A/N: I have been gone from fan fiction for awhile now, but I am back to keep posting Destiny. I really want to expand on Green and Oni's relationship throughout the Clone Wars. With all these new Star Wars movies coming out, I have so many ideas. That said, I hope you all enjoy this series. It has been edited from its first posting and certain aspects about the characters and the plot has changed. Thank you all for reading! ~Echo

Notes: In case anyone is curious how to pronounce the main OC's name, here ya go ;)

Oni Kao = Oh-knee Kay-oh is a 24-year-old Jedi Master from the planet Talravin; her race is on the shorter side, with her being 5'3". Carries twin green blade lightsabers and wears Jedi armor similar to that from the Old Republic era. She's tan with long, golden brown hair and amber eyes.

Chapter 1: Mud

"General! We've picked up a signal from Kenobi," a standard white clone trooper yelled from behind the debris of a fallen building. The Jedi fighting in front of him turned her head slightly, her golden brown hair falling down her shoulders, damp from rain. "Good, call for a retreat and we'll acknowledge it," she grunted in exhaustion as a droid shot at her head, her just barely deflecting it with an emerald-green blade. The clone activated his communication disk and called out to the rest of the troops. Within moments, all of the clones were slowly backing away from their positions towards the brush land.

The Jedi Master, a Human with light tan skin, amber brown eyes, and slender curves ran alongside her soldiers, pushing past the tall grass. In the zigzag patterns they retreat in, it would take the droids some time to find them, especially when the flora and liquidy brown covered their tracks.

Mud. It was everywhere.

Lothal was enduring a period of rain; a downpour would be a better term to explain it. For weeks, the Republic campaign on the planet had been suffering the grueling conditions the weather brought. Sleep was a rare luxury as the constant rain would soak one's bones to point of no comfort in any position. Mending wounds was ten times worse, as infection was augmented with the filthy conditions they were living in. The Separatist forces were too strong for them to secure a permanent F.O.B., leaving them with few options for shelter or cover.

The Jedi Master stopped running, almost slipping in the muck. Turning around, she peeked out from the tall grass to see the smoke from the battlefront. A few vulture droids flew overhead, releasing bombs upon the retreating Republic forces. So much for the zigzag patterns. The impact of the explosion shook the ground and a loud boom made the woman wince. A few screams could be heard in the distance as the boundaries of No Man's Land were clearly drawn out.

AT-TE walkers marched past the Jedi General in full retreat, clones perched atop their backs, firing upon the droids that trailed behind them. The woman turned to one with the Mandalorian symbol painted in black across the left side. Running up to the vehicle, she jumped and grabbed onto a handle bar, looking back to the battlefield as she did so. The droids were starting to halt and let them go, though the vulture droids continued their bombardment for a few minutes.

An A5 Juggernaut, which was carrying at least fifty infantrymen, got caught in a thick mud pit and started sinking in. The hyena bomber's aim grew closer and closer to the vehicle, landing barely a few meters away from its right side, causing the glass viewport of the command cabin to shatter and the whole combat wheeler to shake and lean over. The crew continued to make an attempt at driving the vehicle out of the mud pit, but the passengers jumped out of the boarding hatch and landed in the mud below.

The Jedi Master watched from the AT-TE as the bombardment reached the Juggernaut. Her eyes squinted from the bright light of the explosion and she temporarily looked away. With a sigh and a shake of her head, the woman slammed her hand on the cold metal of the walker and cursed.

One clone noticed his superior officer and reached down to offer her a hand up. She took it gratefully and, once upon the top of the walker, ignited a blade to protect her men from the blaster fire. They sat behind her with their DC-15A's cocked and aimed at the next target while the Jedi twirled her blade back and forth in a backhand grip. Her blazing amber eyes narrowed in concentration, the only goal to get her soldiers back alive.

About three miles from the front lines, a Venator-class attack cruiser stuck out from the ground, it's exterior burnt and covered in mud splatters on the bottom. It was a remnant of their first attempt at landing on the surface, only to be shot down by proton cannons lining the city perimeter. Debris was stacked up to offer a small amount of shelter, enough to possibly lit a fire to keep warm. The troops gathered about in small groups for a period of rest while the Jedi ordered scouts to fan out before the droids had a chance to ambush them.

