Eras's eyes slowly opened. The stark white lights of the room pierced his vision. He gazed around, taking in the environment. The walls were made of old, rusted durasteel, and the air was thick with the musty scent of dampness and machinery. It was some kind of makeshift infirmary, with a barely functional looking droid bustling about and various instruments lining the walls.

He attempted to sit up. A sharp resistance held him back. Realizing he was restrained on a medical table by a containment field, he let his head fall back against the headrest.

As he lay there, the memories began to flood back…escaping from Grakkus's palace, being chased through the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa, the sound of a blaster accompanied by the smell of singed cloth and melting skin. Eras's eyes drifted to his left shoulder, where mechanical circuitry and a metal skeletal frame now replaced flesh and bone all the way down to his former fingertips. The sight of it made his stomach turn, and a wave of dizziness threatened to pull him back into unconsciousness.

Bearing down, Eras fought to keep his eyes open. He couldn't afford to pass out again. Focusing on his surroundings, he searched for clues that might reveal his whereabouts. The room was filled with a hodgepodge of medical equipment and supplies clearly repurposed from military grade tech.

The outdated medical droid approached the table holding a large synthetic skin graft.

"Where am I? Where is my companion?", asked Eras.

The droid did not respond, but continued carrying out its task. After sealing the synthskin, the droid activated a central circuit board located at Eras's previous forearm. The sensation Eras felt as the rebuilt nerves fired off forced an audible gasp. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, Eras would not have known he had lost an arm.

A door at the far end of the room slid open with a hiss, and two figures stepped through. Clad in worn-out armor, the ragtag ruffians could have passed for any bounty hunter on Nar Shaddaa. The leader approached and removed his helmet, his face instantly recognizable despite the many hard years of weathering. The Clone's expression showed a mixture of curiosity and authority. Eras could not hide his surprise.

"You've been through quite an ordeal, haven't you?...", the Clone said. "...State your name and purpose for coming to Nar Shaddaa."

"His name is Sal Eras and he's supposed to be dead.", interrupted the other figure who now stepped forward.

Eras's eyebrows furrowed at this. "You know me?"

The figure removed his helmet, displaying a large grin. "It's been a long time kid, you've grown."

Eras could not believe his eyes. "BRAX?!"...

…In a Holding Cell…

Sho could not deny he had been treated well. The small, dimly lit room was bare but clean, with a cot in the corner and enough space to pace, something he did frequently to ease his restless mind. His captors, though vigilant, had proven most accommodating. They provided him with regular updates on Eras's recovery, and each day, a different guard would slide a tray of food through the slot in the door.

Sho sensed no malice or intent to harm either Eras or him. In fact, they appeared almost sorry, as though their confinement was out of necessity rather than punishment. The realization made him uneasy. If they were not enemies, then why hold him here?

A soft chime echoed through the cell, signaling someone's approach. Sho stood. The door slid open, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man. The guard looked him over.

"Who are you?", asked Sho.

"Doesn't matter," the guard replied, stepping into the cell. "You will follow me."

Sho thought for a moment, calculating whether this was his best opportunity to escape. As he was not in any position to refuse, he simply nodded. "Alright…Lead the way."

The guard turned, leading Sho out of the cell and into a long corridor. The passage twisted and turned, the air growing cooler as they descended deeper into the tunnels. Sho could hear the distant hum of machinery accompanied by the soft murmur of voices as they passed other chambers, though none paid him any mind.

Finally, they reached a large, reinforced door. The guard stopped and turned to Sho. "Inside. They're waiting for you."

Sho took a deep breath and stepped through the door…

…The Infirmary…

There had not been much time for Eras and Brax to speak. The other Clone, who was called Trace, had many questions to ask him. Eras had done his best to be as honest as possible without divulging his mission.

Eventually, Trace ordered Brax to find Eras suitable clothing and bring him to "Central Command". "Climber will decide what's to become of him and the other.", he spoke over his shoulder as he left the infirmary.

After getting dressed, Eras followed his old comrade out of the infirmary. At a loss for words, Eras walked in silence. Finally, he spoke up. "Brax… I thought you were…"

"Dead?" Brax finished for him, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, I've heard that a lot. But I survived, and it looks like you did too, though not without some scars."

Eras clasped his shoulder as he slowly flexed and stretched it, still feeling strange about his new bionic limb. "How did you survive the attack on the Vila?", he asked.

"A handful of us managed to climb into one of the supply holds in the hangar. We figured we'd be alright. They were pressurized and designed to be transferred in space. So we jettisoned ourselves and floated around for days. Luckily a Republic search party found us among the wreckage. What about you? Last I saw you, you were with Razor.", he answered.

It had been so long since Eras had thought of that tragic day. The memories surprisingly caught him emotionally off-guard. "Razor sacrificed himself to save me.", he spoke softly.

There was a moment of solemn silence as they remembered their fallen brother. Brax sighed, "Then he went out the way he would have wanted…honorably following orders…as a good soldier should." This somehow brought comfort to both of them.

Brax suddenly shifted the conversation. "We're here…", he said as they approached a large door. "I've been ordered to remain outside. Speak only when spoken to and whatever you do Eras, BE HONEST.", he warned. The door opened…

…Central Command…

Eras found Sho waiting inside. The guard accompanying him placed a hand on the Jedi's shoulder, preventing him from joining his comrade. Eras nodded to Sho, signaling an assurance he was alright. With silent acknowledgement, they shifted their focus to their surroundings.

