#Null arc

[lalogawrites]

MRW reading the RC novels for the first time 🥰

[cienie-isengardu]

My RepCom Musing: The use of “psycho” and “crazy” and similar terms

Not sure where my research will ultimately lead me as I’m still collecting data how RepCom book series treated the potential mental illness and/or the perception of the “psycho” characters - something I've been meaning to write for some time in regard to Walon Vau and Sev, but for now I would like to share a few observations made so far:

There is a visible difference in how Walon Vau and Kal Skirata approach the topic of potential mental illness of their clone commandos, which I think fits their introvert and extrovert natures well. As far as I can say, Walon in general is not talking with outsiders about his men’s mental state - he acknowledged (think) Sev is “psychotic” and lacks “the most basic social graces“ [True Colors] or confronted Scorch about his breakdown [Order 66] but we don’t see him revealing much of their traumas or how horrible was their training to anyone who wasn’t already a part of said training program (and we know that Vau and Skirata argued about that a lot). In contrast, Skirata talked surprisingly a lot to other characters about what happened to Ordo/Nulls or occasionally to Omegas, usually to explain why his sons act in this way. This happened with Etain and Obrim and even Fi, though how Ordo feels about his trauma being talked with “outsiders” is not really brought by narrative. 

Granted, both men are using different frames from what they count normal (good) - Vau is operating in the good soldier zone (as being a soldier has a special meaning for him related to his own fucked up childhood) while Skirata focuses on family life (something he failed at once and many clones may never have a chance to experience) but that is a topic for another time.

Similarly, Delta Squad and Atin(?) are rarely seen calling other characters as the psycho, especially in a negative way. Scorch did use that name for Sev, but either Deltas were in their own company or Scorch made an observation about his brother’s behavior as he was worrying about him a lot in Order 66. Frankly, as far as my research showed, Deltas did not call Walon Vau the “Old Psycho” but they did at least twice called Skirata “crazy” (True Colors and Order 66). Interestingly, the majority of “psycho” and “crazy” terms - in context of mental illness / dangerous behavior - used by clones alone in the books comes from Omega (those members originally trained by Kal) and Nulls. 

Old Psycho, as a nickname for Vau was used twice (or so I assume) by Fi and once by Mereel. Bonker Squad as a nickname for Nulls was used by Fi and Darman/Niner and Skirata who coined this term. 

  "Your buddy ... ," Darman teased.

    "Rather have him for a friend than an enemy."

    "Ooh, he likes you. Hobnobbing with ARC officers from the Bonkers Squad, eh?"

    "We have an understanding," Fi said. "I don't laugh at his skirt, and he doesn't rip my head off."

    Yes, Ordo had taken a shine to him. Fi hadn't fully understood it until Skirata had taken him to one side and explained just what had happened to Ordo and his batch on Kamino as kids. So when Fi had thrown himself on a grenade during an anti-terrorist op to smother the detonation, Ordo had marked him out as someone who'd take an awfully big risk to save comrades. Null ARCs were psychotic-bonkers, as Skirata put it-but they were unshakably loyal when the mood struck them. [Triple Zero]

 There are also variations of the “All Nulls are psychos / crazy” statement, quite often coming from Omega, Kal or Nulls themselves. Interestingly, Vau at the beginning of True Colors described them simply as hooligans (rather than psychos) and it was put in contrast to Sev and Vau’s men in general (the good soldiers) while Vau seems to be more prone to call Skirata the crazy one than Nulls. 

Also, it seems like most of the psycho/crazy statements or rumors repeated(?) started with Skirata and was adapted by his men at some point? Like:

mentioned Bonker Squad for Nulls (used solely by him and Omega)

the not best opinion about ARC even if Nulls are the psychos themselves? (“but an ARC who'd gone AWOL was-impossible. Jango Fett had raised and trained them personally, with an emphasis on absolute loyalty to the Republic. Sergeant Kal said that Jango was an unhinged shabuir, but he always stuck to his contract, and that contract had included creating a loyal, totally reliable army. Darman had heard rumors to the contrary, and the Nulls were living crazy proof that a clone soldier could be as eccentric and wayward as any random human, but nothing had ever been confirmed.) As in “Jango was an unhinged shabuir and because he trained ARCs, they are like that too” kind of logic?

