#sergeant niner

[rexsterss]

Hi! I love your work and uh, for the request ask can you draw Boss/Niner? I think they're neat ✨️

Send me an ask of your fav ships or blorbos and I’ll sketch em out! (REQUESTS ARE CLOSED!)

The sergeants are tired, let’s be honest

[kanerallels]

Ohhhh... So that's why people like these books

[anstarwar]

🤫 they’re sleeping

Couple of sergeants had a long day wrangling their squads

Boss and Niner passed tf out

[cienie-isengardu]

"Your squad was very close to General Jusik, wasn't it? Give me your assessment of him." Niner's gut almost tied itself in a complete knot now. It didn't show on his face, he was sure of that, because clones learned in Tipoca City how to present a bland face to the Kaminoans. For the ordinary troopers, it saved them from being reconditioned. For commandos protected by their ferocious training sergeants, it was just a habit, but a useful one.

Imperial Commando: 501st

[countessofbiscuit]

Squad Beef

I can finally share my main piece for the Vode An Zine! The theme was “camaraderie”, and I wanted to go for a half-time-in-a-rugby-locker-room vibe featuring the long-suffering sergeants. Boss is being about as friendly as you’ll ever find him, and poor Niner’s in for a rude awakening…

#get’shuketh

[sevdidntdie]

Where are the other Skiratas in Legacy of the Force

Ok so I knoww it isn't canon and we only ever see Jaing and Mird and hear about Levet. oh right and spar's dead.

But where are the other Skiratas??? like fi and atin and corr and dar and niner and delta and the NULLS. oh and sull.

ok since i'm horribly optimistic and don't want anyone to die here's what i think

Dar's living out the good life, retired hopefully, if we go by Karen Traviss's plan for the book she never wrote

Niner's settling down somewhere nice, having kids and all

Fi helps Parja with her shop and maybe establishes a full corporation in Mandalore, with Rav's help.

Atin and Laseema--ok look idk what to say abt the couples rlly...

Corr and Jilka --I honestly never wouldve shipped them but ok, maybe they go off somewhere, I feel like Jilka would want to go back out in the galaxy, instead of being stuck on Mandalore.

Delta probably would never desert; while I dearly want them to I have a terrible feeling they'll end up as the nucleus of the Rebellion-era 501st. I saw a fic once where Boss was one of the ones fighting on Hoth with Vader.

ok now the NULLS:

Prudii I feel like would stay at home and be a hacker and help out randos

Kom'rk would be a bounty hunter I think

Mereel would definitely be a bounty hunter too

Jaing we saw.

Ordo becomes the leader of the Skiratas, obviously, with Besany

A'den I feel like would be Rebellion-type material, since he was mostly in the field and stuff. we didn't see enough of him.

Sull probably goes rogue and becomes a merc or smth. like honestly. remember how he was in true colors? ain't never gonna live a peaceful life like that.

OMG I FORGOT Yayax... well...bc they're such good builders they'll form a nice construction company and work with Parja and Fi to expand the infrastructure. Maybe when Boba comes back and they find that beskar mine, Yayax Construction will be the first to occupy it and start mining.

THE SERGEANTS: Rav retires hopefully and helps Yayax with their business. Vau and Skirata die of old age I mean honestly they're their age. Wad'e makes a school of besbev players and passes down his mantle to someone else and retires. Mij and Qail marry and have a put-together family with Scout like Clive, Astri, and Lune's.

Jusik marries New Brainwashed (literally) Arla and teaches Kad jedi stuff.

what are your ideas? i wanna hear you guys opinions

[repcommquotes]

Star Wars Insider N 81 - Omega Squad : Targets

Omega Squad : Targets by Karen Traviss

Headquarters Special Operations. Coruscant: Arca Company Barracks.

"Go on," said Fi. "Shoot me. Do your worst."

He held his arms away from his sides, presenting a clear snot to his comrade

Atin raised the Verpine shatter gun and aimed two handed, his left hand steadying the grip

"You're all mouth, FI," he said.

Atin squeezed the trigger. Fi's armored breastplate puffed a cloud of coating with a loud crack, and he fell back against the wall of their quarters. Verps were silent except for the impact and the screaming that sometimes followed the blasts. Fi wasn't screaming. But behind his visor, his mouth was open in a silent oh of pain.

Atin stood over Fi and checked both the breastplate and the Verp's chamber before hauling him back to his feet. They took off their hetmets and looked around for the spent projectile. Fi picked up a flattened disc of metal whose edges were split and curled back like a flower, and tossed it in the air for Atin to catch,

"Okay, the upgrade worked," said Atin. "But you can't blame me for checking. I spent a month in the bacta tank thanks to one of these."

Fi didn't trust Procurement any more than Atin did, not when there were more than 10.000 sets of cosily equipment to upgrade. They'd griped about the expense, but now everything - from their armor systems to their DC-17 rifles-was hardened against EMP and Verps. the two weaknesses that had almost got them killed on Qiilura.

Fi slipped his helmet back on and rapped his knuckle plate on it 'Well, nothing short of a sustained laser cannon is going to give us a headache now.'

The door whispered open. Niner, all grin responsibility, stood in the doorway in his black body suit. Darman was behind him, armored up, helmet tucked under one arm.

"What was that noise?' Niner said.

"Testing the new armor. Sarge."

"Testing my patience more like." He made an irritated click with his teeth, just like Kal Skirata used to; Fi could see more of their old training sergeant's, habils in Niner with every passing day. He glanced around the room "You fired a weapon in here?"

"It's okay, Sarge. we were wearing helmets," Atin stood his ground. Sensible precautions often placated Niner. "You can't trust Procurement?"

'Well, game over. We've got trade. Armed siege at the GC spaceport."

"Don't they have civil police for that son of stuff?" Fi asked. "We'll be directing traffic next,"

'Not when there are hostages and one is a Senator." Niner held out his hand to Atin for the Verpine, studied it, and then handed it back. 'They've never dealt with anything like this before, and they heard we were the boys for the job."

Fi lifted his backpack from its locker. 'I didn't have anything special planned for this evening anyway." Atin was right: He was all mouth. He became two men again as he always aid when it was lime to roll - the commando who was eager to put his hard-won skills to the test and the scared kid who wasn't sure he'd be alive tomorrow. He found himself worrying whether he'd signed out the Verpine from the armory. How much trouble could an armed siege be, anyway? He had his Katarn armor and he - and his mates - could take on a small army.

They all knew what the final score would be, more or less.

Atin gave him a shove and tucked The Verpine in his belt. "After you."

Maybe Atin was thinking exactly the same thing.

Holonews Update, 1530: Senator Meena Tills is believed to be among six hostages seized by an armed gang at Galactic City spaceport. Police have sealed off the area and all city traffic and interplanetary flights are being diverted. Expect long delays. More later.

Galactic City. Coruscant. was amazing.

Fi leaned out of the police assault ship's bay with his DC-17 clunking against his breastplate at every swerve and lurch of the vessel. Wind whipped into the hold, flattening his hair and peppering grit against his armor and his face. He'd never seen so many brilliantly colored lights: The walkways and skylanes stretched as far above him as they did below. No wonder they called this place the Abyss.

"Gel your head back in," yelled the pilot. 'What are you, a tourist or something?"

Fi leaned a little further out, trusting the safety harness. 'But don't you think it's amaimg?"

"Yeah, every rotten, stinking shift," said the pilot weanly. "Get him back inboard, will you?"

Niner jerked on the line. "Fi, don't frighten the civvies." he said. 'It's not nice. And put your helmet on."

Cloud cars filled the airspace. The Coruscant Security Force pilot was trying to edge the custom VAAT/e between crammed civilian traffic packed solid in three directions, cursing under his breath. The pulsing wall of the emergency klaxon and flashing fights were enough to make the dead clear a path. But nothing moved in the gridlock. Speeders almost scraping the bodywork tried to escape into gaps that weren't there: 25 meters of assault ship didn't fit well into the tight skylanes.

All that Fi had ever seen of Coruscant was barracks and a compound bounded by security walls. None of the commandos had ever been on a run ashore, a social adventure that Skirata had said they should experience at least once in their lives. From the crew bay, he could see crowds of every species pressed up against barriers, brightly lit shops and bars and apartments, exotic and unimaginable places that beckoned. Yes, he'd have that run ashore some day.

Omega Squad chatted on the pnvacy of their helmet comlmk, audible only to each other. Fi dragged his gaze from the outside world and settled into the bitter, sweet cocoon of his helmet, at once botn reassuring and confining.

"Receive schematics, people." said Niner. "And real-time view."

A display of lines and fly-through images filled Fi's HUD. The Image that Niner had transmitted from his data pad was the plan of the spaceport building; long walkways led off vaulted halls and service areas, cubes of offices lined corridors, and power conduits wove through the image in green light. Superimposed on top of the overview, a readme image of the main spaceport arrivals area showed knots of blue-armored Senale Guards and CSF squads in yellow vests crouched behind security barricades, some engaged in animated conversation.

A blue hologram figure of a thick-set man in uniform shimmered into life in the hold, a little paunchy but still looking like he could give as good as he got. "Commander Obrim here, Senate Guard, Can you see this. Onega?"

Niner spoke for them, "Got it."

"They're holed up in a customs clearance corridor, and they've threatened to detonate explosives. Two sets of doors. and we've left them control of one to stop them panicking and doing something stupid."

"How many confirmed?"

