"Are you ready to talk now?"

The straightforward voice caused Cooper to flinch. He begrudgingly opened his eyes, shielding his hand in front of his face to block out the blinding lights of the medbay. His groggy mind briefly resented whoever had the nerve to interrupt what felt like a decent night's sleep in forever. Can't they just leave me be for once? Sleep seemed to be the hardest privilege to come by these days, and the sedatives occasionally pumped into Cooper's veins didn't count no matter how much of a temporary solution they offered.

The young clone tried his best to sit up in the bed he'd occupied for the past few days. He rubbed his sore neck. He could barely comprehend how much time had passed since it had all happened, but going off of what his friends had told him, they'd been holding up on Polis Massa for about a standard week now.

"You're going to have to get it off your chest eventually," the leader persisted, kneeling down so that he was at eye level with the boy. "I know you'd rather keep your mouth shut about what you endured, but we can't help you unless you help us first."

Cooper inwardly hated the way this guy poked at his emotions. How many times now has this guy tried to get me to spill…everything I've been through? The talks themselves weren't the worst parts, though. The worst torture occurred in Cooper's own psyche. It seemed that every time the man would come and talk to him, the clone's memories would take it as a cue to torment their owner. Memories of his escape…memories of his old life…memories of Harlow.

"Just tell me what you can, Cooper," the militia leader spoke, kneeling down at the bedside and placing a hand on the clone's shoulder. "That's all I ask."

The young clone lifted his head, his eyes matching the leader's own determined gaze. "Okay," Cooper softly said.

Kamino: Three Weeks Earlier…

Medical checkups? Can't Sawyer understand that Jackal and I hate them?

The two young cadets walked down the pristine hallway. Their faces were a mixture of pain and exhaustion, a telltale sign that their most recent training exercise had been a difficult one.

"Next time, at least warn me before a clanker catches me from behind," Cooper grunted, flashing a glare toward his brother. The former clutched his recently bandaged arm, the result of a stray bolt that had singed into his skin. The bacta patch had done a fine job of healing the wound, though the dull ache still lingered.

"Hey, I tried," Jackal stubbornly shot back, avoiding eye contact. "You're the one who was too focused on the objective to watch your own back. Don't blame me."

Cooper sulked, his cheeks flushing red with the sting of the comment. The day had been a tough one for the two friends. Cooper tried to remember the last time Sawyer had drilled the group that hard in a live-fire exercise, but to no avail. The sergeant had critiqued practically everything from Jackal's aim with a blaster to Cooper's focus on the battlefield. But now, all of that was over and done. The seven-year-olds had just finished patching themselves up in the medbay, and were now on their way back to the barracks to relax and unwind before lights out.

"I'm telling you, I've never seen Sawyer this intense in training before," Jackal said, a worried look forming on the cadet's normally confident face. "Why are we still training like this to begin with? I thought the war was over and done."

"That's what I heard," Cooper bluntly replied, shrugging his shoulders. "Who knows? I'm sure they'll still have use for clones like us."

It had been a couple of months now since the Kaminoans had announced the news. The war was over. The Separatists—and the Jedi Order, apparently—were no more. The Republic had been reformed into the Empire. While many of the clones on Kamino had rejoiced in the absence of the fighting, most of the men didn't recall being given any idea on what would happen once the war was over. They were soldiers, after all, born solely to fight the Republic's battles.

I guess that's the problem right there, kid. Sawyer's words from a week ago rang in Cooper's ear. There's not many battles left to fight.

The two friends stepped into the barracks. The majority of the cadets simply went about their business, only sparing a glance at the two clones who had just walked in. Cooper wasted no time in rushing over to his wall locker, and began the process of tugging off the beaten-up training armor. He winced as he carefully peeled off the armor plate covering his bandaged arm.

"You look awful," Jackal pointed out, casting a concerned glance at his brother's wound as he removed his own armor. "You sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Hey, I've been through worse. I'll be fine, Jackal. I'm just gonna lay down for a bit."

"Ok, good," Jackal said, storing his armor plates in his own wall locker. "Because I didn't want to have to decide whether to watch over you or hop in the shower."

Cooper stifled a chuckle in response. "Trust me, I would hop in the shower."

