A/N: So yeah, apparently this is my most popular story on my Patreon at the moment, which is shocking given it started life as the least popular of the second set of Patreon Exclusives. Hope it continues to live up to expectations and be sure to give me feedback if it doesn't!
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“… Very well, Padawan. Be mindful of your feelings however and keep your focus on the mission at hand.”
Unfortunately, I cannot give Padawan Vondin a list of pertinent questions to ask Kryze. I can only hope he will understand that we are currently trying to stay under the radar here.
Giving Master Kenobi a solemn nod, Tylo tries to impress upon the Jedi Master that he won’t screw this up. Obi-Wan is right, after all. Best case scenario, he would have Tylo ask the same questions of Bo-Katan as he was planning to ask of this Janga Fett, allowing them to cross-reference their answers after the fact and try to discern truth from lie.
Alas, right now the two of them were pretending to be something they were not. Jedi who were completely aware of the existence and creation of this Clone Army. Of course, unbeknownst to Obi-Wan, the Kaminoans were also pretending to be something they were not. The cloners knew that the Jedi had no clue about the Clones and were nevertheless pretending that they thought they did.
To say nothing of the Sith connection… Tylo wasn’t entirely sure what he was supposed to do here, but he knew one thing for sure, they were in it deep at the moment, and they needed to be careful, even as they sussed out more information.
Arriving in the area where the templates apparently had their quarters, Taun We calls over another Kaminoan Aide and then she and Obi-Wan split off, while Tylo is led down the corridor, to where Bo-Katan Kryze is apparently quartered. Arriving outside of her door, his Kaminoan Escort presses a hand onto the panel, and it lights up with a ding.
A beat later, and the door opens to reveal a woman with red hair, freckles, and severe-looking features. This woman was a warrior, and Tylo would be able to tell that even without the Mandalorian Armor she was currently wearing sans helmet. Glancing between the two of them, Bo-Katan, for who else could it be, raises an eyebrow questioningly.
“Yes?”
The Kaminoan Aide who’s been assigned to bring Tylo here sighs.
“Bo-Katan, we have told you before that you do not need to wear your armor in doors. Your safety is one of our top priorities.”
Kryze smirks at that, and Tylo has to admit, as she leans against the door jam, she honestly looks more comfortable in her armor than he sometimes feels in his Jedi Robes. Certainly, she wears the blue-and-white armor well.
“Sure, it is.”
Like I’m going to trust these fucking Longnecks with my safety. Though, this promises to be interesting at least. What’s a baby Jedi doing at my doorstep?
Turning her gaze towards him, Bo-Katan narrows her eyes.
“And who the fuck are you supposed to be?”
Her thoughts are an interesting juxtaposition with her actions, showcasing an ability to hide her true knowledge behind a sort of hostile subterfuge that would normally have completely hoodwinked him. Thankfully, he has his special trait to rely upon, because Tylo is beginning to realize just how big of a place the galaxy really is. Today has been a day of surprises though, and he’s fairly certain nothing Bo-Katan Kryze can say, do, or even think will shock him as much as Lama Su’s thoughts had.
The Kaminoan beside him clears her throat.
“This is Padawan Vondin, Bo-Katan. He is a representative of the Jedi Order, here to assess the Clone Army that we’ve been producing for them. If possible, he has some questions he would like to ask you.”
Bo-Katan’s hostility almost immediately eases up… and yet, even this is just more of the act, Tylo quickly finds.
Tch. Thought Janga said the Jedi were supposed to be in the dark about all of this. What’s a Padawan doing here now?
Outwardly, Bo-Katan is all smiles all of the sudden, though maybe it’s just Tylo, but her amicable façade rings a bit falser than her earlier hostile subterfuge. She’s definitely a firebrand, and more at home being adversarial then accommodating, he’s quickly coming to find.
“Oh, of course. Come in, little Padawan.”
Tylo raises an eyebrow at that but doesn’t rise to the bait. He’s tempted, VERY tempted. A comment like ‘I assure you, there’s nothing little about me’, rises to the tip of his tongue… but he holds off. All of this is much too serious for his usual antics, he’s afraid. He can’t afford to allow himself to get distracted here. Not when there are apparently Sith involved.
Following Bo-Katan into her abode, he finds it to be very… Kaminoan. Which, fair. Still, it’s obvious that the place, while lived in, is not Bo-Katan’s home. She barely has any real possessions here, though he does see a few weapons strewn about the place, and her helmet is on the table, an interesting design in white and blue painted onto the faceplate.
