"I give you my Word Kix. No cadet will die while I'm on Kamino. "

Ugh. What does that even mean, Kix thought bitterly. Kriffin Jedi. Rumour had got around that there was a chance XYZ wasn't gonna make it, and Mliss knew it. Everyone Kix's had come across, besides Rack and Mishap, was harbouring resentment for Mliss. But Kix knew that they were just worried for their little brothers. After another few moments of anger at the Jedi, he replied.

"Yes, Sir."

Then he quickly signed off. Turning around he glanced at Rex, who was pacing impatiently. Very few things scared the Captain, but losing this many brothers with nothing he could do about it was definitely one of those times. Kix tried to summon up his faith.

"If the General says she will fix it. We must trust Master Mliss."

"She said that the first time," Rex said, raising his eyebrows.

"Even General Skywalker makes mistakes. We've just seen him fix them."

"Mliss is barely proven."

A respectfully defensive voice spoke up, "Master Mliss fixed all the older cadets. She had no reason to believe it wouldn't work."

"Cody, Mishap." Kix greeted them.

Rex turned from his pacing and sighed, "I guess we will wait and see."

Siccitas

"Move!"

"It's there!"

"Where?!"

Jumping up and down, in a swamp of slushing sand, Plank gasped as the dianoga slithered past his leg.

"Snipe! It's beside you!"

"Wait..." Plank looked at his brothers as they searched the sludgy sand. He started laughing at the sight of them, snickering rather loudly.

"What's so funny?" Sly glared.

Still laughing, he managed," Look at us. We're covered in sand, I've got this thing I'm carrying and the next plant is hogged by a maniac Dianoga!"

Camo shook his head."You have an odd sense of humour."

"The Plant!" Crusher yelled, jumping forward he landed with a simultaneous crash and splash in his effort to grab the Dianoga. Grabbing its numerous tentacles in his arms, Crusher lifted it high off the ground.

"Grab it"He grunted.

Rushing forwards, Plant attempted to reach the squirming beast; Instead, he fell flat on his face.

Unhelpfully, there was multiple snickers from above. Lifting his head up, he saw Snipe kneeling down aiming for the aliens head.

"You better not miss, "Crusher called out nervously.

"I know. I need to keep the plant intact."

In a single shot, the Dianoga slumped, lifeless.

Grumpily, Crusher tossed the carcass onto the still kneeling Sniper.

"Hey," Snipe threw up his arms, "I was joking."

Plank stood up, a bit shaky, "Now that we've got the plants, we should probably call the pilot so he knows where we are."

Glancing at his forearm, he frowned when he saw that his comlink was missing. Digging in the damp sand he removed his beeping comlink.

"Plank here..."

An audible relieved sigh came from the comlink."Commander, we were afraid you got eaten by a Sarlacc."

Ignoring the slight panic in the arrival of this disturbing piece of information, Plank replied.

"I lost my comlink...fighting a Dianoga." A few snorts and snickers rose from the small group behind him, "We've got the plants. I'm sending you our location now."

Signing off, Plank turned to Sly, "How long did we spend fighting the dianoga?"

"An hour."

That totals to 6 hours 25 min. By the time the pilot gets here, it would be 6hr 30min. For some reason, a deep cold feeling filled Plank. Let us not be too late he pleaded to no one in particular. Plank didn't even know what he was afraid was going to happen.

Later

The ship lowered from the planets scorching atmosphere, extending its ramp so it just touched the terrain. The commandos walked towards the unknown clone trooper on the ramp, Plank carefully holding the precious cargo.

"Here's the plants. Watch out for the first plant, it's carnivorous."

"Thank you, Sir. You'll save a lot of lives." Plank bristled, maybe he'd take Mliss's initiative and ask everyone to call him Plank.

Before he could ask what was happening at Kamino, the trooper spoke again.

"Master Mliss requested you stay here until she arrives. That should be 11hrs. She sent the co-ordinates of an old bunker you can use. I thank all of you on behalf of the Republic." The Trooper then stiffened into attention stance and saluted smartly.

As the ship took off Plank exchanged a look with his brothers. Whether to feel worried, relieved or happy, was a mystery to them.

Kamino, 12hrs in

Mliss had barely left the ship for the 12hrs she was on Kamino. Now Mliss was outside Nala Se's office, wondering how she would react. Hundreds of clones had bombarded her ship while she couldn't do anything to answer their questions. Mliss gently knocked on her door, hoping for an understanding welcome, but not expecting it.

"Mliss, "The welcome was a scorning hiss.

"The plants will be in our position in 30 minutes."

"The clones are hanging on by their last string. They won't live to use the plants."

"I will use my life energy to keep them alive until the antidote is made and injected into the clones."

Clearly taken back at the statement, Nala frowned, "Isn't that dangerous?"

Briefly, Mliss wondered how she heard of this skill. Mliss decided to be brutally honest with her. It's only fair after not telling her exactly what's wrong."It will numb my foresight ability after I heal and it is dangerous to me in both large quantity's and for long periods of time."

