#Different Order 66

[fanfic-obsessed]

Unavailable

This started as the seed of a different idea, but it fit so well into this beginning that it was like they were made to go together.

Just before the intel starts arriving that would lead to the Rako Hardeen mess, the Force gets a warning to the Jedi. This warning, once translated, is very clear. Obi Wan Kenobi needs to be out of communication for a while (can’t be sent on a mission whose real purpose is to fracture the relationship between Obi Wan and Anakin, if Obi Wan is not there…).

So Obi Wan and Cody get sent undercover to infiltrate some criminal enterprise whose main base is on Endor (while they are undercover the 212th will be on leave-part of an initiative to prove that the clones are not actually being abused).  Their cover is married mandalorian bounty hunters, thus their faces can be covered. The mission is that they will arrive on Endor, find a place to live, and start taking bounties that would make them highly visible to the criminal enterprise. It is anticipated that this mission will be at least 4 weeks, and there cannot be any contact (Because this is not faking Obi Wan’s death, Anakin is warned the Obi Wan will be out of communication for a while, though he is still given no details) throughout this time. 

It all goes well at first, then three days in (due to Force shenanigans, and a Force artifact that was disguised as an antique) both Obi Wan and Cody wake up with no memories. They were just far enough into their mission to have found a place to live and all of their idents and paperwork is in the names of Ben and Kote Beroya, married bounty hunters. Ben (Obi Wan) is just aware enough of the Force to know that they both need to keep their armor on while they are not alone.  Not knowing about their other mission, they find a decent bounty, complete it, and leave the planet. 

Meanwhile on Coruscant Palpatine tries to go forward with the Rako Hardeen plan, in spite of his main goal (which requires Obi Wan Kenobi) being impossible.  Without the additional emotional damage to Anakin Skyalker to distract everyone, Palpatine is found out.  The high council, barring Obi Wan but with Anakin, goes to confront Palpatine. 

It is the middle of an emergency senate session. 

Palpatine activates Order 66(galaxy wide it should be noted) … for about 45 seconds before a Force fueled panic attack from Anakin disables all of the chips at once (also galaxy wide-incidentally giving Kote Beroya a headache from half a galaxy away).  Palpatine was planning on relying on the controlled clones and might have considered going quietly (with an idea to salvage the 1000 year plan) with the realization that the clones were now free. It was all a moot point, since moments after the clones (now very confused and more than a little horrified themselves with their new knowledge) were freed, Palpatine is fatally shot by Bail Organa (Bail has been up for five days working on a draft of the clone rights bills. He is tired, cranky, and pissed that this meeting cut into his scheduled Comm call with Breha). 

In the aftermath it is found that Palpatine used Dark Side Magic to partially (at varying degrees) control a number of people in the Senate. This includes Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. In this one Palpatine’s control is what caused Anakin to slaughter the Tuskens.  Anakin is not the only one who needed specialized Jedi therapy (meant to deal with the topic of ‘so the Darkside fucked with your head/possessed you’). It very quickly became the most common type of therapy in the Senate

Palpatine also forced the relationship between Padme and Anakin. There was attraction there, and it was possible that the attraction would have grown into something more but their entire relationship was hijacked by Palpatine (Padme alone had been mostly controlled since she was 14 and needed to go through 4 Jedi exorcisms). More horrifyingly Palpatine used more Sith Magic to put Padme’s womb into stasis, which was currently occupied by fraternal twins, held at the three week marker (so that he could make her ‘become pregnant’ when he was ready to start his end game) that were biologically Anakin’s and Padme’s, though after the Sith magic controlling them was removed, neither remember having sex. 

Everyone involved is utterly horrified. It seemed impossible to conceptualize the level of violation on all parties.  The Jedi Order eventually bought an incubation tube from the Kaminoans and, with Padme’s grateful permission (who had been a bit conflicted, she truly did not want to be pregnant- especially in these circumstances- but did not personally feel comfortable with getting an abortion), moved the twins there for the duration.  The Twins would then become part of the Order and both Padme and Anakin would be allowed to decide how much the children would be told.

At this point Anakin requested that his Master be brought back from his mission. Anakin really needed Obi Wan, and a couple of dozen hugs.  The clones are doing their part cuddling their general and Ahsoka is trying too, but sometimes you just need your dad/older brother figure to tell you everything is alright. Especially when everything is fucked up. 

The Jedi Council agree and reach out to the secret Comm to contact Obi Wan and recall them (theoretically the whole operation became moot after the Chancellor's death). There’s no answer (as it was a hidden, secret comm neither Ben nor Kote knew to bring it along). The council looks at each other. They try again. Still no answer.  They manage to get in contact with the landlord of the place that was rented to Ben and Kote, who goes ‘Oh those guys. Good tenets, quiet. They left six weeks ago (two weeks into their mission). Think they said they were heading toward Corellia.’ 

Now the Jedi council are wondering just what happened that sent Obi Wan and his commander to Corellia and why they didn’t get in contact about the change. It is decided that this was a good mission for Anakin to go on, as it would help distract him, leading both the 501st and the 212th. 

So now Anakin is on the galaxy’s biggest scavenger hunt, being evaded by two bounty hunters that do not know they are being hunted. 

Back with Ben and Kote, they have been taking bounties and slowly learning about themselves and each other throughout (and what married means to them). They realized quickly that they had some specific standards (they DO NOT kill kids or innocents, but Kote has found that he takes a particular glee in bringing betrayers in and Ben has a hatred for anyone who would hurt kids). They have also found that Ben had a tendency to draw the attention of slavers, without fail. They had shut down an even dozen slavery rings in the middle rim.   Because they are always wearing a helmet, except for around each other, they have not realized that their faces are really famous.   They have also realized in that time that Kote is a hand to hand fighter and Ben can do some really weird things (lifting things with his mind) when he concentrates.

It takes another few months before they start to hear that Galactic General Anakin Skywalker is apparently asking for them by name. Rather desperately, at times almost violently. Ben’s instincts (supplemented by the Force) says that General Skywalker does not mean any harm. Both of them, in a fit of whimsy, decide to lead the General on a merry chase across the galaxy (incidentally giving Anakin more time to not focus on the body horror of…well everything to do with Palpatine or Padme). 

During this time the Galactic War ends. 

The chase eventually ends because Ben and Kote encounter another member of the Beroya clan (Obi Wan had been legitimately inducted into the clan when he protected Satine as a teen), who they are around long enough to take their helmets off around them.  

This being blinks twice and basically says holy fuck you are a famous republic general and his commander, you have been missing for months. Ben and Kote blink at each other, shrug and go ‘that explains Skywalker stalking us’ and admit their amnesia to the being.  

Anakin is greatly surprised that the next time his fleet comes out of hyperspace he is greeted by his former master, in armor, asking what took him so long. 

For a moment Anakin considered Falling right then and there. 

Then he considered it again when he met up with Ben and Kote and realized they had no memories.  

How the fuck was he going to explain this to anyone…

[fellthemarvelous]

It pisses me off to see the way some Star Wars fans are so dismissive of Reva, Third Sister.

She's complex. She's interesting. She's clever. She's intelligent. She's strategic. She's conflicted. She's traumatized. She's scared. She's angry. She's a survivor.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi series literally opens with her and her friends watching one of her Jedi mentors get gunned down by clone troopers during Order 66.

She was a FUCKING CHILD!!! They were in the middle of a lesson when the clones walked in and started shooting everyone!! These were Anakin Skywalker's troopers and they were executing every single Jedi around them.

These children had NO idea what was going on. They were scared and they tried to run to safety.

We remember this scene from Revenge of the Sith and we all immediately knew what it meant.

These are the same bodies that Obi-Wan Kenobi found when he and Yoda returned to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant after having to kill so many of Anakin's clone troopers just to survive.

These are children that the Jedi Council wasn't there to save.

