Kamino
Lower levels.
One Rotation into the final training mission.
The cleaning droid hummed as it swept along the corridor. This area was unused by organics therefore it was fairly clean; no one was shedding any skin particles or anything else. It had adjusted its timetable and was early.
All was going well, until it scanned an unidentified package. It's alarm rang but no one could hear it.
What to do with the Red Parcel marked 'Intel?'
It accessed its databank's.
Package marked intel + in plain site. It looked further for any variables. Two Nulls on site = PRANK.
The droid twirled around, it had been caught out before by the Nulls. Not again. It deposited the red package into its attached rubbish bin and whistled as it left the corridor, its task fully completed.
.
Veetch and Mayday crept along the tunnel leading to where their supposed intel was held, they had dimmed the lights, in the corridor, using instead hand held torches to guide them.
"This is different to anything else we've done here before." Whispered Veetch.
All their other missions had been either simulations undertaken on the massive training areas in the cities, then the sea and endurance training admittedly different to the ones undertaken as troopers. They were now in areas they had never been before.
Mayday's ears popped.
"We need to be ready, willing and able to adapt." Replied Mayday.
The GAR was more reluctant to train its up and coming ARC's in potential war zones, they couldn't take the losses but they would be back there soon enough.
"We're going down again. That's the third time my ears have popped. We could be under water now." Veetch commented.
Mayday didn't answer, but the same thought had occurred to him. He tried to get a reading from his scanner but it appeared to have a glitch.
They stopped at the next intersection; Veetch scanned the door, "no life signs."
"Okay. I'm going to splice the entry lock and we're in. But still a couple more levels to go."
Veetch turned to keep guard.
"How far down do you think we are? We've come a long way."
"Hard to tell but I know what you mean. The scanner's giving me mixed readings." Mayday concentrated on the splicing, even though he was uneasy about where they were. "Are you recording everything?"
"Of course. Bodycam's on. SOP." He placed his hand on the wall of the corridor. It felt cold. None of the normal walls felt cold.
"I'm in."
The door slid open.
"What was that?" Veetch's twisted around, "I heard— No felt something."
Both clones stood there poised.
"I know what you mean." Said Mayday. He scanned again, nothing registered; it felt odd using hand held equipment but they were out of armour. He shivered, there was just something about this place and he felt worse than a shiny in his first battle. He shook himself mentally; it was just the unknown and that was what they were training for.
"Just keep on your toes. I wouldn't put it past Alpha to try something."
The room lit up as they entered, blasters poised. As the room brightened, they looked around, it was familiar Kaminoan architecture and non coloured decor but with various pieces of non standard cloning equipment from what Mayday could see.
Mayday heard a whistle.
"You okay Veetch?"
"Yeah— but I don't like this. It's a cloning lab."
"My thoughts too but we are checking their security."
They studied the equipment surrounding them, obviously unused but clean. They checked through the whole room before reaching another door. Veetch's turn this time. He inserted his splicing tool.
Mayday stood back to back, covering him.
Veetch was taking his time.
"Problem, ner vod?" Asked Mayday, turning his head back for a split second.
"That's because you were never supposed to get this far." A clone voice rang out from across the room.
Two blasters immediately trained on the voice.
"You should have shot me. I could have been anyone." The owner of the voice sauntered over to them, dressed in plain white clone armour, looking just like a shiny, except for the build.
"Not with that voice." Muttered Veetch.
The new clone popped his hemet seal and removed it, he grinned.
Mayday looked him over, there were subtle differences to the normal trooper.
"Like what you see, ner vod?"
"Commando?"
"No! I put my kute on this morning." He replied, sounding offended, "It wouldn't do to frighten the Kaminisii." He smiled. "Now, I repeat, you weren't supposed to get this far."
He pressed a button on his datapad and the door opened, revealing a tunnel.
He nodded towards the door, "After you! We need to get out of here before they realise how far you pair got. We can use the tunnels but not the transport balls. That would show up immediately."
"Who are you? Where exactly is here? And why weren't we supposed to get this far?"Asked Mayday, refusing to move until he got an answer.
