Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or anything related to Star Wars. Nothing. Nada.
AN: 2 Chapters to go, though I won't get to them until sometime in the upcoming week. Having to rewrite some of the dialogue and move things around, and that's taking a bit of time.
Chapter 12
After the adrenalin rush of the past few hours the ride to Kamino is deflating.
Saché nods in and out of consciousness, leaving Sabé left with only her thoughts and Master Yoda for company.
Her thoughts jump first to Padmé, wondering if she's still alive or if they're too late. Then her worries shift to Obi-wan. He's been captive for who knows how long. Is he still alive? Is he hurt? Will Anakin and Padmé be any help to him?
Will the Jedi chuck poor Anakin out for going to save him? For taking Padmé?
Falling back in her seat, she presses her fingers to her eyes.
"Troubled you are, young one," Master Yoda croaks.
Taking a breath, Sabé sits up and finds him staring at her from his perch, his wrinkled face focused on her.
Pulling her cloak closer, there's an odd chill in the air, Sabé shrugs. "Aren't you?"
He chuckles, points a gnarled finger at her. "No good it does, to worry. Trust in the Force, I do."
Sabé shoots him an apologetic smile. "You'll forgive me, but trusting in the force doesn't seem to be doing much good at the moment."
In fact, she'd say it's done them no good. Unless he knows something she doesn't, his force has failed him and them in spectacular fashion. Either that, or he doesn't understand it, isn't as in tune with it, as much as he thinks.
"Uncertain, the future is," he tells her, crawling down and hobbling toward her. "Fear it, control it, we cannot."
It's a ridiculous sentiment to Sabé, to be so passive, but she keeps her thoughts to herself.
Instead she studies him as he grunts and clicks toward her.
The way he holds his cane, the minuscule twitches on his face, the way his ears move…
She isn't certain, she's got no experience with his species, whatever it is, but she'd almost bet he's lying. He's afraid, maybe of the future, maybe of what he'll find on Kamino, maybe for Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-wan, maybe for all of it, but he won't voice. It could be just for her he's keeping his worries hidden, but she almost wonders if the feeling is so foreign he can't recognize it in himself.
"The Jedi stifle their emotions," Nam had told them during a trip to Barcaria, when they'd met a pair at a cafe. "They act like they're peaceful and beyond concern, but under all that...it's there."
"What's there?" Sabé asked, tottering after her.
"All the things they pretend aren't." Nam smiled, telling and mysterious all at once. "A man can only deny himself so much."
Sabé stumbled, caught by Saché. "What's that-that mean?"
Nam had stopped, considered her answer for a moment, then started walking again.
"I've met one," she'd said simply.
"We met two!" Sabé reminded her, pointing back at the cafe excitedly.
Chuckling, Nam stopped and smoothed Sabé's hair.
"It was more than a brush in a cafe, child."
Saché had made a face, clearly understanding what was being implied. "Ew."
Looking at Master Yoda, Sabé wonders if in his nine hundred years of life he's felt how disconnected he is from the people of the galaxy, just what his devotion has blinded him to. How many have died because of his trust in the force?
Stopping just short of her, Master Yoda's eyes focus on her, squinting. He's looking for something, though she's not sure what.
He glances over his shoulder, to where Saché is silently sleeping, his gaze just as intense, before turning back.
Whatever he's trying to divine from them, searching for so intensely, he either can't find or isn't certain of. His expression settles into something Sabé would call frustrated as he mutters unintelligibly to himself.
Finally, he taps his cane, smiles and nods. "Very capable, Obi-Wan and Anakin are."
From across the room, Saché snorts.
Sitting up, she stretches, pops her neck, then gets up and comes over, leaning a shoulder against the wall as she shoots Master Yoda an incredulous look.
"If Beardie were capable he wouldn't have gotten his choobies caught."
Master Yoda's lips twitch, amused and annoyed in the same breath. "A point, perhaps you have."