And considering that Deltas do not call Walon Vau as the Old Psycho but Fi and Mereel used that nickname, I think it is safe to assume this comes from Skirata too?

Additionally, I made a working diagram - it's not fully correct, as for now I focused on looking for specific phrases (psycho and crazy, bonker or those specific moments that I remembered), but for curiosity's sake I'm posting it in regard to Nulls, Vau and Sev as they are the most prominent characters in regard to “psycho” nickname.

[bad-pun-king]

I remember this arc in Pact. Null.

Escape the Pain Dimension.

[mamuzzy]

When ARC troopers feel threatened they raise their shoulder pauldrons like collared lizards.

[izzystizzys]

“ - but have you ever considered, I don’t know, not sucking all the time? Just a thought.”

It takes the combined grips of Nuisance and Hound to keep the wriggling, snarling body beneath Fox from throwing him off its back. With three years’ practice of having to fix his own rickety desk chair over and over again, the movement merely ruffles the proverbial fringe on his helmet.

“And I don’t mean that as an insult, necessarily. Well, I do a little bit. But also I have some amount of empathy for the no doubt immense amounts of trauma that had to go into the creation of something so dysfunctional as you, on a very personal level, so have you considered going to the root of that in a way that’s like… useful? Instead of wasting it all on kriffing Kenobi, I mean. Look at the guy. All he does all day is drink tea and commit warcrimes. I bet he knits for fun. Bit of an embarrassing nemesis, don’t you think?”

“I”, says Kenobi, then pauses. The space between his eyebrows is creased with uncertainty, and he looks deeply torn between continuing rocking the shaking Duchess of Mandalore against his chest from his corner of the throne room and re-activating his lightsaber to continue losing his fight against the Darksider Fox is currently sitting on. “I feel like I should object to some part of that, but I’m not entirely clear on what. Or how this happened, again. Isn’t Mandalore a few star systems from your purview, Commander?”

“Probably the warcrimes”, mutters Nuisance underneath his strained breath.

“About as far from my supposed assignment as yours, General”, says Fox a little louder.

Kenobi twitches. Fox cannot claim to know which of them does it. Both, maybe. Probably.

“I will - taste - your - flesh!”, heaves out Darth Maul, snarling and hissing.

“Oooh, kinky!”, calls Grids, from the corner where she’s got her stun-setting aimed at the other Zabrak, currently passed out cold. Fox sighs deeply. He knew he shouldn’t have taken those three - any combination of Grids, Hound and Nuisance in a room together usually spelled chaos.

Unfortunately, it also spelled competence. The Basic alphabet can be funny that way.

The point being: as of some months into the war, one of Fox’s assigned tasks is the surveillance of all GAR-wide communication. All command-class staff theoretically got that memo, but no one seems to have read the fine print where that includes both professional and personal communication, as well as any and all comm devices registered or suspected to be registered to that person. Especially not one Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala.

The point further being, if that sounds both immensely impractical and sort of terrifying in a democratic supposedly non-surveillance state, you’d be bang on the credits, and to Fox’ eternal chagrin the singular person in this whole useless army who’s spent the second of thinking necessary for that conclusion.

The final point being, when one frantic General’s mad dash across the Galaxy to rescue his teenage sweetheart from the spectre of his supposedly dead nemesis crosses his desk on its way to the Chancellor’s inbox, it doesn’t take much time for him to block any and all trace of it across the digital space of the GAR commboard and take matters into his own hands.

“ - which is why I told Thorn to suck it up and be in charge for a few days, and also why you’re still alive, your Highness, very welcome, was no trouble at all”, he concludes, drily. The Duchess stares the wide-eyed look of someone attempting to reconcile clones with ‘sentience’ or perhaps ‘personality’ in her head, but won’t say it outright.

Or the look of someone who’s just been violently overthrown and nearly murdered, perhaps, Fox allows.

“Um -“, Kenobi hedges, blinking rapidly.