"Lieutenant Mereel, N07, SOB. At your service. You've already met my brother but I'm the good looking, likeable one and this secret lab is where I, and my brothers were first conceived, if you can call it that. I didn't think it was still in use but…."
"It looks too clean to be mothballed." finished Mayday.
"Exactly!"
Veetch had stopped and was looking outside.
"I knew we had come down but not this far down." He observed, as they watched the undersea creatures swim around the tunnel they had stepped into.
"No time to sightsee." Quipped Mayday, as he prodded Veetch in the back to get him moving again.
"I like your style, Commander." Complimented Mereel, as he dropped an arm over his shoulder, "we should not linger here. Prudii's already amending your progress. You'll both pass with flying colours."
"But we must have gone wrong somewhere." Veetch added.
"My dear Veetch," said Mereel, affecting a patrician voice he must have heard somewhere, "You were just too good for them. They didn't expect you to get this far."
"And you?" Asked Mayday.
"I've been doing this for years." The smile never left his face, "these tunnels criss-cross the whole planet enabling the Kaminisii to secretly travel between all the cities. See there." He pointed to something outside the reinforced transparisteel tube they were in. Mayday magnified the image, seeing another tube in the distance.
Mereel's face changed to serious, "Drop now!"
All three clones dropped to their stomachs, as he stopped speaking. Mayday moved his eyes to look up, seeing a large black eye looking at him for several very long seconds. The creature moved away slightly and opened its huge mouth as if to bite the tube. Mayday expected it would crack like rotten Warra nut but the creature decided against it and swerved away.
"What the fuck is that?" said Mayday, as it swam away, deciding they weren't worth bothering with.
"I'll second that sir." Muttered Veetch.
"Kamoradon Sea Dragon." Replied Mereel, calmly "but he's not the problem, someone is using the other tube. We need to stay low, we don't want them to see us. Could be any of them." He flipped up their viewfinder and watched as the carriage made its way through the tube.
"How did we not know about this? How far do they go? It's not on the schematics. We studied them." Asked Mayday.
"Between all the cities but only they use them. The Kaminoans have their secrets much like any other cloners. Probably a lot more than others. It's big business. More so now its been made illegal."
The other tube was now empty.
"Let's get back."
Mayday wasn't going to argue; he didn't like this place.
.
Coruscant
Hela slid back down onto the bed, as Krennic slipped out of her and rolled onto the bed next to her. She turned over, letting the climate controlled air cool the sweat on her body.
"Good?" Asked Orson, he didn't normally fish for compliments but this was new.
"I'm going to have to gargle with Bacta before I can rehearse tomorrow."
"Good!" He traced an elegant finger along her throat and down, "that's what I like to hear." They were well suited; she was up for anything he wanted to try and he had a wealth of experience from his time in the Futures Programme. "Unfortunately I have to go now." He leaned over and kissed her, "Important meeting tomorrow. I have to prepare."
"Really? It's two in the morning?"
"All the more reason to go. I need to be at my best."
"I thought you had just been at your best."
He smiled, Orson liked compliments. He walked to the fresher to shower; he had brought a change of uniform with him. Luckily Hela kept a maid droid so the apartment was spotless. He showered and dressed, looking back at the bed, she was already asleep and he left the Apartment within ten minutes. He walked briskly to the hover taxi rank, there was one already there waiting.
He noticed the drunken human, or near human, at the corner; it was unusual to see someone like that in this area. He stepped to the side to avoid him and climbed into the hover taxi. It was going to be a long night but he was energised now.
.
Senator Amidala's Chambers
Senate Building
Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi sat waiting. He had just spent four hours at the Council and now felt the need to train or spar, or do anything but meeting, yet when Padme Amidala summoned him, he could not refuse her. She was unlike any other politician he had met. A wave of regret swept over him, just for a few seconds until he pushed it away. He had made his choice at that time. But Padme was brave, principled and compassionate the best you could hope for.
"Obi Wan!" She swept in, as beautiful as ever. "I'm so glad you could drop by. Tea?"
"Please."
Tekla, who had followed her in, nodded and went to the small kitchen area. Obi Wan heard her making the Tea.
"Anakin is fine but how can I help you?"
She smiled.
"I don't always ask about him." She reprimanded him gently.
