Arkanian Microtechnologies

Arkanian Microtechnologies
Organizational information
Headquarters	Vohai
Location(s)	Arkania
Primary role(s)	Genetic engineering Medical supply production Technology development
Major product(s)	Clones Health products Technology
Chronological and political information
Affiliation	Galactic Republic Galactic Empire

Arkanian Microtechnologies, also known as Arkanian Micro for short, was a powerful manufacturing corporation known for its role in the development of medical supplies and technology. Headquartered on the planet Vohai, the company also had a branch near Novania, a city located on Arkania. In public, it was a major supplier of health products and technological equipment in the galaxy. However, the firm primarily specialized in the research and development of genetic engineering techniques, ranging from direct manipulation of genomes to mutation via overexposure to massive amounts of radiation.

History

Another clone army

"You worry too much, Clonemaster. I only require your clones to be fit for purpose, and that means they have no need to meet the exacting standards as the army bred on Kamino. The Grand Army has to be the very best in the galaxy for one single special operation ahead of them. This is the culmination of my strategy—two armies with two quite separate tasks."

―Palpatine, to a Clone Master

Arkanian Microtechnologies created an army of Spaarti-grown clone troopers to reinforce the clones from Kamino.

During the Clone Wars, Arkanian Microtechnologies was hired by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine to create a cheaper second clone army for the Galactic Republic. The project was confidential, and thus billions of credits were discreetly siphoned from various bank accounts in order to fund the construction of cloning centers on Centax-2, one of the moons of Coruscant. The new facilities were equipped with Spaarti cloning cylinders, which Arkanian Micro's scientists utilized to engineer full-grown clone soldiers in one standard year, as opposed to the Kaminoan method's ten-year waiting period. While the Spaarti method enabled the company to generate clones at a considerably faster rate than the Kaminoan-developed series of clone troopers, a one year growth period prevented Arkanian Micro's clone units from receiving the same training as their Kamino-bred counterparts. The company used flash pumping computers to download the basics of being a soldier into the subjects, but even the company admitted that the combat effectiveness of Spaarti clones was significantly lower than the troopers from Kamino. Such drawbacks concerned one of the scientists who monitored their development, but the Chancellor assured the Clone Master that the new clone troopers did not have to be as effective as their precursors.

In 19 BBY, the final year of the Clone Wars, the Grand Army of the Republic was a spent force. A third of the original clone troopers were dead while others were too injured to fight; what remained of the army was stretched thin across the Outer Rim Territories where the clones and their Jedi officers fought the Separatist droid forces in a series of grueling campaigns. By that time, Arkanian Microtechnologies deployed a vanguard of Spaarti clone troopers, officially commissioned as the 14th Infantry Brigade, into the war zone in order to test the effectiveness of their creations. Other clones from Centax-2 were integrated into existing military units such as the 501st Legion and Coruscant Guard. Chancellor Palpatine publicly revealed the existence of the new clone army during the Battle of Coruscant when the Separatists launched a surprise attack on the galactic capital. In the aftermath of the Republic's victory at Coruscant, Arkanian Micro's clone troopers were assimilated into the Grand Army, thus replenishing its depleted ranks.

Force-sensitive clones

"His clones won't have his memories, but I'm confident they'll have the same courage and loyalty, and their ideals will simply be the ones I provide for them. Loyalty to the Emperor. And his Force powers will be exceptionally valuable in the field."

―Darth Vader

Darth Vader commissioned the creation of Force-sensitive clone prototypes by Arkanian Microtechnologies.

After the Clone Wars, Arkanian Microtechnologies' services were retained by the Republic's successor state, the Galactic Empire. Under the reign of Emperor Palpatine, the New Order vastly augmented its military forces with more clone soldiers, all of whom were generated by Imperial-controlled Kaminoan and Arkanian Micro facilities. Shortly after Palpatine's rise to power was completed, the Emperor and his Sith apprentice Darth Vader, tasked Arkanian Microtechnologies with a commission to enginneer Force-sensitive clones, a task that had long since been dismissed as impossible. Using the genetic material of the Emperor's Hand Sa Cuis, Arkanian Micro scientists developed the Force-sensitive stormtroopers. Both Palpatine and Vader were impressed by them, and though they originally petitioned the company for more Force-wielding clones, the project was ultimately dismantled after the experimental stormtroopers rebelled against their creators due to the machinations of their Dark Jedi trainer, Sheyvan.

Post-Imperial era

Arkanian Microtechnologies was still operational by 40 ABY, years after the Empire's defeat in the Galactic Civil War. Taun We a female Kaminoan who served as Project Coordinator of the Republic clone army, joined the company as an employee and was stationed at its Vohai headquarters where she continued her research into cloning.

Appearances

• Republic Commando: True Colors (Mentioned only)
• Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel (Mentioned only)
• "In His Image" — Vader: The Ultimate Guide (First appearance)
• "A Two-Edged Sword" — Star Wars Insider 85 (Mentioned only)
• Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines
• Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice (Mentioned only)
• Legacy of the Force: Revelation (Mentioned only)

Sources

• "Arkanian Chill" on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link) (First mentioned)
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and references

In other languages

• Deutsch