"So should I teach you Jedi stealth and evasion? Avoid this kind of thing in the future?" Saché asks.
Ignoring her, Master Yoda sighs and hobbles away, toward the cockpit.
Shaking her head, Saché sighs.
"So much for my teaching him anything."
#######
The wind and water whip Sabé's clothes and her hair, soaking her to the bone the moment she steps off the ship and onto the landing dock on Kamino. They'd prepared for a desert, not a storm.
Saché grabs her by the wrist as they steady themselves and follow the tiny Jedi Master into the building.
Struggling against the wind, they half fall through the doors, which deftly shut behind them.
They're immediately plunged into an eerie silence, so quiet Sabé is certain the can hear her and Saché's hearts beating. Inside the doors it's sterile and white, static and clean. A stark contrast to the roaring tempest outside.
Sabé is so stunned by the sharp change of surroundings that she doesn't hear one of the Kaminoan glide up.
"Master Jedi," a tall, pale Kaminoan greets them, her glassy eyes grazing over Master Yoda and then the girls. "Ladies. It's a delight to meet you. I am Taun We."
"Good to meet you, it is," Master Yoda tells her. "Come, at the request of Obi-wan Kenobi, I have."
She nods. "We'd hoped to see you soon. This is a pleasant surprise."
Sabé almost laughs. The Kaminoans are hoping for another order, more money.
She leads them down a long, painfully white hall, to a large room with a curved ceiling. Inside, sitting at a plain desk, is the only occupant, another slender Kaminoan. Taun We waves her arm gracefully towards him.
"Prime Minister Lama Su."
She turns back to Yoda and the girls, gestures to them. "This is Grand Master Yoda and his companions."
Saché's expression doesn't change, but Sabé can tell it irks her to be referred to as anyone's 'companion'. She'll probably have a few words with Master Yoda about introductions next chance she gets.
"Master Jedi," the Prime Minister begins, standing and towering over Master Yoda. "I hope your fellow Jedi assured you of our progress?"
Yoda nods. "Impressed, Master Kenobi was. To see the clones for myself, I have come."
Sabé barely has a moment to register what he's said.
Clones? Of course clones. Genetic tinkering and customer cloning is what Kamino is known for. She should've realized it before.
Never though, not in her wildest dreams, would she have imagined they'd created a clone army. Who would want such thing?
Before she can so much as form a single sentence, she's cut off.
"Of course." The Prime Minister tells them, looking obscenely delighted for a Kaminoan. He's already imagining more credits for future jobs.
He leads them out of the room and to a balcony overlooking what at first Sabé thinks is a factory floor. Squinting down, she gasps.
It is a factory, from a certain point of view.
On the floor below, hundreds, maybe thousands of identical men are being trained, fed, clothed, any and everything an army would need to function.
It's as impressive as it is awful.
"There are so many of them," Sabé whispers, wondering just what they're going to do with their unwanted army.
Saché chews her lip, her mind puzzling over the same thing.
"Padmé's not going to like this."
#######
"You'll be wanting to take the ready units now, I presume?"
Master Yoda's expression is guarded as he looks out at the men below, the so called 'units'.
Saché watches the Kaminoan for a moment, then to Sabé, curious if she's caught hold of the same thread as her.
Master Yoda is testing them for some reason.
Well then, Saché silently says, let's see if we pass.
"A question, if I may, Prime Minister?"
The shimmering eyes of the Prime Minister leave Master Yoda and settle on Saché.
"The master that placed this order, what was his name?"
Sabé almost laughs at the way Master Yoda's ears rise in surprise.
He hadn't expected them to realize a Jedi had started this. It's easy enough to decipher though. He'd deliberately left that detail out, but why?
The Prime Minister tilts his head, thinking she should have done better research before coming, before answering. "Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas was the one to place this order, for the Republic."
"Of course," Saché nods, smiles apologetically. "I'd forgotten."
