Chapter Text
CT-13-3331 looked on as his squad marched out to meet their new general. The battle at Geonosis occurred a tenday ago. His squad was in their final testing phase at that point; not that he was with them, mind you. No, he didn't get that privilege. He was, under technicality, slated to be decommissioned. But somebody had argued his usefulness as a maintenance clone. (Probably 99. He was in charge of the cleaning patrol, after all.) The Jetii that had taken up post at Kamino was watching them as well, from closer up. She didn't move as they passed her. '31 sighed, grimacing as he trailed after a mouse droid. He sighed again as the mouse droid rammed itself into another vod's ankles, both parties spouting expletives. '31 scooped up the droid, muttering an apology.
"Who's droid is that?" They spat, jabbing a finger at the mouse. '31 silently shrugged, struggling to keep his face blank. The trooper shook his head, growling. "Watch where its going next time, then."
"Yes sir." '31 replied quietly as the soldier walked away, muttering about how maintenance clones couldn't do... '31 pointedly stopped listening. At Least he could do that. Tuning people out to listen specifically to something else was something he was trained to do. And that he could do rather well. He knew he lacked in the physical department. He could never move in time with others. His limbs felt to loose at times, to heavy at others, and to stiff the rest of the time. Really, it was a miracle that he was still around. At Least, to '31 it was a miracle. Maybe. Only the Ka'ra knew if it was or wasn't.
To the Force, it was a simple gesture. It tried to tell them that. Most of them would never hear. The older few of the many who shared a face could hear it speak, see its many visions, could use its gifts to shape the matter and change the flow. There were younger ones who too could use its gifts, see through its many eyes, hear its many voices. These ones, along with the rest of the many who shared a face would aid Its child and its gifted against the rogue abuser of its gifts.
This one should be able to hear it, too. But how could one of the many who shared a face hear it speak that truth in the voices-of-all-and-every, when they were deaf? There were many here who should be able to listen. But they were blind, were deaf, were blocked from the very soul it had gifted to them. Nothing would stop the force from reaching to them, however. Nothing could. Nothing would stop it from speaking to them through their deaf ears, allowing them to see through blind eyes, and forcing its gifts into their aching hands. It will get to speak to them. It just needs someone to teach them how to hear.
Briefly, the force considered using its child to teach them, dashing that away as soon as it appeared. Its child was capable, yes, but he still had a job to do in destroying the rogue abuser of its gifts. No, it needed to be closer to the planet where the many who shared a face started. Somebody to tend to them, to gather those who they could not reach. It couldn't be the gifted who truly watched over them, no, that one was too trapped by red tape and by the rogues rules for their cruel game. No, it needs to be someone else. Not as bright, but not dark, a giftbearer who walks towards the balance.
In its infinite grasp, it called three to the world of oceans where the many.
The first, the kiffar who could see through the past. He walked the blades edge, he would teach them well.
The second, the dathomirian, she was too fearful to heed the call. But she would soon, with knowledge to give away, she would teach them well.
The third, the ourobortan, hiding in plain sight and helping a torn apart family. That one would care for the children, they would teach them well.
The force sighed, watching in its many eyes as the future unfolded and wrapped up in every facet and ever crack, simultaneously. This would help. Yes. This would help.
Four days after '31's squad had left, somebody landed on the platform outside of Tipoca city and its facilities. The jedi, General Ti, had stepped outside into the rain to great the newcomer. She returned inside with nobody, but the ship remained behind. '31 briefly considers that General Ti tossed the poor pilot into the ocean, but he tosses the idea instead. The next idea comes to him after the ships there a full tenday. He vaguely wonders if their mystery guest was staying in their ship.
'31 was waiting near the service entrance to the docking area as a mouse droid skittered around the ships, scanning for life with whatever sensors it could. It came back with sad beeps of failure. He smiled a reassurance, patting it on its plastoid shell.
