Kaminoan/Legends

"These Kaminoans, they're cloners... damn good ones, too."

- Dexter Jettster

Kaminoans were a tall, thin species with pale skin from the isolated watery planet of Kamino. “Kaminoan” was also the name of the native language spoken by the Kaminoans. The Kaminoans lived in large stilted cities that rise above the ocean surface, such as Tipoca City.

Appearance and physiology
The species’ evolution from aquatic creatures in the vast oceans of Kamino was reflected in their tall shape, glassy coated eyes, near luminescent skin and thin long necks. There were many peculiarities about the particulars of Kaminoan physiology: rear-articulated legs, once adapted for firm seabeds, eventually only saw use in the hallways of their science facilities, while only male Kaminoans exhibited fin ridges along the rear of their small, bulbous skulls. The almond-shaped eyes of Kaminoans perceived a wide spectrum of light, from murky conditions to the ultraviolet range. This ability resulted in decor that, while austere to Human eyes, was more elaborate than it seemed.

Culture and history
After the disastrous end of an ice age on Kamino known as the Great Flood, Kaminoan society was pushed to the brink of extinction. Only through the development of a mastery over selective breeding, genetics and cloning were the Kaminoans able to survive. The calculating instincts of survival required of the Kaminoans produced heavy marks upon their late form culture. Kaminoans were minimalist in their designs and lifestyle, and were fierce perfectionists to the point of intolerance. The impact of the harsh adaptations the Kaminoans were subjected to is also viewable in their inward focus and isolationism. Kaminoans focused on little else than their cloning and interacted with offworlders as little as possible.

It was with great trepidation, therefore, that the Kaminoans began to offer their cloning services and genetic proficiency in exchange for essential imports. The select few clients that received the work of Kaminoan geneticists received perfect clones to suit their needs. The Kaminoans took great pride in their scientific breakthroughs, but gave little thought to the ethics of their work or the consequences of their deployment. While Kamino-made clones slaved away in the mining colonies of Subterrel or the private armies of intergalactic mercenaries, the Kaminoans thought nothing of it, continuing to toil towards gaining more scientific honor. The earmark of a high-ranking officer on Kamino was thick, black cuffs on the sleeves of their tight white uniforms; the wider the cuff, the higher the rank.

The most infamous work of the Kaminoans was their design and development of the Galactic Republic’s clone army. Using the bounty hunter and Mandalorian Jango Fett as the template, the Kaminoans produced and trained a massive army of clone soldiers for the Republic at the behest of Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Their work eventually brought them to the brink of destruction again, as their world was targeted by the Separatists to end the supply of clone soldiers. The Kamino Defense Force, manned by specially trained clone troopers (including the mighty ARC troopers) defeated the Separatist forces.

When the Kaminoans first started experimenting on the Fett genome, they produced 12 specimens, six of which did not survive incubation. However, after two years of flash learning, the Kaminoans realized that the clones, which they then classified as "Null", were far too independent and unpredictable to be reliable soldiers in the Republic's new military. The Kaminoans were planning to terminate the children, but with the intervention of Kal Skirata, the six were trained and raised as intellegence units. However, Kal Skirata would not be able to save all of the clones; the Kaminoans would later terminate a "batch" of clones that did not have 20/20 vision.

After the successful defense of their world at the Battle of Kamino, the cloning facilities continued to produce and train more troops for the Grand Army of the Republic. However, after Order 66 was initiated, the facilities on Kamino were commandeered by the Empire in an effort to keep the important art of cloning out of the hands of those who would use it against them. Fed up with Imperial rule, some Kaminoans began to build another clone army in secret, even more deadly and proficient than the Grand Army. Becoming aware of this plot, Darth Vader sent a squad of stormtroopers from the 501st Legion, commanded by Boba Fett, to Kamino to eliminate this army and bring the Kaminoans in line.

When it became apparent that the battle was lost, a group of Kaminoans managed to escape their fallen homeplanet on a few Acclamator assault ships, escaping with some of their cloning technolgies and Fett DNA canisters. After settling down un an uncharted planet, the Kaminoans named it New Kamino and created a army of Jango Fett clones to act as the planet's defense force.

Behind the scenes

 * Jedi Master Yarael Poof was cut out of Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones because of his similarity in appearance to the Kaminoans, something that would confuse viewers and fans.

Appearances

 * Republic Commando
 * Republic Commando: Triple Zero
 * Boba Fett: The Fight to Survive
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game
 * Tides of Terror
 * Star Wars Republic 50: The Battle of Kamino
 * Star Wars Republic: The Battle of Jabiim
 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Bloodlines