//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: Clone Cadets // Story: Star Wars: The Great War // by ShootingStar25 //------------------------------// Brothers in arms are brothers for life. Recap: Clone troopers unite! As war rages across the galaxy, the Republic's clone army strives for victory against the evil forces of the Separatists. Bravery, valor, unity, the lifeblood of victory on the battlefield and in space. It all begins on the planet Kamino, where Jedi Master Shaak Ti oversees the training of the clones, with the help of contracted bounty hunters. Bred to be perfect soldiers, these cadets must first be subjected to intense physical and mental training before heading off to the war... Twilight was now on a ship as she was traveling through hyperspace. She soon came out of it as she saw the planet of Kamino as it was in her sights. "Finally." said the girl. Kamino was a planet that was located in the wild space. But the biggest thing was that it was home to a reclusive society of very sophisticated cloners known as the Kaminoans. It was the Kaminoans themselves who were responsible for creating the clone army that the Jedi used under their command. They took the blood from famous bounty hunter Jango Fett as they cloned it and were able to create multiple copies that the Republic could use as soldiers. The place itself was a water planet with the only above-ground city being the capital, Tipoca City as the majority of where the Kaminoans live in underwater inclosures. But all that aside, Twilight had a reason for coming to this planet. The girl now thought back to what happened earlier in the day. (Flashback) "You want me to what?" said Twilight. "I'm sending you to Kamino. You always brought up that you wanted to visit the place where our clones are produced," said Celestia. "I mean, I've been fascinated with seeing how the cloning process works. Not to mention the genetics that also goes into taking that sample of DNA and reconverting it to produce similar humans." said the girl as she was now going into her nerd mode when it came to knowledge. "I'd figured that'd be your response. Even though you're a Jedi and can use the Force, you're still intrigued by the practices of science." smiled Celestia looking at her student. "But know Twilight. I'm not just sending you on a field trip." "I understand. You want me to take notes and report my findings, right." said the girl as she prepared to grab some paper and writing utensils as she couldn't wait to satisfy her thirst for knowledge. "Twilight, calm down!" said the woman as she used the Force to hold the girl in place by her clothes. She then placed her back on the floor and used the Force to put her supplies away. "I said you're going to Kamino. While I'm glad you'll finally get a chance to have your questions answered, I'm also sending you on a mission." "Mission?" said the girl. "Kamino is home to the clones that we train. I want you to observe and take it all in. You're going to one day lead some clones of your own soon, just like my sister and me." stated Celestia. "General Shaak Ti oversees all the operations when it comes to clones training on Kamino. Take a few pointers, cause if you're gonna lead a squad someday. You need to be able to relate with your soldiers. Like Storm does with his squad." (Transition) "You sure you don't want me going with you, Sparky?" asked Storm. "Trust me, Master Celestia thinks this is a good opportunity for me to learn. And not just seeing how cloning works." stated the girl. "I guess... I'm just a bit hesitant. When it comes to commanding soldiers on the battlefield, I'm don't feel like I can carry that responsibility. But maybe this will help me." "In that case, don't let me slow you down." said the boy. "Thanks, Storm," said Twilight as she looked to hug her partner. "No hugging!" said the teen. "Sorry," chuckled the girl nervously. (End of Flashback) Twilight now opened her eyes as she was still in orbit of the planet. She took a deep breath as she prepared to carry out this special task assigned to her by her mentor. Her ship now descended to the planet as she was welcomed to the sight of storm clouds and waves splashing about. The girl now landed her ship on one of the platforms. She exited it out as she was now making her way to the simulation room. It didn't take long as the girl found the door as it opened up and she came in. Upon entering, she saw some figures inside. One of them was a female Togruta with dark grayish-blue eyes and red skin. Around her eyes were large white markings. She had a jeweled headdress adorning her face that lay along the border between her face and her montrals, which along with her lekku were marked by gray stripes. The two other figures were bounty hunters. One was a male Siniteen and the other was a male Arcona. The girl now addressed the Jedi Master. "Greetings, Master Shaak Ti." "Greetings, Twilight Sparkle. Bric and El-Les this is Jedi Knight Twilight Sparkle, she is the student of Jedi Master Celestia." said the Jedi Master. Twilight waved at them as only one of them bothered to wave back as the other let out a groan. "So, what's happening?" asked the girl. "You're just in time. Take a look." said the Jedi Master as she allowed the girl to see the training ground. On the field was a squad of clones as they were running the course and trying to pass it. On the ground below them, there was a squad of clones, five members to be exact. Each