"'S all right, lil buddy. You did good. 'Suppose we should get back to our job." '31 groaned, mouse droid trailing after him as he walked to the service closet, grabbing a broom and walking to the test area. 99 commed him earlier to tell him about the testing in the latter half of the day, meaning it would be all hands on deck for the citadel test reset. So, him and 99, really, plus whatever droids that could spare the time. He wandered in just in time for domino squad to be wrapping up. They were failing spectacularly, earning a wince from '31.
"They split up again, didn't they?" '31 asked in a whisper. 99 nodded, sad look on his face.
"I hoped they would have graduated at this point, or at least gotten better, but..." He trailed off, sighing.
"Maybe we could nab 'em for the maintenance division?" '31 asked, hand on his cheek as he watched the last domino fall. The lights slammed back to the starting division, 99 and '31 called in directly after. 99 banked left as '31 banked right, droids splitting between them and righting the destroyed area. 99 was pulling up one of the vod, and conversing lightly with him. The vod was to upset to respond kindly, stalking off angrily. '31 was helping up another vod up, passing off to a squad mate. Two of the dominoes were looking at him in self pity.
"It ain't as bad as they make it out to be, ya know." He told them quietly, cleaning metal shards off of a training droid chassis, resetting them in position. The two that had been staring walked out with their squad, heads held low in resignation. '31 sighed to himself, looking up at the now empty control room. Well, at least it should be empty. The vague outline of somebody was still standing in the window. The silhouette piercing white eyes gazing out, visible even through the tinted transparisteel. They looked almost sad, head tilted in a thoughtful way, but eyes drooping. '31 tilted his head as well. He knew the look of pity well, but whoever that was wasn't wearing pity. It looked... strange to him. Then the white eyes met his, full of surprise. He blinked once, and the silhouette was gone. They couldn't have fled the room, not that fast. He must have stood there staring for too long. 99 shook his shoulder, raising a brow as '31 shook his head.
"I... I think I might've just seen a ghost." He whispered as he followed 99 back to the maintenance corridor to wait for alpha squad to test.
"Really, kih'vod?" 99 asked softly.
"Mm... maybe. I-I don't know. It could have been a person, but..."
"But?"
"They just disappeared! Into nothing! I. I don't know. I could be seeing things..."
"You could be seeing things. Just don't let the longnecks know that." 99 said kindly, hand gripping '31's shoulder and squeezing it lightly. '31 nodded, watching through the one-way transparisteel as Alpha Squad advanced on the floor and towards the goal. A moment of silence stretched out for a few more minutes, blasters muffling faintly in '31's ears. He had begun tuning things out halfway into the test. Quiet remained until the test started wrapping up.
"I'm scared, Ori'vod." '31 muttered, barely audible to the human ear. 99 gave him a reassuring smile that said 'you'll be fine'. The Maintenance door opened again, the two shuffling out to reset the test. '31 tuned out all the noise he could, resetting what needed to be and cleaning up broken items. He gave the occasional glance to the control tower, shaking his head as he saw nothing. But in his peripherals, he swore he could see something scaling the walls. Well, not a form of something, just lines being unsettled along the wall. He shook his head hard, tuning out even more. He hadn't noticed it before, but whatever white noise he hadn't been listening to, he was acutely aware of as he stepped through the door with 99 again. It sounded like high pitched rustling. He groaned in indignation, resigning himself to working a long day.
Curfew came later. Testing had taken up their entire schedule, including latemeal. Ration bars hidden back in their bunk area would have to do, food wise. '31 sighed for what felt like the thousandth time that rotation, opening up the door to the requisite maintenance squad room. The room had been overtaken at some point in the last year and refitted to house both '31 and 99, along with some of the experimental cadets. Three of the cadets were lumped together in the corner, asleep in a pile. The last one, the albino ET-0038, was perched up high on a shelf, curled up in a ball, eyes lazily on the door. If not for him jerking back quickly, '31 wouldn't have noticed him. 99 seemingly hadn't, as he did a headcount. '31 gestured vaguely to the shelf as a frown grew on 99's face, a relieved smile replacing it soon after. '38 blinked slowly, nodding his head and laying it down on an arm that he untangled. '31 sighed again, moving around the cadet pile, picking up '38 as he gave a squawk of indignation. He weighed next to nothing, '31 mumbled, carrying the protesting vod'ika to an actual cot and plopping him down on it. '38 glared daggers at him as he unraveled to sit up.
