"The Terran Systems Alliance Starfighter Corps takes its roots from the naval aviation elements of Earth's armed forces. Originally outfitted with mostly Z-95 Headhunter starfighters for the first few years of its existence, it would operate almost solely in the Sol System, barring a pair of training exercises with the Naboo Security Forces in early 1993.
This would change in January of 1994 with the introduction of the SF-4 Viper. This fighter, jointly designed between Lockheed Martin and the Incom Corporation, would become what many would consider the shining symbol the Terran Starfleet. Highly maneuverable and armed with a mix of 30mm cannons, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and bombs, as well as the ability to carry either four anti-ship missiles or a single large nuclear missile, it's design would prove itself exceptionally robust. However, only the first forty-eight of the fighters would be operational at the start of the Sol Campaign in August of 1994, divided between the United States Air Force and the TSA Navy, with one squadron of twelve being assigned to 4th Fighter Wing based out of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, whilst the remaining thirty-six would be stationed at Naval Station Norfolk when not on deployment aboard the newly commissioned TSS Valkyrie (CCV-1)."
-History of Terran Starfighters (1991-2022), published 2029 A.D./14 ABY.
Thomas grunted as he lifted a crate of medical supplies before heading over to place it next to a growing pile of such boxes. With so much damage to Charleston's infrastructure, especially the city's ports, everything was being airlifted in, mostly by helicopter. Setting the crate down, Thomas looked at the quartermaster that was managing the transfer.
"Alright, that's the last of this batch. I'll get the marines to help load it all on the heli, you troopers go take a breather," the quartermaster said.
"Oh, thank god," Will said as he took a seat on an empty crate.
"Quit your bellyaching cowboy," Sarah told him as she, Ethan, and Thomas sat down as well. "We've only been working for a few hours."
Despite only knowing the other three troopers for roughly two days at this point, Sarah had already managed to build a good repertoire with the three remaining members of Thomas's squad.
"You're only saying that because you aren't wearing all this shit still," Will said, gesturing to his combat gear. Sarah herself was just in a t-shirt with her jacket tied around her waist.
"And you're the only one still in their full kit whilst in the southeastern U.S., in the middle of August" Thomas interrupted. Like Sarah, he had removed his own combat gear.
"Alright fine, I see your point," Will replied whilst beginning to remove parts of his uniform.
"I'll never understand how you managed to put up with him for several years Tommy," Ethan said.
"Yeah, well don't ask me for any insight as I don't understand it either," Thomas replied jokingly.
He then reached into his backpack and pulled out some basic snacks he had looted from a collapsing store front and passed them around. It wasn't going to be sold by anybody at this rate, so what was the harm in feeding the humble troops?
"Sarah?" Thomas called out. The woman in question turned to face him. "Any word about your squad yet?" he asked.
Sarah's face fell. "Nothing yet, I'm still hoping but..." she replied, trailing off.
Thomas nodded in understanding. He had only known Sergeant Smith for a little over three months prior to his death, but had considered him a brother, and despite the man being an extreme hard ass, he would have traded his left hand if it brought him back.
A noise then reached soldiers' ears. Looking up, Thomas and the others saw a Republic gunship fly overhead, landing only a few dozen meters away near a section of Helicopters preparing to take off. Out of it stepped Ahsoka and Rex, along with a few clones dressed in what seemed like some sort of logistical uniform.
"What's the commander still doing out here?" Sarah asked.
She raised a fair point. Ahsoka and Rex had departed shortly after the battle's conclusion to give a report to their high command, leaving others such as Hardcase and Kix, who were as far as they knew still on the other side of the city securing the remains of the CIS's landing site to help with the cleanup.
"Why don't you just ask her then?" Jacob asked, gesturing over to the Togruta in question who had seemingly just spotted them and was now making her way over.
The troopers all stood up and saluted.
"Commander ma'am" Jacob acknowledged.
"At ease troopers," Ahsoka ordered. The Terrans dropped their salutes and set themselves at parade rest.
"How are you guys doing?" she asked informally.
"Could be better ma'am," Will replied.
"No need to salute the rank right now trooper," Ahsoka said. "Sit, we're not on the battlefield now. You're free to speak as frankly as you want. And please, Ahsoka will do,"
"Alright then... Ahsoka" Will obliged as he and the others sat back down.
Ahsoka then sat down on another crate. "So, what has been going down here in the dirt?" she asked.
"Mainly search and rescue and clean up. Some droid stragglers here and there, but nothing a fireteam or two haven't been able to handle."
"I just wish we could get it over and done with," Will said. "I already hate this place."
Thomas sighed in agreement. He knew Will wasn't referring to the city specifically, but rather what they had been through there.
"So, why come down here and talk to us grunts ma'am?" Jacob asked.
"I like to get to know people. Whether on or off the battlefield" Ahsoka replied.