"No but you are always worried about him."
"Not this time. It's Hela."
She didn't want to open the wound between them by discussing her secret husband; the one she had promised never to see again.
"Ah."
"You've seen her?"
"A few times.
"You keep an eye on her?"
"When I can."
"How is she?"
"She's doing well."
"I know about her singing, I've seen her perform but she avoids me."
Obi Wan said nothing.
"I wish she would speak to me. I miss Fé as well. Can you speak to her?"
"I can try, the next time I see her."
Padme wanted to ask him to make it urgent but she knew from Anakin how pushed they were and she would see him soon. She could try again herself.
"Thank you." She looked at him under her eyelashes. "And how is Anakin?"
Obi Wan laughed.
.
Dex's Diner.
Hela found herself at Dex's diner, just after breakfast time; she had come here more often since she brought Commander Mayday here. It reminded her of him and she liked that, although she couldn't think why. She had this thing with Orson but she often wondered what Mayday was doing now, fighting or relaxing, although he had said he was training. She hoped he liked the cloak. It mattered to her that he liked it, there was just something about him; certain people were just memorable. Cody was on Coruscant, she had seen the holovids of the 212th returning; she wondered if Mayday was with him.
"Hela!" Dex's voice boomed across the diner, she hadn't seen him behind the counter. Wanda had said he was busy. He ambled over, throwing his cleaning cloth over his shoulder and slotted himself opposite her.
"No friend this morning?" he asked.
Hela gave him an unimpressed look, "Just needed some time alone, before rehearsals."
"Yeah." His voice rumbled, disbelieving.
"I need to psych myself up. The Tenor is….an idiot." She couldn't even bear to call him by his full name.
"Hmm, that bad eh?"
"I know. I know. Some people have it a lot worse and all I have to worry about is kissing a man I hate."
Dex chuckled, "You're right."
Hela watched him; he always grounded her and was always straight with her, that was part of the reason she liked him, that and the fact, he had been one of the first people she met when she first came to Coruscant and he was kind to the frightened, lonely girl who walked in with his friend the Jedi.
She pointed to his apron, "You should get some of those printed. You'd make a killing. They look like high art."
"Good try. What else is wrong?" Dex was being serious.
"I want to help the war effort but I'm not sure what I can do. I'm a singer not a soldier."
"Then sing!"
She huffed, "How does that help them?"
"Who?"
"The clones, of course, I want to help them. They're the ones fighting."
"Have you been watching the holovids?"
"Every day." Since she met Mayday but she didn't add that.
"From what I understand, clones grow fast. Ten years from DNA to a man ready to fight."
She frowned at the concept and how he described it.
"It's a fact. The cloners have been doing this for generations and not just the Kaminoans. Not saying it's right."
She shrugged, knowing Dexter had his own set of rules which he abided by. He wasn't bad, he couldn't be, he was Ben's friend.
"Do a concert for the troops."
"What?"
"A concert."
"Here?"
"No. With them. Out there. They have lay over stations."
"I don't know. Do they like opera?"
He grinned, "You don't just sing opera."
"Someone's been talking."
She wasn't sure, a small club was one thing, anything bigger if it wasn't opera, could she handle it. It was one thing being constantly told you were the best to actually believing it.
"Seen Ben lately?" She asked casually. This was something he could help with.
He looked closely at her for a few seconds before saying, "You just missed him. He was in with the early breakfast crowd."
"I would have liked to see him. Discuss this with him."
"He's a busy man and what he does is danger—" there was a distant whump and Hela's caf cup jumped slightly on the table spilling. She tensed, knowing what an explosion sounded like, even though it was ten years since she had actually heard one this close. It could be anywhere. Her hand shot out to grasp one of Dex's. Then the diner went black, holovid screens blacked out, all lights extinguished.
She gripped Dex's arm and felt a reassuring large hand on hers.
A few seconds later the emergency lighting came on. Then there were more whumps in the distance and the sirens for the emergency vehicles started.
"Stay here!" Dexter ordered, as he removed himself from the table and went to look outside.
The holovid screens came on.
There was carnage, the droid cams were already there, zooming to the areas with the explosions, they were all over the city.