"Really?" As if to test his suspicions, Jackal lifted his arm. One sniff of his own sweat had the cadet's face scrunching up like crumpled flimsiplast. "Ok. Yep. I agree. I'm gonna get going before all the hot water's gone. You coming?"

"Yeah, I am. Just give me a few minutes."

"Sure thing." With that, Jackal jogged over to the refresher, leaving Cooper alone with his thoughts. The latter exhaustedly wiped the sweat off his forehead, and stuffed his armor in his locker. He distantly knew that he'd have to take a shower himself before heading to bed, but he dismissed the thought. I'll get in the shower later. But first things first…

Cooper fished out a datapad from the locker, shutting it and hopping up the ladder to his sleeping pod. He opened the pod, climbed onto the bed, and brought the datapad up to his face, not looking forward to reading what Sawyer would have to say about the young clones' sub-par performance.

One new message. Cooper checked the messenger's ID. What the…This isn't Sawyer.

It was common to receive holo-vid messages on the datapad; Sawyer sent them to the cadets every day, regarding their training techniques and what they could improve upon. It wasn't common, however, to receive a message with an encrypted id. Sawyer's not one for keeping secrets. He couldn't have sent this…but if he didn't, then who did? Why? What's the point of it? His finger hovered over the "play" icon, the appendage frozen in hesitation as his instincts and his curiosity waged war with each other. On the one hand, Cooper's rational side told him to leave the message alone, to tell someone about it. On the other hand, his curiosity toyed with him, filling his mind with questions as to how and why a message with an encrypted id would possibly reach a clone in training, of all people.

Eventually, the curious side won. Cooper pressed a button on the side of the pod and lay on his back as the pod slid shut. He let out a sigh, taking in the calm quiet for a brief moment. I just hope no one disturbs me over noise issues. These pods aren't entirely soundproof. The cadet tapped the icon. No response.

"Just great," Cooper muttered, eyes staring quizzically at the datapad. What's the point in getting a message you can't even read?

"Voice print recognized: CT-4901, Cooper. Access granted."

The young clone had no time to act surprised before the encryption blocking the message was lifted. He tapped the icon again, eager to see the message now that the filter was removed.

The holo-screen immediately lit up with the image of a face Cooper hadn't seen in over a year. The woman's ear-length dark hair failed in blocking the metallic background, and though her eyes carried a great deal of authority, Cooper could still make out a glint of fear in her irises. The messenger took a deep, shuddering breath before she began to speak.

"My name is Harlow Thornton," she bit out, her voice wavering with uncertainty. "I'm a Jedi on the run. And if you're receiving this message, then you're one of the only people I trust with it."

Cooper recognized the name. Harlow was more than just another Jedi Commander to him. To him, she was someone he could actually trust, at least before the war had ended. Back when the war was still going on, Commander Thornton had been sent to help one of her fellow Jedi, Shaak Ti, oversee the clones' training. Cooper couldn't help but chuckle as he recalled how he met Thornton, back when he had been nothing more than a boy hog-tied and locked in a closet by a bunch of angry cadets. I was stupid back then. Oh well. At least I got a name out it.

As much as the cadet enjoyed recalling the cheap holo-film of his own memories, he had a bigger issue to focus continued to listen to the message.

"They're lying to you. The Empire, Palpatine, they're all lying to you! They paint us as traitors when the only real traitor was them. We didn't ask for any of this!" A lone tear slid down Harlow's face, proof that her normally calm composure was beginning to crack. Harlow's words sounded…rushed, panicked almost. That's not like her.

"If any among you are truly willing to listen, then listen to this: help us. Even as I speak, the Empire is watching you, waiting to see if you'll become a threat for them to put down! Just like they did to us! They won't give you a chance or a choice. But I will. You can choose to stand up and fight! We can choose to stand up and fight! These are dark times, but the Clone Wars were dark times, too. Stay strong, don't believe the lies…and remember that the Force will always be with you!"

The transmission cut out, engulfing the inside of the sleeping pod in darkness once more. For what seemed like an eternity, Cooper lay there, clutching onto Harlow's words as much as the datapad. Ever since the Jedi had been proclaimed outlaws, Cooper had thought Harlow to be dead.

