“General sirs.” One of the clones were saluting them, looking
proper if a bit dirty as he spoke to them.

“Information you have for us hmm?” Yoda smiled up at the clone,
Anakin blinking curiously as Qui-Gon bandaged his stump carefully
with bacta for now until they could reach medical back at the temple.

“Yes
sirs, General Jinn wasn’t long on Kamino. Did he have time to see
OB-0001?” The clone shifted, helmet
tilted to Qui-Gon to look at him fully.

“OB-0001? That’s a clone
designation is it not?” Qui-Gon smiled at the man, inwardly
twitching at the idea of men having numbers, being made to die. Force
it was all wrong.

“Yes. He’s different though.
Different from us. He’s not a Jango Fett clone.”

“Another template?” Qui-Gon
blinked, hands stilling on his padawan.

“Yes.  OB-0001 is the only one
though, the others of his batch didn’t survive. Nor the other
batches.” The clone offered them, arms crossed behind his back as
he spoke to them.

“Something special about this one
must be, for you to take contact for him yes?” Yoda tapped his cane
lightly on the ground.

“Yes sirs. He’s Force sensitive,
like Jedi’s are.”

()()()

OB-0001 looked to be about his early
twenties, he was copper haired in the harsh light of Kamino’s labs
with deep green eyes and dressed in the standard red cadet uniform of
the clones. His hair brushed his ears and the base of his neck, with
a cleft in his chin and a mole on his right cheek below his ear.

He was also extremely Force sensitive.

As was clear from the observation deck
where Yoda, Qui-Gon and Anakin stood with Taun We, watching the man
go hand to hand with several clones, clearly relying on his Force
enhancement to be able to keep them at bay and win, fully able to use
battle precognition to anticipate his enemies moves before they
acted.

“Magnificent is he not?” Taun
offered proudly. “He is unfortunately the only one to survive as
you have heard. After fifteen attempts with only him as the survivor,
the program was shut down but he survived, thrived, fought.” She
sighed a bit, she had been in charge of the program and she
considered it a personal failure not to have made more.

“He is certainly impressive. His
template, who is he?” Qui-Gon questioned.

“Of that I do not know. The DNA
sample was delivered with instructions to create a small army. He
however was the only to survive as mentioned. Originally one to five
of him were suppose to go to each battalion of Fett’s clones.”

Qui-Gon nodded and looked to Yoda,
surprised to find the old trolls ears pulled down as he watched the
young man.

“Master?”

“Know his template I did. Young he
died.” Yoda tapped his cane on the floor. “To young. How his DNA
was given here I wonder. The designation, picked by scientists it
was?”

“No Master Yoda. That too came with
the sample. Each clone were to be designated OB along with a number.
No other variation was accepted.”  Taun offered.

“Meet with him I want to. Talk to
him.”

“Of course Master Yoda.”

()()()

The two were staring at each other.

It was kind of unnerving. Anakin had
been on the receiving end of that gaze before and looked away because
it felt like Yoda was looking through him, yet this redheaded clone
was staring right back at Yoda, faintly puzzled with a small frown
between his brows.

“Familiar I am?”

“Yes.” A soft but accented voice
offered. High Coruscantian Anakin recognized it as. “But I’m sure
I’ve never meet you before master Jedi.”

“Hmm. Familiar to me you also are.
Recognize your template I do.” There was a spark of curiosity in
the redhead’s eyes, a thirst to know and to Anakin’s surprise, it
made Yoda smile sadly. “Recognize that look I also do. To the Jedi
temple you will come. Stay at the temple you will. My padawan you
shall be.”

“My template…what was his name?”

“Matter it does? Your own name you
have. Named yourself you have. Tell me it you shall when comfortable
you feel.”

OB-0001 blinked at Yoda then smiled
shyly at him before getting up, bending knee and offering his back to
the other, letting Yoda crawl up onto it. “I think Master, that you
already know my name.”