"Not much to know here sir. We're pretty much as stereotypical American soldiers as you can get," Jacob said.
"If that were as true as you think I wouldn't have even walked over here," Ahsoka continued. "So, let me ask you guys something. I've only known soldiers through the Clones, so I don't have much experience with many to call on, but why does your type of soldier seem so different from theirs?" She asked.
"If... what I've heard of the Clones is true, then that mainly has to do with conditioning," Sarah said. "We were trained after living lives of our own, and no matter where we came from or what our field, we all volunteered for this. The Clones on the other hand, were trained to fight this war since birth."
"If that's the case, why did you volunteer in the first place?" Ahsoka asked. She was certainly filled with questions if nothing else.
"That differs from one soldier to another," Will said. "I, for one, came across some... bad things when I was a kid. I've seen enough to know what true evil is... and I refuse to let that evil stand. That's why I joined up, the army seemed like a good place to start doing that."
Ahsoka looked at him appraisingly. Despite his seemingly carefree attitude, Will did seem to have a serious side to him when it came to some things. She then turned to Thomas.
"What about you?" she asked.
"That's... a much longer story than his I'm afraid" Thomas warned.
"Chicken shit," Will insulted.
"Oh, fuck off Willy Wonka," Thomas retorted.
"Guys..." Sarah said, giving him a look.
"Right, sorry," Thomas apologized. "So… I'm actually the fourth in my family to join the military. Great grandad was the first. He joined the navy, served from 1916 to just after World War II. My grandad followed him, but chose to become a pilot rather than a more traditional sailor."
Thomas paused, before continuing. "From what he's told me, he had a special connection with his ship, the Enterprise. Stayed on her from practically the beginning of World War II at Pearl Harbor until the end, nearly four years. Found my grandmother after losing track of her during the war, got married, had my mother and uncle, and the rest is history."
"Wait, you said you were the fourth but that's only two. Who was the third?" Sarah asked.
"That would be my uncle, "Thomas replied, then continued, "He was in the Air Force. Only had a single tour of duty in Vietnam before flak tore up his leg on his sixth mission. When I was a kid, I heard so many stories of what they went through. Nothing too grizzly for a young boy, but enough to get me interested. So, I kept learning and learning, which in turn led me to join my high schools' JROTC program. After that, I just joined up right out of high school along with Will. Six weeks of boot camp and a few months later, here I am."
"I can't say I've heard of 'generations of soldiers' happening much in the wider galaxy nowadays," Ahsoka said.
"Did the Republic not have an army before the Clone Wars or something?" Jacob asked.
"Not since the Ruusan Reformation about a thousand years ago. It was replaced by the Republic Security Force, basically a galactic wide police force to enforce laws, though it does pack a lot of heavier equipment" Ahsoka replied matter of factly.
"Oh, so it was those guys who showed up during the Gulf War," Will realized. "Was wondering why the Clones didn't have the same armor as then."
Suddenly a horn blew several times nearby. Turning to face the noise, the group saw a Humvee pull up only a short distance away. Out of it stepped Captain Dilaon, alongside two more unknown soldiers who then made their way towards the group.
Sarah then gasped in recognition. "Mei! Beau!" she yelled out before rushing the pair.
"Hey Tiger- OHH!" the now identified Beau said before Sarah slammed into him at full speed. "Nice to know you care."
"I thought you two were dead, you jackasses!" Sarah said fuming.
"We almost were," Mei replied.
She then sighed. "Other then you... were it."
Sarah's face dropped. "Jackson...? Maples...?" she asked.
Mei shook her head. "Jackson lost a leg. He's alive, but he'll never fight again. Maples bought it outright. Took a bolt to the heart. Killed him instantly."
Sarah took a moment to process all this, before she spoke again "So that's it then? We're all that's left?!"
"Yeah... we're it," Mei replied.
"Which is why I brought them here," Captain Dilaon interrupted. "Corporal Jacobs?"
"Sir!" Ethan acknowledged whilst straightening up.
"As of this moment your field promotion is now permanent. Congratulations Sergeant."
"Thank you, sir."
"Also, as of now, Privates Yokoi and Williams are now under your command as well. You'll find them willing and able. Good luck soldier." Dilaon finished saluting him.
"Thank you, sir," Jacob said, returning the salute. Captain Dilaon then returned to his vehicle and drove away.
Sarah then gestured at the three original squad members.
"Guys, this is Thomas Wilson, Will Tipton, and Ethan Jacobs..."
RNS Resolute, Earth Orbit
September 11, 1994/21 BBY
"So, you just talked to them for a while?" Anakin asked Ahsoka as the pair walked through the Resolute's hanger bay. Said bay was covered in various walkers, gunships, and starfighters, nearly all with some sort of damage to them, all being seen to by various mechanics.
"Yeah, they seemed like they needed the distraction," Ahsoka replied. "Where's Master Kenobi by the way?"
