New Dawn (Republic Exiles)

[RC 212]

0459 Hours​

Unidentified Craft; Deep Space​

The sound of footstep pattering down the hall was barely audible to him. He'd been in the pod for hours. After a brief stint in training, and even more flash training they'd shuttled him and his team off to.... He didn't know where.

Director Townsend marched at a steady pace with a Senator down the halls. His neat little name-tag spelled director of Secret Projects. A name-tape he wore on a black lab coat, only on this very ship. As they walked idle chatter between the two began to heat up, until at last the Senator was forced to ask the question.

"What is it you brought me here for Townsend."

Townsend an older white haired man gave him a wry wink and then palmed the door. Laser whirred, gears crunched an pnuematics hissed. The doors slid back to reveal a sight that made the senators jaw drop. His eyes derived themselves. He rubbed them thoroughly and then laid them back upon the pods.

Inside were twenty four armored soldiers, the type that he'd seen before.

"What in the nine hells is this?"

"A secret little gem we've been working on. Super-soldiers for the Republic."

"Clone soldiers!"

"Well.... technically yes."

A long silence wormed its way between the two men until the senator spoke once more. He strode into the room, angst gnawing at his gut.

"This is illegal Townsend. Highly, highly illegal. If the galaxy knew that we were growing Clones. The public opinion....The Political Fallout."

"This project is a hundred percent secure. Only you, me and one other knows of the full details. All other info has been compartmentalized one phase at a time. None of the engineers on this project were told the truth, and some of them met..... Untimely ends."

The Senator raised his eyebrow.

"They dug too deep."

"Whats the donor."

"RC 212."

Again the Senator reeled.

"You mean to tell me you've created mini me's of the most notorious and hated War Criminal in the Galaxy."

"They share his Genetic code and some of his memories. Other than that they've been adapted. Super obedient, super fast, super strong and with a superior intellect. Arkanians helped us tamper with the code."

There was another silence and then the Senator turned to Townsend.

"Destroy it."

"Pardon?"

"Destroy it...no wait....."


....


"Save one squad. Send them encapsulated to my vessel. The others will be put out to pasture. We don't need mini deathstars running about. If they are as good as you claim, we can keep exactly four under the strictest secrecy."

"And the rest, just kill them?"

The Senators face grew grave as he spoke.

"Send the four. Scuttle the ship. Destroy it, all of it, down to the last bit of research and last person whom helped you."

Townsend frowned, and then nodded.

"I must inform the Chancellor. I will be departing at once."

The dark took Delta once more.....

 

[Tatsu]

Location: Deep Space / Unidentified Sector

Silence clung to the interior of the shuttle Tatsu operated from. A small crew of technicians, along with a couple armed personnel accompanied him on a scouting patrol as they scanned local space and worked tirelessly to pinpoint a foreign signal emanating from an unknown origin point.

"Commander, I think we've found something." One of the specialists chimed in.

From the helm, Tatsu looked over his right shoulder and awaited further details.

"The source is... encrypted, but I believe we can crack it and chart a course. It may take me a moment, but I'll let you in on details every step of the way."

"That's fine. See to it that we aren't exposed to any prying eyes."

"Yes sir, Commander."

Tatsu turned his helmeted gaze back to the forefront of the cockpit. Distant lights and glimmering stars pulsated, elongated shapes of random freighters and trader ships sailed onward to their destinations. A soft exhale escaped Tatsu, almost metallic and inhuman due to a modulator within the apparatus. Whatever was to be found roaming among the stars was beginning to concern Tatsu, albeit not to the extent of paranoia. Little information was given prior to departure, and the briefing itself left much to be desired. The man Tatsu spoke to, some kind of intelligence director, must have been new to his job. Stuttering, lacking self-esteem, uninteresting.

With a slight shake of his head, Tatsu dismissed the utter lack of professionalism, continuing his deep thought as he let his eyes become transfixed by all that was happening before him.

[member="ERC-01 Delta"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Tatsu"]

Townsend was good on his word. Within the hour the Clone Experimental Commando team had been transferred into the Senators Custody.

As they blasted through the stars back to the main fleet of the Republic an odd ping came over the net. The comms officer turned to the Captain of the Senators blood red CR-90.

"Sir, we've picked up another vessel nearby. IFF tags read Friendly."

The senator frowned, placing both hands above the pommel of his cane and smacking them down.

"We don;t need witnesees. Continue course. If they hail us then we'll talk...."