Four Years Later.
"Subtle! Ember's at it again!!" A young boy shouted.
Subtle, the boy summoned, opened his eyes with a groan, "I can never get rest anymore- Even when it's not time to train yet." He sighed, pressing a button on a panel inside his bunk, which slid it out so he could climb down the ladder to the ground.
On the floor sat one clone cadet with a match in his hand, furiously trying to strike it. Another attempted to wrestle it from his hands while the rest yelled, "EMBER! PUT THE MATCH DOWN, BROTHER!"
Ember, the youth trying to strike the match, paid no mind to his squad's petitions for him to cease what he was doing.
Finally, the clone trying to snatch the match succeeded, and he pocketed the object.
Ember didn't look thrilled in the slightest. He glared at his "brother," standing up, "Give that back, Vision!" He ordered.
Vision shook his head, "Don't you give me that look, brother. Remember what happened last time? You set fire to an entire Kaminoan mess hall. That didn't please Madam Lafa Re in the slightest now, did it?" He asked rhetorically.
Ember gave a small laugh, "It pleased me- the flames were fun to watch." He retorted.
"Ember, no..." Vision mumbled, facepalming, "That is BAD. VERY... VERY... BAD!"
Subtle groaned, "Ember- could you not? This behavior is getting out of hand! I'm losing sleep, the Kaminoans are losing their tempers, and the rest of us are losing our minds over this ridiculousness! It's not a good combo."
"I can't help it, Subtle-" Ember mumbled with a subconscious laugh, "I just HAVE to light a fire- my very being demands it!"
"I get it, brother." Subtle replied, patting his shoulder, "But setting fire to a city above water with electrical storms isn't the wisest- save the flames for the droids in the simulator, okay?"
Ember sighed reluctantly, "I'll try."
"Very good." Subtle smiled, "We like that."
The rest of the squad hugged Ember, "We'll be here to help you."
One cadet stepped away to work on a gadget.
"Watcha' working on, Circuit?" One boy asked, jogging in place. He looked fired up and ready for anything, like he had been sleeping for hours and just had three cups of caf.
"Just a gadget we had been taught how to use, Adrenaline- I want to see if I can replicate it... I remembered all the parts." Circuit replied.
"Of course, you remembered all the parts! You are intelligent and diligent with your listening!" Adrenaline complimented him.
Circuit blushed modestly, "Thanks, brother. I do try!"
Another clone cadet in the squad yawned, rubbing his tired eyes. He looked exhausted, although he had slept well that night.
"Are you ready for the day, Zs?" The energetic clone asked.
Zs nodded slowly with a yawn, "I'm ready as I'll ever be."
"I hope today will be just like a month and twelve days ago when we had full-on simulator practice and..." One cadet began nostalgically; before he was interrupted by everyone else saying, "WE KNOW, FLASHBACK!"
"Flashback- have you considered that we have experienced that memory and even after you have told the story from it several times over?" Another boy asked in annoyance. His skin had different pigment splotches all over it. That feature made him stick out from the rest of his clone squad.
"Sorry everyone- and Patches... I get so excited by the memory that I forget who I've told it to." Flashback said apologetically with a sheepish smile.
"Yeah? Well please try to remember next time..." Patches grumbled, crossing his arms.
A droid whizzed in, "What are you all still doing here! Get down to the cafeteria for breakfast in an orderly fashion! Lafa is already on thin threads of patience with the lot of you. Get out of here!" The droid scolded.
"Don't be so fussy, AZ-83, no sweat at all! We were about to depart." Circuit smiled, "Alright, brothers! Double file!" He ordered, starting the right-most column formation.
When all were in ready formation, they marched away in sync.
One clone was left; He sighed, sitting on the lowest bunk. The bottom was where he slept, for the obvious. He was upset by the look of his brows that furrowed and his mouth shape. He had no eyes to express emotion, so eyebrows and the mouth were his only means, "It's not fair." He fussed.
"What isn't? There's a lot that isn't fair- take my humiliating demotion from Lafa's service because of a stupid fib by her associate, for instance, that wasn't fair. Now I'm stuck here, caring for you and your so-called squad's lack of cleanliness." AZI-83 whined as he picked up a few things that the young boy's batchmates had left thrown all over the floor.
"I can't tell if that was an insult towards me, or you're being melancholy again..." The boy paused in thought. "What I mean is, it's not fair that my brothers can learn, use the simulator, and experience new things while I'm stuck here, without a purpose."
"I wish I could say I've been there, but alas, I am programmed to a strict purpose and cannot be deemed useless." AZI-83 groaned as he put the cadets' things all in one spot.
"What's it like to see?" The boy asked, curious.
"It's dreadful, Null..." The droid began, prattling on about the cons of sight, "The second you see something disorderly or catastrophic, your mind goes into overdrive, and you slip slowly into madness..."
Null, the sightless clone sighed, "AZ-83... Be positive just this once- What are the good things?"
AZ-83 made a sighing sound, "Well, you can see your disastrous squad coming before they tackle you, set your circuits on fire, tear you apart to see how you function or use you as target practice..."
"I said POSITIVE."
"It's positively draining to my energy levels..." AZ-83 mumbled.
"You know what- forget it." Null groaned, flipping on his side away from the gloomy droid.
"There's not much to see here, really- It's not that impressive." AZ-83 told him, "Just colorless hallways and rooms full of clone chaos."
Null slowly turned back, "It may not seem like much to you, but to me, it's everything."
AZ-83 never really considered Tipoca City fascinating, but when he thought about Null's viewpoint, he began to feel sympathy for the poor boy- or what he assumed was sympathy... He had to help Null- just how was the question. That, however, had to wait now- He went back to picking up clothes while pondering over a solution. Null was his friend. He listened to all of his gripings and complaining about everything- In a way, Null was a child therapist for him.
Null sat up, standing to his feet, following his sense of sound to find his daytime companion, "AZ-83? You're quiet- it's freaking me out. You're never silent-" He patted down the droid's head.
AZ-83 gently removed Null's hands from his face, "I'm in contemplation..."
"Contemplation of what?" Null asked, "Oh, please don't begin your nonsense of considering heaving yourself off of a landing platform just because Adrenaline destroyed the room." He sighed.
"I'm considering it- but I'm thinking about something else." The droid responded, "What you said enlightened me-"
"What?" Null asked, confused.
"About sight being everything to you... I desperately want you to see, Null- you're the only one in this blasted complex that doesn't drive me to misery." The droid said softly, "You're my friend, Null. The only friend I've ever had." He took his hand in camaraderie.
"Hey, I have no choice, so-" Null shrugged, "I'm the only one stuck with you." He said in an exhausted tone.
"See? That is why I like you- we are so similar." AZ-83 stated proudly.
"Fault of influence." Null reasoned before he paused, "How would you allow me to see? It's impossible! I have no eyes, remember?!"
"That is yet to be determined, Null- I'll come up with something." The droid promised.