Anakin Skywalker was finally healed and ready for action, mostly. He and Rex had taken some injuries in the last skirmish which had laid them up for a few days. Freshly released from medical center at the Tipoca City clone facility on Kamino, Anakin had been told to report to Master Gallia for a new assignment.

Walking from the clone quarters he met Rex on the way. The blond clone nodded at him. "I understand that I'm supposed to report to you for a new assignment, sir."

"It looks like we'll be finding out together, Rex. Hopefully it's something fun this time."

Rex grinned. Anakin's love for excitement was one he, and most of the other clones, shared. "Whatever it is, me and the 501st will be ready for it."

Upon entering the command room, they were greeted by Master Gallia. "I've been informed that the both of you are ready for light duty." Anakin and Rex exchanged glances, 'light duty' sounded like this was not going to be a fun assignment after all. Usually those two words meant guarding some paranoid senator with a bounty on his head. Sometimes it was something even worse, like guarding the senator's dog. Though, if given a choice, Anakin would pick the dog over the senator any day.

Master Gallia continued, "A new, and very important assignment has come up, and we need the best to see it through. In order to keep up their work for the Republic, the Kaminoans have informed us that they need some clean, untampered, genetics in order to prevent glitches and decay in the more recently produced clones." Master Gallia held up a holo-projector and flicked it on, the image revealed one of the more recent clones that had suffered some severe deformities because of gene-glitches, he'd been called 99 and had died saving the gene samples used to produce the clones. Master Gallia flicked the switch again and the viewer displayed clone template, Jango Fett. "As I'm sure you are aware, the original template died at the battle of Geonosis."

"Then what, exactly, are we supposed to do? We can't exactly go to the after-life and resurrect him, now can we?" Anakin interjected.

Master Gallia nodded, "Which is why the Kaminoans have informed us of a clone that could answer our problems. Normally, clone genetics wouldn't be suitable because of the gene-breaking that is done to accelerate growth and sharpen senses. However, Jango Fett requested that he be given one clone, unaltered in any way, which he then raised as a son." Master Gallia flicked to another image, this one showing the scowling mug-shot of a half-grown clone boy.

Anakin recognized him from the attack on Master Windu's life aboard Endurance. "Isn't he in prison?"

"No. He escaped a while back and the Republic has been unable to recapture him. There's been a little activity surrounding him since his escape, it seems he has become something of a bounty hunter."

Anakin looked skeptically at the child's face beaming up from the projector. "What's he do, bounty hunt puppies or something?"

"I don't know. The information is scanty. Still, it is a matter or strategic necessity for the war effort that the Kaminoans have fresh, untampered genes. This, gentlemen, is the only option we have." Gallia grimaced a little as she finished her sentence.

"And you're sure he's untampered? I mean, it would be a lot of work to track him down, just to find out that he was gene-hacked." Anakin didn't know why, but this 'light duty' mission was not something he was looking forward too; of course, baby sitting never really was his thing.

Master Gallia nodded. "The Kaminoans have assured me that he is completely unaltered. A perfect copy of the template. They have run various tests on both of them over the years, your efforts will not be in vain." She looked between the two men. "This mission is a small one. This will be up to the two of you to complete. All the information we have is on this datacrystal," she proffered a datacrystal which Anakin accepted. "And there is a small ship ready for you in hangar twelve." She bowed to Anakin, "May the Force be with you." Anakin returned the gesture, and Master Gallia departed the command room leaving the men to prepare for their assignment.

Rex turned to Anakin. "He's just cadet aged, right? How hard can he be to find?"

Anakin shrugged. "That kid's made of some pretty tough stuff. This may be harder than you think."