"Ya can't sleep on the shelf, vod'ika. No matter how much you wanna. So either ya sleep on the cot or in a pile." '31 whispered, arms crossed. The cadets stirred gently off to the side, '31 pointedly ignoring the one cadet who was watching the interaction. '38 rolled his eyes, curling back into a ball and tossing a blanket over his entire form. 99 gave him a thumbs off out of the corner of his eyes. He walked over to his own cot, accepting the ration bar when prompted. The single light that had been on was flicked off by 99 as he left to complete one last round of headcounts and wrangling wandering cadets before sleep. '31 wished him luck silently, flopping down on his cot, watching the cadets fall truly asleep after getting one last glare from '38s glowing eyes. He read somewhere that felines and predators have those kind of eyes. Maybe '31 should start calling him tooka. He huffed a silent laugh, settling in for the night as well.
99 came walking back in some time for 2200. Later than usual, sure, but it seemed it was an unusual night. '31 blearily signed a question, 99 waving it off along with the sign for 'tomorrow'. Fair enough. As the door closed, '31 was vaguely aware of the absence of the extraordinarily high pitch rustling. The cadet pile moved again. One of the cadets came over and poked him in the ribs, trying to wake him up. He wasn't asleep but damn did he pretend to for a minute before getting poked in the side again. Shaking his head and sighing, he looked the cadet in the face, sitting up and scouting over so the cadet could sit down next to him.
'You hear that?' The cadet, ET-0084, signed. That ment ET-0041 and ET-0036 were still on the floor, '31 hummed lazily.
'Depends. What was heard or what was not heard?' '31 signed back.
'Both.'
'Buzzing. Only noticed after door closed.'
'Heard buzzing when door opened. Very loud. High pitched.'
'Headache?'
'Light. Yes.' '84 signed, yawning. '31 nodded, moving to the edge of the bunk and gesturing to the bunk for '84 to lay down. Heightened senses must be hell, '31 mused-not for the first time. Tossing a blanket over the vod'ika and waiting for him to settle, '31 stood up and reached for Medkit. The pain meds were fished out of the contraband box that was hidden inside, and a pill given to the poor kid. He stood by the side for a few minutes, watching '84 to make sure he was asleep. Turning, he palmed open the door just enough for him to slip out. '31 looked down the corridor, turning to the left and walking towards the generals quarters. Maybe she could help with whatever weird situation was occurring here.
'31 was three junctions out from the generals room before he heard the first signs of life. He hugged the walls as closely as he could. Gliding his way down the corridor, he stopped at the next junction, two domino squad members arguing about something in the adjacent hall. It was considerably past cadet curfew at that point, '31 acknowledged. The two were too engrossed in their arguments to notice as '31 glided right behind the two and leaned against the opposing wall. He waited for a lull in their conversation, rolling his eyes as they repeated circled back to a point he didn't care enough to actually listen to.
"Are you two finished yet? Or should I just let a longneck interrupt you?" '31 spoke up, brow raised as the two jumped back and into a parade rest. He slid his view between the two. They looked exactly similar, so split cell twins. "You two ain't supposed to be awake right now, ya know. Much less arguing out in the open where some random vod can sneak up on you two without you realizing."
"We didn't-we weren't-"
"Oh you absolutely are. I didn't decant yesterday." '31 rolled his eyes, before turning and looking down both corridors, gesturing for them to follow. "'Cmon, you two need to be back in your bunks before somebody other than me finds you."
"And if we don't?"
"I'll throw you into a service closet and lock you in. Because thats at least a marginally better punishment than what the kaminiise would go for." '31 replied with a smile, watching as they looked at each other in silent debate, then trot up next to him.
The walk back to the barracks was relatively uneventful, other than occasionally dodging some of the longnecks who were up doing ka'ra knows what at this unholy hour. It was almost too quiet.
"So, you going to report us to a higher up?" One asked quietly.