Their supply shipment was a week past due, so most of the men didn't have much to eat or drink. The same goes for their medical supply. So far, the medics have only been able to treat the most critical injuries. Those with bare cuts and "less significant" problems had to fend for themselves with the dwindling hope that the relief effort will come through.

The General, a twenty-four year old Master of the Jedi Order, walked around the makeshift base, looking for Marshal Commander Green. They had decided to split the 66th Ranger Battalion into two groups before engaging the Separatists. Due to the droids jamming their transmissions, there was no way for the Jedi to contact her clone officer without sending a squad to go find him.

The general spoke up, "Where is the Commander?" Most of the troopers shrugged and muttered amongst each other as they shivered. She didn't blame them: they were wet, cold, and downright miserable. But, as the Galactic Rangers, they were used to this: always being sent out to do the dirty work. Some men sucked it up and sat half covered by some sort of shelter, while others continued to shake and swear at the wind in Mando'a.

The Jedi rolled her liquid brown eyes as a tink tink sound filled the air. A majority of the clones surrounding her groaned as the rain came back in its never ending mission of drowning them. Many of them wore cloaks that somewhat resembled the Jedi's and wrapped them around their bodies tighter to keep the cold out. After the past few days, the action was virtually useless and contradictory as the robes would become soaked themselves and caked with mud. The only thing they were good for now was blocking the harsh winds.

Two clones in green-striped armor with black pauldrons and brown robes, a captain and a lieutenant, emerged from the grass and jogged up to the Jedi with haste. Their mud-covered boots splashed through the swampy water as they halted before the woman and saluted. "General Kao, we found a route into the city," the captain panted in a gruff voice as he caught his breath and handed a datapad to the Master, who took it with both glee and anxious doubts. His brother removed his helmet and ran a hand through his ruffled hair; a scar cut through his bottom lip and a tattoo of a rancor barely peeked out from the body suit covering his neck.

With a slight glare, the woman analyzed the screen of the device. The route was shaky, but it was something. If they could make it through the night, she could lead a team through to the radio tower.

"Good, we'll call in Delta Force as soon as this battle is over," Kao grew impatient, her scowl intensifying, "But where is the Green and the rest of the 66th?" She shivered as a gust of wind blew against her face, plastering her cold, damp, muddy hair against her face. Tightening her robe about her, the general looked to Lucas.

The captain took off his helmet, showing his rare blue eyes, full of confusion. "We thought he was with you. Our teams got separated and he sent our company back in retreat. I thought he retreated as well."

The female Jedi huffed and rolled her eyes once more, "Great, now we have to go out and find him. His company is the one knowledgeable of the route, I assume?" The one with the tattoo grunted, "I told you he wouldn't be with her, Lucas. We should have never left." His brother turned to him and glared, retorting in his older-sounding voice, "Well, I never knew you were a psychic, Dakota. I was trying to follow orders."

"Boys!" Kao scolded, "It would be helpful if you attended to the wounded. Kenobi's going to have my head if I return all of his men under flags." The officers saluted and jogged off to their task, a couple of troopers also marked with green following them.

The 66th Ranger Battalion of the 10th Star Corps was perhaps the most elite group of troopers in the Grand Army of the Republic, earning the title of Galactic Rangers. However, they were faced with the difficult task of learning how to be cohesive, as their extensive ARC training led them to be more independent thinking. Some brothers got along with one another and others bashed buckets whenever they got the chance.

There are two groups within the Battalion: the experienced ARCs and the overly-eager-to-prove-themselves rookies, who haven't earned the title of commando just yet. Oni Kao and her partner in crime, Marshal Commander Green, consistently struggle to get them to work together, let alone getting along themselves.

Oni, pondering over this, shook her head and muttered as she stepped into the command center.

"I swear, these clones are going to be the death of me one day."

Her memory of Kenobi's transmission came to her and she immediately made way to the nearest holotable. Ignoring the mud splattering against her legs, she walked up to the control panel and hailed Obi-Wan's frequency.

Luckily for her, Kenobi was also "enjoying" a moment of peace.