Palpatine snuffed out the light of the Jedi in one swift act of terrorism and then blamed the Jedi for their own genocide after taking over the entire galaxy.

And in times of war, the weakest among everyone always suffer the most.

This is what Reva, Jedi youngling, remembers most about the end of the Clone Wars.

Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Clone Wars and former padawan of the great Obi-Wan Kenobi, murdered all of her friends and injured her.

She had to play dead amongst the dead bodies of her friends, and that's how she survived. She witnessed Anakin Skywalker murder all the Jedi in the temple with no one there to stop him because the other Jedi Masters were being executed in a war they had never wanted to enter into in the first place.

She blames herself for not being able to save her friends because she wasn't strong enough to fight back. No youngling was ever going to be strong enough to stand against Anakin Skywalker. She wanted revenge against Anakin Skywalker, and she was just as desperate to get to Obi-Wan Kenobi as he was. She wanted to kill Anakin Skywalker just as badly as Darth Vader wanted to kill Obi-Wan.

She was alone in a galaxy that tortured and executed surviving Jedi. She spent ten years plotting her revenge against Anakin. She was angry at Obi-Wan for not being there to stop Anakin, and rightfully so.

The Republic fell. Reva and her friends were left unprotected. She was the only person she relied on because everyone else failed her. She was only a child when she lost everyone.

And it's clear she was conflicted by her role as an Inquisitor. She doesn't have the training the other Inquisitors do because she volunteered to be an Inquisitor while all the others were tortured and terrorized into falling to the dark side. She only wanted access to Anakin so she could get justice for what he did to her and her family.

Unlike Anakin, Reva couldn't find it in herself to harm a child. She was seeking revenge solely against Anakin Skywalker. Luke and Leia are the same age she was when she watched her friends and family die in front of her.

Yes, she was prepared to torture Leia, but she consistently hesitated, and when Tala walked in, Reva turned away. She stopped. Yeah she was mad, but she didn't have to go through with it. She'd already planted a tracker on Lola. She was already planning on allowing them to escape so she could locate their secret base. She just needed to bait Obi-Wan. Her plan worked perfectly, and she didn't even have to hurt this child who was annoying the shit out of her (not realizing she was dealing with Anakin Skywalker's offspring).

She went to Tatooine to kill Luke, but she couldn't. She hunted him down without bothering to kill Owen or Beru. She only cared about one thing. Getting justice for what happened to everyone she had been unable to save at the end of the war. She was only a child, and when she realized she was about to kill a defenseless child just to get revenge, she couldn't do it. She saw her face when she looked down at Luke and cried when she realized she couldn't do it.

She was so horrified by what she had been prepared to do and returned him to Owen and Beru alive. She fell to her knees and sobbed because she thought she failed her family in the end.

Obi-Wan was there for her this time. He reminded her that by showing mercy, she was giving her friends and family peace. She was not going to become the monster that Anakin Skywalker was.

Obi-Wan helped her and reminded her that she gets to decide who she wants to be from this point forward. She refused to become Anakin Skywalker, and a weight was finally starting to be lifted from her shoulders. A weight she had been carrying for ten long years.

She did what she thought she had to just to survive. She had only been a child with no guidance because everyone she loved died. She survived by joining the ranks of the enemy so she could plot her revenge. Obi-Wan showed her mercy at the moment she needed it most. He wasn't angry with her. He was compassionate. She survived Order 66 just like he did, but she had been defenseless when they were thrust into a galaxy that tortured and killed Force sensitive individuals and those who helped them. He had failed Reva during Order 66, and he wasn't going to fail her this time.

She is getting a second chance at finding her path in life despite the bad things she did. Everyone deserves a second chance. She was robbed of her childhood and had to grow up overnight. She had to learn how to survive. And that's exactly what she did. Just not in the way she expected.

[shootingstarpilot]

What do you think Anakin Skywalker would be like if he were trained by the Jedi from birth? What would his personality be like? Because I believe that as a baby, Anakin would have a difficult temperament, but the Jedi would be able to help him with that if they could start when he was a baby.

Oh, gosh. This is a very interesting question!

@antianakin has given some thought to this, so I recommend checking them out if you haven't already, but I could see this going one of two ways. The one I prefer is that Anakin parts ways with the Jedi in a kinder manner. I could maybe see him still falling in love and wanting to marry, but in this universe where he was Temple-raised, he has enough maturity to know he can't pledge himself both to an individual and to the Order. It wouldn't be fair to the people he would be supposed to serve as a Jedi Knight, nor would it be fair to his spouse. Maybe he chooses to leave. He comes back to visit frequently, because these are his friends and his family and just because he left doesn't mean that stops, but he no longer serves as a Knight.

Alternatively, I could also see a Temple-raised Anakin remaining a Jedi. He's certainly one of the brasher ones- I don't think he'd follow Obi-Wan's footsteps as a diplomat- but he has control and compassion that he lacks in canon. I think he'd prefer non-political work. Something he can do with his hands, something where he can see the results of his work immediately- something where he can indulge in his desire to be the hero, because I don't think he ever quite loses that. First-stage disaster relief, maybe? His raw power would be very useful in an area like that, and I could see him finding satisfaction in a very physical job well-done. Shelters constructed, infrastructure repaired, areas cleared- things like that.

Thanks for asking this, anon, this provoked some Thoughts! If anyone else would like to share their opinions, I'd love to see what other people think!

[varpusvaras]

Leia had loved sleeping in her parents' room.

It was always like a little adventure, like something they weren't really supposed to be doing. Like a secret of some sorts, even though she was never unwelcome to their room either, not really. Sometimes they wanted privacy, but if she truly needed them, Leia knew she was always welcome.

It had exciting, to crawl under the bigger blankets and put her pillow in between theirs, and listen to them talk to each other in low voices as she drifted off.

In the dark, she could see the soft, golden glow on her Mama's chest. It was never too noticeable during the day, with the sunlight being so much brighter, but in the darkness of the night, Leia could see it.

It had felt almost magical, in a sense. Mama never minded if Leia burrowed herself against her, hands splaying across the glow. Leia knew that it was because Mama had gotten hurt, but it had been a long time ago now, and the glow was a reminder that she was alive, that her Mama was alive and was still the Queen despite it all.

Leia's Buir's back also glowed the same, soft gold in the dark. It started as a line from where his neck and the back of his head met, and travelled down, all the way to the small of his back, like his whole spine was made of the glow.

When Leia had touched it, her fingers landing at his neck, her Buir had flinched away.

She had not understood it back then, not the sudden flashes of fear that had felt almost like her own. She had flinched away herself at them, and had spent the night on her Mama's arms, while Papa had taken Buir into his, and they had spoken in hushed tones even as Leia had finally fallen asleep.

She had asked about it, carefully, the next morning.

"Buir got hurt, once", Mama had explained.

"You got too", Leia had said. "You're not afraid when I touch you where it glows."

Mama had looked almost sad, then.

"It's a different thing", she had said. "It's been a long time for me. I've forgotten most of it, no matter how much it hurt back then. It was an accident, after all. But sometimes-"

She had looked Leia in the eyes then as she spoke.

"-sometimes, when you get hurt when someone else hurts you, it's much more difficult to forget. He's a bit sad for scaring you like that last night, so do talk it out with him today, alright?"

"Of course", Leia had said, and then thought what her Mama had just said some more. "Did someone hurt Buir?"

Mama had been quiet for a moment.

"Yes", she had answered, finally. "Don't worry. He is safe now."

For some reason, for a reason Leia could not explain, she thought that her Mama had sounded afraid.

Leia hadn't wanted to believe that she would ever lie to her, so she had not said anything. She had climbed to her Buir's arms, later that day, and he had not felt afraid or sad anymore, so eventually, Leia had almost forgotten all about it.

But not completely, no, and she remembered it all too clearly now.