"No."
"Oh. Why not?" The other asked, earning a sharp elbow from his twin.
"Because I don't much care for them. And other than telling me to fix something, I don't have to see them more than necessary. I'd prefer to keep it that way."
"So, that means you're one of the maintenance clones, then, right?"
"Yep."
"Ooh. That explains enough I guess. I'm Echo, this is fives." The first one replied. Fives gave a small grunt of acknowledgement.
"Call me '31."
"You don't have a name?"
"Never got the chance to get one. But it's not that big a deal, really."
Fives stopped abruptly, looking at '31 with a raised brow, face fluctuating between all ranges of emotion. Mostly shock. '31 stopped too, staring back with neutral resignation.
"It's not a big deal? Vod, how can you just say that?" Fives asked with fire in his words.
"Because I-" '31 started, cutting himself off. The buzzing was back, notably and lower pitched that it had been. He looked over his shoulder, tuning out all else except for the buzzing. It was right behind him, he knew it. Fives kept talking, getting more annoyed as he tried to get a response. Echo shrank back, grimacing. '31 held up a hand, walking over to the nearest vent entrance. No, buzzing wasn't from there, but it was close. Concerningly so. He sighed, looking around, turning back to the twins, and gesturing for them to follow once again, moving fast. The twins exchanged a look, trailing close to him. A few hallways later, the barracks were open to the trio, '31 pushing the two through the door and signing for them to go to sleep, closing the door behind him abruptly and walking back towards his room. The buzzing was persistent behind him, trailing and grow farther away every time he looked behind him, only for it to get closer every time he speed up again. It was starting to get annoying. He almost stopped fully one corridor away from the room, the buzzing both insanely loud and barely noticeable in his ear. If he wasn't actively trying to hear it, he wouldn't notice probably. His mind looped back to '84's reaction to the noise. He stopped two doors away from the door to the storage room.
"If you're real, person, ghost, thing or whatever and you can understand me, just, leave me alone. Please." He said softly, before turning towards the buzzing. It was backing away now, growing faint. Lines of the architecture that could be made out jumbled lightly, silhouette jumping before disappearing down a hall. '31 held in a breath, staring for a moment before releasing it in a sudder and opening the door.
'84 was still asleep in his cot, the two who had been on the floor having moved to their cots eventually. '38 was curled up almost entirely on his pillow, blanket on the floor. 99 was asleep in the cot across from the vod'ika. Somebody was snoring, not that it matter to anybody. '31 grabbed the blanket from the floor, trudging to the back of the room and sinking to the floor, sighing for the final time that night before resigning himself to a light sleep.
Another tenday passed since that night. Domino squad had completed its retake test, passing with flying colors even after the apparent sabotage by their trainer. 99 was talking to one of them before they had to depart for the cruiser. '31 was just there supervising, watching as the other squads offered congratulations, begrudgingly or not. Nobody had caused a mess yet, so there wasn't a reason for him to jump into the fray. His favorite mousedroid was ramming itself into ankles of the more rude of the squads, narrowly avoiding being kicked in retaliation several times too many. The droid beeped up at him excitedly, making a quick circle before hitting his ankle at half force.
"As fun as it would be to have somebody tape a vibroblade to your shell, I'm not going to let it happen." '31 replied evenly, snickering as the droid spouted strings of annoyed beeps at him, attempting to ram full force into his ankles. 99 was watching, giving a small chuckle before returning to his conversation. If the cadets weren't in training right now, they'd be laughing at the sight too. But nobody else. Not that they were paying attention, he wasn't really in the line of sight of anyone. The mouse droid stopped attempting to ram his ankles, turning heel and racing furiously to the exit into the hallway. '31 huffed and took after the expletive screaming mouse droid. A few vod looked at him in confusion, before disregarding the chase. The droid beeped loudly as it round a corner, drifting around. It drove frantically into the first open door that it had come across.. '31 skidded to a stop in front of the door frame. The buzzing was back, and emitting from this room. Nobody was in the room, he noted, though the mouse droid was now on the table. That confused and scared him. Unless mouse droids could somehow jump or fly up that way, there was no way that it should be able to get up there.
