Prologue

Null and Void

Prudii was about eight when the Incident occurred that changed his life and those of his fellow clones. It'd started as a normal day with six batch brothers working on the tasks assigned to them by Kal'buir. His was simple task to shadow Kom'rk for the day. Kom'rk had completed his assigned task of hacking into a console pad and now was sneaking about for their favorite pastime of shooting low level techs...At first nothing seemed out of place. He wanted to sigh with boredom but dared not least he failed...It was then that he felt a blaster digging into his back and a hot breath on the back of his neck.

"Shot him," the voice whispered identical to his own. "Either you do it or I will and you don't want me doing that. Because then your brothers are next."

It was Jango. Oh osik it was progenitor. Prudii slowly pulled his holstered blaster looking for an opening he could exploit to get free, he and his brothers were strong and smarter then all the clones Kal'buir told them so. There was a way out of this. There. He rolled into a tackle that was quickly stopped and his face was slammed into a sharp grate cutting up his face and loosing several teeth. He stunned tried to look up but couldn't. Then he heard a distant shot accompanied scream of pain with a sickening thud...Kom'rk...That was Kom'rk!

"And the rest of their lives are on you now," the man said as he roughly dragged Prudii back out of the piping heedless of his current wounds. Prudii blacked out from the pain several times. The next thing he knew he was slammed into a room with only Jango for company. The progenitor roughly grabbed his head making him face his brother's murderer. Jango looked nonplussed and Prudii was too much in pain from physical pain and emotional pain to feel much of anything except numbness.

"I'm feeling generous because you put up a fight however stupid it was so I'll give you a choice and a second chance," he said squeezed young clone's face causing the wounds to bleed even more then they were before. "Now you can be with the regulars and be a good little clone and listen to your COs regardless if they're Skirata or not. Your officers are going to be the Jedi like it or not. Or don't then I shot to kill all of your other siblings and trainer regardless if they cost me money or not. As it is you're being replaced with others."

A cool feeling of dread replaced his numbness as the implications ran through his mind. The Kaminoans had replaced them which meant that the only reason they were alive was...

"I owed the trainer that suggested him a favor for a job a while ago but this kind of insubordination won't be tolerated by me. Neither will my employer and if you think I'm a giant sleemo then you don't want to know what my employer is like or what they'll do if they find out about this fiasco," he hissed conforming Prudii's thoughts. "You can hate the Kaminoans all you like but don't you dare pull a stunt like that or I'll take out another brother of yours or your trainer. And next time I will shot to kill not just disable or more likely cripple with that fall."

"Ko..Kom'rk's alive?" He whispered hardly daring to believe his brother had survived. He'd fallen after being shot at. The chances of survival were astronomically not in his favor. But if he was then his survival was all on him.

"For now, whether he stays that way depends entirely on you."

He felt relief course into his veins. He could handle many things but the thought of being responsible for his brothers death was almost unbearable. They'd been replaced so it was all on him since he knew that Ordo was a wild card as was Mereel. A'den and Jaing would also prove to be an issue since they couldn't help but snoop about and they also had an insubordination streak as well as mouthing off. All those traits would get them killed if they stepped out of line. Prudii would have to use all his talents to keep from being found by them. Otherwise he'd kill them all.

"In fact let me show you precisely what'll happen to your trainer if this kind of behavior keeps up," Jango said interrupting his thoughts as he hand shot out and grabbed the back his bloodied shirt. Prudii did the sensible thing and didn't struggle since he knew, oh did he knew, that the man would follow through on the threat. So he remained limp and allowed Jango to carry to his destination.

They walked down a hallway and reached a door that Kal'buir had told them to never go into. The door opened with a hiss and he looked and saw another of the Cuy'val Dar that their buir had told them about. It was a hard looking man dressed in armor that sneered at Jango along with a woman also dressed in armor.

"Jan-" he started greeting him before Jango's hand whipped to a blaster shooting point blank in the face. Before the woman could react properly Jango shot her as well only in the chest. The faceless corpse and other shot one fell to the floor with hiss before the clones that seemed to freeze as soon as they came into view.

"Anyone not injured report to Fenn Rau," he snapped. "He's your new trainer from now on. All those injured get yourselves to sick bay. If not get one of your batchmates to do it."

All of the clones that weren't dead or injured too badly saluted him and all but fled out of the room either carrying their comrades or heading to Rau. Once they'd left Jango dropped Prudii to the ground and whipped him around so he faced him.

"That's what's going to happen if you or anyone of your brothers steps out of line. Understand? And bear in mind this is me in my nice mood."

