After an intense battle in a Separatist science station, the clone trooper CT-5599, or Maxx, is blasted by an experimental teleportation ray, and ends up in a galaxy he doesn't recognize. He quickly befriends the crew of the Union ship The Orville, and they force him to start asking a few questions about how the Republic treats its clones...
Written by inkravens45, New Stars
is a crossover between Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Orville. It can be read on Fanfiction right here.
Tropes:
- Accidental Truth:There was a chance that his galaxy wasn't that far off. These...Union soldiers seemed to have fairly advanced technology (although he was surprised at the lack of droids). Maybe they had a way of traveling from one galaxy to another? Right. And maybe Chancellor Palpatine was a serial killer.
- Alien Arts Are Appreciated:
- When trying to make friends with Maxx, Gordon and John show him the movie Forrest Gump. The latter two, having seen it before, are fairly nonchalant while watching. Maxx, on the other hand, is in tears. He's later gifted a poster for the film by Gordon.
- Bortus is still a big fan of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer.
- And the Adventure Continues: Maxx, having become a Union officer, will stay aboard the Orville as one of Talla's security force, and will continue to explore the new galaxy he's found himself in.
- As You Know: Isaac has studied Earth/human history before, so the senior staff explaining Earth's history with cloning to him goes like this.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Throughout the fic, the entire crew treats Maxx with nothing but respect and kindness...something he, a clone, isn't used to receiving from non-cloned beings. Thus, it isn't surprising when Maxx ultimately sacrifices his one chance to return to the Republic to help his friends get back to the Orville safely.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: For a clone, going into battle with the odds stacked against you is as typical as going for groceries.
- The Cameo: Jedi Master Kit Fisto has an important role in the first chapter, then never appears again.
- Child Soldier: The fact that Maxx is technically only eleven years old shocks, horrifies, and even angers a few Orville crew members.
- Clones Are People, Too: The Union developed this attitude long before the events of the story. Ed and a few other officers explain to Isaac that, years ago, doctors would use cloning technology to produce organs for their patients. However, as soon as organ-cloning technology became possible, it was made illegal to attempt to clone a person, as everyone agreed that there were very few ethical reasons for cloning a sentient being. Cloning as a whole was rendered obsolete after the invention of matter replicators.Ed: Cloning organs is different from cloning people. A liver isn't sentient. A person is.
- Commonality Connection: Isaac notices how the Republic's treatment of the clones is not too dissimilar to how the Builders treated the first Kaylon (even likening the pain receptors to the clones' inhibitor chips).
- Continuity Nod: References are made to past episodes of The Orville, as well as to episodes/events of The Clone Wars.
- Contrived Coincidence: The fact that Maxx is able to operate one of the panels on the bridge (because it is incredibly similar to the ones on his old ship) is not particularly shocking to anyone.
- Culture Clash: Maxx doesn't know the names of numerous foods commonly eaten on the Orville, nor do the food replicators recognize some of his orders. He's also shocked by the fact that everyone on the Orville chose to be there instead of being drafted into service.
- He's also very confused as to Isaac's place on board, as he is treated like a person by the other crew members, is recognized as one of the ship's senior officers, and has even married a human woman. This is in contrast with how droids are treated in the Star Wars universe, where they have no rights, are destroyed and/or replaced as their masters see fit, and many beings torture them for fun.
- Ditzy Genius: One of the scientists working on the Union's first teleporter brought a beer with him into the testing lab and spilled it all over their equipment, ruining the experiment past the point of recovery. John, while telling this story, says that this is why food and beverages aren't allowed in testing labs anymore.
- Dudley Do-Right Stops to Help: Maxx ends up saving Marcus and Ty (coming out of hiding in the process) when he sees that they're in trouble, despite not knowing them and having no clue what's going on.
- Dynamic Entry: Maxx introduces himself to Marcus and Ty by jumping out from behind a crate and shooting the Krill who was about to kill them.
- "Eureka!" Moment: John when he realizes what the Krill are building.
- Everyone Has Standards: While the cloning of organs for medical use is perfectly acceptable (until the replicator came along and made organ cloning obsolete), the Union collectively banned cloning sentient beings (with what was implied to be a unanimous vote) before the events of the fic. They all agreed that there was no ethical reason to clone a sentient being, and many of the Orville's crew members are appalled that Maxx and his brothers had been treated the way they were.
- Extradimensional Emergency Exit: Being zapped to the Orville's galaxy saved Maxx from being killed by a grenade (even though the blast left him with minor fractures in multiple bones).
- Flat "What": Talla's reaction to learning that Maxx is technically only eleven years old.
- Friend to All Children: Maxx, despite not spending too much time with children, will do all he can to protect a child in danger (which he proves when he meets Ty and Marcus). Later on, he's shown spending time with Ty, and the narrative states that the boys introduced him to the simulator, then laughed at him when he stood there gawking like an idiot.