"Six passengers, and we're trying to get pictures of them." Obrim might not have played this game before, but he had some common sense. "Witnesses report lour perpetrators armed with blasters and carrying something in backpacks, which we have to assume are explosives. No ID on them yet, but they were all on the same flight."

"Any contact with the targets'"

A pause. "If you mean the gang, they've issued demands and we have a secure comiink established with them."

"And you have primacy?" Are you running the show?" Fi could hear the doubt In Nlner's voice. "I thought the city came under CSF junsdiction."

"Not as long as I have a Senator and his aide in danger," said Obrirn. The hologram began to waver again. "Obrim out,"

The CSF pilot brought the assault ship to a sudden halt. The undersized black and white marble facade of the spaceport terminal shimmered with ruby under flashing police lights. The front of the building was a crush of speeders and other emergency craft, none of them making a good job or keeping an access corridor open.

"Can't get in any closer," said the pilot. "You'll have to rope it down the rest of the way."

"Don't wan for a tip." said Fi and wondered where he'd picked up the phrase.

"We are citizens of Haruun Kal. The Republic has fuelled the civil war on our world and now brings a fresh war to us. Remove your presence from our planet now, or your Senator and the passengers die. Now you know we can reach into the heart of the Republic." (Message sent to RHN newsroom by Nuriin-Ar, leader of the group claiming responsibility for the hostage incntent.}

Fi braced his legs, placing both hoots on the outside rail of the ship's troop hold. He gave the rappel line one last tug, to check that it was secure before dropping 15 meters to the wafkway, DC-17 ready in one hand, a sea of open-mouthed faces starrig up at him from behind the police cordon.

A sudden movement in his peripheral vision made him raise the rifle. A hover-cam with a RHN logo was sitting motionless 5 meters to his right, too far inside the cordon, outlined against the clean, white facade of the port. There was no point being covert ops if you were on the news and your target might be watching. The rest of the squad could see Fi's field of vision via an icon in their helmet links.

"I don't thlnk that carn's seen a Deece before," said Darman's voice.

Fi's boots hit the watkway and he aimed. The hovercam darted left then right in his scope, fast but not fast enough, "It has now."

A shout of 'hey!' followed the thwack of exploding hovercam The rest of Omega Squad hit the ground and jogged toward the terminal entrance. "You shot my cam!" yelled a woman from the watching crowd. She was wearing a bright yellow tabard emblazoned with the word MEDIA in large letters. "You shot It!"

Fi touched his glove to his helmet in apology, just as he'd been taught, but he still thought it was a pretty good shot. "Oops. Beg your pardon, ma'am. "

He jogged after the others, conscious of the staring crowd. Fi saw his armor as safe and welcoming. But the expressions on a couple of faces made him realize that ordinary people were scared by it.

And it wasn't just the civilians who found Omega Squad a riveting spectacle. The CSF and Senate Guard officers at the forward control point stared, too. Obrim stopped a head-to-head discussion with a CSF lieutenant and stepped back from the defensive barricade of baggage repulsors and portable blast shields erected 10 meters around the customs halt.

"I see you're tooled up." Obrim said, eyeing the DC-17s with a distinct air of alarm. He almost slid his modes; police issued blaster behind his back. "They're not driving Trade Federation tanks, you know."

Fi decided that the police had a lot to learn about sieges. You could do anything with a Deece: A turn of the wrist, and it was a sniper rifle, grenade launcher, or a regular blaster. You could even club someone with it if you had to, although Fi hadn't tried that yet. He checked the vibroblade in his gauntlet out of habit. and the shunk-shunk sound as it extended and retracted made Obrim flinch.

Niner made that annoyed click. Fi took the hint.

"Let's get a cam in there first so we can see what's going on," said Niner. He beckoned: Darman and Atin forward. 'Pictures, Commander? We need to know who to shoot."

"You're a bit keen."

"If you're not a hostage, you're a hostage taker, and that means you're dead a few seconds after we go in. We hate to make mistakes."

"What do you mean by go in, exactly?" The CSF lieutenant stepped between them. A name tab on his vest said DOVEL. "I'm incident commander. I say how and when anyone goes in. We've got a Jedi coming down to negotiate with the leader."

Darman took his pack off his back and began pulling out coils of high-yield charges and detonators. He was staring at the security doors as if calculating. "We'll still get the charges In place, just in case."

"No, that's not how we do It," said Dovel. "We don't want the hostages char-grilled. No storming, no heroics. Not yet."

Obrim interrupted, "Senate Security Committee wants this ended fast to show Haruun Kal we're in control. They can't just walk in here, grab a Senator, and hold the Republic's finest at bay."

"Maybe the Republic's finest, or you to be exact, should have concentrated on ensuring secure transportation for Senators," said Dovel, "What about those other hostages? You want to tell their families that they got fired because you called in the heavy mob to save a politician?"

Niner waited, all mild, deceptive patience. Fi had decided on first meeting him that he was a misery-guts, but now he found him solid and reassuring, just the way a sergeant ought to tie. "Let's be clear what we're trained to do, gentlemen. We go in and extract hostages by any means necessary. We don't ask for ID. We don't take targets alive. We don't avoid damaging the furniture. When you send us in, there is no happy ending," He paused as if waiting to see if the reality of the request had sunk in. "So we'll just wander around and rig the interrupts to the power and light, and you call us when you're ready to roll."

Atin look a couple of strip-cams from his backpack, each no bulkier than a sheet of flimsi. Fi switched to the internal nelmet comllnk. 'You think they're real terrorists or Haruun Kal government agents upping the ante?"

Atin shrugged. 'I don't care as long as they fall over when we shoot them." A commando's life was all clarity. Fi was glad he wasn't Obrim - or Dovel.

Holonews update, 1700: The familty of an elderly couple held hostage with Senator Tills have made an emotional pleal for their safe release. Joz and Cira Larutur from Garql were on their way to see their first grandchild when they were seized. Other hostages have been named as customs officer Berin B'naian and Sena-torial aide Vun Merett Jai, but the identity of the sixth hostage remains unknown.

Obrim was talking on the comlink to Nuriin-Ar in carefully restrained tones while Omega listened in. Fi was concentrating on the sounds in the background with an intensity learned from growing up where everyone looked and sounded the same, distinguished only by minute variation; in tone and expression

He could hear the old woman's voice saying, "Oh Joz... oh Joz..." over and over very quietly. From time to time, he heard an equally quiet reply from the old man: "Don't you worry."

It made him uncomfortable. He wasn't sure why,

Obrim let out a breath. "The Jedi's here."

Fi's stomach churned when he saw the distinctive red-trimmed visor of an ARC trooper captain through the grimy, white helmets of the CSF line. The line melted away for the ARC: Behind him trailed a human male in a very well-cut business suit, a young Twi'lek Jedi. and...

...a scruffy, wiry Iittle man who looked old enough to be everyone's father, a man with a face as wrinkled as his clothes, buzz-cut gray hair, and a limp that didn't stop him from covering the ground like a racing odupiendo.

"Sarge!" said Fi.

Niner's head jerked up. "It is!"

Kal Skirata reached them a stride ahead of the ARC captain. He grinned up at Fi as if he recognized hlmr but that was impossible. He'd had a hundred identical young commandos in his batch. He couldn't possibly remember. He couldn't possibly see past Ihe visor, either.

"Who let that vagrant in?" demanded Obrim.

"That," said Fi, "Is the man who taught us all we know,"

Obrim sighed. "We're screwed, then."

Fi touched his fingers to his helmet anyway, even if Skirata was out of uniform. "Sarge, what are you doing nere?"

"Where there's trouble, Fi. there's always a job for me. Special security adviser now." Oh, he knew. How? How? "Nice new armor. Going on a date? And who's he?'"

Fi followed Skirata's gaze. "That's Atin. Hang on, how do you...'

"Lads, this is Master Kaim and the Senate Head of Public Affairs, Mar Rugeyan. Fi heard Obrim sigh again. "And ARC N-11. We all want the same outcome-hostages out, scum bags dead, traffic flowing again. Let's get to it."

Kaim looked like a youngster aged early by responsibility. He stared at the door behind the barricades and closed his eyes for a moment, lekku moving ever so slightly, hands clasped in front of him.

"I'm going to ask them to let me in to talk." Kaim said. "When I have their attention, I will help them decide to release the hostages and to talk to me, which will not be easy with Korunnai" He took his lightsaber from his cloak and handed it to the ARC. "I have to show goodwill and enter unarmed."

"You're nuts, sir," said Obrim. 'You're giving them another hostage."

"One with a choice. * said Kaim. "Captain, if I get inside, you have command here."

The captain just nodded once. Atin took trie strip-cams and held one out to Kaim. "'If you get a chance, sir, try to leave this inside. Anywhere. Even If we can't get an image, we can pick up audio."

Kaim examined the stnp and tucked it in his sleeve, then took out his comlink. "Nuriin-Ar, can you hear me? Will you let me in so we can speak?'

The simultaneous chunk and uuiirrrr of 20 service-issue blasters powering up made Fl turn and aim in time to see the doors at the customs hall begin to part. For a moment, the commandos were a single wall of rifles with the two police forces. Slowly, the blade-thin gap opened wide enough for Fi to see a few huddled shapes inside.

Kaim went in.

GC spaceport terminal building. 1745.

Fi could see what Atin could see and hear what he heard. The squad had switched to the cam output within their helmets, and they were all focused on an unsteady image of folds of fabric and the muffled but audible conversation.