“And the reason you’re still alive, probably. You’re welcome for that too, by the way”, Grids calls from the back of the throne room, cheekily.

“Alright”, says Kenobi, loudly. There’s color back in his deathly-pale cheeks, Fox notes, even if that color is a lot of red. It doesn’t fade very gracefully into his beard. “Opinions on whether or not I had everything under control notwithstanding -“

“You really didn’t”, Hound supplies helpfully.

“ - opinions notwithstanding, I am admittedly still lost on why you’re now sitting on Darth Maul and attempting to, to - jeer at him, Marshall Commander!”

“We’re not jeering, we’re trying to create a safe space and lay the groundwork for more open communication”, Fox says, primly.

Maul screams into the ground, attempting for the umpteenth time to rear up and visit great violence upon Fox, which admittedly has him rattling in his crosslegged seat atop his back.

Kenobi raises a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “Safe space?”

“He’s restrained and not stabbing anyone, I personally feel much safer than before”, Grids muses. “Watch the teeth though, Hound. Little biter.”

Indeed. Fox’s right greave will have to be replaced posthaste.

“And anyways, the point isn’t to jeer at him, it’s to make clear that he’s focusing his energy in the wrong places and could be doing much better things with his admittedly not-great life”, Fox adds, shifting to cast a pointed look down at Maul. The Sith is panting open-mouthed into the durasteel floor, sharp teeth gnashing wildly as his piercing yellow eyes shine with barely restrained rage. “I’m just saying - aim higher. You aren’t seeing the forest for the Kenobis, Maul. Can I call you Maul?”

“I will feed you your own entrails”, yowls Maul.

“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Right now, I’m an easy target to focus all that built-up rage on, but is killing me really going to help you achieve any of your goals? No! Think about it - when it all comes down to it, who sent you on that mission to Naboo in the first place? Who made sure the Jedi and, by extension, Kenobi would be there to kill you? Who used you as a dejarik piece and then cast you aside the second you outlived your usefulness?”

Beneath him, Maul slowly stills in his struggle, still panting heavily. Hound and Nuisance don’t let it deter them in their vigilance, because they’re damn good vod’e and possess an ounce of common sense.

“And, look, I get it. I could spend the rest of my life punching every civilian who spits on me in the streets and it would even be satisfying. I could hit back the Senators who think of clones as easy targets. Or - I can aim my sights at who’s on top. And I think you know who I mean, because you know as well as I do the same damn man has ruined both our lives.”

Kenobi makes an alarmed noise, and Maul an interested one - not that Fox is going to let him walk out of this place awake. Still, he tilts his head in a way he hopes conveys his helmeted grin successfully to non-vod, as well as the bloodlust behind it. “You’re also welcome for the fact that the Chancellor won’t have heard of your spontaneous resurrection yet, by the way. You’ll retain your element of surprise instead of gambling it away on petty revenge on Kenobi.”

“He cut me in half!”

“He killed my master!”

Fox waves their protests away.

“Also, that’s treason!”, Kenobi adds, sputtering. Fox grins. Kenobi purses his lips, and continues. petulantly, “…do you have any proof?”

“So. Much. Proof”, says Nuisance, dreamily. “Like, do you want it alphabetically or by date?”

Which is when the Duchess, of all people, bursts out into barking, crazed laughter.

“You - you’ve certainly given yourself an edge in that fight, Marshall Commander”, she wheezes, brushing tears from her eyes. Fox raises his eyebrows at her, which she somehow seems to be able to tell, because she gestures at the clunky handle dangling from his belt.

“What, this old thing?” He unclasps the black rectangle from its hook, holding it up in the air. Maul stills strangely beneath him, and Kenobi goes ghostly pale again. Fox is starting to get a bad feeling.

“I took it off Viszla and beat him over the head with it. I figured he’d taken it off a Jedi cadet or something. What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

[clonememesfrikyeah]

Scenario

Due to an employee error the ration bar factory accidentally laced all their product with space weed, what do you think happens to the GAR?

[nocturius8015ficore]

Kal Skirata, Jango, Orum Wa and the Nulls (by me, Nocturius)

Nocturius: Oh crap, I thought I've already shared that one here, but, hey, enjoy!

