Chapter 13: Changing of the Guard

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 27 – Location: Kamino

“To this day I can’t understand what motivated our creators to rise up agianst us. Had they gone mad? Had we failed them in some way? In the end it really didn’t matter. The Kaminoans had to be stopped, and their army of treacherous gene cousins destroyed. The first few kills were the hardest. After all, it’s hard not to get a little spooked when the enemy screams with your voice. We shook it off and did our job. Most of the troopers never knew about Kamino. Like a lot of things in the Empire, it never really happened.”

The Slave 1 and the two Imperial Shuttles enter Kamino’s atmosphere. Upon entering, the windows were already blasted by heavy rain falling down on them. The sound of thunder can be heard around them. The skies were still completely dark and full of rain clouds.

The men of the 501st have seen this rain many times during their first years on Kamino. To them it was always dark, always cold, always wet. Kamino did have day cycles and the rain does stop. But that was always a rare occurrence, as the planets nights are way longer than its days.

The members of Orion Squad were all inside the Slave 1, looking out the window. It had been twenty years since they’ve first left Kamino. They had always hoped they’d return one day. But not like this. They returned only to kill their creators and their army of evil Clone Cousins.

They all sat in silence, thinking to themselves about what was about to happen once they landed. Deep down they didn’t want to kill the creatures that raised and trained them, nor did they want to kill their own brothers. But for the sake of the Empire and the galaxy, it had to be done.

“Wow. Amazing isn’t it?”

X-Ray was the first to speak up and break the silence. The others all glanced round at him, wondering what he was talking about.

“What? The Rain?” Thunder asked.

“Yes.” X-Ray answered without a second thought. “I mean this may sound strange but. I think each rain drop is unique. There’s no two raindrops that are exactly the same.”

“That’s snowflakes, X-Ray.” Apex corrected him.

“Snowflakes are technically raindrops frozen into ice crystals.” X-Ray countered with a quick comeback. “If you think about it though, it feels as if each raindrop has a life of its own. And its own journey to go on. It’s as if each one has its own destiny and purpose.” He pauses briefly to look at his brothers. “Like we do.”

The others were confused by X-Ray’s philosophy talk. Talking as if the rain represented the Clone Army as a whole. Some end up joining the ocean that is the Empire, while the others hit the ground and die… Maybe in some weird way, they are kinda similar.

“X-Ray.” Ghost spoke up interrupting him. “We’re Clones in the Imperial Army. We’re all here for the same reasons. To serve and fight and die.”

“Do you really believe that’s all we’re here for? That’s all there is to it?” X-Ray asked.

Ghost didn’t know how to respond to that. There is some truth in what he said, but it was like he told them before when they discovered the Inhibiter Chips. They have nowhere else to go, they have nothing left to do except fight for the Empire.

Being a soldier is all they knew, and it’s not easy to give that up. Ghost is determined to keep his promise to Fang, and he would never give up on the 501st, even if it cost him freedom.

“Don’t forget X-Ray.” Daxter then spoke up suddenly drawing their attention to him. “You chose to continue fighting for the Empire. You said you wanted to prove yourself to us and the Empire that you are strong. Did you really mean all that, or were you just making stuff up?”

“Of course I meant it, every word.” He paused for a moment to think up an excuse. “It’s just that… I wish things were easier for us, that’s all.”

“Believe me brother, we all wish that.”

The clones all turn around and were surprised to see Boba Fett climbing down the ladder to greet them.

“Boba? Shouldn’t you be focusing on flying the ship?” Boomstick asked.

“I set it to auto pilot. We’re almost there anyway. I came down to discuss the plan with you lot. I couldn’t help but overhear your little talk.”

“Really? How much did you hear?” X-Ray asked.

“All of it. Mostly what you said about wishing things were better… I sometimes wish the same thing.” Boba admitted.

“You Boba? Never took you for the hopeful type.” Ghost spoke up.

Boba took a moment before he could start talking again. What he was about to talk about he never shared with anyone. But for some reason, he’s grown to trust Orion Squad. He sees a lot of himself in them (And not because they are all clones of his father) He sees them as special copies of Jango, like himself. Had he had any true brothers, they’d probably be like them.

“My father had the Kaminoans create me so that I could continue on his legacy as a Mandalorian warrior and Bounty Hunter. And now that I’ve inherited his armour, his ship, his legacy… I feel unprepared. Like I’m not good enough to carry the weight of that responsibility on my shoulders.”

Boba then begins to have a flashback back to his father’s younger days. Jango held back no details about his past to him, believing that in order to properly succeed him, he must know everything about who he was.

A young Jango Fett was born on the agricultural world of Concord Dawn. Where he spent most of his childhood helping his parent harvesting crops to sell at local markets.

Until one day, the village they lived in was attacked by a group of Mandalorians, who were currently fighting with another group of Mandalorians. Jango and his family just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“My father was caught in the middle of two Mandalorian factions at war with each other. One of them were known as the True Mandalorians, who were fighting to protect the innocent, while the other were a splinter group of terrorist known as Death Watch.”

Jango and his parents were then captured by the leader of Death Watch, Tor Vizsla. (A distant relative of Pre Vizsla) He then watched in horror as Tor ignited the Darksaber -since he was the wielder of it at the time – and murdered his parent right in front of them.

Before Vizsla could finish off Jango, he and his men were ambushed by the True Mandalorians, forcing them to retreat.

The leader of the True Mandalorians approached Jango and offered him his hand. Seeing great potential in the boy, he took Jango under his wing and rescued him from the burning village.

“My father was taken into the True Mandalorians by their leader. His name was Jaster Mereel. He had him take the creed, and over time my father was reborn a Mandalorian Warrior.”

As the years passed, Jango went through years of intense training under Jaster, crafting Jango into one of the most skilled warriors of his era. He even manages to earn the title of squad commander when he was only fourteen years old.

Jango was then sent on his very first mission in the field. At first the mission was a success as all they needed to do was liberate another village from pirates.

However, it was revealed that Death Watch had resurfaced after years of hiding, sending the pirates to distract them so that they could target their main forces.

Tor Vizsla approached Jaster in a tank and readied a minigun in hopes of killing his former ally. Jaster ordered his second in command, Montross, to help him as he was injured from the blaster fire. However, Montross chose to abandon him and left him for dead. Watching in satisfaction as Vizsla blaster him with the minigun.

“Following the battle of Concord Six, Jaster was killed by the resurfaced Tor Vizsla. His command of the True Mandalorians falling to my father, after ousting Jasters second in command, Montross, as a conspirator to his death.”

Jango Fett attempted to kill Tor Vizsla for revenge for killing his mentor. But he was thwarted by a unit of Jedi led by much younger Jedi Master, Count Dooku (Long before he defected to the Dark Side.)

During the battle, Jango was able to kill seven Jedi with his bare hands. Though he was no match for Dooku and his more skilled knights.

“Not being a match for the Jedi’s superior numbers. My father was sold into slavery by the planet Galidrans governor. Though he was able to escape during an attack by pirates.”

Jango then acquires a brand new set of advanced Mandalorian armour which is the blue and silver armour he’s known for. And with his new armour, Jango hunted down and brutally murdered Tor Vizsla with his own Darksaber, dismantling Death Watch in the process.