"Let these people leave," said Kaim. "You don't want to harm them."

"And no doubt you don't want to harm ordinary Korunnai, yet your interference does just that." The view from the cam shifted and Fi could see figures distorted by the wide-angle lens: four men, one in gray, one in dark green, one In light tan, and one in a loose, dark-brown coat. All had their faces obscured by black scarves. There were figures behind them, two groups of three, also wiih their heads covered in the same scarves. But they were the hostages, judging by their huddled positions and their clothing: out-of-date fashions from Garqi, a business suit, a customs uniform, a Mon Calamari Senator's formal robe, and a cheaper imitation of it.

Fine, thought Fi. His helmet was recording. I don't need to see your faces. I know what you wear, how you move, now you sound, and that's how /'ll know who you are when I blow your brains out.

Kaim's voice was soothing and reasonable. "These people need food and water,"

"That's the least of their worries." The one in gray; Fi noted his voice. The one in light tan turned to look at the Senator and told him to shut up. Green Man was holding his blaster left-handed. Detail. "Take a look at their baggage."

Tan Man - Fi now saw the targets as color coded-grabbed; the old Garqian man by his shoulder and dragged him across the polished tiles a little way from the wall on his backside. The old woman's voice whimpered. terrified. Fi could see now what Gray had meant by baggage: The hostages had small packs strapped to them.

"Six lives are a price worth paying, Jedi," said Gray. "We wifl detonate the charges."

"This wins you no sympathy. Mercy will."

"We don't reqire sympathy. Just your compliance."

"Let the old couple go, at least."

There was a pause. Fl wasn't sure where Kaim had managed to place the stnp-cam, but Gray's shrouded face came closer and Fi saw two pale eyes as if he was looking into them personally.

"Lying Jedi filth! Spy!" Gray hissed, and the sound and image crashed to static and black.

"Fierfek...." said Atin.

They heard the screams. They weren't only from an old woman. Then there was a thud and shouting..."Shut up! Shut up, or you die now!" - then silence. Fi looked to the ARC, rifle aimed at the doors: Darman raised the remote detonators in his glove, a mute request for permission to blow the doors,

"Hold fire." said the ARC.

The twin doors began to part and Fi, Atin, and Niner had their Deeces trained on the widening gap. Fi could see the different views through their scopes in his HUD.

"I said hold!"

Something tipped and rolled onto the polished marble and the doors sighed shut again. It was Kaim. Fi and Niner edged forward first, and the police closed up behind them. Fl wondered how much Ihe hovercams and broadcast droids could see. Could the gang see them?

Kaim wasn't moving. Niner put out a cautious hand to pull back the Jedi's robe, and Fi saw a flicker of light and heard Niner catch his breath.

"Booby trap - counting down!"

Fi didn'l think.

The police officers were right on top of hlrn, unprotected.

He flung himself flat on Kaim's body, eyes tight shut so he wouldn't see the shattered face, wailing long fractions within fractions of seconds before a shock wave lifted him like a body blow and raw noise filled his helmet. He felt as if he'd, been shaken hard in a metal box. For an instant, red light flooded his eyes behind his closed lids.

How long the next moment, took he didn't know. But he could hear the ARC shouting, "Droid those camsl Do It! Now!"

He could hear yelling, so he wasn'l dead. That was something.

Holoflash, 1758: A Huruun Kal group holding Senator Tills has killed a Jedi negotiator. All location cams have been disabled in a news blackout. but we've just witnessed horrific scenes as the Jedi's booby-trapped remains exploded in the terminal. It's thought a member vf the elite Republic Commando shielded the blast with his body. Viewers might find the following images distressing.

"What do you use for brains, Fi?" Skirata hissed, supporting Fi's shoulders. "You're a di'kut'

Fl could feel bruises forming everywhere he had places He sat upright with some difficulty, "Thanks for the sympathy. Sarge. I'm fine."

"You trust that pretty armor a lot more than I would." Skirata suddenly shook him fiercely by the shoulder. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, son. You hear? Let the cops look after themselves."

It hadn't been a big device. Just enough to kill or maim a couple of people, but not enough to breach Katarn armor He'd smothered ihe blast and the shrapnel that went with it. Fi hadn't been 100 percent sure at the time that the armor would absorb the energy from the blast, and now that the adrenaline had finished coursing through his veins he felt shaky.

The ARC stared down at him, fists on hips. Skirata kept calling him Ordo: Skirata insisted men had names, not numbers, whatever the rules said.

"Nice move." said Ordo.

"Nice skirt." Fi indicated Ordo's battle-scarred belt-spat, shredded at the hem like a flag that had been left too long on its mast. He wiped his armor, trying to forget what was smeared on the plasioid-alloy but the smelt kept reminding him. "Really suits you. Hand washable?"

Ordo's expression was hidden behind his visor but his tone wasn't. "It's a kama." he said, all Ice.

"Some day, Fi, someone's going to belt you one," Atin muttered. "And it's probably going to be Ordo."

He was right. But Fi didn't know any other way lo keep his gut from shaking at times like this, it was how he coped. He was relieved and he was shocked, and now he had to get on with the job. He leaned on his Deece to get to his feet and saw that the cams and droids had gone: the illuminated displays in the terminal were black screens, and the amber emergency fighting was on.

So Ordo had deployed an EMP device to knock out the holocams. and it had taken out all the unshielded equipment around them too. Droiding. A crazy but necessary move. Fi thought, seeing as it might have triggered whatever explosives the gang had rigged. He linked into Niner's helmet and saw that he was running and rerunning the Images of the gang that Kaim had paid for with his life, memorizing the identifying details,

Rugeyan was looking around the terminal hall, chatting on his comhnk. The embodiment of pure calculation. "Okay, so we'll have to take the news conferences at the Chamber... any more bodies, and they go out via the back... I know, it's not good seeing Jedi body parts... the grunt was great, right?"

Ordo and Skirata looked at each other as if some common bond had sprung up from nowhere. Fi wondered if they nan some commlink of their own: Skirata occasionally slipped something into his ear and removed it again. Ordo cocked his head but Skirata smiled lightly and without humor. He turned to Rugeyan and put a scarred hand on the sleeve of his nice, sharp tunic.

"Son," he said. 'I couldn't help noticing that you called my boys grunts. Don't do that again, will you?"

Rugeyan looked down at Skirata as if he'd noticed him for the first time and lowered the comhnk. "We want the Senator out now. Nothing else matters."

"I'm glag you pointed that out to me." Fi couldn't see what Skirata did next, but his arm dropped down and suddenly Rugeyan seemed to be taking a lot of notice of him. His eyes bulged visibly and a small uh noise forced its way past his lips. "Now that I have your attention, may I suggest that you remove yourself from the incident scene and let Captain Ordo and my boys do their jobs?'

FI was mesmerized. Darman jogged up to the tableau of frozen pain. "Charges laid, Sarge. Ready to go."

Skirata's arm fell back to his side again, and Rugeyan inhaled sharply before brushing down his tunic and striding away with somewhat splayed legs.

"I'll remember that move." said Atin approvingly, "Vau never taught us anything like that.'

But Vau had certainly taught Atin the exacting procedures for storming a building, Fi knew. He just wondered about Ordo. ARCs weren't team players.

"Fancy, a bit of action for a change, Captain?" asked Fi "Give yogr Deece a day out?"

"Don't worry, if your luck holds, I'll be right in front of you." said Ordo, toneless. "If it doesn't. I'll be behind you."

Fl thought about that for a few moments. Then he started wondering again why Nuriin-Ar and his cronies hadn't seized hostages in the transport before it landed: it was a better location to withstand an assault. The fools were facing certain death. They wouldn't shift the Senate's position. And they had to be stupid it they didn't reafize that.

In the end, though, their intelligence levels wouldn't matter. He checked his Deece, rehearsing rapid changes between modes and aware that Ordo kept looking his way.

Holonews Update, 1830: The Haruun Kal goverment has denied knowledge of Nunin-Ar. leader of the group that's holding six hostages at Galactic City spaceport. But in an unusually robust statement, the Korunnai ambassador says she "fully understands the group's frustration and has urged the Republic to cease interfering in her planet's affairs.

One of the CSF officers brought a tray of caf in flimsi cups and handed Fi one first. A camaraderie had sprung up: Fi rather liked it. The cops actually seemed in awe ol what he'd done, and he began to realize that it felt good to be held in that kind of regard.

"No cookies?' said Skirata, and took a cup.

The squad took their helmets off to dnnk. The officer seemed distracted for a. moment, stanng at their faces. "I'll see what I can do," he said.

"Don't wait for a tip." said Skirata. Fi smiled to himself.

Obrim and Dovel were observing a few paces away, and the group stared at the hologram of the temunal layout that Ordo projected into the space between them.

"It's an oblong room," sad Skirata, and slurped his car "No scope for anything clever. It's just going to be a matter of speed, force, and knowing who you're going to drop as soon as you're in there."

"But how are you going to stop them setting off the devlces?" asked Dovel.

"By slotting them before they can move."' said Niner, "We've done this more than 100 times, and we know how each other thinks. This is probably their flrsl time."

"And their last." Ordo dipped the finger of his glove through the shimmering virtual roof space of the customs hall. "I'll take the roof and keep the hostages still until we get bomb disposal in there to deal with the novices."

"All The hostages?" said Obrim.

"I realise the Senator is a priority."

