"Maul gave you a son?" then realization set in, "He's one of the clones."

Jango nodded slowly. "The others have been grown at an accelerated rate, but Boba is untouched. Just a boy growing up with his father."

Kenobi nodded in understanding. What he wouldn't give to have the only father he had known at his side right now. His thoughts drifted to the Noobians under his charge for so long. He had encouraged them to think of each other as family, it had only brought them closer together, made them into a stronger team. Over the years Kenobi had come to the realization that this unconditional love of family was something Jedi lacked. In their desperation, almost, to route out any dalliance with the dark side, the order had forgotten the fundamental purpose of this kind of attachment, to strengthen, to support, to comfort in times of greatest need. The unconditional love of a father for his son was something Kenobi could understand and witnessed in Jango.

Jango continued, answering Kenobi's unasked question next.

"I tried to leave after Boba was born, I wanted to but Maul has a way of finding your weakness and exploiting it rather efficiently."

Kenobi remembered his encounter with Maul in the suite when he first woke up on Kamino, how he thoroughly seemed to know Kenobi and how to manipulate him.

"Last year I was approached by the leader of the Nemoidian Trade Syndicate who offered me sanctuary for the assassination of senator Amidala."

Kenobi suddenly felt a shiver run up his spin at Jango's words, intently staring at the man. Jango continued, but his gaze fell away from the former Jedi.

"Maul encouraged it, seeing it as a way to elicit revenge on the Senator and to further destabilize that part of the system. I had a team set up and preparations for a Palace raid that could look like a Separatist Terrorist move, but suddenly Nute Gunray contacted me to call it off. Someone had managed to convince him it was a bad idea, I later found out that was Count Dooku. I managed to track him down and he convinced me he could shelter Boba and myself from Maul, so I decided to return to Naboo to personally recall my associates from the mission. We were intercepted by Maul, who had brought along his latest batch of young clones."

He paused for a moment, Kenobi sensing his fear and disgust at Maul rolling off him in powerful waves of emotion. "He destroyed one, broke him to pieces, right in front of me, while Boba was off playing with the others. I was so completely impotent, there was nothing I could do, the horror of this situation just destroying any hope I had left."

He closed his eyes, willing the images that were flashing through his mind to disintegrate. With a simple mind trick that Kenobi was surprised even worked, he was able to help turn the images Jango was witnessing, aiding in his mind cleansing. It was obvious Jango knew what the Jedi was up to, Maul had touched his mind before on many occasions, especially after that particular incident, but his touch had been dark and damaging, whereas Kenobi's touch was delicate, understanding and in no way forceful.

"I sent the go ahead to my people on Naboo and the attack took place while Maul had Boba and I sequestered on Kamino. The attempt was unsuccessful, no doubt in no small part to your presence there." He looked up to Kenobi with eyes that showed the hint of gratitude and guilt that he could already sense from the bounty hunter.

"Yes, well, I suppose I should be thankful you weren't there. I could have lost more than my eye implant!" Jango's confession was tearing him up inside, part of him wanted to leap over and rip the man's own eyes out for what had happened, but he had to remember how seeing Nawe's battered form had him submitting to the dark lords will. Unconditional love had its challenges, also.

A call from the galley brought Boba back to their thoughts and the two men looked at each other, one questioning, and the other saddened once again.

"Boba knows nothing of Maul's cruelty," said Jango as he rose to head back to his son. "I have taught him to be cautious of both Maul and Ventress, but he's a child and they have been his friends. Mention nothing of them to him, please."

Kenobi simply nodded and unstrapped his harness. The dampness of his clothes was suddenly returned to him as he pealed himself off the chair.

"Perhaps a change of clothes is in order, after all!" and he followed Jango into the back.

Boba had set out the food on a narrow bench that separated the small kitchen from the rest of the ship.

"Smells good, thank you, Son," said Jango as he settled next to Boba, "the first room past the cells has your clothes, you can get dry and change in there." Kenobi nodded his thanks and headed back there.

The room consisted of two bunk beds, a fresher with sink and a small closet where he found his uniform. He pulled it out and examined it. The whole outfit had obviously been cleaned and pressed, which surprised him, but he wasn't complaining. He really hadn't fancied coming across the stains of Nawe's blood all over them.

He dried off and slipped into the comfortable clothes, feeling restored just by having them soothingly against his skin. This was whom he was, Captain Latterie, chief of security to the Senator, Padme Amidala, of the Naboo, not some fallen Jedi to be picked over by dark and light forces. He suddenly longed to be going home, back to Naboo and to Padme's service. He looked around for his hat, where had Jango put that? Had he hidden it on purpose? That would be typical, having to return without a full uniform, how uncivilized! He began to search a little more desperately for his headgear, he couldn't return without it.

He spun around to look at himself in the mirror, uniform pristine, hair in disarray, eye wild with his fear. The memory of giving the hat to Typho popped back into his head. The fear melted away from his face to be replaced with a heavy sadness as he looked over his clothes again. They didn't seem to fit him quite so snugly any more.

He took off the armor, so that he just had the blue undershirt on and he straightened it a little so that it didn't look quite so oversized. His stomach grumbled and he headed back to the galley where Jango and Boba were tucking into the stew and bread Boba had prepared. When he saw Kenobi coming, Boba got a bowl and dished some out for the Jedi.

"Thanks," Kenobi said quietly and started eating. Boba and Jango looked questioningly at each other, but Jango gestured for Boba to keep eating, so the lad put his head down and ate his fill. Sensing the growing awkwardness at his subdued attitude, Kenobi perked himself up, trying to break the tension.

"This is great, Boba, thank you, what's in it?"

The lad's attitude towards their new arrival had changed since his talk with his father. Jango had explained that by helping Ben, he and Jango would be able to come and go from Kamino whenever they wanted and Dad wouldn't have to go off on so many of his missions any more. He would miss his brothers, but he'd be back to see them again soon. Now he had an opening in the conversation with Ben and he was going to use it.

"It's just some nerf meat and a few Dalso vegetables. You're from Naboo, aren't you? We were there last year, weren't we Dad. But we had to leave, which was a real shame, it's beautiful there."

"Yes, there will always be a part of me that remains on Naboo!" said Kenobi with a wicked grin flashed at Jango before he continued with his food.