"No."

"Leia", Buir gave her a look, even though his voice was still level and calm. "Don't be too harsh on Luke. He needed to do it, in order for him to succeed in reaching him. He couldn't have anything weighing on him at that moment. He needed to do it."

"But I don't!" Leia tried to breathe, to calm herself down. "I don't have to do it! Luke can't ask me to do it!"

"I don't think he is truly asking for you to do it", Buir said. "Most likely he is just asking you to see his point of view."

"I do see his point of view", Leia said. "I also wish that he understands my point of view, and understands that I will never forgive him. He is not my father. You and Papa are, and he hurt you."

"He did", Buir said. "How would you feel like, if I told you that I have forgiven him?"

Leia looked at him. It was maybe unfair, to look into his feelings as well, but she was tired and angry, and she was especially tired of people in her life trying to soften their feelings for her sake.

"You don't mean it." She knew she sounded like she was accusing him. "Not completely."

Buir sighed, then shook his head.

"No", he admitted. "Not completely. But I am still walking, am I not? I am alive and standing on my own feet. Is that not what's truly important?"

Leia thought about it for a long moment, before she could be sure of her answer.

"Yes", she said. He was still there, in front of her, as tall and strong as he had always been for her whole life.

"It's a start, then", Buir said, and smiled at her. "For both of us. The last thing I want is for you to be angry for me, for the rest of your life, when I am happy."

It had been a long time since Leia had let herself be just her parents' child again, instead of a Princess, a Rebel, or a General. But now she hugged her Buir back tightly as he held her, and let herself be free of it all, of everything else than what was most important.

[meebles]

sorry i'm not done i need to be genuinely satly for a minute. it's one thing if temuera morrison was busy or didn't want to do it or whatever. but he's said before that he wants to play other clones. he's also been shafted by disney before.

if he was totally up for doing live action as himself, and they didn't even give him the bare minimum of a few seconds face cameo?? that's fucking terrible imo. his character gave us the clone wars. to deliberately not show his face at all just feels... wrong.

[underwaterspiderbird]

[pumpkinrootbeer]

i really do think the systematic execution of the jedi has kinda sorta ruined all future star wars media for in the sense that i am always going to be thinking about the space empath monks who were genocided. there used to be thousands of them and now there's like. 7. functionally an entire culture dead. they can show me all the grogus in the world, im always going to think about how they had to step over the dead babies.

[lbibliophile-sw]

Terminal Velocity

Also on AO3 [810w] @ailesswhumptober - day 24: relapse @clonefandomevents - 501st bingo: chips activate AU Part of my Catching AU

The War has been hard on the Jedi. After three years, almost every one has Fallen, has had to be Caught a least once.

Anakin himself, well. Last he checked he was at twenty-three Falls, but he’s not convinced they didn’t lose count somewhere in the middle there; it was a bad campaign. By this point, the routine of Catching is comfortingly familiar, the process of drawing himself back to the Light becoming almost reflex.

As he is finding now.

It made sense to Fall, there in the Chancellor’s ­– Sidious’ – office. His mentor has always offered him advice when he is struggling. And he knows the power the Dark Side offers, is willing to bear another scar on his soul if it means Padme’s safety. He is exhausted and scared, and it was easy to lose himself in the false reassurance of the Dark.

It made sense then, but now that the initial rush of Falling is fading, now that he is away from Sidious’s stare and surrounded by his troopers, he can feel clarity returning.

And the first thing that he notices is that something about his troopers is wrong.

They are used to managing his Falls by now. They know how to direct his fury to where the destruction is warranted, and how to help him regain control when restraint is needed or when the threat is passed. When he draws on the Dark, he relies on them to tell him before he goes too far. Like…oh. Like marching on his home with intent to kill all those inside.

He stops, standing in the middle of the plaza and looking up at the Temple. This is wrong. Even from within the Dark, even with Sidious’s promises of knowledge and power ringing in his ears, he knows it is wrong.

And his troopers should know too. They should be stopping him or diverting him, not following his orders blindly, in silent lockstep.

Fully distracted from his mission, he turns to Commander Appo – not Rex, he’s off protecting Ahsoka – behind him. It is Appo, but if he wasn’t so familiar with his Commander’s Force signature he might have doubted. In the force, the man’s presence is flat, stilted, showing none of the uniqueness that usually shines so brightly in his senses. A quick brush over the minds of the other troopers arrayed behind him shows the same blank focus.

Turning his back on the Temple and its tensed guards, he places his hands either side of Appo’s head, delving deeper. Darkness calls to Darkness, and he feels something shift inside the trooper’s mind. No, not mind – head. It is not Darkness like a compulsion, but anchored in something physical. A physical object directing Appo’s thoughts, supressing his personality; the situation generating Darkness not feeding off it. Anakin wraps himself around the object – a chip? – and squeezes.

Buried so deeply in his mind, Anakin feels the moment when Appo wakes up. First there is confusion. Then realisation seeps in, followed by horror, helplessness, fear, anger desperationgshamepanic… Anakin’s grip slips, the torrent of emotion cut off as the glassy stillness returns.

Anakin carefully withdraws from Appo’s mind. Appo, and presumably the others, are still present beneath whatever it is currently controlling them; good. But they are also clearly going to have the mother of all breakdowns when they are freed, and he doesn’t have time to deal with that as well as the rest of this situation. Which is… for the first time he pauses to fully consider.

The situation is: The war with the Separatists is all but won, and Chancellor Palpatine is about to declare himself Emperor. Chancellor Palpatine has revealed himself as the Sith Lord, and claimed Anakin as his Apprentice. Chancellor Palpatine has declared the Jedi as traitors, and ordered Anakin to help apprehend – kill – them. And Sidious is the one who told him to use the 501st against the Temple, except someone has been tampering with his men leaving them weirdly brainwashed and compliant… And he’s doing all this because Padme is pregnant and Anakin knows she is going to die in childbirth, and Sidious is the only one who can help him save her, because unspecified Sith magic is better than the modern medicine they haven’t actually tried or investigated properly…

That sounds rather like Anakin is being manipulated, being used. Like they all are. Even with the single-minded focus of the Dark, he doesn’t like that.

 So. Anakin will deal with Sidious. And then he will find Padme and make her book a healer’s appointment. And then he will free his troopers. And then he will gather everyone together into a big post-Catching cuddle pile so he can know that they are all there and safe and he has protected them.

He nods to himself and begins leading his men back to the Senate Dome. First, Sidious.

[find-the-path]

Season 2 opens with Rex's Moving Castle I see.

[heyclickadee]

I want to know how Phee met the Hazard family. Did she meet them on Pabu, after making her way there as a refugee? Were they all refugees who happened to be looking for somewhere safe at the same time, and they met that way? Did Phee meet Shep a long time ago, before he even had a kid? Did Lyana grow up on Pabu? Did Shep grow up on Pabu, for that matter? Because it seems like they are people who come to Pabu late fleeing one violence or another, and others who have been there their whole lives, and I feel like Shep could fit into either category. Just. Generally, how did Phee end up being an honorary part of that little family?

[looseleafteeaves]

Balance-Week 2 of Jedi June

This is part of the Desert Speaker Universe, which doesn't currently have a ton out. Remeber that most of my universes have multiple jedi who survive, and that Luke never has to rebuild the jedi alone. Just know that it is a minor scene in that world.

Ben Kenobi has been gone for almost 3 days when the figure begins to approach. The figure was wrapped in deep brown robes, and the hooded cloak shaded they're face.

Ome opened the door, and took a seat on the stoop, walking stick laid beside them.

The figure paused, shuffling around 30 steps away.

"I have heard of a... Ben Kenobi who lives here?" The voice is older than Ome would have expected, but still not as old as Marrat Kenobi.

Ome tilts their head, bird-like. "I live here."

