39th Clone battallion honorable member Medcat
Finally got around to writing the origin story of the 39th mascot origin story. (about a year later)
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Medcat’s story begins in a place where Tooka are not usually found. Somehow and for some reason she made her way from the lower levels of Coruscant well onto topside. She even made it as far as the Jedi temple and its hangars. This is where she had the pleasure of meeting our soldiers.
The 39th was off duty that night and off duty means 79’s. Clik, Craze, Stitch, Rif, Poison and Marker took Pad out for his first free night on Coruscant.
“Vod, you are going to love this.” Clik put his arm around Pad’s neck, pulled him close and ruffled his hair with his free hand. They’d had a few tough missions so this is exactly what they needed at the moment.
“Who’s willing to bet that the shiny will throw up before the night is done?” Marker spoke. Pad removed himself from Clik’s grip and glared at him. “I am no shiny.”
A few laughs erupted from the group. “Come on Marker, give the kid a break. I think he won’t throw up until we get back to the barracks.” Rif said, clapping Pad on the shoulder while more laughs broke out into the city.
Marker eventually turned out to be right. Pad had spent quite some time in the bathroom with Stitch beside him. When they returned from the bathroom they all decided it was time to return to their barracks and hit the hay for the night. They collectively stumbled into a cab and made the driver’s life a living hell for the ride.
This is where the Tooka came in. She was hanging out right beside the barracks when the troops came back from their nightly adventures. She was rummaging through some trash laying beside the entrance. Stitch was the first one to notice her. The rest of the men clumsily stumbled into the cruiser while he remained behind.
He gently stuck out his hand to the little kitten. She was shy, probably not treated very well during her small time of existence. He decided to take out a small piece of his ration bar to give to the small animal. She immediately ran to him when he offered it and he was able to pick her up after that.
She started purring as soon as he started petting her fur. Stitch, a clone trooper that had never held a live animal in his hands before felt utter joy at the sensations. He was in love and he knew his brothers would be as well. So he took her inside.
He gave her some meat and decided to hide her in the medbay but one look at the face of the scared little kitten made him reconsider his actions. He took her with him into the barracks. When he softly put her down next to his pillow she fell asleep almost instantly. He laid his head on his pillow and fell asleep with his hand on top of the soft and warm kitten.
The next morning was a lot less peaceful. The troops were woken by a booming voice.
“What in the KRIFFING HELL.” Poison had woken up with the little Tooka kitten on top of his chest. His yells had scared the little girl which made her hide underneath the bunk beds.
“Poison, dude. Headache.” Craze’s groggy voice came up. The next person to speak was Stitch.
“Where is she? Kitty kitty kitty… Poison, what did you do!” He looked distressed.
“There was a furry animal on me, what do you expect me to do?”
“Cherish it! Where did she go?” He was now frantically searching all over the room.
“How am I supposed to know!” But Stitch wasn’t listening anymore. He was now crawling across the floor, looking under all the beds with a piece of dried meat in his hand. “Everybody be quiet or I will stick a needle in your ass.” When they quieted down you could hear a faint meowing from underneath Poison’s bed.
“Move your feet.” Poison complied and put his feet on his bed. Stitch crawled underneath it and his muffled voice came out. “Don’t be afraid kitty. He’s not going to hurt you. Yeah you like that don’t you. Good kitty.”
“He’s really lost his marbles now hasn’t he.” Rif spoke.
“Pretty sure that happened before his training even started.” Craze chuckled.
“Stitch, what are you even looking for? Is this one of your episodes? Do we need another medic because I’m pretty sure you’re hallucinating.” Clik climbed out of his bunk and was about to pull Stitch out from underneath the bed when a blur of something orange came running out.
“Wow, what the-” Clik stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet before falling on his ass.
“Told you there was something furry. Stitch, you better get this thing out of here or-”
“Got her!” Stitch was at the other side of the barracks holding a, now purring, orange little tooka. “See, I was not hallucinating.” He crossed the room back to the rest of the men.
The doors to the barracks opened. Pad walked in on his brothers looking at him with wide eyes.
“Phew, it’s you. Thought it was the general.” Rif wiped his forehead.
“Why? What are we hiding from her?” He looked around the room for anything incriminating. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Stitch moves out from behind his brothers with the little Tooka still in his arms.
“You took an animal into the barracks!?” Pad walked over to Stitch and the little animal. “You know that that’s not allowed!” He sticks his hand out to pet her, she buds his hand with her forehead to show affection. “She’s really cute though.”
“But, we cannot keep her.” Clik interjects.
“I agree.” Poison muses from his bed.
“Besides Poison’s personal preferences, if the general finds out-”
“Finds out what, commander?” In all the commotion and arguing the troopers had not heard the door to the barracks open and their jedi general Trinity Shyrn enter.
“Ehh, that- ehm.” Rif tried to save them out of this but when Shyrn crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly he caved and stepped aside. “We have a Tooka. Stitch took her in.” He got some nasty looks for spilling that.
“But we were going to get rid of it.” Clik tells the general. “She smells anyway.” Poison added.
“Pad seems to enjoy it.” Marker notes. He had been enjoying the interactions from his top bunk until now. Pad had been cuddling the tooka on his own respective bunk. They don’t think they ever saw him this calm, especially in the face of possible punishment.
“Your tooka seems to have a calming effect, Stitch.”
“It seems that way general. Which means…” His brothers could tell what he was thinking and it was poison that wanted to talk him out of it.
“Stitch, don’t do this.”
“Which means I could classify the tooka as medical equipment and. And you would have nothing to say about it.” Stitch continued nonetheless. The general chuckled.
“I guess you could look at it like that. Nothing I can do to stop you. Just make sure she, it’s a she, doesn’t make a mess of the Veridian if you decide to keep her.” The general winked and walked out of the barracks.
“How in the hell did you just do that?” Craze asked.
“I don’t know. All I do know is that as of today we have a pet. Medcat.”
Multiple groans sounded across the room. But Pad and Medcat didn’t notice.
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General Trinity Shyrn for visuals:
@niko-vv99