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Well enough of that…ON WITH THE SHOW!
A Few Hours Later
The Kamino Group Camp
Hunter's POV
"When those two get back I'm going to have them running supplies back and forth, ON FOOT, all day!" Sergeant Tervho growled as the two of them looked through the macrobinoculars for any sign of their wayward Students, "They should've been back from that wolf hunt two hours ago!"
"Hunts, like missions, don't always go according to plan." He said keeping his eyes sharp for any sign of the duo, "Maybe their target hooked up with a larger pack. Could be taking them awhile to lose them."
"Maybe. They still should've been back sooner." She said panning to the right before coming to a sudden stop, "There they are! Looks like Xander screwed up."
Turning his macrobinoculars in the same direction it didn't take long for him to find Xander and Moko as well as confirm the former's injury. A quick adjusting of the settings allowed him to zoom in and confirm the presence of blood seeping through the bandages wrapped around his leg. From what he could tell Xander only seemed to need a little help walking from Moko making him believe that whatever the injury might be it wasn't too serious. Some bacta patches and a day off from training and the kid would be as good as new ready for whatever he or Sergeant Tervho had in store for them.
"I'll get the med bag." He said turning to do just that, "Wait until after I've patched him up before you lecture him. He won't hear half of what you say if he passes out from his wounds."
All he got in response was a sharp nod but that was enough to convince him that the Mandolorian would hold off on the countless harsh things she planned on saying to Xander until he was better able to take in her words.
Walking back to the tents he tried to deduce what might've happened to result in a failed hunt and an unknown amount of injuries. Like Tervho he'd trained both Moko and Xander in the basics of how to hunt whether the prey was an animal or something more intelligent. While the former's personality caused some problems the latter's reassurance helped keep their pace more or less even. As for Xander while his position regarding the absence of 'goals' and 'motivation' remained he couldn't say that the kid wasn't learning his lessons well. While some correction was needed from time to time most of what was being taught was being absorbed into Xander's mind before being put to good use.
~Neither of them would have trouble like this taking down a single wolf.~ He thought upon reaching the tent, ~A pack of them? …No. Wolves would've attacked him as a team. It wouldn't just be his leg that got bloodied up.~
A single wolf would've posed no threat to either Xander or Moko and a pack would've left multiple wounds at multiple locations. From what he'd seen through the macro binoculars Moko didn't look to be injured at all save for a few minor scrapes and a layer of dirt. If it had been a pack that'd caused them so much trouble she'd either proved more able than Xander or the boy had deliberately focused the animals' attention on him to protect her.
The more he thought about it the more he became certain that there were simply too many possibilities and not enough facts.
~Best to wait until they get here.~ He thought grabbing the med bag, ~Hopefully those two didn't get into trouble that'll follow them home.~
By the time he made it back to where Tervho stood the students had arrived with Xander wasting no time in sitting down on the nearest mass of rock big enough to be considered a seat. Seeing them up close he could tell that whatever the two of them had been through it'd pushed their stamina to its limits. Both had sweat on their skin and were taking deep breaths causing him to think that something more dangerous had been encountered than a pack of wolves.
"Guess I was a little too optimistic thinking you two were ready for your first solo hunt." Tervho said with a mix of disgust and disappointment, "No wolf corpse and it looks like something almost had you two for lunch. Got anything to say for yourselves?"
"Yeah…sand worms…MUCH bigger than I thought…" Xander replied looking like the effort of speaking was dividing what strength he had.
"A sand worm!" He exclaimed in shock at the news.
Unlike the two kids he and his team had encountered sand worms on other worlds where they'd been brought or could be naturally found. Blaster resistant skin, multiple layers of teeth and very aggressive when provoked. Wrecker liked it when one of them showed up and usually wanted to see if he could take one down on his own but their mission always took priority.
"What happened?" Tervho asked seriously her disgust and disappointment vanishing to be replaced by focus.
"We managed to track the wolf pretty far…" Moko said having recovered enough strength to speak more than Xander could, "…got to less than a day behind it. We thought we'd managed to follow it back to its territory…but…something else had killed it first."
"Torn it apart more like." Xander grunted out at his teammate's understating of what'd happened, "Body parts everywhere…but none eaten."
A bit rare but there were always some beasts that killed not for territory or for food but rather out of bloodlust alone. Whether caused by some sort of genetic abnormality or sickness beasts of this sort deviated from what was expected of their race and could prove to be quite unpredictable.
"We managed to keep from getting killed when it came out of the ground…" Moko said not looking like she liked this part of the story, "…but our blasters couldn't hurt it. We even shot into it's mouth! It just got angrier so we ran for it. We ran."
"So what happened to Xander's leg?" Tervho asked letting her gaze fall to the injury before rising back up to the gazes of the students.
"Something got the worm's attention. Dunno what." Xander replied breaths still laboured despite the resting position, "Didn't see it coming and got clipped when it went after something else. It's not too bad. A bit of bacta…some rest…an' I'll be good."
"You got clipped? By what?" He asked as a bad possibility entered his mind.
"Dunno. Happened so fast." Xander replied with eyes that didn't look right, "Something sharp. Moko and me bandaged it up quick enough."
Before he could ask anything else Tervho darted forward and with skill that could only come from years of repetition a blade came forth and sliced through the bandages wrapped around Xander's leg. He felt like reprimanding Tervho for the act but his focus was pulled towards the exposed wound that confirmed the possibility his mind had set before him. Beyond the open gash and the blood were the all too familiar signs of a poison at work and depending on the person neither student would've seen the signs until after the bandages were in place. Worse than that most poisons circulated through a victim faster if physical exertion was thrown into the mix.
"Give me the med bag." Tervho ordered without room for compromise, "I'll do what I can to slow it down. We'll toss him on one of the speeder bikes and get him to the city."
"On it." He said handing her the bag before running for where the speeder bikes were parked.
It'd likely been hours since Xander had been cut by the sand worm.
Even if he hobbled all the way here it would've helped the poison spread beyond the leg.
They wouldn't have a lot of time.
Not if they wanted to save the leg.
Not if they wanted to save Xander.
The Temple of Kyber, Jedha City
Half an Hour Later
Vhonte Tervho's POV
"We need a healer!" She yelled leading the way into the temple with Hunter carrying Xander in behind her with Moko close behind.
Thanks to her commanding voice everyone within earshot turned to her and a moment later a man in robes that looked like he'd been around awhile began to approach.
"The kid's gotten a nasty dose of sand worm toxin." She said giving the man the essential facts, "I've done what I can with basic medical supplies but it's not enough."
"The fact that the young man yet lives proves that you've done enough." The man said gently assessing Xander's condition, "Most die in less than an hour from sand worm toxin. Follow me. We have little time before a full recovery becomes unlikely."
