THE RECRUIT

RESH: Chipped

Classified Imperial Base
100 KM, NORTH
Daro
LST: 22:01:39 // DAY: 16
RC-5570

"Captain Rex?!" Mech says lowering his deece, flicking back on the safety, and walks over to the heat generator. "I thought you were KIA."

Rex's jaw twitches and he says, "Being dead has its merits." He tosses over a handful of what looks like credit sticks. The genny glinting off their smooth white surfaces.

Mech catches them between his fingers. He opens his hand and little alabaster armor tallies stare back at him. "You do this?" He nods towards the larty.

"I remembered you saying your old sergeant used to collect them. Figured I'd take 'em before someone else came along. The proximity sensor was my doing, yes. The larty was already here. Poor sods." Rex combs a hand over his shaved head.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Mech says sarcastically pocketing the tallies and holds out a hand.

"I'm jamming your comlinks," says the disguised trooper but it's difficult to hide ARC armor to a trained eye. It's the puldrons; they make the shoulders bigger. He takes Mech's forearm in a Mando handshake. "But I suppose the storm is already making short work of that on its own." He turns and nods. "Ma'am."

Mech remembers Taipan, who still has her vibroblades at the ready.

"Stand down, Sergeant," Mech says. The rank did not feel right on his tongue.

Her eyes narrow.

"It never hurts to be too careful." He says under his breath and then says louder, "Tai'ika, it's okay. We're on the same side."

Her eyes meet his and for a moment he thinks she's going to charge but she flips the blades in her palms and slides them into their sheaths. She meets the troopers by the genny and sets her feet at shoulder width.

Confident she isn't going to strike, Mech digs out a thermajug from his pack pushing aside a medikit. He twists off the lid and pours some caf. He hands it to Rex. "Tapcaf was kind enough to share. Sorry I don't have anything stronger."

"It's alright, Mech. You're just the commando I want to see," Rex says accepting the cup.

Mech glances back to the larty and raises a questioning eyebrow.

Rex nods. "Look, I'd love to stay and chat but I've only got a small window before the storm lets up."

"Sure thing," Mech says taking a drink straight from the thermajug, "I'm all ears."

Mech keeps a peripheral eye on Taipan. She crosses her arms, watching the trooper with a frown.

"Gregor told me about RYNO Squadron." Captain Rex crouches and places the cup on the ground, working his hands over the heat generator. "About how you're trying to escape too."

"Yeah. Been strategizing a plan." Mech sits down to the right of Taipan.

"I've come to warn you about something." Rex takes a sip from his cup. He holds the caf in his mouth before swallowing with a sigh. "It has to do with a brain chip the Kaminoans built into all the Fett clones."

"Brain chip?" Mech says skeptically.

"Yes. An organic biochip engineered for all clone troopers, surgically implanted into the brain after stage three of our development."

"But commandos aren't troopers." An uneasiness creeps into his chest. Doubt filling in the corners.

"We aren't sure if the commandos and alpha ARCs have the chips but we know for certain that all us infantrymen are at risk. The chip was meant to inhibit independence and prevent aggression."