Chapter 2
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Featured Characters: fem!OC Brynn Clarke, fem!OC Orli’Va, clone!OC Skip
Rating: General (However this series is 18+ as a whole so MINORS BEGONE PLEASE)
Tags: Language, Brief allusions to past loss/familial death, Feelings of inadequacy, Talk of clones being expendable
divider by: @djarrex
Location: The Grand Republic Medical Facility on Coruscant // Year: 22 BBY
The shrill tone signifying the end of class interrupts the final portion of the lecture. As everyone surrounding Brynn begins to pack up their datapads, the Ithorian professor’s modulated voice rings out once more.
“Be sure to finish and submit your specialty applications before you sign up to take the certification exams!”
Brynn fights the urge to roll her eyes as she puts her own datapad in her bag. For the entire semester, students have been deciding which specialty they want to dedicate their lives to. If she were to make a decision right this minute, her specialty would be trauma. You don’t experience what she did at such a young age and not be fundamentally changed by it. If there had been a trauma specialist on level 1757 that night, she wouldn’t have lost everything. The rings dance against her chest as she recalls the fateful memory. Brynn wants to be that difference for someone, somewhere in the galaxy, but she needs to get away from the city-planet first. Her scrub top bunches up at the shoulder when she slings her bag on. Walking leisurely out of the classroom and down the wide halls, Brynn fixes the folded shoulder of her top and fishes a few credits out of her breast pocket when she reaches a caf stand— a perfect melding point for caffeine addicted students like herself and businesses looking to capitalize.
“Just my usual ‘Va.” Brynn tells the Pantoran barista when she reaches her counter.
“Of course B! One large hot chocolate with two dashes of caffeine crystals comin right up.” Orli’Va uses Brynn’s nickname before flashing her a cute smile. Brynn returns her smile with a wink before turning to face the immense window behind her.
The Grand Republic Medical Facility. It's a different view than the lower levels where Brynn grew up since it actually, you know, has a view. Until she came here, Brynn had never even seen the sky. So whenever she gets the chance, she stops by what she likes to call the Eye of Coruscant. Even though Brynn is still on one of the lowest levels of the spire, she is able to see far and wide across the city planet. Today’s skyline is no different than the rest, sprawling across the lanes of traffic and overtaking the skyscrapers. She just can’t get enough of the light. She has been here for 5 years and the sun fills her with the same amount of awe as it did the first day.
“B! Order up!” Orli’Va’s sweet voice brings Brynn out of her trance.
“Thank you, love,” Brynn tells the Pantoran.
“As always, darlin’,” she responds, “Have you made a decision about a specialty?”
“How did you know I needed to decide?”
“Hun, this is a caf stand in the Grand Republic Medical Facility,” Orli’Va moves her arms in a sweeping motion, gesturing to the extensive structures around them. “You can’t serve beautiful fifth years their caffeine without knowing when specialty applications are due.”
“Oh well, no, I haven’t decided on a specialty yet.” Brynn leans in further onto the counter, “But I am leaning towards not submitting one.” Orli’Va’s eyes get wider in surprise; the barista leaning in closer as well.
“Wait, so what are you wanting to do then?”
“Well I was thinking, and don’t judge me for this,” Brynn gently points a finger at the blue skinned woman, “I was thinking of applying to be a contracted medic for the GAR.” Orli’Va backs away in shock, a look of astonished horror glazing her eyes.
“Darlin’, why would you do something like that?”
“Because, O, I feel like it's the least I could do. These men deserve all that this genius could offer,” Brynn changes the subject with a joke before grabbing her hot chocolate, “I will let you know how it goes, beautiful. I’ll see you later.” She says with a smile over her shoulder as she walks away.
Brynn’s head is reeling with choices by the time she walks into the medical facility’s dining hall. She thinks that maybe talking to Skip could help her further decide about what to apply for, a speciality or a medic contract. The hall is packed this afternoon, classes all being let out early due to the term ending. Brynn stands on her tiptoes, scanning the crowd for the armor of her friend. Most of the Coruscant Guard refrains from painting their armor in brash ways—as Brynn has noticed among the other battalions around Coruscant. Skip has the notorious red painted in ripple patterns over his shoulder bells and vambraces—while his leg armor drowns in the color, leaving the rest a clean canvas of white.
“Hey, Brynnie!” Once she hears her name, Brynn’s eyes lock onto a trooper waving his arm.
“Skip!” she laughs out his name, “I was beginning to think you weren’t here yet.”
“Nah, you’re just a short shit so I figured I’d give you an assist,” Skip teases. She sets down her drink and pulls a sandwich from her bag as she sits across from the soldier.
“Ohhh, so someone is feeling bold today,” Brynn rolls her eyes. When she begins to unwrap her food, Skip snatches half of it before she can stop him.
“I am always bold Brynn, you should be used to it,” Skip replies, “Now what do we have today?”
