Disclaimer: I only own Rae and her crazy.

Time-line: 2 years and 9 months after Naboo

Chapter 19: Inquisitive Minds Always Need to Know

It had been some time since Blon left; almost nine months if one wanted to be exact about things, and Rae missed his lessons. There was so much she still needed to learn about investigation and hacking... so much that was barred from her due to lack of skill. She needed to find a new teacher, with her usual one on assignment for who knew how long. Question was, where would she find one?

/*/

Getting a comm message from Blon was rare. Incredibly rare. Getting one less than a full year after he'd gone back on missions? Unheard of. That he was asking them to look after his wish-it-were-so Padawan was shocking. That said 'Padawan' was Rae Mayar? Slightly less shocking, actually. And that pesky Shadow was willing to grant dual-custody of his wish-it-were-so Padawan? He must really want to see Rae make it as close to Jedi Master as was possible for a non-Force Sensitive sentient! Still... Blon was teaching her Shadow techniques for stealth and information gathering. These were fields the Investigators had to be good with as well, though Shadows were often far better at stealth than Investigators. And Blon did say she could 'fill in the holes' in Rae's training. She grinned. "I'll make an Investigator out of you yet, little Shadowling~!" she sang, fangs glinting in the low light of her Temple apartment.

/*/

A togruta was watching her from across the room. It wasn't unusual for Jedi to watch her but the way this one was doing so was... unsettling. "You've all done well. I shall inform your Masters as to when I shall be returning," she told the small group of young Padawans she'd been working with that day. They bowed to her and filed out, but the watching togruta remained. "Can I help you, Jedi?" she asked, turning to them and quirking an eyebrow.

"Blon asked me to look after you," she said, standing. Rae nodded.

"He had mentioned he'd call a friend of his to ensure I didn't get myself killed," she said. The togruta laughed.

"Well, he did mention something about that, though he also mentioned something about filling in the holes in your training," she trilled in answer. Rae rolled her eyes.

"That man... so, what do I call you?"

"I am Investigator Jedi Knight Da'na An'Quila. You may call me Master or Da'na," the Knight answered.

"Da'na then," Rae said, bowing slightly. "What kind of holes are you going to be filling?"

"Your investigation skills mostly," Da'na said with a shrug. "Shadows and Investigators have very particular skill sets, though there is considerable overlap. So, I'm going to reinforce the overlapping skills and... add a little diversity. He didn't tell me why he was training you, just that he was and wanted me to make sure you didn't slack off while he was on-mission." Rae sighed and hung her head.

"That's that, I suppose. If you're going to be training me, I guess you should know why," she said.

"That would be appreciated, yes," Da'na answered.

"I Know things, things I shouldn't be able to. The biggest thing hanging over my head is the knowledge that a war is coming and that to stop it would be... difficult. It's possible but... this war has been building for a long time and events have already been put into motion." Da'na blinked.

"A... a war?" she stammered. Rae nodded seriously.

"I have the information needed to potentially head it off, but no evidence that would stand up in court. And for a non-Jedi to stand up and point to someone and say, 'The Force told me he's a Sith Lord and that he's gonna start a pointless war to turn the Republic into his personal Empire so can we lock him up? Or kill him?'" she said, pausing to shake her head. Da'na was silent, eyes wide. "Well. I think you can imagine how something like that would go down, Da'na." The togruta nodded, concerned.

"So, you have condemning information about someone in a position to restructure the Republic but nothing to back your claims up so you're looking to gain the skills necessary to dig it up," she said.

"Basically," Rae agreed. "Along with the skill necessary to not get caught, drawn, and quartered in the process."

"Drawn and quartered?"

"Capital punishment from my people's past. There were multiple stages. Quite grizzly, 0/10, do not recommend," Rae answered, shuddering at the memories of her late-night history searches. "There was dismemberment and disembowelment involved... not always in that order and usually while the traitor was alive."

"That's barbaric!" Da'na exclaimed. Rae shrugged.

"Old England didn't like traitors. Shocker, I know," she said.

"Your people are... strange."

"I know. Humans have some of the weirdest stories. So! You said something about continuing my training?" Da'na sighed, shaking her head, but eventually grinned at her new student.

"I'll make an Investigator out of you yet, little Shadowling~!" she sang, drawing a laugh out of Rae who came to attention, crossed her right arm over her chest, and bowed.

"I look forward to it, Da'na," she said honestly, and so started a beautiful friendship.

/*/

Two weeks later, after a long afternoon of training, Rae got a curious expression and turned to Da'na. "So... if there was an army of thousands, possibly millions, of born and bred soldiers but no war, what would you do with the soldiers?" Da'na looked over at her unorthodox student and raised an eyebrow.

"Is this about the war you're trying to avert?"

"Yeah. What would you say would be best for an army of men who know nothing but the art of war?" Da'na hummed and leaned back, bracing herself with her hands against the floor of the training room.

"Are they citizens of the Republic?"