It's a piece I made on Krita last Winter. It feel aaaaaaaaaaaaages ago since do RC and TBB content (well... mostly memes tbh) on a regular basis.

It took me over 50h to do. 9 characters, Tipoca City and the work of light and storm. That was an hard one for sure! Still not 100% happy with the perspective, shading and composition but that's a ''me'' problem as an artist. I tried hard to respect the books description and also material from The Clones Wars and Attack of the Clones for the visual as reference pictures. I found some useful concept art online too. That was a very formative project. I think it was the first time I did piece directly on Krita instead of scanning a sketch. I was getting more confident with my stylet and wacom!

----

Here some WIP, for the funzies.

Go well with that fine fan-made audiobook reading of that exact scene! (no need to have read the first book to enjoy ^^)

[trixie2023]

Damn those Skirata boys. I can’t get enough of them. Mereel is the sexiest flirt🥰

Oh I have an idea for Mereel x Reader ! So he is always flirting with Reader (as he does) and they brush it off because it’s Mereel and he doesn’t mean it. But! One night they’re at like 79‘s or sth similar, either by plan or they meet by accident, and reader gets jealous seeing him flirt with other people so she starts flirting with someone and then Mereel kinda snaps and 💋

I hope this isn’t too detailed or stifling your creativity, feel free to change whatever you like!

I'm Not Jealous

Summary: You're bothered at how much Mereel flirts with everyone, including you, but when you flirt with someone else, Mereel decides to change things.

Pairing: Mereel Skirata x Reader

Word Count: 808

Warnings: None

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

Mereel is going to be the death of you. 

He’s always there. Leaning against your desk, leaning over your chair, flirting with you, teasing you. Making your face heat with his suggestive comments and the way his gaze sweeps across your body, like he actually means the things that he’s saying.

He doesn’t. Of course he doesn’t. 

This is just what Mereel does. He finds a new target and flirts with them until he gets tired of them and their reactions, and then moves on to the next woman.

You’re just his most recent fixation.

It’s fine. He’ll get bored of you soon enough and move on to the next person. 

Which is the problem. You don’t want him to flirt with other people. You want his eyes on you and only you. You want him to keep flirting with you.

Honestly, you want more. You want all of him.

You sigh silently as you pack up your work for the day. Castles in the air. Never going to happen. You’re hardly pretty enough to keep his attention for long periods of time, let alone for a proper relationship.

Whatever. It’s fine. All you need is a night out. To get your mind off of Mereel and his charming smile and his deep voice and-

Yeah. This isn’t helping.

You exhale slowly, and push to your feet. You already have plans to go to the club tonight. You just need to get there.

Yes. This is going to fix everything.

When you arrive at the club, dressed in a new black mini-dress, and leather boots that come up to your knees, you think you’re going to have a good time for all of thirty minutes.

And then Mereel shows up with his brothers.

He finds you with an ease that shouldn’t really surprise you. He seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to finding you in a crowd, and yet when his gaze lands on you and a blinding grin crosses his face you are surprised.

You smile back at him, slightly weakly, though the smile fades when he turns his blinding grin towards a woman who approached him. You watch, almost absently, as the woman giggles and brushes her fingers against his chest, and you feel sick.

Of course he came here to hook up with someone. Someone prettier. Someone better.

You absently stir your drink and jump when someone leans against the table near you. He’s handsome, you suppose, with long hair and a blinding smile, and he seems very interested in you, so you offer him a small smile.

And when he flirts with you, you hesitate for a moment, and then flirt back.

And then you nearly jump out of your skin when a hand slams on the table between you and the stranger. Mereel beams at you, though he seems to be glaring daggers at the man who was flirting with you. You press your hand against your racing heart, “You scared me, Mereel.” You scold.

“Ah, sorry cyare! I didn’t mean to.” His gaze softens as he looks at you, and he smoothly slides into the booth next to you, pushing himself between you and the stranger with such ease that you don’t realize what he’s doing right away, “Is that a new dress? You look amazing.”

“Oh, yeah.” You smooth the skirt, “I used my bonus to buy something nice.”