“I…” Brynn emphasizes, grabbing to get her lunch back, “have a sliced nuna sandwich with Strider cheese sauce and Ferroan spinach.” Skip draws further out of Brynn’s reach, keeping the sandwich close to his chestplate.
“Aw, c’mon Brynn,” Skip takes a massive bite from the sandwich before continuing. Brynn is pretty sure that the noises Skip makes are supposed to be a sentence, but with a mouthful of her sandwich— she can’t make out a single word. Brynn tries to hide her laughter and fails miserably at his attempt to talk.
“I’m sorry, what?!” she says between laughs. Skip swallows before repeating himself.
“I said, you’ve never tasted the shit the Guard mess has. You would be stealing your best friend's food too.” Brynn rolls her eyes. She clenches her jaw while Skip continues to eat his half of her sandwich. She fights the urge to blurt out her life-changing decision, but before she can, Skip speaks up. “So, I have been hearing whispers that you will be choosing a speciality soon?”
“Yeah,” Brynn draws out, “Something like that.” Brynn absentmindedly picks at her own half of the sandwich.
“Okay, B, you better spill whatever the fuck it is that you are hiding,” Skip says pointedly, “Or I will get it out of you myself.”
“Ugh fine, okay. So, um, do you remember about a week or two ago when I told you that I was thinking of being a trauma specialist? Because of my parents?”
“Yeah, you seemed pretty adamant about working in the lower levels too. From my patrols down there it seems like they really need it.”
“Well—”
“Are you rethinking that? What do you want to do now?” Skip interrupts.
“Maker, Skip, shut up and let me tell you.”
“Okay sorry, continue.”
“I am rethinking it. I’ve downloaded the application for fifth years to go straight to the war effort, to be a field medic.”
“Brynn, why in the fuck would you want to go to literal war?” Skip enunciates each word with careful vitriol.
“Skip, you know for a fact that I have seen shit, and been helpless,” Brynn leans forward and stares the member of the Coruscant Guard in the face, “I can’t just stand back and not do anything. I want to be there and I want to help and do something that matters.”
“Brynn, listen to me, this isn’t the front lines. My brothers out there are literally in the midst of hell day in and day out. You can stay here. Save lives here. After what you’ve told me about how you grew up? You can be there for the children, the families, that actually need you here. Don’t risk your life for us. For clones. We are expendable. Replaced by the next model off the line.” Skip’s expression went from worried curiosity to a scowl as he spoke.
“No, Skip, you can’t say that. You and your brothers, you are all sentient human beings. You matter to me, and there are thousands of citizens that believe the same. You all are fighting a war. Those men on the front lines? I would trade an asshole who blew up himself and his neighbors for selfless men any day.” Brynn tries earnestly to explain her choice to not remain on the comparable safety of Coruscant.
“Brynn you call us clones selfless. Why? We don’t have a choice. We come off the lines living, breathing, and fighting for the Republic. We are bred to be expendable.” Skip explains again, his scowl deepening.
“Expendable? Why would there even be medics then? There are clone medics. There are positions for civilian medics. Skip, if you were truly expendable those positions would not exist.”
After that Brynn grabbed the rest of her lunch and left. Skip’s words hit her, in a way she wasn’t expecting. The amount of confusion, determination, and rage was starting to boil over. Now she has to submit the application. Not to prove a point to her best friend, but to show herself that she is capable and talented enough to make a difference in the lives of the men that she desperately wants to help. Because in this war, Skip is right, they have no choice. Brynn knows they deserve to be shown the kindness and the support that no one else wants to give them.
By the time Brynn gets to her final class of the afternoon, she had tear stains on her cheeks. The clones aren’t expendable like Skip said, are they? No, Brynn shakes herself out of her thoughts, out of the propaganda. They are human-fucking-beings, and Brynn will be damned if she’ll let them die without knowing how much they mean to the citizens they are dying for.
Her final class, a throwaway neurobiology course, comes and goes. Brynn could honestly do these procedures in her sleep. Her mind is still reeling from the conversations with Skip and with Orli’Va. Should she do this? Devote her life and well-being to the war effort? Brynn knows that she is smart, and that she is capable. Yet, she sees the look on the faces of her classmates. So young. So naive. They don’t know that she hears them talking about her. Second guessing her, and undermining her when they know she is correct. Brynn hears all of the comments, but they don’t know that she’ll remember every single one.
When Brynn finally makes it back to her dorm for the evening, she just sits. She sits and thinks about what she is about to do, and if she is doing it for the right reasons. Is she doing something crazy just to prove everybody wrong? No. She is not. Opening the blank application, Brynn decides to put her ego aside and think about everything she’s seen with the clones. Skip, last week, being yelled at by one of the instructors, just for doing his job. Other members of the Coruscant Guard being verbally assaulted, or having things thrown at them. Working for a Republic that doesn’t want them to exist. But then Brynn thinks about those few people who handed the soldiers a cloth to wipe their armor. The one who told the professor to walk away.