Dovel chewed his lip thoughtfully, clearly a man who no longer wanted primacy in this incident. Fi thought that was a smart change of heart. If anything went wrong, he knew who would gel the blame now.

Ordo got up and tidied his rappel line before fastening it to his belt. "I'll get in position," he said. "And I'm switching to the general comlink channel. We go in at 1915. Darman counts us down, and Obrim's men kill all the lights, okay?"

Dowel's communicator chirped. He answered it and adopted that middle-distance state that peolplr had when they were trying to concentrate on something that they weren't expecting to hear.

"It's Nuriin-Ar." he said. 'He's asking for buckets, food, and wafer."

"Ah. The power of the need for a "fresher" said Obrim. "Looks like our hard men are softening."

"Even people who plan to kill engage in displacement activity," said Skirata. "I'll take the stuff in for you."

"I think I should he doing that, Sergeant." said Ordo.

"Yeah, like they'd succumb to your natural charm." Skirata began checking the pockets in his rumpled jacket. He extracted something that looked hke a hearing enhancer - no, it was a hearing enhancer. Fi had always doubted that Skiraia's hearing was perfect, and now he knew. "Atin, can you pick up my enhancer's signal? I hate this thing. But it does come in handy."

"I'll do." said Atin stabbing his finger into a small receiver in his palm. "Are you really deaf?"

"A bit deaf. Just like you'd be if you hung around live-fire ranges without a helmet for too long."

"With respect, you'lI just add another complication." said Ordo..Skirata sipped his caf without looking up. "If you mean that my boys will have to worry about shooting me by accident, then it's simple. They won't worry about it. Acceptable losses."

There was a complete silence in all their helmet comlinks for a telling and brief moment: no breath, no swallowing, no lick of the lips. Fi had a sudden mental image so awful that he didn't want to deal with it, not then,

Now it was all down to a well-rehearsed procedure. The charges would detonate, and they would lob in a few flashbangs so close together that it would feel like the same split second and plunge into reactions so automatic that they wouldn't pause to think what to do next or even know how much time had elapsed.

It was drilled deep, unthinking second nature. Fi longed for the moment instinct and training took him over again.

"I'll give you as many clues as I can, so listen hard,' said Skirata, He fidgeted witn the enhancer, making the same irritated clicks that Niner had. "And if I'm in the way when you come in, it's too bad, okay? You drop 'em all, straight through me if need be."

"Will do. Sarge," said Fi, and knew he would never do anything of the kind.

Galactic City terminal. 1855.

The doors parted. Fi, standing well back, stared down the scope of the Deece, not planning to take a shot but ready anyway. Skirata walked forward a few steps.

"Grilled food board."' he said, arms held away from his sides, a picture of sub-servience. "And... umm... facilities."

Fi could see past him into the enclosed corridor: The hostages were still split into two groups. One of the targets stepped up to Skirata and placed the muzzle of his blaster against his forehead, Green Man, Fi thought, and made a mental note of the target's gait. It was a clean shot he couldn't take but nor right then. The sound signal was fuzzy but audible enough.

"Put the buckets down and back off."

Skirata - short, wiry, forgettable, dragging his left leg - looked like janitor. Fi knew Green wouldn't see what was really there.

"What about the old couple?" said Skirata. "Don't you think they've had enough? Why not let 'em go? Take me instead."

Go on. Go on. Let him in...

Green paused and then gestured Sklrata Inside with ihe blaster. "You can keep them company," he said. "You're too altruistic for a delivery boy. We better search you."

The doors closed, "Stand by," said Niner.

They look up positions on either side of the doors. Fi and Niner to the left. Atin and Darman to the right. They could hear Skirata's breathing-remarkably controlled under the circumstances - and the occasional rustle of fabric. They were searching him. The enhancer didn't seem to get their attention, the device was too obvious.

"You okay, missus?" said Skirata's voice. There was a mumbled reply, probably from the elderly Garqi woman. "Lie down. You'll feel better."

"Shut up." said a voice, a new one. Tan Man, thought Fi. He'd know that voice the next time he heard It. You'll get yours. Nothing personal, just business.

They heard Skirata and the targets again. Fi paused. Every word counted: Skirata was probably risking death or at least a smach in the mouth with a blaster Dun to speak at all.

"Here, son, let me have a look at that chrono... wow. that must have cost you something....what kind at business you in, then? Where you from? Mayro, eh? What's your name?"

"Quiet."

"Mayro, Never been there...you're N'zaet Nir, eh?"

"Shut up." Tan Man again.

"Okay, keep your hair on. I'll just sit here with Joz and Cira you... okay, sweet-heart? Don't worry..."

"Shut up." Thwack.

There were indistinct sounds of fabric rumpling and occasional breathy sobs in different voices. Fi tried not to think what the thwack was. But at least they had a name for the last hostage. It might matter.

He closed his eyes for a second and visualized the layout. Skirata probably had three hostages right next to him then. That left Senator Till's position unaccounted for as well as his aide. But it was better than nothing.

"Why was he repeating Mayro?" asked Darman "Where's Mayro'*

Niner's voice filled his skull. "It's Corporate Sector. Ordo, you ready'

Fi took a deep death. He activated his helmet spot lamp and checked the chrono on his forearm plate. When the doors blew and Niner lobbed in the flashbang - bright and loud enough lo stun most species for several vital seconds - he would swing 270 degrees to his left, step in, and aim, ready to take down the first recognizable target he saw. He'd done it time after time.

"Roof team ready," said Ordo. "Darman?"

"Ready." Darman raised his gloved fist. "In three. Two. Go."

Boom.

Light exploded out of the shattered doors and Fi ran into it, Deece raised. Time slowed into a sequence of freeze frames. A man in a green tunic, stunned. Squinting against the helmet spot lamp, shouting "No!" in a voice Fi had memorized as target, struggled to raise his blaster, and Fi put a single bolt through his chest. Spot-lamp beams crisscrossed the room. Debris rained down from the ceiling as Ordo crashed down a couple of meters from Fi, Atin dropped Gray with two shots.

A second of utter silence. Then someone in dark brown got up from the floor and Darman and Niner both fired at once.

"Everyone down! Down!" Ordo had his rifle trained on a group of hostages. "Stay still! Republic forces! And Darman was shouting, "Where's Tan?" Where's Tan?"

Fi's lamp swept the wall to his left, and he saw a light tan shape with Scirata half-across it, transfixed by the beam, veiling, "No, Fi! No!" Fi fell his finger compress the trigger without any intervention from his conscious mind, and time slowed down a hundredfold.

"Fl, no!" Skirata had fiung himself across the tan-coated figure. "Hostage. Fi! Hold fire!"

Fi's finger eased hack. The silence was sudden and total again, punctuated only by the patter of ceiling panels still falling in chunks on the tiled floor.

I nearly kilted him. I nearly killed Skirata.

Ordo, standing over the hostages, suddenly fired his Deece into one of them and yelled at them to stay siil. The emergency lighting came on again. Six civilians were frozen in terror.

"Fierfek" said Atin. "I thought he'd shot a hostage for a second."

"Get ordnance disposal in here before these people start going hysterical." said Ordo. "And get the Senator clear first."

There was a man in an expensive suit crumpled on the floor between the other hostages with a blaster beside him.

"He had a weapon,' said Ordo "It's something of a giveaway. Must have swapped coats with our businessman,"

Now that all the targets were down. Fi could think only of Skirata's horrified expression in his spot-lamp beam. He taught down an impulse to tell him he was sorry. The old warrior was kneeling in from of the stunned hostages, now making reassuringly cheery comments that everything was going to be fine as long as they kept very still just a itttle longer. They were rigged to explosives and a dead terrorist was still smoking gently in their midst. And yet they kept still, and they kept qulet. People generally did what Skirata told them.

He glanced up at FI. "Well, not exactly textbook. But dead's dead."

Explosives disposal officers moved in to check the backpacks and the squad moved out. Fi looked ai his chrono: The assault had taken less than 30 seconds.

He could feel the adrenaline ebbing while his body - which didn't care how trained he was - tackled the aftermath of the massive surge of hormone. His breath rasped hard in his ears as he sat down on a baggage repulsor.

"All clear." The explosives officer came out of the wrecked hallway with an open backpack that rattled as he walked. "And I mean really clear. These packs are jusl full of used comtink parts. Nasty bluff."

Skirata wandered over to Fi and sat down beside him. "We don't like practical jokes like that, do we, lads?" he said. He motioned him to take his helmet off. "Serves the stupid bunch of di'kute right."

Obrim stood at the blast-shattered doors, looking bewildered, "Is that it?" he said. "We prate around for more than three hours, and you clear the room in 60 seconds?"

"Twenty." said Fi automatically.

It all looked easy from the outside. It probably would have rooked great to the holocams. Fi could see only that he had come within an ace of doing what he never believed he could. If Skirata hadn't identified the man as a hostage. FI would have killed both of them with a single round.

Sergeant Kal's nearly a father to us. How could I?

He took off his helmet and wiped his palm across his forehead, still unable to shake Skirata's image from his mind.

"You really would have slotted me, wouldn't you?" sard the old sergeant hoarsely.

"Sarge, I'm sorry. I..."

"No, you're a good lad." He still seemed able to read Fi's every thought, just as he had in training, "You only did what I taught you to do. What did I say?"

Fi swallowed. "Priority is to drop the bad guys. Sarge."

