Kaminoan

Once purged from the otherwise complete Jedi Archives was all evidence of the mysterious world of Kamino. A lonely world beyond the Outer Rim and just south of the Rishi Maze, few could have predicted that Kamino would become a key contributor to a massive shift in political power in the final days of the Republic. Kamino is a planet of endless oceans and storms. Few features mark its surface, save for massive stilt-mounted cities wherein reside the planet's natural inhabitants, the Kaminoans. From Tipoca City, the planet's prime minister rules. Lama Su and Kamino’s chief medical scientist Nala Se closely monitor the operations of Kamino's most prized export -- clones -- even after the Clone Wars reaches a conclusion.

A beautiful sylph-like Kaminoan, Taun We is the administrative aide to the Prime Minister of Kamino, Lama Su. When Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived at the rain-swept platforms of Tipoca City, he was greeted by the gentle Taun We. Taun We explained that the Kaminoans had long been expecting the arrival of a Jedi envoy, since a Jedi representative, Master Sifo-Dyas, commissioned a clone army a decade earlier. Kenobi bluffed his way into the heart of the cloning operation, and had the naive Taun We introduce him to the original source of the clones, Jango Fett.

As Kamino’s chief medical scientist, Nala Se played a key role in engineering the Grand Army of the Republic — and worked to protect the army’s secrets. She cared for clones injured on the battlefield, supervising their rehabilitation even when Separatist attacks threatened her own life as well as the lives of soldiers, and kept the experimental clone called Omega as her medical assistant. But Nala Se had a ruthless side as well. Following the orders of Count Dooku — whom she knew as Lord Tyranus — she sought to conceal knowledge of the bio-chips implanted in the clones to ensure that they obeyed protocols such as Order 66. After the dawn of the Empire, she was taken prisoner following the destruction of Tipoca City and stationed at the Imperial facility at Mount Tantiss. In her defeat, she was made to serve the Emperor in his quest for control over the cloning process.

In the final years of the Republic, Jango Fett was regarded as the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. A proficient marksman and unarmed combatant, Fett was covered in a sleek armored suit that concealed his scarred face. His combat gear featured an arsenal of weaponry, including retractable wrist blades, a snare, dual blaster pistols and other more exotic tools of the trade. In combat, Jango used his harnessed jetpack to gain the advantage of speed and height over his enemies. The backpack also carried a nasty surprise -- an explosive rocket could be launched from it. For interstellar travel, Jango traveled aboard his well-worn starship, Slave I.

At the time of their introduction, the Republic clone troopers represented the future of galactic warfare. Far superior to battle droids, the clone troopers formed the backbone of the Republic's new military that waged war against the forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. So symbolic were they of the times, the galaxy-wide conflict that saw their debut took its name from their ranks: the Clone Wars.

The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural, and Sheev Palpatine is the most infamous follower of its doctrines. Scheming, powerful, and evil to the core, Darth Sidious restored the Sith and destroyed the Jedi Order. Living a double life, he was also Palpatine, a Naboo Senator and phantom menace. He manipulated the political system of the Galactic Republic until he was named Supreme Chancellor -- and eventually Emperor – and ruled the galaxy through fear and tyranny. The galaxy rejoiced when he died at the Battle of Endor, but Sidious had cheated death and patiently plotted a return to power.