[TARGETS] Kal is a sly bastard

|| Republic Commando: Targets || 2005 || Short story || Military, Sci-fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes ||

Fi touched his fingers to his helmet anyway, even if Skirata was out of uniform. “Sarge, what are you doing here?”

“Where there’s trouble, Fi, there’s always a job for me. Special security adviser now.” Oh, he knew. How? How? “Nice new armor. Going on a date? And who’s he?”

Fi followed Skirata’s gaze. “That’s Atin. Hang on, how do you—”
----------

Ordo and Skirata looked at each other as if some common bond had sprung up from nowhere. Fi wondered if they had some comlink of their own: Skirata occasionally slipped something into his ear and removed it again.

OKAYOKAYOKAY hear me out. What if Kal was able to tell which clone is under the armor because Ordo told him through these supposed comlinks. There are dogtags in the armors, this is how clone troopers tell each other apart (by their numbers) because their ID's appear in their HUD. Ordo told Kal the numbers and Kal immediately knew which one of his cadets are UNDER THE ARMOR. And this is how he knows Atin is not one of them.

And then his boys like: OMG HE IS GOD. HE LOVES US. HE REMEMBERED US.

Kal is a sly bastard, pulls stunts like this and no wonder his commandos being like: *GAAAASSSPPPP* FORCEFUCKERY!!! :D

[TARGETS] GET HIM BY THE BALLS OLD MAN!!!!

|| Republic Commando: Targets || 2005 || Short story || Military, Sci-fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes ||

Ordo and Skirata looked at each other as if some common bond had sprung up from nowhere. Fi wondered if they had some comlink of their own: Skirata occasionally slipped something into his ear and removed it again. Ordo cocked his head but Skirata smiled tightly and without humor. He turned to Rugeyan and put a scarred hand on the sleeve of his nice, sharp tunic.

“Son,” he said. “I couldn’t help noticing that you called my boys grunts. Don’t do that again, will you?”

Oh boy. This is the part where the Old Man is asking NICELY.

Rugeyan looked down at Skirata as if he’d noticed him for the first time and lowered the comlink. “We want the Senator out now. Nothing else matters.”

“I’m glad you pointed that out to me.”

Well... Skirata asked nicely.

Fi couldn’t see what Skirata did next, but his arm dropped down and suddenly Rugeyan seemed to be taking a lot of notice of him. His eyes bulged visibly and a small uh noise forced its way past his lips. “Now that I have your attention, may I suggest that you remove yourself from the incident scene and let Captain Ordo and my boys do their jobs?”

Fi was mesmerized. Darman jogged up to the tableau of frozen pain. “Charges laid, Sarge. Ready to go.”

Skirata’s arm fell back to his side again, and Rugeyan inhaled sharply before brushing down his tunic and striding away with somewhat splayed legs.

KAL GRABBED HIM BY THE BALLS!!!! HE FUCKING GRABBED HIM BY THE BALLS!!!! XDDD

“I’ll remember that move,” said Atin approvingly. “Vau never taught us anything like that.”

SIDFJSOIHGSOIDGHOSIDG Atin starting to like his new dad approves Skirata barfight dirty tricks XDDD

[TARGETS] You are an edgelord, sir

|| Republic Commando: Targets || 2005 || Short story || Military, Sci-fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes ||

“Fancy a bit of action for a change, Captain?” asked Fi. “Give your Deece a day out?”

“Don’t worry, if your luck holds I’ll be right in front of you,” said Ordo, toneless. “If it doesn’t, I’ll be behind you.”
(...)
He checked his Deece, rehearsing rapid changes between modes and aware that Ordo kept looking his way.

*SNORT* I love how this could be also a dick joke, especially with previous kama comment :D

Fi started this teasing game, and Ordo plays along, doing this ominous edgelord thing in return, I love it.
But also Ordo probably finds Fi curious.