The large room was clean and very well organized compared to the forgotten tunnel systems filled with refuse and rubbish that had led them there. It possessed a familiar military touch reminiscent of the fallen Republic. Paying no heed to the prisoners, stationed officers worked diligently ciphering through intelligence reports coming from clearly stolen Imperial tech.

"Now what would a couple of Jedi be doing on Nar Shaddaa?", a voice asked skeptically. The man inquiring approached along with his second in command. Even without the military, clean-cut appearance, the face that had belonged to millions in the service of the Republic was unmistakable.

Sho's fist clenched. Seeing the two Clones brought back the painful memories of the betrayal that had led to the fall of the Order and the Republic. The Jedi subtly drew one foot back, ready to strike.

Eras noticed this. Hoping to distract the Jedi, he stepped forward. "The Jedi were destroyed and have nothing to do with us. We're just looking for some associates."

"Really?…", said the leader with a raised eyebrow. "...Then how do you explain these?" The Clone called Trace raised a tray with their lightsabers resting on it.

Before Eras could respond, Sho smashed his elbow into the face of the guard standing behind him. As the man crumbled to the ground, the Jedi turned back, summoning his saber from the tray into his outstretched hand. Sho leapt high into the air.

Propelled by the Force, he ignited his weapon and prepared to strike down the Clone leader who instinctively fell backwards to avoid the incoming threat . Swinging with all his might, Sho was stunned to find his blade frozen over the intended victim, an invisible force pulling it slowly away. The Jedi turned towards Eras who held out his hand.

"Listen to what they have to say!", he pleaded, feeling his grasp weaken from the strain.

"Have you lost your mind?! They betrayed the Order…the Republic itself!", yelled Sho.

"We were all betrayed!...", interrupted the leader. "...Lower your weapon, and I'll explain everything."

Sho growled in frustration and stepped back. He kept his blade pointed at the Clones. "Start talking Clone."

After picking himself up off the ground, the leader began his story. "I am Climber, former Captain of Commando unit Ion Squad. This is Trace, small-arms expert, and my second in command. During the Clone Wars, Team Ion was attached to the 22nd Air Combat Wing stationed in the Outer Rim."…

…Murkhana…

Team Ion, along with the "22nd", had been dispatched to the Murkhana System located in the Auril Sector. Under the command of both Jedi Masters Roan Shryne and Bol Chatak, their mission had been to infiltrate the Corporate Alliance's headquarters and destroy the deflector shield generator covering a key Separatist target.

During the mission, an encoded command containing three words was relayed directly to Ion Team from Chancellor Palpatine himself…"Execute Order 66". Climber and Trace believed the order to be a ploy by Separatist Forces. When Commander Salvo and the "22nd" turned on them, the Clone Commandos held them off, giving General Roan Shryne and her apprentice time to escape...

…Central Command…

"We were doing a good job holding our own against the 22nd…until the 501st came.", commented Trace.

Climber smiled at the memory, but the smile faded quickly. "Eventually Trace and I were captured, surrounded by our own brothers. That's when we saw…him…", the Captain trailed off.

"Who's 'him'?", asked Eras.

"The 501st referred to their Commander as 'Lord Vader'. I saw many things throughout the war, things that would scare the life out of even the toughest rancor, but I never saw anything like him…completely dressed in black from head to toe…and that haunting noise everything he took a breath.", Climber recounted.

"Ten seconds with him and you would have thought we were standing on Hoth at night, we were shaking so badly.", Trace added nervously. Hearing this sent a chill down Eras's spine, reminding him of the Force vision he had received upon the death of his Master.

"You expect us to believe the Clones just decided to betray the Republic at the mere order of the Chancellor?", Sho skeptically interrupted.

"I'm not expecting anything, nor do I care what you believe. All I can tell you is that almost every Clone was implanted with an inhibitor chip during the early stages of the cloning process on Kamino. This inhibitor chip, once activated, set most Clones on autopilot. They didn't know what they were doing.", Climber defended himself and his brothers.

Sho deactivated his lightsaber. "How were you able to resist this 'Order 66'?", his defiance slowly dissipating.

The Captain pointed to a scar on the side of his skull, directly behind the temple. Trace displayed a similar mark in the exact same location. "I can't explain why Trace and I weren't affected, but I can show you the intel we've intercepted as well as the information we pulled from the inhibitor chips ripped from our own skulls."

Trace threw a data pad to Sho. Eras helped the guard off the floor while he studied it closely. "I am sorry. I did not know.", the Kel Dor sincerely apologized, regretting the hatred he had allowed himself to carry all this time. It was not the Jedi way.

"Most of the galaxy doesn't. We were once seen as loyal soldiers of the Republic. Never thought we'd be the key to its downfall. Now, we're shunned as outcasts wherever we go.", responded Trace. "Climber and I were branded as traitors to the Galactic Empire and were sent to die in the Imperial work prisons on Agon Nine. Luckily, we managed to escape and ended up hiding out here on Nar Shaddaa."

Nodding in agreement with his comrade, Climber turned to Sho and Eras. "We've told you our story. Now let's hear yours…the truth."...