Yoda cackled a bit and lightly thumped
his cane on the redhead’s shoulder before settling clawed hands on
the mans shoulders. “Ben you are, padawan Ben.”

Ben’s smile turned wider and he
looked to the other two Jedi in the room, his green gaze sparkling as
he looked to Anakin. For some reason, it sent Anakin’s heart
thumping.

()()()

Ben is different.

Ben looks at things and knows them without really knowing them at all
at the same time. Anakin has seen more then one master suddenly trip
on their own robes or the air itself as they step into the temple,
Ben still carrying Yoda on his back as if he’s always done it.

He doesn’t hear about Ben for a few days after that, busy getting
his mech hand to function day to day, dreaming about Padme and
wondering if he’ll be knighted.

Though…he dreams less about Padme now.

It makes him wonder if Qui-Gon was right in keeping the two as
separated as he did, it had been frustrating during the mission but
perhaps Qui-Gon had been right. If left alone with Padme…he
wondered what he would have done then?

Anakin knows himself, he would have done something stupid. He hopes
Padme wouldn’t have followed his lead in it.

Its a moot point now, live in the moment as his Master always tells
him.

And then he sees Ben again, Ben sports the same haircut as him with a
short padawan braid beneath his ear and the traditional Jedi robes.
He looks slightly lost, sitting in the Archives with several books
open in front of him, staring at them as if they’d bite him.

“Ben?”

The redhead jerked then smiled up at him. “Oh, Padawan Skywalker,
yes?”

“Anakin, you can call me Anakin. But yes.” He blinked at the
books then returned his questioning glance to the man.

“Oh, um…Master Yoda assigned me some homework, to help make up
for…not being here.” Ben looked down at the books, looking
faintly confused. “I feel like I’ve read these before though.”

“Well, if you’re having trouble with it, I could help you. I’m
not doing much anyhow.” He gestured with his mech hand.

Ben blinked then smiled a bit, nodding. “That sounds…yes I’d
like that if you’re up for it.”

Anakin sat down, smiling a bit. “I am.”

“General sirs.” One of the clones were saluting them, looking
proper if a bit dirty as he spoke to them.

“Information you have for us hmm?” Yoda smiled up at the clone,
Anakin blinking curiously as Qui-Gon bandaged his stump carefully
with bacta for now until they could reach medical back at the temple.

“Yes
sirs, General Jinn wasn’t long on Kamino. Did he have time to see
OB-0001?” The clone shifted, helmet
tilted to Qui-Gon to look at him fully.

“OB-0001? That’s a clone
designation is it not?” Qui-Gon smiled at the man, inwardly
twitching at the idea of men having numbers, being made to die. Force
it was all wrong.

“Yes. He’s different though.
Different from us. He’s not a Jango Fett clone.”

“Another template?” Qui-Gon
blinked, hands stilling on his padawan.

“Yes.  OB-0001 is the only one
though, the others of his batch didn’t survive. Nor the other
batches.” The clone offered them, arms crossed behind his back as
he spoke to them.

“Something special about this one
must be, for you to take contact for him yes?” Yoda tapped his cane
lightly on the ground.

“Yes sirs. He’s Force sensitive,
like Jedi’s are.”

()()()

OB-0001 looked to be about his early
twenties, he was copper haired in the harsh light of Kamino’s labs
with deep green eyes and dressed in the standard red cadet uniform of
the clones. His hair brushed his ears and the base of his neck, with
a cleft in his chin and a mole on his right cheek below his ear.

He was also extremely Force sensitive.

As was clear from the observation deck
where Yoda, Qui-Gon and Anakin stood with Taun We, watching the man
go hand to hand with several clones, clearly relying on his Force
enhancement to be able to keep them at bay and win, fully able to use
battle precognition to anticipate his enemies moves before they
acted.

“Magnificent is he not?” Taun
offered proudly. “He is unfortunately the only one to survive as
you have heard. After fifteen attempts with only him as the survivor,
the program was shut down but he survived, thrived, fought.” She
sighed a bit, she had been in charge of the program and she
considered it a personal failure not to have made more.

