Cody felt utterly naked.

That was the only way to put it. He was utterly naked. It was like he was back in training and had shown up in just his bodysuit only to discover they were doing live weapon's training and all his brothers were in full armor. He couldn't go back and change so he was forced to remain as he was, running for cover and trying to hide the shame he felt.

Except he didn't even have on his bodysuit, as he'd been forced to remove that as well and don the clothing that Seris had given him. A pair of well worn trousers, thick yet flexible leather boots, a simple rust-colored shirt with mismatched buttons, and a dark brown long coat. Topping all of this off was the bandana that hid his hair and a pair of welding goggles to cover his eyes. The result was that he looked like a hired gun that the three brothers had paid to guide them through the wilds of the Outer Rim… even though it was Seris and his brothers that were doing the guiding for the most part.

Honestly, Cody felt like he was just dead weight.

'I wish there was more I could do to help,' he thought to himself as he looked around the repair shop. There was nothing wrong with their ship, The Forgotten Son, but rather this was where they were meeting another member of their party. Seris had stated that they weren't going to have a whole platoon to find General Kenobi but they were going to need more than the four of them. A few extra hands would be rather nice. And the one they were waiting for had last been seen at the repair shop.

And, this being the outer rim and a place where the less than reputable pilots decided to frequent, the repair shop also had a rather lively bar.

"Stop that," Savage said gruffly as he returned with some drinks, his brother Feral happily snagging one and holding it in both his hands. "You are making me nervous with how you keep touching yourself."

"Sorry," Cody commented.

"Don't say that either," Savage said. Not cruelly but with a no-nonsense firmness that was his norm. "Unless you want us to change what you're supposed to be doing for us to 'meek slave' tell me to fuck off." He gave a barely there smile at that. "I won't go aflutter if you curse."

Cody smirked at that. "Then set your lardy ass down."

Savage nodded and did just that.

Still, Cody hated that he needed to be reminded of things like that. It made him feel like a shiny all over again… or worse, like the shinies he and Rex used to break in. Making silly little mistakes that weren't going to get any brothers or generals killed but rather just annoyed everyone. That was the worst feeling, of course. No one liked to be annoying and it stung when Savage reminded him of his cover story.

Grabbing his own mug he made sure to keep his eyes right on Savage even as he lifted up the drink and took a swig. He had been bracing for something rather strong and sour and biting and as such nearly started when he found it to be surprisingly smooth and delightful. He resisted the urge to guzzle his drink, knowing that he needed to keep a clear head as well as the fact that they didn't want to waste all their credits and money (because yes, they had to use both in the Outer Rim) on whatever swill the bartender was selling.

"I need another," Feral said, having already finished his drink. Rather than shimmying around out of the booth like anyone else Feral leapt straight over it, landing on his feet with hardly a sound and grabbing his empty mug with one hand before hurrying off to get more.

"Show off," Savage muttered, though with no true heat.

It had been interesting interacting with the brothers. Savage was big and bulky, towering over them all. And how he fought relied upon that.

The second night after Cody had joined up with the brothers there had been a barfight… none of them had caused it, rather they had become sucked into it. Something Cody could understand completely as that had happened plenty of times back on Kamino, even though the longnecks frowned on it. The trainers would punish them for fighting but then secretly praise them for how they did. But when that fight had broken out Cody had just fallen back into old patterns: namely beat the crap out of the one that thought he was an easy target. After the third freighter pilot had been left spitting teeth out onto the floor the others had learned to avoid him and he'd been able to observe the brothers.

Savage was brute force. He was a tank that didn't bother with little things like getting into position or having a complex strategy. He just bull rushed in… no. No he didn't bulrush. That was the wrong way the put it. While he was fast the better way to think about him was that he was steady. He began and then he just kept going. He could suddenly burst into bouts of speed but for the most part he just steadily made his way across the field of battle. No need for flips and dives and acrobatics. He absorbed hits and didn't let them slow him down.

Feral returned and once more flipped back into his seat, not even letting a single drop of his drink fall to the ground.

'And then there is Feral,' Cody thought to himself. 'Seris has been training him on the ship and he is all energy. He can spring and dive and slither. Get into places none of the rest of us can.' Feral, and the Zabrak had admitted as much to Cody one night because he was also very talkative, had been rather upset with how weak he was compared to his brothers. Especially Savage who, though Feral hadn't said too much, gone through a final growth spurt recently. But Seris had shown him that his skills laid elsewhere and he had delighted in being able to flip and dart about the ship, startling Cody by hiding in the oddest places. Cody would have been annoyed but Feral was like a puppy, happily asking how he did and then wondering if Cody could show him Clone Trooper moves, to see if he could adopt them into his moveset.

Cody never said no.

