Ko Sai watched the models and simulations run across her screens. As she had predicted, the solution to stop the clones accelerated aging was complete. It would take a series of three injections administered over the course of a week to take effect. Once the course of treatment was complete, the clones would have their genes permanently altered so that their rate of aging would be in line with the average human, perhaps even a bit slower.
As she reached to adjust one of the screens, her movement was halted by the shackles on her wrists and around her waist. The Jedi and Mandalorians were taking no chances with her. The shackles were made of beskar, Mandalorian Iron. Not even a lightsaber could cut through them. Behind her, she heard the guards stiffen as she moved. That was also something new. She had always been guarded, but from a distance. Now the guards were within a meter of her at all times. And they had been very clear, their rifles were set to kill.
The 'Republic' had passed their sentence on her less than a week previously. She was to be remanded to the Jedi prison known as Prism for the duration of the war, then transferred to the prison world of Belsavis to serve the remainder of her sentence once that planet was secured. Life without the possibility of parole. She would spend her days rotting in a cell, doomed to obscurity for all eternity. No contact with the rest of the galaxy was to be permitted. Her knowledge would become more and more out of date, her skills would rust and eventually fade away entirely. It was a fate worse than death.
She wanted to curse the Jedi. To rage and storm that they had lied to her, that they had not honored their agreement. But she couldn't. Because they had lived up to it. She had made the mistake of not realizing her true leverage. She could have demanded almost anything to give the Jedi their cure. But she hadn't. She had only asked them not to terminate her or turn her over to the Mandalorians or the Empire. So the Jedi would get their cure and the clones that were nothing more than a product to her would laugh at her fate and curse her name and say she got off easy.
Turning to her right, she told the Jedi MediCorps Healer that was in the room with her, "Please inform Master Che that the solution to the clones aging is ready. With her approval, we may begin trials immediately."
No trace of the venom she felt inside her made it into her cultured voice when she spoke to the Healer. She did not need to give the Jedi a reason to confine her under even worse conditions than they were already planning. She had considered sabotaging her work and committing suicide after she was told of her sentence, but she was never alone for a moment after that. And in the end, what good would it do her? So she did her work, did it well and took what pride in it that she could.
It was only a scant few minutes later that Master Che arrived at her small lab, summoned by the Healer she had spoken to earlier. After reviewing the data to ensure her compliance, Che gave her approval to begin administering the serum to the first volunteers. Men from all classes of clone trooper were chosen to ensure the serum would work identically on all of them. There Null and ARC commandos, clone troopers, officers, gunners, medics and more.
While she reviewed the list to ensure no class had been overlooked, Master Che entered her passcodes into the computer to authorize the synthesizer to begin producing the serum. Ko Sai would not be administering any of the injections herself. The Jedi healers would be doing that. She had prepared detailed instructions for them and if the Jedi followed them, nothing should go wrong.
After confirming the list with her, Master Che told her, "Thank you, Ko Sai. You'll be escorted back to your cell now. You will remain there until we have the first results for you to review."
Nodding to one of the clones behind her, Master Che said, "Sergeant, escort her out."
_
Fi Skirata glanced around the room he was in. All around him, he saw his face. Only it wasn't exactly his face. The years had affected all of them differently. Some of his brothers had more grey in their hair than others did. A few had grown neatly trimmed beards. Many had scars. One thing they all had in common? They had all agreed to be test subjects for the treatment that would end their accelerated aging.
The Jedi Healers had explained how it would work. They would be given an injection of heavy duty painkillers first followed by an IV drip delivering a lower, but steady, dose of painkillers, then the first dose of the serum would be administered. They were warned that the process was likely to be painful, despite the drugs they were being given. They were also warned that it would take 3 doses of the serum, at least, to work. And that they would all have to be given within the next week. They told him he was free to leave at anytime before the first dose was injected. But that once it was, he had to stay for the whole program or it could cause irreparable harm to his genetic code. They also informed him and the others that they would be confined to this ward for the entire course of treatment so that the Jedi could monitor him, and his brothers, to make sure there were no adverse side effects. And if there were, so they could treat them quickly. He was still one of the first to put his name down to volunteer.
Fi was nineteen years old and knew he only had maybe another fifteen to twenty years left if his accelerated aging wasn't stopped. Biologically, he was the equivalent of a normal human thirty-six year old. And he'd be even older if the Jedi hadn't found a way to temporarily slow their aging a few years ago. He wanted a normal life. He wanted a wife and children of his own one day. And if putting up with a week's worth of pain was what that cost, well then sign him up.
Feeling the cot shift, he looked over and saw Ordo had dropped down next to him. Speaking in Mando'a, Ordo said:
"Why are you over here looking so fucking glum, brother? Thought you'd be excited for this."
