Since arriving on Dantooine after the death of Captain Rex during the mission on Onderon, Clone Force 99 has been working to transition from Military to Civilian life. Thanks to the combined efforts of the Lawquanes, Alejandro's family, Mrs Sasori and other staff members of Alejandro's school and the Clone Support Unit recently established by the Dantooine government in solidarity with Clones, a dilapidated old mansion was refurbished, rebuilt and modernised into a modern house for the squad of six. Meanwhile, the team of six had mainly resided on the Havoc Marauder or lived with the Lawquanes.

Clone Force 99, at the suggestion of both Suu Lawquane and Alejandro's mother, Aurora, was also starting to prepare Omega to attend Dalmon High School the following year. Preparing Omega for school life has proven a struggle as the team endeavours to learn all of Omega's triggers from the abuse she endured at the hands of the Kaminoans and being on the run for over a year. The team has also discovered that, due to being on the run for over a year and being able to fight back against her oppressors, Omega's flight/fight/freeze is out of sync and currently jammed on the fight response. The weekly therapy sessions had started to make positive changes for Omega. But she still had occasional outbursts when feeling heavy emotions, including clenching her fists without realising she was doing that.

And due to living on sterile Kamino for most of her life, Omega's immune system is nearly non-existent, so in addition to getting regularly sick after missions, the vaccines Omega needed to attend the school likely would have little effect due to how weak her immune system is. Combined with a relatively small appetite despite having entered her teenage years, the squad knew they needed to do everything they could to ensure Omega was living a healthy, happy life. Tech took control of the nutrition side and has started on a carefully constructed diet for Omega to boost her immune system and appetite and ensure she gets all the vitamins and minerals to grow and develop normally. There have been signs of progress in the immune system. There had also been progress ensuring Omega got her vitamins and minerals, with help from supplements, but developing a healthier appetite has proven less successful. Everyone also came together to help Omega with her physical and mental health so she can live day-to-day without constant anxiety, nightmares and panic attacks.

Two weeks before the end of the year on Dantooine, Alejandro informs Omega about the Dantooine Solstice Festival. The Dantooine Solstice Festival is a planetary festival celebrating the longest/shortest day of the year on Dantooine. Omega was so excited to hear about this and peppered Alejandro with questions. When she got home later that day, Omega couldn't wait to tell her brothers about it.

It was a warm summer day in Tanlaro Town, where Clone Force 99, the Lawquanes, Alejandro's family and Mrs Sasori lived.

Their living quarters were comfortable enough for all six members to have their own space. Every bedroom had a private ensuite and a separate room for personal pursuits. Omega was very grateful for the private ensuite, as she had the privacy she never had on Kamino, and her brothers wouldn't have to awkwardly wait for Omega to finish in the refresher of the Havoc Marauder before using it. Omega enters the mansion where her brothers live with her, and the scents in the Kitchen from dinner assault her senses.

The Kitchen is lit by diffuse lamps in the ceiling as she took a seat on the solid but supportive chair. Everyone can see that no chair is the same at the table, though only Omega, or someone her size or smaller, could see the tiny Lula sticker she had stuck on the underside of the table. Hunter, Wrecker, Crosshair and Cid were all seated at the table.

"You seem excited about something," Hunter said when he noticed Omega enter.

"Al told me about an event called the Dantooine Solstice Festival coming up next week," Omega replied.

"What's so special about this festival?" Crosshair asked sceptically.

"The longest day of the year, if I remember correctly," Hunter replied, turning to Tech.

"Yes. Or shortest in the Northern Hemisphere," Tech replied.

"I still don't get why that's worthy of a celebration," Crosshair sneered.

"We're coming to the end of the year, and the longest day of the year coincides with that time. It's tradition on Dantooine to celebrate both," Tech continued.

Crosshair shrugged, "If there's anything archery-related, I might give it a go. But I'll pass otherwise,"

Omega gave a frustrated groan, "Crosshair! Come on. It's a family event,"

"Whatever," Crosshair replied.

"If you want," Cid started, "You can come grump with me. Let Tiny enjoy this with her friends, alright?"

Cid then turned to Omega, "Speaking of Tiny, who are you planning to invite?"

