Even those considered villains deserve a gift now and then.
CT-0001
Kamino: a dark, stormy, wet planet, with no landmasses to speak of. Only one giant ocean that covered the entire planet, and an endless supply of rain to maintain it. It was no wonder why the natives of the world, the Kaminoans, chose science, particularly cloning, as a means of economic survival.
Though what surprised the infamous Mandalorian bounty hunter, Jango Fett, was why any sort of lifeform with such high intelligence as the Kaminoans did would remain on a water-hell ball beyond the outer rim. Having the ability to master space travel as they had, surely the natives could easily find a more suitable planet to colonize.
Yet that didn't matter as much as the job on hand for the bounty hunter. Having just departed from his ship, Slave One, which rested on one of the rain-soaked platforms surrounding the planet's capital of Tipoca City, he entered into an overly bright white-lit, but dry, corridor. There, Jango was greeted by a long-necked alien, a kaminoan, with blue and white clothing covering her body up to her head.
"Jango Fett," the Kaminoan said in a calm voice while bowing to the mercenary. "I am Taun We, administrative aide to Kamino's prime minister. We were most pleased to hear from Tyranus that you have agreed to serve as the template for our clone army."
"As long as I get my payment, that's all that matters to me," Jango replied. He wasn't much for chit-chat, especially with his clients. Luckily Taun We didn't appear to take offence to his attitude.
"Absolutely. This way please," she said gesturing down the hallway.
Within moments, the two entered into a white room, far brighter than the hallway had been, where they were met by two more Kaminoans who sat on round, similarly white chairs that hung from the ceiling. The one on the right had a fin on top of his head and wore white torso armour with blue and black robes around his legs. The other wore white armour as well but with red fabric covering the lower part of her arms, and resting on the center area of her body. She also possessed no head fin, (like Taun We), instead, wearing a forehead pendant in place that's style Jango figured was part of the planet's culture.
"Allow me to introduce to you Lama Su," Taun We said referring to the kaminoan on the right, "Prime Minister of Kamino. And this," referring to the one on the left, "is Mistress Nala Se, Kamino's chief scientist who has been put in charge of creating the clone army provided from your DNA."
"Greetings Jango Fett," Nala Se bowed.
"We are most pleased to have you here Jango Fett," Lama Su stated. "Your contribution to his project will be most appreciated. You have been informed of the details regarding this contract, correct?"
"I was told you will be abstracting my DNA in a multi-day period once a year to create a fresh generation of clones. Along with this, I will be overseeing the training of these soldiers and will be required to maintain residence on your world."
"Which we have already made arrangements for," Taun We informed.
Ignoring Taun We, Jango added in. "As part of my payment, I was promised the first clone for myself. Unmodified. No growth accelerations. No tampering with the brain structure in any way. Nothing."
The Prime Minister nodded. "Yes, Lord Tyranus was very specific on that last request. Might I enquire as to why you wish a clone such as this?"
"Does it affect the job at hand?"
"Well, no but…"
"Then it's none of your concern. All you have to do is create the clone, and after I get it, he'll fall under my care while you can have all the other clones, modifying them any way you wish for your army."
Both Lama Su and Nala Se were taken aback by the way Jango had spoken to them, though the bounty hunter didn't mind. He didn't trust, nor did he like these cloners so far, and that was the way he planned things to be during his time working for them.
"Very well," Lama Su responded after recomposing himself. "First we will need you to undergo a series of health and mental evaluations to confirm your fitness as the template for the clone army."
"I thought I was already deemed suitable for the job when I passed Tyranus' tests?" Jango protested. "Besides, he already had my DNA checked for any medical issues before I was sent here. Tests were all acceptable."
"Merely a precaution on our end," Nala assured, having already stood up and walked over to the opposite end of the room from which Jango had entered. There another door opened, leading into a hallway identical to that of the previous one. "This way please," she said to Jango, who with reluctance, followed the chief scientist.
Testing took a day at most. Lots of the scanning, needle poking and a series of questions; which was the most difficult since Jango was not keen on revealing his personal information to strangers that just wanted his DNA.
In the end, after the Kaminoans managed to get all the data they required in preparation for the cloning project, Taun We escorted Jango to his new residence on Kamino. During the walk, they encountered several other kaminoans, all of whom seemed to stare at the armoured mercenary, each giving him a curious and cautious examination as they passed.
It didn't come as a surprise for Jango. He'd only been on Kamino for less than a full rotation and already he'd learned that the Kaminoans were a suspicious group; keeping a close eye on all within their facilities, outsiders and fellow kaminoans alike. Jango could understand this. He'd faced betrayal many times from those within his ranks during his time with the True Mandalorian commandos along with bounty hunters he worked with from time to time. As such, he also kept a careful eye on everyone around him, including Taun We as they made it to his new home.
Upon arriving, Jango saw, to no surprise that the apartment was covered with the same white metal designs he'd seen throughout Tipoca city. Though fortunately the furniture he found from the bed in his sleeping quarters to the chairs and table inside the kitchen, and the facilities in the fresher were all designed for humans, not kaminoans. Good to know that they understood some things about him that he didn't need to explain. But what came as a surprise to Jango was the small round metal crib he found inside his bedroom, right next to his bed along with a small table with a shelf under it that contained a set of supplies. Upon further inspection, Jango realized that the supplies were all the things needed to care for a human infant such as diapers, tiny clothes, formula powder, and holobooks containing all the basic information on raising a child.