Though he chooses not to keep the Darksaber as he couldn’t stomach the thought of using a weapon that was used to kill his parents.

Jango then left Galidran and decided to continue his work as a Bounty Hunter.

The members of Orion Squad were actually paying close attention to Boba as he told his father’s backstory. They were amazed by the feats Jango has accomplished in his prime.

He was able to kill seven Jedi with only his bare hands. They now understand why he was the perfect candidate chosen to act as the template for the Clone Army. It also explains how they are so skilled at killing Jedi.

Ghost then crossed Jango’s story with Sigans. He remembers Sigan mentioning the name Death Watch before. Even though Jango murdered Tor Vizsla, one of his descendants decided to reorganise the group under his rule. And at some point, he found the Darksaber and became its new wielder.

Darth Maul then must’ve killed him and claimed the Darksaber for himself, which is what led to the siege of Mandalore.

Ghost and the others can’t help but feel bad for Boba. He definitely had a lot to live up to. As far as they can tell, his journey as a Bounty Hunter and a Mandalorian was only just beginning.

Maybe this mission to stop the Kaminoans will give him the push forward he needed as well as they also needed.

Before Boba could dive deeper into this story, the ship suddenly shook as it hit the ground hard, implying that they have finally landed. They all look out the window and were suddenly hit with the sensation of homesickness.

Under different circumstances it would’ve been good to be home again. But their orders were to destroy it and kill their creators.

Boba Fett, Orion Squad, and the men of the 501st exit their ships and step onto the drenched platform. Though they can’t feel the rain dropping down on them, they can see that their armours have been drenched almost immediately. Reminding them of one of the good reasons they couldn’t wait to leave after completing their training.

As usual, Admiral Sigan called in through their helmets and began the briefing of their next mission. “The surviving clones from the gunship will have already alerted the Kaminoans to our presence, so I’ll make this quick. The evil Clones will be throwing everything they got at you, so you must do everything you can to keep them occupied. Boba Fett has been chosen to lead Orion Squad into the Kamino cloning centre. His familiarity with the centres layout and access codes should give us they element of surprise. I will give you further instructions once you’ve made your way inside. That’s all for now.”

As the briefing ended, the 501st legion was immediately attacked by a squad of evil Clones. These ones were wearing different armour compared to the ones they wore during the Clone Wars. It was bulkier than the usual look, they all had backpacks similar to the one Daxter had in the Clone Wars, and all their helmets had glowing blue vizors.

The clones were also armed with miniguns, just like the one Fang used. They all open fire at them, forcing them into cover.

“I recognise those armour designs. They’re Clone Commandos.” Ghost pointed out.

Ghost was honestly not expecting this turn of events. Among the many clone types withing the Grand Army of the Republic, Clone Commandos were among the strongest of them all. They went through really intense training from such a young age, similar to the training Jango went through as a Mandalorian (From what Boba told him) But not all Clones were cut out to be Commandos, so only very few of them had been distributed in the Clone Wars.

“Commandos? You mean like Delta Squad?” Thunder asked.

“Exactly.” Ghost nodded. “In the Clone Wars very few of us Clones were skilled enough to be made Republic Commando’s… I was given the chance to become a Commando and join the Delta Squad, but I turned it down so that I could be with you guys.”

“But Delta Squad only had five Commando’s.” Daxter pointed out. He then begun listing each of them on his fingers, counting them all. “There was Boss, Fixer, Scorch, Sev, and their leader, Commander Gregor. No more Commandos were needed after that.”

“Well obviously they made more just so they’d have a chance against us.” Apex pointed out.

“Push forward!” Boba ordered the men. “Them being Commando’s doesn’t change anything. We continue on with the mission, do not retreat!”

The 501st clones all get out of cover and return fire, taking out some of the Commando’s in the process. They all then begun their assault on the facility. Only to be met by a whole battalion of Commandos.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Boomstick complained. “They’re ALL Commandos!”

Suddenly as Orion Squad were closing in on the facility, they were ambushed by a group of Commandos. These ones were different from the ones they fought from a distance, as they all flew in on jetpacks.

The moment the landed they instantly pulled out their blasters and opened fire on them. The members of Orion Squad bring up their force fields to block the incoming blaster fire. That didn’t stop the Commandos from improvising though, as they decided to get up close and personal and literally punch them through their shields.

Each member fought against one of the Commando’s. Ghost attempted to use hand to hand combat on the one he fought. But he was shocked to see that the Clone was able to match his moves and strike back just as fast.

“These clones. They’re nothing like us. They’re fighting with the strength and skills of Orion Squad. It’s as if I’m fighting myself.” Ghost thought to himself.

The Commando Clone then managed to overpower Ghost and roundhouse kicked him across the head, knocking him over. He then unsheathed a hidden vibro blade in his right gauntlet and attempted to stab him.

Ghost however catches his fist and literally punches him in the face with his own caught fist, knocking his helmet off.

The clone Commando looked back at Ghost with an emotionless look on his face. Ghost can’t help but feel a little creeped out by the look he was giving him, especially as he was trying to kill him again.

“What’s wrong with this clone? He looks like a zombie. What have our creators done to you?!”

Before the clone had another chance to strike him down, he and all the other Commandos were suddenly taken out by a bunch of miniature missiles coming from Boba Fett’s knee cap.

The members of Orion Squad felt really uncomfortable upon hearing the clones screaming in agony as they were getting blown up by the missiles. It really felt unnerving hearing them dying with their own voices. They’ve seen clones die before, but never like that, and never by their own hands.

They all caught their breath and got back up. Ghost then began examining one of the dead clone commandos. They did indeed look like them on the outside, but they could tell that they have been altered inside. Fighting Droids for two years they know what a lifeless machine looks like, and they saw that look in these clones. It’s almost like they’re droids in human skin.

“I don’t know what’s going on. But these guys are no ordinary clones. They were able to match our fighting skills perfectly, anticipate our moves before we even make them.” Daxter spoke up being the first to point out what they’re all thinking. “Just what are we up against here?”

“Our creators must’ve genetically altered them to be the literal perfect soldiers to combat the 501st, knowing we’d be the ones to try and stop them.” Ghost theorised.

“But that’s so…inhuman.” X-Ray stated. “What made us stand out from the Droids was our humanity. Us having our own personalities and unique skills. Bur these clones… They acted more like droids then proper clones.”

“Probably the cost of creating an army of advanced Clone Commandos. They desperately needed an army to fight the Empire, now they got one.” Thunder spoke up.

“Well this stops today!” Ghost shouted. He then begins clenching his fists, furious with how the Kaminoans treated these clones. Even though they were his enemies, they were still his brothers, and he won’t stand for this.

“Let’s go.” Boba interrupted. “You wanna free them, we gotta get inside the facility and get to the place that started it all… The Cloning Labs.”

Boba Fett and Orion Squad reach the entrance to the cloning facility. The rest of the 501st were preoccupied with keeping the evil clone commandos at bay, preventing any of them from escaping the planet.

“I’ll get us past the security doors, you keep an eye out for any of those rouge clones.” Boba instructed them.

