Seventy
"Atten-shun!"
The room stood straight.
They were awaiting their new assignments.
The word was, that Captain Rex was looking to reform the 501st, and the latest graduates were hoping that they would get a chance to wear the infamous blue.
Straining his neck slightly, Didge scanned the area in front of him, frustrated that all he could see were row upon row of identical black heads.
"Fek it!"
"Shh," Sats hissed.
The nervous tension in the room was palpable.
A silence descended, and then they heard the voice.
Lyrical and precise, there was no hint of the malice they had grown up to endure from the bounty hunters used to train them.
No, she was a Jedi, and these were 'her' men.
"Good morning graduates. No doubt some of you are aware General Skywalker and Commander Tano have arrived on Kamino and are looking to regroup the 501st. Captain Rex will personally be overseeing the recruiting of Torrent Company and will be arriving on platform nine shortly. I suggest we show the esteemed 501st that we are more than capable of becoming members of one of the most prestigious units in the Grand Army of the Republic. You will return to your quarters and wait until your squad is called to the training facility. Make me proud gentlemen. Dismissed."
The men visibly relaxed and moved towards their respective quarters.
"The five oh first, man that's one gig I'd kill for."
Didge remained calm, "looks like we're gonna get the chance." He was a sniper and had the rep of being one of the best in his graduating class. Sometimes annoyingly calm, he could also pull apart and reassemble any weapon placed in front of him faster than any other trooper, or trainer on Kamino. He would practice for hours on end, he was disciplined, methodical, calculated.
It's how he got his name. No one had ever seen a set of digits move faster than his.
Sats was a regular trooper. He missed out on the sniper division and showed no aptitude for the rotary. He was a solid brother and Didge always had his back, no matter where he was positioned, he made sure his vat brother was covered.
"We're gonna be next. I know it, 214 was just called." Didge had never seen Sats this excited before. He lowered his head and smiled to himself, checking the charge on his weapon for the second time, fidgeting, it was habitual. He put the deece down and clenched his hands, willing the fast fingers to relax, for just a minute.
"Listen, you're going to blow an artery the way you're carrying on." Whisk was the medic in the room. He too was nervous about the prospect of being part of Skywalker's elite. It was rare an opportunity of this magnitude would come up, most of them thinking they would just be slotted into units, replacing brothers as they fell to the army of the Separatists. But a chance at the 501st, that, that was something to be both nervous and excited about. He had packed his medkit twice, making sure that it contained everything that was required on the field. He would be trying out for a spot with Torrent, and failing that, the regular 501st.
"Room 215. Report to training facility, simulator room 2."
'That's us!" Sats grabbed his deece and charged out first.
"Hey Sat's, you di'kut! You forgot your bucket." Didge threw it at his brother who placed it over his head to quickly cover the red creeping up his neck.
"Listen," the sniper grabbed his vambrance and stopped him from moving further, "settle down ner vod. You need to just think of this as a routine sim. We've done hundreds of these before." He turned to Whisk who shot him a quick look. Even though he was outwardly cool and aloof, Whisk knew what his brother was saying.
They had always been together, and he knew the sniper wanted it to stay that way.
Sats nodded quickly and the three pushed their fists together.
"For the Republic." It was what they always said before a training exercise
"For the 501st," Whisk added and moved out first.
.
"Jess, how we looking?" Rex asked as he looked at the soldier holding the datapad.
"All good. Just the icing for the cake now sir."
Rex chuckled at the comment. The afternoon had gone better than he anticipated. He had been ruthless in his selection of new men. Rex had watched the simulator exercises alongside Ahsoka and Anakin from the viewing platform, until the two Jedi excused themselves and headed to a meeting with General Tii.
Torrent was 'his baby' and he alone needed to select these men.
One last group to see then he'd call it a day before making the final cut. Rex was tired and wanted to get a meal before turning in, the time difference between Kamino and Oriis beginning to take it's toll.
Rex craned his head slightly as Jess held out the data pad for him to read the intel on the last group. He immediately raised an eyebrow. Their stats were impressive.
"They saved the best till last," Jess said, stifling back a yawn, "my apologies sir."