Without hesitation she did as asked following the man through the hallways until they finally arrived at a treatment room. While it might make more sense for some to spread out the medical supplies and facilities throughout the city in order to help as many as possible it was far more practical to keep it all at a centralized location. Medicine and medical technology were quite valuable on Jedha making both prime targets for the less than law abiding members of society. By keeping it all in on place it could be better protected and watched making stealing them a difficult task wherein it was likely that the theft would be more costly than what they would make selling their prizes.
Didn't stop some idiots from trying from time to time but the Guardians of the Whills had proven more than capable of dealing with them.
Watching as Hunter set Xander down on the examination table she waited patiently as the one who led them to the room began a more thorough examination. With the aid of various life sign monitors arrayed at the head of the table she got visual confirmation that the direness of the situation was a little better than she'd thought. The toxin naturally produced by the sand worm was intended to debilitate its prey making it easier to kill as well as starting the digestive process by liquifying the internals.
SLOWLY.
It was because of this nasty property that few survived an encounter with a sand worm with some being rendered easy prey for the creature and others dying as their insides melted. She supposed it was the Force's own mercy that in either case the victim didn't suffer for too long but the smart knew to keep their distance from the creatures. The bold at least proved intelligent enough to bring some high powered blasters when they confronted one along with some thermal detonators if they felt like cheating.
The fact that Xander's vitals were as strong as they were implied that either the amount of toxin was smaller than she'd feared or the kid possessed an innate partial resistance to the toxin. An interesting bit of information but not something she particularly cared about. She'd mention it to one of the Kaminoans when they got back.
It might be useful or something.
"It would seem that the Force is unwilling to let this one pass on prematurely." The temple resident said even as he administered booster medication to what she'd already given the kid, "He has a remarkable resilience. Still I'm sure he would appreciate being rid of the toxin rather than putting it to the test. Fortunately while not common there have been enough people afflicted with the toxin to make it necessary to keep medication on hand to help those who survive long enough to receive it."
With those words said the man walked over to a drug dispensary unit before typing in a series of commands. With sounds of activity she couldn't identify it soon dispensed a vial of red fluid that the man promptly took before sliding it into a hypodermic injector. It wasn't the latest model and it showed that while compassionate the providers of the medicine weren't above giving old merchandise along with the rest of their aid. Nevertheless when the doctor injected the red fluid into Xander's neck there was a noticeable improvement even if it was a slight one.
"This will be but the first of three injections over the next twenty-four hours." The man said setting aside the injector, "The compound was judged too potent for most species to inject all at once."
"So he'll be okay?" Moko asked hopefully.
"He should so long as the source of his resiliency holds out." The man replied taking a brief glance at Xander before returning his gaze to the Togruta, "The single most common reason for those afflicted with the toxin dying at this point is the internal damage passing the point of no return. When that happens even if the toxin is neutralized the patient no longer has the means of staying alive. If he survives long enough to receive all three injections then his odds of a full recovery will be good."
Not the best answer but an acceptable one.
Looking at Moko she could tell that the cloned Togruta was still worried and would likely need something more before being able to rest easy.
"Would it be okay if Moko here stayed here with him?" She asked knowing she wouldn't be getting any useful training out of the girl from here on out.
Considering the fact that they only had a few more days before they had to return to Kamino she guessed that there was little point in complaining. While not complete she'd still managed to teach both Moko and Xander the basics of hunting. Given that they'd managed to track a wolf and survive an encounter with a sand worm she decided that she'd met the requirements of her bet with Skirata. She'd taught Xander skills and methods that were not part of the curriculum for the rest of the clone troopers on Kamino. It would not necessarily make him better at it than those clone troopers that had received similar training just that he'd know a few tricks the Fett clones didn't.
"I see no reason why not." The man said with a kind smile, "Sometimes the best medicine one can receive is the concern and comfort of a friend."
"Yeah. Sure." She said not interested in spiritual talk, "Keep a close watch on him Moko. Anything goes wrong you let one of the Guardians or monks know. Hunter and I are going back to camp to start packing. Once Xander is fit for travel we're heading back to Kamino."
A nod was what she got in return and without further delay he left with Hunter taking up the rear.
It wasn't until they were on their speeder bikes leaving the city that Hunter spoke up.
"Do you think Xander will make it?" Hunter asked with some concern.
"He'll make it. I'd never tell him out loud, it'd go to his head, but he's proven he's not just some wannabe soldier." She replied grudgingly eyes staying locked ahead, "Even if he's hollow like you said he's still passed every test put in front of him. If he's that good without a fire burning inside of him then he must've been something before losing his way. Someone like that won't die from something like this."
While there were things that'd kill you regardless of how healthy and fit your body was getting your body in that state would ensure that it was in optimum condition for resisting maladies. With how El-Les had been training the boy and her own efforts Xander was in the best condition possible for resisting the effects of the toxin. Assuming that the members of the temple had done their job well their compound would make up for what Xander's own body lacked.
"Doesn't answer one question though." Hunter said sounding curious.
"Oh? And what would that be?" She asked in order to pass the time more than anything else.
"If they got attacked by a sand worm vicious enough to injure Xander how'd they even get away from it. Not on foot that's for sure." He replied sounding certain of his view of things.
He wasn't wrong.
While she'd never hunted sand worms herself she'd heard enough stories from those who had to know that those without speeder bikes or swift transport death was usually the result. For both Xander and Moko to survive an encounter with one on foot felt a little far fetched evidence to the contrary.
But was this mystery worth investigating?
No. No it wasn't.
She was somewhat curious but not enough to delay their departure for even a minute. If the survival of Moko and Xander had something to do with what they did she was sure it'd happen again if they waited long enough. If it turned out to be something else then it'd cease to be a concern once they left the atmosphere.
"However they managed it no longer matters." She said dismissing the mystery, "Our job's done and I've had enough of this planet."
Hunter looked like he wanted to say more but thought better of it.
He was a soldier of course so it was to be expected that he prioritize his duties over his personal curiosity.
She doubted it'd matter in the end how the duo survived their sand worm encounter.
The goings on that occurred on a backwater planet with only kyber crystals existing as a valuable commodity were not her concern.
The Treatment Room
The Kyber Temple, That Night
Moko's POV
"Are you sure you would not like to retire to a nearby room?" The nurse before her asked with kindness.
"No. This blanket will be enough and this chair is comfortable enough." She replied even though she was slightly exaggerating the comfort that could be found in the chair.
She…she just didn't want to leave Xander's side.
The healer had come by an hour or so ago to give her squad leader his second dosage of the compound and had not said anything to imply that Xander's condition was worsening but that did little to dispel her worry.
Or perhaps it was guilt.
