Chapter 4: Episode 4: Why You Should ALWAYS Listen to Your MedicNotes:(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter TextTheir time at Coruscant had come to an end. It was a nice break for a few weeks from the constant war and battles and fighting. But, Ahsoka had to admit, she was itching to get back out onto the field. To defend the galaxy. To help bring about the end of the war. She wasn't the only one who was getting antsy. The rest of the 501st seemed to be just as ready to get back out there and fight as she was.
Though, they did have a chance to do some training with Cody and Wolffe's squads towards the end there. She was proud to say her men won three out of five battles! Wolffe would say that's because his men were all pansies who heard what she did to Anakin and didn't want to be on the receiving end of her teeth. She would just like to point out that Wolffe was also known for using his teeth so that was a pathetic excuse.
Still, Ahsoka enjoyed 'hunting' his men down and pouncing on them when they least expected it. Wolffe even recorded a few of her hunts to upload onto the 'Creche to Command' site Echo had made for her. He even started his own series! A 'Best of the GAR' short video series that was supposed to showcase all the cool battle moments.
"Something to tie over your fans until you get the next full-length one uploaded," He had said to her.
"That's a great idea! Maybe we can have other battalions submit their coolest moments or best pranks."
He flashed a grin at her. "I like the sound of that, kid."
So far, it was populated entirely by Wolfpack. Ahsoka, Fives, and Jesse were planning on changing that very soon.
There was a war on and if they had any hope of ending it, she and the rest of her squad had to get back out into the galaxy.
They were heading back to the frontlines tomorrow. Which meant everyone was in a rush to get all the cargo loaded up onto the transport ships in the next few hours. It was a mess of troopers rushing around. Running back to get last-minute items. Rex and Cody shouting over the chaos and trying to direct people into at least a bit of order. Anakin and Obi-Wan had to attend a stupid Jedi Council Meeting (yes, another one. Anakin often complained that they never ended). Which meant Ahsoka was the only non-trooper currently in the bay, doing her best to help out.
She had gotten stronger in the force and was using it to move some of the heavier pallets around so the troopers didn't hurt themselves.
"Doing okay there, kid?" Appo asked as she dropped the pallet onto the loading ships.
"Yup! Besides, we're almost done," she said, trying to hide the fact that she was panting. Yes, the force did allow her to pick up large, heavy objects that would normally take a dozen men to move, but it did still require some effort on her part. Effort and energy. She was going to need to eat double the rations she normally ate tonight to make up for all this work.
"Keep telling yourself that," Hawk grumbled, walking past her with his own checklist in hand. "Did we get all the ammo loaded?"
"First thing that went on the ship," Rex called back.
"Why wasn't medical supplied the first thing on the ship?" Kix shouted.
"Because you're anal about the medical supplies and weren't done taking inventory when we started to load up!" Jesse called.
"Sorry for caring about keeping you alive!"
"Ammo also keeps us alive," Hardcase shouted.
Ahsoka sighed as they kept shouting at each other. The argument itself was less playful and more stressful than normal. It always was right before they left. If they forgot anything, they'd have to send for it. And, depending on what else was happening in the galaxy, their request might take weeks, if not months to process. One missing crate of ammo or bacta could mean the difference between life and death out there.
She shook off her exhaustion and cursed her wimpy noodle arms. Yes, she finally admitted that she had wimpy noodle arms. If only to herself. She'd never let Hardcase get the satisfaction of knowing he was right. She had started weight training with Dogma to try and build up more muscle. Soon, she was going to be able to bench press Hadrcase without the force!
She steadied herself and picked up another heavy pallet. Each one seemed heavier than the last. Each pallet took her longer to get off the ground and she dropped them with more and more force each time.
This one barely made it onto the transport ship before her arms gave out.
Echo saw this and came over to her. She went to argue that she was fine but he was having none of it. Hand on her back, he guided her out of the bay and to the quiet hallway.
"I'm fine, Echo," she said.
"You can still take breaks if you need to. You're right, we're almost done anyways." He handed her some water.
She tried to do her 'tooka eyes' on him. The eyes that could make most troopers melt and give in to her demands.
He looked unimpressed. "Stay, or I'll tell Kix you're hiding an injury."
She glared at him. "You wouldn't." How dare he be immune to her greatest weapon!
"You know I would. I've sold out Fives before. You're not any different. Now stay here for at least five minutes. If I see you in the bay before five minutes is up, I will get Kix."
"And I'll tell him that you're the one hiding an injury!" She called out after him.
Echo just laughed at the threat.
As nice as it felt to sit down and take a break, she hated wasting time like this. It was bad enough that Anakin and Master Kenobi were gone. Sitting back here, away from all the men made her feel… bad. Like she was above them. She didn't think any of them thought that way. After all, it had been Echo who had pulled her aside from the first place. But what of the other troopers walking around? What if they saw her sitting off to the side and thought that she thought she was too good for them?
She had been surprised when she first showed up in Coruscant that she was getting a more positive reception from the troopers outside of the 501st, no doubt due to her holonet series, but what if they thought all of it was fake? What if when they looked at her, all they saw was another nat-born using troopers for her own gain; not caring about their well-being?
"Are you alright?" a trooper asked.
She looked up, expecting it to be one of the 501st, possibly someone who saw Echo pull her to the side and was using the excuse of checking up on her to get out of work. She'd be more than happy to oblige them. They worked hard enough as is.
When she looked up, however, that wasn't who she saw. Two troopers, painted in the red of the Coruscant guard stood in front of her. She didn't recognize either of them. Come to think of it, she wasn't sure she had ever formally met anyone from the Coruscant guard. She knew of Fox because of how much the rest of the commanders talked about him. But other than that the guards were basically background characters. Always wandering around but never really interacting with her or the others. Which is why it was so weird they were talking to her now.
"Um, yeah. No need to worry about me. Just doing a lot of heavy lifting," she said, scrambling to her feet. She never knew how to act around unfamiliar troopers. Did they want her to follow all the protocols of salutes and 'yes, sirs' and treat them like colleagues? Or did they want something a bit more informal?
"Are you sure? You look a little pale," one of the guards stepped closer to her, examining her.
Okay, this was even weirder. Usually, unless they needed something, Coruscant guards tended to ignore her. Not that she was complaining! She had seen many troopers shuddering at the thought of getting their attention.
"I'm fine, guys. Just taking a little break. Don't worry, Echo is keeping an eye on me."
Why did she have to explain herself in the first place? What did it matter to these guys if she was resting or pushing herself? They weren't her men? Did Echo put them up to this? Did he have that kind of pull with the guard?
"Okay. Don't push yourself too hard, though." The other said, not sounding the least bit convinced at her explanation.
"I won't," she assured them, still very confused as to why they cared in the first place.