[TARGETS] Don't wait for a tip

|| Republic Commando: Targets || 2005 || Short story || Military, Sci-fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes ||

“Don’t wait for a tip,” said Fi and wondered where he’d picked up the phrase.
-----

One of the CSF officers brought a tray of caf in flimsi cups and handed Fi one first. A camaraderie had sprung up: Fi rather liked it. The cops actually seemed in awe of what he’d done, and he began to realize that it felt good to be held in that kind of regard.

“No cookies?” said Skirata, and took a cup.

The squad took their helmets off to drink. The officer seemed distracted for a moment, staring at their faces. “I’ll see what I can do,” he said.

“Don’t wait for a tip,” said Skirata. Fi smiled to himself.

AHA.
Also it makes you wonder. Kal is a generous tipper in Triple Zero, especially toward workers. But here he pulls like this against cops. :DDDD Because I already have a quote in my head from Triple Zero, I think Kal is generally not in good terms with the law, but also he was like: don't do irresponsible shit like this Fi, NOT FOR THESE PEOPLE.

[TARGETS] Dad and his son

|| Republic Commando: Targets || 2005 || Short story || Military, Sci-fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes ||

I AM NOT NORMAL ABOUT KAL AND ORDO OKAY???? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Okay okay okay. Cool down. coolcoolcoolcoolcool.

So in this short story YOU DON'T KNOW what exactly is is the relationship between Ordo and Kal. But with the knowledge of the whole series, this whole bickering between them is just so subtle and yet so intense.

Ordo is so professional and he knows his job, he knows what he has to do, what he should do in this mission. UNTIL Kal signs up as someone who bring in provisions to the Haruun Kal group. Then Ordo immediately changes his mind about his own task:

“I think I should be doing that, Sergeant,” said Ordo.

“Yeah, like they’d succumb to your natural charm.”
(...)

“With respect, you’ll just add another complication,” said Ordo.

Skirata sipped his caf without looking up. “If you mean that my boys will have to worry about shooting me by accident, then it’s simple. They won’t worry about it. Acceptable losses.”

Ordo immediately goes into overprotective son mode. He should be the one inside instead of Kal.
And then it's one thing that Kal BURNS Ordo in front of everyone, but also Ordo calling him a COMPLICATION in the plan just to hold him back. This psychological game between them!!!!

But also without KNOWING their familial bond between them: YOU KNOW that Ordo is a captain here outranking Skirata. And Skirata is a sergeant. And Ordo OBEYS to Kal instead of Kal obeying to him. 

Also we have this one:

“Yeah, like they’d succumb to your natural charm.” Skirata began checking the pockets in his rumpled jacket. He extracted something that looked like a hearing enhancer—no, it was a hearing enhancer. Fi had always doubted Skirata’s hearing was perfect, and now he knew. “Atin, can you pick up my enhancer’s signal? I hate this thing. But it does come in handy.”

“It’ll do,” said Atin, stabbing his finger into a small receiver in his palm. “Are you really deaf?”

“A bit deaf. Just like you’d be if you hung around live-fire ranges without a helmet for too long.”
----------------------------
Ordo and Skirata looked at each other as if some common bond had sprung up from nowhere. Fi wondered if they had some comlink of their own: Skirata occasionally slipped something into his ear and removed it again. Ordo cocked his head but Skirata smiled tightly and without humor.

THAT THING is a hearing enhancer, not a comlink. But also this quote with the common bond. Kal and Ordo looks at each other and they communicate without words. They know each other from the inside. Their thoughts, their reactions, their emotions.

I'm not normal about them okay???

[TARGETS] GET LOVED DI'KUT!

|| Republic Commando: Targets || 2005 || Short story || Military, Sci-fi || 18+ for violence and harrowing themes ||

“I’ll give you as many clues as I can, so listen hard,” said Skirata. He fidgeted with the enhancer, making the same irritated clicks that Niner had. “And if I’m in the way when you come in, it’s too bad, okay? You drop ’em all, straight through me if need be.”
 

“Will do, Sarge,” said Fi, and knew he would never do anything of the kind.

Fi knows what the Sargeant wants to hear. But on the inside, GET LOVED DI'KUT!