When Jango looked up at Taun We, she appeared to understand his confusion, despite his helmet covering his face. "Since you insist on claiming custody of your clone after the creation process is complete, even though it will technically be in your species infant stage, I took the liberty of acquiring the supplies you will need to care for him. You know that human infants require much caring for and attention, especially during the first several months of their lives."
"I well aware of this," Jango responded in the same cold manner he'd used when conversing with the kaminoans since coming to Kamino. Yet at the same time, he realized that he'd never thought about getting such supplies himself after accepting the cloning job; even though he'd known from the start that he would be getting his clone as a baby. If it hadn't been for Taun We Jango would have been in quite the tight spot once his son was born.
Still, he didn't say thanks to the Kaminoan but instead nodded his head at her in response.
"I take it you find your quarters to meet your satisfaction?" Taun We asked.
"Quite," Jango responded.
"That is good. After all, we wish you to be most comfortable during your stay with us. This clone army will be our people's greatest achievement. Something I hope will place our people's name in galactic history for eons to come."
From what Tyranus had told Jango, this army would certainly have an impact on the galaxy. And hopefully bring justice for the crimes the Jedi Order committed against his people during the massacre of Galidraan. "The clones will do their job. I guarantee you that."
"That is good to hear. I shall leave you for now, and return in approximately twelve hours along with the Prime Minister to take you to begin the cloning. In the meantime, I suggest you get some rest. We will need you at full strength for when the cloning process starts. You will also find food inside your refrigerator should you require nutrients."
With a polite bow, Taun We exited Jango's quarters. Once the doors were closed, the bounty hunter decided that some food sounded good.
As he ate a flavourless, yet nutritional meal pack, he took the opportunity to read up from the books Taun We had provided before taking her advice and getting some much-needed rest. After all, tomorrow would be one of the most important days of his life.
The next day Jango was met by Taun We and Prime Minister Lama Su who took the bounty hunter to a secluded lap located deep under the planet's oceans via a system of tube transports. According to Taun We, this was Nala Se's private research lab and was one of the most classified facilities on Kamino with only a select handful even knowing of its existence. It was here that Nala Se, along with three of her top Kaminoan personal and medical droids would be creating the first round of clones, the prototypes for the clone army, as well as Jango's clone; which would be the very first to be produced.
To begin, Nala extracted some DNA from Jango using a small, handheld device. Afterwards, the DNA was transferred into a different device and so on until finally reaching a glass tank twice the size of Jango's helmet filled with a see-through, gel-like liquid. In that time Jango, not having understood what they'd been doing previously, finally saw what was happening as he watched his molecules transform into a pinkish brown blob and then slowly afterwards into a human infant.
"It is done," Nala Se confirmed after the clone's creation was complete.
The infant was extracted from the tank and placed on a medical table where it underwent a series of scans performed by both Nala Se and her medical droids; all the while the infant had begun to cry. One of Nala's aides attempted to inject the infant with some kind of drug to stop the crying, but Jango stepped in and grabbed hold of the kaminoan's arm before he could touch him.
"He's a baby. That's what they do," Jango said, being as intimidating as possible when he spoke.
Not wishing to get on the bounty hunter's bad side, the kaminoan nodded his head in understanding while Nala Se finished running her tests. Once the infant's condition was deemed satisfactory, one of the medical droids placed the child into Jango's arms for the first time.
As Jango looked at his newborn son, Nala Se turned towards one of her other kaminoan aides who held a datapad in his arms and gave him instructions.
"Enter into the logs of the creation of CT-0001, codename Alpha…"
"No!" Jango interrupted.
Puzzled, the Kaminoans looked over at their armies' template, "Excuse me?" Nala Se asked.
"He's not one of your clones, he is my son. Therefore, he will not be designated as a number like some droid."
"He was created by us; therefore, he is our property," Nala Se interjected.
"The terms of my contract are clear. Aside from the credits, I'll be receiving, in exchange for my DNA to produce clones for your contracted army, I get the first clone, unmodified for myself as my main payment. He's therefore mine. Not yours. Mine! And as such, I have full rights to choose what he is to be called. Have a problem with that and I'll walkout. No amount of credits will change my mind otherwise."
Nala Se looked over to Lama Su, who in turn gave the scientist a reluctant nod of approval. "Very well. However, given this clone he was created in our laboratories by Kaminoan personnel, we are still required to enter his creation-"
"His birth," Jango stated, which again annoyed Nala Se.
"Whatever you wish to call it, we need to record this event and include a name for this… infant. So, if you would please tell us, what is it that you which to call him?"
