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A Few Months Later

A Private Instruction Room

Doctor Tri Gar's POV

"And how is your student progressing Professor Ant Dann?" Prime Minister Lama Su asked as they entered the room.

The object of their interest had left for the accommodations that'd been provided a little over half an hour ago so there was no risk of being overheard. This pleased her since it would mean no bothersome effort phrasing her words in a way that would not put Xander on guard for danger. It had been quite a while since the human had regained consciousness in the bacta tank and it had been a test of her loyalty to both her people as well as the Prime Minister to wait until the young man was properly educated. She had done her best to satisfy herself by continuing to analyze the biological samples that'd been taken beforehand but what she discovered only increased her desire to learn more.

Xander's blood and tissue samples were unique in a way that she'd never thought she would ever see outside of a life form completely designed and created in a lab. While the parts that were consistent with your average human were unremarkable the deviations and anomalies were such that she found it hard to believe that they could have come about naturally. That being said she'd pondered for almost an entire night just what sort of technology, what sort of scientific techniques, would be needed to create a specimen like Xander. Over and over she would speculate based on the knowledge she'd gained over the course of her life as well as some discussions she'd had with those intelligent enough to be called her peers but nothing fit.

Not perfectly.

If Xander had indeed been created in a lab rather than by nature than the scientist behind such an undertaking was someone she would very much like to meet. Even if she could not learn everything from this unknown being she was confident that even a single conversation would provide her with a multitude of new avenues to explore.

In the end it'd only been the second blood sample she'd managed to extract from the clothing that Xander had been wearing that'd been enough to tide her over until this day. At first she'd dismissed it as merely a means of learning more about Xander's background or perhaps seeing his reaction if she chose to use the blood to clone a specimen. It wasn't until she used the equipment in the lab provided to look beyond the limits of conventional tests that she'd discovered something more. Some form of energy lingered in the blood even though there was nothing that could possibly have been generating it as far as her grasp of biology knew. More than that a closer look at the DNA strands revealed that something had quite recently mutated certain genes causing them to deviate from the human norm. At first she'd simply presumed that the owner of the blood had simply been the result of her bloodline living in close proximity to some energy phenomena for many generations but then a thought occurred to her.

She had often wondered what sort of biological factors allowed the Jedi to perform their various 'mystical feats' and naturally she'd ignored all the nonsense about a 'Force' that most people believed. In her world there was no room for anything but science and phenomena that obeyed the laws of science. Anything that seemed to defy these rules merely indicated that there was a complexity that had not been perceived yet or a variable that could not be detected by current instrumentation. In looking at the data gleaned from the unknown blood sample she'd felt as though she might well be looking at a possible clue to the abilities of the Jedi.

Her investigation into that clue had seen her through to today but for now her experiments could be put on hold.

Potentially today could be the day when she would get to offer Xander her proposal and she had prepared her argument well in an effort to ensure that the young man agreed.

"Doing rather well actually." Professor Ant Dann replied sounding genuinely impressed with his sole student, "I've had experience teaching the less fortunate and it has always been something of a trial to educate them to the point where they can survive on their own. Xander on the other hand has shown himself to be a quick study and actually somewhat insightful in some areas."

"Indeed? Then how long will it be before he is sufficiently educated to be considered the educational equal of the average Republic citizen?" Prime Minister Lama Su asked allowing a modicum of surprise to enter his voice.

"Not too much longer I should think. He's already mastered Galactic Basic Standard in its written form and has shown interest in learning the language of Shyriiwook." Professor Ant Dann replied after a moment's consideration, "A challenge given the difficulty humans tend to have with the various nuances of the language but with some effort I don't see why he couldn't learn it."

"Good. I am pleased that my decision to aid him has proven to be a wise one." Prime Minister Lama Su said with a nod, "And as to the other matter I requested you monitor Xander for?"

"I was observant as I could be without being overly conspicuous about it but I observed no unusual phenomena that I could connect to the young man." Professor Ant Dann replied with regret, "Indeed nothing truly strange has happened at all. I even reviewed the readings from the sensors concealed in the room but nothing odd was recorded."

"Hmmm…odd. I was so certain that the oddities in his test results were indications of some manner of unique abilities." Prime Minister Lama Su said with disappointment.

"It is possible he simply does not know how to utilize them Prime Minister." She said fairly confident in her words, "I have reviewed the surveillance footage we have of him and there are times in which it appears that he is unfamiliar with his own body. While I admit that I am no expert in human body language this could mean that his body was altered prior to his arrival here by some unknown party."

"A possibility yes. However the question would be how to induce an event." Lama Su said pondering the possibilities.

Indeed her mental curiosity pondered as well and then an idea came to mind that had some rather promising possibilities.

"I believe I may have a solution." She said as the details began appear one after another.

Seeing the Prime Minister looking at her with body language implying that he was listening. With that in mind she began to lay out her plan that was becoming more and more feasible as she filled it out. By the time she reached the end of what she had put together she could tell that the Prime Minister was willing to see if her plan would work.

With polite gratitude to Professor Ant Dann they left the room before following the most casual route to Xander's accommodations so as not to arouse undue suspicions about the timing of their arrival. As a side benefit there was no delay between her pressing the door chime and the young human opening it to greet them.

"Doctor Tri Gar. Prime Minister Lama Su." Xander said politely bowing to each of them in turn, "Something I can help you with?"

"Perhaps Xander. May we come in?" Prime Minister Lama Su asked lightly gesturing to the interior of the room.

"Sure. Sorry if it's a bit messy. I wasn't expecting company." Xander replied stepping aside to permit them entrance into his room.

"Do not worry yourself." She said looking about the room, "I've been in worse."

Which was true. She'd been in the quarters of Clone Force Ninety-nine once and while their proficiency in battle was satisfactory when they were off duty their professionalism dropped.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Xander asked leaning up against the wall nearest to him.

"We thought that since you have had time to be educated on our galaxy that the time had come to make you aware of current events and Kamino's role in those events." She said before walking over to a screen she knew was connected to the city network, "Three years ago a group of systems within the Galactic Republic began to ally with one another until one day Count Dooku of Serenno announced via holonet their desire to leave the Republic. He berated the Republic with condemning rhetoric concerning their past failures and exposed moments of corruption. After this statement more systems who felt likewise joined this alliance and while efforts were made to open diplomatic negotiations they were ignored."

