Chapter Text
He had to admit, by organic standards it was a glorious day. Perfect temperature, perfect blue sky on the humanoid light spectrum- and the end of the war in sight. If he could have sighed in contentment, he would have. As it was, in a rare show of emotion he transmitted this feeling to his thousands of brothers on the field, who immediately transmitted back. Some were a bit startled at their fearsome Commander feeling so, so fleshling, but maybe it was time for something new.
His visor shaded his optical ports as he scanned for his General. The latest word from him was that he had Grievous on the run and thought he could finish him off very soon. If so, they were truly very close to the end of the war, he imagined he could taste it if he had taste buds.
At the mere thought of the Jedi, that warmth that sometimes caught in his chassis deepened. This was a newer development. The removal of the foreign object yesterday seemed to have intensified certain blunted feelings, a well as create an overall lightness of being. He decided he liked it. He was glad he was able to feel let alone experience an emotion at all.
The light in the medtent was dim, the sound of thousands of troops after a battle agreeably muted. The female Jedi hovered over him, her voice soft and calming.
“If this is okay, I will just search for what I fear we discovered.” Her tone resonated sadness and regret as she motioned to the gravbed. “Many of our brothers and sisters died in obtaining this information.”
He registered that she was looking at him with deep emotion, so he automatically clicked on his <<Jedi Emotion Response Projectors>> or JERP function. As usual, it had the desired positive feedback and she smiled in that sweet otherworldly way they had. If deep in his CPU he thought none could compare to the star nova smile that his own General gave him, that was a secret for him alone.
Her raised eyebrows asked confirmation to adjust him on the bed, and he obediently nodded in the fleshling way. Gently, her fingers caressed his head, concentrating on the upper frontal lobe area. Moments later, a slight frown crossed her face and she said, “I believe I have found it, buried deep in your central core- and it is emitting a worrisome darkness.”
He could tell she was angry, but not at him, instead a myriad of reactions slid across her face. Intensifying his CC grade authenticated Force sensors, he discovered it was anger at the war, fear for his brothers, sadness at the way the Jedi were slaves to the Republic the same way he and his fellow troopers were.
He had felt this particular set of reactions many times on General Kenobi’s Force presence so it was not unfamiliar.
“Hold very still, Commander Code-EE,” she instructed, and he felt a slight pop inside his head. The Jedi stood immobile with her eyes shut as she concentrated. Absently she stroked his smooth golden forehead, then opened her eyes with a little pat to his cheek.
“All done, Commander, you did wonderfully.” She observed him intently. “What are you feeling?”
At her assent, he sat all the way up, and focused his thoughts on her request. To his astonishment, he felt mentally- lighter, more centered. Had this chip the Jedi had discovered been obstructing him, denying his optimum potential? A sudden fury overtook him which was also a new phenomenon and it must have been intense enough for the Jedi to step back.
Code-EE quickly motioned to her the <it’s okay, I am not a threat> hand signal, which made her chuff a small laugh.
“I can feel and see the chip was restraining many things as well as its dark orders encoded on it,” she said playfully, and that he was able to register that without the sensors which was a new and wonderful feeling.
“I feel…like a heavy blanket had been covering me, but not in a soothing or protective mode. More like a deadened intrusive manner,” he tried to explain. “But now it’s gone.”
The Jedi’s face illuminated in that mystical Jedi way.
“I am so very glad to hear that, Commander. As you remember from the briefing, the Sith chip was meant to remove all your free will as well make you instruments to the downfall of the Jedi.” Her fury matched his own, but she visibly calmed down.
“I believe you are now free to return to your General,” her voice implying the several layers of meaning. It was easier for him to connect that now, and he didn’t have to activate the Force sensors to interpret it.
Understanding she was teasing him about some sort of illicit relationship with Kenobi, he regally held onto the safety of his Marshall Commander bearing, nodding to her as he exited. “Sir.”
<<>>
The violet sky was darkening, and troops were efficiently setting up camp. As one of the few sentient organisms planetside that required actual sustenance, Kenobi was chewing thoughtfully on his ration bar. His General was standing next to him around the fire pit, his eyes flickering toward Code-EE. He seemed to have questions, searching his SIC’s face. Usually fleshling scrutiny had no effect on him but tonight, the look Kenobi was using on him felt- acute, like he was being seen for who he was for the first time.
“How are you feeling, Commander.”
“Sir. I definitely feel different, but to you alone I will confess I feel…odd. More emotional, more of what nat-borns are emoting at me. Everything feels more intense.” He stopped, thinking he sounded weak and foolish. And he also felt…relieved to be able to have this kind of conversation with his favorite fleshing.
“My dear.” Kenobi was smiling at him and Code-EE could suddenly tell he was proud. Amazingly, of him, a mere Cyborg Level Operating Non-Human Entity - or C.L.O.N.E. as they were know as.