Jango didn't answer right away. Again, like with the baby supplies, Jango hadn't been considered a name for his son before arriving on Kamino. He considered calling him Jaster, after his mentor Jaster Mereel. Then he recalled how the deceased leader of Mandalore would have preferred his foster grandson to have his own, unique name, especially since the boy was an exact, genetic copy of his father. There was also his biological father, but the deceased farmer had hated the idea of calling anyone junior, especially his relatives. He thought it over several minutes, thinking of other names, ones in particular that Jango recalled were connected to the main ideals of Mandalore such as warrior and honour. During this time the Kaminoans grew increasingly frustrated from how long their donor was taking to name one clone. Though Jango didn't give them a bantha's worth. Instead, his attention focused on the task at hand until… "Boba," he finally said. "His name is Boba. Boba Fett."
Following the success of young Boba, the Kaminoans extracted additional DNA from Jango to produce the first twelve prototypes clone soldiers for the army. Unlike Boba, these clones were modified for growth acceleration and enhanced physical abilities. They were designed to be the top/elite soldiers of the army, who would take on the most dangerous of combat assignments.
Once the Kaminoans got what they needed from Jango, the template was allowed to take his infant son back to their apartment. The next few days would be focused on extracting more of Jango's genetic material to produce both additional elite soldiers, as well as the hundreds of thousands of clones that would make up the first generation of soldiers for the army. Once they reached the proper age, Jango would begin overseeing their combat training, assisted by both the Kaminoans, as well as Mandalorian mercenaries Fett planned to hire on. For now, though, he had his newborn son to look after. A task that was far more important to him than all the clones being created from his genes.
As he walked through the halls, again he encountered several kaminoans who, like the ones from the other day, stared at him as they passed by the mercenary. However, unlike the previous kaminoans who looked at him with suspicion and distrust, the ones he encountered today appeared confused and puzzled by the Mandalorian's "payment" that he carried in his arms. Jango didn't like it, but he kept to himself, not acknowledging the long-necked cloners. Along with learning about how the Kaminoans' natural distrust of others, Jango had also discovered that the natives were not much for expressing love or compassion, or other forms of emotions, at least genuine ones. He bet that they didn't even breed as most organics' lifeforms did. Probably preferring to use their cloning technology to produce new generations of their species.
But none of that mattered to Jango. He got his son and would continue to hold up his end of the contract, for both Boba and the credits needed to raise him.
Reaching the apartment, Jango took his son into their shared bedroom, placing the newborn in the crib Taun We had provided, right beside his bed. Helmet still on, he gazed down at little Boba, who'd already fallen asleep in his arms upon leaving Nala Se's lab.
It was hard to believe after all the hardship Jango had gone through in life from the loss of his family on Concord Dawn to the death of his mentor Jaster Mereel, to the massacre of his people by the Jedi, then the solitary life he'd lived for years as a mercenary, Jango Fett finally had someone in his life to care for besides himself.
Keeping his eyes fixed on his son, Jango couldn't help thinking back to one of his few friends Rozatta, "Roz" a Toydarian who had been instrumental in motivating him into having a kid in the first place.
"Just find something… something to live for besides the money. You deserve more…"
Those had been some of her last words to him right before she died from injuries caused by an old enemy of his, and it wasn't something Jango would ever forget. It was the reason why he'd taken this cloning job in the first place. Yes, the millions of credits he was being paid just per single year was more than enough to persuade most, but there were other means to acquire such money, ones which fit more into Jango's line of work. No, the main reason, if the only reason he agreed to be the clone template was for the chance of a life he'd lost several times before; and this time he wouldn't let it slip away from him.
True he planned to return to bounty hunting while in between supervising the training of his clones but that wouldn't happen for some time; not right after his son's birth. Boba needed his father, and Jango knew he couldn't be carrying around a baby with him on missions. Yet he also could not leave the boy home alone until he was a bit older. He'd have arranged for a caretaker droid to look after him whenever he wasn't around. And when he was old enough, Jango would take his son with him on missions, teach him everything he knew. He'd become one of the best warriors in the galaxy. Far deadlier than any Jedi, and perhaps even his old man.
He'd also be a bit more cautious when working jobs; going so far as to turn down ones that appeared too risky even for him. Yes, Jango had defied odds before, but that was before he had a child to take care of. He knew that if he died his son would be left an orphan or worse perhaps placed in the care of those emotionless kaminoans who might use him as an experiment or maybe force him into being a part of their clone army. As an orphan and former slave himself, Jango would not allow Boba to live such miserable life as he'd lived. He'd make a better future for Boba, one that his parents and Jaster would approve of.
His thoughts were interrupted all of a sudden when he heard a cooing noise coming from inside Boba's crib as he realized that his infant son was awake, eyes wide as he looked up at his father, tiny arms stretched out towards him.
Jango felt a warm feeling develop inside him, one he hadn't felt in a long time, if ever. Taking off his helmet, Jango smiled at his son while reaching down to pick the infant up and cradle him in his arms
"Hey, Boba. Yes, I gotcha son. Your father's gotcha. And I won't let you down. I promise."
Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year:)
Hope you all enjoyed this one-shot. This contained a bit of both legends material as well as canon material; with Jango's life before taking on the cloning job being legends; while Nala Se being the chief scientist behind the army's creation and her secret lab coming from the canon material.
Got inspired to write this after the first season of the Bad Batch series ended where Nala's lab was shown.