She'd gone over and over the events of the hunt to figure out how she could've changed the outcome and prevented Xander from getting hurt. It was a practice she'd adopted during the team scenario training in order to not weigh the rest of her teammates down: review the information, determine her mistakes and work hard to ensure she did not repeat them. In this case though there was only one error that stood out in her mind and that was her insufficient physical stamina. Based on what happened she was sure that Xander broke off from her and used that…ability…because he believed she would not be able to keep running at that pace much longer.
He did it to protect her.
He got HURT because of her!
If she was going to prevent this from happening again then when they returned to Kamino she would have to intensify her physical training in order to improve her stamina. She would work hard until she had succeeded in doubling her current level of stamina if not more so that Xander would never feel it necessary to put himself in danger again. It might also be to her advantage to learn how to use some of the more powerful weapons available especially if they could be concealed beneath civilian clothing. While she didn't think it was all that common for there to be life forms that were immune to blaster fire she intended to make damn sure that if they encountered one in the future she would be more than ready for it.
She would prove capable of standing by his side, of keeping pace with him, if it was the last thing she did!
~But first…a little…nap.~ She thought as the fatigue in her body proved greater than her will to keep watch over Xander, ~Just a short one.~
Given how hard she'd run earlier to get away from the sand worm and the effort needed to help him back to their camp it was impressive that she hadn't fallen asleep already.
Pulling the blanket she'd been given tighter around her before adjusting her position in the chair she closed her eyes resolute that when next she woke she would remain so until the last dosage was given.
Sleep came easily to her and despite her worry the comfort that often came with it soon washed over her. For a time a fog both surrounded her and dwelt inside of her but then it cleared revealing herself to be on a world she'd never seen before. It was primitive from what she could tell with nary a sign of even the most basic technologies that most Republic worlds took for granted. It wasn't at the same level as world's like Kashykk where the native inhabitants chose to stay closer to nature and the traditions born through millennia. Looking about she couldn't see anyone else and began to wonder how her mind had come up with this particular landscape. Even if her dreams had never been strictly confined to the things she saw while awake there were usually elements tying the imagery to the waking world.
It was as she almost began a second pass of the surroundings that she spotted movement two blocks away heading down a street out of sight. Desiring to know more she began to run after the source of the movement hoping that she would find out who or what it was and through the knowing gain understanding of the dream. Much like dreams tended to be no matter how hard she ran she only ever seemed to get glimpses of the back of the person that'd first caught her attention.
Nevertheless she pressed onwards determined to find out who it was for good or ill.
It wasn't until she seemed to reach the edge of the town that she finally got a clear look at her quarry and was only a little surprised to find out it was Xander. However he didn't look quite like he did in the waking world: his hair was dark, his skin lacked the bronze tone and he didn't have quite the defined physique he had now. Dressed in clothes she didn't recognize the style of he seemed to be heading up a hill but something told her it was the cliff she could see further along that was his destination. With this in mind she went from following Xander to trying to get ahead of him to where she believed he was going. It was a bit odd relying on an undefined feeling but since this was a dream she felt it was as good a thing to base a decision on as anything else.
It took awhile and yet at the same time it took no time at all before she arrived at the cliff with an odd looking statue jutting up out of the ground. She'd never seen anything quite like it but the closest resemblance was a statue she'd seen during her studies depicting a being of evil either literal or metaphorical. Looking about the area she waited for the first signs of Xander's approach since her conviction that this was where he'd been heading had not faded in the least. Minutes passed before anything happened but it was not Xander's arrival that broke the watchfulness but rather a massive discharge of green energy that ensnared her attention. Turning around she was surprised to find that another had indeed joined her on the cliff but it was most certainly not Xander. It appeared to be a human female with dark hair and clad in dark clothes but there were things she saw that did not match her experience with humans.
The eyes of the female were completely black and veins were visible on her skin that did not look natural.
More than that the human looked to somehow be emitting green energy from her hands without any visible technological device. Was she some sort of Force user like the Jedi? While she'd never witnessed a Jedi used the full extent of their abilities some of the stories she'd heard made it seem like they were capable of fantastic things. The female did not seem to notice her at all making it easy for her to get closer and by doing so she was able to see that the human appeared to be in severe emotional distress.
Sadness, grief, guilt and anger were present to varying degrees but beneath it all was a resolve she could not discern the root of.
"Hey Black Eyed Girl. Whatcha doin'?"
Whirling around she found that without making a sound Xander had arrived appearing different from how he usually was on Kamino. In the time since she'd first met him he'd always been polite and had done much to help her to believe in herself both as a person as well as a fighter. However this Xander seemed more…more vital and alive than he was in the waking world. Was this a sign of her own mind influencing her image of Xander?
Curious she watched the interaction between the dream Xander and the human female continue.
It seemed as though something traumatic had happened to the female recently and that it had prompted her to do something dangerous involving the statue.
"I'm not joking. I know you're in pain." Dream Xander said with sympathy and compassion in his voice, "And I know you're about to do something apocalyptically evil and stupid but hey…still wanna hang. You're Willow."
"Don't call me that." The female warned as though Dream Xander was dangerously close to crossing a line.
"The first day of kindergarten you cried because you broke the yellow crayon and you're too afraid to tell anyone." Dream Xander said bringing up a shared memory, "You've come pretty far, ending the world, not a TERRIFIC notion, but the thing is I LOVE YOU. I love crayon breakey Willow and I love scary veiny Willow. So if I'm going out it's here. If you wanna kill the world then start with me. I've earned that."
~Kill the world?! What!?~ She thought unable to fathom how channelling some sort of energy into a statue could result in the death of a world.
Was the statue some sort of disguise for a weapon of planetary destruction? If the true weapon was buried beneath the cliff and this was merely an avenue to channel energy into it then things made more sense.
"You think I won't?" The girl now known as Willow asked looking like she believed that dream Xander was bluffing.
"It doesn't matter." Dream Xander replied stepping forward towards Willow, "I'll still love you."
"Shut up." Willow growled before performing a slashing claw attack with her hand.
To her surprise even though the hand was nowhere near Dream Xander four parallel lacerations on his cheek. However much like the Xander of the waking world Dream Xander was tough enough that this did not phase him overly much. Again and again over the next few minutes Dream Xander professed his love for Willow but it did not appear to be romantic love if she was any judge but rather familial love.
Indeed once Dream Xander was close enough to wrap his arms around Willow in a hug she could see nothing that contradicted her judgment.
It was heartwarming to see that Dream Xander's expression of love seemed to be all that was needed to dispel the various emotions that had been driving Willow up until then. As if it were a physical manifestation of this change of mental state the blackness seemed to evaporate from Willow changing her hair to a bright red and making her eyes decidedly more human. It was as good an ending as she could hope for in a dream and she smiled at the sight of Dream Xander successfully having talked down Willow.
