There was something seriously wrong about Kamino.

Bant had felt that way even before she had stepped foot onto the planet, back when she'd heard about it from Obi Wan. A planet hidden from the Jedi yet who claimed that they were working for the Jedi? It didn't make any sense and if not for the war she knew that her friend and others would have questioned it more. But the need for the cloners to continue supplying them troops meant that the Jedi, even if they had the time, couldn't afford to look to deeply into them lest they annoy their allies and cause them to decide that maybe credits weren't enough to keep them in a war being fought by two sides that they had no stake or interest in.

"You okay?" Quinlan asked as the two of them made their way down one of the few barren halls of the housing facility.

"Yes," Bant said softly, managing a smile. "Just… thinking."

"About what?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Meh, tell me now," Quinlan said with a smirk. "It's a long walk to their quarters and there is nothing to see but these ugly walls."

Bant frowned at that. "Shouldn't we be a bit more… stealthy? You told me the Kaminoians have been weird before about letting Jedi just talk with certain clones. And this is Clone Force 99…"

"Yeah, the long necks get all twitchy if you ask to just wander about. I hear Shaak Ti is still forced to march about with an honor guard around here. But Bane and I made sure there would be enough distractions to keep them all nice and busy."

"What… did you do?" Bant asked slowly, knowing that with Quinlan one ALWAYS had to double check on his decisions to go off plan.

"Don't worry, everyone will live," he assured her before mumbling under his breath, "assuming they don't go down to the third level for another 20 minutes…" He smiled at her after that and Bant wondered how much of that last comment was true and how much of it was him just trying to get a rise out of her. When she didn't take the bait though Quinlan merely asked, "So what's the problem?"

"I don't like being here… everything is… wrong."

"You sense it too then?"

"I don't know how Master Shaak Ti stands living here," Bant said with a frown. "The Force… its… stale."

"Stale?"

"Like bread left out too long."

"hmmm… I always equated it to an odd hum… a great orchestra but there was one flute playing this weird buzzing noise. There is something wrong but it takes you a while to notice."

"Did you really think that or are you stealing that from someone?"

"I thought it."

"Because there is simply no way you know what an orchestra sounds like."

"…maybe Obi said it first but he was right about it!" Quinlan shook his head in annoyance. "But yeah, I get it… there is something off about this place."

"Its all artificial and fake," Bant complained. "You notice that we haven't met a single old Kaminioan? Or a child?"

"Retired or in school."

"I don't mean here, Quinlan… I mean ever. No Jedi has ever met anyone other than an adult of the same age among the Kaminoians."

"…you think they-"

"Are all clones themselves, yes," Bant said. "Or genetically modified. I've noticed a few of the older adults have issues… their skin has some cracking at the joints, their eyes are a bit watery." She waved towards one of the walls. "This is an aquatic planet with no land masses. So they should be an aquatic race. But look at their bodies… they aren't designed for swimming. No webbing, no fins. They only have lungs but with those thin bodies they wouldn't be able to stay under water for long. Not at the deep depths that would offer protection."

"…you think they altered themselves."

"And they are having issues. There are problems. But they don't seem to care." She frowned. "I wonder… is the Lama Su that Obi Wan met a year ago the same one here."

Quinlan raised an eyebrow at that. "That is rather dark and suspicious thinking there, Bant." He smirked. "You are making your Uncle Vos so proud."

Bant huffed at that. "You're only three years older than me. And then there are the clones. I get that they need things to be sterile, because they are doing delicate work… but even the living quarters are so… plain. I don't feel like I'm walking towards someone's home."

Her friend's smile fell. "It's a droid factory." She snapped her head around. "They give them Droid Names, Bant. CC-1557 and all that. All looking the same, all taught the same moves, and if need be they make variations. Models for flight, models for healing. Living, breathing droids."

"…and we command them without a second thought." Bant felt faint and Quinlan grabbed her arm. "By the Force…"

"I know, I know," he whispered, pausing in the hall. "It freaked me out too. Why do you think I gave up commanding troopers so quickly? I touched one of their helmets and saw their lives and I was disgusted."

"We have to stop this…"

"One mission at a time," Quinlan told her. "First we find Obi. Then we get him to help us stop this sith shit of a war. Then we deal with these long neck bastards… and any Jedi who think this is still the way of the Force."

Bant managed a nod at that, her mind still racing at the implications she'd accidently stumbled upon. It was horrible and nightmarish to think about but Quinlan was right… they are a job to do. Bane was waiting for them and Obi Wan was out there somewhere, waiting for rescue. As much as it hurt her heart to allow this… injustice… to continue on she accepted that she couldn't really do anything about it at the moment anyway.