"He's still mopping up the Seps in Moscow. They dropped a lot more droids over there. Should be over within a day or so" Anakin said.
Which was a complete understatement. It was estimated that around 400,000 droids had been deployed there, which was only about 60,000 short of as many droids that had been deployed across the entire east coast of the United States.
"Sounds fun. How are the Terrans handling all this?" Ahsoka asked, referring to the actual citizens of the planet.
"Not very well," Anakin said. "The TSA has already declared war on the Separatists, and other nations have already joined the alliance, Russia being the most unsurprising. Hard to stay neutral when someone invades your capital."
The Jedi then made their way to the bridge, where Admiral Yularen was looking over the holotable displaying various salvage and rescue efforts still under way.
"Admiral. How's the work coming along? Anakin asked.
"SAR teams only report a dozen rescue beacons left, sir," Yularen said. "They should be retrieved within the hour. Salvage teams report that they have managed to gather the remaining Separatist ships into a field for proper work to be done later, but one of their Lucrahulks looks incredibly promising for a complete salvage rather than simply stripping it."
"Give the teams my regards. Tell them to get some rest once the survivors are picked up."
"Yes sir."
"General Skywalker, priority transmission request from the Chancellor!" a comms officer called out.
"Put him through," Anakin ordered. Barely a few seconds later, the bridge security doors closed, and the image of the elderly politician appeared on the holotable.
"General Skywalker, I take it that the Sol System has been secured?" Palpatine said.
"Yes excellency. The Terrans have committed themselves to our cause and plan to send delegates to officialize our alliance to Coruscant within the week."
"That is excellent news. I look forward to meeting with them to discuss it. Unfortunately, I come bearing less good news to you," Palpatine stated.
"Recently acquired intelligence suggests that the Separatists are planning a large-scale attack on Kamino. Whilst their previous attempts have been thwarted, this one it seems will be headed by General Grievous and Asajj Ventress."
Ahsoka scowls, recalling her last encounter with the Sith assassin aboard Master Luminara's Star Destroyer where the assassin had managed to free the imprisoned Nute Gunray right under her nose.
"I understand your troops have just come off a major battle, but as of this moment any combat capable formations of the 501st and 212th are the only units we have available to send to protect the source of the Grand Army."
Palpatine was correct. Whilst said Grand Army of the Republic was mostly made up of Clones, many Republic worlds relied on their own militias for defense. Originally formed for use against pirates or rogue factions, they were now being used to defend their worlds long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Not all were like this however, with some operating on the offensive against CIS targets such as outposts, trade lanes, and detached Separatist fleets, and some even invading Separatist worlds.
Kamino on the other hand, had no such defence force. The only troops there were, unsurprisingly, clones and with them needed across the galaxy, their combat ready numbers on their homeworld were dangerously low.
"Don't worry, your excellency. If someone threatens the clone's home, they'd better bring more than a few big blasters."
Palpatine smiled. "The clone's bravery is never to underestimated indeed. Please depart for Kamino as soon as possible. The estimated start of the attack will be within two weeks. Good luck General Skywalker."
As the hologram dissipated, Yularen began to bark orders to the bridge crew to prepare the fleet for hyperspace jump whilst Anakin raised his commlink.
"Rex, this is Skywalker. We need you back on the Resolute as soon as possible. General Kenobi and Commander Cody will be joining us to be briefed on new droid activity out system" Anakin ordered.
"Right away sir!" Rex replied.
As Anakin lowered his commlink, Ahsoka began to speak.
"I haven't been to Kamino yet. Can't wait to bring that harpy down a size!" she exclaimed.
"Don't get too ahead of yourself," Anakin said. "We still need someone to stay here and keep an eye on Earth with the remaining clones whilst the others head to Kamino, and with both Grievous and Ventress potentially being there, it's probably for the best that Obi-Wan and I go."
"But Master-!"
"I know you want to prove yourself still, but we can't leave Earth undefended right now," Anakin interrupted. "Once the Separatists are gone or reinforcements get to Sol, we'll meet up back on Coruscant alright."
Ahsoka sighed in defeat. "Yes Master."
Anakin put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure you won't be bored for too long."
Virginia Beach, Virginia
September 12, 1994/21 BBY
Thomas looked at the house in front of him, a bus having dropped him off about a mile away from it. He hadn't been able to tell his family when he would be able to come home, as all hands were needed to search for survivors and restore even a modicum of Charleston's transport infrastructure after the battle. He'd only been able to tell them that he was still alive.
Taking a deep breath and making sure his dress uniform was properly fitted, he walked up to the door and knocked using the door handle. The door then opened to reveal a young woman. One who shared his light brown hair.
The woman looked at him in disbelief, before screaming and launching herself into him, causing him to nearly stumble back down the steps.
"Hey Tams," he said as he returned the hug. His sister leaned back and glared at him.
