly from foot-to-foot. Garett himself had only received the orders ten minutes before this debrief and had not yet had time to inform his second of the new developments. This was, for Garett, a bit of a novel sensation, as usually it was O'sic who always seemed to know everything ahead of his general. Had the situation been different, Garett might have slanted a sly look at the marshal commander, to gauge his reaction to this turn of events. Now though, he had more pressing issues to occupy him.

"What of General Koth, sir?" Nek asked, inclining his head respectfully towards the holo-projector, as if paying homage to the Jedi Master in absentia.

"The Republic is launching a rescue mission even as we speak, with General Skywalker and Kenobi in charge." That news had been a bitter pill for Garett to swallow. He and Master Koth had enjoyed a respectful and companionable relationship as Padawan and Master and Garett felt that he owed his former Master to come to his rescue. But Master Yoda had been firm on the matter and Garett could not argue. He was a Jedi and he could not allow such personal feelings to interfere with his duties. Master Koth would not approve if he did so. "Stalwart is to continue to the Arda system."

Garett waved a hand and a holo-map of the Arda system sprang to life. Bright red lights marked their destined positions. "With General Koth's forces mostly out of commission, the Arda system has been left defenseless. It is up to us to hold the line against the Separatists in that sector. Stalwart will be heading to Arda-1, where we will rendezvous with the rest of Blazer Corps."

"One battle group to hold an entire sector?" Whynge asked, incredulous and outraged all at once. O'sic glanced at the company commander sharply and Whynge swallowed, his tone taking on a more respectful note. "General Arhen, the task would have been difficult already in cooperation with General Koth's fleet, but on our own?" Whynge shook his head. "Sir, it is my opinion that we will not be able to hold the line alone. We'd be spread too thin."

Garett glanced about battle ops. O'sic, Nek and Gaff seemed to be in agreement with Whynge - certainly their Force-signatures pulsed in the same frequency as that of the other company commander, a sure sign of mutual agreement. Garett glanced at the holos of the captains of the two frigates that had been sent as escort to Gaftikar, who'd been silent thus far.

"Captain Ypos? Captain Rondar? Do you agree with Commander Whynge?"

Ypos, a Human male in his late fifties with salt and pepper hair, frowned, exchanging a quick glance with his counterpart. Rondar shrugged.

"The situation is obvious," Captain Rondar told Garett, her eyes frank as she fixed him through the holo. "Even an entire battle group would be spread thin through a system. Should the Separatist focus their assault on one point in our lines, using a spearheaded attacked, they'd likely break through before reinforcements could arrive."

"They have the numbers," Ypos added. "They always have the numbers."

Garett bowed his head in acknowledgment of their assessments. "Thank you, captains. I suppose this will mean that you will be particularly perturbed to hear that Horizon and Surety have been ordered to accompanied us to Arda-1 and act as temporary support vessels to the battle group."

Ypos and Rondar glanced at each other once more and Garett was amused to see that the outcome of this silent exchange was the complete reverse of the first one. This time, it was Rondar who frowned and Ypos who shrugged fatalistically.

"Very well, General," Ypos said and inclined his head toward Garett. Garett privately wondered if he'd ever get used to having a man three decades his senior regard him as a superior. "If that is all, Captain Rondar and I will begin to prep our ships for hyperspace transfer."

"Do so, Captain," Garett said and gave the formal dismissal. The two captains saluted and their holos disappeared. Garett turned back to his clone officers, to find them frowning, one and all, though at completely different things.

O'sic's frown was directed at Whynge, while Whynge was busy regarding his boots with the same expression on his face. Nek was frowning in concentration, running his gloved hand again and again over the pristine white of plastoid that covered his arm.

Gaff, Garett thought, was thoughtful. He frowned as he studied the starchart of the Arda system, but of them all, his expression was the least severe.

"Are there any more questions, gentlemen?" Garett asked, feeling a little awkward. He had this sense that there was some sort of communication going on between the four clones, though none of them seemed focused on the other. But the Force hummed between them, no longer in perfect accord, but in some kind of harmony and Garett found himself wishing for a touch more Force-empathy. Like all Jedi, he could sense the general mood of the people surrounding him, but he did not have enough Force-empathy to actually pinpoint and identify each and every emotion, its source and many diverse shades, as his sister could.

"Sir," Commander Gaff asked politely, "aside from Horizon and Surety, is there any chance for more frigates to join the battle group?"

Garett cocked his head, thinking. "Not that I am aware of, Commander. Why?"

"The frigates are far more maneuverable than the Star Destroyers, sir," Gaff pointed out and quickly typed some commands into the control console. The holo flickered and several green dots appeared, moving up and down the red defensive line that marked the battle group's strategic position. "If we could commandeer a few more of the frigates, then they could patrol our lines in an overlap-maneuver. That way, should the Seps try to run the blockade, the frigates can move in and act as additional support, until other cruisers can arrive."