What do I do? The question repeated itself over and over in Cooper's head. His first thought was to tell someone, Sawyer, Jackal, anybody. Harlow was a traitor, according to the Empire. Sawyer and the Kaminoans had made that point explicitly clear. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. Just tell Sawyer and the long-necks that I'd gotten the message by mistake. Maybe they'll understand.

And then the doubt got to him. It plagued the cadet's mind quicker than he could process, like an enemy that he had never seen coming. Harlow contacted more than a dozen people in that message, including me. What would Sawyer or the others really think if they found out? The Empire might think me guilty by association, and then what would happen to me? And even if Cooper did manage to swallow his fear, one other factor held him back from telling someone. Cooper had trusted Commander Thornton during the few months she had helped out on Kamino. More than that, he thought of her as a real friend. Maybe this isn't some mistake. Maybe Harlow trusts me, too…maybe well enough to ask for my help.

The boy's mind was made up. He had to keep this a secret. He knew he'd have to find a better hiding spot later, given that the information the datapad contained would get him into serious trouble if anyone found out. For now, though, the boy figured the inside of his pillow would suffice. He'd hidden ration bars inside the pillow before, back when Jackal made it a habit to steal Cooper's snacks simply to tease his brother. The preventative measure worked far better than Cooper could've predicted. Jackal stopped stealing snacks and started asking for them, instead. This worked for hiding food. It might work for hiding this, too.

Cooper broke free from the distracting thoughts, and tried his best to focus on his routine. He pressed the button on the wall, and the pod slid open, allowing the cadet to climb down the ladder. He made time to snatch some fresh night clothes out of his wall locker before making his way to the refresher.

As he walked toward the showers, the boy was greeted by his own reflection in the mirror. He glanced at the dark, shaggy bed of hair, his eyes narrowed in judgment. Cooper broke his gaze from the mirror, and instead focused on getting ready to turn in for the night. If I know Sawyer, he's probably gonna push us just as hard tomorrow. I'd rather not fall asleep during a training sim, thank you very much. The young clone placed his pajamas on a nearby bench, and turned toward the shower stalls, eager to scrub the sweat off his skin.

"Hey, Cooper!" Jackal's voice greeted as he stepped out of the shower, having changed into his own pajamas. "What took you so long?"

"I just needed some time to unwind," Cooper lied through his teeth, remembering his decision earlier. No one can know. "I'm fine. Trust me."

"I hear you," Jackal said, his cheerful voice showing that he had taken the bait. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. Good night."

Cooper waved in reply, waiting until Jackal was gone before stripping and turning on the shower. He let out a relaxed sigh as the warm water hit his skin, focusing on scrubbing himself clean in a vain attempt to clear his head. No matter how hard he tried, though, Cooper couldn't keep his thoughts from wandering. His head hadn't been clear since the war had ended.

With his task finished, the cadet turned off the shower, snatching one of the towels off the rack to dry himself off. The young clone placed the damp towel on the bench, and reached for his pajamas. The pants were difficult enough to pull on, due to the remnants of water that clung to his skin. For once, though, Cooper felt grateful for the difficulty of the task at hand. It gave him a chance to focus on the present.

The cadet finished tugging his shirt on, shaking the remaining bits of water out of his hair as he made his way back to the barracks. Maybe a good night's sleep will take my mind off things.

Some days, Sawyer was surprised he had the will to keep going.

The training sergeant let out an exhausted sigh, leaning on the desk of his private quarters. It had been a long day. The cadets under his instruction had another live-fire exercise, and despite Sawyer's attempts to coach them, they didn't do as well as he had hoped. The rest of the day was spent filling out the training reports. Maybe it's the fact that the war's over. Can't say I blame them. I'm as confused as they are. It seemed that for everyone involved—the Kaminoans, the clones themselves, and even the bounty hunters hired to train them—the news of the war's end only offered more questions than answers.

And then there was the message he had received from the cloners earlier. One glance at the holo-document was enough to plague Sawyer's mind with anxiety. The document offered answers, of course—it spoke of a meeting to discuss the future of the clones in training—but for the sergeant, though one question was answered, another easily took its place.

What's going to happen to my boys?

