Chapter One
There was nothing but explosions and screams of innocent people echoing through the cold smoke filled air. Screams of men, women, and children. Among those who were screaming, was ten year old Raevyniia and she was in the middle of it all. Her parents and siblings were all killed by droids in front of her eyes and deep down, the child knew that she was next. She ran and hid in fallen structures hoping that her cries wouldn't be heard or her presence seen but when Raevyniia was hiding, she seen a large number of droids coming towards her. She knew for a fact that the droids would search every fallen building and hope to find survivors just to kill them. She tried to quietly sneak away but she tripped and it resulted in heavy blaster fire. When she attempted to stand up again and run, a Jedi jumped over her and deflected every shot from the enemy. When they sliced through the large number of droids, they looked back at the frightened orphan and Raevyniia was terrified. She had never seen a Jedi before and she had no idea if they were good or bad.
"You're safe now, child. I am Shaak Ti and I am a Jedi. Don't be afraid..." the Jedi said while kneeling in front of Raevyniia.
"My mommy and daddy are dead... so is Illy and Chanley..." Raevyniia cried. Shaak Ti gently wrapped her arms around the devestated child and held her.
"Do you want to come home with me?" Shaak Ti asked. Raevyniia looked up at the Togruta and nodded. Shaak Ti was about to pick her up but Raevyniia seen two heavy battle droids running up. Raevyniia acted quick and grabbed the lightsaber on Shaak Ti's belt and charged at the droids. Shaak Ti rushed after her but in a blink of an eye, the two droids fell with their torso melted by a slash. Raevyniia turned the lightsaber off and handed Shaak Ti the hilt back with a look of shame.
"That was a very courageous and dangerous move you just did, child," Shaak Ti raised an eyebrow.
"They were the ones that killed my family... I know that because they have distinguished looks that are different from the other droids... I'm sorry I stole them..." Raevyniia sadly said looking down.
"You did very well, child. That just proves that you're force sensitive and you might be a Jedi. Come on, child," Shaak Ti smiled and held Raevyniia's hand and walked through the burning buildings and fallen starships. When she got to her ship, there were many men dressed in white armor and some had different markings and color.
"Sir, who is that?" One asked.
"Her family was killed. She's the only survivor of the village..." Shaak Ti said looking down to Raevyniia. "I'm taking her back to Kamino. The child is skilled with the force so that's where I'm going to train her."
"Sir, are you sure it's a smart thing to do bringing a female to Kamino?" The trooper asked.
"She will not be treated as such, Commander. She will be trained as a Clone and a Jedi and you will treat her as you do your brothers..." she replied. The trooper nodded and helped them both up on the ship and they set their destination for Kamino. "Sorry about your family, youngling," the Commander said.
Raevyniia looked at him and didn't say anything. She just stared at his helmet. He reached his arms up and took off his helmet then handed it to her. "Here. Want to wear it?" He asked. She looked at his face and she didn't expect him to look like a human. His hair was dark and tied back with the sides of his head shaved and his skin was tan with two green tattoos along both his cheeks. His eyes were a piercing honey brown and were surrounded by thick eyelashes. Very handsome, she thought.
She smiled and grabbed the helmet and sat it on her head then laughed. "How do you see through this thing?!" Raevyniia yelled loudly. The Commander forgot that the comm was on and all his troops pulled their helmets off quickly and laughed.
"We have bigger heads than you, kid. They fit us perfectly. Maybe you'll get to wear one when you're older," he smiled. Raevyniia pulled off the large helmet and handed it back to him but he didn't take it. "It's yours, kid," The Commander smiled at her.
Shaak Ti was sitting next to Raevyniia and the troops the whole time and she sensed pure happiness when she was given the helmet. Raevyniia put it back on and the troops all chuckled. "You look like you're ready for battle, youngling. It looks good on you," Shaak Ti smiled. Raevyniia giggled and pulled it off again and looked at the unique markings that covered the helmet.
It looks like a beast of some sort... One with three horns and fierce eyes. Raevyniia was so focused on what creature it was that she didn't hear the pilot telling the passengers that they were about to make a landing on Kamino. Shaak Ti gently put her hand on Raevyniia's shoulder and at that moment, Raevyniia jumped out of her seat.
"Are you ready to see your new home?" Shaak Ti asked the startled girl. Raevyniia nodded and all the troops put their helmets on which indicated that Raevyniia should put hers on too. When they landed, Raevyniia held onto Shaak Ti's hand and stumbled around trying to see out of the helmet. The only thing she was able to see was a hard downpour of rain. "Why is it so rainy?" Raevyniia asked.