"At least this place smells better than the last one," Savage idly said, flaring his nostrils.

"How many bodies do you think they hid under the floorboards?" Cody asked, remembering the last pit stop they had made and the shady owner of the bar where they had gotten some supplies. Cody had gotten his coat from there and based on some of the things he'd found in hidden pockets he was willing to bet the last man to wear the garment hadn't parted with it peacefully. Or, based on one hole he had found that had been hastily patched, even been alive.

"That's giving them too much credit," Feral said with a smirk as he swallowed a mouthful; he was nearly done with his second and Cody had only taken two sips of his drink. "I'm betting they hid them in a closet or something. Or chopped them up for the meat." Cody frowned at that and Feral flashed a grin. "Come on… you eat meat, right? Who cares if it was able to have a conversation with you?"

"You should care if it has friends and loved ones that will want to have words with you," Seris said as he joined them.

Seris… he was a dangerous one. Even though he wasn't as bulky as Savage or as limber as Feral.. Seris Madreth was enough of both that he was the deadliest member of their foursome. He could dart through the battlefield only to then root himself to the ground and clobber anyone foolish enough to come at him with his cane until they submitted. He took both of his brother's styles and merged them into something truly terrible… yet also breath taking.

"You find our contact?" Cody asked.

"I have and he will be here shortly. He just needed to settle up a few things…"

They heard a scream, a blaster shot, and then the sound of the glass shattering.

"That wasn't him," Seris stated. "He was in the other direction."

Cody raised an eyebrow at that but then just took another drink. Honestly at this point he was just glad they weren't be dragged into another bar fight.

"There he is," Seris said just as Savage let out a groan. Cody looked up and instantly understood why.

It was a Weequay and that species already had a bad reputation amongst the GAR. Amongst the pilots and freighter captains as well. While he was sure that there were some Weequay that were kind, decent, and wonderful folk Cody's experiences with them tended to be… well, scum. They were scum. They worked for anyone that was willing to give them cash, had no loyalty, and always looked out for themselves.

'Honestly, if one were looking for a single species that could be the exact opposite of the clones… it would be the Weequay,' Cody thought, taking in the new arrival. He had the same leathery, wrinkled skin as all Weequay but the new arrival made sure he stood out from all his brethren with his eye-catching dress. He wore the shell of some creature as a helm, had squarish goggles with tinted lenses covering his eyes, and his braided hair was decorated with all manner of little bits of string. Then there was his long red coat, trimmed with blue, that he wore over a cream and blue shirt. Upon his back was one of the battle staffs that General Grevious' Magna Droids favored and Cody could see several guns tucked away on his person; he didn't doubt for a moment the man had more weapons hidden on him. And to truly top off the outlandishness of the Weequay he had two Kowakian monkey-lizards, one red and one yellow and blue, perched on his shoulders.

"Ah, new friends!" the Weeguay declared, throwing his arms out wide. "So good to see you! And at the right moment as well! Truly the stars align that we are brought here at this moment!"

"And why is that?" Savage asked dryly.

"Most likely because his ship is broken and he needs a ride," Feral said.

The Weequay placed his hand on his chest. "You wound me! Wound me greater than all the wounds I have ever received! And it is a wound that leaves no scar so I won't even be able to brag about it latter! So cruel to your new friend!"

Seris spoke up. "These are my brothers Savage and Feral Madreth. And this is Cody, our associate." He gestured at the Weequay. "May I present-

"Hondo… Ohnaka," the new arrival said, as if that was supposed to mean something to Cody. He took a seat and stared at their mugs. "Oh, you are drinking that? I would not suggest it. It is not wildly known but the owner of this place gets it to taste so good by bathing it in nightly, so that his literal sweat, blood, and tears might go into the drink."

Feral slowly pushed his mug away while Cody just stared at his. Savage, not bothered at all, calmly took a drink of his even as one of the kowakians grabbed him a bottle, popped the cap off and handed it to Hondo.

"Now this… this is much better. At least I think it is." He gave a helpless little shrug before leaning in. "Now then… you are seeking out a Jedi I hear, are you not? And not just any Jedi… but my good friend, Kenobi!"

"You… are friends with… Kenobi?" Cody stopped himself before addressing Obi Wan as 'general'.

Hondo nodded. "Of course, of course! We go back a long way, which is to say not that much at all, but the time was memorable."

Like a thunderclap Cody remembered exactly who Hondo was. Rex had told him all about the pirate that had managed to capture Count Dooku and then had captured General Kenobi and General Skywalker as well, forcing the three to work together to escape him and his pirates.

Seris suddenly placed a hand on Cody's wrist and he realized he'd been going for his blaster.