- Good Parents: The Finn family isn't perfect, but Claire and Isaac are clearly united in their efforts to raise the boys right.
- Happily Adopted: Ty and Marcus have accepted Isaac as their stepfather. Also seen with Maxx: by the end, he's decided to remain on the Orville and accept its crew as his new platoon.
- Happily Married: Isaac and Claire.
- I Choose to Stay: Maxx is faced with a decision at the end; he can either use the teleportation device to go back to the Orville with everyone else and lose his chance of going home, or he can use the device to go home and let his new friends die. He chooses to go back to the ship, as recent revelations about the Republic have killed any loyalty he had to it (although he regrets leaving his brothers there).
- Internal Reveal: Most Star Wars fans know about the inhibitor chips placed in clone troopers, while the clone troopers do not. Here, Claire mistakes Maxx's chip for a tumor and removes it, giving it to Isaac to study when she realizes it isn't a tumor. When Isaac realizes what it is, he and Claire give Maxx this news.
- Literal-Minded: At one point, John says that the Kaminoans basically gaslighted the clones into thinking that they weren't slaves. Isaac asks if the clones were repeatedly set on fire, leading to John giving a better explanation.
- Meaningful Rename: Halfway through the fic, Maxx decides to give himself a last name. By the end, he's picked one: He's now Ensign Maxx Newman.
- Mildly Military: Maxx was brought up to be an ideal soldier, and was expected to behave like one. So it's a bit of a shock for him when he meets the crew of the Orville, who (while effective, competent soldiers) aren't as focused on protocol and behave casually. At one point, Gordon even admits that he's drunk on duty (though in his defense, he was off duty when he was called to the bridge due to a surprise attack).
- New Life in Another World Bonus: Being a soldier of the Union is infinitely better than being a soldier of the Republic, as Maxx quickly learns. At least the Union recognizes its soldiers as people.
- Noodle Incident: Ed, while in the Academy, lost a rap battle to Captain de la Vega. We aren't told any more details, only that Ed is still upset years later and that Gordon thought the whole thing was hilarious.
- Older Than They Look: Inverted; Maxx, like all Republic clones, is actually aging at a faster rate than most humans, as he's only eleven years old but he's physically in his early twenties.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: Bortus' reaction to Gordon using his "Hug the Donkey" move in battle with the Krill.
- Outside-Context Problem: At the start of the story, Maxx has no idea where he is or who's attacking. He only sees that a base full of innocent people (including children) is being attacked, and acts accordingly.
- Papa Wolf: Bortus is a dedicated father and is good with kids. So when he learns that the Republic was sending people who were basically children to fight and likely die in battle, he looks apoplectic.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Captain Mercer, Commander Grayson, and most of the Admiralty (especially Halsey) are this. They understand the unusual circumstances behind Maxx's arrival to their galaxy, and are willing to grant him asylum.
- Shout-Out: When trying to help Maxx work through the news that he was being mind-controlled via the inhibitor chip, Claire quotes Albus Dumbledore.
- Significant Wardrobe Shift: When he decides to officially become a Fleet officer, Maxx takes off his armor (although he does still keep it) and begins wearing a red security uniform...but he does continue to wear a pauldron from his clone armor, along with his Republic-issue blaster. This shows that he'll continue to remember/honor his brothers, but he's willing to start a new life on the Orville.
- Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: Everyone on the Orville shares this outlook, as they believe that the Republic's use of clones is a form of slavery and are shocked/angered/horrified that no one in the Republic sees this as wrong.
- So Much for Stealth: The mission at the start of the story begins stealthily, but eventually someone destroys a droid noisily and this trope is the result.
- Survivor Guilt: Maxx gets this big time in the latter half of the story, at first because he's abandoning his duties as a Republic soldier, and later because he's learned of the inhibitor chips (not knowing what exactly they do but knowing that they could control clones) but can't warn his brothers.
- Terrifying Rescuer: When Dr. Finn sees an armed soldier in strange white armor near her kids (immediately after a Krill attack), she freaks out and pulls her boys behind her. Both of her sons have to come to his defense before she calms down.
- Trapped In Another Universe: This is what happens to Maxx thanks to an incident with an experimental teleporter.
- Undressing the Unconscious: Downplayed. Claire removed Maxx's armor so she could treat his injuries, but she left his undersuit on. Still, his reaction to waking up without any armor is similar to this trope.
- Would Hurt a Child: The Krill. They were more than ready to kill Marcus and Ty at the base, and would have if not for Maxx coming to the rescue.
- You Wake Up in a Room: Maxx has this happen to him twice: once when he's transported to the Union galaxy, and another time when he wakes up in the Orville's sick bay.