"Hera, Jek and Shaeeah, Alejandro, possibly Boba too," Omega counted off.

"And their associated families. That's nearing the 30-people mark," Cid replied, "I'm warning you now, boys. Without careful planning, this could go wrong too easily,"

"We'll manage," Hunter replied. Crosshair shrugged, and Omega glared at him, fists clenched.

"Don't give me that look, young lady," Crosshair sneered, "Though you do look like a female mini-me when you make that face,"

"I'm looking forward to it," Wrecker called.

"It could be fun," Tech admitted.

"As I said, Toothpick, you can grump with me. This sort of thing isn't for me now due to age," Cid suggested.

"I guess," Crosshair replied.

Cid then turned to Omega, "I'll take care of Toothpick, alright, Tiny? You focus on enjoying yourself,"

Still looking frustrated about Crosshair but heartened to a degree by her other brothers, Omega nodded, "Alright, Aunty Cid,"

The following 24 hours were hectic as Clone Force 99 started planning and preparing. After accepting additional guests the Syndullas asked to bring, they altered plans to accommodate the newcomers.

Meanwhile, with the Lawquanes

The Lawquanes, meanwhile, were preparing for the Dantooine Solstice Festival. Having a baby complicated everything, but the Lawquanes were determined to ensure everyone had a positive experience.

Cut had just gotten off the phone with Clone Force 99 when Shaeeah entered the Kitchen. It was a warm Summer's afternoon on Dantooine, and the scent of washed utensils wafted through the Kitchen. The dishwasher hummed, and Shaeeah could feel the solid floor on her feet. Everyone noticed the dishwasher, though Shaeeah or Jek if he was here, could see part of the mess of wires at the back.

"Hey, Dad, what's up?" Shaeeah asked.

"Clone Force 99 wants to celebrate the Dantooine Solstice Festival at their place, and they invited us," Cut replied.

"Really?" Shaeeah asked, her eyes lighting up. When Cut nodded, Shaeeah cheered.

"What's this about a celebration?" came a voice from nearby. Turning around, Cut and Shaeeah saw Jek at the entrance.

"We're going to hang out with big sister Omega while celebrating the Dantooine Solstice Festival," Shaeeah explained.

Jek nodded, though without enthusiasm, "That'll be nice. Will Alexis be there?"

"She should. Alejandro is Omega's best friend, so it'd be logical if Alexis is there too," Shaeeah replied. Jek gave a small smile, then departed, leaving Shaeeah confused.

"I thought Jek would be happier or more enthusiastic about this," Shaeeah sighed, confused.

"That's grief for you, Shaeeah. He's doing better than he was, but the healing process can take a long time. Especially if it's your first experience with grief," Cut replied, resting a hand on Shaeeah's shoulder.

Taking a breath, Shaeeah nodded, "I'm concerned, that's all. I don't want his grief to disrupt such a celebratory event,"

"I know. But we'll be OK. You'd better get ready, alright? We're heading over there tomorrow after swimming," Cut replied.

"OK," Shaeeah replied before she departed, leaving Cut to wonder what else he could do to help Jek deal with his grief.

Meanwhile Boba Fett

It's a warm mid-afternoon Summer on Dantooine as Slave 1 lands outside the Batch household.

Light from Dantooine's star shines on Slave 1 as Boba, Bossk, and Latts depart the craft. Boba can hear the distant sound of people inside the household. He can smell and taste the grass and dirt of the ground and the brick and wood of the house. The earth is soft on Boba's boots. Everyone can see the small garden out the front, though only Boba saw the memorial to Captain Rex inside the flower patch.

"Now remember, Boba. Arla will have other friends over, so don't push yourself onto her. Remember to befriend her friends, and you'll have a better time," Latts said.

"Right," Boba replied nervously.

Latts chuckled and rested her hand on his shoulder, "Lighten up Boba. It's not the like Empire's going to attack us,"

Boba took a deep breath and relaxed noticeably. Bossk, meanwhile, glanced around quickly.

"What's up?" Latts asked.

"Cid. I think she's here," Bossk replied.

"And why is that an issue?" Latts asked. Boba turned curiously to face Bossk.