Rex followed suit, shaking his head, "it's been a long day," he replied and returned to the data pad.
[CT-43-5641] Sniper
[CT-43-5642] Medic
[CT-43-5643] Trooper
"They're hatch brothers," he said under his breath, as he looked up and watched the three men enter the room.
The sniper went behind an area and Rex lost track of him immediately.
'Impressive,' he thought as he watched the other two hide behind an artificial wall.
"OK, let's see how good these boys are. Sim number 67 if you wouldn't mind."
The four droids were dead before the other two troopers even set off one blaster shot.
Rex didn't say anything. The three relaxed momentarily and the sniper appeared as if from nowhere to join the other two.
They had done well.
"Not so fast gentlemen," his voice startling the three men, making them turn and look towards the darkened window.
The lights then dimmed again, indicating another sim was about to start.
"Sim number 43."
Eight clankers lay smouldering in a heap.
Rex knew that the sniper was the one holding this group together. He wanted to see the other two perform independently of the hidden soldier.
"Sim 79, coupled with 104."
"Captain," Kix walked up behind Rex, "that'd be tough, even for Jess and me." Rex turned to the medic.
"They are either up for it, or not." The captain's tone appeared overly cold and the two stood off for a second.
Tired or not, Rex was still harbouring resentment from Umbara.
He had sworn never to lose as many men again. His job, to back fill positions and replace men that had more combat experience than these three had been alive, and then some. He had an obligation not only to his command but now to another, and he had more to lose than most if he didn't.
Kix swallowed hard and took a step back.
Jess cradled the data pad and leaned forward, eager to see how this combined Sep scenario played out.
The sniper was immediately caught by surprise, scrambling to get a better line of site at the constant stream of droids being fed inside the chamber.
"Fek, you two ok?"
"Don't worry about us, watch your own shebs," Sats announced, turning and firing at the mechanical soldiers.
"Incoming eleven o'clock." It was Whisk announcing the arrival of two commando droids.
"Heads up! Commando droids." The metal soldiers separated and darted around their flank, Didge lost sight of them as he tried to drop as many B1's, his new objective to get to the more menacing , lethal BX's.
"Move it, move it," Sats yelled as he watched one disappear around a wall. Then the wall fell, revealing the commando droid aiming at Whisk, who's back was turned as he brought down two regular's. Sets dived to his left to cover his brother as it released two bolts of red. One made contact, winding him momentarily.
'Fek, that hurt.'
"Man down, man down," the medic remained level voiced.
"I'm ok. Repeat, I'm ok."
"Where's that other commando?"
They both scanned the immediate area, catching a glimpse of Didge as he sprinted towards them. The commando stepped forward and began blasting the area. The sniper tuck rolled and let out a tirade of blue, the first, bringing the droid down, the other four dismembering it completely.
"Fek, he's good," Jess whispered to Kix, who had spent the time watching the cadet hit by the red pulse. Even though they were blanks, they still hurt and were capable of breaking bones.
All three stood, backs together, their shoulders scraping as they watched and waited for the simulation to finish.
Then three droidekas rolled in.
"You've got to be kidding?"
"Sats, 3o'clock, I'll do the one at 10 and Whisk - ,"
"Yeah yeah, 6 o'clock is mine."
They all reached for a droid popper from their utility belt. "On my mark. 3,2,mark!"
They collectively dived and drew the attention of the rolling death balls.
Within four seconds two had been deactivated and Sats had been hit for a second time before the captain pulled the pin.
The lights turned on high and Whisk raced to his brother silently rolling on the floor in pain
"Candidates [CT-43-5641] and [CT-43-5642] report in to the Quartermaster for your new armour." The two looked at each other bewildered.
Didge stepped forward. "What about 43? We go together." The medic didn't flinch or respond as he lent down and tended to Sat's shoulder. He didn't need to worry, Didge always did the talking for the group. His priority, the injured brother on the ground.
Rex turned the lights on in the observation room and stepped forward. The sight of the bald clone in red set the sniper back a step.
He was every bit as formidable as they had heard, even metres away behind a transparent window.
"You've been given your orders trooper," he replied as he tapped away at the data pad.
"Sir, with all due respect, we fight better, as a team."
