Star Wars: The Fallen Brother

Chapter 3 - Army of the Republic

"This is a massive cloning facility you have here." Sifo commented "It's very impressive."

"Thank you." Oralya replied gracefully, looking at Sifo with intrigued eyes. "We have spent thousands of years building up our cloning facilities and our engineering programmes. You can now select a template from any species, age, gender and body fitness to be clone on a mass scale. All with the same perfect result." Sifo nodded understandingly, thinking for the first time about the template. That would be an interesting one. I have no idea who I would get for that...certainly not a Jedi. Can a force user even be cloned? Oh well...one step at a time.

They passed through the cloning pods chamber into a closed hallway, the same brightness with many closed of rooms.

"We also have the highest medical facilities available, even able to rival that of Coruscant and Alderaan. So, we are able to treat clones on a small and mass scale."

"That's good to know." Sifo said, intrigued by the labyrinth of white corridors. After another ten minutes of walking they came to a thin corridor with a door of three oddly shaped opaque glass panels that separated away to reveal a circular meeting room. In the centre of the meeting room, sat another Kaminoan on a circular metal chair that hung from the ceiling. As they entered two more chairs descended from the ceiling for Oralya and Sifo-Dyas. The other Kaminoan, the Prime Minister, who wore red and black robes as opposed to Oralya's white and blue stood to greet them.

"Good day, master Jedi." The Prime Minister said, bowing his head and looking down on Sifo-Dyas; who returned the bow.

"Prime Minister, it's a pleasure. I am Master Sifo-Dyas of the Jedi Order. The Prime Minister gestured to a chair on the left for Sifo-Dyas to take a seat and he sat back in his, as Oralya chose the remaining seat on the right; they now sat in a triangle.

"I must say, I am surprised by this visit. We have heard nothing of the Jedi or the Republic turning towards cloning in any fashion." Sifo smiled a little sheepishly and stiffening up to become more serious and sell his order.

"My meeting is being done under the strictest of confidence, Prime Minister. But I am here to discuss your cloning facilities." The Prime Minister smiled almost evilly and angled his head forward intrigued.

"And how may Kamino be of service to the Jedi Order?"

"For the Republic, Minister. The Order and the senate have assessed the state of the galaxy and together have decided it is the time to begin the formation of a military." Both the Kaminoan's eyes widened even more in surprised – fake surprise.

"A military? I must say, Master Sifo-Dyas, I am surprised. I was expecting an order for a work force." Sifo shook his head calmly.

"Unfortunately, not, Prime Minister. The Republic is facing ever more conflict among the galaxy, especially since it has started escalated reach into the Outer Rim. This has caused the Jedi to become more and more involved with the politics of the Republic and drifts ever closer to militarisation. Neither the Republic or the Order wants this, and so I am here to draft an order to create a Grand Army of the Republic." He sat back a little, taking a deep breath and letting it sink in with the Kaminoans. The Prime Minister nodded, taking a moment to reply.

"This is of course more than possible, Master Dyas. We are well practiced with the creation of clone soldiers and have excellent training facilities to begin physical and mental training of soldiers from birth. As well as accelerated breeding and ageing, so our clones age at more than twice the speed normal for the species. Clones are ready to be deployed eight to nine years after birth." The Prime Minister said slowly and carefully. Sifo didn't like the way the Prime Minister was talking; it was almost sinister. A facility was able to prepare anyone for war on a galactic scale and it just came down to a matter of cost. How was something like this kept from the Jedi? This shows even more why we need to be ready. The syndicates are preparing for war...the galaxy is on edge, it will come...soon... Sifo said to himself concerned. He was looking down at the floor, thinking about his decision, then looked back to the Prime Minister.