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

It's funny what goes through your mind when you're hit with a revelation like that. As I left, I asked him what Gal meant.


He said it was Mando'a, it meant 'Ale'.



Oh, things are starting to come together now.

 

Back early.

For those who haven't read Order 66, well you should have by now, () may see where I'm drawing the storyline from.

CT: Yeah, how did you miss that?

Lanna: You are accusing me of self inserts?

Vadey: As always, thanks for reading!

And to everyone else, thank you!

---

[b]ENTRY 19:[/b]

[i]1,068 days after the Battle of Geonosis[/i]


Mij has awakened something in me. I don?t know if it?s embedded in me from my Mandalorian heritage, or if it?s the little extra something that made me better than everyone else. What made me better than these [i]clones[/i].

And as I say the term clone, I can hear my mind pronouncing it with disdain and disgust. Not like the rest of the weaklings that make up the Republic phrase it, because they look down upon us. No, like a man that sees a group clones - [i]real[/i] clones in every sense of the word. Carbon copies of not just Jango, but of me. Kinda? like a copy of a copy. Designed to be sub-par, but passed off as the genuine article.


Time to change thing up.

I?ve stepped up training ? encouraging my unit to be more aggressive, yet highly competent. Not to like rabid animals, but naturally bred hunters, like pack animals. They will become the best that this new clone army can offer. I?ve challenged them, pushed them to their limits, and they?ve gone to their bunks tonight hating me. I could see it on their faces when I told them: ?[i]Lights out, tomorrow we do it all over again.[/i]?

Devil Dog, Half-Dozen, Lokki, Slug, and Joker; I [i]will[/i] make us the toughest bunch of grunts in the Republic?s Grand Army.

 

Six clones versus...what?
To quote a number of Star Wars characters, I have a bad feeling about this...

?Lights out, tomorrow we do it all over again.?
Sounds familiar...

Kandosii yet again.

 

I did that, didn't I?
So, what will you do against it?


Carbon copies of not just Jango, but of me. Kinda? like a copy of a copy. Designed to be sub-par, but passed off as the genuine article.

So, he just found out what forgeies usually are...
I love the image. Copy a thing too often and you'll get crap.

and they?ve gone to their bunks tonight hating me.

I still ,ove you.
Ooooh, they have names.

Great update, though you are still stalling on the revelation side.

 

You've really captured the "essence" of the military mind set here. At least, as far as I can tell going by stories my father and grandfather told me.

 

Thanks everyone for reading!

Vadey: Thanks! My dad used to watch all the old war movies, and of course there's my own brother's stories from his tours in the Middle East.

MsLanna: Stalling?!?! Why I never! ... thank-you.

CT: Thanks! Six clones versus the galaxy, what else?

---

[b]ENTRY 20:[/b]

[i]1,074 days after the Battle of Geonosis[/i]

I?ve been running my men ragged for almost four days straight now. Right now is the first moment they?ve slept since my last entry. It?s odd, we?re both; meaning these set of clones and mine; we?re both trained to follow orders. Except they follow them blindly, even if they don?t understand them.

Now every soldier worth his weight in armor has received a set of orders at some point that hadn?t made much sense, it?s a crux of the job. These guys just don?t understand the difference between an order and ?ill-advised? orders. I?ve shown and explained why we do the things we do, and they seem much better for it.

We?ve had perfect scores in training exercises, improved they?re marksmanship by thirty percent, and even bested to other units in a brawl in the barracks. It?s enough to be taught skills, but to utilize them corr?


[i]Gal?ika. How are you lad?[/i]

Fine sir!

[i]At ease lad. Just thought I?d take a sneak in and check up on you. My ears tell me you?ve increased your units potency tenfold. That?s good to hear.[/i]

Thank-you for saying so sir.

[i]I don?t know if you?ve figured it out, but it was me that had you rerouted here from Coruscant. Well, smuggled in is more like it. I came across this place a few months back, only now have I gotten a handle on what I had discovered. Now that you know you?re not really ?one of them?, what are your thoughts about what?s been going on here?[/i]

You want my honest opinion sir?

[i]Shouldn?t I?[/i]

There?s a lot of these clones, I mean in the numbers I wish the Kamino army should have been. I?m thinking?

[i]Careful, you?re a clone, that might be dangerous to the powers that be.[/i]

Well, these numbers could be the final push and still have plenty left over to act as occupying forces.

[i]Smart lad. And is there something else you noticed about these clones?[/i]

No, should I?

[i]Let me say this, check out your clones and tell me tomorrow.[/i]


[i]Let me ask you Gal?ika, if you had a chance to get out, away from all this bloody mess; to lead a normal life, would you take it?[/i]

Well, I don?t?.

