Re-Assignment

Joining the 501st

After Slick's treason and during Chopper's court martial for the droid fingers, the squad was separated and Chopper only regretted Jester's departure. Chopper couldn't be sorry the squad was being separated. Slick had weakened the squad for his own ends, had weakened him into the squad's weakest link. Chopper knew that now. He knew Slick's treason had included destroying the men in his squad, but the knowledge that he'd been intentionally broken didn't help him in any way.

He'd been re-assigned to the 501st and Chopper trembled to know that. He trembled in excitement that he'd be going to a good company, that his command group was a good command group that knew him. Chopper trembled in fear that he wouldn't be good enough, that they'd be watching for him to fail.

K'atini, laughed Slick in his mind. Three-quarter trooper.

He spent eleven days confined to his quarters before the court martial and was grateful Commander Cody hadn't put him in lockup with Slick. The rest of the squad had been moved to different quarters and Chopper didn't know what was happening to them until Jester visited on the sixth day; the last day he'd been interviewed by the Jedi after several days of nothing and the day before Commander Tano and Sergeant Coric had come to listen to his life.

Jester's eyes were bright with excitement and he smiled; actually smiled, as he gripped Chopper's hand in a forearm clasp.

"They're separating us, Chopper, sending us to different commands. I'll be staying with General Kenobi and the 212th." Jester had swallowed and glanced down at the floor. "I asked to stay. To rebuild our reputations and prove that the men of Slick's squad are not traitors." Then he had grinned, standing straight and tall. "It's an uphill battle, Chopper, but what's that to a clonetrooper." Jester spoke with pride.

Chopper nodded; approval on his face and in his body language. "That's a good idea, Jester. You can do it."

Then Jester licked his upper lip and held his tongue there for a moment before speaking again. "They interviewed me; the Jedi, with the Force." Jester frowned. "I told them almost everything. But not about what happened in the bar. They didn't ask specifically and I didn't tell them. The others didn't speak about it either."

"Thanks, Jester." Chopper nodded softly as he shamefully looked at the floor remembering the bar. Sergeant Slick had invited the squad out for drinks at some makeshift bar just outside the refugee camp though no one had wondered where he'd gotten the credits for it. Chopper had been surprised to be invited; Slick had spent the entire previous weeks writing demerits for him. He thought Slick hated him, but the invitation had seemed genuine and he'd gone with the sergeant and the rest of the squad.

There'd been a woman – there were several friendly, smiling women to greet the troopers – but only one had been beautiful for him. She had smiled at him to his surprise, put her arm around his shoulder to his delight and sat next to him, his body warmed by her nearness. He had too much to drink but she was more intoxicating than any drink. Her dark hair draped softly on his skin, her blue eyes bright. He had put his arm around her and leaned in to kiss her.

She had jerked away. Hard, pushing her hands against his chest in disgust and laughing at him. She called him 'Scars', deriding his desire for her. Slick had laughed, Gus following his lead. Punch and Sketch looking at each other in consternation before tentatively chuckling with worried eyes. Only Jester hadn't laughed, turning a pasty, gray-pale instead and setting down his drink.

Something in Chopper froze and he had walked back to the barracks alone on sober, shaky legs. The next day Chopper had collected his first battle droid finger and chosen his name.

General Kenobi must have seen that blackness in his soul and hadn't asked about anything but duty hours and the convoluted rules, about punishment and being assigned kitchen duty for weeks at a time. Chopper was grateful to skirt the issue of the bar, grateful that the Jedi allowed him that small measure of privacy. Chopper knew it would have broken him to reveal it. He wondered if General Kenobi had known.

Jester pushed his arm, interrupting his memory. "General Skywalker and Rex; they're back from Teth. They lost most of Torrent; just five men came back with Rex." Jester turned, looked around their old quarters, turned back to Chopper and whispered as though someone was listening, as though they were still under Slick's command and had to watch every word. "It's good, isn't it? That we don't have to worry about the sergeant?" he asked Chopper.

"He's not sergeant anymore, Jester. He's a traitor." Chopper was silent for a moment, chewing his lower lip. "He ruined me; he was working on ruining you. None of it was your fault. He was wrong, Jester. You're one of the best." He saw Jester straighten at those words.

"Commander Cody said I did well. Sketch told him it was my initiative that got the squad moving and helped capture the traitor so quickly."

"It was, Jester. We were just frozen and your words got us moving. You work hard and you'll make sergeant."

Jester gave him a slow, lop-sided grin. "You too, Chopper," he said as he stood, his visiting time over. "Slick did all that because of treason; but he did it to you because you would make a better sergeant than him and he knew it."

