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Offshore Job	By : dschinny Category: Star Wars (All) > General Views: 3310 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Star Wars movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
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- 18
Chapter 3.3 –The Art of Looting (Morning day 28)
In her own tiny quarter, Tomoe had first tried to reassemble her long sword, but the sheath wasn’t dry. On top of that, the blade hitched. She decided to try drying the sheath on the other side to make up for the bend. She got herself a fresh tunic from the locker. Regarding the small pile of clothing she had brought with her, she would have to retrieve the other from the evidence and somehow mend its sleeve. Or at least keep it for spare fabric. How she was expected to find a solution for the holster while Jango filled her schedule day and night was beyond her. Instead, she tried to figure a way to push Dred’s hold-out blaster under her belt securely as the door bell rang.
Checking the surveillance screen, she opened the door to Sergeant Vau. “Good Morning, Walon.”
“Su’cuy.” Vau inclined his helmeted head. “Still trying to get lucky with that thing?” he huffed. “You and I are being presented to Gamma at Fall-in. I expect you to at least look like a pro to them from the beginning.”
“I planned to bring the long range slug thrower…”
Without another word, he passed her a well worn brown weapon belt with an empty holster, long enough to go around her mid twice.
“Thanks,” Tomoe took it with both hands as a gift.
“You still have to pierce new holes to fit your waist,” Vau added.
“I’ll do it right away,” she nodded, “come in, please.” She invited and smoothed the belt over the small table. Then she recognized the design. It had been made for a far taller warrior but Vau had slimmed two thirds of it, disposing of the majority of the distinctive shell-loops that had added to the Trandoshan hunter’s impressive armory. He must have been working on this for a while, she recognized. She went to get the hollow punch from her tool box. “It belonged to Sergeant Oost, isn’t it?”
“From his inheritance I earned by the execution,” Vau agreed. “I still have to go over the rest of his stuff – starting today,” he informed her about limitations in his schedule.
“Won’t the kids mind?” Tomoe remembered the high regard Epsilon Company had developed for their training sergeant, Rav Bralor. She put the hold-out blaster on the table, picked the Tsunaike’s side arm from the box and tried it with the holster. Thankfully, it fit. She wrapped the belt around her mid twice and marked the position of the hole.
“They won’t mind losing a traitor in the line of command. But they would mind a loss of competence.”
“Where I have to trust in our commander’s judgment…” she punched a threesome of new holes, “…and my colleague’s help - Especially yours.” Re-wrapping the belt, she closed the clasp smoothly over her right hip and drew the blaster on trial base. Now where were the matching ammo and the safety on this thing?
Vau proofed remarkable patient despite his psychotic reputation, looking over her shoulder silently while she armed up carefully, the weapon pointing at an outer corner of the room. The girl was an absolute beginner, but to his relief, she made no mistakes.
Picking her comlink off the table and checking the chrono, she invited without ado “Shall we go?”
***
After calisthenics, Fett outlined the reasons for Oost’s execution to Gamma, and then presented Tomoe as their new training sergeant. They were wearing fatigues as usual during the morning training; therefore Tomoe could watch their impression. There was surprise and a general lack of understanding, but it didn’t seem like anything rattled those kids stone cold expressions. Was it because squads took over many of their training sergeant’s personal traits? Being a non-human to start with, she assumed Oost had been a lot like that. She would have to sit down with them, pod by pod, to know. She had already learned that singling out a commando from his squad made them uncomfortable.
The Gamma RCs didn’t know the woman who bowed to them as they were sent to the freshers like any other company, but they knew the reputation of the warrior who followed her. Old Psycho would help to run their full range exercise! It certainly gave their gossip a new spin.
“That went down well enough.” Jango huffed and gathered his family for breakfast in the mess hall. “You meet them again at the lecture theatre where their Kaminoan caretakers will fill you in. Once Vau has put his own company on today’s schedule in the lecture hall this afternoon, he will come over to help you with the preparation of the exercise. Your job is to get acquainted with your company and gather all information the clones have done on that issue so far.”
Jango put his breakfast tray down beside on a table where a small tan humanoid was already seated. Accounting for his commander’s armored entourage; Cort Davin steered away from his equally unarmored colleague to the far end of the table while Fett introduced their Sullustian cryptologist to Sergeant Harada. “We need override probes for Oost private quarters and de-crypt his section on the data core. Re-issue Gamma company’s command keys on their new Sergeant, Tomoe Harada.”