"Good. I'm proud of you. Sentimentality gets you killed." He tapped Fi's cheek a few times with the flat of his hand. "And matey over there is luckier than he'll ever know as are we all. They made him change clothes with them for a good reason, I reckon. He's CorSec."

The businessman. N'zaet Nir, was still standing by the wall, exammfng the scruffy tan jacket and pants as if appalled to find himself in such tatty clothing. He should have been medevacked for a routine check-up by now, but whatever he had said had ensured he was still there and waiting. He walked up to Obrim.

"I need to leave right now."

"You really should have that cneck-up. sir."

"But I have an important meeting. I'm a member of Co'Sec's Direx, and it's imperative that I attend,'

"Just as well you're in one piece then," said Skirata. 'I don't think your government colleagues would have found it amusing if we'd crashed in and shot you by mistake. Especially when the explosives were dummies."

Nir seemed to have forgotten his terror of a few minutes earlier. "No. they would not. We hope to stay cut of your disputes with the Separatists. Can I have my suit back now?,And who's paying for the damage?"

Fi thought a thank you might have been a nice touch, but he realized he had missed something in the exchange that had made Obrim and Skirata just stare at each other.

Niner walked over to them, followed by Ordo. Neither looked as if anything left them trembling. "What have I missed?"

"It wasn't the Senator," said Obrim. "He wasn't the key hostage. He was a lure to get us to storm in and kill the real trump card they were holding."

"You want to explain all that, Sarge?"

Skirata raked stubby lingers through his hair. "The Corporate Sector Authority is neutral and the Direx Board is its governing body. They've got serious money and armaments, so you don't want to upset them. So if Fi had shot a Direx member, the political fall-out would have been enormous - CorSec might have decided to take sides and throw their money and guns behind the Separatists. Want me to go on?"

"Fierfek," said Fi. But it still didn't feel as close a call as nearly killing Skirata. "That's a new one for the training manual."

"You said it. Heavy-handed Republic overreacts, storms in and kills top CorSec man, Nice stunt, whoever they are."

Obrim shrugged. 'Well, you can sleep soundly tonight in the knowledge that you've given Rugeyan a timely public relations coup. Just a shame it wasn't live on RHN...

He trailed off. Ordo had taken off his helmet. For some reason, Fi wasn't expecting the ARC to look like them but of course he did. He looked Fi straight in the eye, but it wasn't like looking in a mirror at alt, although it was a striking enough resemblance to reduce Obrim to silence.

"We're not supposed to be in the public eye." said Ordo. "But it doesn't do the Republic's citizens any harm to know what we do." He was staring intently at Fi. "And you, brother, are very mouthy, very annoying, and stupidfy brave. I forgive you for the crack about the kama. This time, anyway. "

Fi didn't feel brave, not right then. He also wondered, if smothering the bomb had been any more courageous than Master Kaim's actions. It was pure training, a split-second's decision exactly like Darman's or Atin's - or Ordo's.

And it was another thing that Kal Skirata had taught him to do. He remembered that now.

Holonews Update, 1930: The siege at Galactic City spaceport has ended with the rescue of Senator Meena Tills and all the remaining hostages. Commando forces stormed a hall in tne tetminal building and shot dead four terrorists from a group opposed to Republic influence on Haruun Kal. We now have our droid cams back on line, and we're going Iive to the scene.

Rugeyan was as smug as Qbrim had predicted. He came back into the terminal hall trailed by journalists and a cloud of fresh hovercams oozing satisfaction. Obrim stopped them and took him aside, walking him to the knot of commandos and police that was waiting beside the shattered doors.

"Before you strike up the band, you ought to know the explosives were a hoax." said the commander.

Fi watched absolutely nothing cross Rugeyan's face.

"So?"

"Looks like a stunt to get us to go in mob-handed and shoot a member of the CorSec Direx Board, and that has nothing to do with the Senator. We can't be sure who's behind it. so let's think about this before we start crowing."

Rugeyan maintained his blank expression in silence for a few seconds. Then a practiced smile snapped instantly into place. "Commander, those thugs held innocent people and murdered a Jedi Master whose sole concern was the welfare of the hostages. The Senate does not tolerate terronsm. We deal with it robustfy, and we have shown billions viewers tonight just what awaits anyone who wants to test our resolve." His smile disappeared like a light going out. "The rest is detail, and that needn't trouble our vigilant media."

He gathered up his smile again and walked back to where the media were waiting.

"Will he remember all that for the earns?" asked Fi.

"He probably talks like that in his sleep," said Obrim. "Anyway, I just want to get home. Unless you boys would like a drink."

Skirata smiled uncomfortably. "We're always on duty, Commander, so we don't get to have a drink. But thanks. You go on home."

Fi couldn't find a joke that would help him right then. He was grateful for the privacy of his helmet,

I really would nave fired.

Darman elbowed him in the back, more a playful gesture than one of annoyance. "We missed dinner." be sard. "Maybe you can talk the cooks into fixing us something when we get back "

Ordo was listening to his private link, head down. It was a giveaway gesture with ARCs. Fi thought "CSF transport's here to take us back to barracks." he said, straightening up. 'You're shipping out on a new deployment at 0600 tomorrow. Omega."

Skirata jerked his head round for a second, dismay unguarded, and then gave them a smile that didn't quite conceal his anxiety.

"You make sure you get them a decent meal first, Captain." He jabbed a finger in their direction, then appeared to yield to some private thought and gave them all a slap on the back. "No damaging government property, okay? And we'll have chat drink one day soon, I promise you."

He winked and pulled up his collar, limping into the crowds outside in the riot of neon and vehicle lights that was Galactic City, and changing before their eyes from time - served commando to anonymous old man as surely as any Gurlanin could shift shape.

"I've never had a proper alcoholic drink." said Atin. "Or a free bowl of warra nuts."

"Well, if they're free, that's worth staying alive for," said Fi, and they snapped their helmets back into place to become the Republic's ultimate, faceless deterrent once again.

[stardustloki]

Being trained by Vau left scars, and not just the kind that marred Atin's body.

Teen +, No Archive Warnings Apply, Gen

Characters: RC-3222 | Atin Skirata, Kal Skirata, RC-8015 | Fi Skirata, RC-1309 | IC-1309 | Niner Skirata, RC-1136 | IC-1136 | Darman Skirata

Additional Tags: Past Abuse, Angst with a Hopeful Ending, Atin has no frame of reference beyond Vau as to what a training sergeant is like, Skirata is trying to be a good parent and has already mentally adopted Atin, Not that Atin knows this, potential warnings for anxiety causing some mild dissociation, Sergeant Vau's A+ training methods

[mamuzzy]

TAG MASTERLIST & ARCHIVE

THIS MASTERLIST IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WILL BE UPDATED.  Ok so I try to make a coherent taglist here, for myself to easely find something I remember I reblogged and for anyone to search for something specific. Or just block the hell out of my blog. But it’s easier if you don’t follow me at this point. And most importantly: I LOVE ORGANIZING THINGS. *completely and deliberately ignoring the mess on my actual desk* Content warning: | cw: gore | cloneship | clonecest | I'm not much of a tagger when it's about triggers, so mutuals and followers if you see something that needs a warning (I won't put nsfw tag under posts, this is still a 18+ blog), feel free to dm me to discuss and we'll see what can we do about it.

STAR WARS  THE CLONE WARS:  > Coruscant Guard: Commander Fox | Commander Thorn | Commander Thire | Commander Stone | Sergeant Hound & Grizzer |

> 501st: Captain Rex | ARC Trooper Fives | ARC Trooper Echo | Clone Trooper Hardcase | Clone Trooper Jesse | Clone Trooper Kix | Clone Trooper Tup | Clone Trooper Dogma |  > 212th: Commander Cody | Clone Trooper Boil  > 104th: Commander Wolffe  > 327th: Commander Bly  > Domino Squad: Clone Trooper Hevy | Clone Trooper Cutup | Clone Trooper Droidbait > Anakin Skywalker | Ahsoka Tano | Obi-Wan Kenobi  Plo Koon | Aayla Secura | Quinlan Vos | Luke Skywalker | Darth Vader > Riyo Chuchi THE BAD BATCH I decided to separate TBB and TCW tags unless it’s canon media where they shared episodes or fanarts/fanfics where specific characters from each show are present > Sergeant Hunter | Clone Trooper Tech | Clone Trooper Crosshair | Clone Trooper Wrecker | ARC Trooper Echo (501 Echo and TBB Echo are under the same tag)  > Omega > Captain Howzer |Captain Traito- Captain Gregor | Commander Mayday

REPUBLIC COMMANDO (the game and KT’s books)  >Null ARCs: Ordo Skirata | Mereel Skirata | A'den Skirata | Jaing Skirata | Prudii Skirata | Kom'rk Skirata  > Omega Squad: Darman Skirata | Niner Skirata | Fi Skirata | Atin Skirata | Corr Skirata > Delta Squad: RC Boss | RC Sev | RC Scorch | RC Fixer  > Kal Skirata | Walon Vau & Lord Mirdalan | Etain Tur-Mukan | Bardan Jusik > Alpha-17 | Captain Fordo | Captain Maze AHSOKA > Shin Hati | Baylan Skoll Misc. tags Movies: tpm | aotc | rots | Games: Jedi Outcast | Fallen Order | Survivor Other’s OC Other artist OCs I like! <3

Winged!AU Sw memes

SHIPS: I like certain ships and I don’t interact with ships I don’t like or not interested. Be civil about it. Ships with Clones goes under CLONESHIP or clonecest and their specific shiptag.

