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Of Clones and Collateral Damage - Chapter 22: Restrained by TipsyEpsy

Moments Chapter 35: Mom

A/N: This does not go into some of the darker things relating to what the Kaminoans did to Omega. Darkest Bad Batch Headcanon explored will go into that.

Part 1: Meeting Ninety-Nine

Ages:

Ninety-Nine: 10

Omega: 4

Clone Force 99: 4

Time is hard to tell in Nala Se's private lab. Seasons aren't a thing, though it's currently mild. Most of the lab is dark, although blue light does come from the tubes, a computer, and a few sticks glowing on the stairs. A transporter sits in the middle of the room. The only sounds in the lab are from tubes humming and a 4-year-old Omega sobbing in the middle of the room. Nurse droids take a young Hunter, Wrecker, Tech and Crosshair out of the lab and towards Tipoca City. The only smells and tastes came from her salty tears as she lay on the hard floor, completely heartbroken. Kuan Si watched on and waited. Meanwhile, a deformed, 10-year-old Clone was standing next to him.

Once Nala Se left the lab, leaving Omega alone, Kuan Si nodded to Ninety-Nine, and they approached. Kuan Si gently embraced the heartbroken girl and rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down.

After a while, Omega calmed down and looked over to Ninety-Nine.

"Who are you?" Omega asked.

Kuan Si replied, "This is Ninety-Nine, Omega. Remember the deformed clone you saved from being recycled?"

Omega was speechless for a few moments, then jumped into the Clone's arms, breaking down again.

"Ninety-Nine! Yay! You're Alive!" Omega sobbed as she was hugged tightly by Ninety-Nine, who traced circles into her back while holding her tight,

Eventually, Omega calmed down enough to return the hug.

"While I may not be able to fill the hole in your heart left by Hunter, Wrecker, Tech and Crosshair, I'll be here for you, alright?" Ninety-Nine said. Omega looked up to Ninety-Nine and asked, "Promise?"

"Promise," Ninety-Nine replied with a smile. Omega returned the smile and hugged Ninety-Nine again.

So, over the next few years, Ninety-Nine and Kuan Si helped support Omega as Nala Se started the testing regime on her. Since Nala Se created Omega with slight enhancements of each of her brothers, Nala Se tested those enhancements to guide the tests she will do on her brothers.

Kuan Si and Ninety-Nine would do their best to help and comfort her after these tests and tried to minimise the scarring, mainly on her upper arms. Unfortunately, the testing was often extreme. Bacta band-aids and bacta cotton buds weren't enough to suppress the sheer number of tests, leaving most of her body scarred to varying degrees.

Part 2: Meeting Shaak Ti and Plo Koon

Ages:

Omega: 7

It is a mild day in the halls of Tipoca City. Even up here, due to the constant rain and storms, Time and Season can be hard to determine, Shaak Ti thought as she walked through the facility's halls. Powerful lights in the corners connecting the ceiling and walls lit the entire area. She can hear the Clone cadets rowdy in various rooms, taste and smell the excitements they emit, and the glistening halls, which are solid, but not rough, on Shaak Ti's shoes. She can sense every Clone within a 75ft radius thanks to the montrals and lekku that form part of her biology.

She spots Clone Force 99, who all wave at her.

"Hey guys, you got training?" Shaak Ti waved back.

Hunter replied, "Yep", before adding bitterly, "Then we're getting tested again,"

"Well, be good. I'll have some surprises for you," Shaak Ti replied, smiling, which the Batch returned before they raced off.

Suddenly, Shaak Ti spotted a younger clone streak past her from a nearby corridor.

"Excuse me," Shaak Ti called, and she followed the Clone, soon catching up.

"What's wrong?" Shaak Ti enquired as she grabbed hold of the Clone.

"Let me go," the Clone exclaimed.

Shaak Ti replied, "Please don't fight me. I don't want to hurt you. What's your name?"

"Omega," Omega replied.

"My name is Shaak Ti. Why do you want to run away? Are the Kaminoans hurting you?" Shaak Ti replied as Omega finally stopped. Shaak Ti looked down and gasped. The Clone was a young girl no older than about 7 or 8.