The members of Orion Squad surround Boba, forming a circle of defence while he hacks into the security panel.

Boba removes his helmet and looks into the panels scanner. Hopefully the security system still has him registered for full complete access of the facility. The last thing they need is the alarms going off, alerting all the commandos of their position.

Luckily that wasn’t thew case, as the green light flickered and the doors opened for them. Boba then signals Orion Squad to follow him inside while still keeping their guard up.

The inside of the cloning facility was exactly how the members of Orion Squad remembered it. Everywhere they look there were clean white walls, floors, and ceilings. It’s as if nothing has changed over the past twenty years.

The only big difference being how empty the halls were. They remember them always being occupied by Kaminoans and Clones roaming up and down them.

They know for the fact that the Kaminoans are still here as they destroyed the Liberator, serving as their only means of escape. They can throw all the Commandos they want at them, but there no way in hell they’ll be able to escape.

As usual Ghost and the others receive another call from Admiral Sigan, giving them their new objective now that they’re inside the cloning facility.

“Good job on holding it together for this long, troopers. I can understand how difficult this must be for you. But it’s too late to turn back now. Listen closely. Before we begin the attack, the Empire wants us to collect some DNA samples from your evil brothers. Hopefully we can find out what the Kaminoans have been doing to them.”

“Understood Admiral.” Ghost replied before hanging up.

“Cloning labs this way, let’s go.” Boba instructed, leading them down a couple more hallways.

On the way to the cloning labs they did encounter a couple Clone Commandos, but they were able to make quick work of them.

The first few kills they made were hard, but they were able to keep it together this time around. Considering what they saw in these clones eyes during the first fight with them, they were already dead, on the inside. On a slightly positive note, they doing them a favour by killing them. Death should be more merciful then having them live as a bunch of mind controlled zombies.

“They’ll pay for this!”

Ghost and some of the others look back at Thunder who spoke up as they were running down the hallways.

“Turning against us is one thing. But to create a new batch of clones with no freedom, no personality, no mind of their own! That makes them no better than droids!” Thunder said angrily.

“I agree.” Daxter spoke up next. “This is the most disgusting, heartless thing they could ever do. And they need to be punished for it!”

Ghost was surprised. He did not expect Daxter to be the one to say that. He normally would expect something like that from Apex or Boomstick since they’re the hot-headed ones, but from Daxter? No doubt he agrees that they need to be punished for their crimes. But they have to keep their emotions under control… It’s a good thing Fang is dead. Who knows what he would’ve said.

At last they have arrived at the cloning labs. However this one was different to the massive open one that the majority of the clones were born in. This one was smaller and only contained a couple of growth pods.

In the back of the room was a massive computer with rows of databanks around it. There was also a huge ray shielded storage vault that contained shelves of test tubes, which they can assume are the clone DNA samples.

Ghost would’ve just dismissed it as some random lab. But there was something… familiar about this place. It was a sense of Deja-vu, like he’s been here before… a long, long time ago.

“What is this place?” Apex spoke up, breaking the silence.

“This looks like every other cloning lab to me.” Boomstick stated.

“Not exactly.”

They all turn around and face Boba as he was examining one of the pods. He places his hand on it, stroking the glass left and right.

“I don’t get it. What’s so special about this lab?” Apex asked.

“This is where I was created.” Boba told them without glancing around.

The members of Orion Squad were slightly shocked by this. They knew that Jango was very first clone ever made here, but they had no idea it was in this very lab.

“Strangely enough, I can remember the day I first opened my eyes in this pod.” Boba continued. “My father was standing right where I’m standing now. He had a look in his eye, one that I only ever saw twice in my life. This, and the day I completed my Mandalorian training.”

“You too?” Ghost spoke up. “I can remember the day I opened my eyes too. The first face I saw was Tuan-We. She told me that I was destined for greatness, that I’d be far superior to my more common brothers. That I-

Suddenly realisation kicked in as Ghost was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. He quickly turns to his brothers, sharing what he just discovered. “This is the lab we were all created in. Us, Boba and Fang!”

The rest of the clones were shocked by this news. They all turn to Boba confirming if this was true, to which Boba nodded.

“Ghost, you might wanna take a look at this.” Daxter shouted over to him from the computer.

Ghost and the others all approach the computer. The screen showed a file named “Project SEC” written in big fonts.

“Project SEC?” X-Ray questioned. “What does that mean?”

Boba then stepped forward towards the console. “SEC is an acronym. It stands for Super Enhanced Clones. It was part of an experiment the Kaminoans performed on Clones with first generation DNA. My DNA.”

Boba then clicks on a different file that read “SEC Prototypes” And what came up surprised he members of Orion Squad even further. The protypes for Project SEC were the members of Clone Force 99, aka the Bad Batch.

“Clone Force 99!” Ghost said out loud. You mean to tell me that we are the spiritual successors of them!?”

They then began to read through the description of Clone Force 99, describing their mutations and genetic enhancements.

It read. “Clone Force 99 were created as a test to see if certain elements can be combined with our cloning technology, as part of Lord Tyrannus’s order to clone force users. The first tests were complete failures, and each clone ended up a deformed abomination before dying. The only survivor being CT0099, who we decided to keep around as a janitor. Clone Force 99 are the first batch of successful genetically enhanced clones. The experiment was not a complete success however as they started to develop mutations. Of the four of them, CT9902 and CT9903 showed the most signs of mutation. CT9902, aka “Wrecker” has increased muscle mass, making him more physically stronger then all clones, but has lost some of his intelligence as a result, making him an almost mindless brute. CT9903 aka “Tech” however has increased in intelligence, to the point his mind has become a living super computer. But the downside being he has grown weaker physically. Only CT9901 “Hunter” and CT9904 “Crosshair” remain the same, but have mutated appearance wise. We will learn from these mutations and try again for the next batch of enhanced clones.”

“So… Clone Force 99 are prototypes of us” Thunder spoke up after they all finished reading that.

“But that would mean that we’re also genetically enhanced. And whatever it was they failed with them, they got it right with us.” Daxter added.

Boba was still scrolling through the Bad Batches profiles until something that surprised him caught his eye. He quickly clicked off their profile and clicked on another file that said “Omega” on it.

Upon clicking another clone profile popped up. This one was different though. Instead of a Jango Fett clone, the image showed an image of a young blonde haired girl. She looked around the same age Boba was during Attack of the Clones.

“Who’s that girl?” Boomstick asked.

“Quiet! I’m trying to read.” Boba almost shouted, shutting him up.

As soon as they’ve quieted down, Boba began reading the girls profile. “The first clone ever created here was Boba Fett, codenamed Alpha. As part of Jango Fett’s deal to be cloned, he desired an unmodified clone for himself to raise as his son. However, after the unfortunate passing of Jango, we were forced to take extreme measures in order to keep creating more clones. The plan was to have Boba take his father’s place as the new genetic template, as we were running low on Jango’s gene samples. But at the start of the Clone Wars he vanished. To fix this problem we created a second unaltered clone to act as the template. We used the last of Jango Fett’s pure DNA to ensure stability. Results were the creation of the first female Jango Fett clone, codenamed Omega, a fitting name for the sibling of the Alpha.”

