Dominoes

General Ti

The door opens, and Domino squad files in silently, snapping to attention once the door slides shut behind them. Echo glance at his squadmates and frowns at the nervous looks flashing across his teammates' faces.

The Jedi hasn't yet moved, still facing the opposite way. Echo takes a deep breath to steady himself, and clears his throat.

"You, uh, wanted to see us, general?" he asks. Next to him, Hevy shifts uncertainly, breaking regulation, but Echo feels like it's a little justified because they'll all about two seconds from bolting.

"I did," Shaak Ti says calmly. She finally turns around, and her gaze falls squarely on Echo. "I wanted to commend you for your actions during the final test. Remaining behind to defend a fallen comrade and instructing your fellows to continue onward shows a kind of battle awareness we rarely see in new recruits."

Echo swallows as her gaze bores into him. Her expression is kind as always, but he feels like she can see right through him.

"Thank you, ma'am," he forces out. She smiles, shifting her gaze to the rest of the squad.

"You should be proud. You worked hard to get to this point. Some had doubts about your worthiness, but you have finally proved ready to serve the Republic."

Echo has to fight to avoid shifting anxiously in place. What does Shaak Ti want? Why has she truly called them here? Does she know? And if she does know... what is she going to do about it?

Her eyes fall on Droidbait.

"Have you fully recovered from your fall, soldier?"

Droidbait looks surprised to be addressed. He nods quickly.

"Yessir," he answers. Shaak Ti smiles again.

"Excellent," she says. Then she looks at Fives, who stiffens when she meets his gaze. Shaak Ti's smile fades.

"As impressive as your actions today were, I did not call you here today to praise you," she informs them grimly. Echo braces himself for the worst as she continues. "You are not the same men you were yesterday. Something has changed."

She pauses there, as if expecting them to speak. None of them do.

"You carry a darkness in you," Shaak Ti continues. "Sorrow and loss hangs heavy across your minds. The Force ripples around you uncertainly, almost as if you do not belong. You are anomalies, Domino squad. I have never before seen anything like it."

They exchange nervous glances as the General closes her eyes, and the air seems to ripple around them before it settles. Shaak Ti nods, as if the whole mystery has just been solved.

"I wanted to ask you to explain yourselves. I was troubled by your grief, but now that you stand in before me... I am not so sure I want to know."

Echo blinks.

"Sir?" he blurts out, confused. Shaak Ti taps her fingers on the railing next to her gently, a pensive expression on her face.

"Though the Force claims you do not belong, it does not reject you, either," she explains, except Echo still doesn't understand, so it's not much of an explanation. "The darkness is swayed by determination, and potential." She smiles. "I believe the burdens that ail you are difficult to carry, but the Force is rarely wrong. It seems to think you five are capable of great things. I admit, I am curious, but I am not one to argue with the Force."

"Soooo...." Hevy drawls carefully, "You're not going to report us and have us reprogrammed."

Shaak Ti frowns.