"Yes. The Kaminoans keep strapping or tying me up, sticking things into me, slicing my body up, or exposing me to cover me with strange gel that they then use to ultrasound my body. The gel hurts to get off in a hot shower. I beg them to stop. They'll hypo me to knock me out or subdue me so I can't fight. Please let me go," Omega rambled, panic in her voice before she collapsed against Shaak Ti and broke down, her young mind unable to cope.

Shaak Ti swept Omega into a close embrace, using the force to try and calm Omega down. It took a while, but eventually, Omega calmed down.

"I'm so sorry that they're hurting you like this. Is there anything I can do to help?" Shaak Ti asked,

"Stay with me, please. Just help me cope because I can't do it myself," Omega cried.

Shaak Ti replied, "Alright. Follow me, and I'll take care of you. Alright?"

"Alright," Omega replied, and Shaak Ti picked Omega up and carried her to her room, then stayed with her until she went to sleep.

Just after Omega had gone to sleep, Kuan Si entered.

"What are you doing to this child?" Shaak Ti growled.

Kuan Si replied, "It's not me doing anything to her. I have no control over what Nala Se does to her. I'm just here to try and support her through the testing. But she is Kaminoan Property, so what happens to her isn't your business,"

"You're abusing an innocent child, someone who's more than property. Abusing a child is not OK in the Republic," Shaak Ti snapped angrily, though quietly, so as not to wake Omega.

"I am aware. I was there to check on Omega. If you want to bring her testing to Nala Se, you can," Kuan Si coolly replied. Shaak Ti stood up and stated, "Then that's what I'll do,"

"I'm afraid that is impossible at the moment, as she has just left Kamino on an important call out," Kuan Si sighed. Shaak Ti stated, "Just great. But next chance I get, I will confront her about this"

"Go ahead. Just be careful. Nala Se doesn't decide to make things worse out of spite," Kuan Si stated.

Shaak Ti stated, "Noted". Both stayed with Omega for the night.

A few days later, Plo Koon is also walking through the facility. The dismal weather outside was the same, so it was challenging to determine the time of day. The area was lit as usual, though the sounds of the Clone cadets now intermingled with illness. The smells and tastes remained unchanged, except for some medicine for the sick Clones. The ground is as smooth and hard as Plo Koon remembers. He saw the Batch and waved to them as they went past.

As he turned the corner, thinking of visiting Shaak Ti, he felt a body run into him and fall to the ground.

Looking down, he heard the Clone say, "Sorry". Plo Koon kneeled to the Clone's level and was shocked to see himself face-to-face with a female clone, no older than 7 or 8.

"Are you alright, child? What is your name?" Plo Koon asked as she pulled herself to her feet and muttered, "Omega,"

"Omega. My name is Plo Koon. You need to be more careful. Why were you running?" Plo Koon said.

Omega replied, "I want to be with my brothers?"

"Who are your brothers, Omega?" Plo Koon asked.

Omega replied, "Hunter, Tech, Wrecker, and Crosshair,"

"Oh. Well, I believe they're on their way to training. Have the Kaminoans been hurting you?" Plo Koon asked a big note of worry in his voice.

Omega nodded and begged, "Yes. They tie me down or up and stick stuff in me or rub some strange gel over my body, I beg them to stop if they're hurting or humiliating me, but they won't,"

"There you are, Omega. We were wondering where you'd gotten to," Kuan Si said as he approached.

"Kuan Si. What are the Kaminoans doing to this child?" Plo Koon enquired, standing up and pushing Omega behind him.

Kuan Si stated, "Nala Se has said that Omega is Kaminoan property. And while I think some of the tests they perform on her are unnecessary, especially at her current age, I'm afraid a lot of them are required to guide tests for other squads,"

"But they're hurting and humiliating an innocent child. That is not acceptable," Plo Koon stated.