Tomoe listened, ate and made mental notes of her questions while Jango put out his commands in short order and the encrypter acknowledged. “Can you have everything ready for hand-over at 1200?” the tiny woman agreed, the ridges around her mouth wagging. “Good. We meet here, have a really quick lunch and then go in at 1230. This won’t require your personal attention, just stand-by service.” Jango exchanged looks with Walon. If Oost had been proficient in something, that would be traps.
Tomoe waited for Jango to redirect his attention to breakfast, and then she used her lack of knowledge to get in touch with another specialist in the Cuy’val Dar’s ranks. “Can you please give me further details, of what command keys are …and how do I use those?”
The Sullustan sat back and looked up at her with round black liquid eyes. “They are basically your identification in the GAR. You use them to identify yourself on computer stations, sign and encrypt your commands to your troops or decrypt incoming messages. Keep them close, don’t loose them, inform me and your commanding officer immediately in case of loss.” The cryptologist watched with satisfaction how Harada whipped out her comlink and made sure she had her address to do so in case of emergency. If she hated something, it was inattention to her lectures - something tall, armored guys seemed to be prone to. “The messenger on this remote has to be updated accordingly,” she supposed and Tomoe agreed. “Come to my office when you are through with the search of Oost’s apartment,” she gave her the room number.
“To my regret, I cannot tell when this will be. While I’m not stressing to take over the apartment, I have to return to my company at 1300 to continue preparations for the full range exercise the day after tomorrow.
“No worries. You can pass by until after dinner. I don’t close my office down before 2000.”
Tomoe thanked her sincerely before she asked an even more sensitive question “For the duration of the exercise, Sergeant Vau agreed to support me. Does that require a copy of command keys?
“Only one person can be in command. Therefore, each set is unique.” The encyrpter informed her and Fett added, “The keys also have a function in the exercise. Capturing the opponent’s command keys means victory.” He watched his cyar’ika nod slowly. He could only assume the cogwheels that information set off in her mind because she would say no more.
Imagination was her most important weapon and coming to that, Priest would be in for a challenge. Jango caught Boba before he could follow his mom. “You’re still scheduled for hand-to-hand training, son. No hanging around in front of a computer panel all day.”
“But mom’s not?”
“Her full range exercise will be sufficient in that regard for two days.”
Boba rolled his eyes. This was getting worse by the minute.
***
Finding her way to the lecture hall with the help of her comlink and meeting the Kamioan caretakers proved surprisingly easy. They had been informed about the change of staff and took it with emotionless politeness. For them, only numbers counted and they had remained equal. Tomoe was provided a station and given the RC’s curriculum augmented with the progress report for her company. They had one squad less than the starting count, but otherwise they were on schedule. Jango had a point when he listed Oost merits. He had trained a fine company who had no reason to hide from any opponent.
Drilling down from company- over squad- to individual level, she checked the charts if anybody was in danger to be culled because of missing points to that specification those Kaminoans adhered to. Full range exercise or not, she never wanted to have a talk like the one over Delta’s and Lambda-squads’ heads. Research for her missing squad turned up that no less than three squads had suffered losses and had been recombined.
Checking who else was in need of her support, she vowed that on her watch she wouldn’t lose anybody. Trandoshan merits or not, in her company, no sibling would be eaten.
Results within the survivors of the company weren’t that far apart, but any ranking had a squad on top whose handicap she could raise and a bottom squad she could motivate by the chance to earn extra points. She asked a Kaminoan care taker to call the eight boys to her station once it fit in with their flash instructions.
“Since I have taken over the organization of your full range exercise the day after tomorrow, I need all information I can get about Gamma company’s preparations and plans. Additionally to your report, your late Sergeant’s data will become unlocked by noon. Sergeant Vau will support with tactical expertise.”
The kids knew that Oost had some kind of tactical layout from which he derived his orders and preparations, but he kept that highly confidential. For the full range exercise, the company formed a battalion with a number of ARCs, transport- and logistic platoons were added. Tomoe realized that she had to command a lot more than a hundred soldiers. Oost had organized them into units for all kinds of purposes. There was such a thing as an “administration support group” she could call on for further planning. Plans were based on a package of beforehand intel. Head count was even on both sides of the competition, though her missing squad wouldn’t be replaced by outside personnel. Training sergeants had been allowed to make some choices regarding the equipment that would cater to their position in the landscape and their tactical preferences.