one was a number, but this group of clones loved to call the others by the nickname they were given by each other. You would think that would translate to some bond between them, but that was the opposite. The team of clones was known as the Domino Squad. And like their name suggested, once they started to lose control, they all would fall over. And right now, they were showing it. The entire group entered the training ground as they were blasting at the training droids firing back. "You're clear. You're clear." shouted one of the troopers. "Cover fire!" shouted another member. The rest of the troops now began to protect their comrade who moved forward. The person who moved had a Z-6 rotary blaster cannon in his hand as it was his favorite weapon as he began to blast some more of the training droids. "This is command. You must break through enemy lines and take the tower." spoke the simulation. "Comlink just relayed orders from--" said one of the clones who listened to the announcement through his helmet as he was trying to tell his teammates. "We all heard the orders, Echo." said another one of his members who had a number four on his body. "Stop calling me that!" shouted the clone who had a number 3 on his armor as he didn't like that nickname. "Stop repeating every order." addressed the member who had a #2 who went by the number CT-4040. "Less yappin', more blastin'." shouted the clone that had the rotary blaster as he had the #1 on it. "Let's smoke these chrome domes and move on to the Citadel." "CT-782, you're breaking formation," stated Echo. "Just follow my lead, will ya?" stated the clone. He then began to advance by himself while dodging and shooting any droids that were in his path. He got to their side as he took out the droids using the barricade as cover. "He's clearing a path. I'm moving," said CT-4040. The clone was now following behind his comrade who was still blasting away with his machine gun. He looked away to his teammates to tell them to also move up. He didn't notice the blast coming his way as one of his shots from the droids in the sentry position fired a shot. Another one of the members of the squad who had the #5 on his armor saw the shot coming and grabbed his partner and dove out of the way. "Thanks, CT-27-5555. That was close." "It's Fives. The name's 'Fives'." shouted the clone who saved his teammate. "Yeah, five pieces, if you don't keep your head down!" said CT-00-2010. "How about we follow orders?" suggested Echo. "This is our last practice test." "Will you shut up with instructions? You're not in charge," shouted Fives. Up above, the two bounty hunters and two Jedi were seeing the interaction between all the members. For Twilight while she couldn't hear what the clones were saying, the Force was sending her a message that even she felt bad for the group. Now she was getting a firsthand experience on the true nature of clones. "This particular unit seems to have some trouble. What do you recommend?" asked Jedi Master Shaak Ti to the bounty hunter named Bric. "Well, I'm no Jedi, so forgive my bluntness," said the bounty hunter to both girls, "but I say they fail." Seems the word "fail", sent shivers down Twilight's spine as that was one of the words that caused her fear. "Send 'em down to maintenance duty with 99 and the other rejects," said Bric. "Rejects?" asked Twilight as she never heard of that. "I'll inform you about that in a bit." said the Jedi Master to the girl. "We can't fail them yet." said the bounty hunter named El-Les. "Remember, this is only a practice test. And besides, the Citadel course was constructed to be a difficult challenge." "Although I don't agree with his sentiment, Bric isn't wrong," said Shaak Ti. "These cadets are far from ready." The Jedi's response got El-Les to put on a down expression. For Twilight, she also felt sad because based on her personality it never felt good to fail a test. Back on the field, the team of clones were still having issues. "I can't hit anything from here." said one of the members as they were all clumped up. He then moved up with another member. "No, we have to follow orders," said Echo to his teammates before he was blasted and fell. "The one they call 'Echo' never adapts to the situation," said Jedi Master Shaak Ti. She also directed a short glance to Twilight as it seemed the girl could relate to that statement. Out on the field, the clone called CT-782 was still firing the gattling gun at the droids. He failed to see some Superbattle droids appear behind him as they pointed at him and they hit him and he went down from the shots. "CT-782 seems to follow his own path. He can't do it alone," said El-Les. "You go. I'll cover you." said the clone labeled CT-00-2010 to Fives. "I'm a better shot. You go," argued Fives. "No, you go." scoffed CT-00-2010. He saw a droid sneak up next to Fives as he shot it. However, he didn't see another droid behind him as it shot him in the back. The droid then shot Fives as he was also down. "Look at those two. Argue on the battlefield, you end up dead," said Bric. "I know firsthand how true that is," muttered Twilight to herself. She was thinking back on Christophsis and how she argued with Storm about what they should do when it seemed like they were going to be overrun by the enemy. "Ugh, and the last one..." stated the bounty hunter. There was only one member of the squad left. He was still trying to fight from behind one of the barricades. He moved his head