"Good." The trooper dug around his pocket and pulled out an energy bar. Like a ration bar, but slightly less chalky. And sometimes they had actual flavor! The 'flavor' in question wasn't always good, but at least it tasted like something.
He pressed it into her hands. "Here. Eat this."
"Um… thank you?"
"Don't work yourself too hard, kid," the other said. He patted her on the shoulder before they both left to continue their rounds.
'Kid'. Not 'sir'. 'Kid'. That alone was enough to make her suspicious. Even with the 212th, Wolfpack, and 501st, if she wasn't super familiar with a trooper, they still called her 'sir'. She always told them to call her by her name, but she had never had that conversation with the guard before. What was going on here?
"That was weird," she said. Should she be worried the bar was poisoned or something? Maybe she shouldn't eat it. Maybe these weren't troopers at all. Maybe they were those commando droids pretending to be troopers to kill her!
Why commando droids would try to assassinate her specifically was unknown, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibilities.
Her stomach growled.
"Eh, who'd want to kill me," she said, ripping the packaging off with her teeth and digging in. "Oh, this is one of the good ones!"
Everyone agreed that nut butter and juja fruit bars were the best. But they were also the hardest to get. Some of the most intense barterings she had ever seen happened because one trooper got a nut butter and juja fruit bar in his pack and the others were willing to sell a kidney to get it. And here she was, chowing down on one like they grew on trees. Cramming the rest of the bar in her mouth, she did feel better.
"If it was poisoned, at least they poisoned one of the good ones." She looked up at the clock and saw that her five minutes were up.
Echo would be so proud.
"Alright, back to work." She rolled her head a few times and trotted back into the bay to aid in packing up the last few pallets. How the guard had treated her lingered in the back of her head. She wanted to know what had prompted that. She should have gotten their names. Then she could have found them and asked them directly. That wouldn't work now, but there was someone else who might be able to help.
*****
"And so then I rip the clanker's head straight from his body. You should have seen the squad's faces! I don't think I've ever commanded so much respect before!" Wolffe laughed.
Rex rolled his eyes and kept trying to work on some final documents before they shipped out tomorrow morning. It was hard because Wolffe was sitting on his desk and wouldn't shut up about whatever the hell he had been up to since he last saw him.
"You know I can just watch the videos you uploaded. You don't have to tell me about it directly." He tried.
"No, you need to be inspired by this in person. Now then, what other amazing things did I do on my last campaign?"
"Why don't you go bother Cody with this?" Rex growled.
"He's got a meeting with the general."
"Fox?"
Wolffe laughed. "Are you kidding? I set foot in that office and he will shoot me. You know how overworked he is."
"Baccara?"
"Off planet."
"Bly?"
"Off planet."
"Ponds."
"In a meeting with General Windu."
"Wilco?"
"I don't like his face."
"You have the same face."
"Still don't like it."
"Appo?"
"Not as fun to annoy as you."
"Aren't you supposed to be the stoic one?" Rex growled.
"Ah, only when I'm commanding my troops, Rex'ika." He reached forward and pinched Rex's cheeks.
"I will bite you," he said, batting away the hand.
"Can't be any worse than Sok'ika. I heard she nearly ripped out Skywalker's throat," Wolffe laughed again. "I taught her well."
"You taught her the fastest way to get Hep A. That's what you taught her. You know she bit a pirate a few weeks ago? I thought Kix was about to have a heart attack. I think he screened for every disease in the galaxy."
"Pirates are disgusting people. Loads of STDs."
"Didn't you sleep with a pirate once?"
"Yep. Tener is still screening to this day."
"Disgusting and I hate that I know about all your exploits. Please leave."
"Not going to happen. Ah, but I'm glad the council knows about her series. I was worried they'd shut it down."
"From what I hear, most of the members absolutely love it," Rex said, going back to his paperwork. At least they were done talking about STDs and whatever Wolffe got up to when he had more than a few minutes of free time.
"And here you were worried about it. You know she's getting views on almost every Republic system out there? And a few neutral ones as well."
"We'll have to keep an eye on that," Rex said.
"Relax. Seriously. She's got hundreds of thousands of troopers who all have her back. We're not going to let anything happen."
"You can't stop everything."
"But I can try."
Before Rex could answer, the door slid open and Ahsoka stepped in.
"Oh, hey, Wolffe!" Ahsoka said, waving to him. "Hey, Rex. Are you busy?"
"Unbelievably," Rex grumbled, but he put his paperwork off to the side anyways. Unlike Wolffe, Ahsoka tended to not overstay her welcome. He was willing to talk to her for a few minutes. Besides, she was always a bit jittery before shipping out once more. Always afraid that this would be the mission where everyone she cared about died.
"I can come back, then," she said, inching towards the door.
"Oh, no you don't," Wolffe said, grabbing her wrist and tugging her back inside. "Come, help me bother Captain Rex. Tell your favorite ori'vod what's going on in your life. Any Jedi giving you a hard time because of the series? We can… talk to them if you'd like."
Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. "That sounds like a threat."
Wolffe shrugged. "Just saying. There are a couple of them I wouldn't mind going toe-to-toe with."
"Wolffe," Rex warned.
"Alright. Alright. I won't stick a Jedi's head through a wall. Happy?"
"Barely." He turned to Ahsoka. "What's up? All ready to leave tomorrow?"
Ahsoka nodded. "Yeah. But, I wanted to ask you something about the troopers. Mainly the ones that aren't in the 501st?"
"Okay?" He said cautiously. Sometimes, it was hard to figure out where conversations like this were going to lead and he was nervous that she was specifically asking him about troopers outside of their battalions.
He trusted his brothers to have his back. He trusted that if he were plopped down in a random battalion where he knew no one, they'd do everything in their power to keep him safe. Watch his back, and help him finish the mission alive. But, the GAR was made up of hundreds of thousands of men, each with distinct personalities. And statistically speaking, at least some of those men were less than stellar people, as he had had first-hand experience with. He only hoped what he was worried about wasn't actually what Ahsoka was talking about. He wouldn't be able to stop Wolffe if that was the case. He probably wouldn't even try.
"Yeah, have you noticed them acting any different?" Ahsoka asked.
"Different? Different how?" Wolffe asked.
She shrugged. "It's not bad it's just… it's probably nothing."
"No, you can tell us," Rex said. He needed to know sooner rather than later if he needed to call Cody to help hide some bodies.
"Well, today when we were packing up, Echo had me take a break just outside the bay."
He nodded, remembering that.
"And while I was resting, two Coruscant guards came up to me and seemed worried. They asked me if I was alright and gave me an energy bar."
"Okay." That didn't sound too nefarious. "And this is different?"
She nodded. "It's not that any trooper has ever been mean to me or anything. But they're nice in a way that everyone is nice to people who haven't given them a reason to be mean to them yet. You know?"
"Yeah, I understand. And you're saying this is different?"