He nodded wordlessly his insides shaking with fear. Jango leered at him and shoved him out and into the hall where the others had gone.

"Report to Rau. He's your CO from now on until you're assigned to a Jedi. And you will follow orders no matter who they are or your brothers and their trainer die. You got that?"

"Yes sir," he said saluting him while glaring at him with absolute hate. But once he was finished he turned and followed the others into a new barracks were a man dressed in Mando'ad armor waited for them with his own men. Prudii was in exile sure but it was nice to see a Mando'ad in charge of the operation. That he could get used to.

"So the reject Kyr'stad trainers didn't work out, what a surprise," he snarled shaking his head. "Alright now listen here nerfherders! As far as I'm concerned you're going to be the best fighters of your class. You'll serve with honor and distinction or Force help me I'll hunt you all down and gut you myself. You understand me?!"

"Sir yes sir," all of the clones including Prudii answered. From now on he'd forsake his brothers to keep them safe. He'd nearly gotten Kom'rk killed and for all he knew his brother had died of his injuries. No more defiance from him. No he'd do the song and dance. He'd been arrogant assuming that Kal'bu- no Sergeant Skirata(It was best that'd began distancing himself now. Stuff it in a box and ignore it like he was taught.) was enough to keep him safe.

He wasn't and if he wasn't careful then all of them were dead men walking in fact due to new unit they were already living on borrowed time. He looked around the barracks for a suitable cot for himself. He was on his own from now on. Best get used to the flow since this was going to be his life from now on. Finally he spotted one near the entrance. Good better to have an escape route available then stuck in a corner like he was metaphorically now.

"Where are Prudii and Kom'rk?!" Kal Skirata screeched into Jango's ear as he steadfastly ignored the man as he continued finishing up his paperwork on the datapad. Jango had no intention of letting have his trainees back because well, he was pissed. Besides they all needed to be humbled and shown that this behavior had consequences.

They'd been given a free ride for a while and it was time for that to end. Since their buir wasn't willing to show them this then well better him then his employer because then they'd have crippling PTSD as a oppose to severe PTSD. Skirata had no idea how lucky he was.

Speaking of lucky he needed to find out how Skirata got wind of what happened to the whelps. It wasn't like he announced it. Prudii kid was with the trainees that would become the 212th while Kom'rk was on reserve...he'd probably go with the same unit since Fenn was a highly capable commander that didn't traumatize the recruits. He'd see if the kid got out of the coma first before making his final decision. If the boy was brain dead well organ harvesting was an option.

"I don't know or care," Jango brushed him off. Kal hobbled after Jango as he purposefully began a brisk way away from the rooms Skirata had made with the Nulls least he start shooting remaining batch out of frustration. This wouldn't do. He'd have to hire another two trainers now. Shabbat this was infuriating. Well that was a mistake on his part and he'd make up for it...hopefully he wouldn't have to hire a third trainer but he might if Skirata kept this up. Possibly a fourth if Vau kept up his crap as well.

"I demand-"

"You demand?" Jango said with a sinister hiss finally shutting up the rant as he turned to glare at him. "Funny but the last time I checked you were in no position to demand anything of me."

"Where are my sons?" Skirata plowed on either not caring about how monumentally pissed off Jango was at this time or unaware. This moron was demanding when by all rights he should've shot him like he did to Reau and Priest for their amazing bits of incompetence and sadism.

"Dead for all I care," Jango snapped. "Namely because you've failed at your one and only reason for kriffing being here!"

"I wanted soldiers," he continued before the fool could speak up again. "Good soldiers. What do I get from you? Psychopaths with insubordinate streak which is all fine and good as bounty hunters but not as soldiers trained to follow orders. I gave you a chance and you're kriffing it up majorly!"

"They follow orders..."

"Only when you issue them and that's not the point of this army," Jango cut him off. "I've got half a mind to kill you and your remaining spawn as well for your utter incompetence. My orders for this army were clear. Give good soldiers that obey orders. You've achieved none of that. Now I'd firmly suggest that you get back with the remaining boys of yours and you'd better ensure that they listen orders or you all dead men walking as far as I'm concerned. Otherwise I'll gut all of you."

"They're counter insurgency agents, saboteurs and spies," Skirata bit out. "They need..."

"To be able to work with a team," Jango interrupted him again. "And that doesn't just mean their batchmates exclusively. What if something goes wrong, let's say one of them gets kill like their CO. Then what? And what if there's a Jedi in charge? Will they listen to them?"

"The others take over and they don't need some di'kut Jetiise over them. Besides they won't die. They're death with legs."