out of the way as the blast hit the edge of the barricade. He slowly got to his feet as he was being surrounded by the droids as they all circled the man. "I surrender. I surrender," said the cadet as he put his hands up. "Need I say more?" asked Bric as his point was made for him. "If these cadets can't get past their short-sighted selfishness, they will never come together," said Shaak Ti. "Unity wins war, gentlemen. Computer, end exercise for Domino Squad." She then pressed a button on the terminal. "99, would you please send a cleaning up crew to the training ground?" said the Jedi Master. "Yes, mistress. We'll take care of the mess." said the clone known as 99. "You should tell that 99 to drag away the mess known as Domino Squad," stated Bric as he left. "We almost had it this time," said Echo as he and the rest of the squad were now leaving the training ground. "Oh, yeah. We all look nothing alike either," said CT-00-2010. "Sorry about the mess, 99." said one of the clones as they passed him. "Uh, it's okay, boys. Nice try." said 99 as he was dragging some of the droids. He kept on dragging for a bit before he lost his grip and fell. "Let me help," said Twilight as she decided to head down to the training ground when she saw 99. She then used her force powers to levitate the droids into the proper place. "You didn't have to do that, little girl." said 99. "It's fine. And besides, I'm not a little girl. I'm a Jedi Knight." "Then forgive me. I'm sorry, Miss..." "Twilight Sparkle. Twilight is fine." said the girl as she shook the hand of 99. "I'm Master Celestia's student." "Well, I thank you for helping me, Twilight." "No problem. But can I ask you something? What happened to you? No disrespect." Twilight was referring to 99's appearance. The left side of his face drooped and was unable to be controlled. This disfigurement from what Twilight observed gave him a speech impediment which mostly consisted of stalling between words. He also had a hunch on his back; his right shoulder almost turned into his back, giving him a serious problem walking. 99's head was shaved, and he wore a blue-gray janitorial outfit that had a bright sash over the left shoulder. "I'm not offended, Twilight. See, I was born disfigured." said the old man. "Part of my genetic code got messed up and well, I turned out a reject." "I thought all clones looked the same. But seeing as genetics and biology are involved with the cloning process, it would make sense that once in a while a defect or some sort of mutation would occur. Thus producing some clones that aren't fit for battle and therefore are treated as 'rejects'." said Twilight as she was thinking out loud. "Heh, I can see why you're Master Celestia's student. You're just like her, taking down notes and having a bright young mind." chuckled 99. "Sorry, force of habit," said Twilight waving her arms around while turning red from embarrassment. "Twilight Sparkle, please report to Shaak Ti." said the P.A. system. "Well, I better get going. Just let me put these things away for you." said the girl as she used the Force to clean the remaining droids. "Thank you for helping me, Twilight." "My pleasure." said the girl as she hugged 99 and then waved as she left. "What a nice girl." smiled 99. "She's gonna grow up to be a fine young woman and a great Jedi Master." After the disappointment in training, the entire member of Domino Squad was now in the barracks. "So, I says to her, 'Baby, you and me could really--'." spoked CT-4040. "You never even met a girl," replied Fives who was in his bed next to his comrade. Below them were the other members of their team. Clone CT-782 took off his helmet in anger as he threw it on the ground in disdain. The helmet rolled and landed at the feet of 99. "You know, you shouldn't worry, because most clones pass." said 99 as he picked up the helmet. "Yeah, but not all of us, right, shorty?" said CT-782 as he patted 99's head. "Guys, we've got to follow orders. Come on!" stated Echo as he was at the bottom of the ladder looking up at his teammates. "I don't know. I think it went rather well." joked CT-4040 as he wasn't taking what was said seriously. "Quit joking around," stated Fives. "Can we please stop arguing?" asked CT-00-2010 as he was on the ladder above them going to his bed. "Can you stop being droidbait out there?" asked CT-782 as it was due to him always being the first one to get shot in training as to why he was called Droidbait. "You're getting in my way." "Actually, our way," said Fives. "Well, you want to be the best, then you got to think like it. And I'm thinking like an ARC trooper," said CT-782. "ARC troopers follow orders." "Care to repeat that, Echo?" said CT-782 as he got in the face of his comrade. Echo just bumped his shoulder as he walked back past his comrade. It didn't go well as both now began to get into a struggle as their teammates were now encouraging both of them on. The exchange was getting physical as it was soon broken up by the bounty hunter they were assigned to. "Cut it out," shouted Bric as he separated the two. "If you two would focus on fighting droids as much as you do fighting each other, you might stand a chance out there." "Sorry, Master Chief," said Echo to Bric. "Well, Master Chief, maybe our problems come from our training. I'd rather be taught by a Jedi than some mercenary bounty hunter," said CT-782. "Jedi, don't have time to train grunts like you. That's why they hired me," said