Chopper looked up into Jester's eyes and gave a shake of his head. "Not anymore, Jester. I'll be lucky if they don't send me back for reconditioning." His eyes were bleak and Jester gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder then turned toward the door. Chopper waited.

"Maybe they'll let me have a blaster first," his words came out as a whisper after the door closed behind Jester.

They hadn't sent him to Kamino and they returned his weapons immediately after the court martial as well as his re-assignment orders.

After the court martial, Chopper didn't have far to take his duffle. They had put him in the 501st, the proud remnants of Torrent Company, and Chopper thought it merely the luck of the draw until he spoke with his new captain.

Chopper stood at parade rest in front of Captain Rex, his command file chip and his personal copy on Rex's desk. Rex had reached down, pulled out a droid finger necklace, Chopper's from the court martial, and put it, with distaste, on his desk next to the file chip as though weighing between them. Chopper knew the decision had already been made, but he could feel nervous sweat prickle coldly on his chest and he swallowed nervously.

"Slick said you had an attitude problem. We never questioned that." Captain Rex's voice actually sounded regretful but Chopper said nothing. That hadn't been a question.

Rex touched a thumb to his lips thoughtfully. "Torrent Company needs men. But I don't take just anyone simply to fill ranks. I've already turned down a full company of rookies from Kamino; though they'll be sending three platoons of new troopers."

That Captain Rex didn't take just anyone was news to Chopper. They'd seem to have taken him and he was under no delusions as to his acceptability. He'd been stripped of everything he had earned while assigned to Slick. He was less now, than even shinies and rookies fresh from Kamino because he'd proven he wasn't as good as them. His one remaining commendation was for accidentally collecting useful intel.

Sometimes, walking into the mess hall, he could feel the others – particularly the 212th – stare at him. They used to stare at him because of his scars, now they seemed to accuse him by association with the traitor. They knew he was weak.

"Slick also said you have skills and I chose to believe that." Rex had held the droid finger necklace in his fingers. The metal clicked together and seemed to fill Chopper's mind with a soft music.

"General Skywalker has a new padawan." Captain Rex went on and glanced up at Chopper.

Chopper nodded; she'd been the one to interview him and present his case before the Board of Inquiry. She'd done well by him and Chopper knew he'd never be able to repay her.

"She arrived just before we set out for Teth. She was in here asking questions and picked this up. I don't think she even recognized what it was at first, she's just a kid, a youngling padawan." Rex's face showed what he thought of a kid on the battlefield. Chopper agreed, but it wasn't their choice.

"She likes your mind." Rex said slowly as he dropped the necklace back on the table and picked up Chopper's file chip, inserting it into the data pad even as Chopper frowned, evaluating the concept of someone 'liking his mind'.

Rex quickly erased everything Slick, as the squad's sergeant, had written. The demerits were gone, removed by recommendation of the Board of Inquiry, but Rex erased every personal note Slick had written. All those harsh words were gone with a stroke of the stylus. Rex flipped the data pad to Chopper's view and Chopper's face showed his confusion.

"Clean slate, Chopper. It starts new."

It was the kindest thing anyone had ever done for him. Chopper wondered what he'd have to do in payment.

"You can have this." Rex pushed the necklace towards Chopper. "But you don't talk about it or show it to anyone. And you don't add to it. Those will get you kicked back to Kamino." Chopper saw Rex looking at him and frowning. Chopper let his eyes glaze over, schooling them to show nothing, looking past Rex at the wall and hiding the madness deep in his soul. The very mention of Kamino convulsed his soul in panic. He'd die before he returned to Kamino. Slowly he nodded. "Yes sir, captain."

Rex continued speaking. "When you don't… want... it anymore, you give it back to me." He set the necklace on the desk, sliding it and one of the chips towards Chopper.

Chopper swallowed and nodded again. "Yes sir." These were commands he could understand, orders he could follow, unlike Slick's quagmire of conflicting rules and regulations.

Chopper thought the interview over, but Rex took another breath and sighed deeply, more relaxed, leaning back ever so slightly in the chair.

"Please sit." He gestured at a corner of the desk where a chair was placed; not quite official but still in the captain's office. Chopper sat carefully on the edge, uncomfortably at attention.

Please sit. Those were informal meeting words. Slick had used those words a lot and often to Chopper's detriment. It seemed that every opinion, every idea Chopper had was worth a derogatory note in his file. Chopper sat, cautiously, as though sitting on live ammo and glanced at the command copy chip knowing the derogatory notes were gone.

Rex continued talking and that was fine with Chopper. He didn't have much to say anymore.