"Then I must insist you not do it."

Politics time."Would you rather go bankrupt when the Republic discovers that the whole next generation of clones die? Others will not be so quick to use your methods when they see you are unreliable."

The head doctor was clearly debating it heavily in her head. Nonetheless, her resolve was wavering. That was enough for Mliss. Turning around, she headed back to her ship to meditate and maintain the current health of the young cadets. When she was almost back to her ship, wading through the angered crowd of troopers, Nala called out from behind her.

"I still recommend you find another way."

Turning to look up at the towering Kaminoan, Mliss quietly replied.

"There is no other way."

"Then don't do it. We can alter the ageing process so that we can have the clones ready in a year. They aren't worth your energy."

The other troopers in the hall around them began to get the gist of what was happening. They didn't dare stop but Mliss could sense the anger radiating off of them.

"I am doing it."

Mliss could feel Nala's churning emotions, she could also feel her life energy seeping out of her. She needed to get back to her ship.

Nala, in one last vain attempt, called, "I don't recommend it."

With a slow deep breath, Mliss spun around a said with a calm, warning tone, "I know what you think, Nala Se. I strongly disagree. I will do it my way, whether you approve or not."

Rex-the med bay

Rex sighed. He had no way of helping his brothers. It was beyond torture. One of his brothers stirred and blinked as he opened his eyes. Rex rose from his seat to check on his brother.

"Sir?" The cadet moaned, he tried to sit up, as was the custom when a commanding officer was in the room.

Gently, not as his commanding officer but as his brother, Rex kindly pushed his shoulder back towards the bed. Rex ran his hand through his brothers long hair.

"Rest little brother. You're in safe hands."

As the cadet drifted off in restless sleep, he murmured,"Mliss won't save me. I know she won't."

Rex stood there a while after his brother had slipped into unconsciousness. Jumping slightly as Kix rushed in, looking like he hadn't taken a break in a week. Of course, he hadn't. All the healed cadets and troopers hadn't either. First being horribly unwell for a week, now trying in vain to help as many youth cadets as possible.

"Kix, you can't help them. Only the antidote can and we have half an hour until that arrives." The truth was harsh but a reality.

Sighing, Kix eased wearily into a chair."I still need to try."

"When does their time run out."

"That's what I came to tell you about, It ends now..."

"What!"Rex shot up, alarmed.

"You didn't let me finish. Mliss is somehow using the force to keep them alive until the plant comes."

Rex slid into the chair, relieved. Glancing up at his brother, anxiety was evident on his face.

"Don't tell me kix that your more sceptic than me."

"I just had the unfortunate of seeing the clone leading the missions file."

"How was it?"

"It's a miracle he passed his test. He also is a bad shot, has a lack of balance and wasn't even trained to be a commander."

There was a few moments of silence, both of them deep in thought.

"Mliss must have put him in charge for a reason." Wait, was he now defending that bantha fodder?!

Kix rubbed his face, "I hope so."

12hrs 28min in

Mliss had given Nala orders not to let anyone onto her ship until the plants came. According too her calculations(More accurately her droid's) they were just entering Kamino's atmosphere. Mliss could feel the cadets and there barely beating hearts, there brothers practically worrying out of there armour, she could also feel that half of her life energy was gone.

Depending on how you look at it, she was half dead or half alive. Mliss had given orders to Light, saying that when Mishap arrived with the plants, make the solution and distribute. Without her. Once that was done, she could go help XYZ.

Stretching slightly out of her meditation, she smiled as Mishaps hopefulness filled her. He was a good soldier. They were breaking the atmosphere now. Mliss sank back into the force.

Mishaps POV.

They were almost at Kamino but he couldn't stop thinking about XYZ. He had the first glance at the mystery squad and boy they met with their expectations. Chuckling, his thoughts drifted to Plank. The one clone that would go with his pranks whether they turn out good or bad. How in the galaxy did he get in?

Maybe one of those clones was Plank. He shook his head, he definitely wasn't the large one. Plank couldn't ever stand being a sniper, he wasn't much for stealth like the other two. The commander? Mishap straight out laughed, earning him a strange look from the pilot. Plank couldn't aim 6 weeks ago and wasn't trained for leadership, that was out of the question.

"Docking now." Mishap was relieved, finally they made it.

"By the way, "The docking bay operator said over the com, "Mliss is keeping the cadets alive so she's busy. Go to her ship and her medical droid, Light, will make the antidote."

Wait, were they too late? Mishap fought the rising panic. His little brothers were still alive, for now. Walking to the cargo bay, if you could call it that as it was the size of a closet, he reached in and took out the hibernating plants. Shuddering, he thought back to how the commander said that one of them was carnivorous. What could she possibly do with these things? It doesn't matter, he told himself, just get them back. Running to Master Mliss's ship, Mishap bolted in and started helping with the antidote.