Chapter 125 - 303rd Phase II Armor

The clones had no time to rest after they took Dantooine. The Clone Wars had been raging on for five months now, and the Republic needed every troop it could get. So, no more than two days after Garang was conquered, the 303rd received their new assignment.

General Di called all the higher-ups of the 303rd Attack Legion to a building in the center of Garang, where the Republic had set their command center. Every officer from lieutenant to commander was there, which meant that something big was about to be announced.

As soon as Dageer arrived, the officers opened a path to him, and he stopped next to the hologram table. Different from other times, at this moment the hologram wasn't showing a specific planet, but a whole sector of the galaxy. General Di zoomed into one system, called Duracnar.

"We still haven't received our next target, but there is something the Senate wanted us to do before we go anywhere."

He looked at Commander Keeli and Dageer, and gave them one of his rare smiles. Dageer hadn't known what this meeting was about before, but now he had a vague idea.

"Thanks to the efforts of your commander, Keeli, and other clone commanders through the galaxy, the Galatic Senate authorized the creation, and mass production of a new type of armor. I will let Keeli and Dageer explain all about it to you later. As important as the modifications and updates the Phase II armor has, it is the fact each legion can customize their armor."

Only the discipline ingrained in their bones stopped the clones from starting to talk. To them, being able to differentiate themselves from the other clones in the galaxy was as important as winning a battle. That was the reason why they had so many different haircuts and tattoos.

"I've passed to Keeli the responsibility of deciding what the armor will look like. But, we have to go to Duracnar System, where there is a Republic factory, to pick it up. And we have to do that soon, otherwise we will be sent to another battle, and it will be some time before the 303rd have the chance to have its new armor. So, you have three hours to get every trooper on the cruisers. The 501st will stay here on Dantooine until someone is sent to guard the planet. Get going!"

Of course, all the clones were so pumped up that they got moving immediately. In no time, Dageer could hear orders being barked, and the sound of men rushing to tide up the supplies, vehicles and weapons.

After making sure everything was on the right course, Dageer approached Commander Keeli, who looked surprisingly serious in face of the good news.

"You did it, commander."

"All I did was speed things up. As soon as we started losing battles because our armor was inferior, the higher-ups would have changed it. I don't know, Dageer... a new armor might save the lives of a few men, or even many, but it is for naught if the Separatist start overwhelming us. Do you remember what Lama Su said when we left Kamino?"

"Yeah... One battle and we all could return home."

"That didn't happen, did it? Look at us. Five months of war, and nothing have been decided yet. I am not complaining... I just wonder, how many more brothers shall lose their lives before the seppies understand they can't win this war?"

When he heard that, Dageer almost choked. What Commander Keeli was saying might seen like a complaint for many, but if someone deliberately misunderstood it, it could very well be seen as treason. In the middle of a war, talking bad about your superiors was punishable by court-martial. But questioning the purpose of the war, that was much worse.

From that, it could be seen how much Commander Keeli trusted Dageer. By all military laws, Dageer should have denounced his commander. Of course he didn't.

"Commander... Keeli. Are you all right?"

Dageer's words surprised Commander Keeli, and only then did he seen to realize what he was saying.

"Yes. Yes... Sub-commander Dageer, let's get to our duties."

"Yes, sir!"

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A few hours later, General Di's fleet came out of hyperspace in the Duracnar System. Dageer boarded one CR90 Corvette, and descend into the moon where the Republic factory was, to oversee the operation.

The one in charge of the factory was one of the long-necked, calm, Kaminoans. Yati Lu showed Dageer around the factory, and the many different armors they were producing. There were armors painted with shades of green, others with red, blue and yellow. Dageer could recognize to which legions they belong just based on the color and patterns.

But the one that interested Dageer the most, was, of course, the new Phase II armor belonging to the 303rd Attack Legion. It wasn't much different from the old Phase I in terms of design, but its defensive capabilities were stronger, and the visors were better, able to provide night vision and a dozen other minor abilities that could enhance the clone army as a whole.

Still, what was the most different of all, was, of course, the colors. Replacing the old all-white armor, this one had the brownish red of the 303rd. There was a coating of paint around the T-shaped visor, and the whole chest area was brown. The arms also had a good amount of paint on them, and so did the back and the thighs.

At first it seemed to be purely aesthetic, but Yati Lu soon gave a surprising piece of information to Dageer. According to him, the armor had been designed thinking about General Di, who, as a Nikto, preferred fighting in the desert. Because of that, when the clones laid on a muddy, dusty or rocky surface, they would have an extra layer of camouflage.

But the surprises weren't over yet. Yati Lu brought Dageer to a small set of crates, and asked him to open it. Inside, there were 303rd armors, but different from the others.

Each set if armor had a different pattern, but all of them had the same helmet. Dageer recognized it because it was the same he had. On the left side, a single stylized horn came all the way from the bottom to the top.

"These are Hell Squad's. Master Ima-Gun Di specifically asked us to make them that way. That is yours."

Dageer picked up the armor set that Yati Lu showed him. It had two black shoulder pads, and it was entirely brownish red apart from the stomach and a zigzagging line on the arms and legs.

He put the armor back in the crate, and thanked the Kaminoan, then closed the crate.

"Metal! Tech! Get this crate inside the ship! Lieutenant Shield, let's wrap this up! I want all this in The Sincerity in two hours!"

"Yes, sir!"