"Yep. And normally, the guards just completely ignore me if they don't need me for something. But, it's not just them. One of Ponds' men offered to walk me back to the temple after we were done packing everything up. And when I was coming to find you, one of Gree's men asked if I needed help with anything."
"Maybe they're just fans of your series," Rex suggested. He didn't know how he felt about that.
"I thought so too, but it still feels different. Like, I can feel it with the Force. It doesn't feel like they're just fans. They certainly didn't act this way when we first got to Coruscant."
"Oh! I think I know what happened," Wolffe said, snapping his fingers.
"Really?" Rex asked, dubious.
"Yeah. Jesse called you vod'ika during the last Creche to Command, spoke to you in Mando'a, and you responded in real-time."
"So, he does that all the time," Ahsoka shrugged.
Pieces fell into place and Rex realized where Wolffe was going with this. "Oh yeah, you're right."
"Will one of you please just tell me what's going on?" Ahsoka said, throwing her hands up in the air. "What does this have to do with the Coruscant Guard feeding me or troopers I don't know asking if I need any help."
"Because he basically marked you as a trooper. Congratulations, kid. You're one of us now," Rex said.
Instead of looking like that cleared anything up, Ahsoka only looked more confused. "I'm not a clone."
"No, you're not. You're a trooper though," Wolffe said. "Aliit ori'shya tal'din"
Rex had a feeling they could go around in circles all day and decided to give the kid a break and explain it outright.
"Remember what Jesse said? Fives and Echo too? We're a people without a culture or home. We don't even own our own armor. That's all property of the GAR. So, what happens when you have a group of people that can't own property and have no connection to any one place? Non-tangible traditions become a cornerstone of the culture. For us, it's the language. A sort of 'trooper mando'a', if you will."
"Clone-ialisms?" Wolffe smirked.
"I should punish Jesse for that alone," Rex groaned. Now that he had put it out in the world, all of the troopers of the GAR were arguing whether it was brilliant or stupid. They were currently split 50/50.
"I still don't get why this makes other troopers be nicer to me," Ahsoka grumbled.
"Because, like you guys talked about in the last update, troopers don't speak Mando'a to anyone else but other troopers. The fact that you understood him and he spoke directly to you basically signals to all the troopers that you are a brother. You may not look like us, but you are one of us." Rex explained.
"And that means that you're treated just like any other brother. We look out for each other. Especially since not many other people will," Wolffe finished.
"Oh." Ahsoka bit her lip and looked down. "That's…"
"Does it bother you?" Rex asked. He hoped it didn't. Mostly because he had no idea how he'd fix it if it did.
"No, no!" She was quick to exclaim. "It doesn't. Really!"
"I can tell when you're lying, you know," Rex sighed.
"Cannot!"
"Can too. Come on. Out with it. What bothers you about it?"
Ahsoka hesitated again. Normally he'd start speaking to her in Mando'a and appealing to her more emotional side. That was a surefire way to get her to open up. However, given the conversation they were having, he didn't think that would be the best move.
"Jedi aren't supposed to have attachments," she practically whispered.
Wolffe snorted.
Rex glared at him.
"What? She's not the one that's attached. We are."
"No, but that's the thing. I am attached. Maybe not to every trooper out there, but to at least a few of you. I don't know what I'd do if Rex or you died."
"We're all going to die someday, vod'ika," Wolffe said.
Ahsoka punched his arm. "You know what I mean! Not from old age or something. But a violent death. And, the fact that you're soldiers, that's practically a guarantee! It's… it's dangerous."
"You're not going to fall to the dark side," Rex quickly interjected.
"But what if I do?" Ahsoka practically wailed. "They have to have that stupid rule for a reason. What if Rex dies and then I turn evil and join the separatists and start killing children, and—"
"Alright, alright, breathe," Wolffe said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "And you turning evil because one of us died is a load of osik."
"But—"
"But nothing. If attachments made you evil, then most people in the galaxy would be evil. I mean, Rex, how many brothers have you lost?"
"Countless," he said. Despite knowing the conversation was to help Ahsoka, he couldn't help but feel haunted by the deaths on his hands.
"I've lost countless. Hell, you've probably lost countless as well. And it's not like this attachment thing is new. It didn't just pop up yesterday because Jesse decided to be a di'kut and antagonize Rex and then ask you for help."
Ahsoka did not look convinced.
"Dooku isn't exactly swimming in attachments," Wolffe continued. "And he's super evil."
"It's different!" Ahsoka said.
"It's not different."
Once more, Rex could see a conversation that just lead in circles and decided to cut to the chase.
"Ahsoka, I may not be a Jedi, but I know a good person when I see one. And you are a good person. I may die on the battlefield tomorrow. Or I could get hit by a speeder going to pick up whoever got thrown in Fox's drunk tank tonight. Either way, I know you won't fall to the dark side because of my death."
"But what if I do? What if this is just a slippery slope that starts out all innocent and ends with me going out for milkshakes with Ventris?"
He shook his head. "Ventress does not seem like the kind of person who'd go out for milkshakes. Even with an ally. Like I said, I don't know much about this 'light side, dark side' stuff, but what I do know is whether you're a good person or not is dependent on your choices. You choose the light. And, personally, I feel like loving and protecting a group of people is a choice that helps you turn towards the light, not away from it."
He could tell Ahsoka was going to have to mull this over for a long time. He wished she had someone to talk to about this besides them. Someone who had been there before. But, the only Jedi he knew with an attachment was currently hiding said attachment as if he was any good at it. The rest of the Jedi, all spouted the same shit. No attachments. No love. No long-term relationships. Don't even know your parents' names.
It wasn't surprising that Ahsoka was so readily accepted by the troopers, nor did she shy away from their friendships. In many ways, she was just like them. Only a lightsaber to her name. No past. No future. No ancestors. No culture.
He hoped, perhaps selfishly, that this conversation kept her with them. Kept her engaging with them and around them. Force knows he'd probably fall to the dark side if he was expected to never grow attached to anything ever. No one deserved a life of loneliness and a constant fear that one wrong move would spell doom for their eternal soul.
But, if she did decide to distance herself, he'd understand. And he'd help her keep her distance.
"Alright, kid. I think that's enough existential dread for today." Wolffe said, finally hopping off Rex's desk. He put a hand on Ahsoka's back and led her out the door. "I'll walk you back to the Temple. Rex, I'd stay a bit longer. You know Fox is going to call in a few minutes saying Hardcase hit the ale a bit too hard. Oh, and you can think about making it official."
Rex rolled his eyes. He did not think Fox would be very happy with him saying the traditional adoption vow to Ahsoka. Besides, she was having enough trouble with this. No need to give her anything else to stress about. Therefore, he decided to ignore his last little comments and hope Ahsoka didn't look too deeply into them.
"I should just let them rot in there. I told them not to get arrested tonight."