Oost had used this flexibility on additional LAATs and plenty of ordnance. The use of that was scheduled this afternoon.
Tomoe send the kids back to their original tasks and assigned them some points while thinking that she wasn’t a bit wiser.
She didn’t know more about ordnance than where to find the handbook Kal had written about it… Looking up the type, she found it in the second half, which probably meant “advanced knowledge”. With a sigh, she flipped the page in the company’s schedule to tomorrow. The practice there read “rappelling”. Now… that was something she could help with.
As a first hand decision, she decided to switch the practice lessons and buy time to update her knowledge or recruit help.
***
Tomoe’s head was still spinning when the clones rose and filed out for lunch. She copied the coordinates of the practice area into her comlink to catch up with them in one hour. Afterwards, she went for the mess hall.
Sideling with Jango, she didn’t know where to start… or if to start at all. Her insecurity was tipping into anger and she was aware that once she opened her mouth, a public rant would come out. She kept it shut and felt the pressure rise. Boba shoved his tray beside hers with more force than necessary. She ruffled his hair while waiting for the droid to load up.
“Satisfied with your close inspection?” Jango inquired.
“Gamma is a magnificent company. There is very little I can teach them about war. I’ll end up being taught by them very soon.”
Fett appeared unfazed by such a revelation of incompetence by his newest training sergeant. “What’s on their schedule this afternoon?”
“Rappeling.” Tomoe pushed her chin forwards. “I switched with demolitions… to something I know a first thing about.”
“Good. Kal!” Jango beckoned Sergeant Skirata over, “Gamma won’t require your support until 0830 tomorrow, but can Boba stay with you this afternoon? Tomoe needs both of her hands free until dinner.” – “Sure.” Kal shrugged, Boba pouted, Jango continued; “I’ll send an ARC over to help out with the GAR equipment specifics. One of the half that will run on your side of the exercise.”
Tomoe opened her mouth, then decided to tuck in lunch to keep herself from gaping. She managed a nod. Maybe Jango didn’t expect her to do so much training? Maybe his aim was to have her trained in the tools his trade required…
***
The encrypter was late at lunch but on time with the keys. They finished thirty minutes early, left Boba with Kal and went to have a look at Oost apartment. Jango dug out the override probe from his utility belt and inserted it into the slot of the main entrance, entered a code then placed his hand on the pad for verification.
“Don’t you have an overall permission on the facility anyway?”
“Because I’m the commander? No. This is a private quarter.”
“But…” she could have sworn that breaking into her flat hadn’t taken him as much fumbling.
“...while I’m also a bounty hunter with all benefits,” Jango shrugged and she could have sworn that he smirked down at her underneath that visor, “there is nothing wrong with the official way.” Finally, the door slid open. “You could make it your place,” he commented with flourish.
While the Fett’s apartment was littered with Boba’s projects, Rav had tried to make it a little more comfortable and colorful, Kal had created a bunker with the Nulls and Walon’s tower breathed Strill stench as much as understated elegance, Oost had taken his head hunting profession quite literally. Skeletal remains of his opponents decorated the walls and the shelves while furs covered the floors and seats.
“Live here?” Living with Jango right now didn’t seem like a bad idea anymore. It didn’t appear very unclean, but Tomoe wrinkled her nose as the olfactory impression of so much gruesome demise hit her palate. “Doesn’t smell like a bed of roses to me.”
“Just because you are still unaccomplished in the art of looting.” Vau arched an elegant brow at the holster around her hip. “Mird will take care of his bone collection… wait!”
Tomoe froze in her step. Remaining in the corridor, the mercenary unhooked a clipper from his webbing and lobbed it inside; the small object hit the floor with a sound smack. It didn’t bounce. “A super gravity trap… Looks like we need an EMP here.”
“This will take a while,” Fett exchanged looks with Vau, “and require protective clothing.”
Walon catered to his commander’s need to move his mate into safety. “If you include me in the apartment’s access-list for 24 hrs, I’ll get the hardware and clear out what I need while Tomoe puts her company to work then goes over the decrypted data.” Fett inclined his head and agreed.
“See you at the crag.” Tomoe took her freshly coded keys to her new ‘home’ and bowed out. She still had to update her comlink and she really didn’t want to be late on her first work day with Gamma company.
***
On the way from the encrypter’s office to the practice area, Tomoe ran into Rav and Isabet who were coming from lunch in the mess hall.
