1300 hours Tipoca City Standard. Mid-day meal.
I find it slightly odd that we dine together with the regular troopers. SOPs here have us training, bunking, recreating, and doing just about everything else separately, and don't even get me started on the Advanced Reconnaissance Commando program. I'm sure the Kaminoans could have arranged to have meals sent to the commando facilities. But I'm here to fight a war, not to question.
It's the same as it always is. Perfectly balanced, unflavored, nutritious glop with water, and a foil-wrapped protein bar. I really don't mind it. There's virtually nothing in it that will be wasted; less time on the 'fresher is more time for training. Sometimes Training Sergeant Bralor smuggles in some "Mandalorian delicacies," or so he calls them, which apparently is against standard protocol. It's different. It's sweet, it's salty, it's crunchy…everything the regular food isn't. According to what I hear, the other training sergeants import "Mandalorian" goods as well. We were told that, no matter how much like products the Kaminoans treat us, we're still part of the "Mando" heritage. We've read a bit about it. Supposedly the Mandalorians are, or were, a race of nomadic warriors, with a supposedly long and glorious history. It's fascinating to hear about, but I feel it's irrelevant. Some of us, though, are getting a bit too into it. Hardly a day goes by when Two-Zero doesn't say "Fierfek," and Zero-Zero isn't helping much, either.
Zero-Three is making a "look up" gesture with his eyes. Seeing as there's nothing better to do at the moment, I do, hoping that the Sergeant isn't up there gauging discipline. There's someone up on the observation balcony with Prime Minister Lama Su. He's not one of the hundred training sergeants, everyone here knows them at least by appearance. His robes look distinctive – he must be a Jedi.
Depending on the training sergeant, a clone trooper will hear any number of things about the Jedi. What we know for fact, however, is that we'll be answering to them when the time comes. Supposedly, there hasn't been a Jedi on Kamino in the past ten years, so it must be that the time is now, or that time is very soon. Another ten years and we're pretty much useless.