Happy birthday @highgroundanimations !!!
Happy 241st day to you! To celebrate I wrote you a lil something, I hope you enjoy it!
Decantation day
Unlike natborns, clones don’t celebrate the day they are born. Mainly because clones aren’t born, they are decanted, an occasion the Kaminoans don’t see as special and in turns neither do the clones. Most clones don’t even know their decantation day, they just don’t care. Checklist is one of those clones. He doesn’t care, he doesn’t see why he should care, he doesn't even know what day it is. He thought everyone on base thought the same way, Captain Tukk, Roy, and everyone else.
Captain Tukk isn’t known to sulk around. He is the one man who always has a positive outlook on everything, no matter what happens, from huge attacks to the smallest missteps. So to find the Captain at his desk poking at his datapad with a sigh and a pout is a new sight to Checklist. He has no clue how long Tukk has been sitting there but he has been waiting for a reply for some time, so it has to be a while. Checklist sighs through his nose. All he needs is for Tukk to sign off his work so he can get started on the next assignment but he already knows he will get dragged into something much more time consuming.
“Sir?” he tries again.
“Hmmm…” Tukk replies absentmindedly.
“Sir, I need…” Checklist starts but Tukk sighs again. “Sir?” He places a gentle hand on Tukk’s datapad to catch his attention. “Are you alright?”
“Hmm?” Finally Tukk looks up at him. “Oh Checklist. Hey, sorry I was lost in thought. Can I help you?” This is the moment Checklist can ignore the Captain’s weird behaviour and get on with his work. But the pout is still on his face and Checklist knows he can’t let it go even if he walks away now.
“I can ask you the same. Why are you sighing so much, sir?”
“Oh… It’s nothing, something stupid. Do you need me to sign off again?” Tukk reaches out for the datapad in Checklist's hand but Checklist pulls it out of reach quickly.
“It can’t be nothing if it pulled the smile off your face. Please, sir, humour me.”
“Alright.” Tukk sighs again and looks away from Checklist. “A local woman, Elvira, invited me to a party yesterday. Apparently natborns celebrate the day they are born with elaborate parties. And…” Tukk falls silent but Checklist keeps staring at him until he talks again. “It’s stupid, Checklist, ignore me.”
“Sir, please. Talk to me.”
“Is it weird that I want a party too? I checked my file, and today is my decanting day on Kamino. But clones don’t have parties for that right?" Tukk gets this hopeful look in his eyes for just a moment until Checklist starts talking.
“Not that I know of, sir," Checklist answers honestly. Tukk's pout continues with another sigh.
“I thought so. Like I said, it’s stupid. Forget I said anything. What do you need me to sign?” Checklist hands Tukk the datapad and leaves, ready for his next assignment. But he doesn’t walk to it straight away. Instead he lingers near Tukk’s office and looks back at the closed door. He doesn’t care much for a party to celebrate his creation, he still doesn’t care. But Tukk does and the sad expression of the Captain bothers him. Clones never have parties for days like this but maybe Captain Tukk can be the exception?
"So you spend time away from your work, to comfort Tukk and now you can't let the whole party thing go?" Roy asks when Checklist approaches him with the issue at hand.
"Correct. I don't understand why he wants a party but it's hard to see him pout," Checklist says. "It feels weird to say this about the Captain, but I want to cheer him up." Roy crosses his arms with a shrug.
"Captain or not, he's still a vod I don't like to see sad," he says and rubs his chin. "But how do we cheer him up?" There's only one way Checklist can think of.
"We could throw him a party?" he suggests.
"What?"
"I don't see why not. I already looked at the holonet for information and made a list of things most of these birthday parties have."
"Let me see." Checklist opens the list on his datapad and shows it to Roy. "Decorations, food, music, a candle? Why a candle?"
"No clue. But according to Spuzzfeed, it is a necessary part of the celebration methodes on Coruscant," Checklist explains while showing the results of his search.
"Strange. Alright, let's throw this party. Gather what we need on base and meet me here. I'll try to find whatever food Tukk likes and get some guys to get him out of his office."
"Yes sir!"
The list of things needed isn't long, but Checklist has some trouble finding everything on base. The music is off the list immediately, he doesn't like whatever the GAR broadcasts and decorations aren't anywhere on base. He finds substitutes for that, hopefully it's good enough. The candle is the only easy part, he finds one in an emergency kit. Everything is stored safely into a crate and dragged towards Tukk's office.
"Stay out of sight," Roy orders and signals to a few other guys. After a quick nod they disappear.
A few seconds later, Tukk runs out of his office in a panic.
"DON'T EAT THAT JUMPBOOST!" he shouts as he runs away.
"Oh, that will keep him busy," Checklist comments, knowing the tendency of his batchmate to put whatever he can find in his mouth, with varying results.
"He's the best distraction we have," Roy says and opens the office door. "Come on."
Checklist quickly hides behind the desk when Roy is warned about Tukk's return. A dark room, followed by the shouting of surprise is on his list and has to be checked off. Roy turns off the lights and they wait. After a short while, the door slides open.
"I should chain Jumpboost to a medic," Tukk mutters to himself when he walks into the office. He turns on the lights. "What…" Tukk looks around his office.
"Surprise!" Checklist shouts and jumps up from behind the desk. Roy steps out from beside the door and waves his hands.
"Surprise," he says with a monotone voice In a way only Roy can.
"Check! Roy. What is all this?" Tukk asks. He gestures at the homemade decorations with scrap fabric tied to strings as flags and old ship schematics cut up to form streamers. On the desk are a few small sweet snacks, drinks and a small cake Roy got someone to get in the town nearby, decorated with a single candle.
"It's a decantation party, si— Tukk," Checklist says. "You wanted one so badly that we put one together."
"We couldn't let you suffer like that," Roy adds.
"Guys…" Tukk smiles at them both before walking to his desk. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. You would do the same for us, if you had the chance," Roy says.
"It is a tradition with most natborn celebrations to blow out a candle on a cake. I can't tell you why but it's what I found. So…" Checklist lights the candle on the cake. "Go ahead." Tukk looks at Checklist, the happy glint in his eye finally back. Checklist didn't know he missed it so much.
"I can think of a reason why," Tukk says, "it symbolises how we as soldiers extinguish the destruction of the separatists."
"I don't think— ugh!" Checklist starts but Roy shuts him up with a kick.
"Sure thing, Tukk. Give them hell." Tukk leans forward and blows out the candle.
"To another year of kicking droid ass!" he shouts and wraps his arms around his men's shoulders. "Thanks again."
"Happy decantation day, Tukk," Checklist says with a bright smile. He's far behind his assignments but seeing Tukk laugh like that makes it all worth it. "To another year."
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