"Just grab the droid and get out." '31 mumbled to himself, repeating it as a mantra. Head swiveling around as he enter the seemingly empty conference room, he tensed. Attempting to grab the still shrieking, albeit confused, mouse droid just made him more tense. The moment he grab the droid with a laugh of victory, the door swished closed. He stared at it, turning his body slowly towards it, making no sudden moves.
"Now you are a curious one, aren't you?" A voice said from behind him, full of wonder. He spun on his heel to face the voices' owner, frozen in place as he landed. A green humanoid looked him up and down, head fins twitching against a headdress the same color as the markings on the humanoids skin. A smile tugged at the corners of their mouth around their tusks, white pupil-less eyes examining him. "You're certainly then only one to notice my presence nearby, and while thats a feat in and of itself with other nonhuman species, you are notably the only human that has ever been able to do that. Minus the jedi variety, but that doesn't count."
'31 didn't respond, just staring. The mouse droids beeped quietly asking to be put down. '31 didn't move. The humanoids brow ridges raised, the soft spikes on them flattening against their skin.
"Oh! Oh no! I scared you. I'm so sorry, I forgot that people tend to have an adverse reaction to when I just pop in. I'm so sorry, I'm too use to doing this to crime bosses and not normal people." They said frantically, waving their arms frantically, over all giving off the air of frantically trying to remedy the situation of having froze a person in fear. "It seems I've tossed all manners into an airlock. I'm sorry. I'm Daal' Marv, she/her or they/them. I'm a jedi shadow. I'm here looking into... Force and great cycle, karking everything about kamino and you and your brothers."
'31 nodded numbly, placing the mouse droid on the table. He leaned heavily on the table, General Marv watching him with mounting concern and panic. He couldn't bring words to come out his mouth, throat refusing to work and tongue heavy. He was being watched by the jedi, and had even confronted them about it once. Oh kark what was he going to do. He was already supposed to be decommissioned, what if the general had told the longnecks about him doing that, and everything else-
"Young Man? Sir? Hello?" Marv asked, pettering off quietly cursing into the air. "OhkarkinghellsIbrokeyou."
She stood up, walking around the table and standing next to him. She was dwarfed by him, in all honesty, but he felt so small right now. SHe made several aborted moves to put a hand on his arm, bouncing on her feet with concern.
"Can you still here me, sir?" She inquired, hovering quietly. He nodded slightly, but was taken back by being called sir. She was the commanding officer here, not him?
"Alright, I'm going to take you somewhere not as open, but I'm going to need to keep you close by, okay?" She asked softly, finally placing a hand gingerly on his forearm. His fists slowly unfurled from their white knuckle grip. He nodded, and she nodded back, picking up the mouse droid and tucking it under her arm. The buzzing return, loudly starting much lower than normal, pitching up to the normal high pitched and nearly unnoticeable tone. '31 turned his head slightly, to see what the cause to the buzzing was. To his surprise, it was General Marv admitting the sound, not from a tool or electronic instrument, but herself. Her vibrated manically, at speeds where the back of her head was a blur. The earfins were fully pushed outwards, acting as if to project the buzzing noise. She placed a hand on his shoulder, leading him out of the room and down the halls. '31 let it happen, passing a few vode and kaminiise. He fully expected them to turn and look at him with disappointment, but they didn't. It was like they didn't even know they were here. In fact, there was only one person the passed that acknowledged them, but '31 had only caught a glimpse of dark green skin before that person too disappeared.
'31 didn't recognize where they were until General Ti opened the door, stepping aside for them to enter. Marv steered him forward, until they got to a couch. Marv pushed him down gentle to sit on the couch. Her mantle slowed its vibration down, General Ti walking towards them carrying a tray with a teapot and accessories on it.
"Shaak, I think I broke him." General Marv said slowly, gesturing to '31. General Ti sighed, placing the tray down on the caf table she had situated in the middle of the room.
"You can't break senients, Marv. What you can do is scare them." General Ti replied, simultaneously calm and exasperated.
