Clone Wars: Underground - Prologue

     

    The time had come. Maaka looked out the viewport of the dropship. It was finally their turn. Helmer, Dez, Olis, Maaka, and Deck had shared a life since they were incubated. They weren’t just clones, they were pod-mates, brothers, and soldiers for the Galactic Republic. They trained together and grew together at the clone training facilities on Kamino. They complimented each other in training. Each has his own strengths, and they were all eager to put them to the test in the field. The squad of five troopers are among a large number of new recruits from Kamino. Now, they were joining their first company; the 236th. Today, they were meeting their new general, a Jedi. Honor and respect had been bred into them for their generals. Maaka could hardly wait. He wanted his chance to serve and prove himself in the eyes of the Republic. He wanted to make his new Jedi General proud. They all did. 

All around him the other clones shuffled with excitement and anticipation. They checked and double checked their armor and kit. The gunship dropped altitude and the foreign world unfolded below. 

The LAATs touched down on dusty, rock-strewn terrain. The little team of brothers piled out with the other rookies and fashioned themselves into rigid formation. They could finally see just how many new troopers were arriving. The commander, Batair, greeted them with a stiff salute. All of the new clone troopers returned the salute in unison. They stood in formation for minutes, no one making a move. Maaka began to feel the heat of mid-day seeping through his armor and burning into his blacks. He remained at attention. The dusty world ground they stood on now was far different from the cool water covered Kamino. 

They knew that the General could appear at any moment. Everyone remained in strict formation. Could Jedi appear and disappear? They could move things with their minds.Maaka and his brothers knew little about the mystic Jedi. They were excellent leaders and he had to be ready for anything his new General might order. He was the scout, the point man, of his small squad. In all his training, he’s guided his squad through the mock battles and infiltration operations. To get his mind off the heat, he briefly went through the last infiltration test in the training center on Kamino, re-calculating every second. The time it had taken him to locate and take out the sentry droids was his personal best. Those configurations changed regularly. He could name all forty-eight entry defense configurations commonly used by the CIS, The Confederacy of Independent Systems, or Separatists. His first attempt had gotten his whole team dead. Luckily, it was just practice. But Maaka knew that in a real battle they would have died. He was a quick learner, like every clone, and by the last test he got everyone there safe and in record time. He could spot a gray metallic tinny against the gray backdrop of the training center from across the room, and he could take it out before it saw him. He felt ready to take on the whole Separatist Army. 

The doors to the command compound finally opened. It had been over a standard hour of standing in formation under the baking sun. The General stepped out to address the troopers. Maaka’s attention snapped back to the present. The General had arrived. He was a massive form compared to the clones. Not human, not anything Maaka had ever seen. His presence was domineering. Maaka knew instantly it was going to be a challenge to earn the respect of this general. Still, he wanted to do his part. The massive hands that hung at his side were joined by two more that had been grasped behind his back. Four powerful arms that came to rest in folded positions across his chest. 

“I am General Krell.” He boomed. “I will tell you now that you have become a part of the most successful division of the Grand Army. Many of you won’t have what it takes to make it here. Do your duty and follow orders and you will survive. As your general, any insolence will not be tolerated. Obey my exact orders and we will bring victory to the battlefield!” 

Cheers rose and Maaka joined. He felt a rush of adrenaline build inside and pumped his fist in the air with the others. This was his purpose! He could taste the thrill of battle in the words of the General. He would do his part, be the best. The enemy would never stand a chance.