“He is certainly impressive. His
template, who is he?” Qui-Gon questioned.

“Of that I do not know. The DNA
sample was delivered with instructions to create a small army. He
however was the only to survive as mentioned. Originally one to five
of him were suppose to go to each battalion of Fett’s clones.”

Qui-Gon nodded and looked to Yoda,
surprised to find the old trolls ears pulled down as he watched the
young man.

“Master?”

“Know his template I did. Young he
died.” Yoda tapped his cane on the floor. “To young. How his DNA
was given here I wonder. The designation, picked by scientists it
was?”

“No Master Yoda. That too came with
the sample. Each clone were to be designated OB along with a number.
No other variation was accepted.”  Taun offered.

“Meet with him I want to. Talk to
him.”

“Of course Master Yoda.”

()()()

The two were staring at each other.

It was kind of unnerving. Anakin had
been on the receiving end of that gaze before and looked away because
it felt like Yoda was looking through him, yet this redheaded clone
was staring right back at Yoda, faintly puzzled with a small frown
between his brows.

“Familiar I am?”

“Yes.” A soft but accented voice
offered. High Coruscantian Anakin recognized it as. “But I’m sure
I’ve never meet you before master Jedi.”

“Hmm. Familiar to me you also are.
Recognize your template I do.” There was a spark of curiosity in
the redhead’s eyes, a thirst to know and to Anakin’s surprise, it
made Yoda smile sadly. “Recognize that look I also do. To the Jedi
temple you will come. Stay at the temple you will. My padawan you
shall be.”

“My template…what was his name?”

“Matter it does? Your own name you
have. Named yourself you have. Tell me it you shall when comfortable
you feel.”

OB-0001 blinked at Yoda then smiled
shyly at him before getting up, bending knee and offering his back to
the other, letting Yoda crawl up onto it. “I think Master, that you
already know my name.”

Yoda cackled a bit and lightly thumped
his cane on the redhead’s shoulder before settling clawed hands on
the mans shoulders. “Ben you are, padawan Ben.”

Ben’s smile turned wider and he
looked to the other two Jedi in the room, his green gaze sparkling as
he looked to Anakin. For some reason, it sent Anakin’s heart
thumping.

()()()

Ben is different.

Ben looks at things and knows them without really knowing them at all
at the same time. Anakin has seen more then one master suddenly trip
on their own robes or the air itself as they step into the temple,
Ben still carrying Yoda on his back as if he’s always done it.

He doesn’t hear about Ben for a few days after that, busy getting
his mech hand to function day to day, dreaming about Padme and
wondering if he’ll be knighted.

Though…he dreams less about Padme now.

It makes him wonder if Qui-Gon was right in keeping the two as
separated as he did, it had been frustrating during the mission but
perhaps Qui-Gon had been right. If left alone with Padme…he
wondered what he would have done then?

Anakin knows himself, he would have done something stupid. He hopes
Padme wouldn’t have followed his lead in it.

Its a moot point now, live in the moment as his Master always tells
him.

And then he sees Ben again, Ben sports the same haircut as him with a
short padawan braid beneath his ear and the traditional Jedi robes.
He looks slightly lost, sitting in the Archives with several books
open in front of him, staring at them as if they’d bite him.

“Ben?”

The redhead jerked then smiled up at him. “Oh, Padawan Skywalker,
yes?”

“Anakin, you can call me Anakin. But yes.” He blinked at the
books then returned his questioning glance to the man.

“Oh, um…Master Yoda assigned me some homework, to help make up
for…not being here.” Ben looked down at the books, looking
faintly confused. “I feel like I’ve read these before though.”

“Well, if you’re having trouble with it, I could help you. I’m
not doing much anyhow.” He gestured with his mech hand.

Ben blinked then smiled a bit, nodding. “That sounds…yes I’d
like that if you’re up for it.”

Anakin sat down, smiling a bit. “I am.”