"Really?! You only tell us you're alive, then show up in the middle of the day unannounced and your first words are 'Hey Tams?" she asked rhetorically as she slugged him in the arm.
"Hey, I tried to call, but no one picked up," Thomas replied as he massaged his arm.
"Oh yeah, I'm sure," Tamara said sarcastically.
"Tamara? Who is it?" A voice called from inside the house.
"Just the missing boy Mom!" Tamara called back.
Moments later an older woman came around the corner of an interior hallway. Upon seeing Thomas her eyes lit up.
"Thomas!" She said as she walked forward and gave him a hug, though much less forcefully than his sister.
"Are you alright? Your face..." she said, caressing Thomas's face where a large scar was located.
"I'm fine mom, the bruises are the worst of it," he replied.
He then sighed. "I was one of the lucky ones."
"Now listen here mister, I won't have any of that" his mother, named Rebecca, ordered. "Now come inside, I was just finishing up dinner. We can talk about everything that's happened over it."
"So, the Jedi actually do have powers? That wasn't just some propaganda stuff?" Tamara asked.
Thomas swallowed a piece of steak. "Yep. They can block bullets with their swords and move stuff with their minds like the stories say," he replied as cut off yet another piece.
"How the heck is that even possible?"
"Said it was something called 'The Force', whatever that is."
"Well, you're very lucky she was there either way" Rebecca said.
"I know," Thomas replied, before continuing, "But after that, we linked up with Jacob again and headed for the shield generator. Then, we got inside, took out several droids, and managed to get the shield down. Once we got out of there, the planes started to rain hell and we finished off the last droids on that side of the city."
"And then you called shortly after that?" Tamara asked.
"Yeah. We got one call to make before we all got put on search and destroy or rescue. Spent the next few days doing that before being given leave, then made my way home."
"What about Will and the others you mentioned?" Tamara replied.
"Will's already back home, unless he stopped at another bar or something," Thomas said chuckling. "Sarah should be still on her plane to Massachusetts I'm pretty sure, and Jacob should be in Georgia. Not sure about Beau and Mia though."
Thomas then looked at his mother. "Any word on when dad is getting back?" he asked.
Rebecca sighed. "He's still in London. You know how these trips go. He's asked to come home sooner, but I don't know if they've decided to let him yet."
With Thomas's father being a technical advisor for Lockheed Martin, such cross county/continent trips were hardly uncommon. They'd actually been incredibly common back when him and his sister were much younger, which had caused a minor streak of resentment in the two children at the time. Things had gotten better when their father had been reassigned to more local work, but he still had to make such trips occasionally.
"When did they say you're supposed to go back?" Tamara asked, referring to his unit.
"They gave me a month. Something about waiting on the ships to take us places to get here."
"Well, it's not like we just have ships big enough to move thousands of soldiers across the galaxy just laying around," Tamara said.
Thomas chuckled. "Oh, trust me I know. Especially if your ego is going to be aboard."
"Hey, I'll have you know that ego is only too big for frigates. Carriers on the other hand," Tamara said, smirking.
"Only if you keep your grades up remember," their mother said. Tamara's desire to join the navy, and to eventually captain an aircraft carrier, was well known by her family at this point. Mainly because she never stopped talking about it due to her fascination with their grandfather's stories of the Pacific. What few he would tell her anyway.
Tamara sighed. "Yes, I know mom."
Her gaze then hardened. "And I'm going to do it. Just you wait," she said.
Thomas smiled with mirth.
It was good to be home. For now, at least.
September 26, 1994/21 BBY
Senate Building, Coruscant
The sun gleamed through the windows into Palpatine's office, reflecting off the clothes of the individuals gathered in front of the Supreme Chancellor. As Anakin had said nearly a month earlier, the TSA had quickly sent many of its representatives to Coruscant to facilitate the new alliance between itself and the Republic. One such representative, Alexander Harris of the United Kingdom, signed his signature on the bottom of one of many documents and passed it to an aid who in turn passed it over to Palpatine, who sat at his desk.
"Chancellor Palpatine. With the signing of this treaty, the Terran Systems Alliance vows to assist the Galactic Republic by any means it can in its war against the Confederacy of Independent Systems," Harris said.
Palpatine quickly, yet elegantly, applied his own signature to the document.
It was now official. The Terran Systems Alliance had entered the Clone Wars.
"Now that the officiation of our alliance is over with, how is the Terran military faring after the Separatist attack?" Palpatine asked.
Another man, this one wearing the dress uniform of the United States Army, stepped forward whilst the delegates left the room for their other duties.
"Our ground and aerospace forces remain combat effective, but our fleet didn't fare so well," William F. Garrison, the man selected to represent the TSA Military in the wider galaxy, said. "We only have three heavy cruisers and roughly a dozen and a half escort-ships available for immediate tasking. Everything else was either damaged or destroyed during the CIS assault. It will be at least six months till our navy is back to full strength, and that's without any more combat."