But she could save her friend.

"Now, remember what I told you about these four," Quinlan said with as they finally reached a door that stood out from all the others thanks to the spray painted '99' on it. "They are an acquired taste. They'll get the job done but their methods are… different."

"I'll manage," Bant said, palming the door control… just in time for three mouse droids to come flying out of the entryway, letting out panicked squeals just before they struck the wall. They were durable little things though so they merely bounced and rolled away as quickly as they could.

"HA!" A deep, guttural voice called out; it sounded similar to the clones but… different. It was odd to hear, especially after hearing the same voice over and over again as she had listened in to log entries from the clone medics. "I win!"

"Wrecker," another voice, closest to standard clone voice but still slightly different, said in exasperation, "the contest was to hit a target with a knife. That was a mouse droid."

"And you didn't even hit the target," a third person, their voice far more condescending, stated.

The first person, Wrecker, let out a huff at that and suddenly Bant found herself staring at a wall of muscle. "Aw, come on! I so too would have hit the target if the door hadn't opened… huh." Wrecker looked down at her. "Boys, we got company!"

Quinlan chuckled and entered the rooms, which unlike everything else in Kamino had a very 'lived in' feeling. Spray paint applied to the durasteel, furniture that Bant knew wasn't from the quartermaster of Kamino, different trophies including droid parts scattered about…

"You okay, General?" a long haired clone with half his face decorated in a dark gray tattoo asked, walking up to her.

"I'm fine," Bant assured him with a smile. "Just… your quarters are the first time I've felt at ease since I landed on this planet."

"Heh, course they are!" the biggest of the clones declared, walking past her and throwing himself onto a couch that groaned under his weight. "Its great! Best chairs and couches around!"

"I believe she is referring to more than just our furniture," another clone, this one with a cultured accent and yellow-tinted specs, stated.

Quinlan waved his hand towards the group. "Bant, this is Clone Force 99. Hunter, Crosshairs, Wrecker, and Tech. The best and the worst that Kamino has to offer, depending if where you are standing."

"And sometimes that doesn't matter," Crosshairs said with a smirk, moving to a corner and crossing his arms over his chest.

Bant went over what she knew of the four. Clone Force 99, aka The Bad Batch, were an experimental group of clones. The Kaminos had decided to try out, on a smaller scale, altering the genetics of Jango Fett to see if they could improve upon the standard clone cadet. They had succeeded… and failed. Succeeded in the fact that the group was far more gifted than the typical clone battalion. Hunter was the greatest tracker in the GAR, rivaling the Jedi and sometimes, according to Quinlan, surpassing them. Crosshairs had the cool detachment and patience made of durasteel needed to be a sniper, holding the Galactic record for distance. Wrecker was able to accomplish feats of strength that would make many alien races that prided themselves on their toughness shuffle awkwardly. And Tech was an utter genius who could break down code or hack into the most protected systems in the Galaxy.

They were failures because in order to get them to that level of skill the Kaminioians had been forced to not tamper with anything else, meaning that the natural obedience most clones had when it came to following orders didn't exist. They were wild, antagonistic, and willing to do whatever THEY wanted to get a job done.

Bant BASKED in their conflicting personalities, savoring how the Force sang around them.

"So, what can we do for ya, Vos?" Hunter asked, drawing Bant out of her thoughts. "I have a feeling you aren't here for a social call." He paused. "Gonna pay me the credits you owe me?"

"Yeah," Quinlan said, reaching into a pouch on his belt and pulling out a handful of credits, tossing them to Hunter. Though the clone was clearly startled by that he rapidly launched his hand out, catching them from the air smoothly.

"Okay…" Hunter said slowly as he pocketed the creds, "something is wrong."

"You heard about what happened the Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Pad-"

"Yeah, we heard about it," Crosshairs said, cutting him off. "Hard to miss it."

Tech chimed in. "Roughly 14 standard months ago they, along with Padawan Ahsoka Tano, Senator Padme Amidala, and Captain Rex were killed in a Separatist bombing."

"They aren't dead," Bant said quickly.

Hunter glanced at her before looking over at Quinlan. "She serious or just wishful thinking?"

Quinlan tossed a small data reader to Tech, who wheeled his chair over to a computer terminal and plugged it in. After a moment the footage of the bombing began to play. "You'll need to slow it down to-"

"There," Crosshairs said suddenly, moving towards the screen and hitting pause. "They vanish just before the explosion."

"What?!" Wrecker said, shoving Crosshairs out of the way. "I don't see anything but fire!"

"I didn't see anything either," Hunter admitted.

"I DID," Crosshairs warned. "Tech, replay and slow it down, just as Vos said."