“We’ve got to talk,” Isabet nearly dragged her the short way to a door that lead to an outer walkway connecting two massive stilts. It was a somewhat secluded place and drafty enough to prevent audio monitoring. “How are your preparations coming along?”
“I’m still doing recce, trying to find out what was prepared and what I am expected to do.”
“In case you need support other than Old Pycho...” Isabet winked.
“You would go against Dred? I thought you were …close.”
“We’ve got a score to settle, so if you’ve got a vacancy in the frontline, I wreak havoc in your favor.”
Tomoe remembered Priest’s particularly good mood last night. After the massage, he had been in a hurry to ‘get some rest’. While her sense of time had clung to every second under Oost’s attack, it couldn’t have been that long. He was as surprised as her to see her coming out of the maintenance shaft, therefore he had not been looking specifically for her. Which recreational activity had required Priest to armor up in the meantime? “You seek revenge. For something that happened last night?”
“They’ve got some sort of private competition going.” Rav tried to explain to Tomoe and cover for Isabet at the same time.
“Could it be that things have gotten out hand lately? If so, I doubt that mingling up your private battle with my company’s first full range exercise will help to sort it out. I think we both respect that they are kids with a single purpose: to learn.”
“You want to win, I want him to lose.” Isabet summed up their common goal.
“I suppose that winning means less hurt for my trainees. But as a baseline, I don’t want anybody to get hurt on either side. To achieve that, I need to stay in control and to ensure full discipline on my side.”
Rav nodded. “As you should, but don’t expect the same curtsy from the other side. Dred has proven himself a sorry looser last night. When going against him, you should use any protection you can muster.”
“An exercise with so many soldiers involved… I suppose it is done with practice ammunition and run from a command center of sorts?”
“It is, but even the command can be involved in skirmishes. It’s a target after all and even though the ammunition is replaced by non-lethal rounds, the markers still pack a punch. Aside of that, the rest of the equipment is real. Flash bangs, vehicles, brawling… we’ve got a regulation against the unchecked use of blades because of very real casualties within Alpha company last time… but the remaining factors still endanger your health.”
“…and your unborn child.” Isabet added, “It is war en miniature. I don’t want to interfere with your strategy, but if you could at least accept replacement for the lost plates... I would lend you my armor.”
“I.. that is a very generous offer. Sure, I’ll try it on and see if I can handle it, after all… it’s also a very personal thing.” Tomoe tried to remember what she had been told about armor and its cultural influence. She knew that Jango was making plans already, wanting to see her in armor. “What… if Priest mistakes me for you?”
Rav made a face. “You’d probably get some extra attention by Priest – at the expense of his tactical overview.”
“I doubt that he’s that stupid, but if, you should use that moment of irritation to shoot him. If you fail, I suggest you take off your helmet before he tries to fuck you over the Ops-table,” Isabet commented dryly.
“He wouldn’t dare.” Tomoe was somewhat shocked, while Rav tried to hush, “No need to put it that bluntly.”
“You never know with a dumb bloke trying to be funny.” Isabet shrugged, “It’s just an offer, you know?”

There was an ARC at the door leading into the facility, apparently waiting for Sergeant Harada to finish her little chat among training sergeants. How he managed to find her, she didn’t know. But she became aware that she wasn’t as alone as she had felt all morning.
***
The boy-soldier put on a snappy salute “A-26 to support Gamma Company’s afternoon practice,” he reported for duty.
“Thank you.” Tomoe decided to just let him keep the helmet on and start walking briskly to their destination. “We will do some rappelling today. I can secure myself with ropes in mountainous areas, but my knowledge will appear outdated or won’t match the equipment the GAR uses. Gamma Company has done the level-1 theory last week and I need you to continue where they left off without delay. I will introduce you, then watch and learn how it is done here. If my experience turns up valuable additions, I will jump in. Anyway, priority is to give Gamma the scheduled information to be ready for the full range exercise in two days.”
“Yes, ma’am.” A-26 was puzzled by the lack of knowledge and self-confidence this particular training sergeant displayed. It made him nervous and he sifted his memory for useful intel. He remembered the introduction two days ago: ‘close combat, blades and therapy’… he had understood that immediately. But now, Maze started to get an idea what ‘new to military training’ meant – that this person was practically clueless in all that mattered in his daily life.