"I stand by my statement. Anyways, you know how to help better than I do."
"That I do. It comes with having social skills."
"I have social skills. They just happen to have been inherited from Master Yoda."
"Exactly my point. Anyways, what is your name, cadet?" General Ti asked softly, turning her attention from Marv to '31. "I can assure you, you have done nothing wrong. Nothing bad will happen to you."
'31 glupped, looking at his hands, taking in a breath and forcing himself to make words.
"CT-13-3331, sir. I'm a maintenance clone, not a Cadet, sir." He croaked out, looking at a fixed spot on the wall and not at either Jedi.
"Is that a title?" General Marv asked quietly, eyes shifting between General Ti and '31 repeatedly.
"It's my designation, sir. I-we-" '31 stumbled to find his words. "Clones aren't allowed names, sirs." Least of all cleaning clones, he tacked on mentally.
"If its not a title, then its a bastardization of who you are. I won't call you by a number unless It's what you wish to be called." General Marv stated matter-of-factly. General Ti nodded her head in agreement.
"What did your squad call you, before you were placed in maintenance?" General Ti inquired.
"Threes, sirs. My squad mates called me Threes."
Marv hummed, nodding her head in thought. "Nabi'i. Seems fitting, You have the energy of somebody on your third cycle, but the caution and care of one on their third cycle as well. Is that what you wish to be called? Threes?"
"If it's allowed for me, sirs." '31 answered quietly, bracing himself mentally.
"Of course, why wouldn't you be?"
'31 didn't responded, head hanging slightly. General Ti stood sharper, quiet burning rage perforating the air around her before cooling in the calm.
"So what would your title be, Threes?"
"Sir?" Threes asked, raising a brow.
"Your title, my dear. Like a rank, I think. That's the more accurate word, I believe."
"I'm afraid I don't have one sir."
"Well, I'm sure you do. Shaak's Title is Master, or Bin' depending on what your asking, and my Title is Daal'... I lost you, didn't I? Ah well, we could discuss this later. I have a question: Who, in this city, would be best at cracking encryptions and such within a kaminoan database?"
General Ti stood in silence, searching her memory for someone who could. '31 answered near immediately.
"Cadet ET-0036. He's been able to pick apart that database as a warm-up since he could read code."
"You sure?"
"Yes sir, If anybody, I think he would be the best choice if you're trying to get anything from the servers and databases on kamino.
"Wonderful. Esseki Esseka Ossomi, Threes, Nabi'i." Marv exclaimed, clapping her hands together, General Ti staring at her in surprise. "Now, where would this cadet techy be?"
"Marv, did you just...?"
"Of course I did. Who do you take me for, some poor straightlaced sap? I'm ourobortan, thus adoption crazy by nature. Keep up Shaak, I adopted you years ago." Marv hummed.
"So... Wait-"
"The entire council too, yes. And more. It's not attachment if its done out of love, my dear Shaak. Now, where would this cadet be, again?" Marv asked, pointedly ignoring Shaaks confused look. '31-no, Threes- mouth gaped, then shut. He stood, gesturing to the door. Daal' Marv smiled and rustled her mantle to start up the sound again in response.
General Ti interrupting training was definitely on of the last thing the Cadets had expected to happen today. Their thoughts were painted on the faces, expressions ranging from worried to fretful, stoic to giddy. She lead the boys down to hall, Daal' Marv and Threes trailing at a distance. Threes wanted to avoid giving '84 a huge headache as much as possible. They all arrived back at General Ti's quarters, Daal' Marv walking in last as her mantle ceased vibrating. General Ti welcomed them to sit, '41 taking the opportunity, '36 following gingerly. '84 slumped down between the couch arm and '36, rolling his head back and forth. Threes grimaced, recognizing the movement as the start of one kriffing bad headache. '38 stood in the corner, leaning against the wall, eyeing everybody inquisitively. Threes sighed, moving to stand next to '38, steering him towards the couch after '38 acknowledge his existence. General Ti smiled softly at them, examining them each carefully as '38 perched himself on the arm of the couch next to '84.