Tapping ‘Submit’ on the request, Brynn huffs and sets her datapad on the small desk in her dorm. Brynn looks around the small area, thinking back to when she first moved in; five years ago, with nothing more than a hand-me-down bag and some notebooks. One would think that after living at the Grand Republic Medical Facility for the last five years she would have a bigger living space, but a singular room and a refresher is all Brynn calls her own. Five years ago, she set out to try and make a difference. This field application is just the next step. As she settles down for bed, her mind wanders to what her future holds. Will she be in the thick of it? On the front lines, dodging blaster fire, surrounded by death? Or will she be aboard a medical frigate? Assisting the Kaminoan doctors and surgeons in a hospital setting? Brynn succumbs to the weight of her eyelids, drifting into a deep sleep. Her final thought of the night; is that in a day or two her request to serve the Grand Army of the Republic will either be accepted or denied.
Location: The Grand Republic Medical Facility on Coruscant // Year: 22 BBY
It has been well over a week since Brynn submitted her medic application and she is getting anxious. Brynn should be used to it, being anxious comes with the territory of being the youngest human among the fifth years. How long does Brynn have to prove herself? Everyone is always second guessing her because of her age. Yes, it has rubbed off on Brynn; she does second guess herself more than she would like to admit. However at the same time, 95% of it Brynn would say, her confidence outweighs the anxiety. She maintains some of the highest marks among her class, and she is still fighting for her place in the ‘big kids’ crowd.
“Just because you haven’t heard back on your request, doesn’t mean you’ve been rejected.” Brynn whispers to herself. Her datapad dings with a new message notification as she walks away from the caf stand. She senses that it is the answer she needs to quell her anxiety and quickens her pace to the dining hall. Maybe she can have Skip read it?
Finding Skip in the sea of hungry students wasn’t difficult; Brynn was on a mission. Once she reaches the table with her friend, Brynn unceremoniously plops her datapad in front of the soldier and spins it towards him.
“Um, what do you want me to do with your datapad?” Skip wipes off the corner of his mouth with a gloved hand.
“I know how you feel about me wanting to join the war effort, Skip,” Brynn begins, her eyes cast downward, “But I need, need, you to read this notification that I got. I just can’t do it myself.”
Skip takes the datapad in his hands, tapping on its screen to navigate to the message Brynn spoke of. The soldier narrows his eyes and takes a deep breath.
“Damn.”
“Wait, what?! My application got denied?” Worry fills her voice. Skip slides her datapad back across the table and she scans the message before glaring back at her friend.. She reaches across the table and gives the man a slight, but firm, whack on the back of his head.
“You can’t stress me out like that Skip, you know how much I wanted this.” Brynn begins to feel her heart rate increase, the excited anxiety of uncharted territory blossoming in her chest.
“Ah Brynnie, I just want to keep you around,” Skip looks into Brynn’s eyes, giving her a small smile, and grabs her free hand, “You are my favorite lunch date.” Brynn returns his smile. She’ll miss her best friend. The tears finally spill as she rounds the table, crushing the trooper in the tightest hug she can manage.
“You’ll have to tell me all about Kamino,” she whispers into his neck.
Location: Transport Docking Station on Coruscant // Year: 22 BBY
The morning sun is blinding as Brynn and Skip walk towards her transport. In less than five minutes she will be embarking upon a brand new adventure. Saving lives, doing good in the galaxy. Before they reach the gate Skip turns and grabs her shoulders, stopping them in their tracks.
“Okay! Review time!” Skip’s voice comes through his helmet’s modulator.
“Number one, remember, stay away from the tubies. You will definitely get attached because we are adorable little shits when we are babies.” Brynn nods her head in agreement.
“Okay, number two! If you see a reptavian flying overhead?”
“Just duck,” Brynn finishes, rolling her eyes.
“Hey! None of that dude, they will actually snatch you up for a quick meal.” Brynn scoffs as he continues, “And finally, you will soon realize, Kaminoans are weird as hell. Absolutely do not stare, they think it’s rude.”
“Skip, you do remember I grew up on Coruscant. I have seen probably every species that a humanoid deems as weird.” Brynn finishes with a slight laugh. After an awkward moment of silence she drops the bag on her shoulder and throws her arms around her armored friend.
“I’ll miss you Skip,” Brynn says. Skip gives her a strong squeeze and pulls away.
“I will miss you too, short shit,” he returns, a sniffle interrupting his goodbye.
Brynn grabs her bag off the landing pad and starts walking toward the ramp of the transport. Halfway up the ramp Brynn turns around, her braid fluttering in the morning breeze. She sees Skip still standing where they parted ways, bringing two fingers to her temple in a mock salute. Seeing Skip laugh, Brynn smirks to herself. Once she boards the ship, she catches a final glimpse of her best friend as the door closes.
divider by: @maysdigitalarts
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Here she is!!! Brynn's introduction! I hope you like her!!!
