• Chapter Four
    A Pleasant Surprise

    Class: Clone Trooper
    Name: FC-2719
    Category: Field Command
    Rank: Commander
    Job: Leader of the 501st 2nd Squadron
    Specialty: Jedi Hunters

    “Commander…”
    Something stirred FC-2719’s mind awake.
    “Commander.”
    FC-2719 opened his eyes. He was greeted by the sight of two clone troopers standing in front of him they were both dressed in black armor that still held the basic style of the clone’s armor.
    “Welcome back commander.” The clone on the right was addressing him, though he could only tell from his deft hand movements.
    “I’m a Captain.” FC-2719’s voice sounded muffled.
    The two clones looked at each other and then back at FC-2719.
    “Do you remember what happened?”
    FC-2719 tried to remember but everything was a blur in his mind. He tried to move his hand to place it on his head, his arm felt as though it was covered in jelly. Then he realized that he was standing a meter above the two clones and that he was looking at them through a thick plate of glass which was containing not only him, but a vat of bacta as well. He felt his brain becoming fully alert as he made the connections.
    “Where am I?”
    “We will get to your questions in just a moment FC-2719. What we need to know is what happened to the last Jedi.”
    “The last Jedi?” FC-2719 repeated the statement. Suddenly he remembered the roar of a ships engine and recalled seeing the ship leaving the atmosphere.
    “He escaped.” FC-2719 nearly choked on the words, he was rapidly recalling what happened.”
    “We had them trapped inside a temple and we sent in a preliminary force to capture them, they were able to dispatch them but six of our men were still alive, We received intel from one of the injured troopers that the Jedi had retreated farther inside the temple and my squad was sent in to investigate. We were able to evac the six injured clones and we entered the ruins to find there were no Jedi. We tried to contact topside but the communications array wouldn’t reach them through the thick walls so we went back up. About half way up we received a distress call, the six troopers we had saved had been the Jedi in disguise. By the time my squad got out there almost everyone was dead. I was able to kill one of the Jedi as they fled slowing them down a little, but still one must have made it to the ships. I called in air support and I don’t remember what happened after that.”
    The two clone listened to what he had to say and then turned to each other. In silence they confirmed something between each other before turning their sights onto FC-2719 again.
    “Well, it all checks out. I have to admit that you are one extremely lucky man.”
    FC-2719 looked at the two black clones.
    “Where is the rest of my squad?”
    He heard the clone on the right sigh as he turned back to address FC-2719.
    “Dead. We just can’t figure out why your not.”
    FC-2719 felt a pang of guilt at having caused his brothers deaths, but his soldiers training kicked in minimizing his feelings by suppressing his sadness. He turned back to the duo.
    “So what happens now? I’m a commander right? So I must be worth something.”
    The man on the right nodded. “That’s right; you are one hundred percent correct you are worth something. You have had first hand experience hunting these Jedi, you even have a kill recorded, and that makes you more qualified than half the men on this ship.”
    FC-2719 nodded his head in acknowledgment, “I will do what I can sir.”
    “Good, we will be making landfall in a week’s time. We are in pursuit of a grey Jedi, the same that escaped from your grasp not to long ago. You should be out of there in the next forty eight hours and then you will be introduced to your command. The two clones turned sharply and marched away having told FC-2719 all they had to say. He sighed as he floated in his tank turning his head side to side to view the rest of the room. Unfortunately for FC-2719 the tanks view did not offer much to look at. The dulled gray floors smudged with the track marks from dozens of troopers along with the blank walls offered him little in the way of entertainment. Closing his eyes he felt his body drifting slowly back into unconsciousness.
    FC-2719 awoke violently to the sounds of rushing fluids. His eyes snapped open to see a clone trooper with black crosses on his shoulders and helmet. FC-2719 placed a hand against the glass and tried to speak but found his voice was gone along with his oxygen mask. Instead of making coherent sound v sucked in a lungful of bacta causing him to cough and gag on the liquid. He saw the clone give him a brief wave and he felt the hard suction pulling him downwards as the last of the bacta was sucked out through the small opening in the bottom of the tank. FC-2719 knew what happened next, and mentally prepared himself for it a second before it happened, the small circular base of the bacta tank unhinged revealing a man sized tunnel below. He felt as though he left his stomach behind as he fell through the opening. He" felt wind rushing and the cold slime of the left over bacta on his back as he slid noiselessly down the tube. He tried to enjoy the ride but the cold steel of the tube and the slightly putrid stench of day old bacta caused him to gag slightly. But just as it had begun it was over too quickly to remember,. FC-2719 found himself on an empty bed dripping bacta in globs onto the sparkling white floor of what looked like the ships medical center. He peered up at the fluorescent lighting and sighed. ‘It was good to be back.’
    He heard the sound of a door opening and turned to greet the black clad Clone trooper who entered.
    “FC-2719 reporting for duty.” He threw in a salute for good measure.
    The trooper gave him a brief nod before returning his sights to the small data pad he was holding.
    “I am the Lead Medical Officer on this ship,” he indicated his small insignia on the top of his helmet by tapping a single gloved finger to it. FC-2719 noticed that the small red cross was printed on his shoulders and chest as well. The trooper raised an arm, pointing his index finger towards something behind FC-2719.