"I walked into Teth with a full company; a good, competent, battle-tried company. I walked back out with five men, no one unwounded. To rebuild the 501st I've been taking a lot of rookies though Commander Cody has transferred two squads from the 212th." Captain Rex leaned forward, his hand relaxed, his arms resting on his knees; as though he and Chopper were equal in rank. Chopper tightened, holding his stance of attention, not wanting to get caught in the trap of reacting to the captain as a brother. Slick had taught him the rules of rank and no mere trooper should pretend otherwise.

Rex exhaled tiredly. "Training doesn't take the place of real experience, Chopper, and you have that. I've been trying to put at least one experienced man in with each squad and doubling squads for the sergeants. I'm not going to make it. I'll be lucky to get half the squads an experienced trooper."

Chopper didn't have to calculate. It was a lot of rookies. Chopper breathed out and relaxed a bit as he realized Rex was explaining why he'd taken Chopper into the 501st. Maybe when he got a full complement, he'd transfer Chopper to another company; but that was ok. Already he knew the 501st wasn't going to be anything like Slick's squad. As long as he obeyed the rules…

Rex continued speaking. He had straightened in his chair and partially turned toward the desk where the data pad rested. "Is there any particular sergeant...?"

"No sir," replied Chopper as he stood from the chair, still at attention. "I'll work with anyone you assign me to. I'll take orders from a new sergeant. I'll work with the rookies if you want. Kitchen duty every night. Whatever you order, sir." Chopper knew he really had no choice, but he wanted to let Captain Rex know he'd work hard, real hard, as hard as possible. He wanted to let the Captain know he wouldn't make any trouble. Chopper badly wanted this second chance and he owed Captain Rex for accepting him into Torrent Company, for making redemption a possibility. Chopper glanced at the necklace which lay on the desk between them. "I'm good at some things."

Rex nodded softly. "You are; and too valuable for kitchen duty every night. I was thinking of putting you in the commander's wing."

"That's the new padawan?" Chopper asked cautiously and Rex nodded.

"I'd prefer the general's, if you're giving me the choice." Chopper's voice was low and he stared down at the floor in the square between his boots. It was close to asking a favor. Favors always had a price.

Rex's eyebrows rose, and Chopper felt he had to explain.

"Women," Chopper's voice was tight, remembering the clear, bell-like laughter of the women at the table, the deeper, vibrant laughter of the squad, and Jester's silence. "Women don't like the face, sir. For all Commander Tano did for me, I probably gave her nightmares."

Rex notated the file for Skywalker's column, remembering some gossip he'd ignored a few weeks past. He suddenly regretted not checking into it, but they'd just landed on Christophsis and had to establish camp. There'd been so much to do and keeping track of rumors had fallen to the side. His eyes narrowed and he looked at Chopper's stoic face, tight and emotionless. Rex wondered how much of Slick's treason had been his and Cody's negligence.

"You still have to train with her. The 501st considers itself lucky to have two Jedi. And we train with them. Is there any problem with that?" Rex didn't think there'd be any problems. While some troopers didn't like or trust the Jedi; Chopper didn't appear to be one of them. Rather he didn't appear to like or trust anyone.

Chopper frowned. "I didn't know the Jedi trained with the troops. I'll give it my best." Training was in armor, armor included helmets. Helmets were protection.

Rex looked, assessing the man in front of him. "I think you'll enjoy it. It requires perfection. No one's managed that yet."

He gave a rueful smirk and Chopper knew Rex had come close. "I'll put you with Coric for now. I'm running everyone through his and Zeer's squads."

"They were both with you on Teth?" It wasn't a real question, simply a confirmation.

"Yes." Rex nodded, his face grave. Chopper saw his fist clench and knew there was hate and rage in the captain for what had happened.

"Good." Again Chopper saw the Captain's questioning look and this time he explained obliquely, knowing Captain Rex understood.

"He'll also have things he won't want to talk about."

The next few chapters are about joining the 501st and Chopper learning to fit into Torrent Company.

Although I have a soap opera in my life at the moment, I should be able to add a new chapters about once a week.

Some answers to some questions:

Most of my information is derived from the extremely useful Wookiepedia (Zeer's informative speech on squads and the Order of Battle).

With very few exceptions (notably in Haruu and A Little Treason), my stories should fit very well into cannon. There's nothing saying that, for instance, Chopper, Slick, and Krell were on Excarga during that battle - but there's nothing saying they were elsewhere.

Why did I pull the original Scars and decide to do a re-write? Because I thought it would make a better story. While I knew in my head what happened, I hadn't always written it out or had only roughly written it. Even now, there will be a lot of roughness in the newer chapters. Maybe I'll re-re-write the chapters again in the future... but not for at least 3 or 4 more years.

As always, read and enjoy.