The moment the boarding ramp fully extended, Leon straightened the collar of his black formal wear and stepped out first.
The tailored diplomatic uniform was crisp and immaculate, the silver badge of the Imperial Inquisition gleaming coldly against the overcast skies of Kamino.
His footsteps were steady and measured, the anti-slip tread of his specialized boots producing a distinct frictional hiss as they met the damp metal of the landing platform.
Behind him, his entourage maintained precise diplomatic spacing—
David's charcoal-gray three-piece suit was custom-fitted, and the pin on his tie, which appeared merely decorative, actually housed a quantum-encrypted micro-data module.
Lucy had swept her silver hair into a neat low bun. On her earlobe, a pearl-like earpiece swayed subtly as she walked, reflecting an iridescent shimmer—an encrypted micro-comm disguised as jewelry.
Even the usually unkempt and brash Baze now wore a crisp black Imperial formal outfit.
Chirrut, ever composed, wore his dark robe styled after the ancient Jedi, exuding a serene confidence.
At the front of the welcoming delegation, a female Kaminoan official stood out in particular.
She was noticeably taller than her peers, the silver ridges on her elongated, conical head arranged in intricate patterns that shimmered faintly beneath the cloudy sky—a biological identifier seen only in high-ranking Kaminoans. Her dark indigo robe, crafted from a fluid-reactive material, remained perfectly still in the ocean wind, defying physics.
As Leon's boots fully touched down, the Kaminoan stepped forward, every movement calibrated to perfection, each fold of her robe seemingly designed by computation.
"Welcome to Kamino, representatives of the Human Empire," she said, her voice as precise as a finely tuned instrument, each syllable hitting its mark. "I am Chief Genetic Administrator Tayla Ko. It is an honor to receive you."
Surprisingly, she spoke in fluent High Gothic, the official language of the Human Empire, her words only faintly touched by an aquatic species' lilt.
"Leon S. Kennedy. Thank you for the warm reception," Leon replied, his voice deep and composed, like still waters.
He quickly noted how Tayla Ko's eyes flicked over his shoulder—her pupils subtly shifting focus.
She was staring directly at the Spartans.
The five super-soldiers stood in standard tactical formation, the matte surface of their MJOLNIR armor dulled to absorb light, rain gliding down their armor in silent rivulets, forming small whirlpools around their mag-locked boots.
Douglas held a modified Gauss rifle, its casing etched with tally marks—each representing a confirmed high-value kill.
Ko'r's sniper rifle, long and narrow, had a hand-carved design running down the barrel; the optics flickered blue under the low light. Even the ever-unruly Malon had snapped into alert mode, his smart Gauss LMG gripped firmly.
Their presence visibly disturbed the Kaminoan assembly.
The pale, conical heads tilted forward in unison, and their long fingers reflexively curled and uncurled—a clear expression of shock among their kind.
Tayla Ko's pupils dilated, and the transparent vessels at her neck lit with faint bioluminescence—rare physiological signs of excitement.
"These warriors... are not clones."
Her words were definitive, and she leaned in ever so slightly.
Tayla's gaze roved with barely contained awe over every detail—the energy-scorched scar on Douglas's left pauldron, the handcrafted etching on Ko'r's rifle, the childish smiley face painted on Malon's weapon.
Unknowingly, she took a step forward—an unconscious breach of diplomatic protocol betraying her eagerness.
Behind her, three Kaminoan researchers, clad in sterile uniforms, had already begun rapidly tapping data logs hidden in their sleeves.
Leon gave a subtle, knowing smile.
The meeting had only just begun, yet the Kaminoans were already showing more interest than anticipated.
"Ahem."
Leon cleared his throat, snapping Tayla back to the present.
"Administrator, I believe we have much to discuss."
Tayla's hand swept elegantly over her brow markings, masking her earlier lapse with a practiced motion.
"Of course, Mr. Kennedy," she said, her tone once again perfectly measured. "Please, follow me to the Council Hall. We've prepared data sets you may find... intriguing."
They began walking along a high-altitude, transparent corridor leading to the central structure. The reinforced glass beneath their feet provided a sweeping view of the storm-tossed sea.
A hundred meters below, Kamino's signature indigo ocean spun into whirlpools, and occasionally, enormous sea creatures surfaced briefly before diving once more into the depths.
Strangely, despite the torrential rain outside, the corridor was perfectly stable. Not even the slightest vibration could be felt.
"Pressure stabilization system," Tayla noted, observing Leon's curiosity. She gestured toward nearly invisible seams in the corridor walls. "All our structures are engineered to withstand class-12 oceanic storms."
As she explained, the group's damp clothing dried rapidly, and the air filled with a subtle floral scent—evidence of the nanoscale dehumidification system at work.
David discreetly dragged a finger along the wall's edge. His augmented eyes instantly displayed material composition data.
He raised a brow slightly, sending Leon a look of muted intrigue.
The seemingly mundane corridor walls were made from an advanced biopolymer—far beyond the technological standard of most known civilizations.
"This corridor connects to our core facility," Tayla said as her voice echoed gently. "In your imperial measurements, it spans approximately 1.7 kilometers, designed using biomimetic principles."
She pointed to the ceiling's support beams—branch-like structures resembling skeletal growths.
Lucy's ocular implants picked up an interesting detail: every hundred meters or so, nearly invisible scan nodes emitted pulses that swept across the Spartans' armor.
