(The original author thinks Lou Reed is a god and - The Shit. Drunken Angry Ferrets 1-10 & 12 agree. DAF11 likes Kenny G for some reason... leaving the rest of us to go WTH?

Pale Blue Eyes + Heroin + Walk on the Wild Side + Coney Island Baby + Perfect Day + Some Kind of Nature versus Kenny playing the same freaking note for 45 minutes and elevator music? The OA and DAFs 1-10 & 12 say Lou Reed is awesome and helps prevent cavities when properly applied daily. ((DAF11 only wishes he looks that cool in sunglasses and sounds that good.. and can riff like that when he's damn near 70.)) The OA wrests the keyboard back from the Drunken Angry Ferrets to get this train back on schedule.)

Since I have considered Sarge the main character since his introduction in Triple Zero, I undoubtedly am in the process of making this fic Kal centric so to speak. I am trying to keep him (and everyone else) in character with KT's awesome writing as much as some newbie fanfic hack can keep in line with a professional's writing, and with trying to arrive at a point past the original author's books. I do worry that I'm generally making Kal'buir too blatantly morose even if it is intended so as to arrive at a certain point in the future. If anybody is reading this, feel free to chime in with an opinion...

Recovered from the journal of Kal Skirata

The war didn't end when Palpatine took power, contrary to the opinion of every civvy ensconced in the Republic... excuse me, the Empire. The war is still going on for the original three million. Though there are considerably fewer of those Tipoca men these days. Clones still fighting on the front lines for the Empire and clones simply fighting for nothing but a normal lifespan.. well, normal for someone propelled into their late twenties while they were just entering their teens. Damn Palpatine to every circle of the Corellian hells.

Ny was away on another shipping run. That was becoming more and more par for the course these days. The Cornucopia.. or as it was known now, the Skiffter following the aborted rescue on Coruscant (and a few well-placed hacks by Jaing) on smuggling jobs, only stopping by Kyrimorut for the offloading of supplies. Skirata knew where it had started, it had been when he confronted Ny about the data on that blasted chip. On the whole he wondered whether that information had been a blessing or a curse. It had prompted him to hurl accusations at someone he held rather dear and compromise with a group of folks he'd rather not have anything to do with. But he wasn't sure which would haunt him longer the look on Ny's face when he accused her of betraying them... or the look she saw on on his face when he was making those accusations. Kal knew he'd have to resolve things with her and soon, but right now it wasn't at the top list of his priorities.

Mij interrupted his reverie which was just as well reminiscing on could haves, should haves and would haves wouldn't accomplish anything.

"Kal, Uthan and Mereel are waiting." And that was the blessing and curse in one. Uthan was ready to test her anti-aging cure. Vaccination? For the lack of a better word what did you call something that rewrote lines of DNA? It made his head hurt, that was certainly a given. Skirata sometimes envied Gilamar's ability to find joy in the scientific as well as the mundane. He finished off the last of his caf and followed Mij to the homestead's improvised lab.

Uthan made her presentation with every flourish possible. Kal couldn't blame her, if he had her brain cells he'd probably announce it in the grandest way as well. But he didn't, he simply had his fists, his street smarts, his birth father's knife, and his adopted father's armor. It all had served him adequately most of his life, but now he had to put his faith and trust in the hands of someone who wasn't a part of his inner circle. And his faith in a kind of knowledge which couldn't be beaten or threatened into submission. And that was an exceptionally discomforting place to be.

Mij had assured him, as much as possible, that the science was sound. But this last step he couldn't take it it would have to be taken on by one of his own sons. It was one of the few things he couldn't do for them. Mereel had volunteered for the duty back when this was just Kal's pipe dream, an undertaking so large that it seemed impossible - and yet at this point so much later he was holding true. Skirata wouldn't expect less of Mereel but that didn't make the situation any more tenable. He considered if snatching one of the garrison boys on Mandalore to experiment on would be more tolerable. On consideration, he thought it would be, which made him sick to his stomach. So this was where he drew the line now, there were his clone sons and the others. And wasn't that where this had all began? Expedience truly did ambush you in the end. Kaminoans who considered clones expendable in general, aruetiise who thought clones were more expendable than randomly conceived human beings, ARC's who thought other clones were more expendable than them, commando's who considered everyday grunts not quite up to par with them...

Mereel place his hand on Kal's shoulder breaking him out of his reverie, "Papa, I have to do this. This is every clone's chance at a normal life. It's what you've been fighting for all these years. For us."

It was a mark of Mereel's love that he looked more regretful than frightened. He was more worried about what affect losing his life in this experiment would have on Skirata than what his own mortality was to him. It made Kal feel both chastened and proud at once.

He patted Mereel's cheek, "Mer'ika I couldn't be more proud of you. Everything's going to be fine." He smiled and then whispered, "Kar'taylir darasuum gar." He regretted not telling any of his sons or daughters sooner. He found physical demonstrations of affection and general praise so much easier than saying those specific words. And found it easier to assume that they simply knew how he truly felt.

Mereel averted his eyes for a moment an unreadable expression on his face then he turned back with the usual grin on his face, "This will make me the youngest of all my brothers. That means I get extras at dessert."

Uthan and Mij helped Mereel onto the gurney in the center of the room as Scout watched intently, looking so much like Etain that even now it pulled at Kal's heartstrings. Kal felt a moment of regret that he hadn't allowed anyone else in the lab. But he had given it a great deal of consideration, if everything went to osik it would be too much like allowing his family to watch a speeder wreck involving one of their own. He didn't have any doubts that Mereel had said what needed to be said to those it needed to be said to. Ret'lini, just in case... Kal bowed his head and pinched his nose, he worried that he was becoming a general chakaare these days. He exhaled and fixed his stare upon Mereel as the needle slid into breastbone.