Kuan Si held the bridge of his nose and said, "With all due respect, Master Jedi, I have little power over it. Plus, I have already had this discussion with Master Ti. All I can do is supervise her when Nala Se doesn't need her. But we have to raise the best Clones we possibly can, and we need to test them to their limits. Omega here has a little bit of each of the enhancements of The Experimental Unit 99, and unfortunately, to guide testing of them, we have to test her. All I can do, along with Ninety-Nine, is comfort and counsel her to try and reduce the trauma of what Nala Se is doing to her" before he turns to Omega, "Actually, I'm glad I found you. Nala Se's called away, so we've got some time with just us and Ninety-Nine,"

"Alright," Omega sighed. Kuan Si then turned to Plo Koon and said, "If you could go and get Shaak Ti, I'm sure we can make today a day to remember for Omega,"

"Sounds like a plan," Plo Koon said, and they headed for Shaak Ti's chambers.

It turned out to be a day to remember positively for Omega. And although rare, these days went a long way to help prevent the further deterioration of Omega's already poor mental health.

Part 3: Banishment, Punishment, and Aftermath

Ages:

Omega: 8

Kuan Si was standing on the platform, surrounded by half a dozen Null-class Advanced Recon Commandos. Omega, Nala Se, Taun We, Lama Su, and several Kaminoan Guards were standing on the other side.

"You knew this would happen, Kuan Si. You tried to steal Kaminoan's property again. And what makes you think Jango Fett would have adopted Omega?" Lama Su snarled.

Kuan Si snapped back, "Jango's dad's instinct. He would have adopted her in a second,"

"He would never adopt her," Nala Se snapped.

Kuan Si called back, "You have no idea about the culture of Mandalorians. He would have adopted her, I know it."

"Well, now we're never going to find out. Null, take him away. And when you get to the designated planet, dispose of him," Lama Su snapped, and the Nulls dragged Kuan Si into the ship, which then flew off.

Omega looked nervously at Nala Se, and the look in her eyes told Omega that Nala Se would punish her. Hard.

Omega was terrified. What was Nala Se going to do to her? She's already done so much to her.

"Come," Nala Se stated angrily, and she gripped Omega's hand and dragged her towards the lab.

As it turned out, it was less punishment and more torture. The testing was relentless, intense, and non-stop, going for more than twelve hours without a break until Nala Se was satisfied that she'd punished Omega sufficiently to dissuade her from future attempted excursions.

"Are we done?" Omega moaned, wiping the tears out of her eyes, wincing as she did so as she looked up to Nala Se, who, without turning to face her or showing any sign of emotion, said, "I've finished testing you for now. You may go."

"Finally," Omega huffed as she grabbed her clothes and dragged herself to the refresher.

While the warm water felt soothing on her aching body, wiping the gel off her entire body wasn't pleasant. She winced every time she rubbed the cloth over her skin, and any sensitive areas burned to the touch, making her feel nauseous.

Ninety-Nine heard the shower running and knew Omega was trying to clean herself up after Nala Se's extreme testing. He tapped the door and asked, "Are you alright, ner ad'ika?"

"Can you get some anti-nausea and pain relief?" Omega called, trying to control rising nausea. Ninety-Nine called back, "On its way," he headed to the medical cabinet to get some medication for her.

A few minutes later, Omega had gotten the gel off her body and had wrapped herself in a towel when Ninety-Nine re-entered and gave her the pain relief and anti-nausea medication. After taking it, Ninety-Nine exited while Omega dried herself and got dressed.

"Come on, let's get you to bed. I'll see if I can page Shaak TI and Plo Koon to help you out while you recover,"

"Can you please stay with me tonight, Ninety-Nine? I'm not feeling too good," Omega stated and, seeing that Omega had a yellow tint to her skin, nodded, and replied, "Sure," before he helped Omega to her room. After getting her settled, Ninety-Nine sent a message to Shaak Ti and Plo Koon, then sat at her side, ready to take care of her if anything came up.

It was an hour after Omega started resting, but in the meantime, Omega had an accident.

Omega's room was warmer than outside. A light in the ceiling lit the room. The only sound came from Omega's sobbing and repeated apology. The smells and tastes were horrific, and both Shaak Ti and Plo Koon understood why masks were required. The floor was hard, even though there was carpet on it.

"What happened?" Shaak Ti asked, horrified to see Omega in hysterics, repeatedly apologising to Ninety-Nine as he tried to calm her down and reassure her that it wasn't her fault.

Shaak Ti observed the area and quickly realised how bad the accident was.

