Just before dawn, above a stormy sea near the World's Edge, a small Hyperion gate opened. From out of it flew a dusky red delsev with Obi-Wan and the nautomaton Arfor in its saddle. Fierce storms were common close to the World's Edge, and the closer one came to the Edge itself, the more warped reality became.

Obi-Wan pulled up his hood and flew through the squalls, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs of islands. After a couple of minutes, he saw lights near the water's surface. Then he saw lights from higher up. The closer he drew, the more he could make our until soon it was apparent that he was heading towards some kind of city.

Obi-Wan smirked. "There it is, right where it should be..."

This city was large, built atop rocky islands. Great white towers rose above the ground, capped by wide disks, giving the city the appearance of a cluster of giant mushrooms interconnected by bridges. Several landing platforms were visible to Obi-Wan by the eerie blue lights that ringed them. He picked one at random and guided the delsev towards it.

Obi-Wan landed and hopped down from the saddle. The platform was empty, save for his delsev, and he shivered with both unease and cold. He walked across the platform after tying off the delsev's reins, heading towards a lit glass door. The door opened automatically as he drew close, slightly startling him.

Once inside, he pulled his hood back and marvelled at the disk's interior. He was only in a hallway, but the walls were a clean and seamless white, unlike any material he had ever seen. The floor was polished stone with rounded and swirling inlaid designs. Rather than being lit by arcane magelights, the hallway was illuminated by strange light blue bulbs that were set into the rounded ceiling.

So entranced by these curiosities, Obi-Wan failed to notice the presence of a person behind him. "Hello, Master Jedi," came their calm and somewhat soothing voice. "We've been expecting you."

Obi-Wan started and looked at who the voice had come from. She was a very tall, very thin humanoid with elongated limbs and milky white skin. Her neck was long as well and her eyes were inky black with silver irises. Her flowing pale blue robes were in a style completely alien to Obi-Wan.

"I'm... Expected?" Obi-Wan was quite unnerved by her statement.

She smiled. "Oh, yes. The Prime Minister is eager to meet you. After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now please, follow me."

She led the way through the nearly featureless white halls, deep into the disk. All the doors they passed through opened automatically, sliding into the floors, walls, or ceilings. Obi-Wan didn't sense any hostility from either his guide or any of the other people they passed, but he was still on edge. He understood so little of what he had seen, and he surmised that answers wouldn't be as forthcoming as he would have hoped.

His guide stopped at one of the doors and gestured for Obi-Wan to enter. The doors slid open and at the far end of the round room, another of the strange, lanky people sat in a chair that connected to the ceiling. He wore red robes and had a fin-like crest atop his head. Upon seeing Obi-Wan, the person stood up.

"May I present Lama Su," said Obi-Wan's guide, "Prime Minister of Kamino."

Lama Su bowed, and Obi-Wan did so as well.

The guide gestured to Obi-Wan. "And this is Jedi Master..."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," he said, introducing himself.

"I trust you will enjoy your stay," said Lama Su. He held out his hand and another chair descended from the ceiling. "Please."

Obi-Wan and Lama Su both took a seat. Obi-Wan was surprised by how comfortable the seat actually was.

Lama Su tented his fingers. "And now, to business. You will be delighted to know we are on schedule."

Obi-Wan displayed visible confusion at this."

Lama Su continued, undaunted. "Two hundred thousand units are ready, with a million more well on the way."

"Th- that's good news."

"Please tell Master Sifo-Dyas that his order will be met on time."

The mention of Master Sifo-Dyas alarmed Obi-Wan. "I'm sorry, Master...?"

"Master Sifo-Dyas is still a leading member of the Jedi Council, is he not?"

"Master Sifo-Dyas was killed almost ten years ago."

Lama Su's hairless eyebrows raised. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm sure he would have been proud of the army we've made for him."

"The army?" Obi-Wan just barely contained his shock.

"Oh, yes. An army of homunculi, and one of our finest, if I say so myself."

"Tell me, Prime Minister, when Master Sifo-Dyas ordered this army, did... Did he say what it was for?"

"But of course. He said this army was for the Republic."

Obi-Wan didn't know how to respond to that. It seemed that for every question that was answered, another arose.

Lama Su smiled just slightly. "You must be eager to inspect the units for yourself."

"That's... Why I'm here," said Obi-Wan, hoping his lie was convincing.

Lama Su stood and beckoned Obi-Wan to follow him.

Many crystal clear lakes dotted the land at the base of Naboo's mountain range. Wild ennone soared in the distance, their calls only just audible. Several of these lakes had beautiful villas along their shorelines, either owned by nobles or rented out to those seeking luxury on their vacations.

The Varykino Villa was one of the former, owned by Padmé's family. It was built on an island in the middle of one of the more secluded lakes, perfect for escaping from the stress is everyday life. Or threats to life, in Padmé's case.