"That is most unfortunate. Am I correct to assume you still lack the necessary ships to transport your armies off world?" Palpatine asked.
"Yes Chancellor. The twelve assault ships the Republic has offered to transport our troops previously are currently enroute to Earth, but it still means that hundreds of thousands of soldiers will remain on world until further ships can be built by various shipyards."
"In that case, I will reach out to Kuat Drive Yards to prepare for the construction of a fleet of thirty-six more assault ships to replace those that will be transferred to Terra's control once enough sailors have been trained to operate them, alongside preparing the paperwork required for the transfer of another four dozen Consular cruisers. Alongside the various currently incomplete warships your government ordered prior to the attack, I believe this will provide enough available ships to bring the Systems Alliance to the battlefield sooner rather than later."
Whilst Garrison's face remained unchanged due to ingrained discipline, he couldn't help but be surprised. That was enough ships to begin offensive operations within two months! It would have taken the TSA nearly a year to get to that point on its own!
"We graciously accept your offer Chancellor," he said.
It was then that the doors to the office opened, and a man dressed in a Republic Navy Uniform walked in. Garrison noted the colored bars on his chest that identified him as an admiral.
"Ah, General Garrison, this is Admiral Vicor. I have assigned him to assist with the creation of the 'Terran Expeditionary Forces', as well as provide protection for Earth and your transports until your navy has rebuilt itself," Palpatine said.
"Admiral," Garrison said as he held out his hand.
"General," Vicor replied as he took the Terrans hand. "Your military's ability to hold off an entire CIS invasion practically on its own was most impressive. I look forward to seeing your men in action."
"As do I sir. They're eager for some payback."
The Admiral hummed in acknowledgement. "Permission to be dismissed so I may bring him up to speed Chancellor?" he asked Palpatine.
"Permission granted Admiral," the Chancellor replied. The Admiral saluted and walked out the room, Garrison following.
Palpatine then turned and faced the window, before letting a slight grin show itself.
October 12, 1994/20 BBY
Camden, New Jersey
"Oh, there's my little boy!" An aging woman said as she hugged Thomas, despite the younger man being about four inches tall.
"Hi Grandma," Thomas replied, returning the hug.
"It's good to see you're alright. Come on inside. Your grandfather will be back soon."
Thomas walked into the house, the cooling New Jersey air replaced by the much hotter, yet staler, air inside.
"I'm surprised he still goes on that ship so often," Thomas said. "She's not exactly going anywhere."
"Well, you know how sailors are about their ships," his grandmother, named Akira, replied knowingly.
Thomas huffed. "As if he didn't try to drill 'take care of your ship and she'll take care of you' into our heads every time we came over," he said.
"And I say that for a good reason" a voice called out. Thomas turned to see his grandfather standing in the doorway, his approach having been as silent as a ghost.
"You always do," Thomas replied, walking over to give the man a hug as well.
"I'll go ahead and let you talk. I still have to get these reports for the school finished before the end of the week," Akira said, her Asiatic features contorting into a slight scowl as she walked away.
Thomas's grandfather, Jacob, softly chuckled. "She's never been one to sit idle. Come, let us speak in my study," he said.
The pair made their way up the stairway before entering said study. Near the back of the room sat a desk with an old typewriter on it, whilst the walls were covered in shelves which were packed with various models of ships, planes, and other vehicles, as well as historical books and numerous file folders. A single large window letting in the sun's yellow light onto a pair of reclining chairs finished off the scene.
"Do you know why I asked you to come here?" Jacob asked as he sat down in one of the recliners.
"I can think of a few reasons," Thomas said as he picked up a book titled America's Battlecruisers off the shelf and flipped to a page detailing the Battle off Samar. "Maybe you're planning to give me another history lesson, or perhaps prepare me for another wargame."
His grandfather chuckled. "As much as I would enjoy another bout of throwing dice around, no that is not why I called you."
He then leaned forward. "Would you like to talk about it?" he asked.
"Talk about what?" Thomas asked in reply whilst setting down the book.
"You know what. I've that look in many men's eyes before."
"I don't really need to talk about it. I'm fine, really," Thomas said.
Jacob simply continued to stare at him.
Thomas took a deep breath and sighed. "We were... making our way down to the shield generator. Once we got into position, we were about to open fire... but then we got flanked by some super battle droids and this guy, his name was Harper, just bought it. He was just gone. Just like that," he said, emphasizing it with a snap of his fingers.
He then huffed. "He wasn't even the only one either," Thomas said, raising his voice slightly. "Sergeant Smith got crushed by a collapsing roof, which also buried me, and some clone was killed as we pushed the bastards down to the beach. One bolt to his head was all it took! And I almost met the same fate damn twice more after that! If it wasn't for the Jedi... I wouldn't be here."
"And you're wondering why you are here, and they aren't," Jacob stated more than asked.