"Ninety-Nine, you and Plo take her bedding, take pictures of the mess, then throw it in the incinerator. Once her clothes are off, do the same with them. Then get fresh bedding and clothes for her, now," Shaak Ti stated authoritatively, and both Ninety-Nine and Plo Koon did as she asked, leaving Shaak Ti to use the force to calm Omega a bit.

"Omega, can you please follow me to the refresher? We can clean you up there," Shaak Ti suggested.

Omega nodded silently and allowed Shaak Ti to guide her to the refresher.

"What's going on?" came a voice from nearby as Plo and Ninety-Nine took the bedding towards the incinerator two floors up. Turning around, Plo Koon saw a Kaminoan guard standing nearby. Quickly, Plo Koon explained the situation.

"Nala Se helped trigger this?" the guard asked, disgust in his voice.

Ninety-Nine nodded, "I was there when it happened,"

"Alright. I'll distract Nala Se. She won't come snooping," the guard stated before running off. Plo Koon and Ninety-Nine reached the incinerator without incident and dumped the bedding.

"You go get Omega's clothes, Ninety-Nine. I'll stay here and watch over the incinerator," Plo suggested.

Ninety-Nine nodded, "You can count on me," before he departed.

With Shaak TI and Omega

"Will I be punished for this?" Omega asked timidly while Shaak Ti helped her undress. Thanks to the running shower, the refresher is warm and steamy, with lights around the corners between the walls and ceiling lighting up the refresher. Shaak Ti could hear the hum of the lights and the running shower. The smell and taste from Omega were just as horrid, and the tiled ground was hard.

Shaak Ti replied "No Omega. Losing control wasn't your fault. We'll clean you up, and then, I have a suggestion, but I'm going to need Nala Se to be distracted for a few hours,"

"Why?" Omega enquired, still in pain from the tests and the accident.

Shaak Ti replied, "Because I have a Bacta Pod in the back of my ship. And I want you to spend a few hours in there so you can heal from what Nala Se did to you,"

"OK," Omega replied as she entered the refresher, and Shaak Ti helped clean her up.

Ninety-Nine knocked on the door, and Shaak Ti called, "Is that you, Ninety-Nine?"

"Yes," Ninety-Nine replied. Shaak Ti then stated, "Her clothes are at the door,"

"Omega decent, or hidden behind the refresher curtain?" Ninety-Nine asked.

Shaak Ti replied, "She's behind the refresher curtain,"

"Good," Ninety-Nine replied as he opened the door, took Omega's clothes, and headed back towards the incinerator after getting photos of the mess.

Meanwhile, with the Guard

Nala Se had just finished stockpiling all the data she got from her punishment testing of Omega, and the guard entered her room.

"A tea to help you relax," the Guard said.

Nala Se replied, "Thanks. How's Omega?"

"Sore but resting. I think you were too rough with Omega for a punishment test," the Guard said.

Nala Se stated, "She needed punishment for trying to run away. I could only do certain things now. I couldn't justify it otherwise,"

A shiver went up the Guard's spine.

"I recommend you get some rest. Today's been a long day, and it's going to take a while to sort through the data you got," the Guard suggested.

After a few moments, Nala Se nodded, then replied, "I think I will". Once she finished the tea, she went to her room.

The Guard had spiked her tea with a sleeping potion. It would take long enough to activate that Nala Se wouldn't suspect a thing, but it would keep her out for at least 16 hours. With his work done, the Guard returned to the Incinerator.

With Plo Koon and Ninety-Nine

"You got her clothes?" Plo Koon enquired.

Ninety-Nine replied, "Yeah," he showed them.

"What a mess. I wouldn't try to clean the clothes. No wonder you're disposing of them," the Guard replied, horrified at how bad it was. He continued, "I think you've got 16 hours at least. I'd better get out of here before she figures out what I did to her,"

"Thank you. You have done a noble service today," Plo Koon said.

The Guard nodded and replied, "After what she did, it was my privilege," before he headed out. Plo Koon then put Omega's ruined clothes in the incinerator and turned it on.

"Now to get fresh clothes and bedding for her and clean up anything left behind," Ninety-Nine sighed.

Plo Koon nodded, and they got to work.