Bric poking back at the clone. He then ordered the rest of the squad to line up as the three others all slid down the ladder and stood in a semi-circle. "Listen, boys, when you were assigned to me, I had high hopes for you. Now we're approaching the end of your training, and you haven't advanced nearly enough," said Bric. "Even this bad batcher, 99, has more sense than you guys do, and he's a maintenance clone." stated the bounty hunter pointing at the clone to make his point. "You-you don't give them enough credit." said 99. "You're all a waste of my time," said Bric as he left them. Twilight was currently with Shaak Ti as well as a male Kamino. The Kamino was Lama Su who not only was the Prime Minister of Kamino but also oversaw the creation of the Clone Army for the Republic. Seems Twilight let her nerdy side show, they then passed by the genetics room which caused the girl to overload as she fainted for a bit. It took a while for her to gain consciousness as she now began to bombard the Kaminoan with questions while writing them down in her notebook. Even Lama Su didn't expect Twilight's eagerness when it came to knowledge. Shaak Ti couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at seeing the lavender girl enjoy herself as she wrote down her findings. The trio was now walking as they began to discuss some important matters. "I understand your concerns, Master Jedi," said Lama Su to Shaak Ti. "Ever since the unfortunate death of Jango Fett, we have had to stretch his DNA to produce more clones." "Still, with the limited amount you guys had, to begin with, it's no wonder there's the occasionally defects like 99," said Twilight looking at her journal reading her notes. "Still can't believe all of this was possibly due to a bounty hunter. And yet, he decided to help us. Doesn't fit the nature of his character or a mercenary for that matter." Seems Twilight was questioning this thought. "A Jedi does not feel concern, Lama Su," said Shaak Ti as some chairs now appeared for all three to sit. "However, I have noticed this unit of clones has been..." "Deficient?" said Lama Su. "My only thought is for you to search the galaxy and find a suitable donor for your future clones." "We're not trying to be hostile," said Twilight trying to avoid any trouble as all three now sat down. Some drinks were brought as Lama Su took one while both girls declined politely. "And what of the clones produced so far?" asked Shaak Ti. "As you know, there is no one way to make a clone. Sometimes our efforts are less than successful," said Lama Su taking a sip. "Are you suggesting that we just cast off the Domino Squad?" said Shaak Ti. "They're living beings, not objects!" stated Twilight. "You Jedi show too much compassion," stated Lama Su. "Besides, Twilight, as a girl who loves science, I would expect you to understand that when an experiment fails, you simply start over." "True, but... you can also not give up and learn why it fails." answered the girl. "Nevertheless, as General in charge of training, the decision on what to do with them would be yours, Master Jedi," said Lama Su to Shaak Ti. The next day came as it was raining hard. However, there was a gunship arriving as today was a special day for all the trainees. Cause today was the day of their final exam in which the squads would see if they could finally move onto the front lines. "Gentleman, who wants to be an ARC trooper?" asked Bric as he and El-Les were with three Clone Commanders. "I do, sir!" shouted all the trainees. "You have to pass your final test first. I want you to meet Commander Colt of the Rancor Battalion." said the bounty hunter. "I want you troopers to remember we're shoulder-to-shoulder on those front lines... Brothers. And sometimes we may quarrel, but no matter what, we are united." stated Commander Colt. "Rule one: we fight together. So who's ready to step up first?" He was now looking at one of the squads. "Let's start with the unit that ran the practice test in record time... ARC trooper time." "Think he means us, boys?" asked Echo with some joking in his voice. "Bravo Unit, step up," stated Commander Colt. "Well, bravo for Bravo Squad," mocked Droidbait. "Show an ARC trooper how it's done." said the commander. Bravo Squad then all put their helmets on as they began to march in a line to the training ground. "Come on, boys. Maybe we can learn something." "Shut up, Echo," stated CT-782. All three clone commanders, along with the two bounty hunters, Bric and El-Les, all entered the observation deck. "Start the Citadel challenge, version THX, variable 1138," said Commander Colt to El-Les as he was preparing the program. The signal was given as an alarm went off to let everybody know the exam was starting. The training droids were online as they began to shoot at the clones as they were behind some covers. Up above was Domino Squad, as they were hoping to pick up some pointers. Bravo Squad then began to move. "Go right! Flank him!" shouted one of the members of Bravo Squad. The squad was working like a well-oiled machine as they were listening to the orders of their teammates. They were taking out the training droids while also avoiding getting hit. In one of the towers was a droid firing a sentry gun. It was aiming at one of the clones as he roll through to some cover as he aimed his blaster up at the tower and took out the droid operating the sentry gun as it fell out of the tower. Commander Colt and the bounty hunters