Boba was shocked by this discovery. He had a sister?! How long have they been keeping this secret from him? Did Jango know before his death? And where is she now? There were so many questions going through his head right now, that he came very close to shouting from the top of his lungs.

The members of Orion Squad took notice of Boba’s distress. Probably the first time ever that they’ve seen him act like this. They then began reading through Omega’s profile also, and can immediately understand why he acted the way he did.

“Fett has a sister!” Apex said out loud, shocked by this also.

Ghost then suddenly remember far back to his training days, that he once theorised if there was an Omega as well as Alpha clone. He was shocked to know that he was actually right all along. But if there is an Omega Clone, where is she now? The only theory he could come up with is that she was taken by Clone Force 99 when they defected from the Empire during Order 66. He heard rumours that they disobeyed the order and even managed to remove their inhibiter chips. If Omega is with them, that means she along with the Bad Batch are now enemies of the Empire.

They then notice that Boba was leaving the lab.

“Fett, where are you going?” Ghost asked him.

Boba raised his rifle up before turning to Ghost. “I’m going to be paying the prime minister a visit. Finish the mission here and help the others, I’ve got some unfinished business.” He ordered before leaving the lab.

“Right, we gotta get into that vault and steal the DNA samples for the Empire. Daxter, see if you can get that ray shield down.” Ghost instructed.

Daxter nodded and used his backpacks rotating droid arm to try and take down the ray shield.

While Ghost waited, he decided to continue looking into Omega’s file. Maybe it will contain information relating to their own creation.

“Why Omega is female we still don’t know. Our head scientist Nala-Se believes this to be a side effect of the earlier experiment Tyrannus instructed us to do before the appearance of Jango Fett. Before Jango Fett, we attempted to clone Tyrannus’s fallen Jedi apprentice, Komari Vosa. But considering our attempts to clone force users proved a complete failure, we decided to focus on the creation of the Fett clones… Though we discontinued all Vosa clones, we did keep her DNA samples in case it ever became useful. And with the new batch of clones we’ve created, I’d say we succeeded, with the clones known as Orion Squad.”

Ghost was once again surprised by what he read. “So before Jango Fett, they attempted to clone Jedi? We all now know that this Tyrannus’s true identity is Count Dooku. Darth Tyrannus was his Sith name. But why try and clone a Jedi if it’s impossible?” He thought to himself.

He then quickly searched through the computer files until he manages to come across the files for Orion Squad. He clicked on it and profiles for all seven members of Orion Squad appeared on the screen. They were all arranged by their numbers, Fang being the first and Ghost himself being last. Underneath their profiles were more descriptions for each of them, listing their greatest strengths and weaknesses. And above their profiles was a description for the team as a whole. Ghost thought it best to start from there and work his way down.

Daxter however interrupted him by finally shutting down the ray shield

“Hold on, Dax. I think I found our profiles in the system.” Ghost announced to his brothers.

He began carefully reading the description for them, making sure not to miss even a single detail.

“From what we were able to accomplish with Clone Force 99, we decided to move onto the next stage of Project SEC. We began making a new batch of special clones. Clones that contained the same properties as Clone Force 99, but have been enhanced by Komari Vosa’s DNA. We did it. We have finally succeeded in creating the first of hopefully many, force sensitive Clones.

Ghost was more shocked than ever upon reading that last part, that he was forced to take a couple steps back.

“No! It can’t be! That’s impossible!” He shouted.

“What’s wrong Ghost?” Daxter asked him.

“We were…” Ghost couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence. He needed a moment to process what he’d just learned. As soon as he calmed down he continued.

“We were cloned from two individuals. Jango Fett… And this Jedi, Komari Vosa! Each and every one of us are force sensitive, like the Jedi… That’s why the Empire couldn’t afford to lose us. We’re the only clones within the whole army that possess the same powers of a Jedi.”

The rest of Orion Squad were all shocked by this as much as Ghost was. During Order 66 they’ve killed countless Jedi, and now they learn that they’re partial Jedi! No, they wouldn’t believe it – even if the evidence was right in front of them – They are nothing like the Jedi. They don’t have any telekinetic powers. They can’t shoot lighting out of their fingertips. And they can’t block blaster bolts with their palms. There’s no way in hell that they’re Jedi. They can’t be.

“It all makes sense now.” X-Ray spoke up, drawing all attention to him. “During the Clone Wars we’ve been able to tackle obstacles that no ordinary Clone could ever overcome. Taking on a Bull Rancor, a Super Tri-Droid, Kraken who was trained by Grievous himself, and then recently a Ultra Battle Droid. We should’ve been killed by all of those big threats, but instead, we came out on top every time.”

“X-Ray’s got a point.” Boomstick added. “It also explains why your so skilled with a lightsaber, Ghost.”

Ghost needed a moment to process all this. He always wondered why he and his brothers were so different from the others. He knew there had to be some reason, but he never would’ve anticipated all this time that they were enhanced with the force while being made. He then clenches his fists, angry at the thought that their creators knew this whole time, and they never bothered to tell them. Just what was the endgame here? What were they trying to accomplish by making force sensitive clones.

“Look, there’s a list of abilities each one of us possess as force sensitive clones.” Thunder pointed out.

Thunder decided to look over each and every one of their profiles, finding out just what enhancements the Kaminoans made to them. He started with Fangs profile first and made his way down.

“CT4151 aka Fang.” Thunder began reading aloud so they all could here. “The first successful force sensitive clone. Although he had not displayed any force abilities the Jedi possess, he has shown a great increase in intelligence and is able to plan strategies faster than the average clone. His great analytics should prove quite useful to the Grand Army of the Republic.”

He then moves over to X-Ray’s profile. “CT4152 aka X-Ray. Another failed attempt to create a fully force sensitive clone. However, the force has enhanced his white blood cells to greater levels. By channelling the force into bacta liquid, he is able to greatly enhance its healing capabilities. A fatal wound one a clone that takes hours for bacta to heal, heals with his help in only minutes. His healing properties will save many lives during the war.”

Next was Daxter. “CT4153 aka Daxter. Like Tech, he has shown a great increase in intelligence. As an infant he was able to repair one of our gonk droids. Truly an incredible feat, probably a result of the force flowing through his brain signals. At this point we’re not 100% certain. He too is not a complete success, but his skills will be of use when it comes to damages Republic equipment that needs repairing in dire circumstances.”

Next up was his own profile. Thunder couldn’t wait to see what his unique abilities are. “CT4154 aka Thunder – That’s me – Has developed an increase in speed. His legs are his strongest points, as he has shown that he is able to jump at greater heights and distances than the average clone. The best Trooper type for him would undoubtably be the Jet Trooper class. Still no luck creating a fully force sensitive clone, but we’ll keep trying until we get it right.”

The next profile was Apex’s. “CT4155 aka Apex. His enhancements is like a combination of Hunter and Crosshair. He has developed Hunters sharpened reflexes and Crosshairs keen eye in marksmanship. Both abilities combined have allowed Apex to excel in long distance firefights, making him the perfect Clone Sharpshooter. This is the closest we’ve gotten to a fully force sensitive clone, but it’s still not good enough.”

“Alright, now it’s my turn!” Boomstick shouted excitedly as Thunder moved onto his profile next.