"Time to go Willow." Dream Xander said managing to sound both loving and sad at the same time, "Don't worry I'll be with you every step of the way."
Her curiosity rose but was kept from taking form in her mind when in a gathering of light a dagger formed in Xander's hand just as the red spear had before it was used against the sand worm. Before she could even question why Dream Xander had done this the blade was thrust forth and given the jerking motion of Willow there was no doubt what had happened. This was only emphasized when a discharge of some sort erupted from Willow's back only further emphasizing her shock at what did not make sense to her. She wanted to know more but when the world around her began to darken and become blurred the changes in the dreamscape made it clear she would not be getting her answers.
"I didn't have a choice but that didn't make it any easier to do."
Turning to the right she saw Xander as she knew him standing a ways away from her his head hung in guilt.
"She was my sister in all but blood and had been a part of my life for what seems like forever." Dream Xander said though whether he was speaking to her or to himself she didn't know, "Maybe that's why I let things go for as long as they did. She was my sister and I loved her so I kept believing that she'd pull herself out of it. Maybe…maybe if I'd taken a stronger line with her and confronted her when she screwed up things wouldn't have gone this far."
As though it was a part of the environment she could somehow FEEL what he was feeling as he spoke the words even if they were slightly muted. Nevertheless she could feel his pain, his guilt and his grief with all three taking on the role of heavy metal weights pulling him downwards. In a very real way it could be said that just as she had been emotionally scarred by the rejection inflicted upon her by the one who'd commissioned her birth so too had Xander been scarred. He had forced himself in defence of his own world to kill the one person who was as family to him in all ways that mattered. Even as the new Dream Xander faded from her sight she realized that his behaviour since they had met was a manifestation of this scarring. Keeping others at arms length, putting up the appearance of being normal and just going with the flow of whatever came his way.
Killing Willow…it'd fractured his mind and his will as well.
Not enough to make him seek death but enough to weaken his desire to truly live.
"He attempted to die an honourable death but was denied by another. Now…now he has been forced to accept a second life he never asked for."
Hearing this new voice she turned towards its source but could only make out an indistinct form framed by light that revealed precious little. Hair that went past the shoulders blowing under the influence of some imperceivable wind, clothes that clung tightly to the body but most eye catching of all was what the form held in its right hand. Though concealed by the darkness and barely revealed through the light there was no mistaking the colour or the shape of the spear that Xander had used to slay the sand worm.
"He is adrift in the river of time letting outside forces dictate his path rather than his own will. This cannot be allowed to continue and you are but the first step to turning the embers of his soul back into a fire strong enough to stand against the darkness."
"Me? How?" She asked somewhat stunned by this dream figure speaking like they knew what was going on in the waking world.
"By shining a light upon the pieces of who he was and who he can be again. He was a protector of his people, a knight similar to the Jedi in bearing but different in other ways, fuelled by his desire to protect those closest to him and his commitment to standing against the darkness."
Yes…that was the impression she got when she watched the scene unfold between Dream Xander and Willow. A knight protecting his world no matter the cost and perhaps bringing true peace to a friend that had it stripped from her by tragedy. A knight that possessed a will of steel that she did not the think the Jedi possessed a sufficient amount of based on the stories she'd been told. However the harsh task that he'd been forced to carry out in order to protect his world from Willow had left him drained.
"I will do as you ask." She said finding her own resolve to help the one that had helped her, "Xander will be made whole again and his soul will shine as brightly as his armour."
"Then rest young squire for you have a long journey ahead of you."
With those words the light faded and with it she felt herself descend into a state of comforting peace.
The Waking World, Jedha City
Xander's Treatment Room in the Kyber Temple
In the room where Xander recovered from the toxin of the sand worm all was at peace and even the healer who came to inject the last of the treatment was prompted to smile at the touching scene.
So focused was the healer on his task that he failed to notice something of relevance.
Though it was hard to see due to the natural Togrutan pigmentation three marks appeared on the back of Moko Byl's dominant hand.
A large circle thin at the top almost to the point of being impossible to perceive.
A smaller circle within the first but this one was only two thirds formed with an opening at the bottom.
Lastly a single line looking as though it'd been drawn by the finest of painter brushes existed rose from the top of the larger circle.
All looked to have been drawn by the highest quality of ink in a colour that made it only barely contrast with Moko's natural skin tone.
Whether by the will of the Force or by some other power though the markings did not remain visible for long. Instead they seemed to sink beneath the surface of the Togrutan's skin leaving no sign that they'd ever been there in the first place. Perhaps they had sensed that it was not yet time for them to perform their intended purpose. Perhaps some unseen force was attempting to destroy them but in the end only managed to suppress them.
Only time would tell.
A Few Days Later
The Jedha City Spaceport
Xander's POV
"Are you sure you're okay Xander?" Moko asked while both Hunter as well as Tervho piloted the ship away from the spaceport.
"Still feel like I got run over by that sand worm but I'll live." He replied honestly even while keeping his movements to a minimum.
It was true that his body was sore all over but it still wasn't bad enough to make it so that he needed to be carried everywhere or rolled around on the local equivalent of a wheelchair. It just made getting around more painful and since he wasn't into pain sitting down in the shuttle was a relief. The fact that it'd be a few hours until they made it back to Kamino meant that he'd have time for the pain medication to fully kick in and for his body to recover further. According to the healer it'd take a week before the last effects of the toxin would be gone and his recovery would be complete. Given the rigorous training he'd been put through on Jedha and the mess with the sand worm he wasn't about to say no to the idea of a week of rest.
True it would give El-Les and possibly someone else time to dream up the next form his training would take but he'd deal with it when it happened.
If they thought he needed more training before he'd be able to stand on his own in this new galaxy then he would trust their judgment in the matter. They'd lived in this galaxy all their lives and had experienced everything first hand whereas he had only learned things via holograms and data files.
And if they judged that his training was complete?
Then he guessed he'd book passage on the next ship out of the Kamino system to whoever it landed him. It didn't really matter to him where he wound up so long as he was reasonably comfortable, had a job capable of supporting him and a decent enough apartment to live out of. As for what could happen after he got all that…he'd wait to see what happened before deciding that.
"Oh and before I forget kid I thought you might like to know what'll happen to your team once the training's done." Tervho said from the pilot's chair, "While the prime minister tried to pretend it was all up in the air he mentioned that they might wind up getting assigned to General Pong Krell's legion of troopers."
"Krell? I think I've heard that name before but I don't remember the details." He said having heard some of the chit-chat amongst the Clone troopers talking in the hallways.
"Krell's got a rep for pulling off every assignment he's been given but he's also cocky and doesn't tolerate anything that gets in the way of that." She replied even as the view through the cockpit window changed to stars, "He also doesn't seem to like the clone troopers very much. A lot of Jedi treat the troopers like people but to Krell they're just combat assets to use any way he needs to in order to win. I haven't looked myself but according to some more clones die under his command than pretty much any other General."
