Saga Army of One Man? (2009 Dear Diary Challenge - Final Update 12/31/09)

Doesn't sound like these guys are too easy to work with - almost droid-like in their lack of personalities.

 

I don?t know how to react to my new squad.

'cause you're not a fangirl.
But I agree, they sound strange.

No nicknames and no personality? I don't like it. i don't like it the least.
maybe Gal can teach them some indivuality.

 

Gal meet the new stormtrooper! They can't shoot, they can't track, and they can be mass produced at a rate of 10 for everyone Clone Trooper.

Remember, when you make a copy of the the copy of the copy of the original, wires start getting crossed and it doesn't act quite right.

In other words... I am just as confused and lost as Gal.

 

The clones I trained with, most of us saw it as a rite of passage. You see, we looked alike, and acted alike, but in the sense of thinking ? save for strategic planning ? none of us think alike. We?re individuals, and except for our unwavering loyalty to the Republic, we have individual personalities.


I love how you're developing this story, and these characters.

 

Yod: red shirts?!?! There - are - no - red shirts - in - my - empire...

Takianna: *steeples fingers* Excellent!

NYC: Or Lumbergh-ish...

Lanna: Oh, he'll try...

CPL: You're more on point than you think...

Vadey: Thanks!

Entry 11:


Thanks everyone for reading!



1,059 days after the Battle of Geonosis

I?ve started nicknaming my men; it?s far easier than calling out id numbers. For instance, the one with all the ?sixes? in his id, I nicknamed him ?devil-dog?. In my old life; which is eerily ironic to consider since I?m still a loyal member of the GAR; clones received call signs based on their specialties or personalities. These boys are copies in the most literal of terms in that they all receive equal rudimentary training of every possible skill, with one being able to replace his fallen brother without missing a beat. They don?t even refer to each other as brothers, just their serial numbers, which brings me to my other point of contention: again, no personalities.

I?ve spoken to my superiors, asking how they have identical personality characteristics, while mine seems to be a bit askew. Mind you, I?m trying to keep to their story that my previous life of training on a water world, and three major campaigns of which I was a part of never existed. They dismissed it as my imagination and to just do my job, all but one.

He asked why I thought it was an important trait. I explained that I wasn?t looking to buck the need for obedience and discipline, but that the GAR would need soldiers who didn?t think so uniformly. We needed clones that could think out of the box and make important tactical decisions if our Jedi generals were not available, reliable, or worst case scenario - dead.

He informed me that the GAR was implementing a service wide chain of command, both in the army and naval forces; that would bypass the need for Jedi altogether.

Of course, my curiosity got the best of me when I asked permission to inquire if that meant the Jedi planned on removing themselves from the war?

He frowned at me, as if I had asked something entirely too private, and then said he would give my thoughts on more free-thinking clones some consideration. I was then reminded that one never knew what the future may hold.

I felt like I had asked about Saleucami all over again?odd.

 

So he names them, do they react to their names? Do the accept it at all?
I imagine it would be really difficult to work with a group of people that have the personailty of - toast.

The Jedi planning to remove themselves from the war?
I am sure they'll see it a bit different in the end.
He'd better be careful with his questions, they might get him killed.

 

He informed me that the GAR was implementing a service wide chain of command, both in the army and naval forces; that would bypass the need for Jedi altogether.

Of course, my curiosity got the best of me when I asked permission to inquire if that meant the Jedi planned on removing themselves from the war?

He frowned at me, as if I had asked something entirely too private, and then said he would give my thoughts on more free-thinking clones some consideration. I was then reminded that one never knew what the future may hold.

I felt like I had asked about Saleucami all over again?odd.

Wow. I loved it!

 

Good past few updates!

 

There goes Gar, asking reasonable questions again. You'd think he would've learned by now

 

Hey all, so soon an update?!?!

MsL:He'd better be careful with his questions, they might get him killed.
Nooooo!!!!!

MamaV: Thanks!

Face: And thanks to you!

Yod: None of my OC's every really seem that bright, do they?

And thanks to all those other readers out there!

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[b]Entry 11:[/b]

[i]1,060 days after the Battle of Geonosis[/i]

I passed the officer I spoke with yesterday, and noticed something very curious about the look of his face. It looked amused, as if he and I shared a secret joke or something, and I had forgotten the punch line.

And the other thing that had struck me was his face itself. Yes, I know GAR command is not comprised of clones, but it suddenly dawned on me that all the officers had a similar face themselves.

Although I?m not sure what to make of it though, but it dawned on me that everyone I?ve seen or have had contact with is human.

 

Although I?m not sure what to make of it though, but it dawned on me that everyone I?ve seen or have had contact with is human.

Love it!

 

Humans are Teh Creepy. Better take care Gal, or they'll be the death of you...

 

I love the use of it here! Great update. Keep them coming.

 

Wow. I've got a feeling that he's seeing the end of the Old Republic . . .

 

Very well done story. I'm about as confused as Gal is at the moment.

 

I think I'm starting to see what's going on here... Do continue this wonderful diary, so I can see if I'm right.

 

Vadey: Thanks!

MsL: wookiees and droids, no prob...

Takianna: Thank-you!

Nat: That doesn't make sense at all...

