Court-Martial

Considerations

Coric stared at the data pad in his hand, not seeing the letters, aware of nothing beyond Chopper's words and the riptides of emotion they evoked in his gut. There was so much wrong.

He jerked as the commander touched his arm and glanced at the floor before looking at her. "I'm sorry, commander."

"No need Sergeant Coric, it's perfectly understandable why you'd be so affected by his words."

"You weren't?"

"More by his feelings," she admitted. "He's all desolation and hopeless." She curled her arms around herself and Coric felt a wave of protectiveness for the small padawan. She smiled gratefully at him and he felt his cheeks burn red as he realized what she'd just said.

"I…, uh, it's just because…" he began ineffectively.

"It's ok, Sergeant Coric. I don't normally open myself to feel emotions, but when we went in the first time, he just seemed so … empty, I had to check. Now I'm a bit sensitized from trying to feel his emotions as they relate to what has happened to him." Commander Tano smiled as she tilted her head up to look him in the eyes. "You are protective about everyone you care about, sergeant. I'm honored to be counted in that number."

Coric nodded, glad she understood. "Please, call me Coric. If you wish."

The commander glanced down at the floor. "That last part, about being called three. Does that make any sense to you? I'm totally confused."

"It could relate to his designation," Coric began slowly as he gestured toward the mess and they began walking down the corridor. "CT-9523. While I think he was called Twenty-three before he took a name; maybe Three is what the traitor called him instead of Twenty-three as insult."

She stopped, preternaturally still, and 'listened' then slowly shook her head. "It doesn't feel like that," she said as they took drinks from the drink stand. She took tea and watched as Coric, in a friendly gesture, took tea as well. "His name is not that important to him." She frowned. "It's just something he calls himself. Rex is proud of his name, it means something to him." She set her tea on the table and sat on the bench. "Your name is important to you, you stand proud when you hear it. Have you noticed what Chopper does when he hears his name?"

Coric was silent, his face both identical to and so very different from Captain Rex's face. Already she was getting to see their faces as individual rather than looking at their Force signatures. He took a quiet sip of the tea and paused.

"He tightens, gets all stony."

The commander nodded as she cupped her hands around her drink thoughtfully. "Could it be something else?"

Possibly. It depends on how Slick ran the squad. You can ask Rex or Commander Cody of the 212th for that information. I'm sure it came up in the interviews. There are different types of squads; some specialized like a sharpshooter squad or commando squads where there's no real rank except for the sergeant. Each trooper is expected to be able to be able to perform all the tasks with equal ability; otherwise they wouldn't be in the squad. Most squads are line squads composed of nine troopers and their sergeant. The sergeant selects his best trooper to be the corporal. The rest of his troopers are ranked in a brevet list; who would be next in command should the higher ranked personnel be incapacitated."

"Gus was sergeant's second, is that the same as corporal?"

Coric nodded. "For all practical purposes, it's the same. I think there's some difference in numerical coding for the Kaminoans and among a group of troopers of different companies, a corporal from Kamino outranks a brevet corporal who outranks a sergeant's second." He laughed as she rolled her eyes slightly and grinned, then continued. "So there's the sergeant, the sergeant's second and the next man in rank who would be the Three." He shook his head and looked into the padawan's confused eyes.

Commander Tano pulled at her lower lip with her teeth. "That shouldn't be something to make him feel so desolate, should it?"

"No, commander. The three position is a place of pride." He paused and chewed a nail then caught what he was doing and set his hands around his own cup of tea. "Unless," Coric's voice fell into a whisper, "he's part of the traitor's conspiracy and desolate to have been discovered. That would imply a second; someone we've missed."

The commander shook her head so fiercely, her lekku bounced on her shoulder. "No. He is relieved the traitor is gone. Some of his fear is that things won't change; that it will be the same simply with a different squad."

"Things will change," declared Coric firmly as he straightened. "One of the first things to emerge from the interviews had Captain Rex ordering a complete physical on every man in the squad." Coric looked down into the last bit of his tea, almost the same golden brown as his worried eyes. "I will never understand it, commander. They didn't fight back. Gus had bit marks on his shoulder, several in different stages of healing. Jester's hand showed multiple breaks which he never brought to medical. Chopper is close to a complete mental breakdown." He pursed his lips. "I was glad to see he had showered and shaved this morning. Attention to personal hygiene shows improvement."

