A/N... as much as possible, this has been written to align with the Star Wars:The Clone Wars episode "Trespass".

Orto Plutonia arc

Orto Plutonia - II

Echo looked over his shoulder out the starboard window at the planet of Orto Plutonia. He could have leaned against the door, but that was against regs as well as a bad habit to develop. The normal condensation of atmospheric humidity on the cool exterior surface of the glassteel panels was missing and in its place Echo heard tiny metal contractions of the gunship exterior. He raised an eyebrow as he realized how cold that meant the planet actually was.

Icy pinnacles randomly rose from a white, snow-covered plain, giving the appearance of a game board with pieces scattered or the surface of a spike-covered ball. The location of the Republic station was within ten degrees of the planet's equator and that made it 'tropical'. Echo shook his head. There was nothing tropical about this planet.

Generals Kenobi and Skywalker were opposite him, at the portside door, discussing possibilities. They were warmly dressed in fur-trimmed hooded coats over their Jedi robes and warmsuits; Kenobi in white and Skywalker in a shadowy blue-grey. Rex was with them, listening attentively, occasionally interjecting a comment.

Echo glanced toward the back of the gunship, beyond where the Freeco bikes were locked down. Chairman Cho and his two men were seated on the benches bolted to one side of the wall of the storage area. Senator Chuchi, seated on the other side, had covered her ears with her hands as the gunships roared into the thin but breathable atmosphere of Orto Plutonia. Chairman Cho obviously considered it a weakness; his gloved hands remained steadfastly on his thighs as he sat on the low bench.

Chopper and Kev were on either side of Senator Chuchi on the bench. Kev sat straight and tall, proud of his as-yet unearned stripes. Echo shook his head; he and Chopper had argued about it.

"A shiny doesn't get colors until they've been through battle, Chopper. It's traditional. You take the shoulder stripes. "

"The plain set is mine, Echo. Kev will do better as he tries to earn the colors already on his armor." He and Echo had put the armor into the armor locks in the cargo bay of the Twilight. "Besides, if you want him all shiny, you can remove the paint."

Echo gave a slight smile. It had been another piece of humor from the dour man. Chopper seemed to be developing a sense of humor. Echo gave another glance to Kev. He hadn't researched marking armor yet but it seemed as though Chopper was going to be right. The Kev in that set of honor-striped armor was a slightly different one than the Kev who'd walked into the cargo hold; still prickly and afraid. He was still hiding, but different than he'd been in the regular Phase I set.

The gunship circled around one of the towering pinnacles in a downward sweep and the troopers all shifted to keep their balance. Kev's and Chopper's arms each moved protectively in front of the Senator, remaining there until the gunship was in its steady unloading position and the doors opened. Kev then moved his arm back and stood, but Chopper rose to his feet and bent his arm at an angle and Echo was confused until he saw Senator Chuchi smile and take his arm. There was no hesitation in her movement and Echo realized this was a normal civilian courtesy. His brows went up in sudden curiosity. Where'd you learn that, Chopper?

"Echo." Fives voice was sharp, "Heads up, captain's giving orders." Echo moved his eyes from the back of the gunship to front and center.

"Unload that gear! Let's move!" Rex's voice was crisp as he gave orders over open channel to the mostly stranger troopers in the gunships borrowed from the 212th. Then he went closed channel to the men of the 501st.

"Chopper, you and Kev stay with the senator. Fives, Echo, stay around the Chairman and his men. Kenobi expects trouble. Use your judgment. Kev, you," he paused, seeing Kev straighten.

"Sir?" There was a world of hope and despair in that word.

"Earn your stripes."

"Yes, sir," came four voices, Kev's first among them, proud and determined.

Senator Chuchi released Chopper's arm with a smile up into the white mask then turned to secure her papers. The body language of humans and, by extension the clones, was oddly similar compared to the standardized Pantoran modes; it was less delineated, less refined, more natural and instinctual. This was the first time that Senator Chuchi had been given Primary Courtship mode with Secondary Respect overtones.

Chairman Cho moved out of the gunship, stiff and haughty, his eldest grandson-heir, Kal'f Cho flanking him on his left. Delf'n Cho gave Senator Chuchi a slight wink and the gentle head tilt indicative of Secondary Respect as he moved to his brother's flank, leaving her the superior position on Cho's right. She gave him a slight acknowledgement of thanks. Apparently rumors of his liberal leanings were true. She sighed as she realized that she was returning to the Pantoran culture of delineating modes. It would be helpful in dealing with the Chairman as it was not in dealing with the political discussions of a myriad of races and species on Coruscant. Riyo hoped she wasn't too out of practice.