Feigning an adjustment to her hair, she activated counter-surveillance mode.
But MJOLNIR armor, designed under Halsey's direction, was not so easily decrypted.
"Most impressive," Leon said, then glanced out at a sudden breach in the sea surface—a massive silver creature leaping skyward, its streamlined body glowing with bio-light.
"Aquatic livestock program?"
A faint smile touched Tayla's lips. "KT-77 bio-computational hosts. Designed to assist aquatic civilizations with comprehensive support functions."
They continued walking and talking.
At the corridor's end stood a pearl-hued door, its surface etched with DNA-like strands.
Tayla pressed her palm to the reader. The door slid open with a whisper, releasing a gust of sterilized air.
"Welcome," her voice deepened reverently, "to the Cloning Matrix."
What lay beyond silenced even the seasoned agents of the Inquisition.
A three-kilometer-wide spherical chamber housed tens of thousands of incubation pods, arranged in a vast honeycomb lattice. Within each, clones floated at various stages of development.
Blue nutrient fluid shimmered like liquid gemstones under directed lighting, and robotic arms moved constantly, performing precise gene adjustments.
"We currently maintain seventy thousand active clones," Tayla explained as they approached the central observation platform. "From base infantry to specialist commanders—all iterations are under continuous refinement."
Leon noted that many of the clones appeared as children, some not even humanoid.
The collapse of the Galactic Empire had reignited Kamino's economy—bioweapons exports were clearly booming once again.
Jerome's visor switched to tactical scan mode, revealing varying degrees of muscle density and neural response speeds among the clones.
"We observed the... uniqueness of your soldiers," Tayla suddenly turned toward the Spartans again, pupils dilating in fascination. "Perhaps a mutually beneficial technical exchange is worth discussing?"
"Of course," Leon replied smoothly, without hesitation.
They continued deeper. Beyond the observation deck was a spiraling downward corridor, its walls lined with bioluminescent markings that shifted color as they moved.
Tayla walked ahead and warned, "We are entering the core manufacturing area. Please stay close. Do not touch any equipment."
At the end, a massive bio-metal door opened to reveal—
Thousands of automated production lines.
Clone bodies lay in lines, receiving final gene adjustments and memory imprints.
A towering hologram above displayed the real-time deployment status of the clone army—each light a functioning unit.
"This is Kamino's pride," Tayla said, arms spread wide, her voice brimming with pride. "The galaxy's most advanced clone soldier manufacturing system."
Leon stood on the viewing platform, eyes scanning the precise efficiency below.
Tens of thousands of pods aligned like dominos, each wired to monitoring devices.
The muscular texture of the clones was visible even through the nutrient gel. Robotic arms delicately applied final adjustments. Holograms tracked vitals in real time.
He thought of the Imperial Biotech Division's cloning facilities.
Less refined, perhaps, but exponentially faster.
The Empire viewed clones as expendables—born and thrown into combat within thirty standard days.
Kamino's clones were clearly "premium" units: personalized nutrition, tailored training, even psychological evaluations.
"You invest considerable resources per unit," Leon commented.
Tayla lifted a delicate hand. "To us, this isn't simple mass production—it's an art form."
She gestured toward a clone receiving memory implants. "Each unit is granted a unique personality and combat style."
Leon nodded slightly.
Kamino's economy depended entirely on clone exports. Their obsession with perfection made sense.
He then paused at a gene sequencer.
"I'm curious. How do you ensure absolute loyalty?"
Tayla tapped her interface, pulling up a complex DNA chain.
"We embed obedience commands directly into the base genome—like this."
The enlarged sequence showed psychological compliance markers.
"Fascinating," Leon mused.
The Empire's approach was far more brutal—control chips implanted directly into the brain. Their clones were essentially living corpses, void of soul or thought.
After the tour, Tayla proposed a formal negotiation.
Leon gave Lucy a glance. The team immediately dispersed into the guest lounge. The Spartans stood like statues in the corner.
The Kaminoans also dispersed—some offering refreshments, others tending to tasks.
Leon entered the meeting room and took his seat.
The architecture flowed like liquid; the walls shifted in opacity with the light. Tayla poured him a glowing blue drink.
"We seek to collaborate in bio-research," she said, direct and firm. "Not merely trade."
Leon kept his calm façade, sipping the metallic, bitter soda-like liquid.
Internally, he thought: Exactly as planned.
The Empire needed Kamino to ask for collaboration—easing them into the Empire's fold.
He retrieved a data crystal from his case.
"This is a sample from the Empire's Biotech Division—clone soldier specs."
The hologram activated, displaying specs from obsolete units.
"We hope your team can use this to develop a batch of 100,000 upgraded clones."
Tayla tilted her conical head. "A test?"
"A prelude to partnership," Leon said. "Mutual understanding is essential."
Tayla inserted the chip. A detailed projection appeared—
40% increase in bone density.
25% improvement in neural reflexes.
Lifespan extended to fifteen Coruscant years.
Deadline: one Coruscant year.
Every stat far exceeded Kamino's current benchmarks.
"A challenging goal," Tayla said, voice lower now. Then, sincerely: "But not impossible."
Leon noticed her long fingers tremble faintly under the table.
To the Kaminoans, this was both a test and a golden opportunity to access high-grade tech.
Before Leon could reply, she added:
"Three Coruscant months. Give us three months... and you will witness Kamino's true strength."
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Mutter"]
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]