Thankfully Ninety-Nine didn't need to clean the carpet or bed, so he headed off for the night.

Back to Shaak Ti and Omega

Finally, Omega was clean. After wrapping her up in a towel, Shaak Ti said, "Alright. Let's get you to my ship,"

"Alright," Omega sighed, clinging to Shaak Ti, which made her smile. She guided Omega out and up to her ship.

When they arrived, it turned out to be a modified Consulate ship, long and red, with three engines at the very back.

"Where's the bacta pod?" Omega wondered.

Shaak Ti replied, "Follow me. It's towards the back", and she guided Omega onto the ship.

Inside, Shaak Ti's ship was warmer than the facility. The inside of the craft has grey walls, floor and ceiling, though the carpet was a mix of red, black and grey. The only sounds come from a few workers talking at the back of the ship. Omega could smell and taste bacta and the wash used to clean her. The carpet was almost as soft as the towel wrapped around her.

Once they reached the back, Omega saw medical personnel and two cylindrical white pods.

"Will I be going into one of those?" Omega asked.

Shaak Ti pointed to the one that seemed almost entirely windowless.

"Because you won't be wearing anything during treatment, you're going into that one, so you have a little privacy," Shaak Ti replied.

Omega nodded, "Thank you,"

"No problem, Omega," Shaak Ti replied as Omega gave the towel to Shaak Ti, who held the towel around her. With a bit of help, Omega got into the pod.

"Here's a breathing apparatus. This apparatus is what you use to breathe while submerged," Shaak Ti said, pointing to the breath mask.

Omega nodded and allowed Shaak Ti to put it over her nose and mouth.

"Rest up," Shaak Ti said.

Omega replied, "Alright," she drifted off to sleep. The window part was closed, and bacta filled the pod.

"How long is she going to need to be in there?" Plo Koon said as he approached carrying Omega's new clothes, making Shaak Ti jump

"You scared me. And, judging by what I saw, at least three hours,"

'I just hope nobody comes snooping," Plo Koon admitted.

Shaak Ti nodded, and they took seats nearby to keep an eye on her.

Part 4: The confrontation

Omega: 8

(Part 4 takes place the day after Part 3)

Nala Se awoke groggily, feeling that she had slept longer than she had intended. She looked around and saw that she had overslept. Her room was colder than the lab, which Nala Se didn't mind. From her perspective, blue painted walls and an off-white ceiling, which no normal being would see. The only light came from under the door and a bedside table light. She could smell and taste the remnants of her experiments and a bit of sweat. Her bed was hard but nice.

"Oh, kriff," Nala Se said as she pulled herself out of bed and got changed, wondering how she'd overslept. Once dressed, she headed out and ran straight into Taun We.

"There you are, finally. What kept you under?" fellow Kaminoan Scientist Taun We demanded.

Nala Se snapped, "I don't know. I think that Kaminoan Guard who gave me the tea must have spiked it with a sleeping potion,"

"What?" Taun We was shocked.

Nala Se replied, "It's the only explanation for why I slept so long,"

"Wow. Well, since you're finally up, I wanted to discuss a few things related to the tests you did on Omega yesterday after Kuan Si was banished," Taun We stated.

Nala Se replied, "Give me a few minutes to wake up properly. Then I'll join you,"

"Alright," Taun We replied, and she went to the lab while Nala Se went to grab some caff.

Ten minutes later, Nala Se joined Taun We in the lab. It was warmer here, though due to the constant storm, the time was hard to establish. The area glowed with blue lights from the pods, stairs and computer. Nala Se could smell and taste the electricity running through the electronic devices and her caff. The seats were solid but supportive.

"I saw some of your data from your testing of Omega. And, in your angry determination to punish Omega, you may have made a lot more work for yourself," Taun We stated, staring at Nala Se. She turned, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Remember the baseline tests you have to do on Omega annually?" Taun We asked Nala Se. "Well, you're now going to have to redo all of those tests and do a ton of calculations to re-calibrate your baseline," to Nala Se's shock.

"What?" Nala Se shouted.

Taun We took Nala Se through what effects her punishment testing had potentially done on Omega's body, externally and internally.

"Remember what we said about testing while angry?" Taun We finally started.