So far, he had considered himself as privileged among his brothers when it came to real life experience. ARCs were trained in person by the commander of all Cuy’val Dar while the average RC spend a lot of time in mere flash training. ARCs were older and ahead of the RCs’ schedule despite their extra assignments like running in every full range exercise any RC-company took. He would reproduce his own training experience faithfully for the RCs to learn it as well. But on a deeper level in his mind, he wondered how this randomly conceived being had spent her much longer lifespan so far.
In the practice area, Gamma company was lining up in full armor. In addition to their helmets, they had been handed the extra equipment they were cleared for by reaching a certain level of training. Tomoe fell in line with A-26 and got the same package minus the helmet. And this was where her trouble started: Gloves? Webbing? The binders of her pants were solid enough to carry the winch, but were not save for her body weight. It freed her hands anyway, just enough to wink A-26 to proceed.
Isabet’s offer was becoming more valuable by the minute.
Marching out to the crag, A-26 picked a three meter vertical drop and started a demonstration that made Tomoe’s hackles rise. The winch was re-positioned to the front of the webbing. An anchor was shot into the concrete slab of the practice area by an attachment for the DC-15. For a silent approach, camming devices were presented. The next thing the approximately ten year old kid explained was the correct stance and then he already started his descend. Unlocking was done by pressing another button. Beware of the dropping anchor. Rewind.
The speed was amazing, but the lack of safety back-up gave Tomoe the creeps. It was all about equipment. Did it work? Apparently. Was she happy about it? Hell no! Practice like this? Her dad would have smacked her one and sent her home if she had just considered such a feat. She checked the chrono while the first squad descended and did a rough time estimate while she walked around the drop. They were doing well, especially considering the armor and weapons they packed.
Once the first squad of her administration support group arrived on ground floor level, Tomoe sent an RC to procure a length of rope and a couple of karabiners. A-26 re-routed the finishers to the fifteen meter drop and added a stop where a shooting position had to be assumed.
They had been on it for three hours already when Vau called and asked how they were doing. By then, the whole company could make a smooth descend with the equipment presented to them. “Fine.” Vau commented unmoved. “I’ve put Beta company to work, now I’m going to move some hardware from Oost’s place to mine.”
“Can’t that wait? I’m not eager to move into that apartment, what I really need is your counsel for the tactical aspect of the exercise.”
“Oost ordered this for the exercise. You can come over once you have tucked in the kids… and give Mird its massage. Afterwards we talk.”
She had an hour to dinner, was a single lesson away from her personal nemesis and still clueless for what she was preparing. Expect the unexpected. She called a stop and gathered her company into a circle to show them the ropes. How to prepare a fresh one to avoid entangling. The knots for the karabiner, knots to secure the endings. The three-points-anchoring. How to use a crossing hitch, its advantages and disadvantages. Simple means, revalued by knowledge.
While Tomoe refreshed her memories, the Alpha and RCs tucked in. Everything that wasn’t mentioned in flash instruction carried a special flavor to them. But it also confused them. The whole idea of doing their own risk assessment was a novelty to them. Nobody had ever told them to be “cautious”. They had been told what to do and they obeyed, whenever it was risky or not.
Dinnertime was approaching; therefore, she closed the lesson and thanked A-26. Later, she would to do a recap of the day. She slid the coil of rope over her shoulder to drop it off at her apartment while the winch and karabiners stayed hooked to her belt.
***
Vau was on time for dinner and Tomoe caught up with him right away. “Su’cuy, little one,” he loaded his tray, “moving house helps to work up an appetite.”
Tomoe wasn’t interested in small talk. “Good evening, Walon. Have you got all of interest for our later meeting?” – “Yes.” Vau kept it censored since some of Priest’s pals ambled past them. “Mird considers his bone collection a blessing, even though I had to ration it.” – “I see how big eats wouldn’t go well with the backrub.” – “Lucky mutt, all taken care of.” – “Can we meet at 1900?” - “Not before 2000. I’ve got my own company to take care of and so do you.” – “I had hoped to send them to bed with some reassuring updates. At 2000, I already have to put Boba into bed.” – “Make that 2030 then.” He said lightly, and then frowned down at her “It’s not them who need reassurance. Mind yourself.”