"Yes!" Thomas exclaimed angrily. "What the hell did I do to earn my survival that they didn't!? Why them and not me!?"
He then collapsed into the opposite chair and put his face in his hands. "Why not me?"
Jacob then stood up and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke.
"When my war started, I asked the same questions. From Pearl all the way up to the surrender I asked myself, 'why me?', 'why did I survive?'. Almost got used to it, seeing those around me get hurt or killed."
He then gained a far off look in his eyes. "Almost."
"How did you deal with it?"
"One day at a time, hour by hour. It never got any easier, but focusing on the mission and the people I could still save helped me stay sane."
The elderly man then walked over to the window and stared out into the street below.
"This war will be different from my own in many ways. Instead of battles over islands and ships sailing the sea, it will be fought over entire planets with fleets of starships larger than anything we could have imagined fifty years ago. But in other ways it will be exactly the same. You will see things more terrifying than your worst imaginations, and those who have already been killed will not be the last. One day it'll end, but until then you must do one thing above all others."
Jacob then looked at his grandson, seemingly staring into his very soul.
"Survive."
October 30, 1994/21 BBY
Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Sarah checked her bag to be sure her effects were secure inside of it. Around her stood several hundred other soldiers, all doing either much the same as she was or were making idle conversation. Once she finished her task, she threw her backpack back on. As she did so she looked over at the Republic assault ships parked on the base's airfield. Despite their 750-meter length, four of them managed to fit with a few hundred meters to spare between them, due to Simmons Army Airfield's own length of over 4,600 meters.
Alongside the thousands of troops, dozens of vehicles, ranging from Abrams tanks and Bradley IFVs to simple Humvees and supply trucks, waited for their turn to board their respective ships.
"Where the hell is Wilson at?" Mei asked. "Our turn to board should be coming up quick."
"He should be here in a minute," Will replied. "Said he had to make one last call."
"He probably should have done that a little sooner don't you think?" Beau asked.
Will simply shrugged in reply.
Sarah elected to ignore the conversation, though she had to somewhat agree with Beau, though she understood the absent soldier's sentiment. She had already said her goodbyes to her family and friends almost two days before. That was something that, whilst drilled into you as an eventuality constantly, never truly hit a soldier until it happened. Being separated from everything you've ever known for months to even years at a time, with only your fellows as continued companionship.
"How many people do you think are out here?" Mei asked as her eyes scanned the massive airfield.
"Fifty thousand I'd say, give or take a few thousand," Beau replied.
"Yeah, there's enough people and firepower here to fight the droids off Earth all over again," Will said.
"And it's all going to take the fight to said droids now," Ethan said as he walked up with a half dozen more soldiers, Thomas amongst them.
"Triple check you damn gear people," he ordered. "I don't want to hear that someone left their designated ass wipe on Terra firma when we get into orbit."
"About time you got here," Beau said to Thomas as the newly arrived soldier set down his bag.
"It was my last chance to talk to my sister alright?" Thomas replied. "I don't know how we're going to talk to Earth from halfway across the galaxy, apart from damn letters as, last I checked, holonet stuff isn't exactly common here."
"Well at least you got to talk to her before we left," Mei said. "Not everyone is going to get that luxury."
Beau quietly scoffed. "Ain't that the truth..." he said to himself.
It was then that a sort of hover carriage with almost thirty seats pulled up next to the group. A man quickly stepped on the hood of the vehicle and looked over at them.
"Alright group 82B, you're up next! Let's get a move on!" he yelled out.
The squad of troopers, alongside a pair of others, quickly boarded the vehicle. It then turned and made its way to the nearest assault ship. Getting in line with several other such carriages, they began to make their way up the right side of the ship's massive embarking ramp, a column of tanks joining them on the ramp's centerline, whilst empty carriages descended on the left side heading to pick up the next group of soldiers.
Once they crested the top of the ramp, they were greeted with the sight of the ships massive internal bay, with LAAT gunships hanging from clamps in the ceiling and numerous Abrams tanks and Bradley IFVs, alongside several AT-TE walkers and various logistical vehicles, taking up various vehicle bays.
"Hooollllyyyy shiiiiiiiiiiit..." Will said in awe of the utter size of the space.
"Yeah, no kidding," Thomas said in agreement.
As the convoy of tanks peeled off, the group of carriages pulled up to where a section of clones was waiting, seemingly led by one particular clone with blue markings down the sides of his helmet.
After the troops disembarked from the vehicles, the lead clone stepped forward.
"Welcome aboard the Amity Terrans," he said. "I am Sergeant Denal, and me and my boys will be giving you the breakdown of various places on this ship."
The clone then went into various details about the ship's layout, from the hanger bay they were currently in, to the mess halls, PT rooms, and the barracks. All of which would be given access to the newly arrived Americans at various points. Things such as the bridge, reactor, and weapon systems were left out for obvious reasons.