Nala Se sighed, "It can cause more problems than it solves," before she asked, "Do you think that's what happened?"

"Once you re-run the baseline tests, we'll see," Taun We replied.

Nala Se groaned at her life in the last 24 hours. The tea she'd drunk had a sleeping potion in it. She was expecting two Jedi Masters to storm into her lab at any time to confront her about what she did to Omega. She didn't know when she'd be able to start testing Omega again. Now Taun We were telling her that not only were much of the results she'd obtained potentially compromised at best and useless and worst but that her experiments have potentially compromised future tests.

It was then that Nala Se realised something she'd just felt. To her horror, a pang of guilt. Guilt over how she'd treated Omega in her anger.

"What's up?" Taun We asked.

Nala Se replied, "I'm waiting for two Jedi Masters to storm in here to confront me about Omega. I've got a lot of tedious tests to perform, and I don't know how long it'll be before I can do them. And all the extra work I have to do, putting our Clone program behind schedule,"

"Understandable. But you've got this. You'll be OK, Nala Se," Taun We reassured.

Nala Se nodded. She then continued with, "I think I'll start going through the data and any notes you left me,"

"Good luck," Taun We replied, and she departed, leaving Nala Se to her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Shaak Ti and Plo Koon

"Come on. We're going down to Nala Se's lab. We've got to confront Nala Se about what she did to Omega," Shaak Ti snapped suddenly to Plo Koon, who calmly replied, "Calm down, Shaak Ti. It won't do us any good to go in if you're upset or angry,"

"I know. But we should not have to stick an 8-year-old kid in a Bacta Pod, all because Nala Se was angry at her," Shaak Ti shot back. Plo Koon put a hand on her shoulder and said, "I understand your anger. But, but this is Nala Se we're talking about. If we're too aggressive, she'll hurt Omega again. We don't want a vicious cycle". After a few moments, Shaak Ti sighed, nodded, and then replied, "You're right, Plo. Give me a few moments to calm down, and then we'll go confront her,"

"Good. I'll wait for you outside," Plo Koon replied, and he got up and headed out of the ship. After about ten minutes, Shaak Ti joined him.

"Calmer now?" Plo Koon asked.

Shaak Ti nodded. The duo then went to Nala Se's lab.

When they arrived at Nala Se's lab, they saw her going through the data of her experimentation on Omega.

"I've been waiting for you two to show up," Nala Se turned and glared at them.

Shaak Ti and Plo Koon, however, we unfazed.

"What the hell did you do to Omega?" Shaak Ti questioned.

Nala Se replied, "You have no say over what I do. She is Kaminoan property, not the Republic,"

Plo Koon then explained what happened with Omega after her testing.

"You're hurting her. You hurt an 8-year-old girl so badly that she needed a Bacta Pod to recover," Shaak Ti stated.

Nala Se retorted, "She shouldn't have tried to leave Kamino,"

"She does not deserve any of what you did to her because of Kuan Si. She's hurting, inside and outside. And" Shaak Ti said, and gave a deep breath, then said, "She may be Force Sensitive. And if that's the case, then I may have no choice but to inform the Jedi Council about what you're doing to her,"

Nala Se took a step back, surprised. Plo Koon turned and looked puzzled at Shaak Ti, but she waved him down.

"Tell the Jedi Council. You'll make her suffering worse. I can promise you that," Nala Se stated, trying to keep her bravery up. Plo Koon started, "She doesn't deserve any of this. What gives you the right to abuse her like this? You disgust me. What's the point in testing her so harshly?"

"I'm testing her skills and enhancements. If we want to build the best Clones possible, we need to test their limits,"

"But that won't work if you destroy their mental health in the process," Shaak Ti snapped. Nala Se sighed, finally giving out, then stated, "Tell you what, thanks to, as Taun We called it, testing while angry, I've potentially stuffed up the testing program. So, if you don't tell the Republic about what I'm doing, I'll take a break from testing Omega and the other Clones, at least until I undo the damage I've done, and when I resume, It'll be a considerably lesser degree,"

Shaak Ti and Plo Koon thought about it for a moment, and then Shaak Ti sighed, "Fine. It's a deal. But let me tell you this. I find out that you've returned the testing of Omega to original levels, and my lightsaber will be sticking out of your sternum," Shaak Ti warned, and Plo Koon just sighed and shook his head. Nala Se flinched, then stated, "Fine,"

Both Shaak Ti and Plo Koon nodded and departed.