"Do they ever listen?"
"No. They don't."
Ahsoka waved to him as they left the room. He sighed deeply and sank back in his chair. Why was all of this so complicated?
*****
Ahsoka hardly slept that night. Rex's conversation and his words worked themselves over and over and over again in her mind. Honestly, knowing the troopers saw her as one of their own was not a surprise to her. Not in the slightest. She had felt it in the force for a very long time. Felt it in the way they treated her, and looked at her. It was different than how they felt about Anakin or Master Kenobi. Yes, they protected and looked out for them as well, but not in the same way.
Besides, hadn't she literally been thinking of them, not as troopers, not even as brothers, but as vod? Calling them that in her head in a way that made her stomach twist itself into knots that were sometimes not exactly unpleasant?
She sighed once more and rolled over onto her right side.
Attachments were forbidden by the Jedi code. She was supposed to be completely free from all that nonsense. She didn't even know the names of her parents or where about Shili she came from. She didn't know if they were alive or dead. If they missed her. She didn't even know if her birth name was Ahsoka Tano or if that had been a name given to her at the temple. Any memories she had of her past were blurry and sometimes felt like her imagination. A desperate attempt to connect to a time before she was a Jedi.
She sighed and rolled over to her left side.
All this attachment nonsense seemed like an impossible bar to reach. Even before the clone wars, padawans were expected to live with their masters for years. Spending almost every waking hour by their side. How were people not supposed to get attached? Especially when for many padawans, their masters were the closest thing to their parents that they had.
And what about friendships? Did her friendship with Barris count as an attachment? What about Anakin's friendship with Master Kenobi? Did those count as attachments? At what point did a Jedi become so worried about becoming attached to another living being that they completely shut themselves off from the world? Not even allowing passing acquaintances for fear that it could turn into something more.
"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering," she whispered to herself as she turned onto her right side.
She should distance herself from the troopers. It was the only way to be a good and proper Jedi. Besides, what if there were two troopers hanging off a cliff? One was Tup and another was some unnamed trooper she didn't know. She knew she'd instinctively save Tup but wasn't that wrong of her? Shouldn't she at least consider saving both of them in equal measure?
She turned onto her left side, gripping the sides of her head and groaning. She was glad she wasn't sharing a room with anyone.
She should distance herself from the troopers. She should keep them at arm's length and treat them all equally, but her heart hurt when she thought of doing that. Those men were the only things making this war at least somewhat bearable. What was she supposed to do without them to distract her? Meditate? Practice her lightsaber forms again? Stare at the ceiling?
"I don't want to turn to the dark side, though," she said, curling in on herself.
She didn't want to hurt people. She wanted to help people. She wanted to make the world a better place. Besides, her being in the troopers' lives seemed to make it marginally better as well. In the 501st they had someone on their side they knew would see them as human (something many Admirals lacked). They had someone to train with. To laugh with in between missions. To comfort after a hard loss.
And then there were the troopers outside the 501st. She never meant 'Creche to Command' to become so popular, but Wolffe showed her the pictures of his shinies getting their armor painted by some children they saved. She heard Gree and Ponds laughing over the latest episode with Jesse. She saw how much happier the troops were when they were seen. That had to count for something, right? That couldn't be a bad thing. Right?
"You choose the light." That was what Rex had said to her yesterday. You choose the light. You turn towards it. Even when bad things happen, and they will happen no matter what you do, you don't choose darkness.
"I hope I can turn towards the light," she said. She wasn't sure, though. And she hoped she would never need to test herself.
*****
Bly couldn't stop pacing as the ship came out of hyperspace and a bright green planet appeared in front of them.
"Pacing will not change the outcome," Aayla said. She was sitting on a seat with a serene expression on her face. Bly wouldn't put it past her to be meditating or some shit like that.
"This feels like a trap, though. Right? You feel it too?"
Aayla peeled back an eyelid and glanced at him, an amused smile on her face. "None of the other dignitaries we have sent have come back with so much as a scratch. It is not a trip. Please, sit. Relax."
Bly did as he was told while the pilots requested permission to land. They broke through the atmosphere and he was immediately back on his feet. Pacing.
He and Aayla had been sent to the neutral system Jonda to try and negotiate them joining the republic. The system was strategically located and if they managed to gain their support, that would be a huge boost for the Republic. Their foothold here might just speed their victory along.
The only problem? Jonda was probably even more isolationist than Mandalore. They did not take well to any attempts to sway them towards either side.
"It will be fine, commander," Aayla said.
"I heard they chased the separatists off the planet with bows and arrows!" he said.
"Then do not get chased off by bows and arrows."
He glared at her. "Come on. We've been trying for months now to get them to join. We haven't gotten anywhere. This feels like we've been set up to fail. Like it's busy work. Probably to pass another one of those emergency acts."
"I didn't know you were so interested in politics," she smiled at him.
"Eh, not me. Fox. He tries to keep up with it and then when you try to talk to him about anything, he just sits there and complains. But my point still stands, we were sent here to fail."
"And why would the chancellor want us to fail?" she asked, gently probing him.
He sighed and weighed his options. He did trust Aayla with his life, that much was certain. But, like all troopers, there was a slight divide between safety on the battlefield and safety with their thoughts and opinions. He didn't know what was okay to say and what wasn't. What might cause her to think he wasn't loyal and send him to get decommissioned?
"You can talk to me. You are worried about something," she urged gently.
He didn't know if she was using the Force on him or what, but he decided to give in. "Sometimes it feels like there is another player in this war. One that the separatists and the republic don't know about. I mean, think about it, we've been more or less at a stalemate since this war began. It's almost as if every move we do is perfectly countered by the separatists to keep us in gridlock until whatever else is going on happens."
"You think there is a spy in the senate or army?"
"Yes! I mean, no! I mean, I don't know." He finally settled on.
That sort of thinking was often whispered about amongst the other CCs. Some shadow leader fighting a third war no one knew about. It was usually brushed off as superstition. As mistaking Luck and Fate for some intelligent being. But lately, Bly wasn't so sure. No matter how many battles they won, no matter how many victories they secured, they never seemed to be any closer to winning the war. And now, with their suicide mission to get Jonda to join the Republic, he was even more sure that something else was going on behind the scenes.
"I mean, if they really wanted Jonda to join, why not send Senator Amidala? She's great at this," he huffed and sank down in his seat.
"She also has her own work to complete." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Remember, she is a senator in charge of not only looking after her people but also dealing with the mess that is politics. She is not here today, but that doesn't mean she is sitting on Naboo doing nothing."
"You're right. You're right. I just… I don't want to fail this mission."
"We cannot control the outcome. We can only control our choices and reactions. Besides, the fact that the leader is still willing to meet with us is a good sign."
"Maybe she's just bored," Bly muttered.