Tech did and Bant watched as, frame by frame, her friend and his group moved… then disappeared… then the explosion.

"How interesting," Tech said, leaning back. "Do you believe the footage was tampered with or that there is some device we are unaware of at work? Some sort of… teleporter?"

Bant shrugged. "We don't know and that's the problem. The Republic isn't allowing anyone to head in and investigate. The Chancellor… I'm sure he has his reasons but we can't do anything to actually look into things."

"And that is where you 4 come in," Quinlan informed them. "We have a ship that can get us there. And a pilot… Cad Bane."

Hunter frowned at that. "The Bounty Hunter? We heard word he was being courted by the Seppies."

"That seems very likely," Tech stated. "Hmmm…" he began to tap away as the computer that was mounted on his gauntlet, adjusting his glasses; Bant guessed he had something built into them that was allowing him to see screens. "According to this Bane has stopped working for the Hutts recently due to disagreements in how to handle Jedi looking into the slave trade… the Hutts were the ones urging caution."

"I'm paying him good credits to help us," Quinlan said. "And before you ask I trust him… the Separatists aren't looking to increase their forces."

"They aren't?" Crosshairs asked, frowning at that. "Doesn't sound like them… they love throwing away credits."

"Something has happened… something that has spooked Dooku." Quinlan frowned. "You gentlemen wouldn't have heard anything about that, would you have?"

"Who ya callin' a gentleman!?" Wrecker snapped, leaping to his feet, Hunter putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Us. He was calling us it."

"Oh… heh, well that's okay!" The large clone laughed and settled back down on the couch.

Hunter just shook his head before looking at the two Jedi. "We've heard bits and pieces. The Seppies have been getting… nervous. The Count is spending more time in his castle rather than going out into the field. Not meeting with planets that are debating if they want to stay or go. Not making surprise appearances to scare Generals who aren't giving it their all into sticking with the cause."

Crosshairs pulled out a toothpick and stuck it between his teeth. "And then there is that bald fem he has running around, the one with the red lightsabers."

"Asajj Ventress," Bant supplied.

The clone who clearly got his name from the crosshairs scar over his right eye (or had he gotten the scar after claiming the name?) narrowed his eyes at that. "Yeah, her. She hasn't been seen for a few months."

"And do you like that or hate that?" Quinlan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I want another shot at her," Crosshairs stated and Bant had a feeling that he wasn't being metaphorical with that comment.

"The point," Hunter said, "is that the Seppies aren't acting like they were at the beginning of the war. Something has spooked them…"

"One moment," Tech said, giving up using his wrist computer and instead moving to the main one in their room, tapping away at the keyboard. "I just want to check a few things."

"What are you thinking?" Hunter asked, leaning closer to Tech.

The bespectacled clone frowned. "Crosshairs, that incident at the smelting factory was how many weeks-" Crosshairs, rather than answer, grabbing the keyboard and entered in the date himself. "Thank you," Tech said, not disturbed at all by his brother's actions. "Now then…" Tech said as a graph appeared on the screen, "this shows the ebb and flow of the war when it comes to Separatists actions. I have been going over it, trying to see if I can find any patterns that would help us determine when we should make a push and when to prepare to defend."

"We let him do that because it means more fun fighting!" Wrecker called out helpfully.

"Now then, as you can see here for the first 6 months of the war the pattern was fairly standard. Move to take territory, lose territory… similar to what you would see with the Republic and our own successes and failures during the War."

"But there is a change," Bant said, pointing to the graph. "A sudden drop and then the gains decrease. And while they have been losing territory it has been slower."

"Because they aren't stretching themselves out," Hunter said. "They are committing, forcing us into more sieges."

"And it all centers right here…" Bant said, pointing at one point on the graph just before the drop. She quickly looked at Tech who nodded. "Right when Obi Wan disappeared."

"Indeed. Within three months of their disappearance the war shifted, with far less daring strikes, less dramatic pushes, and far more holding of territories."

Hunter rubbed his chin. "If the Seppies had captured them and found some way to use them they wouldn't be so cautious. They would be pushing hard."

"What if they are preparing for something big?" Quinlan asked. "A strike on a core world?"

"We'd see evidence," Tech said.

"Like?" Bant asked.

"Food!" Wrecker called out, surprising them all.

"You can eat later," Crosshairs grumbled.

"Not me! The Seppies! They need to feed their generals, right? And they need stuff for their droids, don't they? But they aren't buying up a ton of stuff, are they?"

"He's… correct," Tech said, clearly surprised by Wrecker's insight. "I have been pressing for High Command to look into such things… and to protect our own supply lines. You can learn much about Army Movements from their supplies."