“CT4156 aka Boomstick. His enhancements are similar to Wreckers, but all his increased strength comes from within rather than outwards like Wrecker. His increase in arm strength has made him the strongest of the 415 series, physically anyway. After how far we’ve come with Apex, It feels as if Boomstick has become a step down. But I know we’re so close. Maybe this next clone we make will be the one.”

“A step down!” Boomstick complained, annoyed by what they put.

Ghost who was listening to the whole thing decided to actually look this time as Thunder was now about to read his profile. Did the Kaminoans finally succeed with him in the end? Is that why there were no more clones in Project SEC after him? Only one way to find out.

“CT4157 aka Ghost. The last of the Project SEC Clones we’ve created. At last, we have succeeded in creating the perfect force sensitive Clone Trooper. Though he is still incapable of actually wielding the force, his enhancements have made him the closest we can get to one. He has obtained the traits of the previous six clones before him, as well as gained a special ability of his own. The ability to read an opponent’s move and counter them just as fast as a Droid would. He is also the most skilled in terms of melee combat. After examining him fight with a staff, we can conclude that the force enhancements allow him to fight at a Jedi’s level. We finally did it. We have created the perfect Super Enhanced Clone. All that remains for is, it to take his DNA sample and use them to create more force sensitive clones like him. With an army of these Clones under our control, we’ll be able to overthrow the Empire and become the most powerful planet in the galaxy.”

After finishing their profiles, the members of Orion Squad all looked back at Ghost in surprise. Ghost was just as shocked as they were. Is that what these Commandos were? A bunch of clones of Ghost? It would explain how the one he fought before could equally match him in skill.

“Ghost? Are you ok?” Daxter asked him.

“We understand if you’re still shaken up by this. Hell we all are.” Apex added.

They then notice that the vizor on Ghost’s helmet changed from blue to red. They’ve been around his new Purge Trooper armour long enough to know what that means. “Daxter.”

“Yes Ghost?” Daxter answered hesitantly.

“You grab the DNA samples we were asked to retrieve and bring them back to the shuttles. Boomstick, go with him.” Ghost ordered.

“Ok sir, but which samples should we take?” Boomstick asked.

“All of them!” Ghost said back angrily. He then decided to exit the lab as well.

“Where are you going now?” X-Ray asked.

“I’m gonna go see an old friend.” He told them, glancing around briefly. “I wanna hear their side of this story.”

And with that said he took his leave. Daxter then followed his ordered and begun rummaging through the shelves, grabbing as many Project SEC DNA samples as possible he could fit into his backpack. Hopefully this will be the last they hear of Project SEC.

Ghost raced through the facility killing any clones commandos that crossed his path. He was too focused on what he set out to do to care how he feels about killing anymore clones. He needed to know if the whole truth behind it all. Why is Project SEC a thing? Why were the Kaminoans trying to clone Jedi before getting involved with Jango Fett? Those were just some of the many questions he had for his creators once he found where they were hiding.

He finally makes it to the main lab where the majority of the Kaminoans worked during the Clone Wars. If this someone he was looking for was hiding anywhere, it had to be here.

He then sees a random Kaminoan in the distance panic upon seeing him. With him were three Clone Commando’s.

“Kill him!” The Kaminoan ordered the commandos.

The Commando’s all charged for Ghost, all of them armed with electric batons. Ghost ignites his lightsaber and clashes with his evil cousins. The Three commando’s at first proved to be too much for the Purge Trooper, but he wasn’t gonna give up. Not until he got some real answers.

Holding all of them back with his lightsaber, Ghost uses his free hand to pull out his blaster pistol and blast the two of the three clones without hesitation. He then finishes of the third by beheading him with his lightsaber.

He then turns attention to the Kaminoan who attempted to make a run for it. Ghost stops him by firing his pistol at him, taking out his legs so he wouldn’t be able to escape.

The Kaminoan attempted to crawl away but Ghost reached him with little effort. He didn’t even need to run, he just walked up to the tall slender alien. He then grabbed the Kaminoan by its long slender neck and brought him up to his eye level.

“Where is Taun-We?” He asked. The Kaminoan refused to talk at first, which led to him tightening his grip around his neck, choking him. “Tell me!”

“Why should I?” The Kaminoan choked. “You’re just gonna kill me anyway.”

“Because I can make it quick and easy for you. Or I can make it much, MUCH worse!” Ghost threatened as he once again tightened his grip.

“Ok, ok! Please just stop!” The Kaminoan begged him.

“Then talk!” Ghost ordered.

The Kaminoan struggled to properly form words with how hard he was being choked, but he manages to get out his words, though barely. Tuan-We… Is in… The Life Support Centre!”

Now that he got the information he needed, Ghost tossed the Kaminoan aside and decided to move on. The Kaminoan was surprised that he was letting him go.

“Wait, your sparing me?” He asked him.

“You weren’t involved in Project SEC. I have no reason to kill you personally. Though I can’t say the same for my men once they storm the place.”

Ghost then continued onwards, leaving the Kaminoan wounded on the floor. With both his legs shot, he had no means of escaping. All he could do was just sit there and wait for more Storm Troopers to arrive and finish him off.

Daxter and Boomstick quickly make their way back to the landing platform where the Slave 1 and the two shuttles were. The sooner they get those DNA samples safely aboard, the sooner they can leave Kamino.

They both fought hard against the evil clone commandos. Blasting away at them with their shotgun and rockets. Boomstick then decided to his rocket launcher as a melee weapon and smack the clones across the head, knocking them over the railings and falling into the ocean bellow. And with his free hand, he was able to grab another clone by the throat and actually throw them across the outside platforms

“Whoa. That computer wasn’t lying about super strength in my arms.”

“Focus Boomstick. The landing platforms straight ahead, we can’t drop our guard now.” Daxter warned him.

Fortunately for them, they were able to reach the shuttles with little resistance. These clones probably didn’t know that they stole the Project SEC samples. They were all busy fighting the 501st. Now Daxter can’t help but wonder how each and every one of them are feeling about killing their own kind.

He was then snapped out of his train of thought by Boomstick who shook him by the shoulders. “And you say I need to keep my guard up. You’re the one who’s not focusing.”

“Uh right, sorry. Help me load these samples into the ship.” He instructed him.

Boomstick nods and takes some of the samples out of the backpack and helps Daxter carry them into the shuttle. They lock them in a secret hole under the floor panels. That should be a safe place for them until they get back to the Conqueror.

Daxter then calls Admiral Sigan through his helmet. “Admiral, this is Daxter. Boomstick and I have secured the DNA samples.”

“Excellent work.” He replied. “Where’s the rest of your squad?”

“Ghost’s run off somewhere, and the others are still inside, keeping the Commando’s out.” Boomstick told him.

“I see.” He pauses for a moment deciding what to do next. “You two guard the ship until the mission is done. I have another task for the rest of your squad.”

Ghost continued to fight his way through the facility, determined to find Tuan-We and give him the whole truth. But he was interrupted once again. Not by Clone Commando’s, but by Admiral Sigan. Ghost was in no mood to talk to him, but he knew he couldn’t ignore him of he has a task for him to complete.