Jango no longer had to drag Boba after him once they entered the cantina. While the unexpected hands-to-hands exercise with the Nulls left an impression, the kid suddenly tried hard to look like nothing happened and so did Tomoe. But the dark cloud brooding over her head was almost touchable. Lining up his tray behind hers silently, he sneaked a glimpse at her hands as she reached for the data-chip the kitchen droid returned. This was when she spotted him.
“Su’cuy Jango.” – “Hey cyar’ika.” – “What are you looking for?” – “You should use gloves.” – “It was just three meters...” she realized that she was defending…why? “How do you know?” - “My eyes and ears are everywhere” – “Then I don’t need to tell you that A-26 did a good job. Thanks for sending him to aid.” – “I’m glad you got all you need, cyar’ika. Tomorrow’s forenoon practice will be run by Kal and then you should be good to go, practice-wise.” – “I cannot say the same for the overall strategy.” – “Ah well, you can come over later, then we can go over all your …questions.” Jango invited with a blink that made her doubt his priorities where on the job. – “Don’t forget my story.” Boba piped in. He knew the look, it meant that dad tried start his half of the day start early. – “I’ll be with you at 2000,” Tomoe promised Boba, “the rest will have to wait until preparations are done.” She denied to be chased around by another number.
“I wished all my employees would show your degree of devotion.” Jango shrugged and lead his family to a table and the other side than Vau’s who left half an hour later, for his drill sergeant time with Beta company, Tomoe assumed.
***
On her way to Gamma companies housing quarters, Tomoe tried to make up her mind and think of what to tell them in the nearly two hours left. If she hadn’t been sorry for Oost demise from the start, she would be there by now. Should she make an excuse that she got their competent leader killed and that she was a sorry replacement? A truth that was most likely considered ‘Bad for morale’.
When Isabet caught up with her, she jumped.
The woman in yolk yellow armor gave the new sarge a head’s up. “You can leave your company under the surveillance of the Kaminiise for their personal hygiene. I do the same when I need a spare hour for some extra work.”
Tomoe didn’t have much of a plan what to do with the time to the strategy meeting with Vau, therefore she assumed that she could cut out an hour on her personal equipment as well. “I’m going to inform them and give them some food for thoughts for later. On a day like this, I need to make the round before they go to sleep. I meet you at your place in ten minutes.”
Isabet accompanied her to the housing quarters of the clone commandos, which wasn’t far away from her own room. Each company had a section with their own facilities and a corridor that turned into a small hall way as long as the tubes with the beddings were inserted in the wall above. Ladders lead up to the higher sleeping places.
When Tomoe tried to gather her company around her, she experienced that the only way to do so in the limited space was in orderly ranks and files. It was the way the company was used to and the advantage was that she didn’t need a parade ground voice to make herself heard. But she could not ‘sit down with them’ or form a circle convenient for talk on a mutual basis. While they were no older than five years biologically, she better did away with any thoughts of kindergarten.
She cleared her throat and gave order. “You are going to shower and get ready for bed while I test my personal equipment for the full range exercise. I mean to support you actively in the exercise while the overall command is handled by Sergeant Vau. Vau and I are going to have an operational meeting before lights out. To that, I expect my administration support group to hand me all your open points. In one hour, I’ll return for any questions to me you have on your mind.”
“Yes, ma’am.” They honestly had no idea what to ask, but clean-up, they understood.” The Kaminoan caretaker acknowledged with an elegant sway of the long neck and a slow blink over the dark eyes in which a whole galaxy seemed to sparkle.
***
Tomoe left with the profound feeling that things would soon stop running apparently smoothly. She passed her own quarter anyway to pick up a change of clothing and her rope. Never again she would be caught in Jango’s place without. Ten minutes later, she arrived at Isabet’s quarters. Still wearing full armor, Issy welcomed her in and turned to her cubicle to throw a second set of underclothing on her bed, then rummaged a pair of boots out of the bottom of the storage. “Might be too large.”
“Thick socks… or, now that I am a sergeant; can I go to procurement and get me a pair of RC-boots?”
“You can. They might charge some of it on your account, which shouldn’t bother you since your raise last night. Good fit is your priority.”
Busy repaying Jango’s vow of acceptance and loyalty, she had totally forgotten that she was on a payroll – his? “Let me see.” Tomoe undid the top layer of her clothing and picked up the overall. The weight didn’t surprise her since she mended Jango’s pants. While she had blamed it on the protective intermesh, Isabet informed her that she had to undo all clothing if she planned to use the waste disposal properties as well. The Mandalorian woman cracked up at the “Huh?!” written all over Tomoe’s face. “You don’t want to be caught in the field with your pants down, do you?”