were all impressed by how the squad was doing. "We're better than these guys," said Fives as he wasn't impressed by what he saw. Bravo Squad was now pushing back the droids as they took out some more. They managed to shoot some of the droids guarding the Citadel as they now had a path. "Okay, this is it. Go for it." shouted one of the squad members to another. The rest of the squad now began to provide cover fire for their comrade. They were aiming at a wall of guns all stacked on top of each other as their focus was on the group of clones behind the barricade. The one member who was now racing forward climbed up the platform as he took out the last droids as all he had to do was get to the top. He fired his cable at the top as he was now zooming up. "He's gonna make it," said CT-4040. The trooper made it to the top as he now began to race up the few steps. He saw the beacon as he picked it up as it turned from red to green to signal they passed. Domino Squad then all put their helmets on as it was now their turn to run the course. "I'm impressed. You trained 'em well," said Commander Colt. "Who's next?" "The Domino Squad," answered El-Les. "Ha!" laughed Bric. "And how are they?" asked Commander Colt. His response was just two different looks from the bounty hunters. Domino Squad was now on the platform taking them up to the training course. "We can do this, guys," said CT-782. "All we have to do is follow orders," said Echo. The platform now reached the top as the entire squad was now walking to the course. They passed by the Bravo squad who were in a single file line. "Check it out, guys. Time to watch the Dominos fall." said one of the clones on the Bravo squad. That comment got all of the members to look at them as they left. "They are so much better than us," said Droidbait bluntly. "Knock it off," exclaimed Fives. "Begin the program," stated Commander Colt. "Let's not take it easy on them." The course now reset as it began. To the surprise of everybody, the Domino Squad was doing well so far. They managed to keep formation together as they moved from their starting position to the barricade in front of them. They took out some droids as they began to fire from behind the cover. "They're getting farther than normal," stated El-Les. "Maybe so, but they're sloppy," said Commander Colt as even he could see the problems with the squad. "This is nothing. Give them their next set of orders and watch the chaos ensue," said Bric. "I'm telling you, these guys just aren't ready." "I flank left. You flank right," stated Fives. "Take it easy. I'm on your side," said CT-4040. "Get it? Your side, huh?" "Pretty unorthodox," said Commander Colt. The clones were now near the Citadel as they were still trying to clear the remaining enemies. Echo was firing at some droids when he noticed Droidbait climbing up the ramp. He was unaware of the droids aimed at him. "Droidbait, behind you!" shouted Echo. But it was too late, as he was shot in the back and hit the ground hard as Echo blasted them. "Man down!" yelled the clone to his team. "Forget him!" shouted CT-782 as he took out four droids on top of some platforms in a row. "I'm breaking for the Citadel." The other members all moved up with their comrade as they slid to another barricade. They told Echo to move up as he was still trying to help Droidbait as he was hurt. "Guys, I think he's injured," said Echo. "Leave him!" shouted his team. It pained the clone to abandon a friend in need, but they needed to pass. So he started to move ahead as he left his comrade behind. "We're gonna pass this time!" said Echo. At that moment, everything shut down. All the training droids then stopped shooting as they went into their stationary position. "Okay, I spoke too soon," said Echo. "That would be putting it mildly," said Commander Colt as he was behind the squad with El-Les. "Broke formation, disobeyed orders, and you left a man behind. You broke rule number one." stated the commander with his arms crossed. "I'm sorry, Domino Squad. This is an automatic failure," stated El-Les. The rest of the team had disappointed looks as Commander Colt ordered them to return to their living quarters. The team was now exiting the training ground. Up above from where they were watching Bravo Squad run the course, Twilight had seen what went down. She may not have been able to hear everything that was said between the clones but based on their actions. She could tell that they were heartbroken but knew that they failed due to their actions. It was now later as both Bric and El-Les were in the barracks as they were discussing what went down. What they didn't notice was when they passed by one of the areas filled with lockers, both Twilight and 99 were listening in on the conversation as they just so happen to see them past by. "I told you this was going to happen. We've wasted enough time with those losers," said Bric. "Their failure is our failure," stated El-Les. "I've requested to General Shaak Ti that the Domino Squad be allowed to repeat the final test." "Why do you care so much about them?" asked Bric. "Why don't you?" countered El-Les. "I care about getting paid." "It's a shame the bounty hunter in you sees this only as a job," stated El-Les. "More like an impossible task." "These cadets will be the finest troopers we've trained. I have faith in them." "Faith? Oh, you can't be serious, El-Les." joked the bounty hunter. "We should treat them as a special challenge, Bric." "We