The name is familiar, and Sabé searches her memory for why...
Master Yoda purses his lips and watches the girls before turning back to the Prime Minister. "Speak with the ladies in private, I will."
Nodding, the Prime Minister makes a small bow before turning, leaving the girls and Master Yoda.
"Disturbing, this is."
Sabé crosses her arms, glares down at him. "Why would one of your council put in an order for an army and claim it was for the Republic?"
From what the Kaminoan had said, this purchase was placed well before the Military Creation Act was even a consideration. What had they known? Why hadn't they told anyone?
"And why didn't you pass that small detail on to us?" Saché asks. "What game are you playing?"
"Game?" Master Yoda shakes his green head. "No game. As confused by this as you are, I am."
"So you're supposed to be policing the galaxy, but you can't even keep watch over your own house?" Saché takes a long breath, closes her eyes. "Unbelievable."
He looks back over his shoulder, at the clones just outside the doors.
"Were you testing us?" Sabé finally asks. "You and the Council didn't trust our information. Was this a test to see if we could really know what we know?"
He doesn't answer, but his silence is enough.
"You want everyone else to take your word on nothing but the force, but you need proof with us," Saché finally says, her voice low. "What in the nine hell did we ever do to you?"
He stares at them for a moment, that look of searching still there, before he sighs.
"Nothing, you have done. Foolish, we were, to doubt your commitment to you friend." He sighs. "Hard to read, you are…and old prejudices, hard they are to abandon."
It's not quite an apology, but Sabé doubts they'll ever get that. She'll take what she gets, even if she doesn't know what prejudice they'd have against her and her sister.
Nodding, Sabé takes a breath. They can rail against the Jedi later. They still need to get to Padmé, and this isn't getting the anywhere.
"What do you plan on doing with them now?" She gestures to the clones outside the door, ready to move on. "I mean we can't just leave them here. Their being treated like-like…"
"Products," Saché offers, nose wrinkled.
"This place is terrible," Sabé adds, shaking her head. "Genetically modified? More docile and susceptible to suggestion? Growth acceleration? They've created a child army without a will of their own. Human cannon fodder."
It's unconscionable.
Master Yoda nods, his frowns growing more severe with each word Sabé speaks.
"To Master Windu, I must speak."
He pulls out a very small, handheld communication device and activates it. After a few moments Windu's image flickered to life in his palm.
"Master Yoda."
"Disturbing, what I have found on Kamino. What to do, I am unsure."
Windu's face hardens.
"I'm afraid I don't have any good news here either. We've had several stealth droids scouting Geonosis and I'm not sure we have enough forces. I'm also fairly sure they know we're coming." He sighs. "This may turn into a suicide mission."
He says nothing of the three missing persons, and that bodes ominous to Sabé.
Yoda shakes his head, deep in thought for what seems like several minutes before he finally looks up, expression grim.
"Bring the clones, for aid, I will. Then put an end to this mystery, perhaps, they can."
"Ah," Sabé raises a hand, "is that a good idea? I mean, we don't want to leave them here, but...taking them and using them to fight for us? They're still clones of the man who was hired to assassinate our senator."
"In case you forgot," Saché huffs, crossing her arms and glaring.
"Need help, we do," he tells them, shaking his head, staring at the ground. "Use what we have, we must. Be in touch, Master Windu. May the Force be with you."
He clicks the image away and begins hobbling toward the door to retrieve the Prime Minister. There will be no discussion.
The Prime Minister glides back in, looking expectantly at the Jedi and girls. "Have you come to a decision?"
Nodding, Master Yoda speaks. "Take the ready troops, we will. Soon, we will need them."
Face brightening more than Sabé thought possible, the Prime Minister nods. "Oh yes. We have transports prepared for such an event. They can be ready to leave within half an hour."
"Well that's convenient," Saché mutters, looking begrudgingly impressed. She smiles faintly. "At least we're finally going to Geonosis."