"Let's just say that she and I don't get on too well," Bossk conceded.

"You two will have to find ways to avoid confrontation if we want this to work," Boba replied.

"Yes, boss. I'll try to stay away from her, alright?" Bossk asked.

"Alright," Boba replied, turning back. Once they reached the door, Boba suddenly registered more than a dozen voices and was visibly nervous as he knocked.

Meanwhile, with the Batch

The atmosphere was tense as Clone Force 99 awaited the arrival of everyone they'd invited. The approach of an unknown trio was unsettling everyone. It was a warm summer's day, and Omega caught the scent of everyone's nerves combined with the sweat beading in the collar of her shirt. The sound of the air conditioner working to keep the house cool hummed from the other room. Hunter was standing with his arms crossed. Wrecker bounced nervously on his heels while Tech was rapidly scrolling on his datapad, his eyes jumping between the door and his datapad constantly. Echo and Crosshair were talking behind them.

Suddenly, there's a knock on the door.

"Here we go," Omega said as Hunter walked over and opened the door.

Hera, Cham, Eleni and Howzer were at the door. Immediately, Omega and Hera spot each other, run up and hug each other.

"It's so good to see you again," Hera said.

"Good to see that you're doing well," Omega replied. They turned and saw something that quickly soured each other's mood.

Cham and Crosshair were staring at each other, their eyes locked. The two didn't like each other, and it showed. Their past on Ryloth echoed back, and both clenched their fists.

"Guys," Omega said, stepping between Cham and Crosshair and started trying to push Crosshair into the Kitchen. But Eleni was the first to act to defuse the situation.

"Sweetie, come on, we don't need problems already. Crosshair's here and not with the Empire, so the squad trust him, " Eleni wrapped an arm quietly around Cham and guided him into the Living Room.

Crosshair looked at Omega and realised she was trying to push him into the other room. He raised his eyebrows with a bemused expression, and Omega stopped.

"I'm sorry about this," Hera sighed at Omega.

"It's OK. Crosshair's no longer controlled by the Empire," Omega replied.

Hera looked at Crosshair's head, "Are you sure? Isn't there a scar that indicates where the removal of the Inhibitor Chip was?"

Omega shook her head, "He got badly injured on Bracca, and the scar on the side of his head is from that,"

"Oh," Hera replied.

"Looks like things aren't going to go as smoothly as I'd hoped," Omega replied, disheartened.

"Hey, we can still enjoy it. Alright, Omega?" Hera soothed, resting a hand on Omega's shoulder. Omega gently smiled, then nodded.

"Hey, where's Numa, Boil and Nilim?" Eleni asked, re-entering the foyer.

"This many people would be a bit much for Verd'ika, so they're out the front to get used to the new environment," Howzer replied as he entered.

"Good," Eleni replied as Crosshair headed out the back.

"Verd'ika?" Omega asked Hera, who replied, "Numa's Loth Cat. Boil gave it to her to help with her mental health. I recommend your squad consider getting at least one. It's helped Numa, maybe it'll help you,"

"Maybe," Omega replied. The conversations between members had moved to other rooms of the house, so things were quieter now.

The peace wouldn't last long as someone knocks on the door. Opening the door, Omega saw Astro, Aurora, Alejandro, Alexis and their pet Tamed Canid, Daniel, at the door.

"Hey, Al," Omega said, giving him a big hug, which he happily returned. The presence of Alejandro caused a lot of Omega's anxiety to melt away.

"Good to see you again, Omega. How are you?" Astro asked.

"I'm doing OK. Things are a bit tense, but hopefully they'll calm down," Omega replied, "Oh, Al, I've got someone I want you to meet,"

Omega took Alejandro's hand and took him to Hera while Astro went looking for the squad, and Aurora stayed with Alexis at the entrance.

When Omega reached Hera, she said, "Al, this is Hera. She's the friend I told you about,"

"Nice to meet you, Hera," Alejandro replied, offering his hand. Shaking it, Hera asked, "Is Al your real name?"

"My full name is Alejandro, but everyone calls me Al," Alejandro replied.

"Ah, lovely," Hera replied, and the three adolescents started talking.

