0--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

Delay! Delay! Had a bit of a writers block, sorry!

But here's another chappie for all my fans!

H. Dormé

0--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

Chapter Twenty-six

You await Obi-wan's arrival at the top of the senatorial apartment building.

As the red ship lowers onto the platform you walk forward. Obi-wan exits and walks over to you.

"Ready?" he asks.

You smile slightly and he turns to walk away.

You grab his arm.

"Sorry" you simply say.

He nods and continues towards the ship.

You exhale the breath you were holding and climb into the awaiting ship. Buckling up your belt Obi-wan begins pre-flight checks.

"Everything ok R4?" he asks his droid.

You hear some beeping from behind you as Obi-wan starts up the engines.

You rise and fly out of the Coruscant atmosphere before docking with a Hyper space ring.

Obi-wan completes final checks with R4 before you begin to travel at light speed towards Kimono.

"There it is, right where it should be. Our missing planet, Kamino"

You peer around Obi-wan and look out into the vacuum of space surrounding you. Just like Ob-wan says, your wayward planet is just where it should be.

Obi-wan disengages from the Hyper space ring and moves in for a slow descent.

He lands perfectly onto the slippery platform and open the cockpit lid.

He climbs out and pulls his Jedi cloak around himself trying block out the howling wind and rain.

He offers you a hand and you take it, wrapping your arms around you slim frame in an attempt to keep warm.

He leads the way to the only door exiting the platform.

You gladly hurry inside after him. He removes the hood from his head and looks around as you do.

"Master Jedi, so good to see you" a tall Alien says as she greets Obi-wan, regarding you coldly.

Obi-wan wipes his face, ready to reply before the Alien speaks again.

"The Prime Minister is expecting you"

"I'm expected?" he replies warily, glancing in your direction, you shrug assuming that they must have tracked you somehow.

"Of course! He is anxious to meet you. After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now please, this way!" The tall Alien says as she leads the way.

Obi-wan gives you a look that says play along and you nod before filing after them.

After navigating long, white hallways you come to a single door. It slides open and Obi-wan follows the Alien inside. He signals behind him for you to stay put.

You peek inside the room and see another Alien sitting in a small chair he rises as Obi-wan approaches.

"May I present Lama Su, Prime Minister of Kamino." she says in her sing song voice. "And this is Master Jedi . . ."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi." Obi-wan adds, trying to cover up their non-existent introductions.

Lama Su indicates a chair and Obi-wan takes it willingly.

"Thank you Tuan We" Lama Su says.

Tuan we nods and moves towards the door, she exits and closes it behind herself, blocking the conversation from your ears.

She stands facing the door not once looking at you.

You move about looking out the large windows onto the water ravaged by the storms.

After a few minutes Obi-wan and Lama Su exit the room and come over to you and Tuan We.

"Would you like to see the army for yourself?" Lama Su asks.

"Yes, that's why I'm here" Obi-wan answers with a sideways glance towards you.

Lama Su inclines his head towards you and Obi-wan obliges by introducing you. "This is Dormé Detron, a representative of the Republic senate; she has come to view the clone army that was requested by the Jedi Master Sifo Dyas"

You incline your head in respect for Lama Su and glance at Obi-wan and mouth thank-you for informing you of the situation.

"This way" Lama Su indicates as he leads the way with Tuan We.

Lama Su and Tuan We lead you and Obi-wan around the complex explaining different aspects of the cloning process.

You are led out onto a walkway over looking thousands of clone troopers, whose faces are covered by helmets, marching and drilling in formations of several hundred.

You gasp at the sheer amount of soldiers marching in sync.

"Magnificent, aren't they?" Lama Su says beaming.

Obi-wan simply glances at you and nods slowly.

The next stop on your tour is the classrooms of the younger clones.

"We take great pride in our combat education and training programs. This group was created about five years ago." Lama Su says as he indicates the clones below you.

They all look so obedient, so sad and joyless you think.
"You mentioned growth acceleration?" Obi-wan enquires.

"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."

You and Obi-wan nod, clearly overwhelmed.

The tour continues and you are led to an eating area.

Hundreds of clones who look exactly alike, all about twenty years old, are seated at tables, eating.

You notice the similarities between them and the way you had always imagined Adin to look when he was younger.

Lama Su interrupts your thoughts. "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."
"Who was the original host?" Obi-wan asks.
"A bounty hunter called Jango Fett." You nod.
"Where is this bounty hunter now?"
"Oh, we keep him here."

The tour continues through a long corridor and you see small bulbs containing unborn clones, this image tugs at your heart as you remember yours and Adin's plan to start a family and you rub you stomach absentmindedly.
"Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing - an unaltered clone for himself. Curious, isn't it?" Lama Su states.
"Unaltered?" you ask, absentmindedly.

"Pure genetic replication." Lama Su boasts. "No tampering with the
structure to make it more docile . . . and no growth acceleration."
"I would very much like to meet this Jango Fett." Obi-wan interjects.
"I would be most happy to arrange it, for you." Tuan We finally says after being silent the whole tour.

She bows and leaves.

0--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0

Well next chap you get to meet Jango!

Did anyone notice the little clue? It's all starting to unravel, my secret throughout the whole story will soon be revealed!

PEACE!

R&R!

H. Dormé

0--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0