Mereel’s fingers slide against your shoulder and you shiver, “You look stunning.” He says quietly, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dress up like this.” 

“Oh, well I normally don’t,” You don’t even realize that the blond man has left, you’re so distracted under Mereel’s attention, though by the smug little grin playing on his lips, he has and he’s thrilled by it. “I just wanted to try something different.”

“Something different?” He prods.

“I…well…it’s not exactly like my work clothes are overly attractive, so if I want a boyfriend-”

Mereel’s smile falters, “You’re hunting for a boyfriend? Here?”

“I-I mean, where else am I going to look? It’s not like anyone at work is interested-” You say with a self-conscious laugh.

“I am.”

“...what?”

“I’m interested. Why do you think I’m always flirting with you?” Mereel asks.

“I just…that’s just what you do-”

He huffs out a frustrated noise, and crashes his lips against yours, his hands coming up to cup your face. And you react immediately, leaning your whole body against his and pressing your hands over his.

He breaks the kiss slowly, and lightly presses his forehead against yours, “Be my girlfriend?” Mereel asks, “Don’t flirt with anyone other than me.”

“Are you jealous?” You ask, sounding slightly breathless.

“So kriffing much,” Mereel mumbles, “Please, cyare-”

“Yes,” You interrupt, your voice soft.

He smiles at you then, and then his lips are against yours again.

[aka-trashrat]

Someone's about to get stabbed with that stylus if they don't sit down and shut up!

Ordo Skirata from Karen Traviss's Star Wars Legends: Republic Commando Series.

[roseaesynstylae]

Alpha-17 being a mother hen to the other Alphas* is something we need to see more. Jangotat survives because Alpha stomps in, shrieking obscenities, and drags his ass away, pausing only to yell at Obi-Wan for daring to put his little brother in danger (nevermind that that's what they're currently supposed to do). Maze doesn't tell him about Ordo punching him because if he did, Alpha would make sure the body wouldn't be recognizable as a corpse. Muzzle and Fordo don't get that brotherly overprotectiveness because they're just as prone to mother-henning as Alpha is. On their days off, the three of them team up to make the lives of anyone who dares fuck with their siblings hell.

*Specifically the Alphas that serve the Republic. Do you really think Mr. "They grow up loyal to the Republic or they don't grow up at all" would be at all sympathetic to Sull and Spar's reasons? The best case scenario is that he tells them that he's pulled some strings (read: blackmailed and threatened) to get them back into the GAR scot-free and if they do not accept it he will break their fucking limbs and drag them back.

[mamuzzy]

Teaching gf the differences between blorbo and precious meowmeow. Both are beloved fictional characters, but not the same.

Tup is a blorbo but Dogma is a precious meowmeow.

Tech is a blorbo but Crosshair is a precious meowmeow.

Niner is a blorbo but Darman is a precious meowmeow.

Scorch is a blorbo but Sev is a precious meowmeow.

The Nulls are precious meowmeows.

A blorbo cannot do wrong, a poor meowmeow is a miserable mental mess who commits warcrimes.

[clonewarslover55]

HAHAHA

The Nulls redraw part 4

Image ID: Null trooper holding two bottles of juice 😉 wearing sunglasses by a door with the sign “ no girls allowed.”

Original picture below 👇🏽

If you like my artwork, please consider supporting

[mamuzzy-creates-stuff]

If we look cute enough, they will surely blame it on the alphas. 👉👈🥺

In order: A'den, Mereel, Ordo, Prudii (hiding), Kom'rk, Jaing.

Kal: OHhhhhh, you know where you shove up those tooka eyes, you think I was born yesterday, rascal sheb'ike!!! You won't get away with it this time!

Narrator: They, in fact, got away with it. Again.