"And the frigates can plug some of those holes in our lines," O'sic put in. He stepped up to the projector, his eyes narrowed as he regarded the holo thoughtfully. "Not bad," he murmured, so quietly Garett barely caught the words. O'sic turned from the holo towards Gaff, a calculating look in his eyes that was softened somewhat by approval. "You've a talent for strategy, Commander."

Gaff straightened at the unexpected praise, but O'sic was already turning towards his general. "General Arhen, I think we should petition the GAR for more frigates. The commander's idea has value and should be implemented."

Garett regarded his second for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll speak to the Council immediately." Then he turned towards Gaff. "Well done, Commander."

Commander Gaff ducked his head in what could have been a respectful gesture, but was just a tad too hasty to really be anything but embarrassment. Behind Gaff, Garett caught sight of Whynge's quickly hidden scowl and the undisguised look of admiration on Nek's face.

The debrief wound down quickly after that. There really wasn't anything left to discuss, at least not in the eyes of the clones. They'd been given their orders and now all that was needed was to see them through.

O'sic was actually the one to dismiss the men, allowing the junior commanders to precede him in what Garett at first thought was courtesy. Then he caught the gleam in O'sic's eyes and realized that he was just lulling Whynge into a false sense of security before pouncing on the man for his earlier show of disrespect. Garett wouldn't have made an issue of it, but when it came to troop discipline, he took his cue from O'sic. O'sic was far more qualified to judge what was and was not proper in the military context than Garett was.

"Commander Gaff," Garett called and Gaff instantly stopped, turning about-face. "A word?"

"Yes, sir."

O'sic shot Garett a surprised look, but Garett merely inclined his head, pointedly looking at the door.

The tick in O'sic's scarred cheek jumped once before the man turned to follow Whynge and Nek, leaving Garett and Gaff alone in battle ops.

"I've been hoping to speak to you privately, Commander," Garett began.

Gaff, he thought, looked both apprehensive and pleased. "How may I be of service, General?"

Garett held up a datapad. "This does not regard the mission at hand, Commander, but rather..." Garett winced involuntarily. "My sister, Commander Arhen." Force, that sounded strange, coming from him. He'd been Commander Arhen, not too long ago. Applying the title now to his younger sister was just...strange. Garett cleared his throat. "Specifically, the clone trooper assigned as her aide."

Commander Gaff visibly stiffened with wariness. "Yes, sir."

Garett stared at the other man, waiting for more, but when nothing was forthcoming, he waved the datapad slightly. "I've read Serge-Lieutenant Wren's personnel and service file and a few, shall we say, anomalies jumped out at me." Garett braced himself on the holoprojector, looking straight into Gaff's eyes. "For one, this is not the first time Trooper Wren has held the rank of lieutenant."

"No, sir, it is not."

Again, Gaff kept his answer short and noncommittal.

Garett pursed his lips. While he normally valued discretion and diplomacy, these non-answers were beginning to grate on his nerves. Where his sister was concerned, Garett wanted information, not SOP responses. "He was, in fact, promoted to the rank of lieutenant on Jabiim for," Garett glanced down at the 'pad, reading the sentence off the screen, "'acts of courage beyond the call of normal duty'."

"Yes, sir." Gaff seemed willing to give him a little information on that account. "Lieutenant Wren saved his Jedi Commander and squad from an ambush by the Jabiimi Nationalists. He was given a field-promotion by the Jedi in question."

"Yes," Garett picked up the tale, "and he used the moment to assault the Jedi with an EMP grenade, rendering the Padawan unconscious and taking command of the unit. He led the assault on the Jabiimi Nationalist cell and secured vital Intel for the Republic in the process." Not that it had made any difference in the long run. Vital Intel or not, the Republic had still been forced to abandon Jabiim and one of the bloodiest campaigns of the war so far. "And once Padawan Jaxxton woke up again and reported the incident - What was it, twenty minutes later? - Trooper Wren was demoted back to sergeant, giving him the dubious honor of holding the record in shortest tenure as an officer." Garett raised his pale blond eyebrows in obvious question.

Gaff cleared his throat, shuffling his feet slightly in an obvious show of discomfort. "I was not there, sir," he said, almost apologetically. "I'm only familiar with the incident via the reports, but it is my understanding that the, eh, altercation between the lieutenant and the Jedi stemmed from a disagreement about battle tactics."

"Yes," Garett said drily, "I know. I've read the same reports."

Gaff lowered his eyes in embarrassment at having accidentally implied anything less than his general's total familiarity with every aspect of the case.

Garett suppressed a sigh. Would the clones never loosen their hold on the image of Jedi perfection? Perhaps it was time to change his tactic.

"I've asked you to remain behind, Commander, because I have some legitimate concerns about the newly reinstated lieutenant being assigned as Commander Arhen's aide and clone escort."

Gaff's lips pressed tightly together and Garett knew he was not alone in his concerns.