The figure winces, before gently lowering the hood, the sunset of of Tatooine painting green skin with a golden tinge. "Then may I ask for shelter tonight so I may travel further into the Jundland Wastes to seek him out? I haven't any other options, traversing from Mos Eisley took the majority of these past two days."

Ome plants their walking staff, turned slightly so the sunny yellow and deep blue kyber crystals dangling from the wrapping are visible. "What is your name, Wanderer? I will grant you one night's shelter."

As Ome rises to thier feet, they watch the firgure with steady eyes.

The figure's interlocking circular tattoos rippled as he tried to control his expression of mixed hope and dread. "Jimyali Aneti. Thank you, Dweller of This Place, for granting me shelter."

Ome turns and gestures Jimyali ahead of them. "You may hand your cloak on one of the knobs by the door, and please put your shoes on the rack. We are hoping to minimize the amount of sand that makes it into the house."

Jimyali pauses as he reaches to remove the cloak, watching carefully as he turns, revealing a lightsaber hilt. Ome smiles, and welcomes him in.

As Jimyali begin to settle into the living area, Ome carefully braces a tea set on their hip as they step back into the living, three teacups set out. With his eyes watching her, Ome begins to measure out several servings of a Mirialan gold tea blend.

"While the water heats, and this tea steeps, we can talk. Marrat should be back by then."

Jimyali, with trembling lips and fingers, nods. "Would you- would you like me to see if I can heal more of whatever injury is causing you to struggle?"

Ome looks at him, a soft smile growing. "Let me be a fair host before you try to repay me, however, in the morning I would not say no to you taking a look."

Jimyali gives a fragile grin, and Ome wanders towards the door, opening it just as thier Marrat stepped onto the stoop.

"Hello, Marrat. We have a guest who has wondered a long time to see you."

Ben Kenobi freezes in the midst of his motions to pull of his boots.

"Marrat, the guest has asked for shelter, and I have granted it. He will not cause you harm."

Ben breathes out and finishes removing his sandy boots. Ome wanders back into the living room, and begins to serve the tea.

Jimyali jerks as Ben Kenobi walks in.

"Master Kenobi! You- You are- I finally found-" He begins to silently cry. "I am not the last of us. My padawan will not bear the burden of reviving us."

Ben Kenobi's own eyes spill over with tears. "Master Healer Aneti... I was so sure I was one of the last. So many lights have been swallowed by the Dark. I was sure that there would be none left."

Jimyali reaches out and drags Ben towards him, embracing him with shaking arms and a joyful force. "I am so glad to have found you. Veadu- I must call for him. He is in Mos Eisley, hiding. He can-"

Ben Kenobi continues to weep, and Jimyali makes the call.

---

Master Healer Jimyali and Padawan Healer Veadu remain in the small dwelling place for almost 3 weeks. Healer Jimyali is able to heal and improve the function of Omi's leg, and even is able to reduce the scar tissue where their slave chip blew. Omi is quite happy that he was able to do that much.

Veadu and Omi have long conversations, sharing what thier padawanships have been like.

"Padawans, please come join us."

Siting in the lotus postion in the small underground room, are Jimyali and Ben.

"We are in a time of great darkness..." begins Ben- no, begins Obi-wan.

"But as always, we stand as bastions of light." Continues Jimyali.

"We must balance ourselves against this new age of horror and fear."

"Against the workings that destroyed our people."

"The rage and fear and helplessness that remains inside us is not wrong."

"But it is not useful either."

"So now, we invite you to partake in our celebration of light. We are few, we are hidden, and we are light."

"Open your hearts and let the Force take the infection from our souls, lancing our wounds, and allowing our community to heal."

"Together, we find our new balance."

"Together, we make our new balance."

"Let us meditate on the years ahead."

And if Ben and Omi both dream of a day in the future when the caves of Tatooine are filled with the ringing of the light side of the force, they keep silent.

And if Jimyali and Veadu dream of the days when they are able to openly heal and help people once more, they keep silent.

After all, that day is not today. And the future is always in motion. Nothing you see is guaranteed. But the hope those images inspire... That is something they had need of.

The Force Provides.

Balance will come.

[fanfic-obsessed]

For the Republic

Here’s an order 66 fix it that is the confluence of several coincidental misunderstandings. Also why outsourcing your brainwashing is overall a bad idea. 

Let's set the stage, ok?

The first misunderstanding is relatively simple, near the beginning of the war.  A case of similar words causing confusions that is never cleared up.  In this case a series of conversations between various clones and their Jedi about the Jedi’s relationship with the Republic. These conversations leave the Clones, all of them, convinced that the Jedi Order belongs to the Republic, instead of being part of the Republic. You know, in the same way that the Clones belong to the Republic (No matter which side you argue is true, this was not what the Jedi meant). This confusion is so deep that when Slick betrays them all to Ventress, his rants are specifically toward the Republic, and do not mention the Jedi Order at all.   

The second misunderstanding is a bit more complex. It starts with the earliest flash training for the clones, the basics that are pushed so deep that none of the clones have any conscious memory of them, but are buried in the subconscious. Along with the Orders that would be enforced by the chips, there was the phrase ‘Jedi have Power’.  There are other trainings that get layered on top of it, but in the deepest part of the Clone psyche the most basic definition that they have for Jedi is ‘Jedi have Power’. But Power, as a term, is an abstract that can mean so many things.   And though they never realized it, the Trainers and Jango Fett and the Kaminoans taught the Clones a very specific definition of Power.  Power cannot be had by someone who belongs to the Republic and Power only belongs to those who use it (specifically those who use it to abuse others). 

By that definition their Generals and their Padawan Commanders and what is known as the Jedi Order are not Jedi. Instead the Clones view these beings as brothers (having very little grasp of gender) of a higher rank. Again this knowledge is buried so deep the Clones do not realize they think this.  It is instinct. Frankly the distinction is somewhat subtle, and is closer to how the Jedi wish to be treated (without the higher rank part) so no one notices the shift.

When Umbara happens the anger that the clones feel toward Krell is not the disbelieving anger of an idol's pedestal crumbling, but the same anger felt for Slick’s betrayal. 

When Order 66 happens, the Jedi become traitors. Except…the people that Palpatine intended to be killed were not considered to be Jedi. For Jedi had to have Power, and Power only belonged to those who were free, and only those who showed their Power. 

The way that many of the Natborn officers did. 

So the Clones immediately turned their weapons on the Naval officers who had been abusive, primarily to Clones or Jedi, but also some instances of civilian abuse as well. 

On Coruscant, Anakin begins to lead the 501st to march on the temple. Only, as soon as they realized where they were headed, they stopped their general, confused. There are no Jedi there, they say.   Anakin says something about Palpatine having the Power to save Padme. This leads Appo to the conclusion that Palpatine is a Jedi Traitor, who has done something to their General (which yes, but also no). The 501st stuns Anakin, with some taking him to the temple for deprogramming, or whatever needs to be done to counteract whatever the Jedi Traitors did. 

The rest march back into the Rotunda to hunt the Jedi Traitor Palpatine. They are met by Fox, who shrugs and goes with them (with his own platoon of CG) without argument when Appo says that Palpatine is a Jedi.  The active chips do muffle the Clones in the Force, a deliberate feature that Palpatine never thought could be used against him. 

So Palpatine, the shiny new Emperor, is Emperor for about 20 minutes before he is shot through with so many bolts that he is basically left a goo on the floor. This bypasses every single one of his backup plans, many of which could not be fully put in place until he was Emperor, so there is no ‘Palpatine returns’.

 At the temple roughly a dozen members of the 501st enter the Healing Halls, carrying a stunned Anakin Skywalker. Even stunned the healers can tell he is in some kind of mental breakdown. The healers (who do filter out anything that is not helpful o figuring out what is wrong with their patients, so ignore the whole ‘Palpatine the Jedi traitor’ thing) take from what the troopers have to say that they believe that Anakin may be possessed by something and that he is worrying about Padme Amidala’s health, both of which are causing the breakdown.  