"It's Kamino. It never stops," Shaak Ti replied. Raevyniia shivered from the droplets on her bare arms and she grabbed Shaak Ti's cloak and wrapped it around her body but it didn't help much because the cloak was wet as well. When they entered the building, Raevyniia took off the helmet and her eyes widened. The building was massive and full of troopers and each one of the passing troopers looked at them and stopped in their tracks.
"Commander, would you mind showing the child around?" Shaak Ti asked.
"No problem, sir. Come on, youngling," he said while holding out his hand. She looked up at him and grabbed his hand and walked with him through the hallways.
"My name is Raevyniia, by the way..." she said.
"Nice to meet you, Raevyniia. I'm Commander Jäger," he replied.
"J... Jäger?"
"It means hunter, but don't let that scare you. I only hunt droids and enemies. How about we think of a nickname for you?" He smiled. Raevyniia looked up at him confused and was wondering what was wrong with the name she currently had. He was about to speak but four clone troopers walked up to them and they smiled at the Commander. "New girlfriend, huh Commander?" One laughed.
"Watch yourself, mir'sheb. This youngling took out two heavy battle droids without injury AND with Master Shaak Ti's lightsaber. I'm sure she can put you in your place," Jäger replied. The clone looked at the child and smiled at her then he knelt down. "I'm Launcher. You are?" He asked.
Raevyniia stayed silent. She held onto Commander Jäger's hand tighter and hid behind his leg. "Her name is Raevyniia. We're thinking about a new name for her."
"Raevyniia, huh? Well, we have to see what she can do, sir. That's how we got our nicknames," Launcher said. Commander Jäger nodded and knelt down by Raevyniia. "Wanna watch some troops train?" He asked.
She looked up at Commander Jäger and nodded then looked back at Launcher. He smiled and stood up then they parted ways. "There's a lot of men like him here. They always gotta pull someone's strings..." Jäger said.
"Why do they have the same faces?" Raevyniia asked. Jäger stopped and looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. "We're clones, child. We were created to be like that. Some of us change our appearances like our hair and some of us get tattoos but we all were exactly identical to each other when we were born. Each of us also have special skills to fight in wars, which you may be a part of..." he said.
"Will I fight next to you?" Raevyniia asked with a smile beaming on her face.
"It's very possible, child. That is if I'm not too old."
Raevyniia continued to smile then they walked further on into the halls. They stood at the window and Jäger noticed that she was completely focused on the clones and their training tactics. "Wait... why didn't he just shoot the droid? He had a perfectly open target right in front of him!" Raevyniia stated. Jäger laughed and patted her back, "Because they get scared, child. It is pretty intimidating to be face to face with those droids."
"I did. Why can't they?"
"You had something to fight for. These guys fight to get ranked and graduate to fight in real battles. We have nobody to fight for other than ourselves. You're always going to have that mindset to kill to avenge your fallen family. I have lost many brothers and friends and that's what gets me to focus on my targets," Jäger told her. She nodded then let out a yawn and Jäger looked at her. "How about we get you nestled in your new barracks?" He asked. She nodded and he walked with the ten year old to the sleeping barracks.
When they were almost to the trooper barracks, Commander Jäger was stopped by Shaak Ti. "Did she like our facility?" She asked.
"Yes, sir. She is definitely bright on many things. This day must have tired her out so I was taking her to the barracks," Jäger replied.
"Go ahead and settle her into her bed, Commander. I need to speak to you when you're free," Shaak Ti requested before she turned and walked away. Commander Jäger opened the port for the beds and he opened up the blanket for Raevyniia to sleep in. Raevyniia laid in the bed and Jäger pulled the blanket over her then at that moment, she yawned again. Commander Jäger smiled and gently rubbed her arm. "It's time for you to get some rest, child. If you need anything, there is a button on the wall where you can call me or Master Shaak Ti. Don't hesitate to push it, okay?" Jäger smiled. Raevyniia nodded and shut her eyes then a little smile seeped out before saying, "Good night, Commander Jäger..."
Jäger adjusted the blankets one more time and stood up. He walked over to the wall and pushed the button to close the door but before he did so, he replied with, "Good night, Little Raven." The door shut and Commander Jäger made his way down the corridor to meet with Shaak Ti.
"I've been observing you and Raevyniia and I want you to train her to fight with battlefield tactics. I have done some thinking and I don't want her to be trained as a Jedi. With how her family was killed, that will result in revenge and that wouldn't be the Jedi way... Would you be willing to take on this task?" Shaak Ti asked.
