rasalvatore.attackoftheclones-第39部分

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ign；　the　extra　firepower；　and；　particularly；　the　astromech　droid　hardwired　into　the　left　wing；　tootling　happily。
　〃This　is　a　Delta…Seven；〃　the　excited　Boba　announced；　pointing　out　the　rear…　cockpit　position。　Jango　nodded；　glad　that　his　son　had　been　taking　his　lessons　seriously。　These　were　new　ships…　so　new　that　they　hadn't　yet　been　fitted　with　hyperdrive　engines；　Jango　realized；　and　he　inadvertently　glanced　up　at　the　cloudy　sky；　wondering　if　parent　ships　were　up　there。　He　shook　the　thought　away；　turning　back　to　Boba。
　〃And　what　of　the　droid？〃　he　asked。　〃Can　you　identify　the　unit？〃　Boba　climbed　up　the　side　of　the　fighter　and　studied　the　markings　for　a　moment；　then　turned　back　to　his　father；　finger　to　pursed　lips；　an　intense　expression　on　his　face。　〃It's　an　Arfour…Pea；〃　he　said。　〃And　is　that　a　mon　droid　for　this　type　of　starfighter？〃
　〃No；〃　Boba　answered　without　hesitation。　〃A　Delta…Seven　pilot　would　usually　use　an　Arthree…Dee。　It's　better　at　keeping　the　guns　targeted；　and　the　fighter　is　so　maneuverable　that　handling　the　laser　cannons　is　tricky。　I　read　that　some　pilots　wind　up　shooting　their　own　nose　cones　off　in　this　fighter！　They　do　a　snap…roll；　ing　out　over　and　around；　but　they　haven't　pensated　the　manual　swivel。　。　。〃　As　he　spoke；　he　moved　his　arms　over　each　other　and　about；　tangling　them　up　in　front　of　him。
　
　Jango　was　hardly　listening　to　the　details；　though　he　was　thrilled　that　Boba　had　taken　to　his　lessons　with　such　energy。　〃Suppose　the　pilot　didn't　need　the　extra　gunnery　skills　of　an　Arthree…Dee？〃　he　asked。
　
　Boba　looked　at　him　curiously；　as　if　he　didn't　understand。
　〃Would　the　Arfour…Pea　then　be　a　better　choice？〃
　〃Yes；〃　came　the　halting　response。
　〃And　what　pilot　wouldn't　need　the　extra　droid　gunnery　skills？〃　Boba　stared　blankly；　but　then　a　smile　spread　on　his　face。　〃You！〃　he　blurted；　seeming　quite　pleased　with　himself。
　
　Jango　took　the　pliment　with　an　appreciative　smile…and　it　was　true　enough。　Jango　could　wheel　any　fighter；　and　if　he　ever　had　the　opportunity　to　fly　in　a　Delta…7；　he'd　likely　choose　an　R4…P　over　the　R3…D。　But　that　wasn't　what　he　had　in　mind　right　now；　for　he　knew　of　one　other　type　of　pilot；　pilots　with　heightened　senses；　who　would　similarly　choose　the　better　nav；　but　less　weapon…oriented　droid。
　
　Jango　Fett　looked　back　up　at　the　sky；　wondering　if　a　host　of　Jedi　were　about　to　descend　upon　Tipoca　City。
　
　　Great　racks　holding　glass　spheres　stretched　across　the　immense　room　to　the　end　of　Obi…Wan's　vision。　Each　sphere　contained　an　embryo；　suspended　in　fluid；　and　when　the　Jedi　reached　into　the　Force；　he　sensed　strong　waves　of　life　energy。
　〃The　hatchery；〃　he　stated　more　than　asked。
　〃The　first　phase；　obviously；〃　Lama　Su　replied。
　〃Very　impressive。〃
　〃I　hoped　you　would　be　pleased；　Master　Jedi；〃　the　Prime　Minister　said。
　〃Clones　can　think　creatively。　You'll　find　that　they　are　immensely　superior　to　droids；　and　that　ours　are　the　best　in　all　the　galaxy。　Our　methods　have　been　perfected　over　many　centuries。〃
　〃How　many　are　there？〃　Obi…Wan　asked。　〃In　here；　I　mean。〃
　〃We　have　several　hatcheries　throughout　the　city。　This；　of　course；　is　the　most　crucial　phase；　though　with　our　techniques；　we　expect　a　survival　rate　of　over　ninety　percent。　Every　so　often；　an　entire　batch　will　develop　a　。。。　an　issue；　but　we　expect　the　clone　production　to　remain　steady；　and　with　our　accelerated　growth　methods；　these　before　you　will　be　fully　matured　and　ready　for　battle　in　just　over　a　decade。〃
　
　Two　hundred　thousand　units　are　ready；　with　another　million　well　on　the　way。　Lama　Su's　previous　boast　echoed　ominously　in　Obi…Wan's　thoughts。　A　production　center；　supremely　efficient；　producing　a　steady　stream　of　superbly　trained　and　conditioned　warriors。　The　implications　were　staggering。
　
　Obi…Wan　stared　at　the　closest　embryo；　floating　contentedly　in　its　fluid；　curled　and　with　its　little　thumb　stuck　into　its　mouth。　In　ten　short　years；　that　tiny　creature；　that　tiny　man；　would　be　a　soldier；　killing　and；　likely；　soon　enough　killed。
　
　He　shuddered　and　looked　to　his　Kaminoan　guide。　〃e；〃　Lama　Su　bade　him；　walking　along　the　corridor。