should treat them as failures. Besides, I've already requested that they be moved to cleanup and maintenance. That's all they're going to be good for." "Then I guess the General has a decision to make," said El-Les. "Not to mention also Jedi Knight Twilight." "You're allowing the girl to have insight on all this? Why? As far as I'm concerned, she shouldn't even be here. She's just a teen pretending to handle adult responsibilities." "General Twilight has just as much insight as Shaak Ti does. She is Jedi Master Celestia's student. And she is a well-renowned member of the Jedi High Council. So her student's input is just as valuable." said El-Les to Bric. "To be honest, a girl like her doesn't belong on the battlefield. She's too soft, and if she ever were to command clones, she would get them all killed. She doesn't know how to handle a real-life situation." stated Bric as he and El-Les. Both Twilight and 99 heard this as the two bounty hunters left. "Don't let what Bric said, get to you." stated 99. "It's not that. I don't care what he or anybody else thinks that I don't belong on the battlefield. I may not have a lot of experience, but I'm learning. And that's good enough for me and my partner." said Twilight holding a determined look. "That's the spirit, Twilight." "99, can I ask you something? Why do you keep having faith in the Domino Squad? What is it that you keep telling them?" "I'm just simply reminding them of something. Something that they're lucky to have, that I never got." "What?" "A chance. Those boys don't realize how lucky they are. And they're throwing it away; I just hope they can realize it before it's too late." "Me too," said Twilight. "Well, I need to go. Thanks." said the girl as she exited the room and waved to 99. Twilight was in the hallway as she was walking. She needed to meet with Shaak Ti to perhaps offer her small two cents on what to do about the Domino Squad. However, she took a small detour as she found a broom closet and slipped into it. Once she made sure nobody would interrupt, she then got into a sitting kneeling position as she pulled out her communicator. She took a deep breath as she prepared to contact someone. "Well, this is a surprise, Sparky," said Storm. "Hey, you got a minute?" "What's wrong?" "I... need someone to talk to." said the girl. "Why did you call me? I thought you would call Celestia." stated the boy. "I need someone whose... 'real' to talk about my problem." "Lay it on me," said Storm as he began to listen to Twilight and about the Domino Squad. Sometime later, both Jedi were in the training ground control room as they were talking. Soon the door opened as in came both Fives and Echo of Domino Squad. The pair of troopers saw the girls as they didn't know if they should interrupt. "General, may we have a word?" said Echo hoping to get their attention. "You are here to discuss your squad, aren't you?" said Shaak Ti as she still had her back turned towards the boys. "How did you--" "Ah, Jedi, mate," said Echo to Fives as he reassured his friend of the powers they had. "Even the girl?" whispered Fives to his friend. "I heard that," said Twilight as she now turned around to address the two as they were now fearfully of Twilight's look despite being older than her. "One doesn't need to be a Jedi to feel the stress on your mind," said Shaak Ti as she turned around. "General, we would like to request a transfer to another squad," said Echo to the Jedi Master. "Bravo Squad, perhaps?" suggested Fives. "I am a Jedi, where the individual and the group are one in the same, much like you clones." said the Jedi Master. "Which is why Fives and I are looking out for each other." "As individuals, not as a group," stated Twilight as that statement got the two clones to show signs of hesitation. Especially hearing something like that come from someone like the girl. "You are where you need to be," assured Shaak Ti. "Solve your problems as a whole, not as individuals. I have decided to allow you and the rest of your squad to take the test again tomorrow." With that, the Jedi Master turned her back again as both men were unsure. They looked at Twilight who could only give a thumbs up and a smile. It did provide a bit of confidence for the two, especially cause Twilight had a cute smile for a girl her age. At the same time, Twilight and Shaak Ti were dealing with Echo and Fives. Bric also was meeting with another member of Domino Squad. The hanger bay door was open as the rain and lightning were still coming down hard. "You wanted to see me, sir?" said CT-4040. "Near as I can tell, you're the reason your squad's a failure," said Bric with his back turned towards the cadet. "Ah, well, I'll take that as a compliment." said the cadet as he laughed it off. "It's all a big joke to you, right?" said Bric as he turned around to address the cadet. "Like those little nicknames you and your clone brothers give each other." "Oh, I could think of one for you right now, sir," chuckled the cadet. "Oh, funny. But I think it's all just a cover. You hate me, don't you?" said Bric as lightning went off when he said that. "Oh, no. No, no, no. How could I hate you for doing your job? You're just pushing me, sir." said the cadet. "No, this is me pushing you." Bric then shoved the cadet. "Come on, clone. Hit me. Hit me, you joker." said the bounty hunter as he kept on pushing the cadet until he was up against the wall. "Can't take anything seriously, can you?" The