Coruscant – Chancellor's Intelligence Archives
Darkness cloaked the vault-like chamber. The only light came from the glowing screens and projection streams illuminating hundreds of shell corporations, financial transfers, and economic footprints left in the wake of the Flash Collapse.
Palpatine stood still, eyes narrowed.
For the past three weeks, he had thrown every contact, slicer, and intelligence operative he had into un-ravelling the mystery. One by one, they traced the credits each branch led to a dead end. Every proxy company was legally formed, tightly registered, and perfectly insulated through sovereign systems or Outer Rim banks beyond Republic jurisdiction.
His frustration simmered beneath his calm expression.
Mas Amedda stepped into the room. "Nothing connects to the Techno Union. And the Neimoidians are clean—for once."
Palpatine turned away from the screen. "Then we need a new diversion."
A long pause.
"We'll feed the Separatists their opening," he said at last.
Instigation and Distraction
Palpatine accelerated the next phase of his grand plan. Using intermediaries traitors, mercenaries, and double agents—he infiltrated the ranks of the Separatist Movement.
On Geonosis, whispers spread of Republic tyranny.
On Raxus, former senators gathered in secret.
On Serenno, Count Dooku was approached, offered support and the illusion of independence.
Palpatine gave them reason to leave.
He fed the fire with just enough heat to create outward pressure on the Republic, buying himself time time to stabilize the credit collapse, time to sell off select assets, even some belonging to his master.
Not even Darth Sidious could sustain a galactic war and economic ruin without bleeding a little. Clones cost credits. Fleets required supplies. The machine had to keep moving.
Even if it meant sacrificing a few pawns.
Kamino – Tipoca City
The rain pounded the ocean world as it always had cold, relentless, and eternal. Shepard stood once more on the sterile white platforms of Kamino, where millions of embryos floated in vertical tanks behind armoured glass.
Production was accelerating.
He had received word that the Republic had increased its clone requisition orders pushing up deployment timelines by months. The assembly lines had been expanded, and the growth acceleration systems were being pushed to their limits.
He was here to oversee quality control and maintain his backdoor systems untraceable subroutines built into the clone monitoring networks, giving him access to every growth metric, combat simulation, and behavioral shift.
In a quiet chamber overlooking the embryo vaults, Lama Su, the Prime Minister of Kamino, greeted him with his usual cool detachment.
"We are honored by your presence, Director Shepard. The Republic has sent new cloning directives higher priority batches, special deployment options, and... an unusual request."
Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Unusual?"
Lama Su turned and gestured toward a private viewing room. There, standing in full armor and silent as stone, was Jango Fett.
The bounty hunter removed his helmet slowly.
"I want a clone," he said simply. "One that grows like a normal child. No growth acceleration. No inhibitor chip."
Shepard glanced at Lama Su, who remained impassive.
"It is part of the contractual revisions approved by the Republic, though unofficially. The clone will be a personal matter. He has agreed to remain in our system until the project is complete."
Shepard studied Jango for a moment sharp, controlled, and dangerous. He had reviewed the combat footage. Jango was the perfect warrior, and in some ways, the ideal template. But this request introduced a new element into the system.
An anomaly.
"I'll oversee it personally," Shepard replied, nodding once. "You'll have your clone."
Fett gave a single, approving nod before turning away.
As the room cleared, Shepard remained behind, standing before the tanks, his eyes drifting to the thousands of growing soldiers.
And now… one more.
A child who would grow as all others once did.
A variable had been introduced.
Elsewhere – Quiet Movements
Back on Coruscant, the Senate debated economic recovery plans and new military budgets. The Banking Clan pushed for control of new loan distributions, and Palpatine, with his smooth rhetoric and hidden desperation, pushed back just enough to keep the illusion of control.
The galaxy teetered.
Whispers of separatism grew louder.
Clone orders surged.
The chessboard was in motion but one player, one unseen hand, still remained off the board, watching… adjusting…
For now.