Contacting the Jedi council, Holograms of the council appeared.
"Master Ti, Anakin. You've arrived then?" Mace questioned.
"Indeed Mace. The Kaminoans don't seem to hold the clones in a very high regard when it comes to who they are, but otherwise little issue." She replied.
"Could you explain?" Ki-Adi chimed in with his own question.
"The Kaminoans don't seem to view the clones as beings, rather they see them as objects, disposable ones at that."
Anakin nodded along.
'this is true Anakin?' Obi-Wan asked through the force.
He'd been elected to the council following the death of master Poof.
'It is. They are rather...despicable.'
Obi-Wan's hologram showed a frown.
"Wrong, that is. Living beings, with their own personalities, and unique signatures in the force, they are." Yoda spoke.
Having recently been on a mission to Rugosa with three of them, Thire, Rys, and Jek, he'd quickly picked up on the fact they were all very different as individuals, which is what made them work very well as a large unit or army.
"The belief is not shared here. I suspect something else is going on here though, something they are not telling." Shaak Ti added.
Plo Koon spoke up at that.
"I have heard Wolffe mention decommissioning."
All other council members froze momentarily.
"What do you mean by that?" Master Gallia asked, looking a bit surprised.
"To put it bluntly, if the clones don't live up to expectations, they are put out of their misery." Plo replied grimly.
Anakin frowned but said nothing, quickly calming himself.
"Ridiculous! They are human beings, they aren't feral animals!" Kit Fisto exclaimed, uncharacteristically angry.
He was elected following the death of master Trebor on Geonosis.
Shaak Ti hummed.
"Anakin and I will look into this. If this is truly going on behind the scenes, we will put an end to it." Her voice made it clear that they would.
Mace nodded.
"This could be why Fett requested our aid on Kamino. If so, then I agree. If decommissioning is occurring, uncover it, and end it as quickly as possible, if it means arresting the prime minister in the process and many others, then so be it. It is our responsibility as Jedi to uphold the rights of life, such as the clone troopers."
All council members agreed.
Obi-Wan stroked his beard.
"I'll be deployed to an area just outside of the Rishi moon shortly. Should you require any aid, I will join you."
Shaak Ti nodded.
"The offer is greatly appreciated, master Kenobi."
After that, the transmission to the council was ended.
"Anakin, go find Jango Fett, question him on the matter. Meanwhile I'll do some digging on my end." Shaak Ti told her former student, knowing he'd accomplish his task.
He bowed in respect.
"Of course master, this shouldn't take long."
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Of course, finding Fett had been easy.
He was in a training session with a few other clones, hand-to-hand training sessions.
While he'd confess the man was attractive, he was perfectly happy with Savage and Kitster.
Fett had seen him coming, though continued with the current session.
"Didn't expect the Jedi to find me so soon."
"You'll find we're quite full of surprises." Anakin replied.
Jango almost snorted in amusement but he held that in.
The clone he was fighting was easily countered, Jango just stepped to the side and delivered a haymaker and then a roundhouse to the back, knocking him down.
Okay, the man was tough.
"Perhaps."
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Shaak Ti walked swiftly, looking for one Kaminoan in particular.
Finding her, Shaak Ti slowed her pace to match the Kaminoan's.
"Pardon me, you are Taun We, correct?"
The Kaminoan looked to her and nodded.
"Oh yes. May I help you master Jedi?"
"Shaak Ti is fine. I was wondering."
She looked to ensure no one was eavesdropping.
"Where would one be taken should they be deemed... insufficient?"
Taun We had a look of realization as she turned to look down at the Togruta Jedi master.
"Wait, you are here to stop those barbaric proceedings?"
Shaak Ti nodded.
"That is half the reason."
Taun We smiled. She'd never liked decommissioning. Unlike most other Kaminoans, she quite liked the clones, and she didn't view them as some type of property or disposable object.
She also despised Lama Su.
Nala Se she was unsure of, as the chief medical scientist was more neutral towards the clones, though Taun We worried Lama Su may corrupt her given the chance.
She waved her hand, signalling Shaak Ti to follow her.