One of the troopers took her right flank; he had no shoulder strips and unmarked armor. That would be Chopper. If he hadn't been assigned there specifically, then it was the Tertiary Courtship mode of proximity. She blushed slightly then shook her head. They were human and untrained in the modes. She was on assignment; contemplation of what the clones meant would have to wait. Kev was on the other side of the small group, flanking Kal'f Cho.

"General Kenobi." Cho called out at the two men and she wondered if he was stiff with haughtiness or stiff with combined cold and age.

"Chairman Cho, Senator Chuchi," General Kenobi acknowledged them both, his voice not nearly as soft as it had been when he'd first met Chairman Cho on the Resilient now that he realized it wasn't simply a matter of the military garrison but something of politics as well. Still, his body remained in Secondary Conciliation stance. "I suggest you wait here until we can secure the area."

"I respect your judgment, General Kenobi, but I will go where I choose. This is sovereign Pantora territory." He sliced his gloved fist in the air before him, as though pounding a table and Riyo held her breath at the chairman's use of Secondary Insult.

"I thought this planet was uninhabited, and therefore it's not aligned." Skywalker was in one of the minor variations of Confrontation, but it seemed to be his foundation mode.

Senator Chuchi observed the Jedi as they and Chairman Cho battled with words. General Kenobi knew some of the body skills, taking Primary Peace mode when speaking with Chairman Cho then moving to Secondary Listening mode and Primary Observation as he ordered his troopers. General Skywalker stayed in Confrontation mode, moving from Primary to Tertiary to Primary, but always in Confrontation mode.

"Get those weapons system back online. We need the shields operational. There's no telling what the Separatists have planned." Chairman Cho stood on the small command deck overlooking the operations area. In the absence of General Kenobi or the general and captain of the 501st, the troopers moved to follow his command.

Theoretically, as a senator, she was in command over the local authority of Chairman Cho. Only theoretically and she didn't think the men would accept her orders over those of the stately, military chairman.

Riyo was walking the operations deck, looking out into the snowy wastelands. Somehow the glassteel window had shattered and wind-swirled snow had covered much of the area.

"Why would the droids hang helmets on sticks?" Kev's voice was external audio.

They'd all gone to external audio to make sure she was included in the conversation and Riyo appreciated that consideration. It was Quaternary Friendship from each of them and she welcomed the inclusion into their group.

In the absence of their general and captain, the command structure of the four men was odd. They did not defer to Chairman Cho. Chopper, Echo and Fives each took Secondary or Tertiary Command postures at different times; she knew they were of equal rank but they knew when to defer to the knowledge of another. The two men in side-stripes often presented opposite alternatives and looked to Chopper for the decision. Kev maintained Secondary Duty Low Status, speaking little and staying close to her as her protector.

"They wouldn't," replied Echo. "I don't think this is Seppies."

"Does this look right to you, Chopper?"

Senator Chuchi heard the puzzlement in Five's voice as his gesture took in the room.

The trooper in base white shook his head. "No. There's no blast marks, no droid remains. The men didn't group together; they were ambushed from all the doors." He gestured at several bodies then swung his arm at doors on either side of the operations center and back to the upper level command deck. "Don't know how the window was broken, but it happened earlier. There's snow under them as well as on."

Chopper knelt by one of the dead bodies. It was sprawled against the wall in a crooked seated position. Tilting his head, first one way then another, Chopper reached out a hand and gently at first then slightly harder, touched the trooper's body. The corpse didn't move, tip or slump. "He's frozen, Echo. No blaster wound. He probably died of a broken neck."

There was sudden silence and Kev went from Secondary Duty to Secondary Confrontation as he turned his body toward Chopper.

"No human neck bends this way, Kev." Chopper said external audio as he shifted, allowing room for Kev beside him, but Kev moved toward Senator Chuchi and she looked at him curiously as his body went to Secondary Fear mode before returning to Secondary Duty and his protective stance. He was afraid of the other trooper.

Echo's voice cut in between them. "No blaster wound here either. And I know this one died of a broken neck."

"How do you know that, Echo?" Fives voice had an odd, sarcastic note and Riyo wondered if Kev was being mocked.

"Look." Echo stood and moved aside. Fives took a step forward.

"Oh. I guess you're right," Five admitted.

Riyo could see Kev's desire to observe what had made Fives agree with Echo so quickly, but he maintained his place next to her so Riyo stepped forward to see.

"Droids didn't do this," declared Chopper in a quiet voice as he moved next to the two blue stripped troopers. "They don't have that kind of circular strength or arm movement."