"They were ordered for the Jedi Order. In the future I Know, the Jedi Councilors are High Generals, the other Masters and Knights are Generals, and the Padawans are Commanders. The GAR was raised with the knowledge they were to serve the Republic under the leadership of the Jedi Order," Rae answered, causing Da'na to grimace. That sounded... unethical.

"How were they ordered?"

"A Jedi Master had terrible visions, such that they drove him mad. His name was used to order a clone army. A bounty hunter was hired to serve as the template. Fierce, proud, Mandalorian, this beroya was the premiere hunter. His name, his description, struck fear into the hearts of his bounties. With him as the template and in charge of the army's training, the GAR will be made of frighteningly intelligent, competent, artificially aged, child soldiers," Rae answered blandly, eyes dead and hollow. Da'na shuddered. This was far more unsettling than she had anticipated.

"Well... if they were ordered for the Jedi Order, under the name of one of our Masters, I say the Jedi take responsibility for them. Keep them out of the Senate's control and fold them into our Order."

"A... defense corp? Armed escorts for Jedi on dangerous missions? Back-up for worlds where fighting might break out?" Rae suggested. Da'na nodded.

"Sounds like a workable idea. You said thousands?"

"By the time I have the evidence I need, there might be closer to millions. And that's assuming I can avert the war," Rae said with a faint wince. "And even if they don't see combat, they... didn't really have a childhood. And there are other complications they'll have to deal with. Do the Jedi have therapists? Mind healers? People to help traumatized people get their equilibrium back?"

"Yeah, they're part of the MediCorps," Da'na answered. Rae nodded, gaze less dead but no less distant.

"Good. The vod'e are going to need the full services of the MediCorps before this is through." A shiver of dreadful premonition went down Da'na's back as Rae nodded, mostly to herself. "So, therapists are available, it might be possible to fold the vod'e into the Order, creating a new branch for those who wish to remain soldiers. The ExploraCorp would be good for the pilots. AgriCorp? Hum, possibly. Will need more thought, though having a fighter escort for the AgriCorp isn't a bad idea. Fighter pilots in ExploraCorp wouldn't be bad either. Ah, but where to house them? I know the Temple has some open rooms, but are they enough for the vod'e? Could an extension be built? An extensive renovation project? An outbuilding? Should ask Obi-Wan. Plo Koon? General Buir would be delighted to have his akaata of ad'e close at hand. Perhaps a series of barracks? Apartment buildings? Oh, but not every Knight and Master is going to get a garrison, are they? Are there that many? How does military numbering work? Eh, doesn't matter right now. One step at a time."

"I... could bring this to Master Yoda?" Da'na asked, a little stunned by what Rae was revealing about a possible future. A likely future. Seemingly unaware of the turmoil she was creating in the Investigator's mind, Rae hummed, her brow furrowing.

"Every time I make a suggestion, that little Troll just gives me that laugh and says, 'into consideration, take this, I shall. My thanks, you have, Young Mayar.' Drives me nuts and gets nothing real done," she said with a slight huff, her aggravation with the aged Master quite evident.

"Then perhaps the Quartermaster?" Da'na offered. "The office is in charge of housing and requisitions after all." Rae hummed, seemingly returning to the present.

"The Quartermaster would probably have some valuable insight into the matter, yes," she said. "But I don't have what I need to get an accurate read on how many soldiers the Order would theoretically be taking in."

"Well, as you just pointed out, our Order can be guilty of dragging their feet. Getting an early start couldn't hurt, could it?" Da'na pointed out. Rae sighed, but nodded.

"And bringing up the existence of an army ordered under the name of a Master could bring about a smoother response when the vod'e can no longer be hidden."

"Why do you want them hidden?" Da'na asked. Rae gave her a grimly bemused smirk.

"An army of Clones? Ordered by a mad, missing, Jedi Master? Using the genetic material of an infamous Mandalorian bounty hunter?" she asked. "Oh yes, why ever would I want that to be hidden until tensions have been lessened and provisions made for them to enter a galaxy at peace?" Da'na winced.

"Okay. You have a point there," she allowed. "So... I can bring this to the Quartermaster? And bring up the idea of a new Service Corp branch to Master Windu?" Rae hummed, laying back on the floor and staring up at the ceiling.

"Well, the Force isn't screeching songs of calamity and despair at the idea, so I say go for it." Da'na shook her head and pushed herself back to her feet.

"Come on, let's hit the 'freshers. After that... I think we could both use a cup of tea," she said. Rae grinned at her and pushed to her feet as well.

"That sounds wonderful, Da'na. Thank you," she said, crossing to her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Da'na chuckled and followed the odd little Human. Rae certainly did keep things interesting.

/?/

A/N: A cross between 'how do I accommodate for Shadow missions?' and 'what to do with the Clones if there is no war?' I hope you enjoyed!

Old England had some Opinions about traitors. Yikes! Keelhauling might have been... maybe not kinder but possibly faster.