"Ah, Oni, it's good to see you," the man with the scruffy beard greeted. Kao bowed in respect and gave a warm smile. She noticed how worn the older man looked, likely from the constant state of battle he's been in since the Battle of Geonosis, much like her. "As it is to see you, Obi-Wan. How fares your campaign?" Kenobi gave a frustrated yet humored sigh at this. "Unfortunately, we are low on supplies just as you are. The Separatists are recovering faster than we can shoot them down."

"I have observed as much," Kao replied more as a mumble. The con of having a clone army is waiting for new soldiers to be trained, while the droids had the advantage of building their numbers in mass production factories. Not only were the numbers imbalanced, but the Separatists did not have to worry about keeping their army warm and fed. Oni used this as one of her many reasons for not supporting the war, regardless of her position as a Jedi General.

"I am right to assume that air support is a no go?"

General Kenobi nodded gravely. "Hopefully your scouting of the city will help us determine the fire power they have that is preventing that. My best guess is the anti-air turrets the Separatists used against us on Muunilinst." His suggestion was received with an agreeing half-smile from his fellow Jedi Master. "I will contact Aloke Tano and see if Delta Force can provide support."

"Very good," Kenobi dipped his head, "I regrettably must go prepare my men for another assault. May the Force be with you, Master Kao." Oni bowed in respect, "And you, Obi-Wan."

After the transmission cut out, the young Jedi Master sighed out of frustration and days lack of sleep. Her head was constantly rattled with thoughts of battle tactics and warfare, something she has resented from the beginning. Once she began learning under Master Yoda, she had decided that war was a waste of life and couldn't possibly be the best option to solve issues. Of course, irony had to catch up with her and now here she was: a Jedi Master leading an entire Corps into battle as general. Not even hours of meditation could balance her again, however much she tried.

It took three tries to get a transmission through to Muunilinst. Instead of Aloke Tano, senior Jedi Padawan in charge of the black ops team, Oni was met by her second-in-command ARC Commander Alpha-C, or "John" as his men called him. The man was the only other survivor of Green's experimental elite commando batch on Kamino. Oni saw much of John, as he and Green were vods and as close of brothers as you could get, although war seems to want to keep them apart.

"Evening, general," the red-striped officer greeted Kao with a salute and a polite smile. The woman smiled warmly, "Good evening, Commander. I trust the battlefront on Muunilinst is coming in our favor?" Alpha-C nodded crisply, "Yes, ma'am. After the destruction of the turrets two weeks ago, it seems as though the Separatists are beginning to fall back."

"Is Delta Force almost complete with their mission then?"

"Unfortunately, ma'am," John shifted in his place, still looking as attentive as ever, "A newly discovered droid factory in the capital has pushed our victory back a few days. We may not be ready to deploy for up to a week or so according to our scouts." Oni grunted lightly as she tried to come up with a solution. "That is unfortunate, Commander. Considering we'd need you to bring reinforcements with you, it may take you two weeks to get to us." Alpha-C tensed up, not comfortable with defeat of any kind. She could also sense his worry for his brother, considering they haven't spoken since the 66th split from Muunilinst.

"We shall double our efforts then, General. I'll contact Green with any news I get."

Kao grinned gratefully, "Thank you, Alpha. Please pass on my wishes of good luck to Commander Tano." The ARC saluted and the Jedi Master ended the transmission. Her eyes narrowed and she looked around the room. "Well, kriff." No Delta Force. No reinforcements.

Oni tried to hide her disappointment as she walked around camp to give aid; however, a few of her men were able to see past this and looked away with a lack of hope. It pained her to know how helpless and abandoned they felt. Besides her disapproval for the war, she genuinely cared about her men and tried to lead them to the best of her abilities.

She knew of Jedi generals who sat back behind a holo screen while their soldiers went out into battle. Kao made an effort to be on the frontlines, leading them and trying to inspire them or raise some level of hope.

Just as she spotted a somewhat dry spot to sit down and rest for a moment underneath a tent, someone called out to her.

"General!"

The Jedi looked up to see another officer, Sgt. Tag, running towards her with his squad behind him. "Ma'am, we've secured the area. Thirty dead and forty-nine wounded accounted for," the man with a green skull on his helmet said, attaching his blaster to the holder on his back. His men looked around at the makeshift camp before spreading out to attend to wounded and bring up the morale.

"From which battalion do the dead come from?" the Jedi General asked with wide eyes, glancing at a few of the men as they passed. "Twenty-nine from Ghost Company," the sergeant responded hesitantly, looking down at his feet in grief, "And one of ours."