"Perhaps. Now then, let us go meet our host." She stood and made her way to the gangplank. Bly sighed once more, grabbed his helmet, and followed her.
The leader of Jonda was an old, Torgruta woman. Much older than General Ti. Bly wasn't quite sure how torgruta aged, but she looked to be about the same age as Chancellor Palpatine. Maybe a few years younger.
"Mistress Ja'ani, thank you for agreeing to meet with us," Aayla said, bowing to her.
Bly followed suit.
Mistress Ja'ani looked at Bly, eyes narrowed. "I thought I requested you not bring any soldiers here. And yet, I count three."
"Two are pilots. And this is Commander Bly, my second in command. He is here as another representative of the Republic."
"Bah!" Mistress Ja'ani waved a hand at them and then turned to walk away.
Aayla must have taken that as an invitation to follow and did so.
Bly trailed after her, glancing up at the various men and women lining either side of the walkway. Some had blasters. Some had bows and arrows. Some had swords. All were watching him. As if he were a killing machine that would snap and shoot them all at the drop of a hat. He hated that he had left his blaster on the ship, but if this was their reception, it was probably a good thing.
"That clone is nothing more than a killing machine. Born and raised to be a warrior. It knows nothing else. Basically, a droid that can bleed," Mistress Ja'ani said.
"Hey now!" Bly felt a surge of anger rise up in his chest. He didn't deal with nat-borns very regularly so he wasn't used to being treated like a piece of property. At least, not since he left Kamino and got his assignment. The Jedi were good about treating them like people and not like clankers.
Aayla sensed his rage and put a hand on his chest to stop him from doing something stupid.
"Please, he is a living being just like you or me. Do not speak of him that way."
And also maybe talk to me instead of pretending like I'm not here? Bly glared at her.
Mistress Ja'ani turned and studied him for a bit. "Then take off your helmet. You do not look alive to me."
Bly hesitated and looked at Aayla. She nodded.
He pulled off his helmet and looked her in the eye, hoping she could sense his displeasure at being compared to some clanker.
She huffed and continued walking. "I am still not convinced. Come. I want you off my planet by sundown."
He and Aayla shared a look before following her.
They went into a small hut where several other people were, including several children.
"Nuri, please, get our guests somewhere to sit," Mistress Ja'ani said.
Another torgruta girl, maybe only a few years younger than Tano, nodded and jumped up from where he was sitting to grab some cushions and lay them out.
"My granddaughter," Mistress Ja'ani said.
"Of course," Aayla said, sitting on the cushions.
Bly shot Nuri and the other children a smile. They giggled at him but went back to sitting in the corner. Those kids weren't really going to stay here, were they?
Turns out, they were! They were going to sit here and stay and listen to the adults talk non-stop about peace and GAR and Jonda and everything in between.
Each point Aayla brought up was quickly countered by Ja'ani. Probably because she had heard all these points before. They weren't telling them anything new.
Which meant that the next two hours were probably the most boring hours Bly had ever had to live through. And he once listed to Cody drunkenly ramble about every. Single. Type of tea General Kenobi had onboard the Negotiator. Going into extreme detail about what they tasted like, how hot the water needed to be, how long to steep them, and other facts about tea that Bly didn't even know needed to exist!
He kept glancing over at the children, wondering if they were going to leave or at least start playing a game or something!
Nope. They just sat there, dead-eyed and bored. So bored they started watching a bug crawl across the ground. The bug wasn't particularly colorful or doing anything particularly interesting. It was just a bug. A boring bug that was more interesting than what was happening with the adults.
An idea popped into his head. He glanced over at Ja'ani, who had yet to address him. She probably wouldn't notice if he slipped off to the side and put those kids out of their misery.
Convinced Ja'ani was thoroughly distracted with some mundane argument about economic prosperity, he pulled out a datapad and slipped over to the kids. They were startled at his sudden appearance but seemed unafraid.
"Hey, you kids bored?" he asked, grinning at them.
They nodded.
"I got something that'll make this thing go a lot faster." He started poking around the holonet, trying to find what he was looking for. "I'm guessing you've been to a lot of these talks?"
Once more the kids nodded.
"Sorry about that. If this fails, I'll see if I can stop our constant negotiations. No need to bore you guys to death. Eh?"
They giggled at this.
"Ah, here it is. Keep it quiet, okay?" He handed them the datapad and returned back to Aayla and Ja'ani.
He let himself go back into a bored, trance-like state as they continued to argue, wishing the bug would make its way over to him so he could watch it.
"What are they watching?" Ja'ani's sharp voice yanked him out of his trance.
"Bly?" Aayla looked at him, slightly worried.
"Relax, general. I just gave them an episode of 'Creche to Command' to watch. They looked bored," he said, shrugging. Hopefully, he did not cause a diplomatic incident. Fox would kill him.
"Creche to Command?" Ja'ani asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Oba, look. She's torgruta like me," Nuri said, quickly coming over with the datapad in her hand.
"It's a silly series one of our padawans does with her troops," Aayla rushed to explain before Jonda decided to join the Separatists over this incident.
Ja'ani once more looked at them with suspicion painted across her face. "Show me," she demanded.
Nuri handed the pad over to her. Bly hadn't actually seen this episode yet so he had no idea why Denal was holding Tano above his head and, oh, there was Kix. Looking pissed off as usual. Yep, that would do it.
Ja'ani started the video over from the beginning and the children and the rest of the people in the tent crowded around to watch.
*****
Episode 4: Why you should ALWAYS listen to your Medic
"Alright, is it in focus?" Ahsoka asked as the camera floated a few feet away from her. "Hi, guys! I'm going to be trying something different today. I've got R2 to be my cameraman for the day! That way you're not just looking at a static shot of me sitting behind a table. Because…"
She looked conspiratorially from side to side before leaning in close, "We're going on a field trip to the med bay to get a tour!"
Hoping back, she beamed and clapped her hands together. "Come on. Follow me," she waved at the camera.
R2 let out a series of beeps and boops and followed her down the hall.
"Now, hopefully, you won't be spending much time here and neither will your troops. We want zero troopers to be in the med bay after a battle. But, that is unrealistic. We are at war and people get hurt. Even if we aren't in a battle, this many people on a ship? Injuries are bound to happen. Just ask Hardcase and Fives after they swapped Jesse's practice detonators for ones filled with glitter. I'm pretty sure I've never seen Echo so mad before." She laughed. "That was great. Anyways, we don't want to go to the med bay, but occasionally we'll have to, which is why I wanted to give you a tour and make it a little less scary. Medics are their own classification of trooper. They've been specially trained for this. They also, and will constantly remind you, that they do have the ability to override any order given if it negatively impacts their help. Kix is our head medic, but we won't be talking to him today."
She breathed a sigh of relief. "I think he's trying to track down Anakin and Rex. But Coric is here so he can give us the rundown on protocol, do's and don'ts, and other things pertaining to the med bay!"