She led the Jedi master to a wing of rooms, all of which were used for decommissioning.
And she recalled two rooms still had the deceased bodies of clones in them.
The evidence was still very much there.
She gestured to one of the rooms, which was, stupidly enough, unlocked.
"You will see everything you need to see in here, master Shaak Ti."
The Togruta Jedi didn't know what to expect but, she slowly entered the room.
Immediately seeing a dead clone on a table, still strapped down.
Then a needle which no doubt had held a lethal injection.
She walked over to a computer terminal, and she went through it, searching.
Sure enough, records of every decommissioned clone.
One was decommissioned for a broken arm, another two for broken legs, a few for losing their eyesight.
Then some just because they were dating each other.
...
Well she'd uncovered it.
"How long has this been going on?"
Taun We sighed.
"Sadly ever since the clones started at the cadet level."
"But...they would only be children at the time." Shaak Ti added, sounding horrified at the thought.
Taun We understood.
The fact her fellow Kaminoans weren't against the outright murder of children was very disheartening and disturbing.
"Do you mind if I download this and send it to the Jedi council?"
Taun We shook her head.
"No, frankly I find myself happy this rather evil behavior will be put to rest."
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Jango sat on the sidelines, letting a couple other clones, Wendle and Speed, spar.
Anakin sat on his knees beside him.
"So, what'd you want to talk about?"
"About the decommissions." Anakin said bluntly, just wanting to get to the point.
"Oh."
Jango looked directly ahead, though his expression was grim.
"They don't normally happen when I'm around. So I couldn't tell you much. Just that I'm always off world when they do, but I come back immediately because I'm usually contacted by one of the boys and told."
Anakin nodded to that.
"But I've gotten the indication that they aren't pleasant. I wouldn't put it past the Kaminoans to make them suffer."
"Are all Kaminoans like this?" Anakin asked.
Jango shook his head.
"No. Taun We is good, treats the boys like they should be treated, as human beings. Nala Se, while not exactly good, she's at least respectful of them, unlike most of the others."
Okay, Anakin would wager Taun We would be a good ally, and perhaps Nala Se, if they got to her before Lama Su did.
Jango sighed.
"Maybe you'd think that I wouldn't care so much initially, but...I do."
"I never said that."
"You didn't have to."
Anakin nodded slowly.
"Truthfully, I didn't, not at first. But, when I'd visit sometimes, look at them in those tanks as they grew, I just felt...like I was obligated to be here for them. I felt responsible for them. As if they were my kids."
Jango looked down as he chuckled sadly.
"Never had a kid of my own. There's my son Boba, but he's not my biological son, just a clone that I asked remain unmodified. I hadn't thought much on it at first but, I found I wanted a kid. So Boba is mine as far as I'm concerned, and so are they."
He looked at the clones who kept sparring.
"I find I'd do anything if it means keeping them safe."
Anakin partly understood that.
Not fully, but partly.
He'd do anything if it meant keeping those on the Jedi council, or all those non-council members he was friends with, safe, even if it meant breaking the law. To kill someone is a different matter as it depends on the scenario.
He was particularly protective over his now former master and Obi-Wan.
"Because they're family." Anakin stated.
Jango looked to him with an unreadable expression.
"At first I didn't like the Jedi, honestly, I feared them. I feared them because they feared me. Ironic right? Given how the Jedi council always preaches how fear is a path to the dark side."
Anakin sighed.
"But I found I'd just misunderstood them because I also thought they didn't like me. It wasn't that they didn't like me, they just feared what I could become. In a way I get it, I was nine, and the whole 'Chosen One' title is a large weight to bare for someone so young."
Jango frowned a bit.
"You were only nine? And they titled you as the 'Chosen One'?"
"Well they didn't really, that was master Qui-Gon."
Jango shook his head, frowning further.
"Then I wouldn't blame you for fearing them. Placing such a title on you at that age, on nine year old children, what'd they expect? That you'd fulfill it by the time you were a teenager like you're a child prodigy?"
Jango didn't like what he was hearing from the Jedi knight. That title at that young of age? This council of theirs must have been ridiculous.
"I never focused on the title, to me it held no real meaning. When my master took me on and trained me, that title just kind of became..."