"Were they right?" Xander asked his face showing curiosity more than judgment at the moment, "About the Republic I mean?"

"That…was and to a degree still is a matter of some debate. Some support the Separatists while others have sided with the Republic however this became irrelevant a year ago." She replied not leaning one way or another, "For a long time there were those in the Republic Senate who wished to pass a military creation act because they feared the Separatists would become a threat. However it wasn't until the Jedi learned of the existence of battle droid factory on Geonosis that the debate came to an end. One only creates an army bred for battle if one intendeds to use it after all."

"So what happened?" Xander asked taking on a more serious expression.

"The Jedi was captured by Count Dooku and his allies and when a band of his allies came to rescue him the gauntlet was thrown down. Instead of submitting to the rescuers Dooku unleashed his droid army and in a matter of minutes had them at the mercy of the droids." She replied keeping the facts brief and to the point, "Fortunately thanks to the foresight of one member of the Jedi Order and my people the Republic had a way to turn the tide of the battle."

A moment later the footage of the training areas of the clone troopers appeared on the screen.

"As you may be aware Jedi have strange abilities. One of them is the ability to gain glimpses of the future. It was through this that Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas saw omens of what was to come and after presenting the matter to the rest of the Jedi Council commissioned us to create a grand army for the Republic." She said as the images showed all facets of the clone army's training, "Indeed through fortuitous timing just when the rescuers needed aid the most our grand army descended from orbit destroying those that had them cornered. With the Jedi rescuers taking on the role of generals the Separatists were forced off of Geonosis however that did not change one truth: the war had begun."

"Did it really look like the Separatists planned on attacking the Republic if they managed to break away?" Xander asked surprising her for a moment before answering.

"From what I have heard there had been no overt signs of attack prior to the Jedi discovering the battle droid factory on Geonosis. Nevertheless the ill will that the worlds allied with the Separatists possessed was real for they had long been neglected by the core worlds." She replied trying to provide a measured but accurate answer, "It is likely that the core worlds were convinced that this ill will would inevitably lead to the Separatists attacking the Republic out of a need for revenge. Though one could also say that it was inevitable that the Republic would take action to bring the seceding worlds back into the fold in order to restore lost profits."

"Regardless of how matters would have turned out had the spark not been born on Geonosis the simple fact of the matter is that the galaxy is at war." Prime Minister Lama Su said with a bit of warning towards her, "And it is for this reason that Doctor Tri Gar has a proposal to make. Doctor?"

"According to Professor Ant Dann you are nearing the end of your studies regarding life in the Galaxy. Were this during peace times that would be enough for you to make a life for yourself." She explained having prepared her words on the way to Xander's room, "However with the galaxy at war matters have become a great deal more dangerous. Separatists attack systems without warning not always having a clear motive for their actions. Criminals seek to take advantage of the chaos that war brings to further line their own pockets. In such a galaxy it would be wise for you to learn how to defend yourself against such threats."

"What do you have in mind?" Xander asked sounding interested in learning more.

"Train alongside the troopers here. Train with their weapons, their gear and their tactics." She replied putting weight behind every word, "In doing so you will gain the skills needed to defend yourself against dangers both living and not."

And as a side benefit the duress Xander would experience as a result of his training might just prove enough to cause a manifestation of whatever special abilities he might have. If that happened they would be able to make the offer to help in learning the nature of those abilities and how to master them. By doing this she would gain further insight into the human's biology and from that insight progress further with her experiments.

She WOULD succeed in acquiring a new source for the future iteration of the Grand Army of the Republic and they would surpass the Fett iteration in every way.

"Sure. If things're a mess out there it only makes sense to learn how to protect myself." Xander said after a few minutes of thought, "Don't know how far I'll get but I'll give it my best shot."

"Good. I'll inform Instructor El-les that a…'special volunteer' wishes to learn under him." Prime Minister Lama Su said with a nod, "It will be up to you to convince him that you are worth his attention though. More new troopers join the ranks of the Grand Army every day requiring his attention after all."

"Don't worry. I'm…not the sort of person who gives up easily." Xander said sounding troubled by a memory, "Set a goal and I'll reach it."

~I truly hope that is true Xander.~ She thought with dreams for the future of her work, ~The bounty hunter Jango Fett proved himself to be the best of the candidates tested before. Indeed he was considered by many to be the best bounty hunter in the galaxy before his death. Only someone better than him will suit my needs.~

Clone Cadet Training Room

Three Days Later

Xander's POV

~Well it's too late to turn back now.~ He thought as the door closed behind him, ~Still…what've I got to lose?~

Nothing.

Except his life that is and honestly he wasn't sure if he'd put up all that much of a fight if it was threatened.

He wasn't suicidal but at the same time he'd been dropped into this new galaxy with only the clothes on his back and the memories in his head…the freshest memories not being the best. He had no ties to this galaxy, its worlds or its races of intelligent life. No one to miss him should he die. No one for him to care about in return. As a result he couldn't think of any real good reasons to put up a fight if someone tried to kill him. It was a person's attachments that made them fight to live and by relocating to a completely different galaxy the only people who came close were a handful of Kaminoans and local security guards. Though 'close' would be something of an exaggeration when it came to the locals because while he might know their names and gotten the hang of telling the difference between them that was it.

No bonds had formed.

No emotions to cherish or memories.

Just awareness of the world around him.

No. Maybe there was one thing that'd keep him fighting to stay alive should death try to take him.

"So this is the volunteer." A voice said drawing his eyes towards the source, "While this is irregular since this is a request from the Prime Minister I'm willing to see where this goes."

It was only with a bit of a surprise that he found that Instructor El-les was an alien rather than a Kaminoan or a human. Already through his studies he'd learned of how diverse this new galaxy was when it came to sentient races but it was still different from his 'old life'. Back on Earth there was only the humans, the demons and the races that were a mix of the two. Here? He could probably spend the rest of his life getting to know the races of the Galactic Republic and still not become familiar with even a tenth of them. El-les was a green skinned alien with a T-shaped head, pink sparkly eyes, three fingers and a thumb. Clad in clothes that wouldn't have been out of place amongst members of a militia and he was satisfied with how the 'man' carries himself.

