Okay here is the next one. Sorry it took me so long. :D Please review. Thanks to Knight Benedicta and SnipsSkywalker for reviewing! Guys, I started a new story! It's called Haunted.

Laurie repressed the desire to arch his neck. He was in the middle of sitting through another of the Jedi's briefings. Tara often had him come with. He had a feeling that it was so people didn't think the clones were just copies of each other. He normally didn't mind finding out what was going on with the war but it was Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi's briefing. Man, can that guy talk on and on about the same thing over and over. Poor Cody, Laurie thought.

He was wearing normal armor like every other soldier in the room and he was thankful that no one could see that he wasn't really paying attention. He was standing at parade rest; watching everyone (and everything) in the room. He really wanted to get out of here so he could join some of the guys downtown. Every Thursday they were back on Coruscant and free they all got together and ate at a certain restaurant. It was one of the good things about being back on Coruscant.

"Does anyone have anything else to add?" asked Master Windu. Nope, I think you guys have covered it. One of the other Council members found something else to add to the monologue. Laurie glanced over at Del. She was leaning forward slightly and watching the person talking. At first glance she looked like she was interested in what they were saying but Laurie had been around her enough to know that she was on the balls of her feet. She wouldn't be able to stand still much longer.

Her eyes flitted away from the speaker for just long enough to shoot him a "Could they take any longer?" look. He smirked behind his bucket and looked over at Cody. The commander was, like Laurie, at parade rest but his stance looked slightly agitated. Laurie guessed he had heard this before and would hear it at least once more before they left.

He turned his attention back to the Jedi and what they were saying. Master Windu was speaking again, "Well then, Commander Cody," Windu glanced at Laurie and shot an interesting glance at Tara, "Laurie, you may go."

They both saluted the Jedi and walked out. "About time," Cody said into the private com.

Laurie chuckled, "I was thinking that too. They'd better not keep Tara too much longer. I think she'll kick a hole in the wall if she has to stand there much longer."

Cody laughed in reply and pulled off his helmet, "I don't know her very well but if Jamando's description is accurate then I believe it."

"It's accurate," replied Laurie, removing his own helmet. "You meeting with him before you leave?"

"Yep; all five of us are."

"That's nice."

Cody shot Laurie a weird look and Laurie laughed. "You know you've been hanging around Jedi too much when you start talking like that," Cody stated.

"I know but I couldn't think of a better reply." They both arrived back at the barracks and Laurie headed for his "room".

He unbuckled his armor and slid out of it. Or rather, tried to. He lost his balance while trying to take off his leg armor and hit his head on one of the bunks before landing unceremoniously on the floor. He heard a laugh coming from the doorway.

"Nice landing Vod. Could you have done that better?"

Laurie shot him a cross look and reached up and rubbed his head, "Don't know but I'm not going to try that again."

Jalen smiled, "Need help?"

"No, I've got it. Just needed to sit first." Laurie's shorter brother pulled a bag out from under his bunk and rooted through it. He didn't look up until he heard the solid Thwack of Laurie's head hitting one of the bunks.

"And here I thought Dark was the accident prone one."

"He is," Laurie replied, once again rubbing his head. "I'm just clumsy and too tall. Something you wouldn't know about," he said, looking pointedly at his brother's 5' 9" frame.

Jalen smiled and shrugged, "Not my fault you stole my height. I feel extremely short whenever I stand next to you."

"And I feel extremely tall when I stand next to you." Laurie grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head. "Ready when you are." Jalen stood up and they walked out of the barracks to wait for the rest of their vode. They earned several odd looks because of their height difference but they ignored the looks.

"You two are getting quite the looks." Laurie looked over to see Cody and Jamando standing to his left.

"Not our fault they wish they were like us," Jalen quipped.

"Yeah, we all aspire to be short," Jamando said.

"He's not short, he's fun sized," Laurie replied.

"Did you just call Jalen short?" They all turned to see Del standing there arms crossed.

"Maybe," Jamando replied.

"So I'm short?"

"You're shorter," he said.

"Nice save, Vod," she said. "Where's everyone else?" They all shrugged at the same time and she started cracking up.

"What?" Jalen asked.

"Nothing," she replied. Jamando's eyebrows shot up and he looked at her incredulously. "It just amuses me that you all shrug in unison. Have fun at your lunch and be back in time for your snack." They all laughed at that. They all knew that clone's metabolisms were extremely fast due to their accelerated growing rate and they were always hungry.

"Not our fault we're growing boys," Jalen quipped.

"Yeah," she teased, "growing around the waistline." She looked at the time and frowned, "I'm afraid I'm going to be late for my Chem class."

"Do they teach you anything worth knowing in there?" Laurie asked.

"Yes, lot's of things. You should try reading the books I have on it sometime."

"Ehh, reading is alright for Exhaust and Sands but learning a bunch of useless facts..." Laurie trailed off and shrugged, showing he wasn't interested.

"They're not useless. They talk about genetic engineering."

Jalen's attention was instantly caught, "They do?"

Tara nodded, "If you want to you can borrow them."

"I'd like to. Can I pick them up later?"

"Sure, how's 2000 sound?"

"Sounds good."

Tara smiled, "I'll see you later then. Bye, guys."

"Bye," they chorused.

Laurie turned to Jalen, "You're really interested in that?"

"Maybe I can figure out how to stop the process."

"Wait a minute. Do you really think you could?" Cody asked.

"I don't know. It'll take a LOT of study and I might not be able to do it but I'm willing to try."

They were silent a moment before Jamando spoke, "Let's keep this between us. We don't want to raise their hopes at a slim chance."

"I have to tell Jayshon. There is no way I'd be able to do this on my own," Jalen said.

"Very well, Jayshon only. This is between us, him and the general," Jamando replied.

"Wait, why the general?" asked Laurie.

"She has studied chemistry for forever. If anyone could help, it'd be her," Jalen supplied.

"Are we all agreed?" Cody asked.

They all nodded, "Agreed." It wasn't going to be easy keeping this a secret but it was necessary.