"Now, Commander Tano has ordered that you are all to get yourselves sorted in your new quarters before the fleet's departure. As such, you will shortly receive the key cards required for them, divided up into sections, and be escorted to their location by one of my men before you."
"Is that understood?" Denal asked.
"Sir yes sir!" the congregation of Terrans replied.
"Good," the clone said.
Over the next few minutes, several groups were formed and taken away just as Denal had said. Eventually Thomas, Will and Sarah's section of the squad was selected, which also consisted of Mei and Beau. They were taken deeper into the ship, navigating several different hallways and staircases before finally ending up in a seemingly random series of doors.
"Here we are. Room R93" the clone leading them, named Vaughn, said. The door then opened to reveal the room, filled with a series of six beds with storage containers at the foot of each one.
"Here's your keycards to access the room," Vaughn continued whilst passing out said cards. "Inside you'll find a holo-map detailing the Amity's interior to help you get familiar with it, as well as a refresher and its associated items. Crates are unlocked for now, but their codes are inside them. If you need any help getting things to work, just flag down a trooper and he'll be able to walk you through it if he's free to do so."
"Thank you, sir," Thomas replied.
Vaughn then nodded and walked away. The group then walked into the room and began to set down all their backpacks and duffle bags and began to place their items in their respective containers.
"Yo that clone wasn't kidding!" Will said as he inspected the 'refresher', apparently the wider galaxy's term for a bathroom. "This thing is actually dang modern too!"
"Considering it's a newly built ship for a galactic war, I'd be extremely concerned if it wasn't," Sarah said.
"When are they going to tell us where we are heading anyway?" Beau asked. "Heard some clones say the trip should be about two weeks while on the way up here."
"Two weeks would mean we aren't heading to the other side of the galaxy at least. So that leaves somewhere within either the Mid-Rim or somewhere else in the nearby Outer-Rim, which I guess doesn't narrow it down much" Mei said, shrugging.
"Well, that's good to know," Thomas said whilst flopping on his bed. "Instead of millions of planets, we've narrowed it down to a few thousand. Hip hip hooray..."
"Oh, you're just complaining because you didn't narrow it down before she did," Will said.
"Dude, I know how an M16 works, how to use it, and random historical shit, not the names and location of thousands of star systems that we literally just learned about!"
"Wimp."
"Rust rat."
Sarah stopped putting things in her crate and looked up at the two with a confused expression.
"The hell does that insult come from?" she asked.
"Trust me, you don't want to know," Will replied.
Once they finished unpacking, the group spent the next few hours wandering the ship, learning the most efficient routes to the various locations they had access to. It was one thing to read a map, it was another to actually go to the places. Whilst doing so they made conversation with several other clones in the mess hall, and when the topic of their destination came up, they revealed that they didn't know the answer either. Apparently, it was protocol to reveal a deployment's destination only after they were enroute to it, to reduce the chance of any spies getting the info from a clone who'd been a little too tipsy at a bar at any of the planets the GAR happened to stop on.
With that chance of finding out where they were going snuffed, they instead elected to return to their barracks. Whilst on the way, however, they felt the ship begin to shake, quickly followed by an announcement that the ship was beginning preparations for takeoff and would begin to do so in three minutes.
"It kind of feels like taking off in an airplane, just a more vertical push rather than horizontal," Mei noted as the group entered their room whilst the shakes grew more intense.
"It's certainly different from a helicopter," Thomas said in agreement.
"Well, I'll be happy when it stops," Beau said as he laid onto his bed.
"Not the biggest fan of planes, I take it?" Will asked the larger man.
"Nope. I'm fine with Helicopters for some reason, but planes always give me the jitters."
It was then that a trio of bangs sounded from the door. The group of soldiers looked at each other, wondering who would be knocking on the door so soon after their arrival.
"Uhh... come in?" Will called out.
To their surprise, when the door opened none other than Ahsoka was standing there.
"Commander ma'am!" Beau acknowledged as he and the rest of them jumped to their feet and stood at attention. The young Jedi was no longer wearing the burgundy tunic with a skirt, but now a full body one with openings on her legs. Her montrals had certainly gotten longer as well, and she now also carried a second lightsaber on her belt.
Ahsoka smiled. "At ease troopers."
"How can we help you ma'am?" Sarah asked.
"Relax guys, just coming to check on how everyone is settling in, and what did I tell you about calling me that off duty?"
"Sorry Ahsoka," Sarah replied, correcting herself.
The Jedi Padawan then sat down on one of the crates.
"So has everybody been doing alright? None of the clones said anything bad while showing you around, did they?" she asked.
"No. Why would they?" Will asked.
Ahsoka winced. "There was a rather bad altercation between them and some members of the Corellian Defense Forces a few months back. I was worried that the animosity would carry over to you guys, but looks like I'm probably wrong."
"Good thing too, I'm far too young to deal with Hardcase getting his arm broken by getting it stepped on after trying to throw food trays like they were grenades again" she said laughing at the absurdness of that statement.