"So they aren't planning things… which means they have no idea what happened to Obi Wan and the rest either," Quinlan said with a frown. "Meaning they are just as confused as we are."

"Which makes it even more important we find out what happened," Hunter stated.

"You're in?" Quinlan asked.

"Why do you need us, anyway?" Hunter pressed. "You have a pilot who happens to be a bounty hunter… and you two are Jedi…"

"I'm just a healer," Bant admitted.

Vos chimed in, "And I'd feel better if it weren't just me and the Duros known for trying to kill Jedi."

"Wait, what?" Bant said, having not known THAT about Bane.

"It's fine," Quinlan said in a tone that made it clear to her that it wasn't fine at all but he didn't want to admit that. "But getting to the facility itself where the explosion occurred is the problem. We need you four to help us out. The Separatists hold the planet and scouting tells us that they have heavily secured the area-"

"All right!" Wrecker said, smacking his fist into his open palm. "Finally some action!"

"Hmmm," Crosshairs said, leaning against a wall, chewing on his toothpick. "I suppose I have to commend you for being smart enough to go to the best." He glanced at Hunter. "What say you?"

"I say we're in."

"YES!" Wrecker said. "I'm gonna go pack!" She heard the large man run to his bunk, muttering about needing his tooka, and Bant wondered just what she was getting into…

~MC~MC~MC~

"You are doubling my pay," Bane said once they had gone to lightspeed. Clone Force 99 was decked out in their full armor going through their packs and duffels, all of which they had told the jedi they had to have if they couldn't take their ship, The Marauder. While it was a powerful ship, admittedly, they needed something far more stealthy, thus Bane's Xanadu Blood was chosen.

"Oh yeah?" Quinlan asked with a smirk. "Why is that? Considering how much I'm already paying you…"

Bane growled and gestured at a doorway. "You left me with him!"

"Mistress Eerin!" Threepio declared, shuffling over to her as quickly as he could. "I am so pleased to see you. Captain Bane refuses to listen to me about the need to upgrade his navi system; he claims it is good enough for what he desires but the foul language it spat at me…"

"Can't see why it'd do that," Crosshairs commented drily.

Bant sighed, recalling all her calming techniques. While Threepio had his uses the fussy droid could get on everyone's nerves. The problem was that Artoo for some reason refused to go anywhere without the golden protocol droid and thus they were stuck with him.

"Yeah, that's fair," Quinlan admitted, Bane nodding after a moment before going over to check his weapons.

Artoo wheeled over to Bant, bumping into her. "Don't worry, little guy," she assured him, "we'll find Obi Wan and Anakin soon. And everyone else."

"Breee boop bree!"

"I quite agree, Artoo," Threepio stated. "Mistress Bant has made a promise and she will hold to it. Though why we are bringing a child with us on such a dangerous mission-"

"A child?" Bant said, blinking. "What child?"

"Why, this one!" Threepio said, walking over to a crate, knocking on it with his hand… and causing it to open, a young human girl with blonde hair who was dressed in the style of the Kaminoians to tumbling out.

At once everyone was on their feet.

"What is THAT?!" Wrecker asked.

"It appears to be an adolescent female. Origin… unknown," Tech said.

"Thank you, that was so helpful," Bane growled.

"Uh… hello," the girl said with a weak smile and a wave. "I'm Omegah."

Quinlan frowned. "How did you get on board?"

"Oh," Omega chuckled, "that was easy!" But rather than continue she ran past the Jedi right to the Bad Batch. "I had to follow you… I've wanted to see you again for so long!"

"See us… again?" Hunter asked.

"Yes," Omega said. "You don't remember… we were all little… but I do." She began to point to them. "Hunta, Tick, Ricka, and Rosshaar. Clone Force 99."

"Well, you met us," Crosshairs said. "Now time to get you back-"

"But you can't!" Omega pleaded. "We belong together!"

"Look kid," Hunter said slowly, trying to keep things calm. Bant was glad for that as the last thing they needed was a little girl throwing a temper tantrum around so many weapons. "I don't know why you think you need to be here but-"

"Vode stick together!" Omega declared fiercely. "They separated us but we're together again."

"…oh my," Tech whispered.

"What?" Wrecker said, confused. "What is it?"

"Clones are always grown in batches of five." He silently pointed at himself and his brothers… and then Omega.

Bant's eyes widened.

"This is nice but unless you are paying you aren't allowed on my ship," Bane said. "I'm sure there is a rock we can drop you off on…"

"You need me," Omega said, turning to glare at Bane. "If you want to find your friends."

"They aren't-"

Bant cut him off. "What do you mean, Omega?"

The girl smiled.

"I know the codes to get into the computer system… the one for the building Master Kenobi disappeared in."