There was no doubt in Sawyer's mind that he loved the cadets as much as the brothers he had lost long ago, back when he had been fighting on the front lines. He couldn't even begin to recall the days and nights where he'd sacrificed something, whether it be to aid one of his boys when they were sick, or when they had a nightmare. He couldn't help but grow worried that one time Jackal broke his arm during a hand-to-hand combat drill. Or the time Sawyer woke up one night to use the refresher, and found Cooper passed out with a case of stomach flu. Or the time a botched live-fire sim took Blaze from them forever. No. Nothing of that sort is ever going to happen again. I've already lost one squad of brothers. I'm sure as hell not going to lose another!

A heavy yawn pulled the sergeant away from his chaotic thoughts. He glanced at the chrono on his nightstand. That late again? No wonder it's so quiet. The boys are probably asleep by now. Reluctantly, the older clone stood up, turned away from his desk, and gave in to the bed's inviting presence. Sawyer had grown used to the long nights long ago, back when he had initially agreed to become a training instructor. Given the worries about his cadets and the chilling memories from when he was still on active duty, it was no wonder that sleep was such a luxury to him. The sergeant pulled off the wrinkled fatigues, sighing as he felt the cool air on his bare skin. Sleeping in his underwear was another thing he'd grown used to.

He crawled under the sheets, taking a brief moment to make sure he was comfortable, before reaching to turn out the light. The stress of the day often kept the clone awake most nights, and this night was no different. Sawyer calmly filled his lungs with air, closing his eyes and falling back on the technique he had used to soothe his young charges whenever nightmares or panic attacks closed in on them.

In…out…

In…out…

In…out…

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The tone of his commlink abruptly pulled Sawyer back to the land of wakefulness. He subtly groaned in despair. Great. Just what I kriffing needed. The clone reluctantly pulled the sheets back and fumbled for the commlink. "This is Sawyer," he answered, struggling to keep his voice as calm and quiet as possible, lest he inadvertently wake up his cadets.

"Sergeant," the smooth voice of a Kaminoan replied, "I apologize for contacting you at this hour…"

Good for you, Ren Sai, because you are so gonna help me get some sleep after this.

"…but I am afraid I must speak to you immediately," the cloner continued.

"Sure thing," Sawyer grumbled, multitasking between talking and pulling a set of fatigues on. All right. If that's how you want to play it… "What's this about?"

"I'd like to discuss this in my office, if possible," Ren Sai dully answered. "Our intelligence network found something earlier today. We may need your input on this."

You've gotta be kidding me. You know what? It's fine. I wasn't planning on sleeping, anyways. Letting out a sigh of frustration, the clone finished tugging his shirt over his head and slowly stood up, his knees wobbly due to their lengthy period of rest. "Yeah, yeah. I'll meet you there." With that, Sawyer stretched his limbs, and trudged over to his door, stifling a yawn in the process.

The mere sight of his cadet on the other side of the door sent Sawyer's mind into overdrive, causing the older clone to nearly leap out of his skin. Cooper himself seemed just as startled by his sergeant's sudden appearance, if the cadet's frightened yelp was anything to go by.

"Geez, don't scare me like that," the teen retorted, clutching his chest as he took in breath after breath.

"Planning on telling me what you're doing out of bed so late?" the sergeant sternly inquired, arms crossed over his chest.

"Sorry. I couldn't sleep," Cooper sheepishly answered, avoiding eye contact with his sergeant.

Sawyer glanced over his younger brother, quickly taking note of the boy's alert eyes and the way he fidgeted where he stood. "Me neither, kid," Sawyer said, eyes softening in understanding. "How's that arm of yours holding up?"

"I'll live."

"Good to hear," the veteran clone quipped, lightly slapping the cadet's shoulder. "Maybe next time, you'll keep better track of your surroundings."

"I was focused on the objective, wasn't I?" Cooper defended, raising an eyebrow.

Sawyer scoffed. "Yeah, but there's a fine line between focusing on one thing and ignoring everything else," he reprimanded, matching his younger brother's gaze. "And you sure as hell flirted with that line."

Better get moving. The long-necks are probably expecting me. Sawyer turned to leave, stopped in his tracks only by Cooper's concerned voice.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I, uh…" Sawyer started, struggling to avoid spilling the beans about the holo-document and Ren Sai's late-night call. "I think I lost the training sim reports for today. I'm gonna head down to ask one of the long-necks to get me another copy."