So Padme is collected by the rest of the 501st and brought to the healing halls, and it is decided that Anakin will be kept unconscious until his former Master, Obi WAn,  is back on planet (if he is possessed then having his loved ones there is the best bet for breaking through and of Anakin’s loved one Obi wan would be the best equipped to not be killed). The healers, upon seeing Padme’s pregnancy, insist on a full exam. During this exam it is discovered that, due to a growth on her pelvic bone, a natural birth would likely be fatal to her and possibly the children (I do love the idea that Palpatine was feeding Anakin those visions, or that the visions were caused by Palpatine or Anakin causing Padme’s death, but it is also interesting to think that the visions were legitimate and the cause was something natural). Padme is scolded for not seeking out proper prenatal care, which would have noted the problem. The healers schedule her for an induced c section closer to her due date and ask that she check in daily (or sooner if she starts feeling anything weird) to make sure there is nothing else.

 The Coruscant Guard continues to hunt through the Senate for ‘Jedi’, of which there is less than you would think. Yes a couple of hundred who meet the clone definition, but that is out of more that 100,000 beings in the building at any one time (with almost 25,000 systems represented, if  assume an average of 2 senators per system, that is 50,000 senators. With a retinue of aids, guards, interns, and others that easily clears into 100,000). 

And there is just…so much confusion (I find that I love pairing ‘Order 66 happened differently’ with ‘and everyone is confused’, it gives me great joy). 

 From the point of view of the Jedi, between on moment and the next the clones decided it was time to mutiny and the only explanation that is given is ‘The Jedi are traitors, we must kill the traitors’ as the clones continuously fail to shoot any Jedi (Like even the stormtroopers of canon do not fail to hit their stated targets this badly), though the clones have shot many people.  

From the point of view of the Senate, between one moment and the next the Clones chose high treason with no explanation (Because no one conscious on Coruscant knew that Palpatine was a Sith and the beings that knew about the chips and Order 66 ended up pretty high on the ‘Traitor Jedi’ list and killed).   

In the Force, and the Manda, respectively, Palpatine and Jango Fett were watching this happening with their own confusion. This was not the plan. 

 The Generals do eventually get an order to the clones to capture instead of kill the ‘Jedi traitors’.  By this point the Coruscant Guard had cleared the Senate and were just starting to descend levels of Coruscant in search of Jedi traitors. It is not too long after this that Mace Windu is found and brought back to the Temple, near death.  They also figure out why the Clones do not consider the Jedi, Jedi. It is decided that they cannot correct the Jedi definition issue until they figure out the ‘shoot the Jedi’ issue. 

In this version the chips do not do anything to the personalities or memories of the clones, they simply reinforce the flash training for the Orders and remove any ability to disobey. 

With the 212th, Obi Wan had spent a decent amount of time over the course of the war finding excuses to get rid of nat born officers that treated the clones as less than sentient. With his mindset of ‘a certain point of view’ he was pretty successful. There were still a handful in the higher command (the higher the officer was in the command structure, the harder it was to get rid of them) but none of the natborn officers that would be on the ground, or even in communication with the forces on Utapau.  Though the activation of the chips and the death that followed caused a bit of a shiver in the Force, it was not the screaming darkness of Canon and was lost in the madness of battle.  

So it was not until they were being transported back to the Resolute that Cody, quite proudly, announced that the Jedi traitors had been routed from the 212th.  Obi Wan had questions.  Cody answered with things that explained nothing 

Obi Wan: Jedi…Traitors?

Cody (nodding): The Jedi have been discovered as traitors to the Republic, Sir,  a kill on sight order is now in effect.

Obi Wan: I don’t remember anyone trying to kill me?

Boil (Visibly offended, even through his bucket): You’re no Jedi, general.

Obi Wan: I’m…I’m not?

Every Trooper on the ship in unison: Jedi have Power.

Obi Wan (Internally):What does that mean? WHAT DOES that mean? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Cody (Now looking a little concerned): Sir, you've gone really pale. Do you need a medic? 

They head back for Coruscant.  On the way Obi Wan receives a series of messages.  First, there are no high council members currently conscious on Coruscant. There should have been five. Anakin had been stunned by his own trooper, is possibly possessed, and is being held unconscious just in case. Agen Kolar, Saesee Tiin, and Kit Fisto have simply vanished. Mace Windu had been missing but was found and is now in Bacta with extensive injuries sans one hand. 

No one had been told that those four members had been going to confront Palpatine and as soon as Palpatine had been killed (in a hallway), his office had been automatically locked down. So no one knows that behind the shielding are the bodies of three Jedi Masters. 

Second, not only was the 212th not the only battalion to commit some form of mutiny, the 501st and the Coruscant Guard had apparently abruptly decided that high treason was a reasonable action. All the while claiming that they are hunting Jedi Traitors (with not a single person they shot being a Jedi).  The senate had also apparently realized that without the Coruscant Guard, there is not enough manpower to stop the Clones from killing whomever they wished (Much of the Senate had been so proud of the cost cutting measure of reducing the non clone security forces).

Third, since the remaining members of the council were spread throughout the galaxy (with Obi Wan being the closest), as soon as he arrived on Coruscant Obi Wan would be in charge of figuring out what was going on with the Clones, before the Senate found enough people to capture them. Then deal with the political clusterfuck of mutiny and high treason (as the Clones were considered part of the Order). Find time to help Anakin. 

Killing Grievous was supposed to give Obi Wan less to do, not more.  With the knowledge that there is something wrong with the Clones, he cannot even flirt with Cody (They had an understanding about exploring a romantic relationship after the war ended, but as stress relief both would flirt back and forth and see how explicit they can get before someone called them on it-The only reason no one had yet is because the 212th had a bet going on CodyWan admitting they are together and no one wants to be disqualified by influencing the results).  

It should be made clear, Obi Wan still does not know at this point that Palpatine is the Sith. He does not know that there are chips in the clones. He has no idea that Anakin had chosen to fall (though it did not really go anywhere) and is likely going to wake up half willing to slaughter everyone. He doesn’t even really know that Padme is a week away from being induced (still early but the healers do not want to wait any longer).

So even as he is contemplating everything on his plate, Obi Wan does not even know the half of it. 

By the time Shaak Ti, who had to corral Kamino (in which roughly half the Kaminoans in Tipoca city and a third of the remaining trainers were accused of being Jedi by both the battalion stationed there and the cadets), is back in contact, the bodies of the missing Masters were found.  She is the one to float the idea of a malfunction to the chips (the report about Tup and Fives was still in the ‘to be reviewed’ queue for the Jedi Council-The Council is about 12-18 months behind on reviewing mission reports).  

The news of the chips…does not make things better.

[wanderingmirror]

Priority Alert

The moment Palpatine had opened his mouth to give that fatal order, his small blue figure glitched out and a Republic Admiral named Shigga Mori took his place. A few of the other 212th troopers made a noise of confusion as their comms were called all at once.

{Priority Alert. Order 65 is now in effect. Repeat; Order 65 is now in effect. Be advised, any and all orders given by Sheev Palpatine are to be disregarded from this point on and seen as an act of treason. All units currently serving on the front with any Jedi are to carefully and quickly secure their Jedi and evacuate to their Venator. Those closest to Coruscant are to return here immediately for emergency evacuation of both Jedi and Coruscant Guard Personnel.}

The order washed over the 212th like a soothing wave. The men reacting without even waiting for the order to end. The same was followed by any battalion currently engaged in combat. The message continued.