"Hey guys," came a voice from nearby. Omega, Hera and Alejandro turn and all spot Hunter and Echo entering the room and spotting Alexis, Aurora and Astro.

"Astro, Aurora, Alexis, Al," Hunter said as he shook hands with each family member, "Good to see you guys again,"

"It's good to see you've settled in well," Aurora replied softly, making Hunter smile.

"Yeah. It can be challenging to keep clean, but the living arrangements work for us," Echo replied.

At that point, Boil, Numa and Nilim enter the room with Numa's pet Loth Cat, Verd'ika, close behind.

Omega immediately sees Alexis' Tamed Canid, Daniel, spotting the Loth Cat and looks curiously at it. Verd'ika gives a quick hiss, and Daniel turns away, not wanting to pick a fight. Both animals were about equal in size, but if these animals fought, a Loth Cat would usually win.

"It's OK, Verd'ika. Daniel is a therapy animal, like you," Nilim gently reminded the Loth Cat, who calmed immediately.

"Sorry about Verd'ika. He's very protective of us," Boil explained to Aurora as she looked concerned at the Loth Cat. Aurora nodded, and Alexis gently patted her Canid.

Once Boil, Nilim and Numa introduced themselves to everyone else, Boil and Numa approached Omega.

"This is Hera's other friend she told you about. And the one who was being trained as a Commando by her squad," Boil told Numa, who, upon realising this, grabbed Omega's hand and shook it aggressively, going straight into fangirl mode, talking in rapid Twi'leki.

Omega couldn't understand anything Numa was saying but knew she was excited to meet her. Hera sighed and started talking with Alejandro. Hera and Alejandro became almost immediate friends, which Omega noticed, causing her to smile at seeing her two best friends get on well.

Meanwhile, with the Lawquanes

The heat of the summer's day was stifling for the Lawquane family as they approached the Batch's house. Jek got briefly distracted by the memorial to Captain Rex in the flower patch, the monument reminding him that he had lost a hero. At that moment, Jek realised it didn't hurt as much seeing it. Maybe he was finally healing from the grief.

"Jek," he heard Suu call from the front door. Pulling his gaze and thoughts away from Captain Rex, Jek rejoined his family. Cut knocks on the door, and Alexis answers it.

"Jek, Shaeeah, good to see you," Alexis said excitedly, giving both hybrids a big hug, which Shaeeah enthusiastically returned. Jek's hug was more muted but meaningful, a source of comfort.

'We've got another kid our age here, but she's in total fangirl mode right now, and she doesn't seem to speak much basic," Alexis admitted as she looked to Numa, finally calming down from her fangirling over Omega.

"Great. That girl will be annoying to be around," Jek sighed.

"Don't be so judgemental, Jek. She might be a lovely girl, you don't know," Shaeeah replied, "Though the language barrier will be an issue. We don't speak Twi'leki much at home, so we're not fluent in it,"

"Well, we can at least introduce ourselves," Alexis suggested, leading the way. Boil encouraged Numa to introduce herself to Jek, Shaeeah and Alexis.

When she reaches them, Numa looks to Boil, nervous.

"You know how to introduce yourself in basic, Numa," Boil reminded her. After a few moments, Numa nodded.

"Hello. I'm Numa. Who are you?" Numa said, offering her hand.

"I'm Shaeeah," Shaeeah was the first to shake Numa's hand, "Nice to meet you,"

"Pleased to meet you, Numa. I'm Alexis," Alexis continued as she shook Numa's hand.

"I'm Jek, Shaeeah's younger brother," Jek concluded, shaking Numa's hand.

"Nice to meet you all," Boil replied, "I'd better go find Nilim and one of your parents, Alexis. We'll need to introduce Daniel and Verd'ika so they don't cause problems,"

"Alright," Alexis replied, and she grabbed Numa's hand and pulled her towards her parents.

"Alexis was always the one to befriend people quickly," Shaeeah said. Jek sighed, "I just want somewhere to sleep. I'm exhausted,"

"We've got a spare room set up for you, Jek. We must decide on a cutoff point to keep you all in two groups. The first room is upstairs and on the right. You can rest in there," Tech stated, appearing from the Kitchen.