lightning was still going off as every time Bric shoved the clone it was in sync. "You're a real cutup, aren't you?" "Uhh!" said the cadet as he was punched in the gut by Bric. "Come on!" "Thank you, sir." chuckled the cadet as he fell to his knees. "For what?" asked Bric. "For my name. Cutup." said the clone as he got back to his feet and chuckled. "I like the sound of it." "Out of my sight, cadet. One way or another, you'll be out of this army. Count on it." instructed Bric as Cutup was now making his way to his living quarters. It was now late at night as everybody had turned in for the night. All the cadets were lying on their bunks as they slid into the storage area where they were now fast asleep. However, there was one person who wasn't asleep. It was none other than CT-782 as he was at his locker and grabbing his stuff. "Hevy. You going somewhere?" asked 99 to the cadet. "Get out of here." "You're going AWOL, aren't you?" "Just go back to sleep, 99. This doesn't concern you." said the cadet as he prepared to leave. "But you can't do this to your squad." said 99. "My squad? We're nothing but a bad batch. Failures, like you." scoffed the cadet. "Yeah, but how can I be a failure when I-I never even got my chance? A chance you're throwing away." said 99. "You're always trying to be the anchor, Hevy, you know, do it on your own. Well, maybe you should embrace the fact that you have a team. See, I never had that. But you need them, and they need you. Why carry such a heavy burden on your own when you have your brothers by your side, Hevy?" "Hevy? Would... Stop calling me that! We're just numbers, 99. Just numbers." "Not to me. To me, you've always had a name." The next day came as the sun was coming up. Twilight had put on her robes and was looking forward to seeing how Domino squad would do after the small pep talk with Echo and Fives. She contacted Storm as she felt he might give her an answer that was more realistic than what Celestia might suggest. And it was the right call as she put on a determined look. She then started to walk to the training ground as she had faith that the squad would pass. "Hey, where's CT-782?" asked Fives as he and the other members were all in the barrack suited up. "Yes, where is CT-782?" repeated Echo looking around. "If he is not here, we will fail," said Cutup as he too wanted to pass the test as he was now serious. "Not today, brothers," said Hevy as he appeared behind them and was now walking in between them to the front. "Today we pass. And one more thing... The name's Hevy." All of them smiled as they now started to head over to the training ground. They all got on board the elevator as they were doing some last-minute preparation. "Orders came in clear, mates." "Nothing to repeat, Echo?" joked Cutup. "Not today." "How's that shoulder treating you?" asked Hevy. "I'll live," reassured Droidbait. "We all know what we have to do," stated Fives. The elevator now reached its destination as the test began. All of the clones had their guns ready as they now began to fire while spreading out upon entering as they raced forward to get cover. They were now working as a team as the outer members were taking care of the droids on the far ends. Even taking out the ones positioned in the towers. Once the first wave of enemies was dispatched, they all now hide behind the same barricade. "That's it, boys! Stay together!" stated Hevy. "Fives, on your left!" A droid came up from the ground on a pillar as Fives aimed his blaster at the thing. He took it out as it fell. "Thanks, Cutup," said Fives. "No problem, brother." smiled the cadet. "They seem to be working together," said El-Les as he was impressed and smiling. Both Jedi and bounty hunters were in the observation deck as they watched the squad. "Still early. A lot can change," said Bric as he was still pessimistic. Once they all took a minute to compose themselves, Hevy gave the signal as they all moved from their cover and onto the next section of the field as they were now running through the center blasting the next set of training droids. The field around them changed as the clones didn't let that stop them as they fired at the droids taking them out and then moving to the next cover. "Keep it up. We're doing great," said Cutup while firing some shots. "We might actually pass," said Droidbait with some hope in his voice. "Not so fast. We still got the Citadel." reminded Hevy to the group. He then began to lead the charge with his gattling gun as the others followed him as they were taking care of the last section of droids. They took out all of the foot soldiers as the only weapons firing at them were the guns mounted on top of each other aimed at them. The group was now under it as the guns couldn't see them. All they had to do now was fire their ascension cables to get to the top. "Alright, prep the ascension cables. Let's scale this thing," said Echo. "Wait a tick. Where are the cables?" asked Hevy as he didn't have them. "They're not in our belts," said Fives as nobody had the equipment. "Just when things seemed easy," added Cutup. "Well, we can't scale the face without them. We'll fail the test if we can't finish," stated Echo. "What's going on? Where are their ascension cables?" asked El-Les. "Oh, must have gotten lost," answered Bric. Both Jedi now turned their head to look at the bounty hunter. "You didn't!" glared Twilight. "What did you do?" asked El-Les as he grabbed Bric's shoulders. "I