Obi-Wan, Lama Su and Taun We come out onto a balcony. Below is a huge parade ground. The rain and wind are brutal. Thousands of Clone Troopers, their faces covered by helmets, are
marching and drilling in formations of several hundred.
Lama Su:
(beaming) Magnificent, aren't they?
Obi-Wan nods slowly.
The tour then continues through a classroom filled with identical young boys.
Lama Su:
We take great pride in our combat education and training programs. This group was created about five years ago.
Obi-Wan:
You mentioned growth acceleration...
Lama Su:
Oh yes, it's essential. Otherwise, a mature clone would take a lifetime to grow. Now, we can do it in half the time. Those items you saw on the parade ground were started ten years ago, when Sifo-Dyas first placed the
order, and they're already mature.
Lama Su conducts Obi-Wan through a large eating area. Taun We follows as they walk by hundreds of Clones who look exactly alike, all about twenty years old, dressed in black. They are seated at tables, eating.
Lama Su:
You'll find they are totally obedient, taking any order without question. We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host.
Obi-Wan:
Who was the original host?
Lama Su:
A bounty hunter called Jango Fett. We felt a Jedi would be the perfect choice, but Sifo-Dyas hand-picked Jango Fett himself.
Obi-Wan:
Where is this bounty hunter now?
Lama Su:
Oh, we keep him here.
The tour continues through a long corridor filled with narrow, transparent tubes into which Clones are climbing. Once in the tube, the Clone goes to sleep.
Lama Su:
Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing - an unaltered clone for himself.
Curious, isn't it?
Obi-Wan:
Unaltered?
Lama Su:
Pure genetic replication. No tampering with the structure to make it more docile... and no growth acceleration.
Obi-Wan:
I would very much like to meet this Jango Fett.
Taun We:
I would be most happy to arrange it, for you.
She said to Obi-Wan.
Sabé and Anakin are in the middle of an idyllic hilly meadow, its lush grasses sprinkled with flowers. At a distance, a herd of Shaaks graze contentedly.
Beyond is the shimmering expanse of the lake. Several other lakes stretch to the horizon. The warm air is full of little floating puffballs. They sit on the grass, in a playful, coy mood, talking. Sabé is picking flowers.
Sabé:
I don't know...
Anakin:
Sure you do... you just don't want to tell me.
Sabé:
Are you going to use one of your Jedi mind tricks on
me?
Anakin:
They only work on the weak-minded. You are anything but weak-minded.
Sabé:
All right... I was twelve. His name was Palo. We were both in the Legislative Youth Program. He was a few years older then I... very cute... dark curly hair... dreamy eyes.
Anakin:
All right, I get the picture... whatever happened to him?
Sabé:
I went into public service. He went on to become an artist.
YOU ARE READING
A Star Wars Story
同人小說Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their respective owners. This is my what if story.