Then Nala Se noticed that the feeling of guilt was back. And this time, it was harder to push down. Shaak Ti finally sighed and then went back to work. It will be a couple of weeks before she can redo the baseline tests. Nala Se won't need the additional work.

Back to Shaak Ti and Plo Koon.

"You were trying to pull the Force Sensitive card? But I couldn't detect anything from her," Plo Koon stated.

Shaak Ti replied, "I know. She's not sensitive to the force, but I thought that if I pulled the Force Sensitive card, I might stop her from abusing her more. Also, she has shown Abilities that are mistaken for force sensitivity. Maybe you, Ninety-Nine and I can help Omega now,"

"Ah, I see. You were using that as a card to get some concessions. Well done," Plo Koon replied.

They soon reached Omega's room and found her and Ninety-Nine talking. The room was warmer than earlier, and the horrid smell and taste were gone, replaced by the wash Omega used for her skin. The only sound came from Ninety-Nine and Omega talking. The carpet was softer than before. Omega saw Shaak Ti and Plo Koon. She ran up and hugged them.

"How did it go?" Ninety-Nine asked.

Shaak Ti explained, "Nala Se has agreed to take a break from testing Omega and to reduce the intensity of the testing afterwards,"

"Good," Ninety-Nine replied.

Omega sighed, "Thank you for helping me,"

"We wish we could have done more, but it was the best we could get," Plo Koon said kindly.

Ninety-Nine stated, "You two managed to make things easier on her. That's all I could have realistically asked for", and both Plo Koon and Shaak Ti smiled.

"Stay strong, Omega. We'll find a way to get you to your brothers, though we have to be discreet, for all Clones," Plo Koon said, while Shaak Ti added, "Perhaps we can sneak some things for you. And tell us if she continues testing you at the same pace,"

"That would be great, and I will," Omega replied, perking up a bit.

Over the next few days, Shaak Ti, Ninety-Nine and Plo Koon stayed by Omega's side as she recovered. Omega needed two more immersions in bacta to, at least physically, properly recover. It was better to be safe than sorry, so Shaak Ti didn't complain.

And although Shaak Ti and Plo Koon couldn't stay around, they still popped in to talk with her or sneak her a treat over the next couple of years. And while Nala Se expressed disapproval at first, she saw that Omega was more productive while being spoiled, so she let it slide.

"How have the tests been going?" Shaak Ti enquired one day.

Omega replied, "A lot better, thanks to you and Plo Koon. She even changed a couple of things she's using on me, so they don't cause me as many side effects,"

"Good. I wish we didn't have this war. Plo Koon and I would take all of you off Kamino," Shaak Ti replied, thinking in her mind, "And run my lightsaber through those Demgolkas,"

"I know," Omega replied.

Part 5: Death of Ninety-Nine

Omega: 10

Clone Force 99: 18

The day Kamino was attacked, Ninety-Nine died. Shaak Ti and Plo Koon went to comfort the Batch, then went to find Omega.

They found her curled in her bed, crying a heartbroken sob.

"She knows," Shaak Ti sighed as she sat next to Omega, who climbed herself against Shaak.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Omega." Plo Koon said as he put his hand on Omega's shoulder. Omega sobbed, "Ninety-nine was always good to me. He was one to comfort me after Nala Se's latest round of abuse. He gave me some stuff from each of my brothers,"

"He was a good man and a good soldier. The Republic has agreed to allow your brothers to name their squad after him," Shaak Ti said.

Plo Koon added, "I hope to serve on a mission alongside Clone Force 99,"

"So do I" Shaak Ti replied. Omega sighed, "I'd love to join them someday. How are they?"

"They're heartbroken like you are, but you'll all be OK," Shaak Ti replied.

Shaak Ti and Plo Koon stayed with Omega over the next few days, helping to comfort her and ensure she was OK. To their shock, Nala Se even briefly stopped abusing her. Nala Se not hurting her allowed Omega to move on from the death of Ninety-Nine.