"Of course, sir. I will start as soon as possible. For now, I think it's a good idea to let her rest, especially with everything that has happened to her..." Jäger insisted. Shaak Ti agreed then they heard running through the hall. They both ran out of the room and seen clones chasing something. Jäger and Shaak Ti ran after them and once they caught up, all the clones were laughing at something. Jäger heard a giggle and at that moment, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He made his way through the crowd and folded his arms to look at the culprit.
"Aren't you suppose to be in bed, Little Raven?" Jäger asked.
"Once you shut the door, I woke up right away and yelled for someone to help me get out. Launcher did then the clones started to play tag with me... I'm sorry if we startled you, Commander Jäger and Master Shaak Ti... Just getting some energy released," Raevyniia said.
"And who is winning at it?" Shaak Ti asked. At that moment, Raevyniia smiled and tapped Jäger on the arm and ran. All the clones ran with her and they left Jäger and Shaak Ti standing there with confusion. "Oh kriff... I guess I'm it..." Jäger smiled.
"Don't get any funny ideas to tag me, Commander. I have other matters to attend to. Go have fun. You need it," Shaak Ti smiled then she watched as Jäger ran off. Even with the younger clones, the commander never played games like tag. Jäger knew the halls and he could hear Raevyniia giggling around the corner so he quietly snuck by the corner and jumped out to find Raevyniia in front of a large line of clones with water guns. They all pulled the trigger at Raevyniia's command and drenched Jäger in water. He lowered his eyebrows and glared at them then they all dropped their guns and stood at attention. Jäger walked up with an angry expression and grabbed a water gun from the ground and examined it. Raevyniia's smile faded into shame as she looked at the ground.
Jäger looked at the depressed child then he pulled the trigger and squirted her right on the face. "You're it..." he said before running. Raevyniia looked at the clones behind her and she was just as shocked as they were. She grabbed a water gun and ran after him knowing that he was hiding from her and her army. She quietly walked through each room and ordered the men to split up and to search for the armed and dangerous Commander. They did and when Raevyniia was alone, she heard a crash. She cautiously walked to the noise and there was no one there. She stopped then wiped around and shot Jäger who was trying to sneak out of the door. Jäger looked at her with sheer surprise to how quick she was to catch him.
"Well done, Little Raven! You're going to be very easy to train," Jäger smiled.
"Train? You're going to train me?!" She excitingly asked. Jäger nodded and at that moment, Raevyniia ran up to him and slammed her body against his leg to hug him. He looked down at her with confusion due to never hugging someone before so he gently rubbed her dark brown hair. "When do we start?" She asked.
"As soon as you sleep. You'll need all the energy you can get..." Jäger told her. She groaned and was eager to start training at that very moment but Commander Jäger wasn't going to allow it. He needed rest as well as Raevyniia. Jäger put her back into bed and repeated his previous actions then he made his way to his quarters. Once he entered, he took off all his wet armor and changed into his blacks and plopped onto his bed. He let out a small chuckle then closed his eyes to fall asleep.
The next morning, Commander Jäger put on his armor and made his way to Raevyniia who he knew was still asleep. He hit the door with force to wake her up then he pushed the button only to find the bed empty. He smiled then made his way to the Mess Hall and once he entered, he seen no sign of her. He proceeded to look around the facility then he heard loud crashes. He looked into the gym and seen Raevyniia punching the punching bag.
"You know, when a Commander, Captain, or General walks in the room, you're supposed to stop and stand at attention..." Jäger smiled. Raevyniia jumped and held her hand up to her head and stood still. "At ease, cadet. What are you doing up so early and using the punching bag?" Jäger asked. He looked at her hands and seen that both of her knuckles were cut open and bleeding. He knelt in front of her hand gently grabbed her hands and looked at her.
"What's this about, Raevyniia?" He asked.
Her chin started to quiver as she tried to speak but instead, she collapsed to her knees and cried. Jäger pulled her to his cold armored body and held her trembling body. "You had a dream of your family..." Jäger said while gently rubbing her back.
"It wasn't the clankers who killed them... it... it was me!" She cried. Jäger gently pulled away from her and caressed her cheeks with his gloved hand and wiped away tears from her cheeks. "It was only a dream, Little Raven..."
She looked at him and took in a deep breath. "Commander, what do you do when you have dreams of your brothers being killed? What do you do if you're the one who pulls the trigger?" She asked him.
"I tell myself the same thing I just told you. It definitely hurts but it gives us a purpose to avenge them... You just have to fight through it, Little Raven..." Jäger told her while gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb. She wiped her eyes then looked up at him and hugged him.
