Chapter Eleven- Rain and Pristine White Walls
I don't know what I expected to see when we finally landed on Kamino. But I do know that I have never seen so much rain in my life. Rain poured down in sheets, thunder and lighting crashed and I began to wonder why I had ever said I wanted to see new planets.
I was standing beside the landing ramp the sound of its controls lost against the pounding of the rain on the metal of the ship. As the ramp finally made contact with the deck I looked back at Obi-wan who just coming from the cockpit.
"Not all planets are this bad." Obi-wan said with a chuckle. "I actually find desert worlds to be worse, with the exception of Tattooine." That was the only dessert world that I had ever visited and I still couldn't figure out why anyone would want to live there. I mean who would want to spend most of their time fighting the atmosphere for water. Not me, not by a long shot.
"Oh, yes Tattooine was a joy, I don't want to see that much sand ever again and I spent all most all my time on the ship." I hope that he wasn't offended or anything seeing as that was the place where I had really met him. The place where I fell in love with him, the hidden part of my brain put forth into my consciousness. It just wasn't that appealing of a planet.
"Well in that case, Sabé, I would think you would enjoy Kamino." At least he didn't sound offended, that was good, now if I could just keep it that way. We were just starting to get over events of our first night on the ship together.
"You will of course be needing this, not that it will do all that much good." As he started to speak his hands reached behind my head to pull up the hood of my cloak. Once it was firmly in place he straightened it so that it framed my face perfectly. "We can't have a Jedi not look perfect can we?"
Try as I might I couldn't help but notice how his voice changed when he came in such close proximity to me. Blank I remembered, I must keep my mind blank; there are too many things at stake here then just my feelings.
"Yes," I said with a small smile up into his laughing eyes. "I would not want to do anything that would tarnish such a glorious image." With my words, he turned away heading down the ramp and into the storm that was raging outside. I had no choice but to follow.
Immediately the wind whipped at me from all directions and I felt like I had just jumped into the bottom of a lake with all my clothes on. I could say one thing about the Jedi cloak; it seemed to weigh four million tonnes once it was wet. I was very thankful that the ship was but twenty meters from the entrance into the main building.
As soon as the hell had began it was over, I stepped over the threshold into the pristine environment that reminded me of being in a medical bay. The doors behind me slid shut drowning out all noise from the storm, which was most remarkable, and almost freighting.
'You do know proper greeting protocols, right Sabé?' Obi-wan asked in my mind as a strange being started forward to meet us. I hope he felt my contempt at his question, I was once a handmaiden to a Queen, and now to a Senator. She at least I think it was she, was one of the tallest and skinniest beings that I had ever seen. With a strange silver, almost transparent look to her skin, she fitted with the surroundings perfectly.
"Masters Jedi, the Prime Minister is expecting you." She said in a strange wispy voice. I stepped slightly in front of Obi-wan and bowed deeply. Throwing back my hood as I did so.
"We're expected?..." Obi-wan tried to say behind me only to be silenced by my rear foot coming in contact with the back of his left knee.
I don't know if it was best that Obi-wan a Jedi was now kneeing humbly before who I assumed to be the Prime Minister's aide, but the alternative could be much worse.
"I thank you for receiving us." I said coming out of my bow, as Obi-wan got to his feet. 'Was that really necessary?' He asked over our bond. My only answer was a barley perceivable nod of the head.
"He is quite anxious to meet you. After all these years we were beginning to think that you weren't coming."
"The Jedi Council has been busy of late." I put in trying to sound explanatory. The being though would have none of this.
"Yes, now if you would please, this way." I hoped that she wasn't offended, just in a hurry to get us to her master or mistress.
Obi-wan and I walked side by side up the corridor, following as requested. I allowed my eyes to find his; I had to know if he was really upset by what I did. His eyes were laughing, no matter how much the rest of his face remained calm and passive. Were all Jedi like this, such great actors that it was impossible for mere people to see that there was anything behind the mask?
'Yes, it is something we are trained to do.' He said by way of answering my question. 'Would you perceive Jedi to be so powerful, if we did not act this way?' I had to admit that I would not. It was much the same to be a handmaiden, we were taught not to draw attention to ourselves, to remain still and show no outward reaction to situations.
Having almost reached the end of the corridor and the door ahead whooshed open. We stepped into a chamber much like seemingly everything else on the planet, pristine and white. A tall being rose upon our entrance.
"May I present Lama Su Prime Minister of Kamino." Our guide said gesturing to the tall male figure. Obi-wan and I both bowed deeply. The Prime Minister responded by bowing to us as well.
"This is Master Jedi..." She attempted to continue until she realized that she did not in fact know our names.
"I am Sabé Mara, and this is Obi-wan Kenobi." I said in order to continue our introductions. I did not want Obi-wan to say my real last name for it could be used to trace my identity back to Padmé. Mara though sounded like a pretty good name, I liked it.
"I trust that you are going to enjoy your stay." Replied the Prime Minister. I wondered why he seemed so happy to see us. I didn't think that this was normal cloner behavior at all. 'I agree. Be patient.' Was Obi-wan's silent response to my inquiry.
"Please." Continued the Prime Minister motioning to two chairs much like his own which had descended from the ceiling. I allowed Obi-wan to take the seat closest to the Prime Minister. If there was going to be trouble it was most likely to come from him.
