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You sigh, and close your eyes. In all your years of serving the Republic, you had never expected… this. Defeat to the separatists was a real possibility, one that had been in the mind of all clones during the early years of the war as they fought and died across the galaxy, but the Republic turning against itself… There were no contingencies. No fallbacks. This was totally uncharted territory you were heading into. And across the galaxy, clone commanders like you would be making their decisions, declaring the righteousness of General Skywalker or Chancellor Organa, executing their jedi generals, declaring those who did or didn’t traitors, maybe even…
>Call the men back in. I want their opinions before we make a move.
“Very well, sir. I’ll go get them immediately.”
Major Beck leaves the tent, leaving you alone with your thoughts.
You open your eyes again.
The holotable glows dimly in front of you. The canvas of the tent flaps gently as a breeze passes by, and outside you can hear the men moving about, relaxing and joking with each other as they wait for your next command. Unaware of what has just happened. Unaware that their first taste of combat might not be against droids but against…
You’re tempted to replay the messages again, but you have already committed them to memory. You’ll have to play them for the captains when they come in anyway.
You feel a mix of emotions swirl within you. Fear. Excitement. Hesitance. Strange. You’re old, for a clone. You should have learned to master your emotions by now, keep a lid on them so you perform to your fullest in battle. But now you can’t help but experience all the same feelings you had in those dropships as they flew over the rocky wastes of Geonosis, so long ago. Your first battle. The first time your brothers had died around you, when your training had kicked in and you’d fought for all you were worth, earning the commendation that would put you on the track for leadership. So long ago now. You can feel those same emotions now, but changed. Tighter. Closer. Maybe you’re just getting old.
Major Beck returns with the men you’d sent out only a few minutes before, and you straighten up and banish all unnecessary thoughts from your mind.