"More expected of you to fulfill?"
"No, it just became more and more...I don't know, void?"
...
Okay.
"The council meanwhile..."
"Your council are imbeciles." Jango interjected.
Anakin frowned.
"...they acknowledged their mistakes, and they apologized, actually acted on their apologies and did their best to fix things, which is why the galaxy is where it's at now."
...
True.
Again the Jedi council had gotten rid of slavery.
Though Jango wanted to ask him something else but decided not to, not yet.
"Look uh..."
"Anakin."
"Anakin, don't try living up to that reputation, alright? It will only lead to your grave."
Anakin nodded.
"Alright." He found he wasn't sure how to reply.
"As it is..." Jango rose to his feet.
"Even though I still barely know you, and don't say this to anyone, you're growing on me."
Then he left.
Okay, that was a somewhat productive conversation.
Anakin looked to his force bond with his former master.
'Master, I haven't gotten much, how about you?'
'I've gotten enough. Taun We was very helpful in that regard, she showed me where the decommissions occur.'
'How bad?'
He could feel she felt very...uneasy, and disturbed.
'Very. I'm sending downloaded evidence to the council as we speak, but we cannot move on this until the council gives it the green light.'
'Very well.'
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The Jedi then let Domino squad go through another session, though with Howzer, Colt, and another commander, Havoc, watching.
Hevy broke off from the group, as predicted, and Echo, Fives, and Cutup were arguing, per usual.
Colt grunted in disapproval.
"Mm, they're horrible at communication."
"And disobeyed command." Havoc Added.
"And they're very sloppy." Howzer agreed.
Eventually Droidbait got taken down, and the group proceeded to leave him, though Echo did so extremely reluctantly.
Howzer shook his head in disbelief.
"I hate saying it, but in their state, I wouldn't trust them to have my back or either of the general's in battle."
Colt seemed to agree fully.
Shaak Ti nodded.
"Call off the exercise."
And they promptly did.
Going down to the group, Hevy seemed surprised the droids had all shut down.
"Did we win?"
Echo frowned under his helmet.
"Why would all the droids be simultaneously deactivated if we did? We didn't even get to the citadel."
"Yeah, and you hardly won." Howzer said as they approached, causing them all to stand at attention to their superiors.
"I'll say. You broke formation, disobeyed orders, and you left a man behind, you broke rule number one." Colt added with a shake of the head.
"I'm sorry boys, but this is an automatic failure." Havoc added.
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Standing on the platform above as 99 cleaned up the arena with some droids, the two Jedi were in meditation.
"Generals, may we have a word?"
Anakin turned around and opened his eyes, seeing the two from earlier, Fives and Echo.
"You are here to discuss your squad, aren't you?" Shaak Ti already knew.
"Um, how did you..." Fives began.
"Uh, Jedi, love." Echo pointed out.
Shaak Ti shook her head as she turned around.
"One doesn't need to be a Jedi to feel the unease on your minds."
Echo just nodded along.
"Generals, we'd like to request a transfer, Bravo squad perhaps."
"That will not be necessary." Shaak Ti replied.
Anakin had a feeling as to where this was going.
"With all due respect ma'am, our group is just...not working well together."
"That may be true, but such things can be resolved with just a little effort." Shaak Ti added.
"True, you have to look out for each other, all of you." Anakin added.
"Sir we are looking out for each other." Echo gestured to his apparent boyfriend.
Shaak Ti nodded.
"As individuals..."
She shook her head then.
"But not as a group."
Anakin agreed.
"You can't rely on just one other person if you're part of a team, you have to rely on all those around you, and trust them to have your back."
"I think...if you solve your individual problems, then you will find you'll work quite well together from then on." Shaak Ti continued.
She looked at both of them before adding.
"We have decided to allow you to take the test again tomorrow."
"And if...if we fail then?" Echo inquired, fearing what would become of Domino squad in that case.
"No need to worry on that, just know you can trust us to have your back." Anakin said, giving a very vague reply as he turned back around along with his master.
The two clones left, baffled as to why the two Jedi cared so much.