Like a man of experience.

"So what's first?" He asked looking about the room.

It wasn't all that impressive looking, just a grid of black squares for both the walls as well as the floor with a line of boxes just behind El-les atop which were various weapons.

"We'll skip the physical evaluation since the Prime Minister vouches for you and you've gained something of a reputation for having a regular workout routine." El-les replied picking up what looked to be a handgun but probably wasn't, "So we'll see how good your aim is first. This is a DC-17 hand blaster. Standard issue around here."

With the press of a button on some sort of forearm controls one of the squares in the wall slid aside and out of it came five flying discs. About the size of dinner plates they were solid silver in the centre with some sort of light up indicators around the edges. All five came to a stop above El-les' head and it was then that the instructor resumed talking.

"These are R-22 training remotes. When you successfully land a shot on them they'll light up." El-les explained before typing new commands into his forearm controls, "Normally these remotes are programmed to move about, evade incoming fire and adapt somewhat to their opponents. However since this is just an evaluation I will put them at various heights and positions throughout the training room. Your objective will be shoot them as often possibly. They will change position each time you succeed in shooting them. Your score will depend on how often you score a direct hit in five minutes. Understand?"

"Got it." He replied before being handed the hand blaster.

Looking it over he found that it wasn't all that different from the handguns of Earth with only one or two buttons he didn't recognize.

~Can't be too important.~ He thought bringing up the weapon and waiting for the signal to start.

"Begin…now." El-les said before pressing another button presumably to start the timer.

With the goal stated he focused his mind and went to work.

Or at least tried to but when he pulled the trigger nothing happened.

"You might want to disengage the safety first." El-les said as though he couldn't believe that such an obvious thing had been overlooked.

It wasn't his fault that he'd missed something like that. Most of his studies had been focused on things a civilian would need to know and that didn't include firing a weapon. Checking the only side of the blaster that had anything he spotted two buttons and if his luck was the same as always one would remove the safety while the other would probably eject whatever stood in for an ammo magazine here. With a sigh he went with his instincts and in a bit of a surprise instead of a clip being ejected the weapon beeped before humming a bit.

"First time holding a blaster?" El-les asked sounding a bit confused.

"Yeah. Never really saw one before I came here." He replied speaking the honest truth.

"Hmmm…probably more familiar with a slug thrower." El-les said realizing something, "Well the operation is basically the same with the exception of any recoil. The only two things to worry about is overheating via prolonged continuous firing or exhausting the energy clip."

"Got it." He said confident now that he could actually start the test.

"Then you may begin." El-les said without further delay.

Despite his desire to do well he didn't rush things and start shooting like an amateur. While a different weapon the memories he'd inherited from Emiya did convey to him certain rules that applied to any projectile weapon. Taking a deep breath to clear his mind he took aim at the furthest target and squeezed the trigger rather than doing it in the blink of an eye. Seeing the blue bolt of energy shoot out he waited only until he saw the target light up to signify a successful hit before shifting his aim to the next target. Again and again he did this making changes to his methods as he went in order to line up the shots quicker without sacrificing accuracy.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the test had begun but it was only when the target remotes as one left the same way they came.

"Not bad. Five minutes and you've almost managed to meet the standard of some of our younger cadets." El-les said sounding minimally impressed, "Are you sure this is the first time you've wielded a blaster?"

"Yep." He said putting the safety back on the hand blaster.

"Then it would seem that you have a measure of natural talent." El-les said before using his forearm controls again, "Let's see how you do if I raise the difficulty level."

This time from the square hatches came remotes of a different configuration but the same number as before.

"These remotes are similar to the previous model save for one important feature: each of them can fire back." El-les said clearing up the odd apertures built into each remote, "Nothing lethal of course. Just a painful sting. It would take continuous bombardment by all of the remotes for at least three minutes for any medical care to be required. Feel up to the challenge?"

"Don't know how smart this makes me but yeah." He said disengaging the safety once more on the hand blaster, "Let's do this."

~Time to see if fighting demons and dark mojo users for a living has done my dodging skills any good.~ He thought concentrating even more so as to spot the exact moment a remote was about to fire on him.

It'd be difficult to multi-task between dodging and shooting especially if he wanted to hit as many targets as he could within the time limit. Odds were high that as soon as he paused in order to take careful aim one or more of the remotes would pounce on the opportunity to shoot him. While he was reassured that the shots from the remotes wouldn't be harmful that didn't mean that he wouldn't do his best to evade them. El-les would likely take points off of his score every time he let himself get hit so even if he managed to hit the remotes often he might still fail the test.

With a single press of the forearm controls the test began.

A Nearby Observation Platform

A Short While Later

"So what's El-les up to now?" Asked a voice to her right.

Naturally she'd sensed him coming but knowing who it was she didn't see the need to take action. That didn't mean that she let her guard down but until something more concerning happened she'd keep things casual.

"He's been testing someone for almost an hour now." She replied never taking her eyes off of the training area below, "Not one of the clones."

"Isn't that the job? Teach these gene jobs to be the best they can be." Her fellow drill sergeant asked before looking down himself to see what was going on.

"Guess El-les thinks he has some free time after he managed to turn Domino squad around." She said even as they watched the unofficial training below, "Either that or the kid belongs to some important family that Lama Su decided to humour. I give it two weeks. Two weeks of this and the boy will go running back to whatever world he came from."

"Eight months."

"What?" She asked turning to look at the man.

"I give him eight months before he either gives up or hits his limits." The man replied eyes never leaving El-les and his new 'cadet', "Remember that the clones were altered to make them physically better than the norm. Unless someone's done some tinkering with the boy down there won't make it past eight months."

Looking back she used her experience and training to see what it was about the boy El-les was training that made Kal Skirata think some charity case could last that long. While it was something that the unknown boy wasn't wasting energy clips it was easy to come up with a list of everything that was being done wrong. It was clear that the kid hadn't fired a blaster before because she was seeing all the telltale signs of slug thrower usage. The mechanics of slug throwers made recoil a very real thing to take into account when using it but blasters didn't encounter anything similar until you reached the higher powered models.

Like the sort that were used right before mounting them on a vehicle became necessary.