{Those not close to Coruscant are to report to Kamino. All Non-Kaminoan personnel are to detain and contain all Kaminoan personnel until further orders are given. Be advised any and all trainers who also resist the takeover are to also be detained and contained until further notice. Chain of command on Kamino is to fall to the Jedi General or Generals on sight. Further information will be attached to a chain code after this message is completed.}

The figure of Admiral Mori flickered for a moment before the Chise male continued to speak.

{To any unit in this area, you have new orders to find and retrieve this trooper for immediate medical treatment. Any Natural Born officer that attempts to take command are to be detained and contained, then relocated to a Republic outpost.}

The image of Kix appeared, and several smaller battalions readied up to head to that area. As the message continued, people were both panicked and confused by the sudden demand for Jedi and clone evacuation. The Coruscant Guard had already been given their own version of this message as they carefully removed the members of the council from the traitor's office. Commander Fox and a few others took care of General Windu at the bottom of the window.

{For further information and questions please contact Admirals Ayo, Segura, Hinami, or myself. Comm numbers are attached to the same chain code previously stated. As of this moment onward any and all orders not given by the Admirals previously stated or the Jedi Generals and Commanders are to be disregarded and seen as an act of treason. Report into Admiral Segura once you have either reached Kamino or Coruscant. Good Luck to you all, and may the Force be with you.}

The figure of Admiral Mori vanished, and Cody immediately turned off the comm call with the traitor before he could get a word in.

--

You can add to that if you want. I kinda ran out of steam.

[zeb-z]

Do you ever think about how almost all the clones have no idea of the existence of the chip, and think they’ve killed the Jedi of their own free will? Thinking that the Jedi are traitors?

And that’s all well and good until they work for the new Galactic Empire for more than 5 minutes, and then there’s a question of what, or who, exactly is calling them traitors. If this Empire is like this, killing without thought, ruling by force, tyrannical and brutal, then was it really that bad if the Jedi were traitors?

And when the clones in question become traitors themselves, they have to live with the consequences of what they believe are their choices. Of killing their Jedi.

Do you ever think of Cody, who so badly wanted to believe that this self instated Empire was bringing about peace, that this was just the Republic he had fought for, what he had killed Obi-Wan for - having to believe he chose to kill Obi-Wan and follow the Empire in the first place?

He’s not some mindless order following man that we see Crosshair as, who supposedly has his chip out. He’s still fundamentally Cody - a damn good commander, headstrong and kindhearted, always questioning authority, if quietly, and ultimately believing in bringing peace to the galaxy. And he doesn’t lie to himself when it’s obvious, like Crosshair does. He doesn’t pretend like his actions aren’t wrong. When he’s finally disillusioned and can accept the cause he has been fighting for isn’t right, he leaves, with one last word with Crosshair about having to live with your choices.

Do you ever think about how Crosshair has had every opportunity to make any choice other than the ones he’s making, and yet still he hides behind the excuse of being a good soldier, and “good soldiers follow orders”?

Do you ever think about how Cody (hopefully) lives on, thinking he’s killed Obi-Wan, having to live with that as well as what he’s done with his short time with the Empire? Do you think he blames himself for not being able to stop Crosshair?

[maulfucker]

Ok so. OC thoughts about Order 66.

Verred and Kuru are with Latros on Coruscant when the order comes out. Verred leaves Kuru with Latros and runs to the Jedi Temple to see what's going on and help people escape. She doesn't come back.

Latros takes Kuru and escapes Coruscant before ships start to get pulled over and checked for hidden jedi

Master Apos was with the younglings, and that's another reason for Verred to go to the temple: to try to help her master one last time

Dji survives by letting its ship get blown up and hiding in the debris until the clones got tired of searching for a corpse. No one ever remembers givins can survive in vacuum.

When he's sure the clones have left he sends a distress signal and hopes for the best. It gets rescued by the Da'ali twins, and asks to stay with them until it can find one of its people

(It doesn't know yet what happened to master Apos and Verred and pretty much every other member of their lineage. He suspects, but he doesn't know.)

The three of them eventually track down and find Kuru (and Latros) so Dji can reunite with the only other survivor of their little family.

Latros and the twins are both bounty hunters, and Dji is a great pilot, so they're like. hey why go our separate ways. why not become a crew.

So in my mind they become something kinda like the Ghost crew from Rebels but with two ships, three pilots, and a decade earlier

bonus thought. Latros is a kinda acquaintance of Maul (he worked for him on occasion before the Siege of Mandalore) and I think it would be very funny for them to meet him, considering the crew is composed of two jedi (bad thoughts on Maul) two mandalorians (complex thoughts on Maul) and Latros (no thoughts whatsoever)

[kaijusplotch]

"Who We Once Were" Preview Chapter

So a while back I had a pole about posting a part of a chapter of an angst story with universe jumping AU and stuff and it was overwhelmingly stated to wait until the first chapter is done.

WELL HERE IT IS!

Warnings included: non graphic Depictions of injuries, suicide to protect another, character death, temporary character death, slavery, the Republic is still not perfect, the Jedi are trying

You have been warned

Chapter 1 The End…

The blasterfire didn’t stop as Hunter and Omega dove for cover. Even as they both slammed behind a container and tried to catch their breath. The Marauder was only a few dozen yards away, but the Stormtroopers refused to let up their suppressive fire.

“Huntah, we are so close! I’ve got two more grenades, we can do it!” she said, looking over to him through her helmet’s visor.

“No.” Hunter pulled his helmet off and winced, white hair falling out of place as he leaned his head back against the crate. “I won’t, but you can.” he smiled sadly, pulling his hand away from the gaping wound at his side. Dark blood was steadily flowing from the wound and pooling where Hunter sat.

“No…no no no you’ll be okay!” Omega tore her helmet off and tried desperately to put more pressure on the wound.

Hunter gently gripped her hand with his free one. “Hey, Mega, shh it’s okay.” He gently cupped her cheek and pulled her forehead to his. “I’ve lived a long life, for a clone. You, though, you’re just starting. We’ve taught you everything we know. You…you’re our legacy now.”

He stared at her, proud of the young woman she had become, even as she shook her head, her long braids shaking with the motion.

“No, please. I can’t lose you too after everything.” Omega’s eyes were filled with tears.

“Omega,” Hunter said, using his stern sergeant’s voice on her. “You need to keep fighting, I’ll only slow you down. I can buy you time, and maybe finally take out that son of a bitch Hemlock.”

Omega still shook her head and looked away. “I…I won’t leave you behind.”

“We don’t have time, Omega.” Hunter countered as the blasterfire became more precise and the sound of marching boots increased. “I can give you time, but if I go with you, I'll slow you down. I’ll be damned if I'm the reason you get hurt or captured ever again.” His voice took on a dark color, memories of losing brothers and then Omega years ago coming back to the forefront of his mind.

“Please…”

“Omega. There is no time. I won’t let them take you.” He squeezed the back of her neck and sighed.

“Huntah…Dad. I don't want to leave you.” Omega sobbed, reaching up to take his hand.

“I won’t be far. Just marching on ahead. Let me clear the path for you.” Hunter smiled at her and pulled her close to press a kiss to her forehead. “Don't look back, Corporal.”

Omega nodded, tears in her eyes as she handed over the remaining smoke bombs and detonators.

Hunter offered his helmet to her which she took and hooked on her bag.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Omega. Stay safe. You know we'll be looking out for you.” Hunter smiled, tears in his eyes before he turned and prepped the smoke bombs, tossing them over their shelter.

As soon as the smoke filled the area, Hunter turned from Omega and bolted into the line of fire, shooting at the stormtroopers. He didn't need to see, he could hear and feel their boots and crackle of their comms as they began to panic. One by one, he took them out, dodging the red blaster fire and returning his own. He tossed one of the grenades to the side, the explosion taking out a squad of white armored stormtroopers.

He couldn't last, already slowing from pain and loss of blood. Caught again by another blaster Hunter fell to his knees and cried out in pain. His body’s rapid aging caught up with him even as he struggled to stand.

