Talk to me about how Vader knowingly seeks out shattered Clone Troopers to members of his Purge Trooper squad. Vader knows about the chips. He knows the Clones are often trapped within their own mind.
To the Sith, all consuming emotion is fuel. Perhaps Vader reasons his Troopers could burn with that same rage. Perhaps he thinks it will make his power stronger, to be surrounded by all that anguish and rage. Perhaps he thinks it will make them stronger.
Tell me how he seeks out Clones who cared for their Generals. Clones whoβs mind yells nothing but unbearable grief, even as their faces sit silent.
And Bly canβt stop thinking about the way Aalya looked at him right before he fired. He knew she had sensed him raise his blaster. And she had just assumed they had seen a threat she hadnβt. And she had turned to him, brow furrowed and nose scrunched in that way he always made fun of her for. And Bly had killed her.
And he had done the right thing. How could that have possibly been the right thing? It had to have been the right thing. It made him feel sick. But she was a traitor. She loved him. And traitors had to die. He loved her.
Thus Vader finds him. Training recruits, face like stone, mind in pieces. And Bly is moved to Vaderβs personal squadron.
Vader finds Wolffe in a strange state of mind. He hadnβt been in the air. He hadnβt killed Plo Koon. But he had watched. In his mind, Wolffe can still see the flash of light and flame as Plo Koonβs ship crashed. And he can still hear Cometβs sharp inhale over comms, even as he says βmission complete.β
And Wolffe is alone now. The pack had been split. Crowd control here, Empire guard there. And Plo Koon was dead. And the helplessness burns at Wolffe like a wildfire, out of control and all consuming. Heβs desperate, but more importantly to Vader, Wolffe is broken.
And in the pit of powerlessness, Vader gives control, strength, order. And Wolffe is promoted to Purge Trooper.
Vader also seeks out Clones who have been betrayed by the Republic.
And thus Slick is freed from imprisonment. As is Dogma. And they are promoted to Purge Troopers.
But he seeks out Cody for different reasons.
Cody is the closest thing Vader has to Obi-Wan. Cody is all Vader has left. And Vader hates him. But Vader needs him. Seeing Cody makes Vader think of the old days. Of sunlight and victory drinks around the campfire. And Vader doesnβt know if he needs the hate to fuel him, or the memories of the past to keep him going.
But Cody doesnβt feel like the others. His grief isnβt shattered like the others. It doesnβt burn like a star.
He had done terrible things as Marshal Commander. He had tracked down deserters. He had stolen his brothers only chance at freedom. Because it was his job. Cody had signed execution orders, more than he can count. Some were SeparatistsοΏΌ. Some were brothers. He had looked Rex in the face, his dearest brother, and he had told Rex to let Fives investigation go. To leave it alone. For some secrets werenβt worth loosing more brothers over.
And Cody has seen horror, and grief. And he has learned to burry it with his brothers.
And thus from the ashes of the Republic, a new squad is formed, led by Purge Commander Cody and the Lord Darth Vader.
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