"Until they're whittled away into nothing by their enemies that's what you mean right? And do you truly expect me to believe that somehow they're invincible when one is hospitalized possibly brain dead and both are MIA? Also they've been diagnosed with severe PTSD so that means that already they're damaged goods, nice job moron."

"All of them could be COs which could solve the issue and other part wouldn't have happened had you not hunted them."

"And command who? Each other? Not happening, it's impractical not to mention short sighted to the max. Likewise you didn't answer the charge about those supposed incompetent Jedi when as I see it they can't do any worse then you. I've also noticed you dodged the PTSD situation which me doubt your competency. Also finally the reason I was hunting those two is because they were interfering with production by shooting at technicians."

"Yes," he cut off Skirata's protest. "They purposefully missed them but the fact is that it slows production considering nervous technicians don't preform well which means more time wasted. And that's not counting the time wasted with you men sabotaging and stealing equipment needed for the effort. Long story short, the Republic isn't going to want psychos that take potshots at civvies PTSD or not. Kinda bad for morale I should think. And other exercises are just needless diversions and will put crimps however minor into production. Also I'd like you to know that now there's another batch that can do what your boys could do and better. And you know what? They wonder of wonders have no issues about following orders and they're not damaged goods."

Skirata's face blanched at that proclamation and leaned against the wall for support as the full implications sank in. Jango smirked at him. It was time the traditionalist Mandalorian realized how much thin ice he was on and by extension his trainees. This was nice to see considering he'd put up with the man's arrogance for far too long for Vau's sake. He'd have a talk with the man about this. Well that and his training method as well as his strill stalking workers. As for the two missing they would be transferred to other units as punishment and a stark reminder that they weren't his personal army. Well as of now one was while the other would be provided he survived. No sense in wasting good material.

"That's right, the Kaminoans have another batch that can do everything that your trainees can and best of all they listen and don't cause issues with the command structures and they're psychologically sound." Well from the reports say at the least. "So tell me why are those boys alive again and who allowed them to live?"

"You-you can't!"

"Can and will if I have too," Jango growled giving him a hard glare. "So what's it going to be Skirata? Your damned pride or your trainees lives? Bear in mind that this is your first and only warning after this I'll shot them right in front of you and then you."

"I-" he looked like he swallowed a grog but he nodded and straightened up. "I'll talk to the boys and let them know what's going on..."

"And what's at stake," Jango added in with sneer. "Make it clear that they know what will happen if they go outside the box. Tell them to look at their vacant spot where others stood. Keep up their idiocy and insubordination and they'll lose their lives. No second chances. I've reached my limit with this stupidity."

"What about my other two sons?"

"Alive and out of your hands and command. They were never yours to begin with despite what you believed," Jango sneered. "That's me being generous by the way because otherwise I'd just let the Kaminoans liquidate them completely. Your welcome."

"I get it," Skirata barked back looking furious and worried. Clearly the threat had shaken him. Good. "They'll follow orders. They won't like it but they'll do it."

"And that's all I want," Jango said. "Oh and if they even dream of retaliation against me all of you are dead."

"They won't do that because if I have to then I'll..." he paused before swallowing and griming up his face. "I'll beat it out of them. You've got my word on this. They'll be good soldiers."

"Good, glad to hear. Now hop to it," Jango shooed him off smiling maliciously. Much to Jango's relief the mercenary hobbled off back to look for his clones. Sighing Jango rubbed his face with annoyance. It was a mistake bring this idiot into a delicate operation like this but at this point all he could do was damage control and check on Skirata's new training regime constantly if necessary. He'd need equipment for that. Ah well he could do that while Skirata looked for his boys.

Best get on that before I go to Vau and boy do I have words to say to him, he thought as he headed to his room for the right materials.

CT-4569 nicknamed Patches was very good at reading his fellow soldiers well enough and forming bonds with them. It'd saved him in the fights orchestrated by trainer Priest. After all it was harder to kill groups then individuals. So when he heard a cadet sniffle he walked over to the bunk and noticed that the new kid, the one with scratches all over his face and from the looks of it few lost teeth was crying he didn't hesitate to walk over to see what he could do to help. Patches sat down and put his hand on the cadet's shoulders. The cadet froze and looked at Patches like he was a ghost.

"It's okay vod'ika, he said rubbing the kid's shoulder. "We look after each other here. Well we all do here in this area so your safe. I'm CT-4569, my nickname is Patches. So what's your name?"

"Name?"

"Yeah, you got a nickname or have your batchmates not done that or have you not found one yet?"

"Um..." the clone looked interested at the idea but unsure of what to choose. A second later he straightened up.

"P-Chance," he said giving Patches a hard look. "My name is Chance. Like I've been given a second chance here."

