Kamino (A Star Wars Story): Chapter 1

I had already heard the rumours of what happened to Fives on here on Kamino. Word had got around pretty fast amongst his fellow commanders and trickled down into the lower ranks. There was an overall sense of slight dread amongst the troops, yet it felt almost inferior in comparison to their loyalty and trust towards the Jedi order.

Whispers spread about clone trooper Tup, I couldn't tell the facts from the fiction as the Jedis had kept their mission so secretive. The only thing I knew for sure was that troopers Tup and Fives were dead.

Shaak Ti returned to her station at Kamino, her presence felt different after the incident, she seemed more observing towards the Kaminoans as if she were waiting for something to happen. For all the time she'd been stationed here, I'd never seen her look over the troopers for so long, she stood up in the glass-walled hallway staring down at us as we ate. I'd glance up there from time to time wondering exactly what all the other clones were wondering, what exactly is she looking for?

We finished our meal and the next place we had to be was the combat training hall. Shaak Ti and Lama Su seemed to be discussing something while overlooking our training though the conversation soon turned them away from us and into their own little face-to-face discussion. I had never been good at reading moods in Jedis, they always seemed to put on such a good facade, us clones weren't much different. It wasn't long until my training would be finished and I'd be fighting alongside the Jedi. I didn't think much about where I'd be stationed or the missions I'd be going into, my mind was plagued more with the general war going on around me, tactics filled my head to the point where I could barely imagine losing a battle, let alone a fellow trooper.

In today's combat training we were once again taking part in drill 54, a complex routine that had been carved into our minds from a young age. This time I was in charge of fellow cadets, something I'd done many times already, but I could tell something was bothering CT-4559 so I took him aside before the drill.

"Is something bothering you four-five-five-nine?" I asked him.

He merely shook his head, and uttered "No commander".

I examined his slouched posture and lack of eye contact and decided that something was definitely wrong.

"Something to do with the drill?" I pushed.

"No commander," He answered with a bit more steel than before.

Then it's not my problem I thought to myself. I brushed him off and sent him back into position before taking my own. I glanced up to the viewing chamber where Ti and Lama Su had once stood and noticed the lack of their presence. It felt almost like a failure whenever the drills weren't observed, although Shaak Ti had insisted that it would be because they trust the troopers to do it right, we all knew they just had better things to be doing than observing the cadets all the time.

The rest of the day passed quickly; another drill, another meal, bedtime. I strolled down the white corridors towards my bed chambers with the rest of my squad. I watched 4559 as he lagged behind the others, I felt it was my duty to inform someone about his solemn appearance, so I discretely slipped off from the rest of the squad and walked towards Shaak Ti's quarters.

After arriving at the large burgundy doors closing off Ti's quarters, I took a moment to consider my next move, what exactly was I meant to say, clones don't generally wallow in sadness, thanks to our origins we have more of a tendency for internalised anger when things don't go our way. I knocked gently on the doors, stood straight and waited to be greeted by the Jedi. The doors opened and I stepped into the seemingly empty room. I observed the display of Togruta jewellery on the wall on the far side of the room, similar to what she often wore on her montrals.

"What do I call you cadet? Do you have a name?" Ti asked from the shadows in the corner of the room.

"The other cadets call me Leaper," I answered.

"Leaper, and what brings you to my quarters leaper?"

I took a moment to think about what my next words should be, I'm not very used to having to report such behaviour to our superiors. The sound of the rain hitting the glass hole in the ceiling filled the room.

"Clone four-five-five-nine has been showing unusual behaviour recently," I finally said.

She asked me to expand on that.

"He seems... almost to be exhibiting sorrow, yet he wouldn't tell me why, he lied straight to my face and told me nothing was bothering him"

"That is most unusual," She muttered as she stepped out of the shadows and began to pace around the room in thought. "Has anything been bothering you, Leaper?"

"No," I answered plainly, trying to hide the fact that the death of Fives and Tup was on my mind.

I could feel her observing me, looking deeper than my facade, I hadn't had a Jedi read my inner thoughts before and I quickly realised I shouldn't be lying to her.

"Actually... the whole incident with Fives and Tup, that has been bothering me, but I understand, it's not to be spoken of"

"You are curious of what happened to them?" She insisted.

I simply nodded and she took a deep sigh, one of thoughtful consideration, before falling into silence and pacing around the room again. I looked up at the rain hitting the glass sky-viewing panel and wondered what the outside world would be like without the almost constant precipitation.

"It has been on my mind also," She finally said to break the silence. My attention was reverted back to her as she stopped and leaned against the wall. "I've meditated deeply to find clarity on the situation, but somethings clouding my vision, and that does worry me"

"If there's anything I can do to help, I'm here, the clones answer to the Jedi, and the Jedi only," I said, hoping this would be my fast-track into graduation.

The Jedi falls back into silent thought, she observes me while doing so, I averted eye contact and went back to staring at her display.

"There is something I feel must be done, something that'll give me clarity, but it comes with great danger," She said, vocalising her thoughts.

"Anything for the greater good," I responded, ready for her orders.

"You can speak of it to no one, this is something you will have to keep from your fellow clones"

I nodded, accepting this heavy responsibility. We locked eye contact and she seemed to have come to a conclusion.

"I'm going to remove your inhibitor chip," She said.