FORESIGHT and SCOPE: BOOK TWO

C H A P T E R S I X T Y-T H R E E

ATHENA'S POV

After an hour had passed, my parka was still not dry. The fur that bordered the hood was matted and the inside fabric remained damp no matter how long it hovered near the heat generator. It had been hanging there since I first confronted Lt. Nolan on the suicide mission...and it was the main reason I was prohibited to join the two condemned soldiers. The hours that passed after that felt like days. I think I lost consciousness intermittently; at one point, I woke up curled up next to the heat warmer. Another time, I was tucked in between two crates. The oddest position I found myself was outside under a tarp. (I am unsure how I ended up there.)

When one is bored, one usually thinks...In my case, I reflected over my intimate conversation with my partner before we were interrupted by Mayday. However, I wasn't picturing Crosshair in my mind—rather, I was overanalyzing the uniform of a clone soldier. Particularly, the helmet.

Helmets, in short, represented a dichotomy. During the Clone Wars, it was a symbol of a soldier's individualism, as most troopers I saw across the galaxy opted to paint their helmet to their liking; something to make them easily distinguishable from their brothers. Then, there was the shift. After the Empire rose and ended the war, the donning of the helmet was used to signify the loss of a soldier's autonomy. Yes, obviously the headgear was necessary for cranial protection, but once the Order to execute all Jedi was issued, witnessing a clone trooper without their helmet on became a very rare sight...

When I circled around to Crosshair specifically, I reminesced how he wore his. Dots were connecting as I recognized a man who was largely hidden behind his Imperial helmet. A piece of uniform that was completely lacking any resemblance or connection to his past...as a member of Clone Force 99. Perhaps, I considered to myself, that his Imperial helmet was something that he wore proudly because it was a symbol of his new role, his new rank, his future, and his new ideology as he fully succumbed to being a 'good soldier'.

But eventually, the repetitiveness of his reasoning has gone stale.

He may don the helmet and carry out his orders with that thick, unyielding exterior, but something clicked in my mind that the elite clone has gazed upon his gear with contempt, regret, and possibly even, repulsion...

Then again, it could all just be pointless speculation...

I was so exhausted. I had no strength to nibble on a fiber bar. Sleep was unsettling and, as it seemed, unpredictable. I did not have a single task to occupy myself with. For once, I longed for a library of some sort to distract my discombobu-lated thoughts and mindlessly focus on a more-or-less interesting document or report. Suddenly, I found myself in the presence of Lieutenant Nolan inquiring such a department in this decrepit depot. The answer was ineffectually no, but to my surprise, our brief, awkward interaction extended into a presentation of knowledge...

"I understand you employed yourself to the Imperial Archives while you were on your extended shore leave." he smirked. He exhibited a disposition like he had won the battle earlier in regard to my protests to the away mission, and that he was mighty proud of himself for it. "Tell me, Ensign Quinn," he inquired, settling himself down on top of crate. "In the few months you have been affiliated with the Empire, what have you learned?"

"Oh, a great deal." I charmed dryly, electing to play along with this game. "The Empire has definitely made quite an extraordinary impact in the galaxy."

"Enlighten me." Nolan demanded.

"Well, you can say that the Galatic Empire helped bring stability and peace to the galaxy, indefinitely ending the Clone Wars and 'unifying' the planets of both Republic and Separatist status—all by exterminating the 'terrorists' and 'traitors' who fought to continue the instability and galatic war. Since then, the Empire has provided jobs not only in the Empirical military, but opportunities for pilots, officers, troopers, and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It also has allowed planets to continue to grow their businesses, guilds, and trade. Efficient law enforcement that has lowered 'crime'. In addition, a standard interplanetary commerce has been established, exchanging every planetary currency to Imperial Credits—a fascinating financial network in which there is no need to differentiate rates or value."