Steadfast: Welcome
@clonexocweek Day 1 Introduction
Word Count: 1728
Content: overworked and under-slept, nervousness, anxiety, spite
Mando'a Guide: haalur - breathe su cuy'gar - a greeting, (literallyt "you're still alive" vod - brother/sister/sibling; comrade, mate gar cuyir balyc - you are too ori'vod - big/older brother/sister/sibling di'kut - idiot
Fluke
CT-5121 was never meant to be an officer. He was barely even expected to graduate.
He always heard others’ whispered discussions behind his back. Other clones, trainers–it didn’t matter. They all said the same kind of thing:
“How’d he manage it?” “Gotta be a fluke.”
Maker, he’d heard that particular phrase more than he cared to count.
“Fluke,” he’d said suddenly at first-meal, drawing confused expressions from his squad. “What?” Wilde asked next to him. “I think that’s what I want my name to be,” he shrugged, picking at the edge of the bandage secured across his nose. “Why?” CT-3605 snorted, receiving a sharp elbow to the side from their squad’s 01. “I’m not sure if your name should be picked entirely out of spite,” Shiner smiled at him. “But if that feels right to you, kih’vod, that’s what it’ll be.” “Thank the kriffin’ maker,” Gripp groaned. “I was getting tired of calling you ‘two-one’. Now we just need to find a name for ‘fivesy’ here.” He hooked an arm around 3605’s neck, grinding his knuckles into his head. Fluke chuckled as an exasperated grin stole over Shiner’s expression.
Graduation, medic training, a stint in the 212th, then command training. He’d done it all. Must’ve been a fluke.
With Wilde as his lieutenant and their new incoming Jedi, Fluke was now a captain of the new 763rd, though he was certain the formwork alone would be the end of him.
Their new general would be here soon. Fluke took a deep breath, letting it out in a slow hiss as he tried to push the nerves down.
Commander Cody had told him this jetii was a Healer and that his General Kenobi knew her well.
He checked the time at the top of the datapad. 1430. General Bakki was set to arrive shortly after late-meal. He pulled at the collar of his uniform–it had become somewhat itchy over the stretches of skin that had been tattooed on their first run ashore as shinies–as he noticed his leg start to bounce.
He frowned at the offending leg as though that would solve anything, eventually just setting aside his datapad to press the heels of his palms into his eyes. Get it together, a familiar voice hissed in the back of his mind.
He smelled the caf before he registered the door to his office sliding open.
“Maker, Cap, you look like shit,” Wilde smirked as he set a steaming cup down in front of him.
Fluke glared, but lifted the mug to his lips immediately, sipping the bitter liquid, doing his best–and apparently failing, if Wilde’s snickers were anything to go by–to disguise his distaste for it.
“When’s the last time you slept?” Wilde asked, scooping up Fluke’s datapad from the desk.
Fluke sighed, willing his mind to actually function. Wilde sputtered.
“The kriff is all this?” he grumbled as he scrolled through the seemingly endless formwork. “We haven’t even shipped out yet!”
“New kind of unit means everything’s gotta have a flimsitrail,” Fluke shrugged, taking a sip of his caf. “Under a damn microscope.”
Wilde scoffed, raising his mug in a mock toast. “To the experimental 763rd.”
Fluke smiled wearily, clinking his mug against Wilde’s as his comm beeped. “Go ahead.”
“Captain,” one of his troopers–the kid was so shiny, he wasn’t sure if he even had a name yet–said, sounding somewhat nervous. “Um, sir–”
Fluke suppressed a sigh. “What’s the matter, trooper?”
“Sir, uh, the new General is here, sir,” the shiny stammered.
Wilde nearly spat out his caf with a soft curse.
“Understood,” Fluke said, hoping he didn’t sound as flustered as he was beginning to feel. “Thank you, um…”
“Sig, sir,” the trooper supplied.
“Right. Thank you, Sig.”
The comm cut off and Fluke scrubbed a hand down his face. Kriff.
⫷⪡◈⪢⫸⫷⪡◈⪢⫸⫷⪡◈⪢⫸
Kresta
Kresta took one look at the Pelta-class frigate from the viewport and was instantly nauseous. The crew aboard consisted of nearly 600 troopers. It had the capacity for just as many patients. She couldn’t do this.
She froze in her steps, vision blurring as she stared at the ground. Her companions kept walking.
“Of course, there is a command structure beneath you, so it’s not as if you’d be managing–”
“General,” the commander murmured, tapping the general’s shoulder.
They both turned back to face her.
“Kresta? Are you alright?”
She blinked, shaking her head gently, as though that would clear the maelstrom of thoughts flooding her brain. She tucked her shaking hands behind her. Just breathe, she heard the other man’s master whisper in the back of her mind.
“Yes, sorry, I was… lost in thought,” she replied easily, forcing her mouth to curve upwards.
“Lost in thought,” Obi-Wan repeated, eyes narrowing slightly. He stepped nearer to her, his voice lowering slightly. “Or lost in worry?”
She smiled softly, somewhat genuinely. “You know me too well, Obi-Wan.”
