Kamino – The First Breeding Grounds
Rain lashed endlessly against the translucent walls of Tipoca City. In the training hangars below, rows of newly accelerated clones moved in unison children molded into soldiers.
Jango Fett stood at the edge of the observation deck, his armor gleaming under the sterile light. His helmet hung at his side, but his gaze was sharp, cold.
The Kaminoan Prime Minister, Lama Su, gestured toward the ranks of cadets."The first generation is progressing well. Obedient, disciplined, and loyal. They will be ready within the decade."
Jango folded his arms. "Good. But remember they must be warriors, not puppets. Mandalorian instincts, drilled discipline. They'll fight like no other."
Taun We, ever soft-spoken, tilted her head. "You are an exceptional template. They will inherit your skills… and your defiance."
Jango smirked faintly. "Defiance is survival. Without it, they're nothing."
When the Kaminoans left, Jango opened a secure holocomm. Shepard's image flickered to life, shadows wrapping the Mandalorian leader like a cloak.
"Progress?" Shepard asked.
"Stable batches," Jango replied. "The Kaminoans know their craft. But I keep a close eye too much trust in cloners gets you killed."
"Good. Keep feeding me reports. If the Republic ever comes calling, we'll know exactly what kind of army they're building for themselves."
Jango gave a rare grin. "Or for us."
On Coruscant, far beneath the gleaming spires, the air was heavy with incense and secrecy.
Darth Plagueis the Wise sat cloaked in shadow, his skeletal features illuminated by faint crimson glow. Across from him, his apprentice Senator Palpatine of Naboo, though his true name was Sidious listened with rapt intensity.
"The Mandalorian… leader," Plagueis murmured. "An anomaly in the Force. Neither bound by the dark nor the light. He builds power in secret, reshaping a people long thought broken."
Sidious's lip curled. "He could be useful or an obstacle. The Jedi already sniff at his world, yet cannot decide if he is friend or foe. Their blindness works in our favor."
Plagueis rose, pacing slowly. "The clones are the greater key. On Kamino, our designs take shape. The army of the Republic… conceived in shadows. One day, they will turn from protectors to executioners. When the time comes, they will cull the Jedi like cattle."
Sidious bowed his head slightly, though hunger burned in his eyes. "And Jango Fett, the perfect blade to shape them."
"Yes," Plagueis said. "But remember this, my apprentice the Mandalorians are not pawns so easily bent.
Palpatine's smile was sharp, predatory. "When the galaxy turns to fire, they will either kneel… or burn."
Plagueis's golden eyes narrowed as he whispered: "The future is never fixed. But the storm is coming, and all will be swept into it Mandalore, Jedi, and Sith alike."
Back on Mandalore
In his private lab, Shepard continued running his simulations, charts flickering across the room. Mortality rates dropped slightly, stabilization curves improved, and his notes filled with corrections and refinements.
For the first time, a model survived the transformation process.
Shepard leaned forward, eyes locked on the hologram ."Finally. The prototype lives."
He had no idea that far away, Sith Lords had already marked him as both asset and threat.
The pieces were moving. Quietly, inevitably, the galaxy was being pulled toward war.