thought you had faith they'd be the best, right?" asked Bric swatting away the hand from his shoulder as he pointed at him. "Well, the best pass, no matter what!" "General, you have to stop this. This is unfair to the cadets." "Adversity in war is a constant, El-Les," said Shaak Ti. "But Bric has cheated." "The enemy won't play fair either." said the Jedi Master as she turned her attention back to the clones. "Isn't that right,... Twilight?" "Y-Yeah." said the girl as all she could do was put her head down and clutch her arm at how true that statement was given her encounters since partnering with Storm. "So this is it?" asked Fives as they were going to fail. "Not exactly. Those guns up there, we can use them as a step to the next level, form a chain, and use each other to scale this face," stated Hevy as they were still firing at the clones for when they got out from under them. "Use the guns? Are you crazy?" stated Droidbait. "Trust me. I know weapons," assured Hevy. "I'm gonna draw their fire. You guys blast 'em," said Echo was he was now adapting to the situation instead of his normal tactics. He now raced out from under their cover as he began to blast at the guns to get their attention. It worked at they now began to fire at him while he moved to cover. That allowed the others to come out from under and fire at the guns as they were too occupied with hitting the barricade that Echo was behind. Eventually, the guns were shot and taken out as they powered down. The entire team now got on the Citadel as they approached the wall of guns and began to scale them to reach the top. "Well, I'll be... Creative little clones, aren't they?" said Bric as he was the one who was the most surprised to see them find the solution. "No unit has shown such ingenuity," said El-Les as he too was impressed. They now reached the top as one of them climbed the stairs and grabbed the torch as it turned from red to green to signal they passed. "Whoo-hoo! Yeah! We did it!" shouted all members of Domino Squad as they jumped up in celebration. "Bric," said Shaak Ti as she got the bounty hunter to look at her, "your actions have brought out the best in these cadets. Looks like they were well-trained, perhaps the finest soldiers I've seen." smiled the Jedi Master. "Well, maybe you were right, El-Les," said Bric to the other bounty hunter as he smiled. "Good job, boys. I hope to one day be on the battlefield with you all," said Twilight to herself as she could see the expression on the clones' faces as it made her smile. She pulled out her journal as she wrote down some final notes of her visit. The whole crew of Domino Squad was now back in the barracks as they were all lined up. Having passed the final exam, they were each awarded a medal to show they graduated and were ready to be sent out to the field. "Congratulations. You've graduated. At ease," said El-Les as he finished awarding the medals. They both left as the cadets smiled with 99 who was there. "Next stop, ARC trooper," said Droidbait. "Yeah, how about we face some combat first?" joked Cutup. "You were right, you know, about everything," said Hevy as he stayed behind a bit to talk with 99. "I heard you were quite the leader out there," said 99. "No leaders. We are a team. All of us, 99." "The army's lucky to have a clone like you, Hevy." "Not as lucky as I am to have a brother like you," said Hevy to 99. "Well, this is goodbye, I guess. Hevy ships out, and 99 stays here." "Eh, we'll see each other again. I mean, how else am I supposed to get this back from you?" said Hevy as he took his medal and gave it to 99 as he chuckled to which Hevy put his hand on his shoulder. "You deserve it. You're one of us." With that Hevy now went to catch up with the rest of his friends as 99 looked at the medal in his hand and smiled. "Seems they finally learned," said Twilight as she made her presence known. She had been secretly listening. "The boys are going to do great, I know it. Just like you will be a great Jedi Master." said 99 to Twilight. "It was an honor to meet you, 99. I hope that I'll see you again someday." "As do I, Twilight. Keep your chin up, a girl like you. You're gonna have a great life." said the clone as Twilight hugged him. She then waved as she had to leave to return to Coruscant. In the main hangar, thousands of clones were all dressed in shiny suits of armor as they were now being shipped off. At the front was Jedi Master Shaak Ti as she gave some final words to the troopers before they left. "Today is your graduation. From here, you ship out to fight against the Separatists and restore peace to the Republic. Congratulations. You are no longer cadets. You are troopers. May the Force be with you." said the woman. "Attention! Helmets on!" shouted one of the clone commanders. Section by sections, the clones were now boarding the ship as they were heading to their assigned placements. Shaak Ti and the two bounty hunters watched on as they saw all the clones they had trained. Twilight was already leaving on her ship as she saw the clones boarding and she smiled. Her ship now left the planet's atmosphere as she was now in space. She turned on her transmitter as she was contacting someone. "So, how'd it go?" asked Storm. "I'll tell you about it when I get there." smiled Twilight to her partner. "See you soon, Sparky." said the boy as the transmission ended. "See you soon, Storm." stated the girl as she entered hyperspace and was heading back home.