I own Ayame. Everything else belongs to their respective owners.
The Prime Minister and his assistant, the female whom they had met before named Taun We, led them to the facilities. Ayame and Obi-Wan were amazed. Everything was at the peak of cloning technology that they had been aware of, and on such a large scale that the facility seemed to go on forever.
"Very impressive," Obi-Wan said when he noticed the Prime Minister looking at them expectantly.
"I'd hoped you would be pleased," he said. "Clones can think creatively. You will find that they're immensely superior to droids." Ayame couldn't help but think back to Obi-Wans comment about droids to Dex, and smiled slightly. "We take great pride in our combat education and training programs. This group was created about five years ago," Lama Su continued, motioning to a group of young men, all identical, sitting before computers. They looked far older than 5 years old, which interested Ayame.
"You mentioned growth acceleration?" she asked.
"Oh yes, it's essential. Otherwise, a mature clone would take a lifetime to grow. Now, we can do it in half the time," he said. Ayame nodded her understanding. She had never taken cloning very seriously, but on this scale, she couldn't help but be interested. "They are totally obedient, taking any order without question. We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host," Lama Su continued as the passed a group of mature clones eating.
"And who was the original host?" Obi-Wan asked as he observed a group going through combat training.
"A bounty hunter called Jango Fett," was the reply. Ayame and Obi-Wan felt their hearts jump. Bounty Hunter?
"And where is this bounty hunter now?" Ayame asked, keeping her voice as calm as possible.
"Oh, we keep him here," Lama Su said lightly. "Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing: an unaltered clone for himself. Curious, isn't it?"
"Unaltered?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Pure genetic replication. No tampering with the structure to make it more docile, and no growth acceleration," Lama Su replied. Ayame thought for a moment, and then it came to her. He wanted a son, she thought. For a brief second, Ayame almost sympathized with him. He probably wasn't married, so he had no way of having children on his own. Whether it was for the desire to have a child, or just to continue his legacy, the reason didn't matter. He wanted a son.
"We would very much like to meet this Jango Fett," Ayame said.
"I would be very happy to arrange it for you," Taun We said. They were led to a balcony that overlooked an enormous staging area. The 200,000 troops that Lama Su had mentioned were standing there in full armor, boarding large carrier ships to be ready to ship out. Ayame and Obi-Wan weren't so sure how they felt about this.
"Magnificent, aren't they?" Lama Su said, stepping up beside Ayame. Ayame smiled and nodded, the smile not reaching her eyes. She looked at Obi-Wan, who looked just as apprehensive. Magnificent, yes, she thought. But this could start the very war we're trying to avoid.
Taun We led Ayame to a small apartment to meet Jango. The door slid open, and a young boy with tan skin and curly brown hair answered.
"Boba, is your father here?" Taun We asked.
"Yep," the boy answered, clearly uncomfortable with the two Jedi standing behind Taun We.
"May we see him?" she asked.
"Sure," he replied, still apprehensive around the two Jedi. They followed him inside the small but cozy apartment. "Dad, Taun We's here!" he called, leading them into a small living area, with windows looking at the endless sea outside.
"Welcome back, Jango. Was your trip productive?" Taun We asked someone behind Ayame and Obi-Wan. They turned around to see a familiar face, but a different man. The cloners really were excellent at their job. The distinct difference was that there were more scars on this mans face.
"Fairly," he replied, regarding the two Jedi standing there. Both bowed to him, polite smiles on their faces.
"This is Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ayame Melma. They've come to check on our progress," Taun We said, motioning to the two.
"Your clones are very impressive. You must be very proud," Obi-Wan said, his tone light and pleasant.
"I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way in the universe," Jango replied.
"Aren't we all?" Obi-Wan commented.
"Ever made your way as far into the interior as Courescant?" Ayame asked, her tone similar to Obi-Wans.
"Once or twice," Jango said.
"Recently?"
"Possibly..." Ayame could tell that he was keeping his answers simple to avoid giving himself away. However, she was sensing enough to tell her what she needed to know. She didn't want to use any tricks in front of Taun We, and especially not in front of the boy, but she wondered if she was going to be forced to.
"Then you must know Master Sifo-Dyas," Obi-Wan said. Jango walked around, and said something to his son in what Ayame recognized as Mandalorian.
"Master who?" he asked.
"Sifo-Dyas," Ayame repeated. "Is he not the Jedi who hired you for this job?" Jango walked closer to her and Obi-Wan, his expression never changing.
"Never heard of him," he said simply.
"Really?" Ayame asked.
"I was recruited by a man called Tyranus on one of the moons of Bogden," Jango replied. He was telling the truth, and both Obi-Wan and Ayame could tell.
"Curious..."Obi-Wan murmured.
"Do you like your army?" Jango asked, probing the Jedi now.
"We look forward to seeing them in action," Ayame said, taking the lead.
"They'll do their job well," Jango said. "I'll guarantee that," he added, keeping his gaze level with Ayame. She could tell that he knew more, and that this was the bounty hunter they were looking for. She wanted nothing more than to lay him low with a swift punch to the face and drag him in for questioning. However, she could sense the boy watching them closely, so she restrained herself.
"Thank you for your time, Jango," Obi-Wan said, bowing and giving Ayame the cue to leave.
"Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi," Jango replied, inclining his head slightly. Taun We followed the two Jedi out, Ayame keeping her composure the whole time. They still had to remain diplomatic, but both were certain: Jango Fett was the man they needed to bring in. They were now one step closer to their goal.