"Oh. Did you check everywhere in your quarters?"

"Yep. Sure did. Nothing turned up," the sergeant lied. Please, Cooper, for once, could you just mind your own business? It was no secret to Sawyer that the cadet had the heart for helping people. "Anyways, I better get moving."

"You sure you don't need any help?"

Sawyer let out a sigh in response, keeping his back turned to his cadet. "If you really want to help me, Cooper, you can get back in bed before I return." The sergeant couldn't help but chuckle as Cooper let out a dejected sigh in response.

The older clone turned and walked out of the barracks, the warm, comforting look in his eyes replaced in a flash with cold determination. Now to see what that cloner wants…

Cooper stood and watched with concern as his older brother exited the barracks. The cadet inwardly groaned. He still had the somehow daunting task of getting some sleep, and he knew one half of his problem still stuck to him like glue. That half was the thoughts that floated in his head, thoughts of what the next day's training would bring, and thoughts of the message he had received from Harlow hours before. The other half of the problem he had solved easily with a quick trip to the refresher.

Maybe I better check his quarters, just to be sure Sawyer didn't miss anything. While concern lay in his heart, a good portion of Cooper's current thoughts and actions were guided by nothing more than pure curiosity. He knew that he would be in for more than a mere scolding if he was caught. Sawyer had strictly warned his cadets not to enter his private chambers while he wasn't present.

The cadet had barely entered the room before he noticed the datapad. The device's bluish light enticed the boy closer to the nightstand. He gave in to his curiosity once more, cautiously approaching the datapad and picking it up. Confusion marked Cooper's face almost instantly. Looking at the datapad offered the answers he had been looking for: the reports were right in front of him, along with a couple of notes from earlier that day. Sawyer told me he looked everywhere. But…if that's the case, why would he need to see the cloner? The clone glanced over his shoulder, his logical mind warning him that he would need to hurry up if he wanted to get back in bed without getting caught.

The cadet found himself skimming through the first note before he realized it:

To all of our training sergeants, volunteers, and staff,

I am pleased to inform you that the Empire is in the process of establishing new programs for our future soldiers still stationed here on Kamino. It has come to my attention that some of the clones in training have faltered in their performance and have even expressed undesirable behavior. We hope that our new programs will put an end to these problems.

Instructors, we ask that you report with the cadets under your command to your designated learning centers for reconditioning and further training within a week of receiving this message. Thank you for your cooperation.

-Ren Sai, Kamino Assistant Medical Officer

Reconditioning. The word caused Cooper's knees to grow weak. Every clone feared reconditioning for one reason or another, and Cooper was no exception. He'd heard the stories. Stories of how the Kaminoans would whisk defective cadets away in the dead of night, the unlucky clones never seen or heard from again. Stories of how the long-necks would wipe unruly cadets' memories and personalities as if the clones were nothing more than organic droids. The story of how Blaze was shot dead after a malfunctioning training droid sent him into a seizure. The stories all had one thing in common. They all sent chills down Cooper's spine. I'm sure it won't come to that though, right? The cadet reluctantly listened to the rational voice in his head, and his knees relaxed a bit. Maybe it'll just be some more training.

Letting the message briefly slip from his mind, Cooper quickly glanced over the second one:

To CT-3558,

Please see me immediately. We found something you may want to take a look at.

-Ren Sai, Kamino Assistant Medical Officer

The message struck Cooper as odd. Unlike the first message, this one was shorter and straight to the point, almost as if Ren Sai had written the message in a hurry. Cooper decided against his better judgment to keep digging. Strange. Attached below the newer note was a holo-vid clip.

It was Harlow's message.

Cooper's eyes widened as the realization dawned on him. The datapad slipped out of his fear-numbed hands and clattered to the floor. It was no wonder now that Sawyer had gone to talk to the long-necks. They knew everything. Sawyer, the Kaminoans, the Empire. They all found out about everything.

And deep down, Cooper knew that they wouldn't be merciful about it.

This has been a pretty big project of mine for quite some time now. Hope you guys enjoy the read, have a great day, and please do what you can to stay safe. It's been a hell of a year so far. :)