"And now to business." Well that might explain why these beings were so happy to see us. They wanted to be paid. Dex was right when he said that we would need a big pocketbook. I just hoped that Obi-wan had been right about having credits available. "You will be delighted to hear that we are on schedule. 2 000 units are ready with a million more well on their way."
At these words Obi-wan nodded his head and I followed suit. I just hoped that Lama Su wasn't referring to clones. What would the Jedi want with clones? I again focused my attention on the Prime Minister, as Obi-wan replied, "That's good news." Obi-wan's uncertain sounding statement didn't seem to cause any problems.
"Please tell your Master Sifo-Dyas, that his order will be met on time."
I had never heard about a Master Sifo-Dyas, and I had been on Courscant long enough to have heard the names of almost all the Jedi Masters. I looked at Obi-wan who was looking as confused as I was inwardly feeling.
"I'm sorry Master Sifo-Dyas?" I spoke up softly not wanting to sound so incompetent. The Prime Minister just seemed surprised by my question.
"Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas is still a leading member of the Jedi Council is he not?" Lama Su asked of us.
Before I could answer that no in fact there was no one on the Jedi Council by that name. Obi-wan leaned forward to speak.
"Master Sifo-Dyas was killed almost ten years ago." I once again turned to the Prime Minister to see his reaction.
"Oh, I am so sorry to hear that." He said solemnly, before continuing. "But I am sure that he would have been proud of the army we have built for him."
"Army?" The word just seemed to jump out of my mouth of its own accord. The Jedi needed no army, what could he be referring to?
"Yes, and I must say that it is one of the finest we have ever built."
"Tell me Prime Minister, when my Master first contacted you about the army, did he say who it was for?" Obi-wan asked quietly from my right. I was happy to see that I wasn't the only one who was wondering.
"Of course he did, this army is for the Republic." The Republic, there must be some kind of mistake. I mean the Republic was just voting on whether or not to create an army. It was something that Padmé was so strongly against that she had risked her life to be there for the vote. But it just wasn't possible for the decision to be made ten years ago, and by the Jedi no less. The senate would be furious, of that I was completely certain.
"But you must be anxious to inspect the units for yourselves." Said the Prime Minister rising to his feet.
"That's why we're here." I said rising to my own feet as well, seeing that Obi-wan was doing the same. 'Sabé, be careful. I don't know what is going on, the Jedi ordered no army.' I knew that he was right but I was really getting tired of this whole one-way conversation thing, I needed a way to communicate with him.
By the time my thoughts had caught up with what was going on around me we had entered into a walkway suspended high in the air, with view ports on both sides. I was appalled to see that floating inside transparent containers were children. Clones, I just couldn't believe it.
"Very impressive." I said to the Prime Minister, trying hard to keep the contempt that I was feeling out of my voice. Thankfully it seemed to work.
"I'd hoped you would be pleased." Lama Su said happily. "Clones can think creatively, you will find that they are immensely superior to droids." Turning towards a view port he gestured towards a group of humans who looked about twelve.
"We take great pride in our education and combat training programs, this group was created about five years ago."
"Growth acceleration?" Obi-wan asked from his position always at my side.
"Oh yes, it is essential, otherwise a mature clone would take a lifetime to grow. Now we can do it in half the time." That was just plain scary, clones were bad enough but to have people grow faster then they were supposed to was against everything that the Naboo stood for. I subconsciously fingered the necklace that was under my tunic.
"I see." I said. Wanting the Prime Minster to continue his sales pitch so that I could leave this awful planet.
"They are totally obedient, taking any order without question. We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent then the original host." At the Prime Ministers words I knew that I could no longer trust myself to speak without jeopardizing our mission.
"And who was the original host?" Obi-wan asked while placing a steadying hand on my elbow. I felt calm seep into me where his fingers had made contact. My emotions were once again under control, or at least I hoped they were.
"A bounty hunter called Jango Fett." A bounty hunter, he could have been the one who was behind the attack on Padmé.
"Where is this bounty hunter now?" I asked this time unable to keep the scorn out of my words.
"Oh, we keep him here." Apparently it was impossible to offend this being, or so it seemed to outward appearances. "Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing: an unaltered clone for himself."
I wondered what the Prime Minister meant by unaltered? I didn't have to wait long to receive my answer.
"Pure genetic replication, no tampering with the structure to make it more docile, and no growth acceleration."
I looked out the view ports once more seeing hundreds of clones retrieving helmets like they expected to go into battle in the next few hours. This was madness. I turned back to Obi-wan when he began to speak again.
"I would very much like to meet this Jango Fett." Yes come to think of it I would too and not only to see if he was responsible for attacking my mistress. I wanted to look into the eyes of the man who would sell himself to this.
"I would be happy to arrange it for you, Masters Jedi." Our guide spoke up quietly from behind.
We had reached the end of the walkway and were lead out onto a high balcony. Obi-wan moved forward to lean on the railing and I copied his position before looking down. What I saw will haunt me till the end of my days, thousands of clones, dressed in white armor and carrying large black blaster rifles, were boarding transports. How could this be the future of the Republic? How could this be the future of the galaxy? I may have been a fighter but I did not condone war, and you didn't build an army like this and not plan to use it.
"Magnificent aren't they?" The Prime Minister asked in a voice filled with pride.
Yes, I thought, they are a magnificent ending to peace. Silently Obi-wan covered my hand with his, stroking calm back into me. What was ahead for us I did not know, I just hoped that I would be around to tell the tale.
'You will be, Sabé, I promise you.'