Replying in the same language, Fi said:
"I am excited. But there's a part of my that wonders if that damn aiwha bait Ko Sai isn't trying to screw us one last time. You know, rig her work so it kills us or worse, maims us."
"You're not the only one worried about that."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm doing this either way. Either we get normal, well normal-ish, lives. Or we save the rest of our brothers from getting screwed. Worthy cause either way."
"Ok, now what's really bothering you?"
Looking at his brother, Fi just grunted. They'd been spending too much time together. Ordo was getting almost as good as kal'buir at reading him.
Sighing, Fi said, "Fine. I'm pissed. I'm pissed that it took everyone almost twenty years to realize that we want normal, real lives too. That we're not droids or cannon fodder to be thrown away. You know how much of our lives we've already lost? Ordo, I'm the equivalent of thirty-six, you're even older. We should all be pissed about that."
Realizing that the conversation in the room had stopped, Fi looked up and saw everyone looking at him. Grimacing at the realization, he grunted "Sorry," and put his head back down.
From the door, he heard a voice say, "You're right, you know."
Snapping his head back up, he saw General Skywalker in the door, leaning against the door jam. Along with every other soldier in room, he jumped to attention.
Waving the men back down, Skywalker entered the room, grabbed a chair, spun it around and sat on it with his arms resting on the back of it. Looking at Fi, he said:
"You're right. You have every reason to be pissed. It's an atrocity that you and your brothers are treated like that. And in some ways, that you're still treated like that. Each and every one of you deserves better. 'Sorry' doesn't cut it. You know it, I know it, the rest of the Jedi know it, even the government, such as it is at the moment, knows it. And things need to change.
"We're trying to make those changes. But they haven't come fast enough."
Anakin gestured around the room as he continued, "What we're hoping, is that this can be a start on the road to healing. That by making sure you get the lives you should have had from the start, that we can work together outside of war to ensure every single one of you gets the recognition you deserve and that you all get treated with the respect you've earned.
"I can't fix what happened before today. I don't have that power. But maybe we can make sure to view you as the people you are going forward."
With a bit of a guilty grin on his face, Anakin then said, "Sorry. Didn't mean to come in and give a speech."
"That's alright General," said Ordo. "You've always been straight with us, treated us like men, respected us. We all still appreciate what you did when you found out about those damn chips in our heads. But you know how it is Sir. Give a soldier too much down time, and we start thinking too much."
"No. I think Fi was thinking exactly the right amount. You men are the biggest part of our war against Sidious. You should have a say in what we do."
Speaking up again Fi said, "We appreciate that Sir. By the way, General. What are you doing down here? I thought you tried to avoid the Healer's Wing as much as possible?"
Giving a much warmer grin this time than the last, Anakin said, "Normally, you're one hundred percent right. But my wife had a prenatal check up and I wanted to be there with her. Of course she then promptly ordered me out of the room so she could ask a few questions alone."
From the back of the room, a voice spoke up and said, "Hero With no Fear, huh?"
Turning his head over his shoulder, Anakin called out, "Hey, next time you try telling her no! Let me know how that goes for you!"
Laughter rippled through the room and the gunner who had called out was ribbed by a few of the men standing next to him. As the laugher settled down, Commander Rex, the CO of the 501st, who had also volunteered for the test, asked his General, "Any decision on names yet, Sir? And do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"
Smiling broadly at the chance to speak about his children, even the one not yet born, Anakin responded, "No, Rex. Not yet anyway. We've been negotiating on the names. But seeing as she's a politician and I'm naught but a humble General, you can ask guess how that's going."
Grinning, Fi said, "That bad, huh Sir?"
Nodding his head, Anakin replied, "That bad."
Hearing a noise at the door, everyone in the room looked up to see what it was. It was Master Che with a cart full of vials and injection equipment.
Spying the young First Knowledge Councilor, Master Che said, "I'm sorry Master Skywalker, I didn't know you were in here. I don't mean to interupt."
Rising to his feet with a rustle as his robes shifted around him, the Jedi Master replied, "Its alright, Master Che. Just a bunch of soldiers talking. Looks like you're ready to begin their treatment?"
"Yes. The first round, at any rate."
"Well, don't let me keep you." Turning to the men in the room again, the General said, "Good luck, guys. I'll see you in a few days."
A chorus of "Thank you, Generals" followed Skywalker out of the ward. Fi looked around the room one more time, seeing in the faces the same thing that he was sure was on his: hope, fear, optimism. And a million other emotions.
Looking at the Jedi Padawan that had approached him with an IV and an injection gun, Fi grunted, rolled up his sleeve and said, "Well? What are you waiting for? I'm not getting any younger just sitting here."