"I'm sure you all have questions about why your all here," General Ti slipped into the mask of a diplomat. "And I will be more than happy to answer those questions, but first, introductions are in order. I am Jedi Master Shaak Ti, as you should know by now. My companion here is Daal' Marv, a Jedi Shadow who requested your presence specifically. And it comes to my attention that you already know Threes." The cadets nodded, saluting the two. Daal' Marv waved it off, Threes smiling softly towards them. "May I know your names?"
'38 and '36 exchanged looks, shrugging. '41 rubbed the back of his head, blowing out a sharp breath. '84 was resting his head on the back of the couch, shaking his head lightly in answer. General Ti frowned lightly.
"We don't have names yet, sir." '36 answered, adjusting his goggles to sit on the top of his nose bridge. '38 gave a grunt of approval.
"That won't do. We need to get you all something proper to be called that's yours, not a tag number." General Marv grumbled, ear fins and mantle flattening against her head and back. Visibly annoyed and disgruntled, she crossed the room towards the kitchenette and started picking through assorted data-pads that were left on the countertop. General Ti nodded her head in approval of General Marv's statement. Threes looked at the cadets with a tilt of his head, face contorting into a look of thought.
"General Ti, sir, permission to speak freely?"
"Of course, my dear. Never hesitate to speak your mind around me, please."
"Thank you. Kih' vod, its okay. Nobody's in trouble here. I figured that out earlier. You're okay."
'41 nodded, relaxing into the couch. '84 never looked up, huffing silently. '38 stood up, walking back to his corner and leaning into it. '36 nodded quickly eyeing the datapads. General Marv noticed, smirking as she watched him attempt to pass it off as looking at something else.
"You must be the techy, then? Threes said you like playing around in the database, that correct?" She asked, leaning on the counter, propped up on her elbows. '36 froze, eyes darting to Threes. Threes sighed, nodding for '36 to go ahead.
"Y-yes sir. I can stop- will stop sir. I didn't-"
"No, no, no. You don't have to. In fact, I need you break into it for me. Some of these files are beyond my limits with slicing. I couldn't get them quickly, it would take me atleast a year. But, you've been opening and slicing through this place for your entire life, right? Do you think you could help me?"
"Oh. Of course, sir. Should be easy."
"Good. 'C'mere, I'll show you what I looking at." She waved at the data-pads. '36 scrambled over to her, eagerly forgetting his worries and smiling at the chance to mess with the longnecks. '84 laid down in his now vacant space, '41 covering '84's ears with a hand as '84 covered his eyes from the pulsing stark white lights in the room. Threes shook his head, contemplating running back to the storage room to grab the pain meds for him. General Ti tilted her head, look at '84 with a confused brow raised. Threes sighed once again.
"ET clones are all experiment, made with desirable mutations to the genetic sequencing. He's got highly enhanced senses. The buzzing noise that General Marv produces, it sets him off. The way he's acting, it means he's got a headache. A bad one at that." He explained quietly. General Ti nodded, lowering the lights with a wave of her hand. '41 looked at her and the lights in wonder, '38 staring intently at her. '36 paid no mind, babbling happily about the database with General Marv, sifting through the mounds of data at his disposal.
"Is there anything else I could do that would help?" General Ti asked him, looking him in the eye. It felt weird, her standing just barely taller than him, if he didn't count the horns.
"Pain meds help usually, but I don't know if you would have that. Its hard to come by without being in the med bay, because it counts as contraband for us."
"That is... hmm." General Ti pursed her lips.
"Concerning? Absolutely. Every time I hear something new from these boys, it becomes clearer that only those of the great cycle can stop me from stabbing those asshat." Marv called from the kitchenette.
"Not before I can, Marv, get in the waiting line." Ti responded in calm fury. Marv shrugged, returning to her conversation with '36. Ti turned back to Threes. "Regardless, I do have some pain meds. What strength do you recommend?"