> Blyla | CodyWan |  Foxiyo | > 17Fordo | Codex | CrossHunter | DogmaTup | DogmaHardcase | EchoThorn | FivesEcho | FivesTup | FoxFives |  Jessix | MereelCorr | OrdoFi | SevFi | RexHunter | Techo > xreader

(SOON)

(SOON)

[mariandjarin]

Eleni Skirata Diary Part 1

My story

(Eleni Skirata picture created by Canva AI)

Being me, it is funny.

The funniest part of my life is when unexpected situations appear on it.

One of them was falling into a portal and being kidnapped by Jango Fett.

Yes, Boba's father. (Well Boba is his copy actually)

Anyways that bounty hunter kidnapped me and brought me with Count Dooku, and at the end I finished with Kal'buir.

Nothing of that was part of my plans, but it happened in that way.

So, according to Count Dooku, I am special for the things I know about Kamino, the Kaminoans, and Darth Sidious' plans, but I am just a human being.  

What is a mystery to me is that Count Dooku said, "Let her train with the Republic Commandos. Let her become one of them. If some of the Cuy´val Dar ask you why a woman like her is here, tell them she is a special part of the project that cannot be revealed to them or anybody else".

So Jango followed Count Dooku's instructions, and I started training with the Republic Commandos.

I tried to discover the secret that surrounded my person and made me so special to be capture by a Sith Lord, but I didn´t found nothing. (Well not in my republic commando training).

Being a woman surrounded by men like them is difficult because you are the only woman in the training room (without considering Kaminoan women).

My squad was just one of many that trained with Kal'buir, but he helped me a lot during the hard training routines.

I didn't have the condition to be a warrior; I used to work making clinical analyses of blood, urine, and many other substances to give the results to the doctors so they could make the diagnosis of the patients. I didn't used to like my work, but I could say it is easier than Republic Commando training.

Being a woman has its priorities. One of them is that I have my own room. My own space to decorate and sleep or take a nap when I am able to do that. Also, I have my own bathroom.

The only thing I miss a lot is my piano. I used to play a lot of piano, and composing piano songs was my favorite hobby. It's still my favorite hobby, but I haven't played the piano for a long time. 

Also, I like singing. I don't have an Adele voice, but I love singing Mando'a songs, humming the tone of them, or any other song. 

Writing stories is another of my pastimes. So as you can see, I am writing mine.

Anyways, being in Kamino has been different from my home world, where the sun was there most of the time and it looked and felt like a desert. 

The big difference here is that there is nothing more than the training room, storms, and big and violent ocean waves.

(Well handsome supersoldiers are included too).

I used to avoid dates because being the only woman here makes you more interesting to those men, but after a while, I decided to give it a try.

Even when I knew it was risky.

My first date was with a guy called Niner. He is stoic and a gentleman, but which one of these soldiers is not a gentleman?

Ok, I was talking about Niner.

We had our time together. Meeting each other. Sharing pastimes, and yes, I know you want to know if there were some kisses. There were, but most of them were short, and they finished as soon as they started.

It is not allowed to date between comrades, but there is a moment in which you get bored and can't deny your nature. For Niner, well, he didn't know how to take that.

Everything ended two months later. Everyone was ready to ask for the second date, but I didn't want a second date. Niner stole my heart. If he wasn't ready. I decided to wait.

And it was okay until I met Sev from Delta Squad.

There were many stories about Delta Squad. 

Those Republic Commandos were trained by Walon Vau, the mando who has a strill with many privileges, but most of them disturb the inner peace of those around him.  

Well, Sev wasn´t the break rules guy, but we hid our relationship too well until Sergeant Vau discovered us.

That wasn't good. He gave Sev a fight that I won't ever forget. Sev and I were planning to get married, so you can imagine how well our relationship was, but after Vau discovered us, I was reassigned to be a rat lab from the Kaminoanis.

I still have my own room, but I can't go to see any of the boys, or they could be in trouble because of me, and by trouble I mean being killed. 

So, I can't see Kal´buir or the Nulls. I can't even answer their messages. It is like I am in a kind of prison prepared just for me.   

I miss all of them so much. 

Sev is still giving me gifts with love notes in secret. They just appear in my room. Maybe Lord Mirdalan is helping him. (Ok, that would be weird, but please, that strill is smart. All of them are smart). 

Even when this time I have had only for myself has been difficult, I have discovered that I can use the force, and I am very good at it!

Maybe that is what Kamionans, Count Dooku, and Dark Sidious were waiting for when I could use the force, but how? As their sith apprentice?   

I am not interested in those guys, but they could say something like, "We are going to kill your family if you don't do that."

In that case, I will need to use Plan B: Find me and make me do it if you can.

Where would I escape?, I don´t know yet, maybe I could go to the Jedi temple and train in their ways, but that could be difficult for the Jedi because I will involve them in my trouble.

Anyway, today I received a letter with an assigment. It says I am going to be part of...

Clone Force 99?!

Ok, I wasn't expecting that, but to tell you the truth, Darth Sidious and his plans always have a purpose.

Those clones are different to the other groups.

Let´s see what we can learn from each other and I will try to discover what is my part in Darth Sidious plans. (Without killing my new squad).

[stuffedeggplants]

Send a character ask:

Niner and/or the Master Chief

I haven't finished the Halo games and haven't read any of the books yet, so I will answer for Niner. (I don’t think anyone will be surprised when I say that what I have played of the games has given me very little insight into the chief’s character.) 

First impression

My impression based on Hard Contact was that he was going to be a very straightforward, "steady" sort of character with stuff going on under the surface that would take time to reveal itself/to understand. He seemed like somebody who you wouldn’t exactly be buddy-buddy with, but who you’d know was unquestionably dedicated to the team and genuinely gave a shit about you as an individual even if he wouldn’t always get it right. (I think if he could go back and redo his first ever conversation with Fi, he would. Opening with that "did you hold back or are you only still alive by accident" line has everything to do with Niner’s grief and frustration and nothing to do with Fi himself, but from Fi’s end and anybody else’s it could sound like a bitter sort of accusation, and Niner eventually realizes that after he says it.) 

I also wasn’t expecting anything dramatic from his POV or any sort of overt pathos, (though I’m on the fence about whether that’s the right way to express what I want to say.) 

Impression now

Niner unexpectedly became by favorite character and the one I found the most relatable. I haven’t done a 180 on my impression of him, and nothing has really ‘changed’ so much as evolved. Having finished the series and marinated on it for a bit, something that wasn’t obvious to me before about his character goes back to something a user here said before. It was something to the effect of Niner in some respects being the person who Skirata wanted to be. I think Niner absorbed the importance of the best qualities that Skirata aims for, and he tries to live out/emulate those qualities without repeating Skirata’s mistakes and falling short where Skirata fell short. Of course Niner isn’t perfect and has his own struggles, but I do think he learned what to do and some of what not to do from observing his training sergeant.

I don’t know a lot about dog breeds, but the two also remind me of the kinds of dogs who need some kind of family/group to guard and watch over and be a part of to be happy. I’d need to think about the right language for this, but my first instinct is to say that they both need a clear sense of purpose and a family to orient around, and they struggle with that in different ways. 

Over the course of the books, Niner sees the rest of Omega start to think about life outside the army and take real steps towards building that aspect of their lives. But because Niner initially (and completely understandably) struggles to contextualize his identity and purpose without filtering it through the only thing he’s ever known, i.e. the army, he doesn’t understand what his place would look like in that future and what would happen to the family he needs. This leads to some questioning moments with Darman and a sort of argument with Atin. He can’t handle the idea of being adrift without that family unit and seems genuinely afraid of all the unknowns should Fi, Atin, and Darman get exactly what they want entirely outside the bounds of what the military has allotted them. It isn’t until 501st that he’s made enough progress for the unknown to be exciting to him rather than a cause of anxiety, and he realizes that deserting to go live with everyone on Mandalore means an opportunity to discover who he is as a person, and that he can even form new kinds of relationships without abandoning or somehow lessening the strength of old ones as he was previously afraid would be the case. 

Skirata has a different problem. The importance he places on family and the driving purpose it gives him have translated to him being so wedded to a specific conception and mental image/model of himself as a clan leader and father figure that it actively hinders him from learning from his mistakes with the people he ostensibly cares about; really internalizing that and trying to change would mean that there’s something wrong with his mental image of himself and that it also would have to change. But he keeps acting to reinforce that image rather than adapt it as necessary, even if it means he keeps screwing up in the same ways and emotionally harming people because of it.

Favorite moment

Don’t have one, but some scenes I liked: 

His conversation with Darman after the argument with A’den about Sull brought him to my active attention and got me started thinking about him. 

I loved his content in 501st as he supports Darman while navigating an oppressive surveillance state. The Niner-Darman chapters are what got me through the book. That is not an exaggeration. 

The scene in Hard Contact where he’s casually checking the Wikipedia page on the “non-hostile” gdans as one of them is gnawing at his boot is low-key funny.

Idea for a story

Maybe in AU or not depending on where I can squeeze it in, but an adaptation of the time when my family and the family of a childhood friend tried to mutually set both of us up during an awkward, totally-not-arranged dinner. Only this would be Skirata noticing that Niner hasn’t been paired off by the narrative yet, so he arranges a big meal at Kyrimorut as pretext to try and set Niner up with someone he thinks he’d like. Mercifully Levet eventually rescues him. 