"You ready to shoot some clankers, Cadet Raven?" He asked. She nodded and they both walked to the training room. Jäger pulled out a training outfit and gave it to Raevyniia then he gave her a training blaster. She smiled and hurried to dress up then she ran out to meet up with him.
"I'll be behind you the whole way, Cadet Raven. Simulation starts in T minus five minutes. Prepare yourself," Jäger said while putting his helmet on. She smiled and ran to a barrier and listened to the countdown. "When the timer is down to the last twenty seconds, get your blaster ready and pay very close attention. And just a warning, if the simulated droids shoot you, it will hurt like hell but it won't damage you or kill you. It's just to show you what the actual feeling is like."
"I'm not afraid, Commander. I can do this," Raevyniia smiled as she held up her blaster. He gently squeezed her shoulder and once the countdown reached thirty seconds remaining, she became focused.
"Prepare yourselves, candidates. The simulation starts now!" The voice over the intercom said.
Raevyniia heard the first clanker approach her and in the blink of an eye, she shot it. Two more appeared and both dropped as she pulled the trigger. "Well done, Cadet Raven! Now comes the fun part! Prepare yourself!" Jäger yelled.
"I am prepared, sir! You don't have to keep reminding me!" Raevyniia yelled while shooting five more droids. He chuckled and watched as two B2 Super Battle Droids appeared. One skimmed her arm but she didn't stop fighting. She shot one in the head but left the other to continue to fire at her.
"You alright, Cadet Raven?" Jäger asked through his helmet com.
"Perfectly fine, sir!" Raevyniia replied while shaking her aching and burning arm. She rolled to the next barrier and shot the droid in the chest then two more appeared behind her. She jumped over the barrier and fired at them both then proceeded to the final stage. Once there, she was facing three Droidekas, one B2 Super Battle Droid, and four Battle Droids. "Uh, sir? How am I supposed to take them all down?!" Raevyniia yelled.
"Think about it, Cadet! Think of your strategies!" Jäger replied. Raevyniia rolled her eyes then she smiled. She thought about taking the Droidekas out first then the B2 Super Battle Droid then leaving the Battle Droids as last. She looked back at Commander Jäger and he carefully ran up besides her and knelt down.
"I'm going to start with the hardest then move down to the easiest. The Droidekas don't have their shields up right now so that will be the perfect time to kill 'em," Raevyniia told him. Jäger looked over the barrier and looked back at her at squeezed her shoulder and nodded. "I've got your back, Cadet," he told her.
She nodded and took a deep breath then she popped up and shot a Droideka in the head and disabled it. She ducked down as she was taking heavy fire then she popped up again to disable the second one but her shot missed. When she went down again, she heard metal steps coming up to her. She looked at Jäger then she jumped up and kicked a B2 Super Battle Droid in the legs then she fired at it in the chest. When she looked up, she was hit in the shoulder by a blast from a Droideka making her fall behind the barrier while yelling in pain. She closed her eyes then she thought about her family then something snapped. She shot her eyes open and jumped up over the barrier and plowed through the Battle Droids. She spun around and disabled a Battle Droid then she ran up to the remaining two Droidekas and to Jäger's complete shock, she was able to get inside one of the shields and disable the Droid then she did the same to the last one and disabled it.
"Simulation Complete."
Jäger removed his helmet and looked at her with complete shock. Raevyniia dropped her blaster and held her arm with pain but she looked up at Jäger and smiled. "You are remarkable, Cadet Raven... I'm... I'm completely shocked," Jäger smiled.
"Commander Jäger, Cadet Raevyniia, report to Shaak Ti," a voice said.
Jäger and Raevyniia walked out of the training room and made their way to the location of the Togruta Jedi only to find her standing in front of them with her arms behind her back.
"I watched the whole thing and I am happy to say that Raevyniia no longer needs Combat Training. She proved that she doesn't need it but she will need other training. With how quick she handled that course, she will be on the battlefield in no time. Well done, Raevyniia and Commander Jäger," Shaak Ti smiled. Raevyniia looked up at the Commander and smiled at him. He continued to look at Shaak Ti then when she walked away, Jäger looked down at Raevyniia with a look of sadness.
"What is it, Commander Jäger?" She asked. He sighed and smiled at her, "Nothing, Little Raven." He looked back up then he started to walk away. She followed on his heels and continued to ask him what was bugging him but refused to answer her. She grabbed his hand and yanked it back and demanded him to tell her. He sighed and knelt down in front of her. "I have lost many of my cadets in the battles and I blame myself for their deaths everyday. I keep telling myself that I should have trained them better or the course should have been tougher... Raevyniia, you're my strongest cadet and it would kill me if I lost you out there," he told her.