Then of course there was the unnecessary movements between each shot. Honestly it looked like the boy had watched one too many of those action holo-vids half the Republic seemed addicted to. Flashy, dramatic and completely guaranteed to get a real warrior killed if they ever tried to do the same in a real fight. Short, economical and precise. That was the right way to fight. As for the hit to miss ratio it looked as though the boy was only just managing to grasp the concept of shooting where the remote is going to be rather than where it currently was. Hitting stationary targets were one thing but moving living targets required that you anticipate what they would do and be one step ahead of them.

Until he'd mastered that the boy would be trapped at his current level.

Still if Kal was so sure then maybe she could have some fun with this.

"I bet you the next batch of bad clones he won't make it past three months." She said with a challenging smirk.

"You win I teach them but if I win you teach them?" Kal asked to confirm the details of the wager.

"That's the bet. You in?" She asked wondering if her fellow Cut'val Dar would take the bait.

"If we're going to make a wager let's make it interesting." He said definitely looking interested, "Loser also has to teach the boy something until they're satisfied he's learned it. It can't be something he'd pick up anywhere either. Still interested?"

A troublesome ante up but it did make things more interesting.

"It's a bet then." She said extending her right hand for a shake to make the bet official.

"Best of luck with the low end of the Fett gene pool." He said taking her right hand before giving it a firm shake.

"Try not to give away any family secrets training the boy." She said to counter his taunt.

With that they left the observation platform to resume their duties of whipping Fett's clones into shape.

The End of the Day

Office of the Prime Minister

El-les's POV

"What is your assessment Instructor El-les?" Prime Minister Lama Su asked from his chair.

"I will admit to being surprised." He replied the holo-projector between the two of them showing his training session with Xander, "When you first approached me to perform this assessment I was skeptical. Most of the clones have been trained since leaving their pods and still they require instruction before officially becoming troopers. For a civilian to undergo training without any prior experience would take years to instruct and that is time I don't have."

"Then he passed your test?" Lama Su asked with interest.

"He did. While evident that he comes from a less advanced world he is a quick learner." He replied with a nod, "With a few more months it should be possible to make him a skilled shot with a blaster."

"And if I asked that he become more than that?" Lama Su asked implying something more.

Odd.

When he'd been approached by the prime minister the request had been worded in such a way that he'd assumed the objective would be simple self-defence instruction. A young human from a remote world unfamiliar with the galaxy and requiring instruction in order to survive it. The Kaminoan leader had conveyed that Xander had already been taught much of what civilians knew but now required knowledge of how to survive those who might mean him harm.

Instruction in the use of a blaster to the point where only surprise or superior numbers would succeed against the boy would do just that.

Yet it sounded like more was intended.

"Then I would need to be given some idea of what it was you intend the ultimate goal to be." He replied unable to speculate further without some relevant data.

"What I'm about to tell you cannot leave this room Instructor El-les. It is information that even the Jedi are unaware of and if it became known could have drastic consequences for the war." Lama Su said with more severity than he could recall having heard before from the Kaminoan, "Do I have your word that you will speak not a word unless I have given you direct permission?"

"Of course. I pride myself on handling every assignment professionally. As you are my current employer I will take such requests as being part of the job." He replied waiting to find out what just what was going on.

"Good." Lama Su said before pressing a button on his chair causing the lighting to change colours and the doors to lock, "As you're aware your fellow bounty hunter Jango Fett was chosen to be the physical template for the army of clones you and the other instructors have been teaching these past few years. However as you know Jango was killed on Geonosis at the beginning of the war leaving us with a finite amount of his DNA to use to make more troopers. Naturally we are utilizing every method available to stretch this supply but it has been brought to my attention by a colleague that it might not be enough.

"Ordinarily once a supply of DNA reaches the critical point we would approach our clients to resupply either via the original source or a new one. However when Xander arrived on Kamino we were given reason to believe that perhaps the galaxy itself had provided us with an opportunity." Lama Su explained deliberately withholding some facts, "However I am a scientist at heart and therefore I require hard data before supporting any such venture. It is therefore my desire to see just how far Xander can be pushed with his training, to learn where his limits are, in order to learn just how much potential he has. If he proves to be satisfactory in all the relevant areas we will approach him to become the new source of DNA for the Grand Army of the Republic. If not then at least the young man will have the skills needed to find his place in the galaxy."

"If all you wished to know was whether or not he could match or surpass Jango's physical prowess training him would not be necessary. A series of exercises designed to probe criteria such as strength, speed, agility, reflexes and the like would be sufficient." He said with narrowed eyes, "Why go so far?"

"Come now instructor." Lama Su replied chidingly, "Even you must know that such simplistic exercises can only just scratch the surface of a person's true potential. The measure of a warrior cannot be gained from how many push ups they can do or how far they can sprint. Only by seeing how far Xander can go in the same combat simulations as the troopers will the truth be revealed."

True.

Any civilian with enough time could match or even exceed what a trained bounty hunter was capable of but that did not mean they could outfight that same bounty hunter. Only by putting them through drills and simulated combat could you gain their true measure.

If it was Lama Su's intention to see if the boy was good enough to be the new source of DNA for the clone army once Jango's DNA supply was exhausted then more than basic defence training would be necessary. A lesson plan involving a wide variety of weapons, tools and scenarios would be needed in order to cover as many areas as possible.

"Some of the simulations that I will need to put him through in order to gain the data you require cannot be done by a single person." He stated probing to see just how committed Lama Su truly was, "Given how the training of the cadets has been organized by batches it would be counterproductive to simply pair Xander with a random squad."

"That is a problem that is easily resolved." Lama Su said without hesitation, "As you are aware while rare there are occasionally clones that do not successfully graduate from their training for one reason or another. There are even clones from other contracts that are rejected by the ones who commissioned them. Most are reassigned to custodial duties or similar tasks so that we can at least gain some return for creating them. You can review their files and select the ones most appropriate for the simulations. We can even provide incentive by saying that if they perform adequately we may reconsider their status and allow them to join the Grand Army."

May but probably wouldn't.