"Perhaps collecting the droid fingers was Chopper's way of fighting back? Perhaps we can use that for the Board of Inquiry," Commander Tano suggested. "What, do you suppose, Gus and Jester did?"

Coric's lips twisted. "Gus took pride in being marked, in being the sergeant's second. He was crushed to realize he was a traitor's right hand." He took the final sip of tea. "Jester's hand, and it was only his off hand, had been broken from hitting the wall. He freely admitted that when he didn't understand what was happening, he'd go out and spar with the wall."

"How did he feel about the traitor's discovery?"

"He was glad, relieved; I think he felt vindicated to know there were reasons he didn't understand. He asked to stay with the 212th. Rex said the 212th wouldn't be happy to have him after what Slick had done. Jester said he wanted to stay to prove that being in Slick's squad didn't make him or the others traitors." Coric gave her a quick smile. "He knew it would be an uphill battle and said he was a trooper, used to battle. Commander Cody and General Kenobi accepted him on probation. Gus was sent to the 41st, Sketch to Commander Fox on Coruscant and Punch to the 224th, heading out to Mimban."

"Where will Chopper go, once this is over?"

"If he doesn't go to Kamino, you mean?"

An angry look clouded her face. "He won't go to Kamino even though he believes that's where he belongs."

Coric was thoughtful. "Rex wants him in the 501st. I don't know why. I'd like him to stay as well; I think being with Torrent Company would be good for him." Coric thought a moment and gave a measuring looking at the commander; slim and gangly with youth, barely coming chest-high on him. "He's redeemable, Commander Tano, and I believe you think so as well."

"Yes," she nodded then sighed as she looked into her empty cup. "But I still don't understand about 'three'."

Rex entered the mess with data pad in hand. It was late and only a few of his brothers were at the tables. He saw the padawan, her feet on the floor as she lay on one of the benches, arms pillowing her head staring at the ceiling so intently that Rex glanced up. No, there was nothing there but her thoughts. She was frowning and thinking so hard, Rex could almost see waves coming off her head. He got some caf then strode over and sat on the opposite bench flicking the data pad to unclassified matters regarding the refugee camps. Briefly, it only took a glance now, he looked over the names of Torrent Company assignments then glanced at where the Jedi would be if she were sitting instead of reclined on the seating. Her hand came up and absently moved in greeting.

"Keep thinking that hard and your lekku will curl," Rex teased the youngling.

"Mmm. Yeah." She muttered absently. Rex shrugged and returned to his work. He understood that kind of concentration.

Her voice drifted up slowly.

"Rex, what would happen if Coric was my three?"

He froze then noticed his fingers trembling and set the data pad down, gripping his fingers as he set his clasped fists on the table. It seemed like the caf turned bitter in his mouth and he wanted to spit it out. He swallowed it then slowly let loose a breath.

He had thought they'd been getting along well. They hadn't worked together for a long time, only a couple of weeks, but he thought they'd been slowly moving toward some unknown perfection. She had never mentioned any dissatisfaction. He had thought….never mind that. Slowly he spoke.

"I'd ask what I had done." The words were pulled reluctantly from his throat.

He paused… if she wanted Coric. "I'd try to convince you that Coric wouldn't make a good Three. He likes being a medic and having him as the Three would take a medic away from the men. I'd suggest one of the new lieutenants instead; when we get them or maybe Zeer. He has potential." She was silent. "If you still preferred Coric, I'd train him the best I could for you. I'd try to," mentally he squirmed, "keep the respect of the troopers."

She sat up and was watching him with that queer intensity he suspected was a Jedi's use of the Force.

"But it's difficult if your commander doesn't trust you," he continued, "if your commander replaces you, so I'd probably have to transfer to another unit and another general." He bowed his head then looked into her eyes again. "But reputation follows you and everyone would always wonder what I had done. And wait for me to do it again."

Her mouth was O'ed. "Rex, no." she waved her arms around. "It was hypothetical. I wouldn't want you to go." She reached for something. "You're the best three I've ever had."

He heard her words and relaxed, then pointed out the obvious. "I suspect I'm the only Three you've ever had."

She leapt into the void of sounding stupid. She trusted Rex not to mock her question, to explain and make her understand. "What's a three?"

