Visions of darkness (Jedi X Clones)

Chapter 4. - Days of training

Word Count: 3178

"Gener... Commander Hinn, sir," was the first thing I heard when I left my rooms in the morning. I felt stronger than the day before and I wanted to test the injury by doing a quick morning run before breakfast. But Sunny and Aim, the clones from my squad were already waiting for me behind my door obviously still not sure what to call me exactly.

"Walk with me, boys," I offered while I headed for the outside corridor that led around the whole city and they followed me.

"Commander Hinn, we..." Aim hesitated and I gave him an encouraging look, "We wanted to ask if you could maybe transfer us to a different squad." I raised my eyebrows.

"There are too many incompetent clones in our squad," Sunny continued, "81/456 keeps staying behind, Fixit is mendeling with our weapons and then nothing works and Nuts is just nuts, always running towards the danger." I stopped midstep and turned to look at them.

"I never expected you two to try to back out of a difficult situation," I said, scowling at both of them. I saw a blush raising into Aim's cheeks and I knew I hit the right nerve. Although different, the clones had some things in common, appealing to their honor was a right thing to do, "So you will just leave them behind," I raised my eyebrows, trying to get the point across,"I would have expected you two of all of them to step up. They need leaders."

"But sir, they don't listen to anything," Sunny's face was all sadness,"It's so hard to coordinate them when they always do whatever they think is best."

"You are all people," I reminded them softly, "Your differences and individualities are what make you such a good soldiers. That is what distinguishes you from droids," I looked each of them straight in the eyes for a few seconds contemplating whether what I told them wasn't too harsh and I knew I succeeded when they both averted their sight, "You need to learn to work as a team. Use your individualities, use your differences to your advantage."

"Yes, sir!" they both saluted me.

"Now, race with me around the city," I smiled at them and headed off without waiting, running slowly. They hesitated only for a few seconds and then they joined me, each jogging by my side, Sunny letting out a small laughter.

I was soon breathless, but my stomach didn't hurt anymore and I felt happy about it.

"Let's go eat breakfast," I offered the two clones shadowing me.

We ate at the mess hall together with the rest of the squad and then they headed for a training session in a simulated environment. I spent most of my day watching them and in the afternoon I was pretty sure I knew I was right at my first assessment of their unit. Although my memories of my training still didn't return except for the one where master Fisto chose me as his padawan, I knew that Chess squad needed to use their differences to their advantage, not to argue with each other.

And then there was also a question of a name for a CT-81/456. I noticed that during several simulations they were going through, when he had to choose between saving a life and fulfilling another duty he always chose life. I took a datapad and quickly listed all of his previous choices in simulations and smiled when I saw the clear pattern there.

Maybe if the mercenary wasn't that focused on beating them all into becoming killing machines, he would have noticed too, I thought to myself.

"Come with me, CT-81/456," I told him, when their training ended in the late afternoon, "You need some additional training."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, commander," he lowered his head as if he already knew where I was intending to take this conversation, "I'm a failure, I always stay behind, never take a charge and I'm not the best aim either."