She smiled brightly and slipped through the door. As soon as she stepped through, a loud voice rang out through the room.
"If you di'kut'e don't get your shupur'yc shebs'e back in these beds I am going to tranq you so much you'll be drooling on yourselves for the next three months!"
Ahsoka froze, the smile slipping from her face, going pale at the sound of that voice. "Oh, no. I thought he was distracted with Anakin," she whispered. "Maybe we can come back later."
"Tano, is that you?" Kix shouted through the room.
"Let's go, let's go, let's go," she hissed, ushering R2 out of the room.
"Don't you run away from me! I know you were hit with shrapnel and have been avoiding me!"
"Haar'chak! Run!" She shouted, taking off down the hallway. R2 let out another string of beeps and zoomed after her. Troopers leaped out of her way as she twisted and turned down the hallways, seeming to know where she was going.
Sadly, it appeared Kix also knew where she was going as R2 swiveled his head around to show a very angry looking medic not far behind.
"K'olar! Don't you think the fact I'm catching up to you is proof you need to go to the med bay?"
"No!" Ahsoka shouted back. She was slowing down, though. That much was clear to anyone watching. Soon, Kix would catch up to her.
Would she escape? Did the audience want her to escape? If it was true that she was injured, surely she needed to get back to the med bay to get checked out?
Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about this for long as a trooper turned the corner. He took one look at the running Ahsoka and one look at Kix, sighed, set down his cup of caf, and in one smooth motion, caught the girl around the waist and hoisted her into the air.
"Denal! Denal put me down! That's an order," Ahsoka shouted. "I'll bite you."
Denal held tight and lifted her so she was over his head. "Sadly for you, I fear our baar'ur a lot more than I fear your teeth. He's crazy. Why would you ever want to piss him off?"
Kix caught up to them, panting slightly. "Thank you, Denal. Finally, someone who respects my authority." He glared at Ahsoka, still hoisted over Denal's head. She wasn't fighting now, but she did have her arms crossed and was pointedly not looking at Kix.
Kix pulled out his specialized tranquilizer blaster. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way."
She sighed dramatically. "Fine. I'll go with you. You're evil. You know that?"
Kix nodded at Denal who finally set her on the floor. He put an arm around her shoulders, in case she tried to bolt again and lead her back to the med bay. "It's not evil to want the men to be in the best health."
He noticed R2 following with the camera. "This for Creche to Command?"
"Yes," she grumbled.
"You know being all dramatic like this is just going to make people try and avoid the med bay more. Right?"
"I'm fine, really. I barely got hit with the shrapnel."
"That's not what Fives said."
"Fives ratted me out? That traitor."
Kix chuckled and sat her on a bed. "Yeah, now if only we can find Skywalker and Rex. I would say I have the most difficult patients in all the GAR, but medics talk. You all are difficult."
"Sorry, kid. Looks like we're med bay buddies for the time being," Hardcase said, looking over from his bed.
Ahsoka used the force to fling a bunch of cotton balls at Fives' head while Kix started scanning her.
"Hey, what was that for?" Fives cried.
"For telling Kix about the shrapnel!"
"He said he would take the handcuffs off me in an hour if I told him. You wouldn't want your favorite vod to be handcuffed to a bed all night." He rattled around the cuffs to prove a point.
"You're not her favorite vod. I am. She said so," Hardcase said.
"You both are handcuffed to the bed?" Ahsoka asked.
"Yes, they are," Kix said as he snapped a cuff on her wrist.
"Hey!"
"You know the rules. Try and escape once, you get the cuffs. Twice, you get tranqed."
"I didn't try and escape, though!"
"Then what was your mad dash down the hallway?"
"I wasn't a patient in the med bay at that point so it doesn't count!"
"If you set foot in the med bay and are injured, you are automatically a patient. I don't make the rules."
"You literally do," Fives grumbled.
"Whatever. Do you have advice for the video?" Ahsoka asked while Kix started slapping bacta on her.
"Other than wear armor and try not to stand near buildings that are blowing up?"
"Sorry about that, vod'ika," Hardcase called. "Didn't know you and Fives were on the other side."
"It's fine. And yes," She turned to Kix.
"Well, this one's important. If you are ever near a trooper that's injured, comm the medic. Tell them your location. And then give as much detail as possible about the injury. Do it in that exact order. A lot of people start panicking and talking about the injury instead of the location. But the location is the most important part. We can listen to you as we're on our way. Or we can assess the situation once we get there. But, that's only if we know where you're at," he explained.
Corric walked by to check on Fives. "Yeah. It's helpful if you stay with the trooper until a medic arrives, but sometimes you don't have a choice. It's easier to perform first aid when things aren't shooting at you so if you have to go and finish the mission or destroy a few clankers, we'll understand."
Kix nodded. "Right you are."
"Actually, that is good advice," Ahsoka said. "It helps that there are only three steps. Makes it easier to remember."
"Exactly," Coric said. "Oh, I have one."
"Go right ahead," Ahsoka replied.
"This episode is much more boring than ours was," Hardcase said.
"Speak for yourself. My episode was amazing. Yours was, eh." Fives made a so-so gesture with his hand.
"I'd punch you but I'm chained to the bed," Hardcase growled.
"Alright," Coric continued, ignoring Fives and Hardcase's bickering. "This one is very important. Medics are troopers. And all troopers are male humans. This means that if you're not a male or a human, or if you're a trooper with a non-human or male CO, do some research to make sure your equipment and medical supplies can still work and if there's anything, in particular, you need to be on the lookout for."
"Oh, that's a good one," Kix said. "I know Locke's got a special protocol for Commander Ofree and General Unduli since they can't remove their head coverings around people that aren't family or doctors."
"And this one here's got more sensitive hearing we got to watch out for," Coric said, tapping on the side of Ahsoka's head. She batted his hand away. "And a different blood structure means different bacta and transfusions."
"Really?" She said. "I didn't realize you guys had different equipment for me."
"Yup," Kix said, lifting up a bag. "Your field kit." He lifted up another. "Everyone else's. Yours has sharp teeth painted around the main opening. Coric thought it was funny. Since you bite so many people."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for thinking of me."
"Course. It's our job to keep you nice and alive so you can keep slicing through all those clankers. Now," he spun his chair around to face her. "Tell you what. You're not actually as injured as I previously thought."
"Yes! So, I can go?" she asked.
He grinned at her. "Not quite, ad'ika,. Technically, I could still hold you overnight for observation."
"No, Kix. Come on! I hate it in here. It smells awful!"
His grin widened.
"Oh, he's up to something," Fives whispered. "I know that look."
"Of course," Kix said. "Tell you what. I won't keep you overnight for observation. I'll keep you here for three hours."
"Deal!"
He laughed. "That wasn't the deal."