If his laughter was any indication, she had certainly mended whatever hurt she had inflicted. The dull grey was washed by the lightness of his emotions – part relief, part joy, part incredulity and a good portion of pride. She touched further – much of his self-image was caught up in being a three, whatever that was. And if it brought Rex so much, then could it turn itself inside out and derail Chopper so much? She waited. The laughter rolled into mere chuckles and Rex took a drink of his caf then chuckled a bit more.

"I see now why it's a hypothetical question." He re-settled himself solidly in his seat as he leaned forward and pushed the data pad and cup to one side, his hands gesturing. "When we go into battle, you and the general in the lead, who follows behind you? Who has your back?"

"You do. And you always will." She said fiercely, making sure he understood that she would not be asking him to leave. His unexpectedly shy smile delighted her and she realized, for all her youth and questions, Captain Rex respected her. She glanced down to the table where his hands seemed to be making a formation of some kind.

"So, General Skywalker leads – takes point as it were," Rex spoke, bringing her attention back to the matters at hand. "We follow, not just follow him physically but follow his directions as well - voiced and otherwise. We try to follow his intent, his movement. Try to feel how he will react to the unexpected conditions of battle. We all know the objective as well as the battle plan, but during a firefight all this can get confused and mixed around. The leader may see some previously unknown weakness developing on the battlefield that can be exploited or may recognize that the main objective in unattainable and turn toward secondary objectives. He changes and adapts his plans to the current conditions of the field." Rex held up a finger. "That designation is One."

Ahsoka's eyes brightened in understanding. "So I'm the Two?" It was not quite a question.

"Yes," Rex nodded. "You've occasionally heard the men shout 'Follow the Two left' or 'The Two partnered'. They're telling each other what's going on, telling others, maybe their squad mates or maybe just men who are a little further back and didn't see something. The chatter is constant." Ahsoka's eyes darkened with confusion and Rex understood. "Information goes both ways, but it goes through me. I determine if you or the General need to know that the medic is tending someone in the rear or that three troopers have seen enemy forces coming to our left flank."

She nodded in understanding. "But what do I do?"

Rex smothered a chuckle behind his fist but she caught it anyway and rolled her eyes.

"You do the same as the One. You do what you've been doing." He placed his fingers on the table again and tic'ed off imaginary troopers in a staggered column formation. "Easiest example, the column formation splits up."

She grinned as she caught it. "I become the One for my group."

"Exactly, you lead and make those necessary decisions."

She looked at the table, seeing imaginary soldiers. "But the positioning is off. Shouldn't it be the General is One and I'm Two. Then, as Three, you should be behind the general?"

"If you remember, I'm not usually behind either of you, but generally staggered between you and him." He seemed to puff up. "I'm always first."

"It seems like a dangerous place – front and center."

He nodded and smiled softly at her. "That's why it's a place of pride."

She mulled that in her mind, turning it over and inspecting it then returned to an earlier though. "So, why aren't you behind the general? The general's right hand man?"

"Skywalker's request and my decision. He said you would need a bit of experience." He saw the storm in her eyes and held up a hand to deflect it. "I'm that for you and we've just proved you need me."

That felt oddly good to his soul and she nodded. "If the Three is a place of pride, then why would Chopper be so . .. . " she could barely think of a word that described that dead patina over his soul. "So, ..desolate to be called Three by Slick?"

Rex's eyebrows rose in surprise and he blinked in surprise. "I can't think of a single reason." He picked up the data pad in his hands and finished the rest of his now-cold caf. She watched him think, thoughts and emotions crossing his face in rapid succession. "No. I really can't think of any reason why. Chopper was part of a squad and in a squad's brevet list being Three would mean that he is third in command though in a squad of only five and a sergeant, that would be almost irrelevant. Find a sergeant and ask him about squad formations. Maybe the Three is something else entirely although I can't possibly think of what. Zeer would be good to talk to."

"Thanks, Rex. I really appreciate the suggestion." She stood and yawned, hand covering her mouth, then ran her fingers over her face. She looked at Rex with an odd expression and he straightened. "Until the day this war is over, you will always be my Three."

An attack of the muse! I've had Chopper's court-martial in my mind and chunks of it on paper for ages. I honestly thought I was too busy to apply butt to chair and fingers to keyboard...

Read and enjoy.