Padmé and Anakin arrived at the villa's dock by rowboat about an hour after dawn. A porter greeted them and offered to carry their luggage. Anakin passed him the trunks before helping Padmé from the rowboat and they walked along a waterside pathway towards a stone gazebo.

"We used to come here for school retreat," Padmé reminisced. "We used to swim to that island everyday. I love the water. It makes me feel... Free."

Anakin listened to her, sensing her joy and nostalgia. It made him feel comfortably warm and happy.

"We used to lay out on the sand and let the sun dry us, listening and trying to guess the names of the birds singing." Padmé sighed and smiled, contented.

Anakin looked to the ground. "I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere. I think that's one of the reasons why I like it here." He looked back up to Padmé. "Everything here is soft and smooth..."

Their eyes met, and for just a moment, the flickering embers of their mutual passions glowed brighter. All the cares and duties of the world around them faded away, leaving only the two of them and what they felt for each other. Their hearts raced.

Without even being fully aware of their actions, they slowly leaned towards one another. Their motions were hesitant and awkward, but sincere. They kissed, shaky hands reaching out to hold the other close.

"No," said Padmé, breaking the kiss. "No, I shouldn't have done that." Her face had turned pale as she realized the ramifications of her actions.

"I'm sorry..." Outwardly, Anakin seemed calm, but inwardly he was torn. He loved her and she had feelings for him, but they both had their separate oaths and duties. So many thoughts and emotions clashed inside him, and to complicate things, he could sense the same conflicts inside Padmé.

Far away, as he meditated, Yoda sensed a ripple in the Force, as though someone had plucked the string of a musical instrument. The meaning of this eluded him.

Obi-Wan and Lama Su walked down a glass hallway in an enormous chamber deep below the Kaminoan city. All around them were hundreds of pillars ringed with innumerable jars of sky blue fluids, and in each of them was a human fetus in a different stage of development. Obi-Wan stared at them, horrified, but fascinated. "It's all very impressive"

"I was hoping you would be pleased," said Lama Su. "Homunculi can think independently. You will find that they are immensely superior soldiers than automata."

The theory behind the process of making a homunculus is quite simple, while the practice is rather complicated. A sample of living tissue is taken from a donor. Small pieces of the samples are placed into jars of carefully formulated humors and tinctures. These grow the sample into a perfect copy of the donor. During different stages of the incubation process, reagents can be added which alter different aspects of the homunculi. Many artificers have tried to make homunculi, but only the Kaminoans had perfected the art.

Obi-Wan came to a halt as he noticed a large group of about a hundred identical teenaged boys practicing swordsmanship on one of the levels below.

Lama Su beamed. "We take great pride in our combat education and training. That particular group was created about five years ago."

Obi-Wan was impressed by their form. "You mentioned something about growth acceleration, correct?"

"Indeed. It is essential when making them, otherwise a mature homunculus would take a lifetime to create. Now we can do it in a little less than half the time."

"I see," said Obi-Wan as they moved further along.

In another area, they saw hundreds of adult homunculi sitting in a large dining hall, eating their breakfasts. As Obi-Wan and Lama Su walked by them in the hallway above, Lama Su continued expounding on the benefits of these soldiers. "They are totally obedient, taking any order without question. We modified their minds as they grew to make them less independent than their original host."

"And who was the original host, if you don't mind my asking?"

"A Mandalorian named Jango Fett. I believe he is a bounty hunter."

Obi-Wan stopped. "And where is he right now?"

"Oh, we keep him here. Come, I have more to show you, Master Jedi."

Homunculi in red and blue practice armors acted out a mock battle below them, testing formations and strategies. Obi-Wan noticed not just swordsmen, but pikemen, musketeers, and even lancer cavalry. He wondered if the Kaminoans created the horses as well.

"Apart from his pay, which is considerable," continued Lama Su, "Fett demanded only one thing: an unaltered homunculus for himself."

"Unaltered?"

"No mind modifications or growth acceleration. For all intents and purposes, the homunculus is an exact copy of Jango Fett although still only a child."

Obi-Wan pondered this as he looked through the glass at a large number of homunculi putting on armor coated in white enamel. "I should very much like to meet this Jango Fett."

"I am sure I can have Taun We arrange that. But first, I have one final thing for you to see."

They came to a large white oblong observation room that looked out into an impossibly vast chamber. Obi-Wan couldn't even see the other side of it, despite how well lit it was. Below them, no less than a hundred thousand homunculi marched in ranks and files, sending echoes all around. Far above, large eagles flew in "V" formations overhead, each carrying dozens of soldiers on their backs.

Lama Su smiled broadly. "Magnificent, aren't they?"

Around midday, Anakin and Padmé set out for one of the nearby valleys for a picnic and to enjoy the fresh mountain air. The valley they chose was beautiful, filled with flowers and waves of tall grass. On either side of the valley were tall waterfalls that formed a river that ran into the lake upon which Varykino sat. A stone's throw away was a herd of Nubian mountain cattle, a docile creature that didn't shy away from human contact.