“It’s going to be alright,” he tried to reassure her. “Kresta, you are one of the strongest people I know. You’re an expert swordsman and an even better Healer.”
“If I might add, sir,” Cody hummed. “Captain Fluke was a medical officer for the 212th for some time. He’s one of the best.”
“You see, my dear?” Obi-Wan said, his hands resting on her shoulders. “You are going to be just fine.”
She nodded. “Thank you both,” she said, tucking a few errant strands of hair behind her ear. “Old habits die hard, I suppose.”
Obi-Wan smiled again. “I know all too well.”
They continued their walk towards the ship–her ship.
As they walked, the few troopers they encountered would stand rigidly still at attention until they had passed, returning to their tasks.
“Commander?” Kresta said, looking past Obi-Wan’s shoulders to see the man, following close behind.
“Yes, sir?” he responded.
“Is there a way to… I mean, is it possible to perhaps… ask the troopers in the– ah, my unit to not… uh–”
Thankfully, both Cody and Obi-Wan seemed to understand. “Sir, you are free to ask just about any of your troops whatever you’d like.”
Obi-Wan nearly scoffed. “What Cody isn’t saying is that their training is rather… rigid, and while they’ll do their utmost to follow any order you give them… well, as you said, ‘old habits die hard.’” He winked at Cody and she was sure he was rolling his eyes behind the dark visor of his helmet.
⫷⪡◈⪢⫸⫷⪡◈⪢⫸⫷⪡◈⪢⫸
Fluke
Fluke stood rigid at attention as the Generals entered the hangar. Half of all troopers otherwise unassigned lined up next to him, the other half lined up next to Wilde across from him. Despite his brother’s helmet, he could practically see him mouthing ‘haalur’ at him. Get it together, the voice whispered again.
He turned his head, watching as his old general and commander stepped off the ramp. Then he froze. Just behind Kenobi and Cody was the most striking person he’d ever seen.
She was tall, standing about the same height as her companions, though he suspected that she’d end up a bit shorter without her heeled leather boots. He could just start to make out the hint of her curves from the green and brown fabrics that hung from her form with far fewer layers than he’d seen on most other Jedi generals. Everything about her drew his eye; the sleeve of tattoos peeking out of her pushed-up sleeves on her left arm–the glint of metal he caught from the split of her skirt, the freckles that dotted across her face like a star map–but her hair shone in the industrial light like a fiery crown with braids running back on either side of her head to hold the copper tresses back from her face in a style that almost reminded him of his own.
He forced his jaw shut and his face forward just as Kenobi and Cody finished their quiet conversation and finally looked ahead at the lines of troopers. He wished he wasn’t in his dress uniform, the collar itching again.
“Captain,” General Kenobi greeted him warmly, a gentle smile pulling at his lips. “It’s good to see you again.”
“It’s good to see you, too, sir,” he responded.
“Su cuy’gar, vod,” Commander Cody chuckled.
Fluke cracked a smirk. “Gar cuyir balyc, ori’vod. Not for lack of effort, according to Stat’s comms, Commander.”
“Stat is… exaggerating.”
“Captain,” Kenobi cut in. “This is a dear friend of mine and your new general.”
Fluke was pretty sure he wasn’t breathing anymore as she stepped forward, greeting him with a soft smile and a light bow.
“Hello, Captain,” she said. “I’m Kresta Bakki.”
Her voice was strong and steady, like rain against the window of the Kaminoan training rooms. Her accent was similar to Kenobi’s.
But what struck him now as she stood before him were her eyes. Bright and curious–if a little apprehensive–and the most vivid sea green he’d ever seen in his short life.
Snap out of it, di’kut, he thought.
“CT-5121, sir,” he said, body going even more rigid than it already was.
“Oh, you don’t have to–”
“At ease, men,” Kenobi ordered to the lines of troopers, his voice clear. There was one loud thump as the men adjusted their stance simultaneously.
General Bakki looked almost startled but seemed to fight to maintain her calm expression.
General Kenobi leaned towards her, telling her something Fluke couldn’t quite make out. He smiled and she nodded.
“I’m sure you all have better things to do than to stand here watching me,” she called, raising her voice to echo across the hangar. “Everyone but the officers should go about their business. Oh, um– dismissed.”
Kenobi nodded as she turned to him. She spoke softly with him until Fluke and Wilde were the only two left in the hangar.
“What’s your name, Captain?” she smiled.
He tried not to melt at the sight of her smile.
“Fluke, sir,” he said, suddenly feeling a hint of insecurity over his chosen name. “And this is Lieutenant Wilde, CT-8111.”
“Sir,” Wilde nodded at her.
“It is good to meet you both,” she said.
“Would you like a tour of the ship, General?” Fluke asked. It felt right to ask, even though it was protocol.
“That sounds like a good idea,” she answered with a soft smile that set his heart ablaze.
⫷⪡◈⪢⫸⫷⪡◈⪢⫸⫷⪡◈⪢⫸
To be continued…
Next Day ⪢
Thanks for reading! - River
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