[just-null]

the way you drew kokichi .. i think im ascending to the heavens .. i see the light .. chest collapsing .. heartbeat flatlining ..

oho, a Kokichi enjoyer!! tysm!! it was my first time drawing him at the time so im glad i didnt fail him. i dont want to fail any of the kyoto group. i love them all!! even w my clear favoritism

he's nice too, a bit more expressive than Noritoshi so i can finally draw something that isnt :| or >:( even if it isnt by much- i like him too

I like how he's both a dick but also kinda sweet. He's a different flavor of tsun... i can use this. my knowledge on him is limited but FROM WHAT I SAW IN THE WIKI OH MY GOD???????? OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! KOKICHI!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[trixie2023]

Damn those Skirata boys. 🥵. They get me every time.

would you mind writing something with cute mistletoe kisses for Ordo?😇

Mistletoe Kisses

Summary: You're decorating for Life Day and Ordo has questions.

Pairing: Ordo Skirata x Reader

Word Count: 662

Warnings: None

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: Sorry that this is so short, but I think I managed to get the general vibe you were asking for.

“Cyare,” Ordo sounds bemused and bewildered in equal measure as he stares at the small green plant hanging in the door, “Why do you have plants hanging in your doors?”

You look up from where you’re digging through a box, looking for a specific ornament for the half-decorated tree in the corner, “It’s mistletoe and it’s not real, since real mistletoe is poisonous.”

“...why do you have a fake poisonous plant hanging in your door, cyare?” Now he sounds even more bemused.

“It’s tradition,” You say as you lean into the box again, “Oh, where is it-?”

Ordo crosses the room to you and you pull back when you feel his fingers on the back of your neck. He smiles at you, adoration clear on his face, before he crouches next to you, and gently brushes some glitter off your cheek, “What kind of tradition, cyare?”

You lean into his touch with a sigh, “Only the best kind,” You say with a grin. 

“That’s not very helpful,” Ordo replies with a grin.

You giggle and get to your feet, holding out your hand to him, “Here, I’ll show you.” He takes your hand and you pull him over to the doorway, and then you press yourself flush against him, your arms draped lazily around his neck.

He doesn’t seem to mind, one of his arms wraps snugly around your waist, while his free hand trails up one of your arms. 

“I don’t know the whole story, and honestly I don’t care enough to learn it,” You admit, pulling a grin to Ordo’s handsome face, “But the tradition dictates that when you meet someone under the mistletoe, you’re supposed to kiss them.”

“Is that right?” Ordo asks, his voice dropping slightly.

“Uh-huh,” You press closer to him, “It’s a very important tradition. Now that I have you, at least.”

He chuckles, “It wasn’t before we started dating?”

“I didn’t have anyone I wanted to kiss before we started dating.” You stand on your toes, “Now I do.”

“Well, who am I to deny tradition?” Ordo asks, as he ducks his head and crashes his lips against yours, his hand sliding to the back of your neck to hold you against him. 

A noise of delight slips from your lips, and you’re not the least bit surprised when he trails his lips to your jaw, and down your throat, and to that one spot that never fails to make you moan.

Your fingers thread through his hair, “Ordo-” You moan his hand, “This…is not part of tradition,” You manage to get out as he lavishes your neck and throat with increasingly heated kisses.

“Maybe we should make a new tradition,” Ordo mumbles against your throat, “Unless you want me to stop?”

“Never,” You groan. “Never stop.”

He chuckles against your skin, “Are you sure, cyare? You still have so much decorating you need to do.”

“Now you’re just teasing me for the sake of it,” You whine.

“Absolutely,” Ordo agrees as he pulls away from your neck with a wide grin on his face. Mischief glitters in his eyes as he reaches up and lightly pulls the plant from the ceiling.

“What are you-?”

“This should be in the bedroom,” Ordo says, as he walks you backwards towards the bedroom, his grin growing. He pauses when he catches a glimpse of something in a box, and his grin becomes sharp as he ducks down to grab a roll of red ribbon, “This too.”

Your face heats, “What do you need the ribbon for?”

“To wrap my favorite present,” He kisses you again, as he continues walking you back towards the bedroom, “This color will look amazing against your skin.”

You squeak, and then giggle as he scoops you into his arms, “The decorations-”

“Will wait a couple of hours.”

Your face heats as he steps into the bedroom, “Hours?”

Ordo grins at you, “Hours.” He agrees as he kicks the door shut behind him.

[artbypockets]

stupid star wars doodles 🌈