"Cloning's a bit of an esoteric art here. If you try to speed up the growth process any, the clones will tend to become violently insane. Sometimes even if you don't. Easier to make people the old-fashioned way."

"I don't think she was sped up? Her mom just had a super-power that I guess people figured might be clone-able."

"What superpower was that?"

"Super strength, speed, agility, and mental processing. Nothing world-shattering but she'd been the first superhero and so was separately a really powerful symbol, though I think her superpowers were actually from an experiment that nobody managed to replicate."

"Pretty handy grab-bag. I wouldn't mind having that set. Ah, here's our final passenger." They see an older man sitting on the broken edge of a pipe protruding from the ground. He's maybe in his fifties, balding, with a salt-and-pepper beard. A black bag sits at his side. He takes it by the handle and stands as they approach. "Going our way, old man?" she calls.

     "It seems that I am, young Cipher. Hello," he says to the other two.

"Wiccan, Jet, this is Doctor Eckard Lokin. Lokin, Wiccan and Jet.""

"Hey! I'm Wiccan!"

"And Jet."

"A pleasure to meet you both," he says, climbing in. They resume their travel.

"The good Cipher didn't say much about you. What brings the two of you to this cozy yet slightly damp corner of the galaxy?"

"Seeing the sights, expanding our horizons, getting valuable life experience..." she says, teasingly.

"There's much of that to be had on Taris, of course, though usually not by people so young as yourselves. Where do you come from?"

"We've kind of lived all over the place? Parents moved around a lot."

"Itinerancy is all too common a curse in these days. I myself have been subjected to it. Postings on Dromund Kaas, Ziost, Nar Shaddaa, Corellia, Naboo, Sarkhan, Kessel, Amanti, Ord Gressem..."

(He's watching closely to see if any of the places he names trips any signal of recognition.)

She's doing a pretty good impression of a teenager who isn't actually listening or taking this seriously, but doesn't show any particular signs of recognition.

"Lotta postings, even for an old man. Interpersonal conflicts?"

     "With my charming personality? Nonsense. My talents are simply in high demand."

"Sarkhan wasn't even officially contacted until six months ago."

     "I'm afraid any details are classified, Cipher."

"Old man, my security clearance is higher than you're allowed to know exists."

Lokin smiles. "Nevertheless."

Cipher rolls her eyes. "Keep your secrets then, tightlipped bastard. I think these girls have you beat, though."

     "Perhaps you would care to share some information then."

"I picked them up right here, same way I did you. And that's all I've got to say about it."

She laughs a little at the conversation. Still, she's used to secretive people - it took a while before she even learned a few of her teammates' real names.

"What do you think we're hiding then?"

"Who you are, for a start. 'Jet' and 'Wiccan' seem like code names, though I'll not judge on that front, out of respect to the good Cipher here."

"Much appreciated," she says dryly.

"Where you come from, for another. You speak Basic well, but your accent is neither Imperial nor Republic and doesn't bear the marks one would expect of a native of the unclaimed Rim. Adding to that mystery, there are very few reasons to be on Taris at all. The Imperial garrison is only token, but all system traffic is nonetheless monitored. The military would have no reason to send you here, and you are not Sith. Any academic interest I would be aware of. This system is not on any extant trade routes, and so makes a poor port of call for smugglers."

"Cool; you notice a lot of stuff. Got any wild guesses, since we're so busy being mysteries wrapped in enigmas shoved into those cool puzzle boxes?"

"Ah, you wish me to create your cover story for you. A wise move, to take advantage of my experience and creativity. But I'm not sure I know enough of the relationship between you and the Cipher to make a believable tale."

"I was mostly curious what you're assuming, really. Sometimes rolling with that's good but sometimes it's really not since people tend to assume what they're familiar with. And if you're familiar with something you're gonna spot errors more."

"I see. And should I take that explanation into account, or act as though I had not heard it?"

"When guessing? Maybe as if you hadn't."

"In that case... runaway apprentices, perhaps. Either Sith or Jedi, that would give cause to obfuscate your origins and explain your survival here, and perhaps your presence, as well. It is said the Force moves those who serve it in mysterious ways."

"And what do you think with what I said?"