#######
Master Yoda's ship is loaded onto the large troop transport as Sabé and Saché watch.
Hundreds of troopers line the walls of the transport, dressed in white armor, the hum of their chatter filling the space.
"This is bad," Sabé mutters, her fingers twisting together as she's watches more troops marching in.
"Oh sissy," Saché sighs, pressing her fingers to her eyes. "You're getting a thesaurus for your life day. Bad doesn't even touch this."
Master Yoda appears a moment later, walking toward them while speaking with one of the troopers. When he reaches them, he looks up, taps his cane on the ground.
"Settle in for the trip, you should. Direct you to seats, the Commander will."
The helmeted figure beside him nods and motions for them to follow him.
Deciding they'd rather sit with the clones than the secretive Jedi, Sabé and Saché follow the trooper without argument.
Linking her arm with his, Saché looks up into the trooper's visor. "So, nice weather we're having?"
He stops, head tilting as he studies her for a moment, then he untangles his arm from hers. "Yes."
Saché grins. "Not much for small talk, are you sweetness?"
"No."
Sabé snorts.
He points them to a pair of seats between two of his fellow clones. Dropping into the spots and pulling the straps from behind them, they start to secure themselves.
The harnesses have no more than clicked when they exchange wary looks.
One of the troopers is staring, very blatantly at Saché, and if the hair prickling up on Sabé's neck is any indication, there's one staring at her too.
"You've got an admirer," Saché tells her.
Sabé nods. "I'm not the only one."
Shrugging, Saché settles back in her seat, gesturing for Sabé to do the same.
Despite their ignoring them, the troopers don't stop staring.
Saché finally rolls her eyes, turns her head and arches an eyebrow.
"Can I help you?"
His head tilts and he leans in, within an inch of her face. "What are you?"
Saché grimaces, leaning back and into Sabé. "Increasingly uncomfortable."
He sits back and another trooper peaks around him. "No. What are you?"
Saché's mouth hangs open for a moment as she looks over her shoulder at Sabé.
What's wrong with them? Hadn't they ever-
It immediately clicks. It's so obvious.
Saché snorts with laughter and Sabé groans. They've never seen girls before. At least not human girls anyways.
"Well, I'm Sabé and this is my sister, Saché."
The trooper takes his helmet off. He's a man, dark complexion, honey brown eyes, and black hair. In the outside world she guess he was older than her, but the childlike shin in his eyes, innocent confusion, points to the truth. He's simply a young soul in a body much older.
He frowns, reminding Sabé of a toddler learning a word for the first time. "Sisters?"
"Yeah, you know, we had the same miserable childhood," Saché explains.
He looks no less confused.
"We're girls," Sabé tells him, hoping that's clearer.
"Girls," he nods, repeating the word but still not seeming to grasp the concept.
"Females," Saché attempts.
It doesn't seem to help.
Sabé frowns.
How had their Nam explains the difference between boys and girls to them?
In an undoubtedly inappropriate way, she thinks with a snort. Since she can't actually remember, she decides to see what information they've been told, if any.
"What do you know about girls?" She finally asks, hoping the Kaminoans had bothered with some basics. She doubts it. These men were bred for war, not life.
"Girls? Females?" One of the troopers clarifies.
"Yes," Saché nods, grabbing her breasts. "Giiirrrllls."
"That you're...not male," the trooper staring at Sabé answers. "Females are smaller and lighter, as a general rule in humans. They bear children."
He stops, his expression clearly curious if he's got it right.
"Well...that's more or less correct," Sabé finally says.
For several minutes they sit, silently debating what to do, before Saché lets out a long sigh.
Well, we've got time to kill, she wordlessly tells her. She's going to make sure there's no gaps in their education.
"I guess biology wasn't on the clone curriculum."
She sits back and crosses her arms, wrinkles her nose in thought.
"Where should we start?" She snaps her fingers. "Anatomy. Well, for starters boys and girls have different parts…"