“CT-9901…impressive you have lasted as long as you have.” Hemlock purred as a trooper stripped the gun from Hunter's hand.

Hunter glared as he was hefted to his feet. “And you're still a slimy son of a Hutt. But you will never have Omega.” He pressed his hand to his side, waiting for the man to walk closer.

“I'm a patient man. I've waited this long and we already have made progress, she will bring the empire to true perfection.” Hemlock forced Hunter's chin up. “And you may still be of use.”

Hunter simply grinned, grabbing onto Hemlock as he dropped the safety switch. The grenade in his hand flashing as he shoved it in between their chests.

“You're right. I can give her freedom at last.”

“GRENADE -!”

Hunter took great pleasure in watching Dr. Royce Hemlock's face twisted in rage as they became red mist and the sound of the Marauder faded into nothing.

~~~/\ Is The Beginning /\~~~

Cid wasn't sure what to do with the strange armored clone that appeared passed out in her bar at first. Bolo and Ketch both denied seeing the clone appear. But both were able to help her quickly pull the commando into a back room with an extra bed and got him restrained.

While Cid waited for the man to wake, she went over all her contingencies in her mind. The clone definitely wasn't one of the standards she had seen plenty of times. He was too short after all. But he had commando class kartan armor and obviously had seen action. It didn't help narrow down the two options for what the man was doing there in her parlor, but she knew better what to expect at least.

She walked over to the desk and pulled out an expensive bottle of Antillean whiskey and a short tumbler. She quickly prepped her glass and poured herself a drink, sitting in her chair with a stun gun at the ready.  As much as she wanted to check her security cameras, she didn’t want to leave the man unsupervised, and definitely didn’t trust Bolo and Ketch to watch him.

If she were a younger woman she would almost find the stranger handsome. Almost. He had strong features, a wide nose and dark skin. The tattoo across half his face was intimidating, the skull motif followed with the skull on his shoulder pauldrons. A ragged, deep scar ran from one side of his neck to the other, like someone had tried and failed to slit his throat, and it healed poorly. Definitely a plus for the intimidation factor in Cid’s book.

His long dark hair was shaggy, and the brilliant streak of white at his forelock made him look a little older than he probably was.

Then again Cid had no idea how mammals aged.

She took a drink from her glass as the stranger began to stir.

“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.” Cid said casually, leaning back and watching the soldier come to.

He opened his eyes and looked around the room curiously before spotting Cid and his eyes widened in what looked like recognition.

“Cid? I must be in hell.”

Cid furrowed her brows. “You know me, but I can’t say I know you.”  She leaned back in her chair and gripped her glass and stun gun tightly.

The man furrowed his brows as well, blinking and looking around. “You really don’t know me…” he said as he looked at her.

Cid tried not to be intimidated. His eyes were sharp, and dark earthy brown. They seemed to hone in on every small twitch of her hand holding the stun gun and the glass. “Not at all. I only know you’re a clone, although far from standard from what I’ve seen.” She tried to stay as casual as possible, but she knew the dangers the man posed.

He attempted to sit up, only to grunt in surprise at the cuff keeping his right hand caught between the mattress and the wall. He shot Cid a glare, but it softened again as he observed her.

She didn't know what to think and she leaned back. “Do you blame me for taking precautions?”

“No…no I can't.” He said laying down and just watching her carefully.

“Good. Now as soon as I know a bit more about you, and why you showed up on the floor of my bar, we can see about taking the cuff off. So first thing’s first. Who are you?”

The clone frowned before shifting as if to get comfortable. “My name is Hunter. I’m part of Clone Force 99. We were an experimental special forces unit. I’m on the run from the Empire who are trying to capture-” his eyes got suddenly wide and he tried to sit up. “Where is Omega?!” he snapped at her, lips curling into a snarl.

Cid sat, unimpressed and unintimidated. “No idea who that is, Sleeping Beauty. Never heard of Clone Force 99, or of any Empire in my time. The fact that you gave a name instead of a number makes things interesting, but I'm going to need that CT number for you to back up your statement.” She put her glass down on the desk, but didn’t move the aim of the stun gun.

“Why do you want my CT number?” Hunter asked.

“Because,” Cid sighed. “I have access to several data banks from the war about the clones. I like making sure that any clone who walks into my establishment; or in your case appears unconscious on the floor, isn’t someone who could bring trouble. I don’t want trouble with the Republic or Kamino.”

Hunter stared at Cid for a long moment, eyes widening. “The Republic? The Republic fell. The Empire took its place!” He repeated, voice raising with disbelief.

“Keep it down, Sleeping Beauty. Sure the war was hell, but only because there was a damn traitor for a chancellor controlling both sides.” Cid rolled her eyes and finally put the stun gun away. “Look. What's your CT number? If you’re running…” she said, lowering her voice. “I can get you somewhere safe. I’m not going to return anyone to any owner as long as I’m breathing. The Jedi were good to me in the War, helped me out. That they’re still fighting for the clone’s freedom is something I'll back up one hundred percent.”

Hunter stared and shook his head. “I don’t understand. Owners? And the Jedi are still alive?”

Cid frowned and reached forward to undo the cuff, noticing how the man flinched away but relaxed. “This has Jedi bantha-crap written all over it. I’ll call in a friend, see if she can help figure out what’s going on.”

“Is there any chance this friend of yours is named Phee Genoa?” He sat up fully and rubbed at his wrist for a moment. “CT-9901, that’s my number.”

Cid narrowed her eyes before nodding. “Definitely Jedi shit.” She pulled out a hydro and ration pack and handed it to Hunter. “Give me a second.”

Hunter sat and stared at the ration pack, and Cid kept an eye on him as she pulled up the database and searched his number. She also sent out a quick message to Phee, hoping she was nearby.

It took a moment for the database to come back with the search results, which usually meant lots of similar numbers which she would run through depending on battalion number. But only one came back and it made Cid scowl.

“What is it?” Hunter asked.

“Are you missing some numbers? Because the only CT-9901 coming up is listed as decommissioned.” Cid watched as Hunter's eyes widened and he put the tray of picked rations aside.

“What?” He stood and came around the desk.

Cid gripped the hidden hold out blaster under her sweater, now wishing she had kept him cuffed to the bed. She cursed her soft heart in her mind.

“Says right here. Decommissioned. Kamino. 7956 C.R.C. a year and a half ago.” She motioned to the screen.

“Year and a half-no that’s not right, it’s 7977 C.R.C. I’m…”

Cid watched as he looked down at his hands and then his reflection on the screen. He touched the brilliant silver streak of hair as if taking notice of it for the first time. It was odd, really, seeing the man take his appearance in as if for the first time in his existence.

“You okay, Sleeping Beauty?” she asked.

“I…I died. I remember blowing myself up.” Hunter said, his eyes distant. “I was old. Omega was grown and I…we were cornered by the Empire and Hemlock ....”

“Take it easy. Rest a bit. My contact will be here in a few hours. I’m sure she can help figure out what exactly happened with you.” Cid motioned back to the bed, to which Hunter was obedient and sat back down on, hand stroking the silver in his hair and staring into the distance.

She turned back to the computer terminal, immediately relayed as much information to Phee and for her to get her ass to Ord Mantel as soon as possible. Cid then read as much information as she could about CT-9901 and Clone Force 99 from the databases she was connected to.

CT-9901 was a Sergeant of an elite squad of clones back in the war. He led three others who were specially trained to handle black ops and special missions. He had been decommissioned on Kamino after the war, but there were no additional notes as to why. When Cid pulled up a record photo, it matched the man who was sitting on the bed in her office. 