"Doesn't look like it," agreed Fives. He glanced at her then moved to inspect one of the banks of computers and Riyo saw what was so evident to them.

The dead trooper's helmet was obviously one the attackers had used as a warning on the stakes at the entranceway, his head was bare. His face was white, almost translucent and ice-frosted, a contrast to the close-cropped dark hair and trim mustache. He hadn't gone into rigor mortis as had the men further in the warmer depths of the garrison, he'd frozen before that could happen. The dead trooper looked up at them, at the ceiling, staring sightlessly at eternity. The rest of his body was, for lack of a better term, face down on the floor, his blaster still in his hand.

Riyo gave a small start and took a step back.

"It's ok, Senator," spoke Kev who'd also seen. He gestured with a hand away from the corpse, knowing nothing was ok.

Fives, Echo and Chopper moved around the operations chamber while Kev stayed at her side, his blaster ready and his body between her and the staring corpse. Fives checked the computer consoles, Echo was checking the men and running identifications, softly saying some words as he named them. Chopper roamed the room, simply looking, hard in Primary Observation.

Riyo Chuchi moved around, trying to stay out of the way of the men but still close to them. Fives explained what he was doing in Primary Respect and Tertiary Friendship, but she was quickly lost in his expertise. Echo exhibited Primary Respect and something between Quaternary Friendship and clumsy Quaternary Courtship. He had the Foundations modes of a very self-contained person. His explanations were more understandable than Fives but more remote as well. While Fives invited questions she had no idea to ask, Echo's explanations answered her questions even as she thought them.

Riyo moved closer to watch Chopper. He gave her a quick nod, Secondary Acknowledgment, as he continued his observations.

Chopper paused, tilted his head. He took a step back and knelt, looking at the floor. He pulled a small light from his belt of pouches and placed it on the floor, the low angle of the light throwing odd shadows.

"That is not a droid footprint." Chopper pointed then knelt to inspect it closer.

It was large, oval and had points toward one end of the oval that he measured by easily inserting one gauntleted finger into its depth.

"What are those?" She leaned closer to him in Secondary Observation and Tertiary Courtship, lightly touching his shoulder, pointing to the circle that held his finger to the second joint.

Chopper tilted his head sideways to her. She flushed, her cheeks darkening to a deep navy, thinking it was perhaps a stupid question. Chairman Cho often made her feel that way.

"Tips of claws, I'm pretty sure, Senator," he answered. "Echo, come here and give us your thoughts."

"Is he a tracker-scout?" She asked as the blue-striped Echo came over.

"No, Senator Chuchi. But if there's anything like this in GAR records, he probably knows it."

Chopper stood and took a step back to the senator's side as Echo studied the single footprint. She pulled her arms around herself and shivered.

"If you're cold, Senator Chuchi, I'm sure there's a break room upstairs and we could set up some heaters. We'll be doing it soon enough."

Softly she shook her head. "You don't need to do anything special for me."

"Yes, ma'am, we do." Chopper corrected softly as he stood in Primary Duty. "I'll get it started."

"No, don't. I wasn't cold merely…" Again she blushed, "imagining. Considering what those claws could do."

"Don't think about it, Senator Chuchi. That only makes it worse. What's in your head is always worse than what actually happens. Think about it once, plan what your action would be, then don't worry about it anymore." His voice, slightly rougher than the others, was kind and he had moved from Duty to Secondary Friendship.

"I'd be paralyzed with fear."

"I don't think so." Chopper touched the blaster at his holster. "Have you ever fired a weapon?"

"No."

"In that case, as long as you're with us, simply stay out of the way. If you don't know how to use a blaster, the battlefield is not the place to learn. Get behind us troopers, get behind machinery and stay out of the way. Be prepared to run with us if we run and listen, if you can hear us, to what we're saying to each other." He stood back, his body in Primary Observation. "If one of us picks you up, don't struggle."

"It sounds simple when you explain it." She turned to face him fully; her eyes on the black cross-slit of his helmet where she knew his eyes saw her. Body to body, usually face to face, was Secondary Courtship which moved into Primary Courtship with prolongued eye contact.

He paused, still as a statue for a moment. "Stay behind us, Senator Chuchi, and we will protect you at all costs." Primary Fear warred with modes of Courtship and Duty. He ducked his head then straightened, not in any of the modes but in Foundation. "I will protect you with my life. My lady." There was an odd inflection to his words, as though he'd been terrified to say them.

She looked into the anonymous helmet as long as she felt comfortable and then a little longer then ducked her head with a smile. "Thank you."

And so Chopper has made his declaration...

Read, enjoy and review... next episode perhaps as early as tomorrow or the next day.