    “Your old armor was destroyed in the blast so we replaced it with something more suitable.”
    FC-2719 turned to follow the trooper’s finger and saw an armor rack that he hadn’t noticed before holding black armor akin to the medical troopers except that it lacked any markings whatsoever.
    “Go ahead and suit up, instructions have been left inside your navicom, you can access it by saying “Activate Navicom.” when you have all of your equipment on. The trooper tapped the data pad clearing the information off the screen. He gave a solid salute before departing leaving FC-2719 slightly befuddled as he began putting on his armor. Slipping the boots onto his bare feet he felt the familiar sensation of the optic gel conforming to his feet size. As piece by piece was slowly placed on his body he felt the unnerving sensation as more of his body became encased in the battle armor. Flexing his hands he felt for any insecurities in his armor as he had been taught to do in his basic training classes. With only his head uncovered now he looked around briefly before placing the black mask on his head. He briefly heard the sound of suction as the helmet sealed itself to the neckpiece of his armor. His HUD turned blue creating a faint outline of the around the visible parts of the visor. He could see all his usual statistics such as heart rate, ammo, and… and, well he wasn’t quite sure what the bar on the top of his HUD was, and there was something that looked like a radar on the bottom left, above where his squads names would appear.
    “Activate Navicom.” FC-2719’s voice echoed inside of his helmet.
    “Navicom activated, welcome FC-2719 to the Solonious Mark II, fully equipped for combat or any hostile environments you may come across while on your tour of the GreenSeed. Would you like to give your Navicom a customizable name or HUD color?” The tinny female voice pierced the moment of silence that had elapsed after he had spoken. It sounded like a computerized female Kaminoid’s voice.
    “Yes, I would like to give you a new name.”
    “Please dictate new name now.”
    “Sasha.”
    “Confirm new name ‘Sasha’.”
    “Confirm.”
    “Welcome FC-2719, my name is Sasha, you have been left instructions to report to the bridge as soon as you have adapted to your new armor..”
    “Alright, shal-“
    “Would you like to know some of the additions of the Solonious Mark II?”
    “Uh, ok.”
    “The Solonious Mark II has been designed around the idea that the user should be protected in nearly any environment. Your Mark II comes equipped with twelve hours of condensed oxygen allowing you to survive in space or under water for long lengths of time the air supply can also be used to promote exterior movement in zero G environments, on the top of your right arm you can activate your squad command list by tapping the small blue circle, from there you can issue commands to your men by either creating your own plan or selecting pre set commands from the command list.”
    At this FC-2719 lifted his right arm seeing for the first time a small blue circle about an inch in diameter, tapping it lightly with his index finger he was amazed as a small secret compartment opened showing another screen, though this one was blank, probably because he had no men to command.
    “The Mark II also has an advanced shields system that will darken, or change should the visible light around the user rise to unsafe levels. Every Mark II also has a personal shield which can be activated or deactivated; its current state is displayed at the top of your HUD.”
    FC-2719’s eyes swiveled to the top of his HUD eyeing the empty blue bar.
    “While on the GreenSeed your shield will be automatically disabled, though you can choose to activate it at any time. Your boots have also been modified to allow for magnetic sealing enabling you to walk freely along metal surfaces regardless of the state of gravity in the area around you. Your personal Navicom also has a UPS, a Universal Positioning Service, which can be activated on any planet or ship which the GreenSeed has come into contact with. It can be used both as a distress beacon and an easy to use directional system. Would you like me to plot out your course to the bridge?”
    “Alright.”
    FC-2719 watched as the small radar on his HUD came alive showing the schematics of the ship. FC-2719 identified the small green arrow in the center as himself, and the green highlighted path to be the fastest way to his destination, other slightly smaller yellow paths illuminated alternate routes to his destination. He stepped forward, his boots clicked as he exited the medical bay and made a right into the passageway following the UPS. As he walked his Navicom began talking once again.
    “Should you ever wish to put your Navicom into standby, or mute, you need only dictate your command, the Navicom has been designed using advanced cybernetics and Artificial Personalities to understand even vague commands and translate them to the users desires, should the Navicom ever make an error in processing a dictation the user should immediately correct it so that future mistakes will not be made.”
    FC-2719 felt a little funny talking to the Navicom, but decided to try it out anyway.
    “Uh, Sasha, at my approximate speed what is my ETA to the bridge?”
    “One moment,” there was a slight pause before the Navicom continued, “your approximate ETA to arrival at the bridge is one minute thirty seven second and sixty seven tenths and counting.”
    A small noise attracted his attention, a small blue envelope appeared near the top right of his HUD.
    “You have received a new message from GreenSeed command, would you like to view it?” Sasha’s tangy metallic voice echoed in his ears.
    “Yes, open the message.”
    FC-2719’s eyes skimmed over the words in the message. He eyes locked onto the two words he now realized he had been yearning to hear since his awakening. His Navicom spoke in its non celebratory monotone voice.
    “Congratulations Commander, you have been assigned as C.O. to the Jedi Hunter Unit.”
    FC-2719 smiled inside his suit, this could be fun