"You won't lose me, Commander Jäger. Just as you said, I'm your strongest cadet. Master Shaak Ti was even surprised with how skilled I am."
"I know, Little Raven, but it can still happen. Even those who are highly skilled like Master Shaak Ti fall in battle," Jäger said as he grabbed her hands.
Raevyniia looked down at his gloved hands and sighed. "I will do whatever it takes to survive and to help those in need... Thank you for your help, Commander Jäger," she smiled. Jäger gently tapped her chin with his hand and smiled back at her. He stood up and they walked to the Mess Hall and to both their surprise, the clones all were cheering for them. Launcher walked over to them and he knelt down in front of Raevyniia and smiled.
"Congrats, kid. You earned it. Welcome to the family," he told her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him then she pulled away and looked up at Commander Jäger. Launcher stood up and all the clones grabbed their ration bars and caf then sat down and talked.
"Now you're officially a member of the clone family," Jäger smiled.
"You all have your own clone trooper numbers right? Can I have one too?" Raevyniia asked.
"Of course. You can be CR-10," Shaak Ti said from behind them. Raevyniia turned around and she smiled at the tall Togruta.
"CR-10, sir?" Commander Jäger questioned.
"Cadet Raevyniia for CR and her age for ten," Shaak Ti replied. Jäger looked down at Raevyniia and her face was lit up by a large smile. Shaak Ti looked at Commander Jäger then she walked off. "Does she usually show up at random times?" Raevyniia giggled.
"All the time," Jäger laughed. The two walked to a table and they sat down with other clones and started to talk with them. "So, kid, we hear that you took out the Droidekas by entering their shield and shootin' them. Pretty gutsy move. No one here has thought of that move before. What made you think that would work?" Launcher asked.
"I dunno... I got hit in the arm and I remembered that those monsters killed my family and I just kind of raged out... Commander Jäger told me that I have something to fight for and it stuck in my mind. I want those clankers to burn for what they've done to me, you, and everyone else that has lost someone important to them," Raevyniia said while clenching her fists. Launcher reached over and grabbed her still injured hands and looked at her. "We're with you, darlin'. You're our little sister and we're your brothers. We have your back through it all," Launcher said. Jäger put his hand on Launchers then more clones joined in with their hands.
"And I'll have all your backs," Raevyniia smiled. The clones all cheered "Par Cuun Aliit" and Raevyniia was confused by what they repeated to say.
"It means 'For Our Family' in Mando'a, Little Raven. We'll teach it to you," Jäger told the curious child. She nodded and all the clones withdrew their hands and continued on with their leisurely activities. "Ever had a ration bar, kid?" Launcher asked. Raevyniia shook her head then Launcher handed her half of his and he watched her take a bite. "That's good!" Raevyniia yelled before taking another bite.
"Glad you like it, kid... 'cause that's all you're going to eat on the battlefield," Launcher smiled as he took a bite out of his. Raevyniia shrugged and ate more. When she was finishing up the last bite, the intercoms came on and the voice orders all men to report to their barracks to sleep. Jäger grunted and stood up then Raevyniia followed. "Before we get you all nestled in your bed, we need to get your knuckles fixed up," Jäger told her.
"They're fine. I've had worse."
"Raevyniia, I am your Commander and that was an order," Jäger stoutly stated. She sighed and they walked to the medical center. Once they entered, Raevyniia seen many injured troopers laying on beds and hooked up with tubes and wires.
"Ah, Commander Jäger. What can I do for you, sir?" A medic asked.
"My cadet busted up her knuckles taking her stress out on the punching bag. They need some attention, if you can, Patch," Jäger replied. Patch asked for Raevyniia's hands and once she held them out, he smiled at her.
"You must have a good puch, sweetie. I'll get you fixed up in no time," Patch smiled. Raevyniia watched him grab some bacta patches and cleanser then he walked back over to her and knelt down. He gently cleaned the wounds and placed the bacta patches on her hands then he smiled and handed her a piece of candy. "Good as new. Welcome to the family, sweetie," he smiled.
"Thank you, Patch. I definitely feel like a member!" Raevyniia smiled. Patch gently nicked her chin with his finger and continued to tend to the injured troopers. Commander Jäger and Raevyniia walked back to the barracks and she pressed the button to open up the bed then she laid down. "I am very proud of you, Little Raven. You did very well today," Jäger smiled.
"All because of you, Commander."
Jäger leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead then he raised back up and pressed the button on the wall. "Good night, Little Raven. Sleep well," he told her. She returned the message and the bed slid into the wall and Raevyniia laid in bed thinking about the day. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.