"Thanks, Uncle Tech," Jek replied, and he and Shaeeah went upstairs. Now free from Numa, Omega started talking with Alejandro and Hera.

Meanwhile, Nilim and Boil joined Cut and Suu in the Kitchen and played with baby Corin.

When Boil and Nilim learned that Corin was the biological son of Cut and Suu, they congratulated him. Boil's heart hurt slightly seeing Corin, knowing that Waxer would've loved him.

Despite the initial miscommunication, when the Canid and Loth Cat met under controlled conditions, Daniel and Verd'ika quickly familiarised themselves thanks to help from Astro and Nilim, respectively. And while they weren't friends, they weren't hostile towards each other. After familiarising themselves with each other, Alexis and Daniel head upstairs while Numa stays with her uncle, adopted father and pet.

Meanwhile, with Boba

Momentarily after Boba knocks, Hunter opens the door.

"Good to see you, Boba, Bossk, Latts," Hunter said.

"Good to see you're well," Bossk hissed. Latts looked at Boba and saw him freeze, thrown by the sheer number of people.

"I didn't expect this many people. I just wanted to spend time with Arla and her friends. I didn't think there'd be this many people," Boba replied.

"You didn't think that the families of Arla's friends would be here?" Latts asked.

"I guess I didn't," Boba admitted as he entered. He saw Arla was talking animately with his friends, so he stayed back, not wanting to intrude while he processed having so many people in the house. It was overwhelming. How would they hang out if there were so many people here?

Thankfully, Omega saw Boba and brought Alejandro and Hera to meet him.

"Boba, these are my friends, Hera Syndulla and Alejandro. Alejandro prefers being called Al. Hera, Al, this is Boba Fett, my, did we ever decide how to describe it?" Omega said, clamming up a bit when she realised they weren't, strictly speaking, twins.

"We're fraternal twins," Boba clarified, "But it's nice to put names to faces finally,"

Hera and Alejandro shook Boba's hand, but there was a sense of unease about it. It looked like Hera and Alejandro were still reserving judgment about Boba, which unsettled Omega.

Finally, someone knocked on the door. Omega saw Echo open it and saw Cid at the door.

"Finally managed to show up. Everything going alright, Scomp Link?" Cid asked.

"Kinda. There's a lot of tension between Crosshair and Hera's father, Cham, but things seem OK for now," Echo replied as Cid entered.

"Who's that?" Hera asked Omega.

"That's Aunty Cid. We work for her and recently saved her from the Empire," Omega replied, "I will mention that Cid gives most, if not all, of us nicknames,"

"Cool. And I'll keep that in mind," Hera replied.

Cid approached Omega and asked, "Are you going to introduce me to your friends, Tiny?"

"Oh, right," Omega replied hurriedly, "This is Hera Syndulla and Alejandro. He prefers to be called Al,"

"Nice to meet your friends, Tiny," Cid replied before she leaned in slightly.

"Where's Toothpick? I'll keep him off your back so you can enjoy yourself. Alright?"

"He's out the back," Hunter replied.

"Right, thanks, Bandana," Cid replied before she departed, but not before she locked eyes with Bossk. However, one look from Suu kept the two Trandoshans from arguing, and Cid walked out the back.

"I wish Crosshair would join us in this celebration," Omega sighed. Hunter, overhearing this, motioned for Omega to follow him. Hera, Alejandro and Boba would eventually drift away from each other and towards their families.

The outdoors had cooled slightly as the afternoon wore on, although it was still a warm Summer. The sun was lower in the sky but dominated the light. The wind had picked up, causing the trees to blow lazily. The flowers provided scents for Hunter as he stood on the solid porch. Everyone can see the lights decorated around the balcony, though only Hunter, or someone who knew what to look for, could see the memorial to Captain Rex. Hunter saw Omega walk outside, and he said, "Crosshair not joining in is still occupying your mind,"

"It's not just that," Omega replied, "Crosshair and Hera's father looked like they were going to fight each other, and they seem to be OK with ruining the festival over their grievances," as Omega said this, she crossed her arms grumpily.