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After Echo and Fives left, Anakin and Shaak Ti contacted the council again in a separate chambers.
The holograms all appeared, all of them looking serious.
"The council received what you sent to us, master Ti." Mace stated, tone colder than usual.
His cold tone wasn't directed at them of course, they knew that.
"And the actions committed are not only evil, but a crime against all sentient beings to ever exist." Adi Gallia added with her own frown.
"Our respective clone commanders and captains also confirmed all this information when we asked them." Obi-Wan added.
Even Ki-Adi-Mundi looked furious.
"What is the plan?" Shaak Ti inquired.
"The two of you alone, deal with this, you will not. A team of Jedi and clone battalions, we will send. Under arrest the prime minister will be, when they arrive." Yoda said with a nod.
"Very well." Shaak Ti said, reluctant, but ultimately abiding by the rest of the council's ruling.
With that the transmission ended.
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The next day, the final try for the Domino squad.
And safe to say, the commanders and Howzer had been surprised.
Their communication improved a lot, and their coordination.
No one went down, they watched each other's backs.
Echo and Fives didn't argue, nor did Fives with Cutup.
And Hevy didn't separate from the group.
They made it to the citadel, acquired what they were supposed to, and passed.
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A week passed.
In that time, Anakin and Shaak Ti had grown very fond of the clones.
Helping in each of their training processes.
In the end they saw the graduates off, as they boarded cruisers, getting ready to join in on the war effort.
As this occurred, a smaller cruiser arrived on the nearby landing platform.
After the cadets were all sent off, Anakin and Shaak Ti approached the other ship.
The doors opened, and put stepped several Jedi, clones behind them.
Prominent were Jedi masters Yaddle and Oppo Rancisis, with Knights Bultar Swan and Savage Opress (whom Anakin was happy to see).
Followed by a younger male zabrak who looked about 14, with skin similar to that of master Koth's but different.
And a nautolan Padawan who also looked 14, with purple skin.
"Masters Yaddle and Rancisis, and Knights Swan and Opress." Shaak Ti bowed respectfully, as did Anakin.
The gestures were returned.
"Master Ti, Skywalker. Meet Knox, Knight Opress' new Padawan. And meet Orth Sel, the council has assigned him as your new Padawan, Skywalker." Oppo said, introducing the two padawans.
Anakin nodded, ready to take on his own student.
"Nice to meet you both, and Sel, I will do my absolute best as your master."
"It would be my honor to serve as your student, master Skywalker." Sel replied, voice deep for that of a 14 year old.
Oppo continued.
"Would you mind leading us to the prime minister?"
Havoc had almost immediately volunteered.
"Yes sir, right this way general Rancisis."
With that the two masters departed.
For the next while, they all made small talk.
Savage opted to outright hug Anakin and kiss him on the forehead.
And if the other Jedi noticed this, they said nothing.
Soon, masters Yaddle and Rancisis returned with Lama Su in restraints, while some other Kaminoans were taken out to another larger ship.
"This is outrageous." Lama Su said, unusual anger in his tone.
"As is your decommissioning." Yaddle quickly retorted, as they took him into the ship.
"With this, the council sees fit to place you in charge of Kamino, master Ti." Oppo said.
She seemed somewhat taken aback, but nodded.
"I will do my best for these cadets."
"We're all certain you will." Oppo held a very faint smile under his beard.
Shortly afterwards, Anakin said farewell to the group, minus Orth, and they departed.
Though as they walked back to the main facility, he felt a disturbance in the force, which caused him to stop.
"Master?" Sel inquired, already concerned for his new teacher.
"I feel something will happen here on Kamino, something major." Anakin said.
Shaak Ti looked grim, apparently she felt it as well.
"When?"
Anakin sighed.
"Soon."
Shaak Ti nodded as she walked to the right of Anakin, and Orth was on his left.
"Then we must make preparations, and be as ready as possible."
And soon, the three Jedi entered the main facility of Tipoca City.
And they waited as danger prepared to strike.
If you've seen season three of Clone Wars, the first couple episodes, then you know what's bout to go down. It won't go exactly like in the show, in fact, let's just say there may be a different yet familiar face...