“Yes Admiral?” Ghost answered.

“I just heard from your engineer that you ran off on your own. Care to explain yourself.”

“Sorry sir. But there’s something I need to know from my creators. Whatever it is you want me to do, Thunder, Apex and X-Ray can handle it.” Ghost told him.

“Listen Commander.” Sigan said with authority on his voice, causing Ghost to slightly flinch. “We need you to destroy the facility’s life support systems, keeping the clones alive. Or else the Kaminoans will just create a new batch of treacherous Anti Troopers.”

Now that was an order that works well with what Ghost wanted to do. He was heading to the Life Support Centre anyway since that’s where Tuan-We currently was. He can kill two birds with one stone.

“Very well, Admiral. I’ll make sure they’re destroyed at once.” Ghost complied with the order before hanging up.

He continues on for a while until he finally reaches the Life Support Centre. It was a huge circular room with five consoles that controlled the entire facility’s cloning machines. If he destroys them, every single clone in the facility will die, including the infant clones still in the pods hooked up to it.

Ghost didn’t want to do this even though he had no choice. Deep down he knows that he’ll be responsible for the deaths of thousands of infant clones. Killing Jedi Younglings was hard enough for him, but this… This was probably the most heinous act for any Clone like him.

Ghost took a deep breath and approached one of the consoles. He begins placing a couple detpacks on each one of them, and backs away after. Clutching the detonator in his hand, Ghost takes a moment before he could muster the strength to push the button.

“Stop CT4157!”

Ghost quickly turns around and points his rifle at whoever said that. Upon first glance he knew immediately that the one calling him out was Tuan-We, the Kaminoan he’d been looking for.

“You can tell it’s me?” Ghost questioned.

“You may all look and sound the same. But to me I can recognise even the smallest of differences that makes you stand out from your brothers.” She replied.

“How could you, Tuan-We!” Ghost raised his voice to her. “Why would you and your kind betray us?!”

“It was not we who betrayed you. It is you who have betrayed us.” She replied in her normal soothing tone. Kaminoans for some reason could never raise their voices, even if they had a reason for it. Ghost always wondered why that is.

“We had a purpose during the Clone Wars. The galaxy needed our cloning technology more than anything. They needed an army to fight for the Republic, and we gave them what they wanted… But then the Empire appeared. Palpatine sent Imperials to monitor us. At first we were fine with joining the Empire, as it meant we still had a purpose for all you clones.”

She paused briefly in order to catch her breath. “Until one day, the Emperor demanded that we stop making clones. He claimed that the Empire no longer had a need for clones, claiming that they’re a relic of the Clone Wars, and the galaxy would be better off without them. No more clones meant that we were no longer needed. And as an Imperial, you should know what becomes of those who are no longer needed.”

“They get disposed of.” Ghost finished her sentence.

“We couldn’t let them destroy us. So we all decided to give the clones a new purpose. To fight and destroy the Empire!” She paused again as she looked over at Ghost. “And of all the soldiers they could’ve sent to kill us, they chose you. The most powerful and dangerous clones we’ve ever created. Our greatest achievement ends up being our downfall. How ironic.”

Ghost got closer to Tuan-We, his rifle still pointed at her. He was trying his absolute hardest to hold back his anger as he still had questions for her to answer.

“Why were you all so desperate to create force sensitive clones? What was your endgame here? What were you trying to accomplish?”

“When we first built this cloning facility long ago during the days of the Old Republic. Our original goal was to create an army of cloned Jedi to strengthen their numbers against the Sith Army.” She started explaining. “But we learned that it was impossible to perfectly replicate a force user, so our plan stopped. We had nothing to offer the Republic for many years. Until the day Sifo-Diaz hired us to build an army for the Republic. And with the aid of Tyrannus, we were able to find a perfect suitable host in Jango Fett.”

Ghost listened carefully to what his former parent had to say. So far he can sort of understand why they were trying to clone Jedi, but he waited till she was finished before passing judgment.

“We then decided to restart our Jedi cloning experiment, by mixing the DNA of Jango with the strongest Jedi at the time.”

“Komari Vosa.” Ghost spoke up, remembering what he read in the labs computer. “Who was she? And why her out of the hundreds of Jedi you could’ve picked? What made her so special.?”

“Vosa was the reason Jango Fett was chosen in the first place. She was Tyrannus’s former apprentice, who turned traitor and created a dangerous cult that threatened the galaxy known as the Bando Gora. Tyrannus hired a couple Bounty Hunters to capture her dead or alive in exchange for five million credits. Out of all of them, Jango was the only one skilled enough to defeat and kill her. That was why he was the perfect template for the Clone Army. With his genes, every clone would have the strength and skill to be the perfect executioners for the Jedi.”

Ghost was not surprised that this was the true reason for Jango being their host. During Order 66, they were indeed the perfect killers for the Jedi.

“What about us? Why’d you decide to mix her DNA with Jango’s when making us?” Ghost asked.

“Palpatine demanded that we try and create force sensitive clones to act as his main enforcers once the Empire was formed. That way he’d have control of a large army of force sensitive clones, an army so powerful, nobody would dare rise up and challenge him. The first experiments were Clone Force 99, but they disappeared during the fall of the Jedi Order, as well as Omega.”

Ghost would ask her about Omega, but he was more focused on the true reason for his and his brothers creation.

“After their creation was a somewhat success, we decided to try again. By fusing Vosa and Jango’s DNA together, we were able to create perfect force sensitive super soldiers. You and your Orion Squad.”

“And then you decided to make these clones based on my DNA.” Ghost then got even closer to Tuan-We and pressed his rifle into her chest. “What did you do to them?! Why did you make them more machine then men!” Ghost asked angrily.

“Like you and your brothers, these clones were accelerated. But because of the stress and desperation we needed to gain an army in a short amount of time without the Empire’s notice, we were forced to accelerate their aging from infant to infantry in just a few weeks.” She started. Ghost was horrified by this revelation. Going from an infant to an adult in weeks, that’s enough to drive anyone mad. They never got a chance to learn and grow together, instead they were constantly growing in their pods.

She then continued her explanation. “To create perfectly stable clones, we needed DNA from either the Alpha or Omega unaltered clones. But both were no longer available to us. Your DNA made them perfect force sensitive copies in abilities, but in mind they were…broken.” 

She paused again so that she could pull out a little glass tube containing the modified inhibiter chips. Ghost was slightly grossed out by how it looked. It looked more like a mutated cell structure then a chip. He honestly expected the chips to be like a computer chip, not a bunch of altered genetic cells.

“These new inhibiter chips were designed to stop the Clone Commando’s from feeling any emotions.” Before Ghost could ask her why, she already answered him. “The first batch of force sensitive clones we made based off your blood line were mentally unstable. This of course was the result of forcing them to grow to adulthood in only weeks. They went insane and started violently killing our staff. We had to take away everything that made them human in order to control them… We had no choice.”

“But you still made them anyway!” Ghost interrupted. “Now they’re out there blindly following orders to kill their own kin, without feeling the slightest bit of grief… Do you know what I felt when I had to kill the first ones I came across… I felt pain and guilt! They may’ve been stripped of their emotions, but they were still living beings! But you didn’t give a damn about them, just like you never really gave a damn about us!”