Cody took a breath before saying, "So… how much of your crew will be helping us?" He needed to know how much he needed to be on his guard.

Hondo though smiled brightly. "Oh, it will just be me! I have decided that I need to get back amongst the people, to remember what it was like to do things on my own and not just bark orders. It helps keep me grounded, you know? As well as sharp. That is the problem with so many others in the galaxy… they get the power and then they let it go to their head. Why, did you know that Jabba the Hutt used to, when he was just a little Hutt, barely bigger than this one here-" he gestured at Feral, who shot him a curious look, "-he used to go out and deal with the smugglers and spice runners himself? Actually meet with them. Now there is talk that he plans to never leave his palace again, just sitting on his dais eating those frogs of his. That is not what I want for myself. So… I am going back into the field!" He threw his arms out wide, a massive smile on his face.

'In other words,' Cody thought to himself, 'your crew abandoned you for some reason and you are looking for any ship you can get on and any pay day that will work for you.' He could tell from the way Hondo was holding himself that something had happened that had brought his fortunes down and despite all he was doing to play it off he needed them probably as much as they needed him. 'And isn't that a sad thought?'

Seris leaned forward, a soft smile forming on his lips. "Now that we are all here we can begin."

"So soon?" Hondo asked. "I would much prefer us being able to get to know each other better. We are in a fine enough place... why not drink and make merry?"

"I have found," Seris continued, not at all annoyed by Hondo's comments, "that drink is sweeter and food all the more filling when a mission is done and the prize is in hand. Fools waste their time celebrating things that have not come to pass."

Hondo considered that for a long moment, stroking his chin before finally nodding in agreement.

"Very well... very well." He leaned in close. "We all seek the same thing: Kenobi. The Republic will pay us a pretty penny when we bring back their general to them. And Skywalker and the Senator? We could each have our pick of our own planet with those three. Return the padawan as well and we might be able to afford a few moons. Small ones, of course, but a moon is a moon."

'Of course no one considers Rex,' Cody thought to himself before letting out a mental sigh. 'Not that I have much to say when it comes to that... I am doing this to save the General. Rex didn't even enter my thoughts until well after I had joined with these three.' It was a very depressing thought, to know that even amongst their fellow clones they weren't thought highly of. That they were always the last ones to be thought of when it came to being rescued. The Jedi cared for them but if it was between a clone and someone else the clone would always be second. Same with Cody himself. 'How many times did I have to leave brothers behind... or worse send them off to die... just to save someone who shouldn't have been there in the first place?'

"Now," Seris said, "the Republic is convinced that the Separatists have Kenobi and the others."

"You... told me they did," Cody said slowly. He felt himself growing angry. "You told me-" Savage's jaw clenched and his body grew tense and Cody slowly sank back in his chair; that was a fight he couldn't win.

"I believed they did, yes," Seris admitted once Cody had fully calmed down. "When I talked with you I believed that, please understand that. I didn't lie to you. It is only in the last day or so I have come to believe that I was mistaken and it is thanks to our new friend here." He gestured at Hondo who smirked.

"One just needs to know where to look," he stated. "Count Dooku has been sending the fierce woman of his all across the Mid Core, looking for something. But what? It can't be something rather basic or ordinary for if that were the case he would just invade and take it. No... he's having her be sneaky. All my dear friends are whispering that Ventress is putting out her feelers, trying to locate something. And what she is trying to locate is... strange. She is very vague... but she is looking for living people."

"Kenobi then," Feral said. "Who else has disappeared?"

"A lot of people," Savage commented. "Maybe there is some traitor in Dooku's ranks that has run off. A leader of some planet who wants out?"

"Then why not make a lesson out of that planet?" Seris asked.

"A mercenary then," Savage argued.

"And send Ventress? She has a certain set of skills brother, you know that. It would be like sending you or Feral to pick up a simple parcel... a misuse of talents. Dooku is more cunning than that." He shook his head. "No... he is after someone. A person or persons who need to be dealt with by a Force user."

"A Jedi," Cody said slowly.

"Yes," Seris replied, pleased with Cody's answer. "A Jedi. I have looked into it and there are only a few Jedi that are unaccounted for... which then leads us to WHERE Ventress is looking."
Savage narrowed his eyes. "Planets around the one Kenobi disappeared from?"

"Correct, brother. So... you see now Cody? The Separatists do not hold Kenobi. And while there are some that might believe that, perhaps, the Republic has captured him for some reason, I doubt that very much. Not after all this time. Someone would have slipped... the Republic is too corrupt. And Dooku would have learned that they held him and called off the search. Ventress is proof neither side has him."

Cody didn't like the idea that the Republic would be so full of spies that the Separatists would learn their secrets as easily as Seris was hinting at. But... he had seen enough when it came to the greed of the Republic to know that while he might not like it that didn't make it not true. He was loyal to the Republic but he wasn't blind to its many faults.