[i]Save that thought Gal?ika. Think about it, I?ll visit you again this time tomorrow night.[/i]

I'll be waiting sir!

 

I've thoroughly enjoyed this Mr. Ale.

Please do add me to your PM list when you continue.


Very nice work!

 

W00t, w00t, w00t?
Is he part of the extractions now? Will he get away with his lads? Will Kal'buir save him? Or Mij?
Tell me!


I?ve shown and explained why we do the things we do, and they seem much better for it.

I bet!

Loved the conversation and could quote all of it.
I wonder what else there is strange about the new clones. And if Gal wants to leave.

 

Man this just keeps getting better. Can't wait to read more!

 

Big E! Glad to have you on board my friend! And please, dispense with the formalities... ale will do just fine.

Lanna: Come, come now, you didn't think I'd leave this poor boy dar'manda, did you? Sorry though, Kal'buir has enough lads to worry about right about now... order 66 is just around the corner.

Takianna: As always, thanks for the kind words, wait no longer!

---

[b]ENTRY 21:[/b]


[i]1,075 days after the Battle of Geonosis[/i]

[i]? is there something else you noticed about these clones? ?check out your clones and tell me tomorrow.[/i]

I spent the morning racking my brain, and it was really stressing that a trainer could spot some minuscule difference between myself and another batch of clones, but I couldn?t. There were the obvious instances, like how their speech and accents differed greatly, and of course there?s the body odor. But that could be attributed to a different diet.

Yeah they came across subpar to the clones of Kamino, but I already mentioned that to Mij. So for the life of me I can?t figure out what makes them different from those currently serving the GAR. I kept watch on my men and the men around me, but nothing jumped off the page.

During live fire exercises, which weren?t really live, we sat in a make shift bunker in some swampy terrain some klicks south of the barracks. Devil-Dog and Half-Dozen were laying down suppressive fire at the opposing squad, while Lokki was attempting to circle around their position and infiltrate them from the rear. It was a kid?s game of ?Capture the Captain?, in which one side tried to capture or ?kill? the other side?s ranking officer.

?Reload!? Devil-Dog barked, signaling Joker to take over while he changed cartridges.

While they switched, DD reached into his belt to draw out another clip and there it was; staring me in the face. Why hadn?t I noticed it before? It was everywhere I went, but it never jumped out at me until now. The insignia on their- our armor. It wasn?t the same one seen on all GAR armor and equipment. It was? changed.

?You all right sarge?? DD asked with that foreign accent as he noticed me staring.

?That insignia on your shoulder, what does it stand for?? I yelled over the sound of screaming decees.

Devil-Dog paused, ?His Majesty?s Empire sir, [i]why[/i]??

My head went fuzzy, and for a second I couldn?t think straight, Joker even looked back at me between rounds. But I recovered quick enough.

?Then start acting like it, and bring me their commander!?

 

The logo! The logo!
[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/DarthPhelps/Star%20Wars/ImperialLogo.jpg]

Sweet - I loved it. The Imperial Logo was indeed a rather subtle variation of the Republic one.

Nicely done. The tension mounts...

 

Yikes! I got behind. That's what happens to lazy ex-mods who don't have to log in every day, huh??

Anyway, it was nice to get to read TWO posts at once! So here's for you...

 

Great post. Need more.




No really. This was perfect.
How Gal didn't see the difference right before his eyes.
Get out, vod, get out while you still can!

 

My head went fuzzy, and for a second I couldn?t think straight, Joker even looked back at me between rounds. But I recovered quick enough.

?Then start acting like it, and bring me their commander!?



Sometimes the answer is staring at you the whole time. DARN. This is awesome! LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!

 

[For the previous entry, since I didn't get to reply ]

*sees Karen Traviss-like storyline in distance*

Great update.


[For the most recent entry]
Devil-Dog paused, ?His Majesty?s Empire sir, why??

Uh-oh...

So now it's just a question of when they'll be sent to flood the galaxy with sheer quantities of troops...

Kandosii once again.

 

Just over two months left in the year, and there's still more to come. Might have to step up the updates.

BigE: Thanks my friend, I was surprised how clost the two were...

Vadey: We were supposed to log in everyday?!?!? Thank-you, glad you enjoyed.

Lanna: Get out? And leave his shiny boys behind?

Takianna: But did you enjoy it?

CT: At the very least I'm following Traviss' timeline, everthing else is still up in the air...

---

[b]Entry 23:[/b]

[i]1,075 days after the Battle of Geonosis[/i]


All unit commanders in my brigade were called in from fieled training missions to the military bases? situation room.

