Ambassador

Chapter 5: Finger on the Trigger

As the days went on, Alanja spent much time at her brother's side, trying to grasp what was going on in Tipoca City and what the Empire would do about it. Danger and hostility radiated from the clones. How long before they turned on the Empire and took control of everything? All that was needed was a leader among them that could command them, and death and destruction would follow. Rov had to act quickly to stem the tide of a massive rebellion that would make the little post-war skirmishes seem trivial and throw the galaxy back into chaos.

Worst of all, the Kaminoans were not to be trusted. Honestly, how could they be? They were the true masters of the massive clone army, not the Republic and now not the Galactic Empire.

Rov walked with Alanja through the clone barracks as he inspected more of the Kaminoan facility. Alanja stood rigid as the fruits of her fearful thoughts manifested. In their blood-red slashed armor, a squad of clone shock troopers marched towards them with Nala Se's medical assistant in tow. The girl flailed against their grip screaming at them to release her.

She looked up at Rov, his stance indifferent. When Alanja moved to demand what was going on, Rov's firm grip held her hand over his arm like iron.

What was going on? "Rov?" Alanja whispered.

"Help me, Alanja!" Omega cried out. "Make them let me go!"

Alanja tried to peel back Rov's hand on hers as he waited patiently for the troopers to pass. "Omega," Alanja called after the girl.

"Alanja!" the girl cried.

Rov tilted his head down to Alanja. "Stop."

When the passing clones were gone, Rov patted her hand. "Come along," he said as he resumed walking.

Feeling a little frantic, Alanja looked back. "That was Nala Se's medical assistant. Where are they taking her?"

"Alanja," he said her name like she was being too dramatic. "You said yourself that she wanders too much. They are likely returning her."

Biting her lip, she let Rov continue to lead on. They had only been on Kamino a short time, but Rov had already begun to acclimate to the mysterious politics of the placid expressions of the Kaminoans. His playful smiles and jibes had started to fade with time. Even as he watched Omega being carried past them kicking a screaming, Rov was watchful and keen as if he was making sure to miss nothing about everything around them. She longed for his 'I told you so smirks' and haughty laughter when she refused to listen to him. His brotherly compassion had grown dormant, and if she wanted his attention, she had to practically prod it from him. Since coming to Kamino, he was all business all of the time.

Though they didn't speak of it often anymore, he was daily masking his trepidation with this awful place as much as Alanja. Alanja broke away from Rov to find Nala Se as soon as she could. Omega was just a little girl and should never have been dragged away by those retched clones! Waving the door open when it didn't open fast enough, Alanja stormed into Nala Se's office.

Graceful as always, Nala Se's long neck rose to lift her egg-shaped head upward as if Alanja's sudden entrance did not even so much as startle her. Her calm was unnerving. "Hello, Miss Rampart. I was not expecting you."

"Nala Se!" Alanja called desperately as she rushed into the Kaminoan scientist's office. "The clones have arrested your sweet little one! Where is she?"

That seemed to get the darned Kaminoan's attention. She rose from her desk and glided to a console built into the wall. If the Kaminoan could have frowned, she would have been. Though her movements were still sleek, Alanja had begun to recognize the tiny body language tells that the Kaminoans gave off. Nala Se was angry and concerned. The panel on the wall began blinking red.

"What's that?" Alanja asked.

Still too calm for what she was about to say, Nala Se said, "An alert. Hostile clones have returned to our facility and are being detained."

Alanja felt her heart skip a beat, and she gasped. "Are we in danger?"

Still serene, Nala Se said, "No, not here."

Alanja took a step towards Nala Se. "What's going to happen? Hostile clones? We have to go find Omega!"

Nala Se returned to her desk. "She is safe where she is. Perhaps it will help her learn her lesson about curiosity and the benefits of obedience."

Holding her hands up in disgust, Alanja accused, "Those clones took her to the brig, and you knew!"

"Yes," Nala Se replied with a gentle nod. "We will retrieve her when the commotion has ended."The wait felt like forever. Omega had quickly become one of the lights of Alanja's strange life here. Though Nala Se seemed to care a great deal about Omega, Alanja was sure the Kaminoan did not love the girl the way a mother would. Omega was as alone in this city as Alanja.Alanja jumped at the notification buzzing that announced guests in the lab offices. Lithe and proud with that pleasant, flat Kaminoan expression, Nala Se greeted Admiral Tarkin as he entered. "Welcome."

Tarkin gave a nod to the Kaminoan and addressed Alanja first. "Pleasure to see you, Miss Rampart."

Swallowing hard, she was relieved to see him, walking straight to his side. "Is it safe now?"

Fatherly, Tarkin gave a small reassuring smile. "You were never in any danger."

That couldn't be farther from the truth. Alanja felt in danger every single day. Now there were rogue clones just as she predicted!

"Nala Se. I wish to see if your inhibitor chips have malfunctioned."

The tension between Nala Se and Tarkin was palpable, both assessing how much of a threat they were to each other.

"Let us take a closer look," Nala Se said as she led them out.

"Have them escort CT-9904 to the lab," ordered Tarkin.

Alanja tried not to tremble as she walked with Tarkin to the observation room. Within moments, CT-9904 was escorted to the exam table. He looked at them through the mirrored window. Though Alanja knew that he could not see them, his deadly gaze penetrated her soul. His focus seemed to fix on her in the shadows behind Tarkin. The medical droids buzzed around him as he lay back and relaxed; he kept looking at her until their sedation took effect.

Tarkin approached Nala Se. "Well, what is his status?"

"CT-9904's genetic mutations have altered much of his cranial activity, including his inhibitor chip."

Those chips were the one thing that kept the clones in line. If his was malfunctioning, what about the rest of his squad? And how long would it be before the "regs," as Crosshair called them, overcame the chips as well?

Tarkin seemed intrigued as he said, "Yet he exhibited loyalty to the Empire during their mission." He placed his finger over his mouth in thought.

Alanja forced herself to breathe. That was good news. CT-9904 was loyal on his own.Nala Se replied, "While the chip is not as active as a standard clone's, the order does appear to be working."

Letting his hand dip away from his face, Tarkin asked as he gestured towards Crosshair, "Can you intensify the programming?"

"Yes," said Nala Se.

"Then proceed."

Alanja stepped up beside Tarkin as the machinery around the exam table whirled to life and prods lowered to either side of Crosshair's head. He flinched as the procedure began. At his temples, Alanja could see the intensity of the light waves syncing through his skull. All at once, his body went rigid, and his fists balled at his sides. She kept waiting for him to scream out in pain. But he remained silent.

When it was done, the prod retracted, and he lay too still. Alanja stepped close to the window. "Is he dead?"

"No," replied Nala Se in her eerie voice.

Around them, the red lights began to blink again. "The alarm," Alanja gasped.

"Wake him and suit him up," ordered Tarkin. "We shall see if this little experiment bears fruit."