The silver streak of hair was a mutation, one apparently shared by another member of the group, CT-9904. That individual, whose name according to the file was Crosshair, had completely silver gray hair and a paler complexion than the Sergeant. The man was the group’s sniper, and his accolades for his skills were beyond impressive and well into legendary. Ten plus klick headshots of tactical droids. Ricochet shots that took out an entire legion of B-1 droids. Cid was beyond impressed, and not at all surprised when he was purchased after the war was over by a private individual. No doubt for security, but who knew.

The team’s slicer and intelligence expert was CT-9902, known as Tech. Just as tall as Crosshair, and immediately Cid knew that Phee would be wanting all the information on him. He was exactly her type. Tall, nerdy, but also very capable. The goggles he wore made his eyes large and according to the records he was possibly the most intelligent being the Kaminoans created. His IQ was off the charts for what Cid could understand, but there were notes on his incessant curiosity. Cid felt her scales crawl as she noticed he had also been sold, but to the Techno Union. No doubt he was being used for all of his intelligence to help the guild.

The final member was CT-9903, the imposing sapper and heavy weapons expert who was well over seven feet tall and was badly scarred on one side of his face. He was also ranked as one of the strongest clones of the former Grand Army of the Republic. Muscle density and chemical knowledge aside, notes on the file showed he had a high caloric intake and a previous injury left him blind and deaf on the left side of his head. Cid shook her head as she noticed he had been purchased after a high bidding war by a wealthy king who was known for his monthly bloody gladiatorial contests. Cid quickly made a note that Wrecker was probably dead.

She sat back and frowned, tapping her claws on the arm of her chair. She glanced around her screen and saw that Hunter had his head in his hands, staring at the floor. His posture was tense and Cid huffed before getting to her feet.

“Hey, Hunter.” she called, getting his attention. He looked up with wide eyes, looking young and very lost. “You look like you need a drink.”

“Heh, yeah. Yeah I could use a drink. Or twenty.” He laughed sadly.

Cid nodded and grabbed her bottle of whiskey and another glass to pour him a tumbler of it. “Here.” She offered him the glass and sat back down in the chair on the other side of her desk. “I found some information on your squad. Generally they were all sold after the war ended. Couple are probably alive, but…I’m not sure about the other one.”

“What about Omega?” he asked after downing half the glass.

“Didn’t find any information on them. Without a number it’ll be difficult, but I can look up what missions he was part of.”

“She. Omega is a girl. She was never on any missions. She was a cadet medical assistant to Nala Se, the head scientist for the cloning on Kamino.”

Cid’s eyes widened with every word and she swore under her breath. “They don’t keep records on individual cadets. Most of the cadets were sold in lots by the Kaminoans quickly so that they didn’t have to house and educate them.”

“And the Republic let them? The Jedi let them?!” Hunter cried.

“Jedi and the Senators that supported them lost their argument that Clones were classified as sentients against the general Senate in the reading of the current definition. It would have made droids also classified as sentients and well, let’s just say that it was a loud session with the arguments.

“On top of that, the contract that was negotiated by former Chancellor Palpatine through Count Dooku was iron clad in so much legal-eese that it was either the Republic take ownership of all 5.3 million clones that they denied sentience to, or allow the Kaminoans to retain ownership of them and do as they please.” Cid rubbed her forehead. “As far as I know the Jedi are still trying to push the Clone Rights Act through the senate. It’s been a busy kriffing year and a half.”

The silence following her brief history review for the end of the war and the chaos that would follow with the status of the Grand Army of the Republic was deafening. She looked at Hunter and realized his eyes were wide again and she was watching the man slowly spiral as he processed the information.

“Kriff.” Cid sighed and reached over to shake his shoulder. “Hey, Look if that kid is an assistant to Nala Se then most likely she wasn’t sold off. I can see about getting more information once Phee gets here.”

“I…I can’t lose them, I can’t lose my family again,” Hunter pleaded, staring down into his glass.

“And I’ll help you get them back,” the familiar voice of Phee Genoa was a welcome interruption as he opened the door of the office. Cid was not comfortable with the rather raw emotions.

“Phee, this is Hunter,  my Jedi problem.” Cid said, motioning to Hunter. “I’d introduce him to you but apparently he knows you.”

Hunter looked up and he smiled. “Gods it's good to see you again. Been too long and…and yet hasn’t happened.” His smile turned bitterly sad and he looked down. “You should be meeting all of us. Meeting Tech.”

“Whoo…yeah I see  what you mean,” Phee whispered to Cid before looking over Hunter. “Yeah, you definitely don’t belong here. Don’t look like any clone I've seen.”

“You should see my brothers.” Hunter whispered, before squeezing the glass of half drunk whiskey.

“How about I take that glass, then, sweetheart.” Phee said, smiling and plucking the glass from his hand. “And you take a nap.” she tapped him on the forehead and he fell over, out like a light. “Shit he was giving me a worse headache than when I drank with Hondo.”

“What’s your verdict?” Cid asked as she watched Phee carefully lay Hunter comfortably on the bed.

“He isn’t supposed to be here. His Force signature is all out of whack. He’s both older and younger than he looks.” Phee stood and watched him sleep.

Cid moved back around to her chair and leaned forward. “And? Have I shot myself in the tail already?”

“No, I don’t think so. If I knew he wouldn’t be discovered by the Kaminoans, I’d have him go to the Jedi temple to meet with the council. But Coruscant is not a safe place for clones.” Phee sat down in the guest chair and downed the rest of Hunter’s drink. “You pull up the records?”

“Yeah, not much to them aside from basic GAR records of action and who purchased them. One is probably already dead.” Cid said with a color of disappointment, eyes snapping to where Hunter was sound asleep. She turned on the holo screen for Phee to read the documents

“Have some faith, Cidarian.” Phee chirped as she quickly read the dossier on each of the clones. “Alright, good thing is I can probably get all the information on where the other three are, but Tech will be a difficult rescue.”

“That’s the one you're concerned about. Figured you’d have eyes for that one.” Cid muttered.

Phee simply smiled and shrugged. “Hunter here did say I should be meeting him. But, honestly out of the three, it’s the fact that he’s with the Techno Union that has me worried. The Kyoran Gladiator pits may be dangerous for the competitors but they’re well known. I can check in on the recent games and see if Wrecker is still around. His skills mean he’ll probably win more often than not. If he’s popular he’ll be on every betting board in the system.

“For Crosshair, I have a friend who can help track him down.”

“Please tell me it’s not the Shadow.” Cid hissed, rubbing her temples.

“Maybe.” Phee smirked. “Anyway, I can track them down. But it is absolutely fascinating that Hunter is somehow here. I am going to have to get in touch with my old Master, see if she can find anything in the records about temporal or reality jumping.”

“You really think he’s from another reality?”

“Maybe not completely. There’s plenty of stories about people appearing and disappearing in the galaxy, sometimes after they were killed before they were meant to. At least that’s what some of the stories I heard said. It’s possible he’s one of them. Someone who got a second chance.” Phee smiled.

“There…was someone else he was adamant about finding. Female clone cadet called Omega. Apparently she was the assistant to Nala Se on Kamino.” Cid explained. “Think your ex boyfriend can find her too?”

“Quinlan can find anyone, and if it’s a kid? He’ll double his efforts.” Phee tilted her head as she pulled the holo of Hunter into 3D space.

“What is it?” Cid asked, leaning forward as Phee rotated the now three dimensional holo.

“The scar on his neck. It isn't in this holo from the end of the war,” Phee explained, turning to look back at the slumbering clone. “And it's old enough to have been either fresh or on medical records, but nothing.”

Cid stood and looked at the scar that wrapped its way around the sleeping clone. She slowly realized it was caused by a sharp vibro knife, one that had been fully charged. There were small jagged lightning-like lines that branched across the edges. The wound would not be one any normal sentient would survive.

“How did he survive this?”

Phee joined her with a small frown. “I”m not sure. He has a long story to share when he’s ready.”