Clone Wars Underground Chapter 21
Obroa Skai
“Sweets, you and Tem Tem go with them. I’ll be back later.” Gregor’s large frame completely swallowed Zerall’s petite form in a deep hug.
“Okay, honey.” Her sweet voice sounded like tears.
“I have to know what’s going on in the Empire. I have to learn what is happening to our brothers. Don’t worry, I’ve got a good story.” He tapped his temple where he previously sustained a head injury. An injury to the brain was the best excuse any person could have. For all the Empire knew, he could just tell them that he ran because he thought he was still at war with the Seps and he thought they were tracking him. There was a gruff cough behind him. “Oh!, and I’ve got old Wolffey here.” He added with a big smile.
Zerall nodded into his chest. Brenni held Temia in her arms. The infant was too young to understand that her father was leaving them and may not ever return. Death wasn’t something that bothered clone troopers before, they were trained to understand that they could easily die in battle. However, those that made attachments felt the sting of losing the relationships they made.
Gregor took a step back a briefly nodded to Rex. The former captain returned the sentiment and handed him a comm code. The commando and the commander turned and headed towards the Obroa Skai Central Spaceport. When she could no longer see them, Zerall turned to Brenni.
“I’m ready.” She said quietly.
The trio returned to the Ladalum, now with new transponder codes thanks to Ty, and a new name: starfisher. Brenni chose this name because a starfisher was a small insect on Ithor that would actively pull starbugs from the sticky webs of the local arachnids, thus saving them from certain doom. Ithorian biologists suggest that the starbugs would then stay with the starfishers that saved them. Starbugs glow at night and they use their own light to light up deep dark places where the starfisher’s main source of food. The starfishers know that if they save a starbug, the starbug will light the way to the black lichen growing deep in the forest caves. Brenni chose the name because she planned on snatching lost souls in danger of the Empire’s wrath and transporting them to a safer place. It didn’t matter if they were clones, ryn, or lame rancors. That safe place for now would be Moltok. It was the homeworld of a Ho’din friend that Ellia knew. Brenni was sure that there were more clone troopers out there who were suffering. These were the men she knew from the war, brave soldiers that gave their all to defend a Republic that failed them. She could not stand by and let them be used for a regime that defiled everything the Republic stood for. They didn’t ask for this. They were never given a choice. It was wrong, and Brenni would do what she could for them. The life of a criminal was easier to accept when the laws and those enforcing them had all become corrupt.
Once everyone was aboard they took off. Normally it would take her some time to go through pre-flight, but Ty was always three steps ahead of her and she was getting use to her ship being ready for takeoff the moment she stepped into the cockpit. She glanced over at him checking all the systems that she only checked up on once every few standard months. Her father had not been willing to give him the same freedoms all because he was a soldier ordered and paid for by the former Republic. How could he not see that forcing a living being into servitude was just another form of slavery? It had seemed different during the war. The soldiers were given a purpose for supporting freedom. They were taught that at a young age. Maybe it was still wrong, but forcing them into another army for the rest their lives was definitely wrong. Brenni always imagined that after the war was over, the clone troopers would be allowed to retire and do other things with their lives. She realized how naïve that was now. The Empire meant to use them until they dropped dead in their service.
She eased the Starfisher into Obroa Skai’s outer atmosphere. Ty already had jump coordinates calculated. She active the ship’s comm.
“Prepare for the jump to hyperspace. We’ll be at Moltok in seventy-eight hours.” She have everyone a moment to get seated in whatever part of the ship they might be on. There were more passengers on her ship than she’d had in a long time. She pulled the lever in front of her, sending the Starfisher streaking into hyperspace.
Coruscant - Imperial Labs
The chamber glowed a sickly green from the rows of bacta tanks. Bacta wasn’t typically green, but this was a genetic testing lab. The chemical compounds of some experimental fluid were mixed in with the bacta and gave it an eerie green glow. Mardin was not a scientist, but he was a strategist. Despite the gruesome sight, the clones hibernating in these tanks were in a hidden chamber only accessible by a secret entrance in the late head scientist’s personal office. No one, not even the Emperor, knew that these clones existed. They were hidden for a reason and Mardin was willing to bet that they were being prepared to be the personal guard of the paranoid head scientist. Gresh obviously wouldn’t need them now, he had met his end at the command of Moff Tarkin. The clones were property of the Galactic Empire anyway. Therefore, Mardin reasoned, they were his to do with as he saw fit. He looked around again. Gresh’s sense of decoration screamed that of a scientist gone half-mad. There were no lights on the ceiling, only a few glow rods. It was the other-worldly glow of the strange bacta and flashing of control panels that gave the room its unnerving feeling. The Fett clones floating in the tanks looked like half-finished science experiments waiting to be woke and ordered to wreak havoc on the outside world. Mardin cleared his throat, anxious to be out of the creepy lab. He turned to his escort.
“Asses these troops. Those that are capable will report for duty aboard the Arbiter directly. Dispose of the rest.” Mardin ordered in a tight voice. He spun on his heels and headed for the only turbolift, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible. His troops aboard the Arbiter were still green. Having ready-trained clones would give his men a chance to ease into their line of work without too many casualties. He would send the clones into conflict first and his men could follow up behind.
Mardin boarded a shuttle to the Arbiter. It was currently in orbit around Coruscant. He exited the shuttle in the pristine docking bay and headed to the bridge. He gazed out at the view of planet below. Coruscant, was one big city. Now it was the headquarters of the Galactic Empire. It was the center of civilization and order. Soon, with the help of the Empire, the entire galaxy would know the order and safety that Coruscant knew. His first responsibility was to help quell uprisings against the Empire across its new galactic territories. He felt a part of something grand. Mardin knew that military orders came from one being only. The Emperor. The senate was finally under control. Mardin and the rest of the military didn’t have to wait around for the senate’s decisions any longer. The Emperor was able to give them swift order and correct direction, and he was a part of it.
His ship. His crew. His mission.
Finally, all his hard work was paying off. He had every intention of climbing the military ladder. There was still the concern of his private life. His family was the next thing he needed to put in order. He would have order. He would have it at work and at home. Mardin would not stand for having an ungrateful wife and a rebellious daughter. In the future when he was successful, there would be social gathering and commendations. Having a cooperative family would be essential to proving his abilities to the leaders of the Empire that he was in full control in all aspects of his life. His wife was probably a lost cause, but he could re-marry. His daughter was another matter. He couldn’t risk his daughter’s reckless reputation to be made public. He needed to reel her in before she damaged his image and her own. She was brainwashed by her own faulty sense of justice. It was those back-sewer influences of hers. Somehow, she had it in her head that clones were her friends. She would need see difference between a gleaming primary star and the space dust she was currently associating with. As daughter of a moff or even an admiral or someday, general, she couldn’t associate with such underlings. She would see that things were better for them as a family. Mardin realized that she might hate him at first, but one day she would thank him. Isn’t that what being a good parent entailed at times? Wasn’t it this way with all rebellious children? Mardin deep frown slowly disappeared, and he nodded to himself.
“All things are in order, Sir.” The officer stood at perfect attention. Mardin looked around the bridge of the Arbiter. He liked order. He liked his new Empire. Everything fit together perfectly like a geometric puzzle board.
“Very good, let’s take her out.” He commanded in a comfortably confident voice.
The Arbiter broke orbit and entered hyperspace on its first mission for its Empire.
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