"She's a teenager," Hunter reminded himself, though he still gave a look of gentle disapproval to Omega. After a moment, Omega uncrossed her arms.

"Omega. Let Cid and Eleni handle keeping Cham and Crosshair apart," Hunter said, resting a hand on Omega's shoulder, "Please, don't let those two ruin your friendship with Hera. Al seems to like her, and even Boba is fine with her. You four should focus on enjoying your time with this festival, alright?"

"But," Omega started, but Hunter interrupted, "No buts, Omega. I know Crosshair better than you do. He'll come through in the end. He always does. Just focus on enjoying yourself with Hera, Alejandro, and Boba, alright?"

Hunter and Omega locked eyes for several moments. It looked like Omega was about to start arguing again, but Alejandro exited the house to interrupt.

"I was wondering where you'd gotten to, Omega. Hera's upset, so I had to come looking for you," Alejandro said.

Omega's heart sank upon hearing these words.

"I'll go handle this," Omega sighed before she followed Alejandro inside, leaving Hunter to worry that Cid might have been right about the risks of having so many people in the house. Sighing, Hunter re-entered the house and went looking for Eleni.

When Omega entered the Living Room, it was colder than outside, thanks to an air conditioner. The lights were on inside because the late afternoon sun was behind the house. Omega and Alejandro heard Hera gently sobbing into Eleni's shoulder, and Omega could smell the materials of the couch and the soft but supportive carpet on her shoes. Everyone could see the flecks of Mantell Mix in the carpentry as Omega and Alejandro sat with Eleni.

"I hate my father. He's going to ruin everything," Hera said between sobs. Alejandro rested a hand on Hera's shoulder and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"She just had a huge argument with her father, who wanted Hera to stay away from the Clones because of the risk of the Inhibitor Chip," Eleni replied.

"Oh, for Kriff's sake," Omega groaned in frustration.

"Language," Eleni chuckled, but Omega persisted, "Every Clone here had their inhibitor chip removed. Boba and I never had one inserted. Tech checked us,"

"My husband is paranoid, and understandably so," Eleni sighed, "I just wish he would drop his grudge with Crosshair along with that paranoia for a few days so we could enjoy this,"

"I know how you feel, Hera," Omega put a hand on Hera's back, her stomach knotting tightly, "I'm having similar issues with Crosshair. I had a bad feeling something like this would happen when I saw how Crosshair and Cham glared at each other,"

"We can't let them win by letting them get us down, alright?" Alejandro suddenly stated.

Omega and Hera turn to face Alejandro with surprised looks on their faces, "We can't let Cham and Crosshair ruin our enjoyment of this festival. We must focus on our enjoyment and let the adults bicker things out, alright?"

"Al," Omega replied. But she was starting to understand. She turned back to Hera, who smiled gently.

"Come here," Omega said, offering Hera a hug. After a few moments, Hera accepted it. Alejandro then embraced both.

"You're an amazing young man, Al. You know that?" Eleni said.

"Thanks, Eleni," Alejandro replied, smiling.

Once everyone broke apart, Omega sighed, "I guess we'll have to take care of things tonight. And try to sort something out tomorrow,"

"Alright," Hera replied, and the trio sat on the sofa to watch TV.

Hunter then poked his head in the door.

"Could you please help us with sleeping arrangements?" Hunter asked.

"Sure," Eleni replied as she got up and departed the Living Room, noticing the nerves on the faces of the adolescent trio as she did so. Eventually, the trio became a quartet as Boba joined them.

Over the next hour, the adults determined sleeping arrangements. With several kids and adolescents struggling with frequent nightmares, some parents wanted to stay close to their children. It took some time, but eventually, the sleeping arrangements were determined.

Jek, Shaeeah, Numa and Alexis would share one room, while Omega, Boba, Alejandro and Hera would share a second room. Cut and Suu needed their bedroom for Corin, while Boil and Nilim would take the room opposite the kid's room to be close to Numa. Latts and Bossk would remain in their craft. Eleni, Cham and Howzer would take another bedroom, while the Batch would squeeze into another bedroom. Aurora and Astro would get a room, and Cid would get a bedroom to herself. With that, night would descend on the household.