　
　Next　on　the　tour　was　a　huge　classroom；　with　desks　in　neat；　orderly　rows　and　with　students　in　neat；　orderly　rows。　They　all　looked　to　be　about　ten　years　of　age。　All　dressed　the　same；　all　with　the　same　haircut；　all　with　exactly　the　same　features　and　posture　and　expressions。　Obi…Wan　reflexively　looked　at　the　shining　white　walls　of　the　huge　room；　almost　expecting　to　see　mirrors　there；　playing　a　trick　on　his　eyes　to　make　one　boy　seem　to　be　many。　The　students　went　about　their　studies　without　paying　any　more　heed　to　the　visitors　than　a　quick　glance。
　
　Disciplined；　Obi…Wan　thought。　Much　more　so　than　any　normal　children。　Another　thought　grabbed　him。　〃You　mentioned　growth　acceleration…〃
　〃Oh　yes；　it's　essential；〃　the　Prime　Minister　replied。　〃Otherwise　a　mature　clone　would　take　a　lifetime　to　grow。　Now　we　can　do　it　in　half　the　time。　The　units　you　will　soon　see　on　the　parade　ground　we　started　ten　years　ago；　when　Sifo…Dyas　first　placed　the　order；　and　they're　already　mature　and　quite　ready　for　duty。〃
　〃And　these　were　started　about　five　years　ago？〃　the　Jedi　reasoned；　and　Lama　Su　nodded。
　〃Would　you　care　to　inspect　the　final　product　now？〃　the　Prime　Minister　asked；　and　Obi…Wan　could　hear　excitement　in　his　voice。　Clearly　he　was　proud　of　this　acplishment。　〃I　would　like　your　approval　before　you　take　delivery。〃
　
　The　callousness　of　it　all　struck　Obi…Wan　profoundly。　Units。　Final　product。　These　were　living　beings　they　were　talking　about。　Living；　breathing；　and　thinking。　To　create　clones　for　such　a　singular　purpose；　under　such　control；　even　stealing　half　their　childhood　for　efficiency；　assaulted　his　sense　of　right　and　wrong；　and　the　fact　that　a　Jedi　Master　had　begun　all　of　this　was　almost　too　much　to　digest。
　
　The　tour　took　him　through　the　missary　next；　where　hundreds　of　adult　clones…all　young　men　Anakin's　age…sat　in　neat　rows；　all　dressed　in　red；　all　eating　the　same　food　in　the　same　manner。
　〃You'll　find　that　they　are　totally　obedient；〃　Lama　Su　was　saying；　seemingly　oblivious　to　the　Jedi's　disfort。　〃We　modified　their　genetic　structure　to　make　them　less　independent　than　the　original；　of　course。〃
　〃Who　was　the　original？〃
　〃A　bounty　hunter　named　Jango　Fett；〃　Lama　Su　offered　without　any　hesitation。
　〃We　felt　that　a　Jedi　would　be　the　perfect　choice；　but　Sifo…Dyas　handpicked　Jango　himself。〃
　
　The　notion　that　a　Jedi　might　have　been　used　nearly　floored　Obi…Wan。　An　army　of　clones　strong　in　the　Force？
　
　〃Where　is　this　bounty　hunter　now？〃　he　asked。
　〃He　lives　here；〃　Lama　Su　replied。　〃But　he's　free　to　e　and　go　as　he　pleases。〃　He　kept　walking　as　he　spoke；　leading　Obi…Wan　along　a　long　corridor　filled　with　narrow　transparent　tubes。
　
　The　Jedi　watched　with　amazement　as　clones　climbed　up　into　those　tubes　and　settled　in　place；　closing　their　eyes　and　going　to　sleep。
　〃Very　disciplined；〃　he　remarked。
　〃That　is　the　key；〃　Lama　Su　replied。　〃Disciplined；　and　yet　with　the　ability　to　think　creatively。　It　is　a　mighty　bination。　Sifo…Dyas　explained　to　us　the　Jedi　aversion　to　leading　droids。　He　told　us　Jedi　could　only　mand　an　army　of　lifeforms。〃
　
　And　you　wanted　a　Jedi　as　host？　Obi…Wan　thought；　but　he　did　not　it　say　aloud。　He　took　a　deep　breath；　wondering　how　Master　Sifo…Dyas；　how　any　Jedi；　could　have　so　willingly　and　unilaterally　crossed　the　line　to　create　any　army　of　clones。　Obi…Wan　realized　that　he　had　to　suppress　his　need　for　a　direct　answer　to　that　right　now；　and　simply　listen　and　observe；　gather　as　much　information　as　he　could　so　that　he　and　the　Jedi　Council　might　sort　it　out。　〃So　Jango　Fett　willingly　remains　on　Kamino？〃　〃The　choice　is　his　alone。　Apart　from　his　pay；　which　is　considerable；　I　assure　you；　Fett　demanded　only　one　thing…an　unaltered　clone　for　himself。　Curious；　isn't　it？〃　〃Unaltered？〃
　〃Pure　genetic　replication；〃　the　Prime　Minister　explained。　〃No　tampering　with　the　structure　to　make　it　more　docile。　And　no　growth　acceleration。〃
　〃I　would　very　much　like　to　meet　this　Jango　Fett；〃　Obi…Wan　said；　as　much　to　himself　as　to　Lama　Su。　He　was　intrigued。　Who　was　this　man　selected　by　Sifo…　Dyas　as　the　perfect　source　for　a　clone　army？
　
　Lama　Su　looked　to　T