"Well chosen vod and welcome to the 212th. Our CO Cody is really nice as long as you follow the rules here."

"Cody?"

"He's our commander or rather will be," he gestured to clone cadet who was reading over protocols in his bunk not noticing their gaze."You want me to clean up your face? I've got an aid kit nearby and I need the training as a medic."

"Ah sure," Chance said uncertainly. Patches smiled at him as he went and grabbed his gear. Fortunately for the shiny the scratches were easily fixed but not so much for the lost teeth at the moment. Ah well they'd grow back since he could see on his scanners that adult teeth were coming in so it wouldn't be an issue for long.

"Well that does it. You should be fine now," he said as put away his gear. "Glad to meet you vod I hope we work together soon."

"Yeah," Chance breathed looking relieved as he looked at him with gratitude from beneath his bandages. "You too."

Patches smiled as he patted the cadet on the shoulder. He had a feeling this kid was going to fit in real well.

Prudii...no Chance, his name was Chance now, was intrigued to hear that the non-Nulls had chosen names for themselves. K-Sergeant Skirata made it seem like they were the only ones that were given them. It would seem they were wrong. So how many other things was his former CO wrong about? Chance frowned as he thought. He would learn and see for himself. He was smart enough and capable enough to do so. Sure it would take time but he'd learn and judging from he'd learned in the past few minutes it seemed that he'd have a steep curve to climb up. He'd do it. He was a survivor. For his brothers he must.

I will survive and I'll thrive for the vod'e...all of them.

After he'd sufficiently bugged the Skirata quarters he went down to a training room and waited for Vau to show up with his clones so that he empathize his point about the rebellious behavior. Finally he and his batch entered the room. Vau's eyes widen when they saw Jango standing and waiting.

"Vau, I need to speak with you about Skirata."

"Having issues with him?" The man sighed as he sent his men off to do drills.

"His batch has become insubordinate to the point of possibly jeopardizing the operation," Jango said. "You were the one that recommended him..."

"He's the best but if what I've heard right from what's being said by the clones then it you've dealt with the issue," Vau replied.

"I'm curious as to whether it sticks."

"Well did you threaten his boys?"

"I did."

"Then it'll stick," Vau said with a nasty smile. "If there's one thing that's sure to keep motivated then it's his interest in the welfare of his men."

"Wish he'd done this beforehand before Taun We complained to me about the Nulls."

"Eh he got complacent," Vau shrugged looking annoyed as Jango felt. "Happens to best of us. Moron's too sentimental for his own good. Don't worry about me, I've got these boys ready for just about anything."

"Good at least someone is doing their job," Jango sighed. Vau Walon was a mercenary to the core which was why he'd left adoptive world Mandolore to go take his warring elsewhere rather then stay and fight in the Civil War despite being unofficially adopted by a dying warrior clan.

"It was pointless," he told Jango when he'd asked. "If the people wanted peace then by the Mand'alor they should be allowed. After all it's their future not mine. I can respect them wanting to change unlike others. I adopted their warrior ways. They want another life? Well I'd say let them, it's their choice not mine."

It was because of this mindset that he didn't care for Death Watch. Another reason was because he thought they were a bunch of glory hounds and sadists. So while Vau didn't care for pacifism the New Mandalorians he and Jango had to admit it gave people to pursue their own goals which admittedly there was something noble about that. But then again Jango wasn't a Mandalorian so he really didn't have a say then again neither did Vau since he wasn't officially a Mandolorian either even if he did play the part well enough.

"I'll keep on Skirata's tail if that makes you feel better," Vau continued as he turned to get back to training his troops. "He'll be watched like a hawk-bat by me. And if he strays at any point then I'll take care of it personally. In fact I'll take the the whelps."

"Don't bother with one. He's situated. The second is in a coma but if he can get out of then I'll consider it. And you'd better keep up your end of the deal or you and Skirata will all suffer for it."

"Understood."

"Oh," Jango said his gaze hardening. "I've been you've been encouraging fighting among the cadets. You've seen how I deal with that kind of idiocy and also your strill has been stalking Kaminoans..."

"I see," Vau sighed rubbing his neck slightly embarrassed. "I'll get them in line. There won't be an accident. Sorry about that. Seems I need to remember my advice about the dangers of getting complacent and I'll stop the unsanctioned battles as well. They'll be good soldiers and I won't have death battles."

"Good and I'd suggest you don't forget that bit of advice or you'll lose more then a pet and a job," Jango said as he turned and walked off. He was off to hunt the leak that let Skirata know what happened. If it turned out to be one the Nulls...well he'd just have to cull another one of them wouldn't he?