“Ah… no. Will do.” She slid the overall over her shoulders and worked the zipper close. She sat on the bed to try the boots on. The ones Mereel had provided her had been a closer fit, but for now and over her sore toe, they would do.
Isabet had postponed disarmoring for good reason, showing Tomoe every step, clasp and closure. By the time both women where in coveralls, the bed was full of plates and equipment that Tomoe had to attach to herself in the correct succession from memory, since Isabet just offered help with adjustments.
“I have disabled the armaments and created a new account for you.” Isabet handed Tomoe the helmet. “Nothing bad can happen. Sit down. Slide the helmet over your head with your eyes closed. Then open your eyes for the iris scan. The HUD will come up. I have limited the functions to 360°-display and communications. Get accomplished with those.”
After some blinking and slipping, Tomoe got the hang of it. At least the HUD wouldn’t open subroutines unasked and disturb her. While she had something like a compressed surround view, her natural view was quite limited. That, too, would take some time to get used to. Thankfully, the helmet had life support, the air was fresh and cool and the visor wasn’t fogging up. “I…” Isabet didn’t react and Tomoe remembered that she had to blink the speakers on. Until then, she could rant all to herself within the confined space of the helmet.
Isabet grinned as her spitting image stood to her feet in front of her with a satisfying clank in her step. “Much better.”
“I would like to go out to the crag and give it another try.”
“Rappelling?! I thought your plan was to leave the action to your commandos and stay safely at the command center?”
“Today’s practice was scheduled by Oost who knew what to expect in the exercise. For a test, that should do. If the kit renders me unfit to perform with my troops, I simply cannot wear it - despite its protective advantage.”
“Personally, I’d go to the shooting range. Anyway, if we are caught with me walking beside you, the air is out of the act.” Isabet concluded, “Let’s see if Rav can lend you a hand.”
“
Sergeant Bralor could - even on such short notice. She ambled up to Tomoe who had dropped her coil of rope, knelt down carefully on the yellow knee plate to fumble with the karabiners, gloved hands held in front of the limited field of view of the helmet because the artificial surround view still confused her. Seeing Isabet’s high tech armor paired with such low-key accessory made it an even stranger sight.
“Rope? Where did you get that from?” – “Send an RC to procurement,” Tomoe choked out while working, “Didn’t take long. Should have added a pair of boots and gloves to the list right away.” Rav chuckled, “Good boy.” – “Why?” – “Getting spare parts on RC-equipment is easy, but stuff that appears most basic to you is not included in that spec. I bet the private ran right to the transport platoon to organize the hardware you required.”
“Creative thinking. We will need more of that.” Tomoe agreed and got to her feet heavily. “I’ll try both ways myself – rope and winch.”
Rav nodded. It was good to see the stubborn young woman was learning, readily including the armor’s built-in harness in both techniques once they had re-tied the utility belt blocking the loops. Tomoe was doing every move slow and mindful. Rav monitored and double checked, not pushing her. She knew the impressive speed Tomoe could develop in her routines, once she got the hang of something.
Tomoe threw the length of rope down the crag, leaned back into the harness and gave more rope to march down the crag, paying out more rope by hand. With the armor on, it took her considerably more strength than she had remembered. She was simply untrained and had to keep the oversized gloves from catching in the karabiner. She had to hand it to the RCs: they were better at it. Plain and simple.
It had been a while that Rav or anybody else she knew had used such knot work, but she had to agree that it was a valuable piece of knowledge. Who could tell under which conditions their boys would operate later? Commandos wouldn’t be used for infantry, but for any special jobs up to black ops.
Pushing buttons on the winch was so much easier, especially once a long-range slug thrower came into the mix. For the exercise, she would have to get a deece with the specific ammunition from procurement, Rav informed her. They split a moment later, Rav helping to coil up the rope while Tomoe pocketed everything.
Tomoe hurried back to Isabet’s apartment to change for her drill sergeant time with Gamma. At 1930, she had just half an hour left but the boys didn’t come up with many questions anyway, which was probably linked to a general lack of trust in their new sergeant. Her administration handed over the list of open points in all politeness. She read it to the way to the Fett family quarter. It was quite short actually, but since it was starting with points like “general strategy - missing” that just meant that the can of worms hadn’t even been opened.
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Offshore Job