"And Lama Su's sending Moko and the others to him!?" He exclaimed not liking what his mind told him the likely outcome would be of something like that.
"They send troops to whoever needs their numbers shored up to keep fighting the war." She replied as though it was perfectly logical, "If the talk is right he's burning through troopers fast enough that he would need new ones more than the other generals."
"And Lama Su's the one who decides what troopers get assigned to which legion?" He asked already making plans to talk to the Kaminoan when they got back.
"Sometimes. Mostly it's the bureaucrats put in charge of wars logistics but every once in awhile Lama Su handles things himself." She replied offhand partially distracted by piloting the ship, "As far as he's concerned Moko and the other members of your squad are Kaminoan property that they can use however they like. Even if it means throwing them into Krell's meat grinder of a legion."
The image that Tervho was painting was not a pretty one, not for him and not for his squad mates, even if on some level he'd known the circumstances of the clones. They were not seen as people by a great many of those they interacted with on a daily basis as well as the galaxy as a whole he suspected. Things they were to be used for their intended purpose and if they were killed a replacement would simply be grown to replace them. Others like Skirata and Tervho if only somewhat did see them as individuals worthy of respect as well as the act of keeping them safe from unnecessary harm. The Troopers became friends and comrades the same as those born naturally from parents.
Unfortunately the realities of war made it difficult to argue for the rights of the clone troopers since having them fight was the only thing keeping the Separatists at bay. Even if they troopers chose of their own free will to keep fighting for the Republic after their rights were seen to it would not change how many chose to view them. All that could be done was to show the clones that not everyone saw them as things and would fight FOR them even in the face of dire consequences.
Still…that did not mean that he was just going to sit by and do nothing.
Thanks to their time training together he'd come to grow…fond of each of them and the qualities unique to each of them. To think that they might be put under the command of someone who wouldn't care if they lived or died so long as the mission was accomplished did not sit well with him.
"Any chance Lama Su could get talked out of sending them to Krell?" He asked keeping his manner casual and not slanting either way.
"Not likely. I'm just here to train the troopers and I don't plan on doing anything more than that. Hunter's a mutant clone but a clone just the same so they won't listen to him." She replied sounding like she was actually considering the problem, "As for you you're just a civvie they decided to give some training to. Unless you can give him some sort of incentive to change his mind he'll do whatever the hell he wants with them."
Looking to Moko he could tell that she feared winding up under Krell's command but the expression also told him that she was failing to come up with an idea for avoiding it. The declining hope in her eyes bothered him in a way he'd rather not think about but it did strengthen his resolve to find a way to turn things around.
The question was: how?
What could he offer Lama Su that would be valuable enough to get his squad mates assigned to a Jedi General that'd actually give a damn about them coming home alive?
The answer was not appearing as quickly as he would've liked and it wouldn't be wrong to say that his instincts had him believing that he'd be needing every second he could get to find one. Tervho was not wrong in that he was just some civilian that'd gotten dropped in their laps out of nowhere and they were helping them out of the good of their hearts. If this'd happened on Earth with a government military he'd have no way to convince them to alter their orders unless he somehow managed to gain the ear of an influential officer. Even then it'd only work if there was little to no opposition from the rest of the ranking personnel.
In any military you only had value if you had something it needed or wanted and could not be acquired anywhere else.
The safe option would be to officially enlist in the Grand Army of the Republic and convince Lama Su that it would be more profitable to keep his squad as it was. Using the results of their team training scenarios he could highlight how well they worked together and how with a little backing they could be useful in the war. Sure many of the scenarios El-Les had put them through were the same ones used to train the clone troopers but the instructor had said himself that he'd been forced to come up with some of them from scratch. If he could convince Lama Su that they'd be just as successful in the field outside of controlled circumstances it might prove enough.
The dangerous option, to him specifically, would be to reveal the abilities he'd gained from Emiya and show how useful they'd be in the fight against the Separatists. While far from perfect he'd succeeded in tracing a copy of the spear Gae Bolg and used it against the sand worm. With a little more work he believed he'd be able to trace other weapons that Emiya had used to devastating effect against one type of foe or another. These would be weapons that the Separatists would never have seen before and so would not be able to predict or counter without quite a bit of time.
Time that could cost them dearly if he was aimed at the right targets.
The downside to that plan came in two forms.
First was the fact that while the imposter pretending to be Willow hadn't interfered on Jedha when he'd traced Gae Bolg that didn't mean that she'd stay silent from here on out. Whoever or whatever she was he doubted that the stalemates he'd managed against her would be enough to get her to give up entirely. It was more likely that the imposter was somewhere devising a new means of making it dangerous to tap into the magic he now possessed and reassert her dominance over him. He would continue to train himself in his spare time and build up his control over the power that lay within. He would try to figure out how the imposter might come at him and get in the way of what he wanted to do. However he did not know if that would be enough in the end.
The second form was the fact that just as the Separatists would never have seen abilities like the ones he'd inherited from Emiya before neither would those on the side of the Republic. They would welcome them of course if they proved useful and gave them a newfound edge against their enemies in the Confederacy of Independent Systems but they would also covet them. They'd want to know how he could do the things he could do and some would want to know if his powers could be copied or taught to others. After all having one soldier capable of manifesting powerful weapons was useful but limited in that he could only be in one place at one time. It would also make it easy for the new threat to be eliminated if he were to be assassinated. However if they could copy his power onto others, perhaps a great many others, then it would be a major threat to the separatists and not one easily eradicated.
Given the specialty of the Kaminoans it was obvious that they would want to try to clone him believing that his power had biological roots that they could replicate. However given the truth, that the magic circuits that allowed him to use Emiya's magic involved the human soul, it would be impossible for them to do so. At best they might be able to create a clone with the potential for magecraft but it would be unique to them and would not be an exact copy of what he possessed. He'd seen enough from the clone troopers around Kamino that the cloners desired an elite template that could be replicated as many times as was needed. Creating a unique being every time they tried with powers that came might come close but never truly could be called identical would no doubt irritate them.
What would give out first? Their determination to produce an army of clones capable of the same magecraft he could potentially come to master or his body that they would almost certainly go to great lengths to examine.
Whether he was willing to let them or not.
Both options for preventing Moko and the others from getting assigned to Krell were mixed bags of pluses as well as minuses.
He'd need to use every spare second he had trying to come up with a third that would keep him off the dissection table but also max out the odds of keeping his squad safe.
Or at least safer than being forced to obey Krell's every order whether they wanted to or not.
Doctor Tri Gar's Laboratory
A Few Days Later
Tri Gar's POV
~Interesting. Very interesting.~ She thought sitting in her chair reading a report in one hand even as she waited for the latest series of tests on specimen 80B81CA.