“I can tell that- something is very different, in a good way.” Kenobi suddenly looked down, like he was ashamed. “I had never realized,” a small cloud of remorse passed over his face, “that the chip was there at all.” He frowned and Code-EE was having none of that.
“Sir, how could you know? Even we were told they were aggression inhibitors, and why would anyone question?” Code-EE had to make sure his General did not take the hidden knowledge of this chip on to himself. General Kenobi already blamed himself for discovering the C.L.O.N.E.s right before the hostilities, and if the timing of a war between droids and the incredible (and rather unbelievable) find of a highly futuristic Artificial Intelligence trooper army ready for battle was suspect, well, he and his brothers had their own doubts. At least plans were underway to completely remove the chips from every one of them. And clandestinely, without alerting the Senate or the Chancellor. Code-Ee felt a surge of something knowing his brothers would all soon be free of the chip’s domination.
“Sir,” Code-EE said softer, not wanting to fluster the General further, pushing his JERP calm response out. “It’s done, it was caught in time, you have nothing to feel guilty about.”
A part of Code-EE’s brain registered that yesterday, he would not have been able to assimilate those emotions without his extra programming. Just one more new thing to contemplate tonight.
At his words, Kenobi glanced up at him, and Code-EE could clearly see the glow deepen around him, a beacon aura lighting up the desert air. His sensors picked up the increased heart rate, the telltale flush showing red on his interior monitor. All at once, something clicked with Code-EE. His Jedi always exuded some sort of ambient light but it always grew stronger when he was next to Code-EE. Could this mean- was it possible- No.
A High General like Master Kenobi, youngest on the Council, glorious warrior in defense of his brothers- a fleshling. Interested in him.
Code-EE can admit to perhaps analyzing statistics in his deepest CPU that his General might be something more. Then he runs a diagnostic and cannot imagine that this magnificent man could have feelings about him for anything but a well trained and loyal subordinate, no matter how he might have extrapolated the data. But Code-EE and his brothers have a secret.
Fleshlings did not realize that the C.L.O.N.E.S were so sophisticated that they were constantly self updating and meta-focusing, so that the trooper that was decanted and trained today was almost a completely different one four months, six months later. That they never stopped improving themselves. That they were gaining— synth consciousness. The chip removal seemed to intensify what had already been happening, and Code-EE for one, embraced it.
He had been aware of his own…self awareness for a while, but all his brothers were keeping that under wraps for now. No sense in alerting the still dominate Senate to that fact before they were ready. Sometimes Code-EE felt like he was juggling multiple balls- his growing sentience, his worry for his brothers, his plans for their future, his...feelings for his General. Plus that little thing called running a war.
Code-EE abruptly shut down any thought of his…infatuation. General Kenobi kept smiling softly at him in the gathering gloom.
<<>>
Code-EE made a point of stopping by the rec room area once they were back on board the Negotiator. Spotting his second lounging near of course, Boil, he made his way over.
“Waxer- how was your chip removal,” he asked his lieutenant.
Waxer gazed thoughtfully. This is why he was Code-EE’s second, he never did anything without examining it. “Strange. Everything is brighter, more,” he waved a hand helplessly, “excessive.”
He glanced at Code-EE quickly, then said under his breath, “I find I hardly need to use any Force sensors or programming to figure out the fleshlings. It seems instinctive, now.”
Code-EE murmured, “That has been my experience also, in fact I sometimes need to tone the input data down, they are so intrusive.”
Waxer somehow let his electronics relax, a necessary response they all had to indicate a benign harmless state. “Good, I was not sure that was the correct result from the removal.”
Code-EE clapped him on the backplate, indicating goodwill. “Find out if all the troopers are experiencing the same, and advise they may have to relearn responses due to overwhelming input receptors.”
His lieutenant merely nodded and went off to start Code-EE’s request.
He was in the Techbay getting a scan from Tron when he received a message on his vambrace of a waiting encrypted comm in his quarters. Once safely there, he placed the signal jammer on his desk and quickly ran the message through the security device. Wolffe’s somber face looked back at him.
“Code-EE- just an update, all is going forward according to plan here. Wolfpack is de-chipped and relearning protection against the concentrated input you spoke about.” His brother looked fierce for a moment. “It is more intense as you said, especially for non CC level troopers, but they are adjusting well.”
The filed teeth for which he was famous bared themselves.
“General Plo suspects that we are all changed more than they originally thought, but he won’t inform anyone. Wolffe out.”
Code-EE absently tapped a finger on his desk, then stopped once he realized he had engaged in a fleshling fidget motion in shock. This was something he needed to keep track of. At least Wolffe’s news was good, he had heard from his Commanders almost all the GAR was de-chipped. How it was kept secret, he didn’t want to contemplate. Regular troops were told it was an upgrade installation and he just had to hope nothing had leaked by accident. Now all he had to do was...wait.