Ahsoka's brow furrowed. "Then… what is?"
"Tell me where the captain and general are, and then I'll let you leave in three hours."
"No!" Hardcase gasped. "No, kid, don't do it! Don't sell out your brothers!"
"I don't know, it is a pretty sweet deal," Fives said.
"That's only because you already sold her out! You're just trying to make yourself feel better. Stay strong, kid. Don't give in to the medic!"
Ahsoka worried her lip with the teeth.
"Three hours, then you're free," Kix said.
Ahsoka tipped her head back and wailed, "I'm sorry, Rex and Anakin!"
"Yes," Kix let out a cheer. "Come on, out with it. Where are they hiding?"
"Rex is hiding in the sparring room and Anakin is hiding on the Twilight." She groaned. "I've betrayed everyone I love." She put her head in her hand.
"I'm sure they'll forgive you," Fives said, reaching over to pat her shoulder.
"Coric, which one do you want to get?" Kix asked, handing him the tranq gun.
"I'll go after the general."
"Excellent. If any of you pick these locks and try to escape, I will know. And I will keep you here until we meet up with the 212th. Understood?"
"Yes sir," they grumbled.
The two medics left the bay.
"Well, we may not be able to go anywhere," Fives said, with a grin on his face, "but I can think of a thing or two we can still teach the baby Jedi." He held up a deck of cards. "Saabaac, anyone?"
Ahsoka and Hardcase looked at each other and grinned. "Fives, you're a genius."
"Of course I am. But, that's all for the med bay for now."
"Right. See you guys next week!" Ahsoka said, waving to the camera.
*****
Palpatine sat back in his chair, careful to have his expression be hopeful, yet pitying as Jedi Aayla Secura, her commander (whatever his name was), and several other members of the Jedi council shuffled into his chambers to report their failure of convincing the Jondan people to join the Republic.
Sometimes, it was fun to mess with those Jedi and do-good senators like Amidala. He loved watching the hope snuff from their eyes as they were forced to admit defeat over and over again. He couldn't wait to hear Secura apologize to him over and over again for failing her mission. He couldn't wait to hear Kenobi and Yoda try and fail to assure her it wasn't her fault. He couldn't wait to see the shame in the clone's eyes as he realized how much of a failure he was. One purpose, he had to serve one purpose and had failed. Oh, it would be delicious.
"My dear," he said gently, letting that pitying tone slip in just a bit. Sometimes when people felt you were pitying them, it made the bitter taste of defeat go down all the harder. "I take it your trip to Jonda did not end as we had hoped."
Then, Secura did something that shocked him. She smiled. Not just a sad 'We did fail and I'm so sorry'smile. But a proper, blinding, almost cocky smile.
"They agreed to join the Republic," she said.
The clone commander smirked.
"Really?" Senator Amidala gasped. "They did?"
She nodded. "They did."
Palpatine felt his mind go blank for a few seconds. That… wasn't supposed to happen. "How?" he stuttered out."
The clone crossed his arms and glared at him. "You didn't think we could do it?"
Shit. He composed himself. "Not at all. I'm simply curious as to why they agreed to do it now. We've sent many senators and Jedi to try and negotiate a place in the war. And it was my understanding that Jonda was one of the more… isolationist systems. Moreso than Mandalore."
"Master Skywalker," Secura said, turning towards the holo image of Skywalker, "you should be proud. I think 'Creche to Command' is to thank for our newfound allies."
"Creche to what?"
"Really?" Skywalker said, amusement leaking into his voice. "And how's that?"
The clone shrugged. "The chief's granddaughter looked bored out of her mind so I gave her an episode to watch. Mistress Ja'ani was curious and watched it as well. According to her, one of the reasons she didn't want to join the Republic was because she worried the troopers were being treated like slaves or droids. Disposable and replaceable. Apparently, seeing that we had the freedom and support from our commanding officers changed her mind."
"I'm sorry," Palpatine said, holding up a hand to silence the clone. "What is 'creche to command'?"
"Oh, it's an amazing series," One of his interns (he couldn't be bothered to remember her name). "Was it the med bay episode?"
The clone grinned at her. "One in the same."
"Oh, I love that one!"
"I still think my favorite is the one with Echo and Fives," Skywalker said.
"That is a good one," Kenobi said. "I am curious about the next one. Saabac? Is that really something we want the younglings to learn about?"
"Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop," Palpatine said, still feeling more confused than ever. "What is this? What's going on here?"
Secura rolled her eyes and handed him a data pad. "Padawan Tano and the rest of the 501st have created a holonet series to help new clones and padawans settle into their military positions."
"Wolffe's got a side series with the best moments of the GAR," the trooper added. "It's pretty popular even outside the GAR. A lot of civilians watch it."
His eye may have twitched as he scrolled through several videos on a specialized holonet site. This was not part of the plan. Normally, he'd ignore such an obviously mindless and stupid series. However, it had already been used successfully to gain an ally. An ally the Republic was not supposed to have. He didn't like it when powerful things weren't under his control.
He could try and sway the girl to the dark side like he was doing with Skywalker. But, in the few times he had met her, she had been a blinding light in the force. Unlike Skywalker, who had darkness in him that could be manipulated, the padawan seemed thoroughly entrenched in the light. Make no mistake, there was darkness in her. She could fall. But to do so would take much more time and focus. Time and focus he didn't have.
"I worry this is a breach in security. The series should not be allowed to go on any longer," he said, setting the datapad down.
"Now hold on just a minute," The clone took a step towards him. Secura put a hand on his chest to stop him.
"With all due respect, chancellor," Kenobi said in that tone of voice that screamed 'I don't respect you at all', "The series has been going on for several weeks now. We have me, Anakin, Captain Rex, and Commander Cody all monitoring the posts to ensure nothing mission-critical is revealed. The Jedi council has already talked it over and agrees that so long as no protocol is breached, they should be allowed to continue."
"We can get Echo over here if you want to double-check that nothing is against the Reg manual," Skywalker said, a smile gracing his lips.
Damn. The council already approved of it. He supposed bringing it to a vote on the Senate floor would be a bit too much of an overreaction. Though… this could be another tool in his toolbox. Perhaps he couldn't manipulate the padawan, but he could manipulate what she was putting out in the world.
"Then perhaps the senate should have a say in the videos," he tried. "After all, it's well-liked by the people and we've already successfully used it in the war once. Perhaps it can be another tool. A diplomatic one," he smiled at them. "I'm sure the padawan wouldn't mind using her voice for peace."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Koon said. "Part of the appeal is that this is an honest look at the life of Ahsoka and the clones."
"If the senate were to try and control the videos in any way," Amidala added, "people would be able to tell and turn away from it. They might even feel betrayed and support for the war could drop."