He was quite aware of how the Kaminoans treated their 'products' and he knew that many of the instructors had feelings along the same lines. While it was true that some of the clones failed due to birth defects others failed to pass because of personality issues. However to view it though the eyes of the Kaminoans second chances to past failed 'products' were unlikely. Indeed it would take an unheard of performance on the part of the failed clones to make Lama Su's proposed reward genuine rather than simple bait.

"Send the files to my room." He said deciding that he would make the best decision he could, "You will have my chosen candidates by the end of the week."

"Thank you. I look forward to seeing your choices." Lama Su said before lifting what was presumably a security field of some variation.

Nodding out of respect towards the Prime Minister he soon left intent on concluding his duties of the day before retiring for the day.

Training clones of Jango Fett into soldiers unmatched throughout the known galaxy was not easy work and he had a feeling that training Xander was only going to add to his weighty responsibilities.

Still if his recent success with Domino squad proved anything it was that difficulties could prove rewarding.

One Month Later

Xander's POV

~Gotta move! GOTTA MOVE!~ He thought glancing at the timer in the upper right corner of his helmet's HUD, ~Gotta make up for lost time!~

According to the timer he had just a little over a minute and a half to make it to the end of the obstacle course AND gain another thirty points in order to pass. Considering the distance was a little over ten football field's and had robots armed with painful training blasters were scattered along the way he was going to need to squeeze every second if he was going to succeed. Armed with a training version of the DC-15A blaster carbine he wasn't just sprinting towards the finish line though. Any IDIOT could do that. They'd be idiots because based on what he'd managed to get past so far El-les had designed this course to make recklessly charging forward a sure way to fail.

Success would come with careful yet expeditious tactical thinking as well as some well timed shots from the carbine.

At least that was his current theory but with the clock ticking he just might need to rethink the matter a bit.

Ducking behind cover as a volley of blue blaster shots slammed into the spot he'd been a few moments earlier. His cover was pretty darn small, barely enough for him to hide behind really, but it stood up to the blasters and that is what mattered. Counting down the seconds he waited for the opening he knew would be coming to appear and when the sounds of blasters firing stopped did a dive-roll out of cover. Quickly regaining his footing he brought up the carbine to take aim at the opposition armed with blasters possessing the highest rate of fire. By getting rid of them only the single shot blasters would remain giving him more maneuvering room especially if he timed his dodging just right.

It was close but he managed to disable the last of the droids that needed removal giving him the room he needed to press onward towards the finish line.

After all it was getting a certain number of points and reaching the finish line before the timer hit zero that was important not shooting every single droid he encountered.

With a few near misses from the enemies behind him he managed to turn the corner and escape their line of sight. Too bad this stretch of the obstacle course had turrets built into the walls, floor and hovering roughly where the ceiling would be in your average building's hallway. Worse than that the number of places where he could take cover were only three in number with none of them providing complete cover from the all the turrets. He would need to fight for each piece of cover by destroying no less than two turrets and the amount of time he'd be vulnerable would be considerable moving from one piece of cover to the next.

~Figures that El-les would wait until the home stretch for the real challenge.~ He thought darting around the hallway so as not to make it any easier for the turrets to hit him.

Keeping himself moving he did his best to lay down a stream of fire from his carbine causing it to pass over the locations of two of the turrets hoping that all it'd take would be a few landed shots to disable them. Sadly this was not the case either because his teacher had put decent armour on the turrets or the internal components were not that easy to render non-functional. Would it take concentrated continuous fire to take a turret down? If so he wasn't sure that he had the skill yet to shoot that accurately while dodging incoming fire. Should he prioritize getting out of this hallway as soon as possible? While that wasn't a bad idea it'd expose his back to turret fire and he was nowhere near good enough to dodge something he couldn't see with his own two eyes.

Taking all that together what did that leave him with?

His answer came in the form of a sensation he had not felt since that…moment.

The moment he would never forget no matter how much it caused him pain even weeks later.

It was the sensation of Od thrumming through his body.

Ever since he'd arrived in this reality and found out that his body had been altered to more closely look like Emiya's he'd wondered just how deep the changes had gone. However given what had happened to him the first time he'd tried to use that kind of magic and what should've been the outcome of tracing that dagger he hadn't experimented. In his mind there was no need for him to ever go near that area of thought ever again in a world where technology was so advanced that it would suffice for his needs.

However it was with this thrum of Od that he recalled a technique Emiya had been capable of using as easily as breathing.

Reinforcement.

With this ability it was possible to strengthen not only objects but with sufficient skill oneself making it possible to make swords sharper and for his situation people faster. Emiya had used it for a variety of purposes but mostly it was used to increase the magus' physical prowess and durability for battle purposes. It was this technique that allowed the man to use weapons belonging to legendary warriors to such a high level that the difference was minimal where the end result was concerned.

If he used reinforcement to enhance his body it would enable him to surpass his current physical limitations and move at a speed the turrets would not be able to keep up with.

However there were two things that stood in the way of that course of action.

The first was the fact that Emiya had years in which to use structural analysis to examine every square inch of his own body to say nothing of how the man had cannibalized parts of his own nervous system to aid in the use of magic. It was likely only with this knowledge that the man was able to reinforce his body to the degree he could without injuring or more likely killing himself. Reinforcing your own body was walking a very fine line between not channelling so little Od that the results weren't worth it and putting in so much Od that flesh ruptured.

With how he'd never even tried to tap into the possible magic side of his new body attempting reinforcement would require a ridiculous amount of luck to work.

The second was that even if he was successful there'd be no way El-les or anyone else watching wouldn't see him suddenly exhibiting physical prowess he'd never exhibited before. There'd be questions, examinations and who knew what else with him being able to provide very little in the way of answers. Every bit of info he knew about how reinforcement worked was based in a magic that hadn't even existed in his native reality prior to THAT Halloween night. This was a world where science reigned supreme even if there were some oddities that suggested that something more might be floating about. Anyone he explained things to would just get more confused or decide that he was bullshitting them for some reason.

Needless to say he was all set to reject the prompting of the Od in his body when something happened that shocked him almost too much mentally speaking.

Without conscious action on his part the Od within him acted of its own accord and raced throughout his body strengthening it in a way that only inherited memories could match.