"Have you been able to look into Republic files on the investigation?" Seris asked Cody.

It was something very few knew about him: the origin of his name. Many heard it and assumed he had chosen the name purely because he liked it. There were plenty of clones who did that, choosing names based on what they heard others called and selecting them. Common names. Basic names. Never Mandalorian names as, while they came from Mandalorian stock they weren't Mandalorians (despite using their language and adopting much of their culture). Yet while there were a good number of Clones that chose their names that way FAR more chose names based on things that mattered to them or to their brothers. Were awarded their names by their batchmates. Sometimes a play on their serial numbers… 99, for example, or Fives. Others because of the specialty: Sparks on the repair team or Laddle who was in charge of rations.

Cody's name spoke of what he had originally been meant for. Until it had been realized by the trainers that he was a natural leader he had been meant for the intelligence squad. The troopers that weren't on the front lines but rather were destined to fight against the Separatists through more underhanded ways. Through splicing. Through hacking.

Through CODING.

As such Cody, rather than answering, quietly reached into the pocket sewn into the inside of his coat and pulled out a datapad. It was about a third of the size of a normal datapad but held all the bells and whistles that even the Jedi could only dream about. The only reason he had never gotten one for General Kenobi or General Skywalker was that the former was more than happy to let Cody handle such things while with the latter Cody had known that if he tried to hand over such a device to him Skywalker would have torn it apart to try and make it 'better' and only managed to destroy all of Cody's hard work. Skywalker was skilled at engineering but he didn't understand programming… one only had to see the protocol droid he'd made for Senator Amidala to understand his weakness there.

"Several inquires were made through official channels to go to the planet and see if remains could be found. All were denied by both representatives of the Separatists' Senate and the Republic itself. For different reasons, of course."

"I am sure the Chancellor had a hand in that," Seris said, and not for the first time Cody wondered just what the Chancellor had done to anger Seris. The Zarbak never showed his anger but Cody could feel it bubbling close to the surface whenever he discussed Palpatine. "What of the unofficial inquiries?"

Cody nodded at that. "A few have attempted to get to the planet but failed… but recently someone from Kamino looked into it… along with some other records that make me believe that they were very interested in finding out what actually happened there." Cody didn't mention that it was Tech of Clone Force 99 who had been digging around; professional respect for a fellow splicer kept him from revealing that bit of information.

"Which fits whispers I've heard that certain… non-friends of mine… decided to pay the planet a visit," Hondo stated.

"Then that's where we're going then?" Feral asked. "To Planet Whatever Its Name is?"

"Rathbin II and no," Seris stated. "That is not our target."

"Why not?" Savage asked. "Wouldn't it make the most sense to investigate that planet, since Kenobi disappeared there?"

"Many have already investigated it and found nothing."

"They aren't us," Savage argued.

Seris smiled at that, tight and pleased but also hinting at knowledge that Savage didn't have. It reminded Cody of the trainers back on Kamino and how they would respond when a cadet ALMOST got an answer right. Pleased they were so close… but also pleased that they still hadn't been surpassed by their students.

"Perhaps," he said, "but that is also why we won't be going to that planet: we are us and we are better than them."

"I… don't understand," Feral said, scratching his chin.

"Cody," Seris said, "what did your reports say about energy output readings?"

Startled that Seris knew about that Cody quickly pulled up the pertinent records. "Both the Separatists and the Republic detected two energy pulses… one during the time when Gen… when Kenobi was on Rathbin and then one roughly a week or so ago."

"Yes… I believe that that release of energy was whatever device was used to teleport Kenobi away from the planet."

"Then why not go there?" Savage once more pressed.

"Because that energy was detected on the moon of Wasskah," Seris stated.

It was Hondo, surprisingly, who reacted to that. "That is so far away from Rathbin…"

"Yes. And it is a known hunting planet. There are whispers that the Trandoshans are interested in prey that is more… difficult… than Wookies…"

At once Cody saw in his mind's eye General Kenobi running through a forest, his clothing torn and laser burns on his bare arms as he did all he could to avoid the Trandoshans-

Once more Seris grabbing Cody's wrist.

"Patience… patience… we won't let them take him when he belongs to us." He looked to Hondo.

"Can you get us there without being noticed?"

"Can I… can I get you there? Can I get you there?" He grinned. "…maybe." He let out a laugh after a moment. "Oh, I can get you there! Will be easy enough. We may need to pick out one or two people to assist us but I can manage it easily enough! Not in my ship though. I… well… well it isn't suited for this! But that doesn't matter because I can do it!"

Cody had a very bad feeling about this.