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"Security Level One!" the mechanical voice repeated. "Please let passengers out."

Dozens of people hurried from the turbolift. Boba darted between them, until he was inside. He was breathing hard. But he was alone in the turbolift!

"You!" shouted the same, strangely familiar voice.

Boba whirled.

"Now leaving Security Level One," said the mechanical announcement.

The doors began to slide shut. There were only inches left before it closed.

Boba let his breath out. He was safe!

With a cry a small figure lunged through the gap. The turbolift doors hissed shut. Quickly, Boba shoved the shining card into his pocket.

Then he backed up against the wall and faced his pursuer.

He was trapped!

CHAPTER SIX

Boba had his back to the wall. His hands tensed to fight - -

But fight who? Or what? Boba let his breath out in shock.

Because for a moment, he thought he was staring into mirror. He saw his own face, his own body, his own hands raised protectively. Even the clothes were the same - same gray-blue tunic, same high black boots. The only difference was, that the boy staring at Boba Fett wore a helmet.

But it wasn't a clone trooper's helmet, or a Mandalorian helmet.

This was a tan helmet with gold plated metal fittings. Boba had seen thousands like it, back on his homeworld of Kamino. It was learning helmet, part of the equipment clone youth wore to enhance their training.

Boba was staring at his clone twin!

The two of them looked warily at each other, keeping their arms raised in a fight posture. After a minute, the clone shook his head. He held his hand out to Boba. For the first time Boba saw that he held something.

"You dropped this," the clone said. He offered it to Boba. "Up there, by the security desk."

Boba looked at it in disbelief. It was his book - the book his father had left him. Boba shook his head. Finally he took it from the other boy.

"Thanks," Boba said. He'd been so busy trying to leave before Aurra Sing returned that he'd forgotten he had the book with him. He looked at the boy and ventured a smile. To his surprise, the boy smiled back.

"I thought it might be important," the clone said. "I'm glad I caught up with you."

Around them the turbolift descended smoothly, silently. Above the door a stream of blinking lines and numerals indicated that they were slowly approaching Level Two, thousands of meters below the first level.

Boba put the book back into his pocket, beside the shining card. The boy clone looked at him curiously.

"You're not wearing a helmet," the clone said. He tapped at his own helmet. "Are you an odd or even?"

"An odd or an even?" Boba repeated. "What do you mean?"

Then he remembered.

All young clones were numbered. All young clones wore learning helmets like the one worn by the boy in front of him. The only difference was that some of the learning helmets had gold-colored hardware. Others had plain black metal hardware. Odd-numbered clones wore gold. Even-numbered clones wore plain.

This boy's helmet had gold plating. He was an odd. He was still staring at Boba, patiently waiting for a reply.

"Oh," said Boba at last. "I'm, uh, same as you. Odd."

The boy clone nodded seriously. "Is your helmet getting repaired, too? " He tapped his own helmet, making a face as a burst of static came out of the earpiece. The noise was loud enough that even Boba could hear it.

"That's why I'm here," the clone went on. "I should have remained on board with the others. But my helmet has been malfunctioning. Our commander said it would be faster to just get it repaired here, down on the Tech Support Level."

"Tech Support?" said Boba.

"Level Three. That's where all repairs are done." He looked at Boba and, for the first time, frowned slightly. "You should know that. Your helmet really must have malfunctioned."

Boba knew that the learning helmets provided a constant stream of data that the young clones