"According to his previous commanding officers - and he's had a few - the lieutenant is as much conspicuous for his skills as he is for his disregard for discipline. His demerits are only outweighed by his citations and I believe the two most common words used to describe him are 'talented' and 'recalcitrant'. I'd like your opinion on the matter." And Garett quickly raised one hand, to forestall any hasty words on the part of the commander. "And I mean your honest opinion, Commander. I do not doubt the lieutenant is skilled. His file is filled to bursting with evidence supporting the claim. What I want to know is..." Again, Garett hesitated. It was un-Jedi of him to spend so much time involving himself in Ro's business and now pulling the commander into the affair as well, when they both had more immediate concerns to attend to. But the truth was, he was worried about Ro and unlike the situation with Master Koth - which was now completely out of his hands - he could do something about Ro. If this Wren character turned out to be an untenable risk, then Garett was quite certain he could convince his sister to drop the lieutenant and take one of the ARC troopers instead. But he also knew Ro well enough to know that he couldn't start this argument before he'd gathered all the facts. "I'd like to know whether or not the lieutenant will be an asset to my sister's work, or a risk. Will he aid her, or endanger her when the fancy takes him?"

Gaff looked down for a moment, his thumb tracing the lip of the helmet he had clipped to his belt. In the light of battle ops, the flaming star painted on the side of the commander's helmet gleamed. Garett was sorry for having put the man on the spot like this, but he wanted answers.

"Sir," Gaff began, hesitantly meeting Garett's eyes.

"Yes?"

Gaff took a deep breath, stood a little straighter and began talking. "Sir, Lieutenant Wren is one of the most arrogant, insolent and disruptive clone troopers it has ever been my misfortune to meet. He is, to put it bluntly, a maverick. His disregard for the Republic and a clone's sworn duty is only surpassed by his disregard for others. He is violent, ill-tempered and at times, seems to lack any control, even over himself. He openly debases the men he serves with, has no respect for the chain of command and is, in my opinion, a disgrace to the uniform."

Garett let out a long sigh, fighting the urge to run his hands through his platinum blond hair in agitation. "That," he said, "is a thoroughly troubling report, Commander." He knew it had been a bad idea to let Ro pick her own clone escort. For all her Force-empathy, Ro demonstrated, at times, a distressing inability to judge people.

"There's more, sir," Gaff told him.

Garett rubbed at his face with one hand. "I'm not at all certain whether I'm prepared to hear more without a meddroid in attendance."

A half-smile flittered across the commander's face. The clone quickly cleared his throat, obviously taken aback at this unexpected show of levity on the part of his Jedi general. "Sir, when I took command of Eyat Base, Commander Levet gave me some advice that, in retrospect, I wish I had followed."

"Oh? And that would be?"

"Commander Levet said, that in regards to Wren, I should tell him what needs to be done and then simply let him do it. I admit, I never did as advised. I did not care for Wren's methods or his attitude and as company commander it is my duty to oversee the workings of those under my command." Gaff cleared his throat again, looking slightly abashed. "If I may say so, General, your sister has a far different approach to command than I."

Garett wrinkled his nose. "That would be the diplomatic way of putting it."

Another smile, this one more confident and definitely fond, lit the commander's face. "Yes, sir. But what I mean is that, during the crisis on Gaftikar, Commander Arhen told me what she needed me to do and then trusted me to take care of the matter, without further need of supervision on her part." Pride tinged the words and Garett shot the commander a discreet look.

Ro converted another one, he thought, amused.

Unaware of his close scrutiny, Commander Gaff went on. "It never occurred to me how...how good it felt to be trusted to act so competently, yet so independently at the same time. It is obvious to me now, in retrospect, why Lieutenant Wren would resent my close supervision of his actions and if Commander Arhen allows him that...that same kind of freedom as she gave me, then I don't believe you have anything to fear. The lieutenant will ensure the commander's safety, simply because he is selfish enough not to want to risk losing an assignment that suits his more irregular tendencies."

Garett glanced down at the datapad, then moved away from the holoprojector and towards the viewport. He felt restless, but did not wish to begin pacing in front of a subordinate. It would be...undignified and improper. Staring blankly out at the vast starscape, he finally said, "Your report is not very reassuring, Commander, but I will take your assessment into consideration."

Commander Gaff knew a dismissal when he heard it. He saluted smartly. "Yes, sir." And he turned to leave battle ops.

"Commander," Garett called after him.

Gaff stopped, turning back around to face Garett, who still stared out at the distant twinkling stars. "Yes, sir?"

"Jedi do not fear," Garett informed him a little primly, even to his own ears. "Fear is the first step down a dark and destructive path."

It was obvious from the confusion that briefly flickered across the commander's face that Gaff did not understand his words, but he gave a proper nod nonetheless. "Yes, sir." And with another salute at his general's back, the commander left.

Garett closed his eyes, listening to the retreating footsteps and the sound of the revving hyperdrive. He breathed in and out, banishing the apprehension that filled his being - apprehension for his former Master, a captive to that monster, Grievous and apprehension for his sister, who seemed to stray a little farther away from him every day - until his mind was calm and open to the whispers of the Force.

Stalwart jumped to hyperspace and Garett opened his teal eyes just in time to see the fixed points of stars stretch and elongate into endless streamers of light against the darkness.