Afflicted with a dosage of sand worm toxin but still able to remain conscious as well as mostly mobile for hours. Out of the 'kindness of her heart' and a desire to ensure that proper 'health protocols' were followed she'd managed to gain a fresh set of biological samples from Xander shortly after his return. Nothing too suspicious such as those employed for serious medical cases or experiments but enough to allow her to compare how Xander had been back when he arrived to how he was now. For the most part there weren't any differences that couldn't be attributed to a vigorous physical workout schedule and the tightly controlled eating habits instilled throughout Tipoca City.
It was when she employed tests that she'd devised specifically to look for the oddities she suspected existed within Xander that fascinating data began to appear.
For one thing the energy she'd detected through the armour sensors had become more potent and refined than it had the first time it'd been recorded. This implied that either the power was a muscle that could grow in strength over time, perhaps in parallel to physical development, or Xander had learned how to utilize the energy better with practice. Both were possibilities worth exploring but there was only so much she could do with a limited supply of biological samples.
It would be better if she could more directly perform tests on Xander himself and perhaps have him go through a series of activities she'd designed but she knew that would not happen. For one thing Prime Minister Lama Su had been clear that none of the things she would like to do could be done until he gave permission. She didn't know why the leader of her people was being so obstinate about making Xander the new DNA donor for the Grand Army of the Republic. She'd reviewed the results of every training session El-Les had put the human through as well as the reports of both Kal Skirata AND Vhonte Tervho taking an interest in Xander. All of that combined should've been enough to justify officially negotiating a deal wherein a large quantity of DNA material could be procured for the creation of an army. If it turned out they needed more in the future she was sure a quantity of credits could be agreed upon if not something else.
Instead he'd been ignoring the messages she'd been sending and was 'indisposed' whenever she tried to arrange a meeting.
Clearly he was not taking her work or her idea as seriously as he should be.
~There is only one way to remedy that problem.~ She thought before putting down the data padd, ~Even if it means risking the Prime Minister's displeasure.~
Walking over to where the needed biological samples of Xander were stored she selected the ones she would need before walking over to a vacant specimen tube. Inserting each vial one at a time she then began to operate the controls in order to obtain the optimum mixture in order to gain what she desired. It wasn't easy since most conventional methods of getting the result were not available to her with what she had at hand. Fortunately her people were a long lived species and had accomplished much so alternative methods were available to her to use. Thus she used the one with the best odds of succeeding even if it was impossible for her to eliminate the risk entirely.
Watching as the samples mingled and mixed in the specimen tube she watched closely and made adjustments as needed in order to pull or push things in the direction she desired. It was only when an hour had gone by that the new specimen in the tube had settled into the expected state.
A state where she could be sure that it would develop into a clone of Xander as close to the original physically as she could manage.
Once it was safe to do so she would begin to employ all the methods at her disposal to bring the clone to maturity and train both its mind and body. Once it proved ready she would present it to the Prime Minister in such a way that it would be impossible to deny its suitability as the future of the Grand Army of the Republic. It would need to be 'showy' enough that Lama Su would have a difficult time dismissing her achievement but at the same time respectful enough that he wouldn't be provoked into opposing her out of spite.
~I can work out the details once the new specimen is nearing completion.~ She thought turning away from the tube to return to her tests on specimen 80B81CA, ~For now it would be best to focus on more immediate concerns.~
Namely that specimen 80B81CA was nearing sufficient physical maturity that keeping it in its specimen tube served no purpose.
Using her approach of periodic age acceleration followed by rigorous analysis she had gleaned much information that she found illuminating. For one thing throughout the development of the specimen the strange energy that originally had attracted her to the blood sample remained present. She had thought that once it finished the proliferation of the other sample's unique elements that it would vanish entirely like a fuel cell emptying its contents fulfilling its purpose. Instead though something happened that she had not foreseen and it intrigued her greatly.
Instead of vanishing the unique energy had somehow managed to achieve some sort of symbiosis with the unique elements.
It didn't continue to induce growth and expansion in the elements but it was clear that from tests that one was now strongly linked to the other. Knowing what she did of the abilities the sponsor had wished the copies to have she wondered how the unique energy in the blood sample might affect their manifestation. Would it enhance them, hinder them or warp them into something completely different?
The only way to find out would be to remove specimen 80B81CA from the tube and place the custom flash learning helmet onto its head. She would not waste time teaching it about the galaxy or anything else irrelevant but rather only what it would need to know in order to begin its instruction in the use of its potential abilities. Covertly she had used her resources to acquire data files and even a few pieces of equipment known to be useful in such ventures. While 80B81CA was brought to a mental level necessary for such instruction to be feasible she would immerse herself in her acquisitions. She would not be able to fully utilize them like one who both possessed these abilities and had been fully trained in their use but she would make the most of what she had.
Even without personal instruction and possession of the abilities she was confident that she would learn enough to teach 80B81CA to the point where if it could it manifest them consciously. If it did she would record every incident before quietly contacting the one who had originally provided the DNA. She was sure he would be pleased. Given the blemish the first efforts had put on the reputation of the Kaminoans she was sure this would make amends even if it wasn't perfect replication.
Perhaps…perhaps it might even open a door to a new business venture that could serve as a backup should the Grand Army of the Republic fail for some reason.
~Something to think about.~ She thought before a notification beep warranted her attention, ~Who could this be?~
Pressing a button to establish the connection she was somewhat surprised when none other than Prime Minister Lama Su appeared.
"Prime Minister. This is an unexpected call." She said with the respect Lama Su's position warranted, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Indeed there is. I have just received an interesting file from a private contractor that we occasionally use for clandestine operations." Lama Su replied before an indicator of a file downloading to her console appeared, "It has proven to be most interesting. It pertains to Xander. View it and analyze it to the best of your ability. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter later today."
"Of course Prime Minister. I will view it immediately." She said curious about how information could come from outside of Kamino about Xander.
"Should your findings prove favourable Doctor Tri Gar I would be willing to permit you to finally make your offer to the young man." He said no doubt knowing it would raise her interest, "Just be sure that the facts are one hundred percent factual and accurate. Do not let your enthusiasm for your proposal cause you to…distort your findings to your benefit."
"I would never dream of doing so." She said with a nod of acknowledgment, "It would be unbecoming conduct for a scientist."
She also knew that this was an indirect warning that he would scrutinize her findings on the file thoroughly to ensure it was as close to the truth as an organic could produce. If he was given any reason to believe that she had omitted, altered or rearranged the data to maximize her proposal being accepted he would not hesitate to have it end right then and there.
With a sigh she waited for the file to finish transferring before opening it with the hope that whatever its contents she would not need to do anything to ensure a favourable outcome.