The others laughed.
"Wait too young? How old are you? If you don't mind me asking that is," Beau asked, though he blurt out the last part rather rapidly.
"It's fine, I don't mind sharing," Ahsoka replied. "I'm fifteen standard years old."
"Fifteen!?" the group basically shouted.
"Well... fifteen and a half technically" she said sheepishly.
That would certainly explain her more inquisitive nature, Thomas thought. Age brought with it many things. Most of the time it was wisdom in experiences. In others it was enhanced physical features, one good example being Beau, who still stood a head taller than even Will at six feet and three inches tall.
"How'd you get to be a commander at that age?" Mei asked in shock. Most military commanders in the modern day were somewhere around the mid to late thirties, though that wasn't always the case in the past.
"When the war started the Jedi were given commissions in the GAR that represented their positions in the order itself. A Jedi Master or Knight would be made a general, whilst the Padawans would serve under them as commanders to continue their tutelage. Though not all of us are ready..." Ahsoka said trailing off.
There was silence for a moment as the soldiers looked at each other.
"Well, I certainly wasn't expecting to hear that Tommy got his butt saved by a fifteen-year-old today. I'm never going to let you live this down now!" Will said, breaking the tension.
Thomas simply sighed. "Why did I have to end up with him as a friend of all the people on Earth?" he rhetorically asked.
It was then that Ahsoka's face lit up. "Hold on. Speaking of Earth, this is the first time any of you have left your planet, right?" she asked.
The group nodded in affirmation.
"Then come on! You must see your first hyperspace jump!" Ahsoka exclaimed as she raced to the door and gestured to follow her. Quickly doing so the group made its way through the ship, making their way down several hallways and a pair of escalators before they were greeted with a sort of observation deck.
"Where are we exactly?" Sarah asked.
"About eight levels below the main bridge. I often come here if I want to get some peace and quiet" Ahsoka said.
"All hands prepare for hyperspace jump. Repeat, all hands prepare for hyperspace jump," a clone called out over the intercom.
"Now keep your eyes on the window," Ahsoka told them.
As they stared out into the void, the two assault ships in front of the Amity engine's, seemed to brighten significantly before the ships disappeared in a burst of speed.
"What the...?" Beau said. Then the blackness of space seemed to turn blue as the stars elongated, before a swirling vortex of energy took up the entire viewport.
"Wow..." Thomas said in awe whilst staring into the mesmerizing sight of a hyperspace tunnel.
A few minutes passed in silence, the now newly made space travelers simply letting their thoughts wander before Sarah turned to Ahsoka.
"Hey, now that we're in hyperspace, can we know where we're going exactly?" the Scottish woman asked.
Ahsoka slightly smirked.
"Have you ever heard of the planet of Serinia?" she asked.
Hello all! Welcome back to 'An Uplifting War' and happy V-E Day! Our little band of misfits are now on course for their next destination: the planet of Serinia, where they will face the wider galaxy's evils head on and perhaps learn of not only new mysteries to solve regarding both Earth's place in said wider galaxy, but also why Thomas was able to seemingly sense events before they happened...
Apologies for the wait on this one. Got a severe case of writer's block and was dealing with college classes and work for most of the time I wasn't dealing with that. I will let you all know if I intend to go on a hiatus for any reason though so don't fret if you don't hear from me for a bit. Once again thank you all for your support. It really does mean a lot to me.
I would also like to thank my friend Striker Echo, who has been beta'ing the last four chapters for me. Your help is very much appreciated man, and this story wouldn't be the same without you.
Now onto the reviews:
Many Faced Mage: Heroes will indeed be forged by the Clone Wars, with many of their number going on to affect the Galactic Civil War as a result. If you look at World War II, a similar thing happened with the younger officers that joined up either shortly before or during World War I. A good example would be Willis A. Lee. I recommend Drachinifel's video on him for more detailed information.
Comet9: The TSA is still getting its boots off the ground so to speak. Equipment will still vary due to their origins in different countries, but it will begin to become more streamlined as the war goes on.
slipspace149: Yeah, those numbers are counted. Even so, you don't deploy your whole army to one battle anyway.
Omar: The declaration has now happened! Earth lore may take inspiration from such things, but I have yet to fully decide on that front yet.
Peter HK: All will be revealed in due time, don't worry.
dankuser: Thank you. Religions will definitely have to adapt with all these aliens running around. Other sci-fi characters will mostly show up as cameos, though some will play a bigger role. The Warring Terra Trilogy will be a trilogy, obviously, focusing on what has changed in the past whilst focusing on Thomas Wilson's ancestors.
leebrough98us: So, I went back to chapter 2 and didn't see the switch, would you mind telling me where the mistake is at so I can fix it?
PermanentObserver: Maybe before the battle, but definitely not during it as that would interfere with combat operations.