Sitting down on a couch next to that table, Bo-Katan lounges, looking to all the world as nonchalant and casual as can be.
“So, what can I do for you baby Jedi?”
Smiling thinly, Tylo considers what to ask and how to ask it. He’s almost beginning to regret offering to break off from Obi-Wan in the first place… but it was true that until he could somehow get the information to either Master Kenobi or another Jedi Master, he was the most aware of the situation at hand. That was a far cry from knowing exactly how to go about extracting more information from the situation, however.
“… My Master and I were very impressed by what we’ve seen so far of the Clone Army. Have you had much of a direct hand in their training?”
Ah, so there is a Jedi Master lurking about. Interesting. I’d heard Janga was back on planet… so I got the Padawan, and she got the Master? I’d be insulted, but that sounds about right, all things considered. This is Fett’s scheme after all, I’m just here for the pay.
Outwardly, Bo-Katan shrugs and waves a hand through the air dismissively.
“Sure. Taught a few classes here and there. Ran them through some drills, showed them some tactics. All part of my contract, as it were. Nothing too special, nothing too difficult. Been an easy payday.”
Tylo hums and nods, before cocking his head to the side. He can’t help himself; her words give him a question he just has to ask.
“It doesn’t… bother you at all? A Clone Army that’s one-fourth your face, about to go out into the galaxy and wage war?”
Something dark and honest flashes across Bo-Katan’s face for a moment, before the benign smile is back and the Mandalorian Woman is simply raising a sculpted brow.
“Oh? Going to be using your army soon then, are you little Padawan? And here I thought you Jedi were the peaceful types.”
He’s a step up from Kenobi, at least. What my sister ever saw in THAT Jedi Padawan, I couldn’t say. Heh, this one is a perceptive little shit though. The Jedi weren’t supposed to know about the Clone Army, and this Padawan is already thinking of how it’s going to see use?
Keeping his reaction to her thoughts clear of his face is a bit more challenging, when he learns that straight-laced, prudish Master Obi-Wan Kenobi apparently had a relationship with Bo-Katan Kryze’s sister. Or so it sounded to his senses. He might be stretching it, might be jumping the gun, but it sounded like the sister, who Obi-Wan had named as Satine, had at the very least carried a torch for the Jedi Master.
That was very interesting, but only on a personal level. It was temple-worthy gossip to be sure, and yet… Tylo had much more important things on his plate right now. He needed to focus. Deciding to side step her last remark, Tylo asks the next most pertinent question.
“Did you ever meet with Master Sifo-Diyas?”
Bo-Katan’s eyes flicker again, and her smile becomes a bit of a smirk.
“Who?”
Never heard of him. What’s the Jedi playing at?
Interesting…
“Master Sifo-Diyas. He was the one who originally commissioned the Clone Army.”
Eyes widening slightly, Bo-Katan makes a noise of understanding.
“Ah, no. Rook, Vhonte, and I were all handpicked by Janga Fett personally. Whoever hired her… well, you’d have to ask her. Maybe it was this Master Sifo-Diyas, I don’t know.”
Though, I doubt it. Janga’s grudge against the Jedi is well known to all… except for maybe the Jedi themselves, the damned fools. I may not know the entire scheme, but I know whatever Janga is involved in will at the very least be detrimental to the Jedi’s health in the long run. She wouldn’t be on this job otherwise.
Tylo inclines his head in acknowledgment of Bo-Katan’s words, even as he processes her thoughts. She didn’t seem to know anything more about the specifics behind the Clone Army that she’d helped build. She was smart enough to be aware that something was up, especially since apparently Janga Fett had an indeterminate grudge against the Jedi. To say Tylo was curious would be an understatement, but he wasn’t entirely sure how exactly to approach the situation any further.
Before he can even attempt to do so, the situation is taken out of his hands.
“Padawan, come along.”
There, stood in the doorway of Bo-Katan Kryze’s quarters, is Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He doesn’t look happy about it and stiffens when he and Bo-Katan make eye contact. She goes stiff as well, her eyes widening much further than before as her nostrils flare in surprise. Before she can say or do anything, he preempts her with a simple, perfunctory nod.
“Bo-Katan.”
Her wide eyes narrow, and she glares at him.
“Kenobi.”