"Who?" the Jedi sighed and closed her eyes, dreading the answer.

"Lieutenant Ryker, ma'am," a different clone replied, walking up to the two. His helmet was off and he looked to his superior with amber eyes and a tattoo on his right temple that said "Domino". Kao exhaled and glanced up to the sky briefly to say farewell to her comrade. Even though she had many men under her command, she tried to have a good standing with each and every one of them.

She also silently cursed, as she knew she'd have to find a replacement to take over his platoon. Looking at Domino, she sighed. "Corporal, I'm going to need you to take over as Sgt. for Tag's squad."

Tag and Domino narrowed their eyes at each other in curiosity. Oni gave a half smile at this, "Tag, you're being promoted to Lieutenant. I know you'll do well." Tag held back a stupid smile and saluted the general. "Thank you, general." He turned back to his-now Domino's squad-and gave them a nod before clapping his brother's shoulder and giving him an encouraging grin. Being one of the fresher clones to the Battalion, Domino looked a little reluctant. In his mind, it should have been Patch or Rango's promotion. Kao smiled at this, knowing he'd get the hang of it soon, hopefully.

"Oni," a corporal in green walked up to the conversation as lightning flashed across the sky, "You better come quickly, ma'am, it's Grayson." The Talravinian turned from her grief and paced to the temporary med bay they had set up so that their medical officers Rehd and Coric could work in a less brutal environment. Other officers within the battalion followed her, spreading out to help the medics assist the wounded. A few Advanced Recon Commandos were amongst the wounded, but a majority of them hailed from Kenobi's Ghost Company.

On a makeshift cot, a clone wearing half of his checkered armor was lying down. His breath was raspy and his eyes were closed. A gash about a foot long cut into his abdomen, the pieces of shrapnel responsible sitting on a side table next to the clone. Oni walked up to the edge of the bed and placed a gloved hand on her soldier's shoulder. "What happened?" she inquired as she felt his pulse and his burning, feverish skin.

Rehd, the officer in almost pure shamrock green, save for the thin white linings of his armor plates, who had lead them through the medical tent, faced her from the other side of the cot and gestured towards the hastily stitched up wound. "Grayson got caught in a spray of tank fire and the walker next to him exploded; he was standing too close to the blast and-"

"I see," Kao cringed and felt Grayson's temperature start to rise. Fevers from infection were pretty common the past few weeks with all the dampness and cold.

"I've done my best, but I don't have the proper equipment to fix everything," Rehd huffed, "This damned environment isn't helping the infection take its course." Oni nodded and placed a hand on Grayson's shoulder. She's known this man since the Battle of Geonosis and his passing would be a great loss to her and the Corps. The woman sighed as she felt waves of pain flowing from her comrade's Force signature. His chest heaved and he gave a raspy cough in his troubled sleep.

Lucas entered the tent and maneuvered past the medical officers, volunteers, and wounded. Reaching Grayson's cot, he stepped up to look his brother over. "Vod," he said in a mere whisper. Oni looked to the others and gestured with her head away from the scene, as though to say "let's give them some space". Grayson was under Lucas's command in Phantom Company; thus, they are closer to each other than the other members. It reminded Kao much of seeing Green and John interacting with such a strong brotherly bond.

As the Jedi Master departed alongside her men, she contemplated this. These men really only had each other in their lives. The only reality of family or companionship that they know is the brother right beside them. Vods, they call them in Mando'a. Kao huffed to herself as her thoughts delved further. Within the team, there are multiple "families" or groups. But Green, their leader, is the patriarch to all of them, in a sense.

Being one of the oldest clones period and a lethal warrior, Green has earned a mass of respect from his younger brethren; thus they often look up to him for guidance. He has a close relationship with each clone under his watch, making sure he did his part to lead them to success in battle. Oni admires this, but at times, she would hate it, as his opinion influenced his men more than her own.

During the many times he would criticize her judgement or undermine her orders, his men would agree. Even though she outranked the marshal, Oni couldn't find it in herself to make him go against what he believed was best for his men. At times, she would either compromise with him or give in altogether and let him call the shots.

The general walked around the camp until it was clear her help was no longer needed. Perhaps some down time could help quiet her mind.