I tried to ignore the chatter going on around me, but knew I couldn?t dwell on the conversation I had with Mij either.

Something huge was going on.

We were told there was little information to give, but that command on Coruscant had intelligence that the Seperatists had examined how currently far spread the engaged GAR forces were and were strategizing a major assault on Triple Zero, or in civilian speak: The Capitol.

They believed that Coruscant had less than a week before the assault. I made the mistake of asking if the currently deployed brigades would be recalled to repel the Separatists invasion.

Because WE are to defend Coruscant.

Apparently whoever is in charge on Coruscant is fearful of the potential of this being a feint to draw defenses from key sieges. The mistake in the question was assuming some civilian knew what they were doing as far as strategizing was concerned.

We are giving six days of R & R (as if there was anywhere to enjoy here); meaning we?re to be ready move at any time before then. I decided the men in my squad would still be required their daily workout regime.

Now I definitely needed to talk to Mij.

 

He could leave the shiny boys to me, Ale.

Geez, all this strategy talk is way over my head. I'm sure I am missing out some important hints there.
But R&R sounds good.

 

Another great update!

 

The stage is set, the band starts playin'. Suddenly your heart is pounding...



Nice update indeed, but this is like giving a man dying of thirst in the desert an eyedropper of water. The next update better be comin' pronto!

 

Sorry folks, Nano distrated...

Lanna: pssst Dooku & Grevious is coming....

Vadey: thank you

Big E: Sorry... took a bit longer...




Entry 24:

1,077 days after the Battle of Geonosis

I haven?t seen Mij since the last time I spoke to him. I keep expecting to see him when after each drill. They?ve been running them for days.

Klaxons will sound at all hours of the day, during sleep, training exercises and even worse, chow time. On duty units returning from a drill were now passing each other the drills were overlapping so closely now. Some of don?t know if we?re coming or going. In fact one of the men in my unit, Sludge, half asleep after another drill, started following an anti-aircraft unit being drawn from their own bunks during the next drill.

I don?t think sleep deprivation is going to do this new Empire any good when we?re really called upon.



Please Mij, I need to talk to you?

 

I don?t think sleep deprivation is going to do this new Empire any good when we?re really called upon.

No. Probably not. But it seems to plague military everywhere!

 

Ale, Ale Where did you have your mind? How do you dare forget to send me a pm about updates here?

Good thiong I run the index...



I haven?t seen Mij since the last time I spoke to him.

Did he leave for Kyrimorut already? I hope he remember to get Gal out....

Sludge, half asleep after another drill, started following an anti-aircraft unit being drawn from their own bunks during the next drill.


Poor Sludge. They must be very tired for things like that to happen.
I wonder if somebody wants them to make mistakes?

Please Mij, I need to talk to you?


Makes me want to hug the poor guy.
Left all alone in a probably hostile world.
I hope Mij gets his sorry shbse back soon.

 

Sounds like things are getting busier and busier. Something's definitely coming...

 

Vadey: C'mon, don't tell me you didn't know the US unintentionally (I hope) tortures it's won men too???

MsLanna: Good thong I run the index... Is that anything like having a "thong in your heart?" And you've read O66... you know where Mij is right now.

BigE: Sounds like things are getting busier and busier. Something's definitely coming... Yeah, Christmas in like one month... But you're right E, big stuff on the way!


FYI Updates every week until 2010! Gotta' go down swinging folks!!!!


P.S. With the holiday season rapidly approaching, I'd hope you guys (particularly my American readers) can take some time and check out the link VaferLVR's sig for Soldiers' Angels. If you find there's any small way you can halp make one our shiny boys' lonely holiday season, I implore you to go do so.

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[b]Entry 25:[/b]

[i]1,079 days after the Battle of Geonosis[/i]

No drill sirens today. They send us to our bunks and called lights out pretty early. Maybe it was a reward to go with that gray pudding they bestowed upon us at chowtime. I?m recording this in the barrack?s ?fresher, hoping to not wake any of the clones. Or get caught by paranoid commanders?

It?s funny, at this point I think of them not as second gen copies of Jango, but as my clones, from my genetic material. I?m wondering what?s happened to Mij? Maybe he was never supposed to be here and was caught. Why, I don?t know, I remember seeing his face on Kamino. Wouldn?t this Imperial army want the same guys to train the older clones? replacements?

There?s so much going on here, I?m afraid I?ll never make sense of it all? even if I had the time.

 

I do see that we are rapidly approaching the same conclusion...hmmm....Great Minds (or maybe clone minds) think alike.

This is a wonderful piece and yes I am enjoying reading it.

Thanks for the update!