Unpopular opinion

I do like the ace!Niner headcanon and have come out supporting it myself, but I’m also okay with him eventually having a romantic relationship because of what I think it could represent for his character arc and how he understands, well, all the stuff I talked about in the Impressions Now section. I’m ace too, but I do think this was actually one case where, instead of being paired off for the sake of being paired off (like Corr), even the beginnings of him having a different sort of relationship with somebody could’ve been interesting for him given his character arc. Necessary? No. Just interesting.

Despite what I just said, I did appreciate how Niner was not romantically paired off with anyone and was immune from Objective: Find a Girlfriend. (If he does have that sort of relationship with somebody, really I see it coming further down the line after the never-to-come sequel to 501st wraps up and being a pretty slow burn type thing.)

Favorite relationship

His friendship with Darman and how they end up saving each other in this cyclical sort of arc.

Favorite headcanon

My idea for a story and the ace!Niner headcanon mesh well I think. 

[valkblue]

Niner Skirata the anxiety on a sticc. 🫣

Good choice!! 😭💕 My boy is an interesting one to talk about!!! 👀

My favorite line

I'd love to choose just one of his lines but, I can't. However, to answer the question, I'd say my favourite line of his is... the way he talks to his vode. And to Skirata.

I know he's basically mimicking Kal upon a certain point but I truly love the way he has his own spin on it. He tries to sound like he's in charge (because, as it happen, he is!!!) but lets them contradict him, bring their own opinion about things and trusts their judgment and quick thinking when it comes to action or straight up fights, helping them the best he can by checking on them constantly while himself is in the thick of it...

So, yeah... My favourite line is how he call his brothers by their nicknames even during battles to reassure himself, I'm sure, and cares for them on the daily through comms or face to face, and how much he listens, in fact... more than what he says.

My favorite moment

His intro scene. Hands down... And yet, it's clearly not his best moment — maybe his worst, in fact. At this moment, we discover a man in a scarily vulnerable state, grieving, in full survivor guilt and slightly agressive because of that... He snaps at poor Fi who just wants to discuss, talks about the pain of loosing their vode, to just connect with him on some level (even if it's just to talk about ration packs and where to stash them), because they'll be each other's vode now! But that's kinda the point, really.

Right after that, Niner realises it too, and just apologises to Fi in his very reserved way, by singing along with him... and comfort him with a few words when Fi finally opens up to him easier than Niner ever could.

My favorite strength

No matter the amount of explosions, the rain of blasterfire or even if they are stuck in a ship with 20 minutes worth of oxygen, Niner always keeps his cool. He's screaming internally, of course, and more often then not! But internally.

Only his vode can guess his level of bottled stress or fear through the way he speaks, clicks his teeth over closed-comms, or starts swearing in Mando'a even the way he stays silent.

My favorite weakness

See above… but in reverse. He's anxious, nervous, hypervigilant, always on the look-out, never expresses his feeling or fears fully for the sake of his squad, because he's their sergeant and he has to be the level-headed and focused one while Atin dissects droids almost under openfire, Darman is 'rearranging some architecture' (or branching to landscaping half of Quiluraa and Gaftikar...) and Fi throws himself unprompted across grenades (bless his clone soul)!!

My poor boy needs a break, vode! Stay still for at least five minutes so he can BREATH!!!!!

My favorite personal headcanon

Maybe Fi 'needed' a girlfriend, Atin and Laseema are great, and Dar was happy (?...) with Etain but Niner doesn't need nor seek that for himself. He just needs his brothers.

[cienie-isengardu]

Corr was uneasy. It was inevitable. "I just wanted to say something before we go any further."    "Get it off your chest, ner vod" said Atin. "I won't be trying to replace Fi." Corr blurted it out as if he'd been thinking about it for a long time and now wanted to get it over with. "I might wear the armor but I'm not the man, and I'm not going to compete with him. When he's fit, I'm out again, okay?"    Maybe he was being diplomatic, or he might not have realized how bad things were. Darman didn't explain.    "It's okay," said Atin. "I was one of Vau's trainees. Joining this bunch was a bit rough."    "Was not," Niner muttered. He'd never been one for a good laugh, but he tried hard -painfully hard - because morale was the squad sergeant's job as far as he was concerned. "It was Daruvvian champagne all the way."

Republic Commando: True Colors

[kungfuslipper]

All Our Demons

For Repcomm week, day 2: Casualty

Niner / Darman

angst / handjob / character death / suicide / dubcon

Mature, 18+, explicit sexual content

Niner, Darman, Rede, Ennen, (mentioned) Bry, (mentioned) Roly Melusar

Text exchange between IC-1109 Niner and IC-1136 Darman, approximately 2200 on the day of IC-4447 Ennen’s death:

IC-1109: Come back in one piece, will you?

IC-1136: fff Niner nu draar. Im leaving somethingg here.

IC-1109: are you drunk, mir’sheb?

IC-1136: I alrrady left sth here

IC-1109: what are you on about?

IC-1136: Joint op.. Quibbuus. Theres aroom I cant forget about.

IC-1109: … that’s a different place.

IC-1136: same place in my shabla heaD.

IC-1109: come back and tell me about it.

IC-1136: fevkin Ennen,,, vodd.d What a shabla dikut. I ccclda done th sAME THING.

IC-1109: you didn’t.

IC-1136: i hd you.]

...

“Sir, I apologize for what I’m about to say. IC-4447 is dead.”

Roly Melusar did not react. Niner may as well have said he’d submitted his squad’s annual performance evaluations. “How did he die?”

Melusar looked right at Niner, holding eye contact for a moment that ticked by too slowly. His tone was even, but Niner suspected the question was rhetorical.

“Suicide. We … we found him. He’s been examined by medical and taken to the morgue. You’ll have the police report in a couple of hours.” 

Niner had never had to report a squadmate’s death before, but there was a first time for everything. Blaster bolt to the temple. His own weapon. We were just outside when it happened — Dar was inside the ‘fresher. 

Yes, you can ask him. Dar, the MPs need to take your account. No, we didn’t touch anything. 

Melusar rose from where he sat behind his desk. He leaned over the polished surface, supporting his weight on his fingertips. He nodded once, then walked around the desk. “How’s Forty taking it?”

The new squad name went in one ear and out the other. Niner had gotten used to Omega, and he'd get used to Forty, too. 

But he wouldn't get used to the absence of Fi and Atin.

Darman wasn’t taking Ennen's loss well. He’d disappeared off base by himself. He'd always been the type to process things alone, but still, for a commando, isolation wasn't a good sign. 

Rede seemed shocked. Niner could only hope he'd eventually adapt to this tragedy as well as he had to everything else he'd been put through so far. 

“Hard, sir. But we’ll handle it.”

“You always do. Take the next couple of days to yourselves. Don’t worry about the details for now … we’ll find a replacement when you’re ready.”

Niner had come to expect fairness and genuine support from their commander, but all the warm words in the world didn’t make the situation any easier. He felt hollow and robotic. “Thank you, Sir. One other request – Ennen was Corellian. He would have wanted a cremation.”

“Yes of course. Once I receive the formal report we’ll proceed with those arrangements. That won’t be the end of it, unfortunately. We’ll have to endure an investigation – don’t take it personally. Investigation is routine when something like this happens."

The only thing Niner had ever taken personally was his squad’s welfare and performance. He took a breath and clenched his jaw tightly.

"I don’t have to tell you to keep your squad within recall distance.”

“No Sir.”  

“Take care of yourselves, Sergeant. I’ll contact you when I have an update."

Niner saluted, about-faced, and strode out of the office. He’d find Rede and they’d walk the base, kicking up dust and pretending to be doing something other than trying to forget about Ennen.

…

Laundry. Rede stared at Ennen’s pile of hand-me-downs — worn blacks, fatigues, a few civvie shirts and pants. “What will happen to them?” Rede asked suddenly, toeing a red T-shirt. Rede hadn’t been through this before – the coming home to a barracks room and finding nothing but items which had nowhere to belong. Or the rote solemnity of tasks performed to force the emptiness into a structure. Filling the time so you’d make it to tomorrow. Senior leadership misunderstood how soldiers worked, Niner thought. All free time ever did was remind you where you’d gone wrong. 

If they’d been a regular infantry unit, service droids would have cleaned up all evidence that Ennen had ever existed. But commando squads took care of their own – increased autonomy meant self sufficiency. Not a steep price to pay when it meant you could hold on to those you’d lost.

They divided up Ennen’s clothing between them wordlessly. Rede took the civvies and folded them, lingering reverently over his footlocker as if the precision of the folds would make things right. Maybe they wouldn’t, but Rede would have his first pair of civvies out of it. There were plenty more jarring things than seeing a vod in a dead man’s clothes, Niner told himself. That’s how things were done in the squads.

Niner took Ennen’s fatigues for himself and left the backup bodysuit on Darman’s bunk. Dar needed a new one, but superstition dictated wearing your first one until it became more of a hazard to wear it than replace it. Dar's blacks were Bry’s old pair.

Niner rubbed his forehead wearily and beckoned Rede out the door. “That’s sorted. Let’s eat.”