After lunch, despite themselves, their conversation had turned to matters of romance. "I don't know," said Padmé, playfully.

"Sure you do," insisted Anakin. "You just don't want to admit it."

"Are you going to use one of your enchantments on me?"

"No, those only work on the weak minded."

"...Oh, all right. I was twelve, his name was Palo, we were both in the Legislative Youth Program. He was a couple of years older than me. Very cute, dark curly hair, dreamy eyes-"

"All right, I get the picture," Anakin said with more than a hint of jealousy. "Whatever happened to him?"

"Well I went into public service, and he went on to become an artist."

Anakin shrugged. "Maybe he made the better choice."

Padmé pouted slightly. "You really don like politicians, do you?"

"Mm, I like two or three. But I'm not really sure about one of them." He gave her a knowing smile and they both laughed.

After they had stopped, Anakin heaved a heavy sigh. "Honestly I don't think the system works..."

"Well, how would you have it work?"

Anakin looked off into the distance as he focused his thoughts. "We need a system where the politicians sit down and discuss the problem, agree what's in the best interest of the people, and then do it."

"That's what we do now. The problem is that people don't always agree."

"Then they should be made to."

"By whom? Who's going to make them?" She scoffed. "You?"

"Of course not me, but I don't know who. Someone. Someone wise."

"Honestly, that sounds a lot like a dictatorship to me..."

Anakin looked to her with a smirk. "Well, if it works."

She looked at him, appalled. Anakin began laughing before she started to as well. "You're making fun of me," Padmé said in mock annoyance.

"No, I'd be much too afraid to tease a senator."

Some time later, they decided to play with the cattle. Anakin hopped on top of one of them and began riding it as it tried to buck him off. Padmé ran alongside, laughing as Anakin held himself in place. The beast bucked hard and Anakin lost his grip and flew over its head.

Anakin landed hard in the tall grass as Padmé looked on horrified. She rushed over when he collapsed while trying to get up. "Anakin!"

He was face down and she rolled him over. As she did so, he started laughing at his prank. She playfully punched him in the chest as she glared at him. Anakin pulled Padmé down on top of him and they rolled through the grass and flowers before coming to a rest, slightly dizzy.

Padmé laid her head on Anakin's chest as they lay under the sun, listening to his heartbeat. She realized there was no one in the world she felt safer with than him.

Taun We led Obi-Wan into one of the residential disks of the city. Outside, the rain pounded against the flawless glass windows and lightning cracked across the sky. No matter what part of the city he was in, Obi-Wan had yet to see any seams in the construction. This included the hallway down which Taun We now led him.

She stopped at one of the doors and pressed a small round button. From the other side of the door, Obi-Wan heard a small chiming, followed by footsteps. The door slid open and revealed a dark-haired boy of about ten.

"Boba," said Taun We. "Is your father here?"

"Yep," Boba replied bluntly.

"May we speak with him?"

"Sure." He eyed Obi-Wan suspiciously before turning and calling into the apartment. "Dad! Taun We's here!"

Obi-Wan and Taun We strolled inside and into the main living area. It was decently furnished but it was evident that Jango and Boba didn't spend much of their time there.

One of the apartment doors opened and out came a man with the exact same face as all the homunculi Obi-Wan had seen, save for being older and more scarred.

Taun We bowed. "Jango, was your trip productive?"

"Fairly," he said flatly as he adjusted his blue tunic.

"This is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. He's come to check on our progress."

"Your homunculi are impressive, you must be very proud," Obi-Wan said to Jango.

"I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way in the world," he replied. One didn't have to be a Jedi to sense the hostile tension between the two men.

"Ever make your way as far into the interior as Coruscant?"

"Once or twice."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Recently?"

Jango narrowed his eyes. "...Possibly."

"Then you must know Master Sifo-Dyas."

Jango turned to his son and spoke to him in the Mandalorian tongue. Boba walked towards the room Jango had come from as Jango himself moved into the main living area. In the room, Obi-Wan caught a glimpse of a set of Mandalorian armor identical to the one he saw on Coruscant. "Master who?" Jango asked.

"Sifo-Dyas," Obi-Wan repeated. "Is he not the Jedi that hired you for this project?"

Jango frowned dramatically. "Never heard of him."

A tense pause.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Really?"

"I was recruited by a man named Tyranus on one of the islands of Bogden."

"Curious."

Another tense pause.

Jango smiled in a way that seemed friendly, but concealed a hidden malice. "Do you like your army?"

"I look forward to seeing them in action."

"They'll do their job well. I guarantee that."

"Thank you for your time, Jango." Obi-Wan bowed.

"Always a pleasure to meat a Jedi."

With that, Obi-Wan and Taun We left. Once the door had sealed closed behind them, Boba looked at his father. "What is it, Dad?"

"Repack your things. We're leaving."