Rex slowly lifted his eyes from what he was typing and studied the men in the sim room.
"You're my team now, and I will tell you how to fight, unless you would prefer to be sent to some back water observation post in the outer rim?"
"It was good enough for Domino."
Rex continued to stare at the recalcitrant trooper.
.
Kix had made his way down to the training area and bent down to help the young medic.
"It's ok, I got him, I've got him," he said pushing Kix aside. The seasoned medic watched as Whisk removed the armour double time and assessed the obviously dislocated shoulder.
"Hey Sats, remember that time we wiped the menthol liniment on this inside of Didge's shorts?"
"Yeah," he choked back a laugh. Whisk could see the disappointment and the uncertainty flicker across his brother's face, his heart sinking slightly at the sight.
"Remember how he squirmed for hours then swore black and blue he'd get us back?"
Sats continued to laugh, "the only thing black and blue were his – Argh!" He had relaxed just enough for the medic to relocate the joint.
"Fek, you could have warned me that was coming!"
"Yeah, yeah and where's the fun in that?"
Whisk then took a stim and jabbed it into Sat's neck, pushed himself up and helped lift the injured man to standing.
"Here, let me help," Kix was impressed with the medics speed and triage technique. It was more than flash training with Whisk, it was bred in him to heal.
"I said I got him!" Whisk was annoyed and gave the man a sideways glance.
That's when he noticed the cerulean stripes.
'Fek,' he knew he had insulted a more senior soldier, one, who had only wanted to assist.
"Sorry sir," he said as he hauled Sats to his feet.
"Not sir, same rank as you trooper," Kix said as he bent down and picked up the injured man's deece.
.
It was all going muju shaped for Didge.
A feeling of anxiety had crept into his psyche and he was trying hard to keep a level head.
His fingers automatically began fidgeting with the sniper attachment of his weapon.
He had never failed his brothers before.
They had always passed the sims, there was never a question that they would be split up.
He had never factored it in.
He was about to unravel, there on the spot.
A dangerous situation for any trained killer.
A door behind them swished and they turned to see the stern face of the captain enter the room.
"Ten-hut," Kix got the order out quickly and the three responded.
Rex continued to march towards the group and Whisk held a hand out to steady Sats, who quickly brushed it away.
Kix noticed the men then. They were a tight unit, splitting them up would be a mistake.
Rex stopped what appeared to be millimetres from Didge's face.
"What makes you think I would want to have you in Torrent?" He voice held a certainmenace, and Didge was up for it.
"Because you want the best covering your shebs when you head into the thick of it," before he added, "Sir."
Rex studied him then moved to the man in the middle, the one with his chest bruised and exposed from the injury.
"What do you think trooper?"
Sats attempted to stand straighter and answered, "I think you need to choose the best for the Company sir. Didge and Whisk, sorry candidates 41 and 42 would never let a brother down, sir."
Rex took a step back. There was something about this group. He had three just like these men in his unit. Memories of Hardcase came flooding back and he was caught in a fleeting moment of de je vu.
"Dismissed," he said quietly and turned and left the room.
The three slumped a little before Kix interjected, "two hours in bacta will see to that shoulder."
.
Rex strode down the corridors, Kix running up from behind, trying to get his attention.
"Sir!"
The captain knew he was there, but had no intention of speaking to him.
The final group had surprised him.
He had made a deal with himself not to let sentiment get in the way of his decision making, but what had made Torrent stand out from the very beginning was their ability to work as one, which is clearly what these three represented.
He blew out a breath and said loudly to the soldier behind him.
"Not now Kix, I need some caf and something to eat."
"But sir, I just have some thoughts regarding that last gr -,"
"I said not now," he bellowed as he continued forward into the Mess hall.
Kix stopped dead in his tracks and watched as the captain disappeared from sight behind the gliding doors.
Rex had changed.
The captain hadn't spoken about Gem or the baby and Kix could see that he had adopted a new level of intensity since returning from Umbara.
Kix stood alone in the corridor, his gut churning.
If the war was getting to Rex, what hope did the rest of them have of making it through?
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A/N: LLTC - Sometimes, it's all in just one sentence. . thanks.
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