He almost started tumbling about like a complete moron but he'd always had a knack for thinking on his feet and so with instincts to guide him he took advantage of the situation. Hoping that whatever was going on would disappear once he cleared the hallway with the turrets he directed his gaze ahead to chart the shortest route to escaping the training weapons. Once he had the route in mind he moved to follow it using his enhanced sight to keep every turret in view as well as predict when they would open fire. Without fail he followed the path he'd chosen and even when the turrets tried to hit him his body was up to the task of evading the incoming fire. Again and again he dodged until with one final surge of strength to his legs he managed to propel himself around the next corner towards the final home stretch with the finish line in sight.

Just like he'd hoped the Od in his body began to fade though whether it was receding because it'd accomplished its purpose or had exhausted itself he didn't know. Never in any of El-les' other training sessions had his Od acted this way and without something to compare what'd just happened with he was clueless to explain it.

Nevertheless it was now obvious that he was going to have to look into things if only to keep any such surprising help from manifesting in the future. Being special might be great in movies and comics but if you tool a realistic look at it there were quite a few ways being special could be hell. In this reality where there was a war going on being special might prompt one or both factions to try and recruit him for fighting on the frontlines.

Too bad they'd have precious little to bribe him with.

He had no friends, family or goals after all. All he had was himself and for him as long as he had a place to live and food to eat he was good.

Not that such truths would deter those who'd want him on their side. His only options would be to either remain as unremarkable as possible or show himself to be too dangerous to risk provoking with strong-arm tactics. With the latter being something that'd take time for him to achieve during which he'd be targeted he was planning on aiming for the former. With any luck he'd be able to get a simple job on a peaceful world.

Beyond that he really had no idea where he wanted to go with his future.

Shoving such thoughts aside he focused on the finish line ahead as well as the precious seconds ticking away on his helmet's HUD. Looking ahead he could see that the only obstacles for the final stretch was a platoon of robots marching to oppose him. As far as cover was concerned it was practically non-existent with nothing present to give him full body coverage meaning there'd be no way to prevent one of them from shooting him.

So what was the key to passing the test in the time remaining? There was no cover to safely take shots from and even if the robots were armed with single shot weapons a platoon of enemies could still lay down some serious firepower his way. Was this supposed to be a 'no win' training scenario from the beginning? El-les didn't strike him as being that sort of trainer but rather a 'there is a way to succeed if you look carefully enough' type. With that being the case there had to be a way to win…but how?

Superior numbers.

Superior firepower.

No cover to speak of.

~Well if I can't think of a smart way to win I guess I'll just have to try something dumb.~ He thought pushing his body to run faster.

What was that dumb thing?

Get in the middle of the platoon as quickly as he could and use THEM for cover even as he tried to arrange as many friendly fire incidents as possible. He wouldn't stick around long enough to take all of them down but rather reduce the numbers enough that he could make a final sprint for the finish line. He knew most pros would probably call this plan stupid, reckless and borderline suicidal but he couldn't think of any smart way to win.

If this was as far as he was capable of going then so be it.

If he planned on living a quiet life someplace he doubted that he'd wind up fighting against numbers this great since it'd be smarter to make a run for it. Only if there was something or someone in need of protecting that he valued more than his own life would he likely try to take on such odds.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed as he barely managed to dive roll clear of a volley of training blaster fire from the robots.

His breathing increased as he worked harder to cross the distance without so many close calls and with a baseball slide he was in their midst. With phase one of his moron plan achieved he moved onto phase two and began to unload shots from his carbine as fast as he could trying to aim for where he figured the brain of the robots were located. He didn't need to worry about conserving ammo at this point and in the middle of such a crowd he could just hold down the trigger and he'd still hit something. At the same time though he did his best to hide behind robots at the edges of their formation so as to avoid getting shot in the back.

Too bad his 'friendly fire' idea was working a little too well since none of the robots he hid behind lasted too long before toppling over due to the damage they'd incurred. At best each robot lasted three or four seconds before falling over meaning he had practically no time to catch his breath OR shoot back at the training robots. Over and over he reminded himself that the goal was not to take down all the robots but each time he asked himself if enough of the opposition had fallen over for him to sprint for the finish line he hesitated.

Choosing wrong would be painful and would mean he'd failed the test.

~Well I've already gone this far.~ He thought beginning his advancement towards the finish line, ~Time to see where I end up.~

By the time his back was to the finish line at least a third or so of the training robots were on the ground with the rest continuing to try and shoot him. Too bad his carbine wasn't the sort of energy weapon he could set to overload and just toss into the midst of the robots to watch it explode. He could think of quite a few times during this training session where some sort of grenade would've been quite helpful in clearing the way. Unfortunately there'd yet to be a training session provided by El-les that had grenades as the prepared load out and so it'd be forbidden for him to add them himself.

~Time for the mother of all dodgeball games!~ He thought slinging one of the robots onto his back to cover it before running for the finish line with all the speed he could manage.

Sure the weight of the robot slowed him down a bit but he was counting on the durable materials it was made of to take as many hits as possible in the place of his back. If he'd had to carry it from the very start of the course to the end he'd definitely run out of stamina before too long. However with this just being the home stretch he could afford to burn through his stamina in order to accomplish the objective.

He could feel the impacts of every shot that hit his improvised shield but only worked harder to ensure that he didn't leave even a bit of himself exposed. Whether it was an arm or a leg a landed shot by the robots could disrupt his stride or cause him to drop his shield before he was ready to discard it. His exertion was also causing his breathing to increase but he did his best to keep it steady and controlled so as not to make things worse for himself. It was only when he felt one of the arms he'd been grasping pop off that he realized that he'd soon lose his tin shield.

~No sense keeping it then.~ He thought before heaving the robot off his back.

With the additional weight gone his speed increased a bit and so he used this increase in combination with all his experiences playing dodge ball back in school to keep from being hit. Fortunately for him his experience with the training robots so far had made it clear that while able to hit things the training droids weren't capable of complex thinking. They saw something, identified it as a threat, targeted it and then opened fire. There was no real effort to anticipate him or use converging lines of fire to box him in. Clearly when people came up with the idea for giving robots weapons they were counting on their superior speed, reflexes and targeting ability to make them dangerous.

Too bad such advantages wouldn't matter if the one that possessed them lacked the intelligence, adaptability and versatility to make the most of them.

