Chapter Text
Boba Fett was a spectre that haunted the Tipoca City cloning facilities long before any of the clones knew his name. Or if he even had a name, outside of a designation that none of them were authorized to know in the first place.
Rumors floated, as they always did, even under the constant watch of the Kaminoans. Whispers in hallways between training modules, over meals in the mess hall, at the bunks before lights-out.
The only official statement the Kaminoans gave about the subject of their collective imaginations was a firm, “If you see a young clone wearing a non-regulation uniform, do not engage. Simply report his location to the nearest handler and leave him be. The consequences of engagement will be severe.”
They were all aware of what severe meant, so no one even dared to contemplate disobedience of that particular order.
It did feed a healthy amount into the rumor mill, though.
“I heard,” a clone whispered to CC-2224 . “I heard that he was being trained by Prime himself. ”
“That’s ridiculous,” CC-2224 scoffed.
Before he could add anything else, another clone joined in, “Yeah, we all know Prime is just a story the alphas tell to scare the cadets, anyway.”
CC-2224 and the first clone - CC-5026…? - stared at the newcomer blankly.
“Of course Prime exists,” CC-5026 exclaimed, after processing what the other clone (whose designation CC-2225 was unaware of) said. “We all had to come from somewhere. ”
The unknown clone rolled his eyes. “Yeah, of course , but why would the template even stay here after developing the training modules? No one’s seen him, ‘cept for the first lucky hundred.”
CC-2224 wasn’t going to mention that he has seen Prime, briefly, on one of the balconies overlooking the training area. It didn’t matter anyway - the conversation died the moment they were given their next task.
The next time CC-2224 heard the others talk about the Undesignated Clone, as it was now called, it was for less than enthusiastic reasons.
“A group of cadets got decommissioned,” the whispers said.
By the end of the day, everyone knew what happened and everyone knew the cause.
“They were approached. Has the UC ever done that before?”
“I don’t think so - I heard it just stands by the wall and… watches. ”
A shudder rode through the small crowd gathered in the barracks. CC-2224 sat on the fringes, listening.
“They were late for their next module –”
“– found playing with the UC –”
“– heard Prime got involved –”
“Shut up , two-six –”
“– damn shame…”
The talk faded as the lights went out. CC-2224 laid in his bunk and wondered what the UC thought of all this - if it even thought at all. He had no real interest in the rumors, besides the inherent mystery of an Undesignated Clone existing - if it did exist, anyway. CC-2224 had his doubts. The Kaminoans were many things, but inefficient wasn’t any of them.
The last time CC-2224 bothered to listen to anything about Prime, or the UC, or whatever his brothers wanted to talk about that wasn’t relevant to life or training (which were practically the same thing) it was the day that the Jedi visited the facility.
They all knew of the Jedi as some nebulous concept - the people who commissioned them and, ultimately, who they were commissioned for. Nothing else was relevant, so CC-2224 didn’t listen to those particular set of rumors. All they needed to know was that they existed, that they needed an army, and no one has ever seen one since the commission was placed.
He was smaller than CC-2224 expected. Unimpressive, though he supposed that’s the reason why they needed an army to fight for them in the first place.
The appearance of the Jedi alone would have been enough to make the day notable, but no, of course it didn’t end there. Within a few hours of the Jedi arriving, the facility went on lockdown. Reports circulated about an altercation at one of the hangars. The reports then clarified that the altercation was between the Jedi and the bounty hunter Jango Fett - Prime himself. It was certainly one way to confirm a rumor - especially one that would’ve inspired mass betting if that was a luxury the clones were allowed at the time.
Further reports claimed that Prime left the planet with a young clone, but those were lost in the larger excitement. Less than a day later the first units were shipped out to Geonosis and none of the stories they passed around on Kamino mattered anymore.
Cody didn’t make the connection between the ghost that haunted the cloning facilities and the boy who nearly caused the deaths of both General Windu and General Skywalker and who did cause the deaths of hundreds of brothers. It seemed too out there, that one of their own would betray them, but he already had experience with that, didn’t he? He just hoped it wouldn’t happen again.
He glanced at General Kenobi as they walked down the hallway of the detention center to see the boy.
“Sir,”
The General, previously in deep thought, startled at the sound of Cody’s voice. “Hm?”
“With all due respect, sir,” Cody hesitated, only continuing when the General motioned for him to. He would never get used to it - the idea that he could just say things. “I don’t understand why we are getting involved with this. We were all worried about General Skywalker, but –”
He paused when the General shook his head.
“This has nothing to do with Anakin, my friend,” the General assured, patting him on his shoulder. “I am not here to seek revenge on the behalf of my former padawan. He, unfortunately, is more than capable of that himself.”
That didn’t answer any of the questions Cody had, but he didn’t want to push his luck any further. The General hasn’t displayed any annoyance as of yet, but Cody is well aware that everyone had their limits. Trust and loyalty only went so far between two people with such a large power imbalance. Ultimately, he was here to follow orders - whether he understood them or not.
The holding cell was clean and spacious and it was disconcerting how tiny the boy seemed in the middle of it all.
The Undesignated Clone.
Boba Fett.
Cody had no affection in his heart for the boy - not after the death and destruction he’s caused. The feeling seemed to be mutual, given the intensity of the boy’s glare. Still, every living being had a natural instinct to protect their young and - damn it all - he and the clone were still brothers. The warring emotions were extremely uncomfortable.The boy, thankfully, turned his attention away from Cody quick enough - sending an even more heated glare to the General.
Cody’s grasp on mando’a was shaky at best, but he still knew enough to recognize that whatever was coming out of the boy’s mouth was absolutely filthy. Where the hell did he learn that?
Bounty hunters, Cody’s rational brain supplied. The boy was raised by bounty hunters.
The General, for all it was worth, didn’t flinch. He merely nodded, letting the boy release his anger without interruption. He quickly tired himself out.
“What do you want?” Boba muttered, voice hoarse. “Haven't you done enough, jetii?”
The General knelt down closer to eye level. “I hope you don’t think that I did anything with ill intent.”
“And I hope you realize what you intended doesn’t matter.”
“Fair,” the General conceded with a bitter smile. “Regardless of my intentions, my actions harmed you all the same.” He paused, adding in a softer tone, “You shouldn’t have been left on Geonosis.”
“I wouldn't have left with you, anyway,” Boba spit. He shifted, giving Cody another glare. “What’s he doing here?”
“Ah,” the General’s smile went very tight. “Regulation, mostly. I should have realized… Cody?”
“Sir?”
“Would you mind waiting outside? I won’t be long.”
Cody nodded sharply and stepped outside without another word. It confused him, how the General insisted on giving orders without actually giving orders. Like a lot of things, he just went with it. He sighed and waited, warding off the headache that always seemed to form when the General took him anywhere.
Always true to his word, the General left the room shortly deep in thought, stroking his beard absently. Cody fell in step next to him.
“He…” Cody cleared his throat, not wanting to stay silent but also not knowing what to say. “He seemed quite angry, sir.” Idiot.
“Yes,” the General agreed easily. “Thank the Force he’s only a normal child.”
“Sir?”
“If Boba was force sensitive, I suspect I would have been dead the moment I entered that room. His anger… it disturbs me. No one can fault him for it, but if left alone it would utterly consume him,” the General sighed, shaking his head. “He would be lost to us, if the measures proposed were to pass.”
Cody knew and dreaded that tone. “You have a plan, sir.”
The General laughed. “When don’t I, Cody, my friend?” He clasped a hand on Cody’s shoulder and went back into his thoughts, mumbling to himself, “When don’t I?”