CT: Concusion? Head trauma?

Muis: Your right! It is wonderful!!!


Thanks all for reading!



Entry #12


1,062 days after the Battle of Geonosis

I?m trying to put the events of the past few days out of my head. From what I?ve heard from other squad sergeants is that command is gearing up for some sort of massive conflict. No one knows what, but they?re all sensing that things are going to take a major shift, and soon. It?s probably just deployment ? ?just deployment? ? as if the mere thought of it wouldn?t send average citizens into a tizzy.



I had lost three men in lie fire exercises over the past few days, excellent by command stats since they; and I?m quoting a Jedi general: ?mass produce us buns in an industrial oven?. Tension, and stress from the unknown is high, so I tried to giving my men ? my brothers, a pep talk. It became clear once again that these were not my brothers, not Jango?s army.

?Buckets off.?

Inspiration is best served eye to eye, not through the metallic reverberations of a helmet.

No response. Not a shred of comprehension.

I of all men know the comfort of a soldier?s helmet, detached from the world as we watch our deeds like a holo-drama on the display screen. It?s like a 4-D holo-game I once heard a non-clone describe as his unaccustomed senses were bombarded by the solitude of a clone?s helmet. Inside your helmet you are alone, secluded in your thoughts, despite the sounds of destruction exploding around you. I yearn for the comfort of my bucket while trying to sleep some nights?

But the men of faux-Kamino. It wasn?t about the safety of their bucket, it was just a foreign idea to them; incomprehensible.

Jango once addressed us after live training exercises when I was much smaller, it feels like a lifetime ago.

?You are an army of one man, the only man who?s right for the job!?

I was hoping to strike the same inspiration in my own men, but how can you when you?re worlds apart from your twins?

 

No response. Not a shred of comprehension.

But the men of faux-Kamino. It wasn?t about the safety of their bucket, it was just a foreign idea to them; incomprehensible.


But, but - toast, it's horrible.
That's not an army of one man any more.

How lost Gal must feel, like the only human among robots. Meat-droids for real.
I'd feel for those poor scuggers, but somehow I don't think they'd get it.

Great writing, can't wait to see how you resolve this.

 

Poor Gal I like him remembering Jango's words - nice connection to the title

 

Jango once addressed us after live training exercises when I was much smaller, it feels like a lifetime ago.

?You are an army of one man, the only man who?s right for the job!?

Great update. Love the military feel of this.

 

Despite finishing the actual tasks a while ago, it?s taken me a bit to come out of the schoolwork fog and catch back up on the important things, like fanfic. You continue to craft a really interesting POV with this clone who is both a cog in the system and removed from it, both one of many and completely alone. Keep up the good work!

 

Back again!

MsLanna: But, but... I like toast. With melted butter and cinnamon and suger... mmmm!

Nat: Thanks!

VaderLVR: Glad you like!

The_Face: Geez... Now you're just over simplifing, or is it over analyzing(?) it. I mean yeah fanfic is important...

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[b]Entry #13[/b]

[i]1,062 days after the Battle of Geonosis
(later in the day)[/i]

During evening meals in the mess hall, I was pulled away by some menial gopher to the training bases? top brass, a man I had yet to encounter. To put it mildly, the bases? Commandant was very? perturbed by the speech I had given my men earlier today. How he knew about it I?ll never know. Had he been Kaminoan, I?d say they had observation video cameras all over the training camp.

First he wanted to know how I came up with the term ?[i]buckets off[/i]?.

I told him about how our template, Jango Fett had used the term when I was biologically 7 years old after a live fire exercise in which more than half of the unit was terminated.

Until my dying day, I?ll never forget the look of utter confusion and disbelief when he basically spat out the following:

?[i]WHO?[/i]?

Then one of his flunkies who had ordered my brain be scanned leaned in and whispered in his ear. I don?t know what was said, only what the Commandant responded. He eyed me suspiciously then snapped back to the man next to his ear:

?[i]How in the nine-bloody hells did he end up here?[/i]?

The little weasel face whispered in his ear again, to which the Commandant just mumbled:

?[i]I should say so[/i].?

Then he demanded to know how I knew [i]Mando?a[/i]. I told him I don?t speak [i]Mando?a[/i].

He became infuriated and rose from his seat, demanding to know who taught me Mando?a. His little display didn?t intimidate me like he had hoped; I could have jumped the table and snapped his neck before he could say [i]Mando?a[/i] again.

But I didn?t let it show. Even after he demanded where I came up with the call sign ?[i]Gal[/i]?.

I plainly stated ?I can?t recall, [i]sir[/i],? and was dismissed until they [i]decide what to do with me?[/i]



I could eliminate every man at that table before those men they call clones could raise their deecees. Unfortunately, it's my job to kill enemies of the Republic, not the idiots running it.

 

Hmm, so whatever happen to Gal was a mistake. Wonder if he's supposed to be dead . . .

 

Man I gotta get this dramatic analysis flowery psycho-babble out of my system somehow, and I ain't gonna start no poetry journal.

Oh yeah. Also: good post!

 

I love the utter disconnect between Gal, the non-Kamino Clones, and the Republic Officers. It's like they're all getting their information from incompatible places. They're practically speaking a different language at each other.