Five minutes later her expectations were proven to be too modest and it made her wonder all the more just what Xander was as well as where he came from.
So enraptured was she by the contents of the file that she failed to notice the blue tinged luminescence manifest within the most recently filled specimen tube. It seemed to come both from within the mass of materials as well as from someplace without at the same time but only for a few seconds before all returned to what Kaminoans considered normal.
Through blood a connection had been formed.
Through power a path had been made.
Through inheritance were the doors to the golden palace opened.
By the will of the one who had lost everything came one who had never once known defeat.
However now was not the time of emergence but rather the beginning of acclimation for this was not in adherence to the natural order of things. In the past flesh and bone was not needed for all would be provided by the power of the Master but through the intervention of both order as well as chaos something new had come into being.
What would come of this? No one could say but it was a safe bet that a great many plans and preconceptions would find out the hard way that such things rarely lasted long when Xander Harris was in the mix.
The Hallways of the Topica City
The Next Day
Xander's POV
~Give it up for Republic medicine.~ He thought walking towards the meeting room that Lama Su wanted to meet him at, ~Pretty much back to normal.~
Most of the aches and pains left over from the sand worm toxin were gone even if he could feel a few flickers from time to time he didn't expect them to last. El-Les hadn't lined up another schedule set of training scenarios and when he'd asked his instructor had simply said that the squad was getting a break. A bit odd but he knew he could fill in the free time with more magecraft training as well as some gym time to shake off the last of the toxin's effects. He'd actually been almost ready to head to the gym when Lama Su had commed him asking him to come to the meeting room. Not a whole lot of elaboration as to why but he didn't have a reason to say no so he'd said that he'd be there immediately.
Seeing the door to the room ahead he cleared his thoughts of clutter in order to focus on whatever the prime minister of Kamino had to say.
Upon entering the room he wasn't surprised to find Doctor Tri Gar there as well since with the exception of a few times she often showed up with her leader. This time was different though for while he'd only gotten marginally better at reading Kaminoan body language he could tell that they had something important on their minds. Why that'd involve him he couldn't say but he just wrote it off as them having their reasons.
"You wanted to see me Prime Minister?" He asked standing in front of the meeting table since it was only good manners to wait until the hosts sat before you did.
"Yes. There is a matter that both Doctor Tri Gar and myself would like to discuss with you. A proposal of sorts." Lama Su said before gesturing to an empty seat.
"What kind of proposal?" He asked not sure what sort of offer they had in mind that required this kind of setting.
In response to this Lama Su pressed a series of buttons built into his own chair causing the lighting in the room to change ominously and for the door behind him to lock.
"What I am about to tell you is a Kaminoan state secret. I trust you will keep what we're about to tell you a secret unless I say otherwise?" Lama Su asked with an undertone of seriousness.
"Who am I gonna tell? Everyone I know's on Kamino." He replied gesturing to the city at large.
"True but you do not plan on staying here forever. Can you promise to keep this secret?" Lama Su asked insisting on an answer.
"I promise not to tell anyone without your permission." He replied being completely honest, "Just keep in mind that I can't be held responsible for 'extenuating circumstances' that might pop up. There are exceptions to everything."
This answer wasn't entirely pleasing to either Lama Su or Tri Gar but it looked like they were going to reluctantly accept that there were times that promises just couldn't be kept.
Something he knew all too well.
"Very well." Lama Su said before using the controls to bring up images of the clone troopers on the monitors, "As you were made aware by Sergeant Kal Skirata the Grand Army of the Republic is made up of modified clones of the bounty hunter Jango Fett. Every batch is trained as a squad from the moment they leave their incubation tree to when they pass or fail their graduation test. From there they are assigned to wherever they're needed in the war."
"What is known to only a trusted few however is that with the death of Jango Fett on Geonosis at the start of the war we have only a limited supply of his DNA. Standard cloning practices require a set amount of DNA meaning there's only a set amount of clones that can be made from what remains." Tri Gar said taking up her part in the conversation, "War however consumes lives daily on both sides requiring that we create new clone troopers to replace those killed on the battlefield. We are already working to devise new methods of stretching Jango Fett's DNA supply further but eventually it will run out."
"With any luck the war with the Separatists will have long since ended before the last Fett clone trooper is trained but we would be irresponsible not to consider the less favourable future." Lama Su said before turning off the monitors, "If the war persists but we're unable to provide the Republic with replacement troopers our situation will be precarious at best."
"So what do you expect me to do about it?" He asked not quite making the connection between the Kaminoan problem and him.
"While initially our intention was merely to aid you in gaining the education and skills needed in order to survive in the galaxy you have proven yourself to have an aptitude for combat. Whether it was on your own or as a leader of a squad you not only completed every training scenario El-Les could devise but exceeded expectations in most of them." Lama Su replied keeping his tone professional and polite, "Both physically and mentally you are an excellent soldier."
"Therefore I proposed to the Prime Minister that you might prove to be the solution to our cloning problem. Given that you have met and in some cases exceeded Jango Fett in certain desirable areas we would like to offer you a deal." Tri Gar said picking up a data padd and tapping away on it, "In exchange for a reasonable payment we would like you to provide us with a quantity of your DNA with the provision of resupply in the future should it be necessary."
"You want to use my DNA to clone yourself new soldiers?" He asked unable to keep surprise out of his voice.
While seeing twenty or more people who looked the same and sounded the same had cured him of any surprise regarding clones this was a whole other ballgame. If he said yes it'd be his face that the new army of the Republic would be wearing even if they'd all act like the clone troopers that already existed. Odd would be an understatement to see more of him about the galaxy or to be mistaken for one of the new breed of clone troopers.
"Indeed. While it is true that all that we require is a subject whose body is biologically suited for combat putting you through various combat scenarios only reaffirmed your suitability as a candidate." Tri Gar said before using the data padd to bring up a video file, "Then of course there's this."
"Doctor Tri Gar I do not believe it would be wise to disclose this information." Prime Minister Lama Su said looking like he recognized the file and objected to it being shown.
"While I understand your concern Prime Minister it has been my experience that humans appreciate honesty in their business dealings." Tri Gar said with a bow of respect.
For a moment it looked as though Lama Su would hold his ground but then in a surprising move the Prime Minister of Kamino nodded giving his permission to continue. After acknowledging the permission Tri Gar hit 'play' on the file and at first it didn't look like anything special. More like amateur hour film making using macro binoculars but other than that it just showed a desert planet of some kind. According to his studies pre-combat training there were quite a few of them spread out across the galaxy. Some had people on it and some were too inhospitable for people to live there without becoming food for the locals.