The sun was setting behind the spacescrapers, casting a forest of cool shadows over Core Square. It had been a hot day. The ferrocrete blacktop had begun to release its absorbed sunlight, warming their boots as they walked, like shadows themselves in dark imperial armor. The katarn, an effective insulator, kept them cool enough, and their bodysuits did an adequate job of adapting to body temperature. Niner could feel his sweat being wicked away even as his brow furrowed in worry over Darman’s radio silence. He focused on Rede’s profile as they walked. Under his bucket, Niner knew Rede’s face still looked smooth and youthful. His eyes, normally expressive, sat high and deep under his brow bone. No eye bags, no lines yet, no gray hair. Age would come for Rede, too, but Niner had somehow hoped that he would be spared just a few months longer.

The few years between Rede and the older commandos were enough that Niner noticed. Seeing Rede was like seeing himself as he thought he was, and then realizing he was not that younger man anymore. A few years did a lot to a clone – some of it visible, but most of it not. 

…

Lights out had come and gone, and Darman stumbled into the bedroom, a darker shape in a dark room, briefly illuminated by light filtering in from the hallway. He blundered into the bunk he shared with Niner and put one foot on the ladder’s middle rung. Niner, up to his chin in covers, reached out and grabbed his calf. “Hey. Down here. Rede’s up top.”

“Whaa?”

“I offered,” Niner explained in a hoarse whisper.

“‘Course,” Darman agreed, but he groaned, unstuck his foot from the ladder, and crawled heavily onto the narrow mattress next to Niner, still booted and clothed. Niner turned towards the wall, taking up as little space as possible. “Sorry.” 

He didn’t mind that Darman had to scoot in close to him, or that he rested his hot forehead between Niner’s shoulder blades, huffing as he settled down. Rede snored above them, a loud rattle that drowned out background sounds of sky traffic and the laundry room down the hall. They could have an entire conversation without him hearing.

“Oh fuu, m’ clothes,'' Dar slurred suddenly, and Niner caught a whiff of beer on his breath. Darman sat up, thunking his head on the bunk above. Rede snored on, undisturbed, and Darman continued thrashing and huffing as he tried to pull his shirt off.

“Help me, vod’ika.”

Niner reached blindly for his brother, bumping into bare skin and grabbing onto what he realized was Darman’s back. He slid his hand up, wiggling his fingers experimentally where the edge of Darman’s shirt cut into skin. It had gotten stuck around his lats. “How did you stuff yourself into this?” He asked helpfully.

Darman sighed. “It fit fine earlier. Just get it off me.”

The CSF Social Club, known for its loaded fries, had obviously bloated him on both sodium and booze. 

Niner had to roll over and straddle him from the front, edging his fingers in deeper, before he finally worked Darman’s shirt up and over his head.

“Di’kut,” Niner murmured, pushing him back down onto the bed. He rolled off Darman's lap and settled onto his side again, feeling better about everything with Darman close. He closed his eyes, intent on falling asleep. Dar's chest rose and fell against his back, but he kept moving and twitching, bumping Niner’s legs with his knees.

Niner sighed patiently and focused on the sound of Rede’s snoring. He was interrupted again a moment later by a metallic jingle right behind him. It had to be Darman’s belt buckle. Niner turned, waiting for his eyes to re-adjust to the dark again. He could just make out Darman’s hands fumbling with his belt and then with something else between his legs. “What. What are you doing?”

Dar hissed in frustration, palming himself, yanking on his pants. “Gotta take care of this.” 

This turned out to be his half-hard cock, which was nestled in his open fly. Niner watched, frozen, as his hand dipped into his pants and moved up and down a few times. Then Darman stopped, his face turned toward Niner’s in the dark. Niner swallowed. A brother taking care of himself in the same room wasn’t unusual, but Omega Squad had always given their sergeant a respectful amount of distance when it happened.

Darman seemed to have forgotten this unspoken etiquette, or maybe their relationship had evolved enough that he felt it no longer applied. “Could you … could I – I mean –” he stuttered, face tipped toward his dick, which peeked out of his fist. 

Niner’s mouth dropped open. He probably misses Etain, and I’m the best he��s got. “I don’t think –”

“Fine. Forget I asked.”

Darman sounded tired now, and resolute, and vulnerable in a way Niner had not heard since before …

“You want … me?” As soon as the words left his lips, Niner’s chest began to pound. He’d never been propositioned before. He couldn’t even say where Darman would fall on a list of possible partners, because he didn’t think he had a list. Everyone he met was more or less the same to him – just people, and they all had a job to do. 

“Your hand, maybe?” 

This wasn’t part of the job. Or at least it hadn’t been until now. 

“I don’t know, Dar,” he said, as gently as he could. “I’m probably not the best person to ask.” 

Darman growled, frustrated, and his hand snapped up and down, as if he were trying to yank the stiffness out of his erection. Then he lay down on his side behind Niner, his forehead warm and solid against his back again. Niner sighed. Darman hadn’t pulled his pants back up, which meant the door of opportunity was still open, and all he could think about now was how Dar was lying there behind him with an abandoned boner. 

Niner didn’t know what to do. “I’ll sleep on the floor,” he muttered. He grabbed a blanket, rolling onto his elbow to sit up.

“Lay down,” Darman snapped in a loud whisper. “‘M not that drunk anymore. I know what I’m doing.”

Niner wasn’t convinced. It was difficult to tell which Darman he was dealing with. Was this grieving Dar or couldn’t-care-less Dar? But Niner lay down again, for reasons beyond rationality. They breathed quietly for a minute, each with his own thoughts, and then Niner felt Darman shuffle closer and rock into his backside. He was still hard. And his hand pinned Niner’s hip firmly against his own.

“Udesi, vod,” Niner bit out, but a little shiver crawled up his spine. Something was happening. Maybe he’d never had a list before because no one had ever come quite this close. And Darman wasn’t anyone. He wasn’t just one of his brothers anymore – or even just one of his closest brothers. After Shinarcan Bridge something had changed. The playing field had leveled out in a way that made him want to respond to Dar’s insistent advances. 

Niner reached back, not knowing exactly what he meant to do, and found Darman’s head. He pulled Dar in close, turning to face him, caught by the need to keep him where he was.

“Let go of me, then,” Darman breathed, fanning Niner’s neck with warm air. 

Niner didn’t move.

“You want this, don’t you.”

Niner shuddered, and Darman felt it, because he relaxed, face buried in Niner’s neck. “Please.”

Of all the days, of all the times, Dar.

Darman’s lips on his neck made everything feel fuzzy. He didn't want to let go. So he held on, folding Darman close, breathing deeply against him. Warm little curls of desire unwound as Darman's hips arched into him again, and before he knew it he was letting Darman hump his thigh, and then his open hand; all he had to do was close his fingers.

He had his vod’s cock in his hand on the same day he’d lost another one to his own demons.

All our demons.

Dar’s gentle huffing noises turned tight and desperate as Niner worked him. Then they went ragged and wet with tears as he came, effortlessly, into Niner’s hand. 

Rede hadn’t stopped snoring. Vor entye Manda. He’d seen enough for one day.

Darman drifted off to sleep, and Niner didn’t move for the fresher until he was sure he wouldn’t wake.

@officialrepcomm

[casbooks]

Books of 2023

Book 17 of 2023

Title: Knives in the Night (The Night Fighters Book 1) Authors: David Sherman Series: 1 of The Night Fighters Tags: Military Fiction, US USMC United States Marine Corps, VNM US USMC CAP Combined Action Platoon (Vietnam War) Rating: ★★★★★ (5 Stars) Subject: Books.Fiction.Military.Vietnam.David Sherman, Books.Military.20th-21st Century.Asia.Vietnam War.Fiction

Description: From 1965 to 1971 the United States Marines in Vietnam ran a small, little-known operation called the Combined Action Program. In many ways what CAP did was similar to what was done by the US Army Special Forces, the famous Green Berets, except the Marines concentrated most of their effort in the heavily populated coastal lowlands rather than the sparsely populated highlands. Most CAP units consisted of a Marine rifle squad and US Navy Medical Corpsman, and a Vietnamese Popular Forces platoon (roughly equivalent to the US National Guard, but with less prior training and poorer equipment), and were commanded by a Marine sergeant corporal. Combined Action Platoons were frequently semi-isolated and usually independent units. There has been very little written about them. The one in The Night Fighters is loosely based on the combat-outpost type of CAP I served in during the spring and summer of 1966. To my knowledge, Knives in the Night was the first fictional treatment of a CAP when it was originally published by Ivy Books in 1987. Knives in the Night introduces the Marines of CAP Tango Niner and the Popular Forces of Bun Hou village, somewhere deep in "Indian Country." The Marines and Vietnamese soon find themselves pitted against Major Nghu, a sadistic North Vietnamese Army officer dedicated to wiping out the Marines and subjugating the South Vietnamese peasants, and his platoon of North Vietnamese Army regulars. **

Review: So I read these books in the late 80s/early 90s when the series was first published and always loved them. But it’s been so long, I don’t quite remember them all that well so I’ve decided to re-read them! Sherman is well known for his ability to tell a good story and create great characters, and this book doesn’t disappoint at all. The action flows well, the prose is good, and the story moves at a good pace to allow many of the people in the book to grow, while some just remain one dimensional but hopefully they’ll get more time in the rest of the series. 

[sevdidntdie]

so if fixer’s the corporal for delta, who’s the corporal for omega???

I don’t remember traviss mentioning anything about it …

@techs-goggles9902 ?

my guess is atin … just bc

Sergeants: niner and boss

demolition guys: dar and scorch

snipers: fi and sev

AND also bc Traviss paired fixer and atin up in Triple Zero