So, this is the brat’s Master. Tch, what, was the Jedi Order desperate or something? No, they probably rewarded him for leaving my little sister in the lurch. Sounds like the kind of thing they’d do.
Whatever Obi-Wan had learned from his conversation with Janga Fett, it had apparently been important enough for him to risk this confrontation in order to retrieve Tylo early. And so, sensing that it was time to leave for more than one reason, Tylo bows to Bo-Katan.
“Thank you for answering my questions, Ms. Kryze.”
Her eyes flicker to him, and he detects a hint of amusement in her otherwise stormy mind, even as he beats a hasty retreat, following Master Kenobi out. Together, the two of them are escorted back to their landing pad by Taun We. As they arrive at the doors, she stops them.
“Tell your Council that the first battalions are ready for us, please. And remind them, if they need more troops, it will take more time to grow them.”
Ever the diplomat, Obi-Wan just smiles and nods.
“I won’t forget. And thank you.”
As he bows, Tylo does the same, while Taun We merely inclines her head and leaves them to it. Together, they make their way out onto the rain-soaked landing platform, with their hoods up. Tylo half-expects to get back in their ships, but apparently that’s not the Jedi Master’s intention, as he stops well short and calls out to his Astromech Droid.
“R4! Scramble Code Five to Coruscant, care of the old folks home!”
A moment later, and they’re connected to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, more specifically, to two Jedi Masters in particular… Mace Windu, Master of the Order, and Grand Master Yoda, the longest living Jedi so far as Tylo was aware. Obi-Wan wastes no time in launching into his report.
“I have successfully made contact with the Prime Minister of Kamino. They are using a bounty hunter named Janga Fett, along with three other Mandalorians, to create a Clone Army. I have a strong feeling that this bounty hunter is the assassin we’re looking for.”
“Do you believe these Cloners to be involved in the plot to assassinate Senator Amidala?”
Obi-Wan shakes his head to Master Windu’s question, before answering it properly over the raging torrent of rain coming down around them.
“No Master, there appears to be no motive!”
That… wasn’t exactly true. Tylo knew the truth. He knew that it was almost certainly all tied together. If the Sith had hired Janga Fett and the Kaminoans, then this was all part of their grand plan to lure the Jedi in, no doubt. Or maybe it wasn’t THAT closely connected, maybe Padme’s death was necessary for other reasons and luring the Jedi to Kamino was merely serendipity…
“Do not assume anything, Obi-Wan. Clear, your mind must be, if you are to discover the real villains behind this plot.”
Wise words from Grand Master Yoda. Tylo couldn’t help but be a little glad that both Masters Windu and Yoda were too far away for him to read their minds at the moment. He’d actually never been close enough to do so before, and he wasn’t entirely sure what he would find in either if their thoughts. They were… well, they were the leaders of the entire Order. It was a heady feeling, to say the least.
“Yes Master! They say Master Sifo-Diyas placed an order for a Clone Army at the request of the Senate almost ten years ago! But I was under the impression that he was killed before that. Did the council ever authorize the creation of a Clone Army?”
A valid question, though Tylo already knew the answer even before Master Windu gave it.
“No. Whoever placed that order did not have the permission of the Jedi Council.”
“Bring her here. Question her, we will.”
As the two Jedi Masters speak with a sense of finality, Tylo realizes the conversation is coming to an end… and so is an opportunity for him to speak up. This right here… it certainly seems like a prime opportunity to let Obi-Wan as well as the two most powerful Jedi in the entire Order, know what he knew. If not now, then when?
Except, things weren’t nearly as simple as that. Yes, he had an opportunity here to step in and tell three Jedi Masters what he knew. But how would he go about doing so without revealing his hidden ability? Could he afford to keep his Mind Reading a secret any longer? More than that… could he afford to reveal what he knew?
Telling Kenobi, Windu, and Yoda was all well and good, assuming they believed him, but the latter two Jedi Masters were half a galaxy away. If he and Obi-Wan were being watched right now, which might very well be the case, then revealing what he’d learned might backfire completely. Or perhaps that was just his nerves talking. How could anyone be watching them, when this damn rain was coming down so fucking hard? Certainly, Obi-Wan seemed to think they were away from prying ears out here.
He only had a split second to decide. To tell them or not to tell them. To obfuscate the truth in some way, or give the full, unvarnished reveal of the ability he’d kept a secret all his life?
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