"Chancellor," Secura said, "people are allowed to have hobbies outside of their jobs. It's fine if this is something for fun. Besides, there is so much pressure on our padawans. Even more than before. Having this little bit of levity with no expectations of it being 'useful' is probably good for Padawan Tano and the troops."
He was getting stonewalled out of this argument. Losing his audience quickly. If he kept pushing, they'd start questioning. He was not going to allow that.
He sat back in his chair and nodded. "Very well. Please, forgive me, master Jedi. I did not mean to suggest we turn a child into a propaganda mouthpiece. I was merely hoping that this tool might end the war early."
"If it does, then it does," Kenobi said. "But, not everything must be a tool for victory. Sometimes, it's simply enough for it to just be."
"Wise words from a wise Jedi. Well then, Senator Amidala, would you like to take the lead on welcoming Mistress Ja'ani to the Republic."
"Of course, Chancellor," She bowed slightly. "I'll get started on that right away."
"Fantastic."
One by one the Jedi either turned off their holograms or filed out of his office. Eventually leaving him alone. Except for that blasted intern.
He looked at the datapad once more. The Creche to Command site was still open on it. It was probably nothing, but he'd keep an eye on it. And, from now, he'd have to ensure his victories and defeats better.
******
CommanderCody: Rex, when are you meeting back up with us? Everything hurts.
CaptainRex: Kenobi's still using you for lightsaber practice?
CommanderWilco: You get to practice with a lightsaber? Lucky
CommanderCody: Not an actual lightsaber. Just some sticks. He does it because he 'doesn't want his form to go' and 'he doesn't have anyone else to spar with', and 'if he ever runs across Dooku or Grievous he wants to be sure he can show those old bastards who is in charge', and other bullshit.
CommanderGregor laughed at "Not an actual lightsaber. Just some sticks. He does it because he 'doesn't want his form to go' and 'he doesn't have anyone else to spar with', and 'if he ever runs across Dooku or Grievous he wants to be sure he can show those old bastards who's in charge' and other bullshit."
CommanderBly: I've got some news, guys.
CommanderGree: Hey, Bly's back! How was Jonda? Success?
CommanderBly: Surprisingly yes. Apparently, Creche to Command can be used as a diplomatic tool. Ja'ani only agreed to join us after watching the Med Bay episode.
CaptainRex: Still can't believe she ratted me out. I need to figure out a way to get her back.
CommanderCody: Good job on Jonda. That'll be a great asset to the war. A base there would be so much help strategically.
CommanderBly: Yeah, but that's not my news.
CommanderBly: Palpatine now knows about Creche to Command.
CommanderWolffe: Dammit! He better not ruin this for us! I got about fifty videos of Wolfpack being the best company in the GAR that need to be seen by the public.
CommanderWilco: Does anyone else think it's a bit unfair that Wolffe is the one that decides which videos go up on 'The Best Of' compilation?
CommanderWolffe: Do something cool and maybe your company would show up.
CommanderGregor: Gonna need some ice for that burn, Wilco.
CommanderCody: Was Palpatine worried or something?
CommanderBly: I think he was. He tried to get it shut down. But when that didn't work, he tried to convince the Jedi to let the Senate take it over.
CaptainRex: If he tries to manipulate Ahsoka into being a mouthpiece for propaganda, I will desert.
CommanderWolffe: Easy there, vod'ika. Sounds like he didn't get his way.
CommanderBly: Luckily Amidala went to bat for us.
CommanderPonds: Man, I love Skywalker's wife so much. Always goes to bat for us.
CommanderBacara: Are they married? Or are they just an item?
CommanderPonds: Either way, love Amidala. You go Amidala!
CommanderCody: Now that Palpatine knows, we really do need to get Fox in on this.
CommanderWolffe: I tried last time I was in Coruscant. He didn't let me get two words in before he threatened to throw me out a window for distracting him.
CommanderCody: Does Thire know? Maybe he can help.
CommanderPonds: I'll be in Coruscant next week. I'll see if I can't get one of the Guard Commanders to watch it.
CommanderGree: So long as the series keeps up. Offree's been more open lately and I think seeing Tano interact with the troopers has helped her realize she doesn't need to keep us at arm's length.
CommanderCody: I don't think we have to worry about Palpatine shutting it down. It'd look like a massive overreaction if he tried.
CaptainRex: I want to know why he cares so much about a silly little video series. Especially if it's helping us win the war.
CommanderCody: Careful, vod. You're on the GAR network.
CaptainRex: Just something to think about.
CommanderCody: Everyone just keep an eye and ear out for any information. And try not to get charged with treason.
CommanderWolffe: Sir, yes sir.
Notes:Head cannon that most troopers are actually pretty good with children. This is because the Kaminoans failed to get rid of the Mandalorian gene that is "adopt any child that isn't nailed down". Of course, this makes the troopers all very protective over the padawans, but also makes them much more empathetic to the children they come across. Also, on my rewatch of the series, Ahsoka goes through a lot. Like, a lot a lot. Again, those last few episodes of Season 7 are just heartbreaking. Her getting shot at by the people who painted their helmets to honor her, turned into killing machines against their wills. The reason why I decided to make her so strong with the Light Side of the force was because she goes through so much, and she still doesn't turn to the dark side. Like, Padme wasn't even dead yet and Anakin was just like 'guess it's time to kill some kids ¯\_(ツ)_/¯' Meanwhile Ahoska has been accused of terrorism, was turned into a child soldier (and make no mistake, the Padawans are child soldiers), has had to watch countless people die because of her decisions. Played a role in the deaths of troopers who didn't have a choice in their attempts to kill her. Watched as all the jedi were wiped out. Witnessed her former master turn to the dark side. And still chose to turn towards the like. Anakin is weak-sauce, man. The other thing, AO3 tags have been a lifesaver for canonical clone names because so many of them are introduced that I forget who's actually been on the show and who's just a rando from a fic. Seriously, there are so many characters! I'm rewatching the series and just taking notes because so many people are introduced for like a single episode but I need them! But, I am slightly worried about accidently having a clone/character present that died (since this is taking place Season 2 and 3) because so many clones and people are introduced like:
Show: This is Clone Trooper Paul!
Me: Hi Paul! I should write you down so you can make an appearance in my fic!
Show: And then Paul immediately got torn apart by beetles and fed to a Sarlac! Hope you didn't get too attached to Paul!
Me: I DID YOU BASTARDS! RIP Clone Trooper Paul.
Thanks for reading my rant! I have thoughts about the Clone Wars (obviously, I'm writing a fix-it fic) and the more I rewatch, the more thoughts I have.
Mando'a Slang:
Ori'vod: Big Brother
Vod: Brother
Vod'ika: Little brother/Sister
Di'kut: Idiot
Shupur'yc: Injured
Shebs: Ass
K'olar!: Get over Here
Baar'ur: Medic
Allit ori'shya tal'din: Family is more than blood