Ghost then kicks Tuan-We over, sending her falling backwards to the floor. He continues to point his rifle at her in anger. “When I was born, you were the first voice I’d heard. You told me I was destined for greatness. You think killing innocents and my own brothers is great?! I trusted you like a child would their mother. But you took that trust and crushed it!” Ghost shouted at the top of his lungs, consumed by rage over this hurtful betrayal.

“I- I’m sorry.” Tuan-We pleaded to him. A tear then started to form in her eye, scared of what he’ll do next.

“It’s too late for that, Tuan-We. Far too late.” He then aims his rile directly at her head. “You don’t control me or my brothers anymore. And I won’t let you turn all these infants into more force sensitive zombies!... Thank you.”

Did she hear right? Did Ghost just go from threatening to kill her to…thanking her? What the hell brought that sudden change in attitude?

“For what?” She asked confused by what he meant.

“For helping me get over the thought of killing these infants. When I first came into this room, I was consumed with guilt over what I was about to do. But now I realise that killing them is far more merciful then having them all grow up to be like the mindless clones out there. Never knowing what it’s like to laugh, to cry, to get pissed off, or to love. They’d be living a nightmare. A nightmare that I will rescue them from… So thank you, Tuan-We…and goodbye.”

He then fires his rifle at Tuan-We’s head, killing her instantly. He stays completely still for a moment to process and get over what he’d just done, taking in a couple deep breaths.

He looks down at Tuan-We one last time before leaving. He didn’t want to admit it, but he does feel a little bad about killing her. Despite what she and her people had done, she still practically raise him and his brothers as if they were her own. She was the closest thing they had to a parent. So you can understand why this betrayal was too painful for him.

He then goes over to the big window that showed all the clone pods in the main building.

“I know what I’m about to do to you all may look like genocide. But trust me when I say, it’s better than living like your older brothers fighting my men… At least in death, you’ll be one with the force, and actually feel human.”

Thunder, Apex and X-Ray continue to fight the rouge clone commandos in the facility. They just got word from Ghost that he’s ready to blow cloning labs. They better focus on finding Boba Fett so they could warn him, the last thing they need is his death on their conscious.

Boba may be an unaltered clone, but deep down they all share the same genes. That makes him one of their brothers, even though he’s gone down the path of his father.

“What makes you think Boba will be there?” Apex asked Thunder who was leading the way.

“Because if anyone has answers to his clone sister, it’s gotta be the prime minister of Kamino himself, Lama-Su.”

“But what if Boba’s already assassinated him?” X-Ray asked.

It was then they suddenly heard the sound of a blaster rifle being fired ahead of them. It was no ordinary blaster sound either. It sounded like a shot fired from an EE-3 Carbine Rifle. The same weapon used by the aforementioned Mandalorian Bounty Hunter.

They quickly made a dash towards the sound of the blast.

Upon entering the room they see Boba standing over Lama-Su, pointing his rifle at him. He’s still alive – for now – but before Boba could finish him off, the three Orion Squad clones intervened.

“Fett stop!” Thunder called out to him, drawing Lama-Su’s attention to them. Boba however was still locked on the Kaminoan prime minister.

“O- Orion Squad?” The prime minister spoke up hesitantly, still afraid of Boba pointing his blaster at him, ready to fire at any moment.

“Don’t look at them, look at me!” Boba raised his voice slightly. “You still haven’t answered my question. Where is my sister?!”

“I keep telling you I don’t know! She was abducted by Clone Force 99 weeks ago. They removed their inhibiter chips so we can’t track them. That’s the truth, I swear.”

Boba slowly lowers his rifle upon hearing this. He could always tell when someone was lying, it was one of the many things his father taught him during Mandalorian training. When dealing with a client, always watch their movements. If one blinks too frequently, or constantly shifts their eyes to the right – or left if they were left handed – he’d know if they’re lying.

But he didn’t see any of those signs from Lama-Su, implying that he is telling the truth. Though that didn’t mean he’d go easy on him.

“You may not know where Omega is.” He started before taking aim at him once again. “But that doesn’t excuse what you and your people have done to these clones!”

“We needed an army to fight the Empire in a short amount of time. There was nothing else we could’ve done.” He spoke with fear, attempting to excuse his actions.

“These clones were my father’s legacies!” Boba raised his voice again at him. “I won’t let you leave them like this!”

“You misunderstand. These are not clones of Jango Fett.” He told him.

This forced Boba and the three Orion Squad members to freeze up for a brief moment. If they were not Jango Fett clones, then what were they?

Lama-Su then proceeded to give them all the same explanation Tuan-We had given Ghost.

Boba and Orion Squad were horrified by this news. The Kaminoans really have lost it. Forcing clones to grow into adults in a matter of weeks, planting new inhibiter chips that took away all their humanity. This was unacceptable!

“They didn’t suffer.” Lama-Su said in fear. He could tell that underneath their helmets, Boba and the clones were deeply furious with his actions.

“We implanted memories flashes into their brains, giving them the illusion of them living a full life even though they’ve only been born weeks ago.”

“That supposed to justify your actions you son of a-

Boba raised his hand, telling Apex to shut up. He really wanted to kill him after everything he’d just learned. But he still needed to know one more thing before doing so.

“You said you implanted memories into their heads. Who’s memories were they, and how did you obtain them?”

“We got them…from you, Boba.” He hesitantly told him.

Boba froze for a moment, trying to process this. So that means that every single altered clone out there has his memories of him growing up and training with Jango?

If he wasn’t properly pissed off before, he certainly is now.

“When you disappeared, we hired a female bounty hunter to track you down and scrape up a few of your cells and steal some of your hair samples. She even grabbed an imprint of your brain patterns while you were sleeping. That’s how we obtained your memories.”

Boba was even more frozen up by this. It’s a miracle his mind can handle all this exposition.

He then thinks back to that night on Coruscant where he entered a night club to celebrate the death of Mace Windu. He was the man that killed his father. As much as he wanted to kill him himself, he’s at least glad that he’s truly dead and gone.

It was around this time he met an attractive human woman at the club. She somehow managed to seduce him and drag him back to her apartment where he slept with her and spent the night.

He always wondered why that random woman came onto him so quickly without even questioning his Mandalorian armour. All this time she was a Bounty Hunter hired to steal his gene samples for the Kaminoans, all so they could help stabilise the altered clone commandos.

Without even thinking it over, Boba fired his rifle at the Kaminoan prime minister, killing him dead. He then looked over at the three clones, who honestly had no problems with him killing the prime minister. Their order were to kill the Kaminoans and their clones anyway, it didn’t matter how they did it.

“How do you think Ghost, Dax and Boom are gonna feel when they hear what we just heard?” X-Ray asked.

“I have a feeling he already knows.” Apex replied.

They were then suddenly interrupted by an explosion a couple of hallways down from their position. Looks like they were too late, Ghost has already blown up the clone life support systems.

“Well, so much for warning you about that.” Thunder said sarcastically.

“The missions not done yet. We still need to eliminate the remaining Kaminoans and rouge clones.” Boba told them before running for the exit.

Thunder, Apex and X-Ray all quickly follow after him before anymore of the facility blows up.