It wasn't until whoever was handling the macro binoculars found something worth focusing on that he discovered what this file had to do with him. Right there, in the middle of the video feed, was him and Moko running from the sand worm as fast as they could. A part of him noted that the sand worm had been a lot closer to catching the two of them then he'd thought when actually being chased. When he saw himself break off from Moko he had a sinking feeling that he knew what had the Kaminoans' interest. This was proven to be true not long after when with a bit of fanfare the him on the monitor succeeded in tracing the crimson spear Gae Bolg.
He didn't need to watch the rest of it to know what happened next.
"I'm no scientist but…I can't guarantee that any clones of me you make'll be able to do anything like that." He said figuring that denying it would be pointless, "It's not entirely biological in nature."
"Nevertheless the potential exists and if they do inherit some manner of your unique abilities it would give the Republic a decided advantage against the Separatists." Tri Gar said not quite willing to give up just yet, "If they do then we would be willing to hire you as a consultant in addition to the payment for the DNA supply."
Money would be nice and having a lot of it opened options as far as where he could go and what he could do once he got there. It was when he considered what'd most likely happen if he declined being hired back on as a consultant for training the Harris Clone Troopers. 'To be a magus is to walk with death' was the saying that Emiya heard all to often and it basically meant that one mistake doing magic tended to have fatal consequences. If he declined to teach his clones magecraft, assuming the power did pass onto them, the odds of them being able to do much or even survive were pretty damn low. With enough 'failures' the Kaminoans would likely give up trying to train the clones in that area altogether and focus just on conventional warfare.
No worrying about an army of maguses fighting for the Republic that way.
"I'll take the deal for the DNA supply but I'm no teacher." He said coming to a decision, "Sure I can do some stuff but the one who taught me wasn't big on explanations and precise descriptions. He was all about 'feeling' your way through things and learning through experimentation."
"While that is regrettable I am certain we can devise an effective method of instruction." Tri Gar said sounding only mildly disappointed, "And your payment for the DNA? Would you prefer a sum of Republic credits or something more unusual like Jango Fett?"
"What did he want?" He asked out of curiosity.
"Aside from a sum of credits he asked for a single unaltered clone of himself. Simple DNA replication. An odd request but we honoured it." Lama Su replied offhand as though it was a minor piece of data.
He was about to name what he thought was a reasonable sum of credits, operating under the assumption that they were like American dollars, when a thought occurred to him. There was a problem he had that needed a resolution and this sounded like a solution that was a lot better than what he'd managed to come up with.
"You want my DNA then I want three things as payment. A sum of credits equal to what most middle class Republic citizens make in a year, an armed ship big enough for ten people to occupy without it being too crowded and…" he said before coming to the part of the payment that the Kaminoans might have a problem with, "…you'll legally make my teammates irrevocably my property to do with as I want. No trying to take them back legally or illegally. You agree to this and I'll have no problem donating some blood."
"That…is an expensive payment." President Lama Su said sounding somewhat reluctant, "The credits are easy enough to come by but a ship and four clones have significant value. Clones, depending on the nature of the request, can be quite costly to produce. As for the ship there are not many capable of housing ten people armed or not. Then of course there are the costs that come with keeping such a vessel maintained. I believe it might be more than you realize."
While he was ignorant of what the cost of making a clone was he could imagine how costly it'd be to maintain a spaceship by comparing it to maintaining a good sized yacht. There had been a few times that Cordelia had walked the halls complaining about one thing or another being wrong with the family yacht and how much money it'd cost to fix. If he was even partially right then he'd need to get a well paying job just to keep it space worthy never mind in tip-top shape. The more he turned the numbers both known and theoretical over in his head the more he realized that what he was asking was expensive.
He needed to add something to balance the scales more.
"Then what if me and my squad agree to fight for the Republic off the official record?" He asked after a good idea popped into his head.
"What exactly do you mean 'off the official record'?" Lama Su asked with some puzzlement.
"This is a war and in war a trained group of operatives that can't be connected to either side has value." He replied feeling rather sure of himself, "Outfitted with gear and a ship that'll let us do our job but not have anything that'll let the Separatists point fingers at the Republic. Missions that didn't officially happen. Seemingly random 'incidents' that benefit the Republic and hurt the Separatists. Would that balance things out enough for you?"
"It is true that unconventional forces can prove more effective than standard military forces." Tri Gar said sounding like it was something familiar to both her and Lama Su, "A team sufficiently trained could prove to be quite useful to the Supreme Chancellor regarding missions that cannot be connected to the Republic."
Prime Minister Lama Su looked to be giving the idea serious consideration that went on for a few minutes before the leader of the Kaminoan people reached a decision.
"Very well. In exchange for a supply of your DNA and the services of your squad for 'off the official record' assignments for no less than two years you will receive your specified payment." Lama Su said without any wavering or reluctance, "A year's worth of credits at the middle class rate, a ship with the stated specifications and full ownership of your four teammates according to Kaminoan law. Agreed?"
"Agreed." He replied figuring that pushing for anything more or asking for a discount on the price he would have to pay wouldn't turn out so well.
"Then I shall make the arrangements for both the DNA extraction and for full ownership to be transferred to Xander." Doctor Tri Gar said while nodding to Lama Su.
"And I will see to the allocation of funds as well as the procurement of a suitable vessel." Lama Su said rising from his chair, "As for the equipment you specified it should not prove difficult for our specialists to design and fabricate all of it in short order."
With that the meeting was over and he left to return to his room since there'd be little point in going to the gym to train. He doubted that it would take long for Doctor Tri Gar to get things ready to suck out some DNA from his body. Assuming that DNA extraction was anything like giving blood he'd likely be tired and more than a little light headed afterwards putting him in poor shape to have a workout. Considering the fact that he was in the best physical condition he'd ever been in he could afford to take a day off from maintaining that condition.
~I hope to whatever benevolent god might be listening that this is the right call.~ He thought as he walked down the hallway, ~'Cause I don't think I'd like finding out that that I literally created my own hell.~
Post Chapter Note: Okay the floor is now open as far as what sort of ship Xander should get. So long as it meets the requirements mentioned above (armed and large enough for ten people to live aboard without being too crowded) it will be accepted. You don't even need to restrict your choices to ships used during the Clone Wars or the hundred years prior. After all there's no rule saying that some used ship salesman couldn't have come across an older ship and restored it or even made a custom made one that's one of a kind.
At the moment the only idea I have is to combine a Lethisk-class armed freighter with the Ebon Hawk which is described as a dynamic class freighter. You can find the details of each ship on the Star Wars wiki fandom page or on another website possessing detailed entries on Star Wars vessels. Does this combo sound good to you guys?
Also as always if you guys have an episode/moment in 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars' that you would like to turn out differently feel free to toss it into the submission hat. Just name the episode/s, summarize how things went in canon and then lay out how you think it should be changed. I cannot guarantee I'll go with the idea but if it's interesting enough the idea just might make it in.