As a result he managed to scrape past the finish line with only two seconds left on the clock. Not the best result since he knew that the remaining time on the clock would only be part of the overall score along with the number of robots defeated. Still with no real understanding of the scoring system El-les used he could only wait to see if he'd passed or failed.

Hearing the sound of the door to the training room open he saw El-les enter with a somewhat stunned look on his face. It'd been difficult at first to understand Arcona facial expressions and body language but after a month of it he'd learned enough to understand most of them.

"So…did I pass?" He asked even as he took off his helmet to get some fresh air.

An Observation Room a few Doors Down From the Training Room

Doctor Tri Gar's POV

~Interesting. VERY interesting.~ She thought as she reviewed the sensor readings displayed before her.

It of course had been only natural that sensors be placed in the training room itself in order to ascertain the boy's suitability as the next clone soldier template. However what Lama Su didn't know was that she had placed sensors of her own into the young human's helmet and armour. She had been certain from the moment that Xander had arrived that there was more to him than could be readily perceived. At first she had focused on the data acquired during the healing done after his arrival but no matter how she'd looked at it she'd been unable to learn that which she wished to learn. It was like finding signs of a creature but being unable to find the creature itself.

It was through the training under El-les that she'd hoped to learn something more but it was not until now that something had happened that could not be immediately classified.

While the data collected previously by the sensors in the room had been indeed enough to conclude that the young human might well make an acceptable replacement for Jango Fett's DNA nothing else had shown up until the last stretch of today's test.

THAT had been when something interesting occurred.

Unbeknownst to Xander El-les' test had been designed from the beginning to be impossible for a single warrior to defeat. It'd been meant to act as an introduction to a batch of reject clones that would be given a new opportunity to prove themselves. True Xander had gotten further than they'd predicted but when he'd reached the hallway with the turrets that was where his progress should've come to a complete halt.

Instead the boy suddenly gained a decided burst of speed, agility and reflexes that did not did not fall within his projected biological limitations. That had been enough to cause her to bring the totality of her focus and scientific acumen to bear on the data coming in from the sensors in Xander's armour.

Much as she'd expected the more conventional sensors did not detect anything odd but the more customized ones detected something but she would need more time to understand it. It was an energy unlike anything she'd ever seen before but more curious than that was the fact that it seemed to have connections both to something outside the boy as well as something inside. As soon as she'd seen the energy readings she'd initiated a comparison against everything in the Kaminoan database but as of yet there were no matches high enough to satisfy her. What puzzled her even more was the fact that despite the range of the sensors, both the ones in the armour as well as in the obstacle course, she could not trace the external connection to its endpoint. The sensors followed it a few feet from Xander's body but then it 'vanished' for lack of a better term but she did not believe it merely dissipated.

No she believed that the energy simply shifted to a wavelength that the sensors could not detect.

Could it be that Xander has some connection to the 'Force' the Jedi and Sith often refer to? According to both factions the Force was an energy field produced by all living things that connected everything as well as everyone. She had never managed to gain enough data to grasp how the Jedi and the Sith were able to tap into this energy field other than the fact that it had something to do with midi-chlorians.

Though how microscopic life forms could affect such a massive amount of energy she couldn't possibly fathom.

As for the internal connection that was a bit more quantified because she'd been able to determine with a high probability of certainty that Xander himself was at the other side of that connection. Did this mean that he was generating it or had he merely activated an external connection to something allowing that which was internal to operate?

Sadly the new source of data did not remain detectable for very long and when Xander's performance level dropped back to normal so too did the strange energy vanish. Nevertheless this would almost certainly prove useful to her work especially if it could be used to enhance what she'd already accomplished. It had been quite intriguing experimenting with the blood samples acquired the day of Xander's arrival however it had also been disappointing. Despite her best efforts the clone she created using the female blood source she had not been able to induce a sustained event of the unusual energy she'd detected. She knew that she had not been mistaken when she'd detected the energy or the possible source upon examining the blood but her efforts had failed nonetheless.

~Could combining the female blood sample with Xander's remedy this problem?~ She thought before transferring the sensor data to an external storage device, ~If his DNA provides an external power source it could very well lead to a sustainable energy reaction.~

It was something to consider at any rate.

Until such time as the young man was persuaded to willingly provide them with the DNA supply needed for new clone soldiers though it would have to remain theoretical. What little she had left from his initial examination was insufficient for the purpose of DNA combination. Hopefully once the Prime Minister saw this data alongside the training data it would prove enough to authorize an official conveying of the proposal. She'd already compared Xander's performance against those of the clone cadets of comparable size and physical maturity finding them to be almost identical save in a few trivial areas. She personally predicted that if El-les' training continued to hone the young man's abilities as a soldier he might even surpass the Fett clones.

She truly hoped that the Prime Minister didn't insist on waiting until the young man's training was completed because that might take years.

Years they might not have if the latest status report on the war with the Separatists was to be believed.

Standing up from her chair she exited observation room and began to make her way back to the landing pad where her shuttle waited to take her back to her lab. There were still avenues of research and experimentation for her to explore with the materials she had and it was not in her nature to let anything go to waste.

Letting things go to waste was in her mind a sign of a sloppy scientist.

As this crossed her mind a door to her right snagged her attention and made her pause. It wasn't anything overly important. It just contained some older DNA samples that'd been put into cold storage when the associated contracts were terminated or their client met an untimely end. However it was when she considered ONE client in particular that approached them almost ten years ago that a new possibility occurred to her.

What if she used THAT sample in conjunction with the female blood sample?

While not as good as Xander's DNA it might still serve as a suitable substitute and it might be enough to induce the former client to once more seek out their services. As she recalled the objective of the contract was to successfully clone the DNA source not just physically but also in regard to the special abilities the original possessed. It was an interesting job but despite numerous attempts none of the clones gained the special abilities of the original. Needless to say this disappointed the client bringing an end to the contract but when asked what was to be done with the provided DNA supply the client had left it to them to do as they would with it. From that day onward it'd been put into storage until such time as a use could be found for it.

True she had not checked the logs to see if anyone else had accessed the sample she felt confident that it had remained undisturbed since it'd been put into cryogenic suspension.

After considering the possibilities she altered her path and after typing in her access code entered the DNA sample storage room.