"I wouldn't know, sir. Whatever you have for headaches is better than what I could possible scrounge up." Threes responded, General Ti nodding and walking into a separate room. She emerged moments later with a bottle of water and a small pill container. '41 took them from her as she approached, nodding a thank you. '84 groaned as he sat up, taking the two pills '41 handed him, gingerly sipping from the water bottle. Threes motioned for him to lay down again, which he did after a moment. '38 stalked over from his corner, standing next to Threes, eyes glowing in the low level light. Threes pressed a shoulder into him, sighing.
Four hours later and some long discussions about Daal' Marv's findings, everybody within General Ti's quarters was sitting on the couches. General Marv, in her own opinion, had successfully adopted all the clones present in the room, already formulating plans to adopt as many more as she could.
"Perhaps a battalions or twos worth, to start out with." She joked. General Ti shook her head, lekku twitching in amusement. Threes huffed a laugh, looking at the teacup he had been drinking from. The cadets were piled on top of each other, engaged in a conversation over the files and orders that Tech-the name '36 adopted-had found. They had laughed at most of them, editing the commands to contradict themselves, rendering them useless. Of 150 orders to be carried out-87 of which were currently being carefully picked apart and broken- Daal' Marv had suspected heavy foul play. Finding these orders by themselves in a secured file wasn't easy, but it made no sense to her that they only found these orders, and not who could enact them, nor how they would be carried out without the orders being discarded as utter banthashit.
"Honest, Jedi being Traitors to the republic? I sincerely doubt that would ever come to fruition. Besides, killing a Jedi doesn't seem plausible in the ways that these orders describe. Whoever wrote these must not have ever even attempted to kill a true jedi." General Ti laughed, pouring another cup of tea.
"I'm sure whoever would try wouldn't be in any correct state of mind, sir." Threes mused quietly.
"So, should we comm Mace now or later?" Marv asked, looking up from her upside down position in a chair. Her ear-fins-axolta, she called them- were pushed forwards, letting her mantle-Ohe'xola- droop down to the ground.
"Its 0300 on Coruscant, at the moment. The poor man already has to deal with so much, comming him at this unholy hour just seems rather mean." Ti replied, looking at her as Marv laughed.
"Oh, believe me, I've commed him this early before. The look on his face? Priceless. 0300 means nothing to the man, he doesn't sleep." Marv laughed out, muttering afterwards softly, "Force bless him and Cycle renew him."
"You torment him too often."
"Maybe so. But to him, I either stopped existing, or am a complete nuisance, with absolutely no inbetween."
"Inherited that trait from, I wonder where." General Ti mocked.
"Maybe so. But still. Mace is still up, I bet."
"Leave him alone, Marv."
"Fine. But you're just delaying the inevitable."
General Ti shook her head again fondly. Her comm chirped a few times, forcing the room silent. Opening the offending message, she raised a brow to Marv.
"It seems we have another guest. Tell me, Marv, did you wrangle Quinlan Vos into this grand adoption scheme of yours?"
"No, but now that you mention it, I totally should." Marv replied, righting herself and clipping her lightstaff to her belt. "Why?"
"Because he's at the landing platform."
The force held smiles in its many faces, watching as the teachers flocked to the world of oceans and the many who shared a face. Already playing the game against the game master, it mused. It wasn't as if the game master, the rogue who abused its gifts, was listening to the game rules changing. He was too preoccupied with it's child, playing games with it's child's mind in attempts to sway it away from the child's purpose. It's child would not be that easily swayed. It whisper such past the fog around its child's head in the voices of any and all. This cruel game would be corrected and would be lost, it mused to the rogue.
'You will hear me soon', it cooed to the blinded, deaf, and injured gifted of the many.
'You will teach them well', it babbled to the three teachers, as two met face to face on the world of oceans, and as the last one stared coldly out into the army of beings that moved without souls.
'I will heal', it held to itself. It glared out into visions of twisted futures and the unfurling of pain and weeping sores in its sights.
'This will be corrected', it swore to the infinite expanses of itself.
'This will be corrected.
This will be fixed.
There will be no stopping it, I swear it.
No stopping my will.'
And the force smiled brightly to itself, glowing towards it gifted.