She recognised the Senate Administration District.
Dexter came back with his datapad in one hand and reached out to hold hers with another.
"We're safe here." He said reassuringly.
"Unless there's more." She whispered. Memories of the Battle of Naboo coming to the fore. They heard the fighting and explosions in the camps.
"I'll check where it's safest. You stay here until then."
She closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears, rocking to and fro in her seat.
.
Padme Amidala's Residence
Three days later
Hela paid the hover taxi driver and walked towards the entrance to the high-rise, high-security Senate apartment complex in the upscale Federal District. She was soon stopped by two Coruscant Guards.
"Name. ID and business here." One demanded, whilst the other looked on. She looked up to see two Senate Guards by the door.
"Hela Nim to see Senator Amidala." She handed over her ID. He scanned it, then his helmet tipped up slightly.
"Place of birth?" He demanded.
"Theed. Naboo."
"The Senator is expecting you." He moved out of her path.
She looked around the Plaza; there were more Coruscant Guard and Senate Guards here than she had seen in a long time. In the foyer she headed for the lift. Her apartment was on one of the higher floors.
Her finger hovered over the button. Decision made— she pressed it.
Outside Hela braced herself and pressed the door entry to Padme's Apartment.
The door slid open and an impossibly shiny gold protocol droid answered. She remembered Anakin had a protocol droid but this couldn't be it, that one was not this ostentatious.
"Hela Nim. To see the Senator."
"Ah yes. Please come this way." He gestured in front of him, "I am C-3PO, I am fluent in over six million forms of communication."
"Anakin's droid?" She asked.
"Master Anakin? Yes, he—"
"Gave him to me." Added Padme as she came to greet her. "I am so happy you contacted me. Come in."
Hela's stomach lurched. It was alway the same when she saw Padme. The memories returned. Dressed in a simple but effective gown, she looked so much like her sister.
"Hela?"
"Sorry."
"Were you hurt in the explosions? Is your Apartment okay?"
"I'm fine, thank you. I came to ask you a favour."
To Padme's credit, she didn't comment.
"I can't get hold of Ben—Obi Wan." He would always be Ben to her.
"He's been injured in the explosions."
"How badly? Where is he? Will he survive?" Hela asked, concerned.
She often wondered if there was something between them, since before Geonosis. Rumour was that Padme had persuaded Anakin to take her to Geonosis to rescue Ben.
"He had a lot of broken bones but he's healing well. At the Temple."
Padme pushed her own fears about Anakin aside, this with Hela, whatever it was, would distract her from the perpetual worry. "You've been avoiding me more or less since you came to Coruscant."
It had been easy when she first came to study but now it was more difficult.
"I…"
"You can't deny it. I know you have."
She bit back her immediate response but if she wanted her help she had to do this.
"You remind me too much of Fé, your voice, your mannerisms."
Padme opened her mouth a little, then continued.
"I miss her too."
"She was my friend before she was one of my decoys until…. but she was her own person, remember that."
"Yes."
There was still the pain but it eased a little; Padme had changed over the years she was looking older, different now. Hela could see that.
"That was the only reason you avoided me?"
"Yes." Hela couldn't look at her; it was still difficult.
"I'm sorry but being my decoy was what she did."
Padme's thoughts went to Cordé and Versé, two others who had been killed.
"I know." Hela finally looked up, "I'm here because I want to do something for the clone soldiers."
Padme tried not to look surprised but she had not expected that.
"I know. It's unexpected."
"I'm sorry I shouldn't be surprised. Your family were always doing something for other people. It's in your DNA. How can I help you?"
"I want to do something for the clones. They have no family and are fighting most of the time, unless they're injured. It's just…."
Hela stopped and chewed her top lip; that surprised Padme it was so much like her older sister Fé. Suddenly Hela stood up.
"I'm sorry. It's a stupid idea. I don't know what I was thinking about." Hela lost confidence in her plan.
"C-3PO!"
"Yes my lady?" The fussy droid shuffled towards them.
"We need more drinks and snacks, while we plan."
"So what were you thinking of?" Asked Padme as she ushered Hela towards a settee.
"A concert. To entertain them."
#
Mandoa - Kute - underwear.