#mouse droids

My back is really messed up from spending all day at my work table hunched over like a yobshrimp while working on this project.

I guess word travels fast among the little guys, and they were trying to get some special treatment, too.

Honestly it just boils down to my personal interpretation of Dogma's character and the way he perceives the world around him.

He's still fairly fresh off Kamino so he's got that newbie trooper attitude (coupled with the fear and anxiety that's made him cling on so tight to his role as a perfect soldier), most likely got promoted to sergeant for his test scores (and I'll bet someone as meticulous about his duties and conduct as Dogma, would have pretty high marks right off the bat), and he's also on the fringe of the spectrum (not enough to be appointed as a maintenance clone, but just enough that others notice his peculiarities and social ineptitude).

Dogma is not easy to get along with right away (not for lack of trying but hey, when you have a bit of an attitude problem and a hard time reading between the lines, it's completely normal to slam into a communication barrier of sorts). He's rather assertive, highly opinionated, and definitely has that stubborn and unyielding spark that makes the 501st so unique (even if others immediately think he's an ill fit for this battalion in particular due to his stringent behavior). He's also an anxious mess that overthinks situations when he doesn't have all the information, which leads him to jump to conclusions and formulate a plan based exactly on those very conclusions (ex: Deciding that to minimize damages he and the rest of the 501st should follow Krell without question, even at great personal cost).

It's not that he's inflexible to change, it's just that it takes him longer to acclimate to those changes. And, unfortunately, Dogma was simply not used enough to being outside of Kamino's oppressive grasp, to be able to relax enough that he could begin to assimilate the idiosyncrasies of his new battalion and environment.

Combine to that the fact others didn't quite understand why Dogma clung so tightly to order, and that Tup (the only trooper who seemed to get Dogma on some level) was much easier to befriend, and you end up with a trooper who is socially isolated for reasons neither he nor others quite understand. Which brings us to why exactly I think Dogma would befriend and even find some kinship with Mouse Droids:

You're alone. Well, actually that's not quite right. You were actually raised among millions of brothers, all of which share your face and voice but never quite understood you on more than a superficial level. You try to show them you care in your own way. Cling tight to your teachings and convictions (things that have kept you safe for the entirety of your very short childhood), in the hopes that maybe your prowess will help keep yourself and your brothers alive. And yet you're alone. Your one friend and closest brother is pulled away from your side by your older brothers. None of which really cast more than a disdainful look towards you because you're a bit of a nuisance to them. You're alone and you don't know why. And neither do your brothers. But you find someone who comes close to understanding what this particular misery is like. They don't look like you and don't share a voice or language, but you taught yourself how to speak theirs anyway. You share a need for a sense of direction and order. You understand your place in the universe. And yeah, they're maintenance droids and you're a clone sergeant. But at least you're not alone anymore.

"In truth we are insignificant." chirps the one in his arms, in an almost secretive binary whisper. "Not meant to serve much higher a purpose than maintain these halls, and cleaning the vents." "Alone we are the weakest of the cogs, for we are not built to last nor to fight." trills the one closest to his heels, with a conviction that reminds him of his brothers. "Together, however, we are the backbone of these expansive war ships. The ones who go where others much bigger cannot." "We are small, easy to miss, and often unwelcome due to our place in the food-chain." The remaining two almost sing in unison. "And yet we shall remain longer than most of those who look upon us with scorn. Forever looking after those who are yet to come." Dogma, despite knowing what others would think of him if he were to display his unusual kinship with these particular models of droids, can't help but find these words oddly comforting. Clones and mouse droids are, after all, very similar in nature. Cogs in a vast machine, serving a much higher purpose than they were ever meant to understand or question, and ultimately vital for the upkeep and defense of the system they upheld. Impermanent yet always looking towards the brighter future they promised to bring forth into reality. They are the backbone of the Republic, and proud of it.

Of Mouse Droids and Dogmatism