Ghost, Boba, Thunder, Apex and X-Ray all meet up at the shuttle where Daxter and Boomstick were waiting for them.

The mission is pretty much over now, the rest was just mop up. Ghost then started contacting Admiral Sigan, reporting his completed task.

“Objective complete, clone pod life support down. They won’t be cloning another army ever again.”

“Excellent work all of you. There’s no reason for you and your men to remain here any longer. Evacuate the planet immediately. Once your all clear, we will commence bombardment and destroy the entire facility.” He instructed.

Ghost hesitated before complying with the order. He knew this was going to happen, but it still didn’t take away the fact that they’re going to blow up the very facility they were born in.

“Do you hear me, Commander?” Sigan asked, snapping him out of it.

“Yes sir. I’ll see to it that the 501st are evacuated immediately, out.”

After hanging up, Ghost and the others notice that Boba was leaving them. He quickly stops him by calling out to him.

“Hey Fett, where are you going?”

“This jobs finished; I’m leaving. The Empire already paid me what I was owed, so it’s time for me to move on.” Boba told him.

“But what about the mission?” He demanded.

“The deal was that I’d lead your squad until you’ve recovered. You’ve shown that your fighting fit, so I have no reason to stick around.” He pauses so that he could pull out his hologram projector. “Besides, I have another bounty to hunt.

He then activates the device and a hologram image of a man dressed in clothes that make him look like a space cowboy appeared. Next to him was a Wookie, who Ghost noticed looked very familiar to him.

“The bounty was placed by my employer, Jabba the Hutt. He wants me to rack down one of his smugglers on Tatooine. You can handle things from here.” He reassured him. Ghost didn’t really need any help evacuating his men, anyone could do it.

“Very well then.” Ghost then removes his helmets, tucking it under his left arm. He then extends his right arm to him. “Thanks for looking after my men in my absence, and for helping us fins the truth of our creation. I hope you find your sister.”

Boba then decided to remove his helmet as well. This was the first time in years that Ghost and his brothers have seen his face, not since he was a boy. Even though they shared the same face, Boba looked slightly younger then all of them, but what did they expect from a normal aging clone. His hair was also shorter then how it was when he was a child. He looks just like his father now, inside, and out. They didn’t know much about Mandalorians, but they do know for a fact that Boba has not only matched, but also exceeded his father as a legendary Mandalorian Warrior.

Boba then takes Ghosts hand and shakes it. “I hope you and your brothers live to see retirement. Who knows, maybe we’ll meet again one day. And if you boys want to pursue a carrier in Bounty Hunting, I know a good employer.”

“Thanks for the offer. But my squad and I know where we belong, and that with the Empire, with the 501st legion.” He then let’s go of his hand and backs away, standing with his brothers. “So long, Boba Fett.”

“So long, Orion Squad.” He replied before putting his helmet back on. Boba then ignites his jetpack and flies over to the platform next to theirs, where the Slave 1 was docked.

It was fun while it lasted. They never would’ve imagined teaming up with the Mandalorian Bounty Hunter would be so exciting. Even though Boba wasn’t force sensitive like they were, he had skills on par with their own. Ghost wonders if Boba will one day pass on the creed to his own son or daughter one day, continuing on the legacy of Jango Fett.

Ghost then comes to his sensors and contacts all the men of the 501st. “Attention all units! Our mission is done here. Eliminate any remaining clones and get to the shuttles, we’re leaving!”

It didn’t take long for the surviving members of the 501st to board the shuttles and take off. The remaining clone commando’s bellow attempt to blast them out of the sky, but they were far out of range for them to pull that off.

Once both shuttles were safely docked inside the hanger, the Conqueror began its decent towards the planet.

The members of Orion Squad exit the shuttle and watched as a couple Imperials collected the Project SEC DNA samples and carried them away.

Ghost and the others began theorising what the Empire was gonna do with those samples. Are they gonna make more force sensitive clones and find a way to control them without the inhibiter chips? Or are they gonna create a new squad of clones to replace them? They begged that to NOT be the case.

Then again if they were disposable to the Empire, why did Darth Vader rescue Ghost on Mustafar? No, they probably still had a purpose within the Imperial Army. Ghost still needs to lead the 501st legion for future conflicts.

They make their way over to the bridge where Sigan was. Of course where else would he be? That’s where he is most of the time.

“Ah Orion Squad, very well done on obtaining those DNA samples.” He congratulated them.

“Let’s just cut to the chase here, Admiral. What does the Empire plan to do with those samples?” He asked not bothered to go through any more long discussion. They’ve all had their fill of exposition for one day.

“I’m afraid I don’t know. But you six won’t be replaced of that’s what you’re afraid of, that I do know.” He said. “It was the Emperor who requested those samples. What he plans to do with them, nobody knows.”

“Sir, we’re in position.” One of the ships pilots called out.

Sigan turned around and looked down on the Kaminoan city known as Tipoca below. He then glances over his shoulder back at Orion Squad.

“You know what we’re about to do. If you all wish to depart, now’s the time.”

“We all bore witness to the destruction of the Liberator. If we cowered away from this, then we have no business calling ourselves Imperial Stormtroopers.” Ghost told him.

Sigan nodded in respect. These clones have shown the most extraordinary loyalty to the Empire, beyond the line of duty. He was pleased for them. When he first met them, he didn’t really care much about clones, especially their involvement during the siege of Mandalore.

But spending time with Orion Squad has changed his view on clones. The 501st have definitely lived up to their reputation. For better or for worst, he was happy with the position he was given with them.

He then turns back around and looks down at Kamino one last time. “Open fire.” He ordered.

The Conqueror began firing all its cannons at the city of Tipoca. It’s cannons fire ripping through its buildings and platforms. The many clones down there were caught up in the blasts. Those who managed to survive that ended up drowning in the ocean once the city started to sink.

The members of Orion Squad continued to watch the destruction of their birth place with their own eyes, rather than behind their helmets. As hard as it was for them, they toughened up and accepted Kamino’s fate.

The destruction of Tipoca serves the purpose of seeing their past sink into the void, never to be seen again… There was nothing holding them back anymore. Finally, they can look to the future and be what they were meant to be. Soldiers fighting for the Empire.

But now that Tipoca was destroyed, that means that He, his brothers, the men of the 501st and the many other surviving clones are the last of the Jango Fett clones. One day they will all die, and the days of the clones will be long forgotten.

But that was something they could worry about in the future. Right here and now they were focussed on continuing down the paths they’ve chosen. They can’t delay the inevitable, but they can make the galaxy remember them, and all they’ve done for them since the start of the Clone Wars.

As Ghost watched as Tipoca had now fully submerged into the ocean, he only had two words to say, in memory of their homeworld.

“Farewell… Kamino”

Galactic Empire Journal Entry 28 – Location: Kamino

"The bounty hunter left after the battle was over. He said something about tracking down a smuggler on Tatooine. After the Kamino uprising, the Emperor decided that an army of genetically identical soldiers was too susceptible to corruption. Future troopers would be cloned from a variety of templates. Though the 501st itself remained pure, the rest of the Imperial Army gradually became more and more diverse. We never really got used to the new guys."

To Be Continued