It's been a long, long time since I've obsessively read the books, but I deeply appreciate your analysis here and it feels emotionally "true" in that heartbreaking way with the kiddos coping with the situation in the best way they can without quite understanding the ripples of implications that go on and on after they mature.

Something else to add to your observations - Vau's often labeled as "Old Psycho" by the clones/Kal/the other mando trainers even back in the Kamino days iirc, and I wonder if that's part of the puzzle in a very distant way. Kind of a fucked up 'badge of honor' for the boys to have any kind of similarities with the trainers in that sort of ... mm, "feeling like an adult/idolization"? way?