ESOC Trooper: Experimental Special Operations Clone Trooper
Designation: ESOC Trooper 9295; 'Zenith'
Age: 9 (Clone Years), Age: 18 (Human Years)
"What're ya lookin' at, kid, this isn't cadet training, get yer ass off the ground an' start blastin'!" My squad leader's voice rings out.
"Sir, yes, sir!" I yell back, grabbing my rifle and scrambling up. I aim over my cover structure and fire. Both blaster bolts hit their targets: two B2 battle droids.
"Yeah, take the bantha kriffs down!" Another clone, an over enthusiastic one shouts.
Then our squad leader yells, "grab your combat shields and droid poppers, we're gonna rush the blast doors. Move on my mark... And... Let's go!
Four men grab shields, two pick up backpacks full of droid poppers and thermal detonators, and another four of us, myself included, cover the men throwing grenades. Our group hops over the rocky, cover spot we've been hiding in and charge the heavy doors.
Shields smash into smaller B1 battle droids, while the grenadiers and our support group take out larger droids.
As we reach the door, I realize that it was too easy. There was no improvisation in our plan and we reached the doors too quickly.
Quick is never good. It means something you don't expect is guaranteed to happen. Sadly, in my case, that is exactly what happened.
'Shit!' I look around, the droids are still moving on us, but mainly through the doors. Our squad leader left me and a few others to guard the doors while lead the rest of our squad to clear out the droids inside the tunnel. After contemplating of the surprise would come through the tunnel (which I decided was again, too easy) I turn around and look up to the guard towers, now full of dead droids- wait! I put my scope up to visor level and point my gun at the farthest gun tower from our position. 'Definity shit.'
Boom!
The remaining troops and I, who unfortunately were standing outside the blast door, and not inside cover, are thrown to the ground by the explosion. A proton charge! Well, no, we'd be dead if it was, it's a sonic variable concussion grenade built to sound like a proton charge. I push myself off the ground and look over to my brothers. Two down, one standing- now falling again. I stagger over to the three and start hauling the first trooper inside the doors.
Boom!
Another explosion sounds. I stumble over to the other trooper's bodies. Dragging two men at one time is much easier said than done, but eventually, I manage to get them both inside the doors, out of range of the 'proton charge' launching mortar.
"Get back, I repeat, get back!" I hear our squad leader cry out. "We're getting over run, get back!"
Picking up one of my fallen comrade's rifles, I run back to the open doors. Droids- or what's left of them- are now mobilized outside of our group's hiding place. I instantly begin blasting at their heads, torsos, and anything else I can hit.
I can hear the thudding footsteps behind me.
It's the squad leader, along with three men.
"Trooper, what happened here?" He asks in a worried tone, looking at the bodies of the downed soldiers.
"There's a proton launcher at the guard tower, it's over there!" I yell over the deafening sound of blaster bolts hitting shields and dura steel. "It hit our position, I got them," I gesture at the troopers. "Back inside."
"Kriff!" The squad leader shouts. "You three, yeah, you, plant detonators along the walls and stick them to the ceiling. On my say so, blow them. That'll keep those scrap heaps down for good. Then, partner up, a shielded trooper in front of a gunner, understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" Our group's remnant says in unison.
"Alright then, partner up, and you," he points at me. You're gonna blow the charges, then run like hell toward the mortar, we'll keep ya covered kid, sound good?" He asks, tilting his helmeted head.
"Of course, sir!" I answer.
"Good, here's the activator for the thermals." He picks up a shield and calls over the unpaired trooper. "Now, on my mark, three, two, one, run!" He yells. I run towards the mortar, dodging stray blaster bolts, and an occasional proton charge.
Suddenly, a voice sounds from my comlink, "blow them!" I press the activator and... Boom! It's not nearly as loud as the proton charges' explosion, but still, loud. Dropping the activator to relieve myself of the even slightest amount of weight, I place my rifle in both my hands and continue running towards my goal.
Boom!
"Kriff!" I yell as I'm thrown to the side by another explosion. Lifting myself up, I jump away just in time to dodge a sniper bolt. "So, they have a sniper up there too, kriffing perfect." I mutter, finally reaching cover.
The not-too-bright sniper droid risks peeking from his 'safe' cover place, only to meet a circuit frying bolt to its head. Courtesy of my rifle.
I vault over my rock and run to a ladder at the side of the guard tower. Glancing back at my comrades, I see only two left standing, the squad leader and another trooper called 9183. Experimentals or ESOC troopers don't earn their monickers until after they've been in actual combat. Anyway, I look back at my objective, now only meters away.
Boom!
"Kriff!" I stumble but catch myself before falling. Who in Force's name blows charges that close to their position, if that were a real proton charge, the blast would have toppled over the whole damn tower. After the thought of the fortification collapsing, I practically fly up the ladder to get to the mortar, as stupid and unrealistic as the thought is- considering my situation- it spurs me on. The droid, apparently another commando, scrambles over to my half pulled up body and tries to punch me. I move my head out of its fist's way and barrel into it, using the momentum of my push-up against the tower's floor to smash into it. Now fully in the guard tower, I punch the droid's head and try to rip it off. Sparks fly as its head breaks off. Tossing the droid head away from me, I kick the droid's body off the tower.
I contact my struggling companions. "Sir? Sir!?" I yell into my comlink.
"What... Is it... Kid?" He asks in a fatigued voice, all the while gasping for breath. Without anyone else to help him, the man is now taking all the aggro off of me.
"Get down, I'm gonna fire the mortar. Danger close!" I pick up a proton charge and drop it inside the launcher. Then, I press it's trigger button and the explosive flies. I don't remember how many I fire, but it takes down every kriffing droid in the area.
The last thing I see before exhaustion puts me under is the gray, durasteel ceiling of the guard tower and a robotic voice saying, "Simulation Complete! Well Done!"
And that had been my first day in the ESOATP. The Experimental Special Operations Advanced Training Program. What I knew, know, and will never forget is that wearing black armor and using different tactics doesn't make training hurt any less. It only makes it hurt more, like, a ton more. But I have my own quiet way of just saying how much it hurts, but I won't share that with anyone.
It's my secret, and mine alone.