Only time would tell if her idea would prove successful or not.

Another Part of Tipoca City

Shaak Ti's POV

~What was that disturbance in the Force?~ She thought leaving the room where the latest squad of clone Cades had successfully graduated.

It had been a surprise for her that during her observation of Epsilon squad when she'd felt the disturbance and while it had not been strong it had her attention in that she sensed the source was on Kamino itself. It might even be in Tipoca City itself but just as she had been about to reach out with the Force to be sure the disturbance vanished. She made a further search for it but when nothing had turned up she had chosen to set the matter aside until the current test was finished. Fortunately it was the last one of the day so there would be no harm in retiring to her quarters so that she could meditate on what she had sensed.

It did not take her long to arrive and once inside she surveyed the accommodations that the Kaminoan government had provided to her as a representative of the Jedi and the Republic. By her own request it was filled only with the necessities and none of the luxuries that were usually afforded honoured guests on Kamino. As a Jedi it was not her way to allow herself to be distracted by creature comforts or luxuries. She needed only the essentials because the rest would be provided by the Force itself.

Sitting down on the cushioned stool in the centre of the room before assuming the meditative position she'd first been taught as a youngling. Closing her eyes she let all within her mind flow away from her to free herself from distractions before opening her mind to the Force. Feeling the energy flow through her she waited for a moment to see if the answers she sought would be delivered to her but all she received was a sensation of…anticipation. As though the Force itself was waiting to see what would happen next.

Though whether that anticipation was for something good or ill she could not say for sure.

Desiring to learn more she brought from her mind the memory of the moment when she'd sensed the disturbance in the Force from its leading edge to just after it vanished. Often when seeking something without knowing where it could be found the answers could be provided by giving the Force with what information you did have. Over and over again she replayed the memory of the disturbance conveying along with it the desire for an explanation of some sort.

~A feeling…an opening from someplace else…~ she thought as the Force began to respond to her efforts, ~A tragedy…a painful sacrifice…change…ascension…hope for the future?~

Like most responses from the Force it was not always complete and often was left up to the interpretation of the one receiving it. From what she could gather whoever or whatever was responsible for the disturbance came from somewhere else far from the Republic. Something terrible had occurred that led to the source making an agonizing sacrifice to remedy the situation only to be changed somehow to a significant degree. As for the last part that was a little more unclear because while it could mean hope for the future of whatever world the source came from it could also mean hope for the future of more than just one world.

Believing that it would be more productive to find the source of the disturbance rather than seek out clarification through the Force she focused her mind on seeking it out. Like floating through a fog she sought a stronger sign of the disturbance or at least ripples to give her some measure of direction but there was nothing but faint whispers to be found. Where some would be discouraged by this she was not because her long time as a member of the Jedi had taught her patience was often the key to overcoming the greatest of obstacles. Listening to the whispering of the Force she let it guide her through the fog trusting that it would guide her to what she sought. This way and that she went as though being guided by an unseen current and for her patience she was rewarded when she began to sense the beginnings of a stirring. With a lead to what she sought she directed her mind towards the stirring seeking out where it was strongest since that would be the source.

When she found that source she would work to rise up from the fog and perceive where in Tipoca City the disturbance could be found.

Or at least that'd been the plan.

However just as she believed that she had succeeded in reaching the centre of the disturbance the stirring exploded into such chaos that she was blown away by it. Only due to her status as a Jedi Master with many years devoted to the ways of the Force was she able to pull herself away from the storm and back to her body.

Even then the room spun as she worked to regain the equilibrium that had been thrown off kilter by the unexpected surge in strength. Quickly utilizing breathing exercises to aid in her recovery she mentally began to restore her mind piece by piece until all that remained was a dull throbbing.

"What…in the name of the Force…was that?" She asked the empty room even though she expected no answer.

Whatever it was she had not been able to ascertain where the being that generated it could be found but that became a secondary concern upon a realization she had. The disturbance that had originally attracted her attention had been small in nature and therefore she did not believe that anyone outside of the system had sensed it. However with the one that had thrown her into disarray just now she had little doubt that others now knew that something noteworthy had happened on Kamino. As far as the other members of the Jedi Order were concerned she only expected to be contacted to see if she knew anything.

What worried her more was what Count Dooku and his assassin Ventress might do upon sensing this latest disturbance.

Even after experiencing so potent a disturbance she could honestly say that she was still unable to classify what it was. It did not feel like a Jedi or a Sith or even someone sensitive to the Force but untrained. These attributes combined with the potency of the latest disturbance would almost certainly attract Dooku's interest if only to explore the war applications of the source. If the Sith found the source and were able to turn it to their advantage she had no doubt it would lead to grave losses for the Republic.

~We must prepare.~ She thought before walking over to a nearby comm-interface.

A moment later Commander Crait's holo-form appeared above the emitter his response as prompt as she'd come to expect of him lately.

"What's the problem General?" Crait asked going straight to business.

"I have felt a disturbance in the Force and worry that it might inspire the Separatists into targeting Kamino." She replied keeping the briefing short and to the point, "I know not whether they will come in force or attempt a more covert infiltration but I believe that Tipoca City will be at the centre of it all. Increase all security measures throughout the city and inform the defence fleet in orbit to monitor the surrounding space for anything exiting hyperspace."

"At once General." Commander Crait declared before cutting the connection.

While she admitted that she might be acting hastily she could not shake the feeling that being caught unprepared was not something that could be allowed. At best her concerns would be proven baseless and they would be given time to learn of the source of the disturbance and measure how it might affect the war. At worst there would already be Separatist forces preparing to strike at Kamino with the disturbance only encouraging added haste in their efforts.

A large offensive in the form of fleets would be detected by the listening outposts arrayed around the Kamino system for security but the Sith were known to deal in deceit, trickery and cunning. If they did not believe that they could achieve their objective through the direct approach of a military assault on Kamino they might well try to quietly infiltrate the system.

Honestly she would prefer it if they did come with their warships and direct methods of fighting if only to ensure that there were no unpleasant surprises. With the factions aligned to Dooku his technological advantage was considerable making it difficult to anticipate and counter their more stealthy efforts.

She only prayed that whatever the source of the disturbance turned out to be that its nature was a benign one.