Tipoca City

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"Contact command at Tipoca City."

―Wullf Yularen^[6]

Tipoca City was the capital city of the watery planet Kamino, and home to several million Kaminoans and housed the Ruling Council. The city was a network of domed structures built atop stilts over 150 kilometers tall at Kamino's equator. It served as a major military complex for both the Galactic Republic and Galactic Empire, and was the location of the Kaminoan cloning facilities that created the army prior to the Clone Wars.

By the time of the Clone Wars, Prime Minister Lama Su led Kamino's government from the city. In 21 BBY, Tipoca City was the main fighting ground during the Battle of Kamino, which saw the Republic's enemy, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, launch an assault on the city to cripple the Republic's production of clone troopers. Separatist forces led by both General Grievous and Asajj Ventress attacked the planet, but Republic forces led by Shaak Ti, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker rallied to defend the clone homeworld.

Early on into the Galactic Empire's reign, Kamino's cloning facilities, including those at Tipoca City, were shut down as the Imperial Army transitioned away from relying on the clone troopers. As the decommissioning began, Tipoca City was bombarded and destroyed by Vice Admiral Edmon Rampart under the orders of Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, after all clones were reassigned and essential personnel were evacuated.

Description[]

Design[]

"Ah, look around, Fives. Feels like yesterday we were here, heading to target practice."
"Heh, remember that?"
"Do I ever."

―CT-1409 and CT-5555^[6]

The capital city of Kamino, Tipoca City, was a network of stilt structures that held the city above the massive ocean covering the world. The city was distributed over one hundred and fifty kilometers near Kamino's equator. At the core of one of its larger domes, Tipoca City held an immense fusion generator in its heart, powering the city by extracting hydrogen from seawater. The generator was secured by insulator plating. A network of power processing units surrounded the generator, as well as exhaust vents. The central hub contained extensive cloning facilities and offices for members of Kamino's Ruling Council.^[2]

Each large dome was designed with a streamlined outer shell used to shed water and wind during storms, with hatches on the sides that could be opened for maintenance or repair. Located near the top of the main dome which housed the fusion generator was a Kaminoan Planetary Defense substation, utilized by Kamino's defense network, and several static discharge towers to secure the city during electrical storms. Several turbolaser turrets were located around the top of the dome as a defense mechanism.^[2]

Amenities[]

"I have the exact locations of both the clone DNA room and the clone trooper barracks."

―Asajj Ventress, to Grievous^[6]

Military Complex — Part cloning facility and part military complex, Tipoca City housed an army of clone troopers.

Near the fusion generator were expansive troop barracks, as well as the Ha Zurh Library and Records Office, containing the city's records and a swath of information. The library was maintained by a droid librarian. At the bottom of all of the domes are support pylons which hold up the cities and supply seawater to the fusion generator and to desalination plants where salt was removed from seawater and the water was distilled and purified. At one such plant was a storage tank filled with untreated water, compressor units and tanks used for condensation or evaporation. At the tops of other domes were communications towers designed to warn Kamino Space Control of incoming spacecraft. Outside of the domes were extensive training grounds and rainwater collection ducts.^[2] Every room in the city was fitted with emergency access hatches in case they were to flood.^[8]

Domestic apartments located inside the city were sparsely furnished, occasionally designed with furniture designed to descend from the ceiling on stalks, connecting to electromagnetic floor markings.^[2]

Tipoca City Military Complex arena — The military complex included a combat arena where clone cadets participated in the Citadel Challenge.

The Tipoca City Military Complex was the largest portion of Tipoca City's structure, containing the Central Armory,^[5] a DNA room,^[6] the Egg Lab,^[7] an embryo room, and the Genetic Records Hall.^[8] All of these rooms contributed to the cloning facilities that Tipoca City was prized for. Weather vanes hung off the bottom of a part of the facility, designed to monitor outside conditions to provide storm warnings, or adjustments to atmosphere systems within the buildings. The facility also contained combat rooms and quarters for the clones during any stage of their training.^[2] The Military Complex also had many training rooms. One such room was the Citadel Challenge, used to train clone cadets to become clone troopers and potentially Advanced Recon Commandos.^[9]

History[]

Construction[]

At some point, the entire planet of Kamino was flooded, forcing its inhabitants, the Kaminoans, to seek higher ground and eventually build entire cities on stilts using off-world materials. Kaminoans also developed intricate cloning technology to become the the galaxy's foremost expert cloners. Tipoca City became the capital and largest producer of clones.^[2]

Fall of the Republic[]

Engineering a clone army[]

"I'm sure you'll find the price the Kaminoans are offering is more than fair."
"For access to my genetic template."
"Regular access. You will be expected to reside with the cloners on Kamino."

―Darth Tyranus and Jango Fett^[11]

Kamino Facility — The genesis of the clone troopers began in Tipoca City, where the Kaminoans worked to produce an army for the Galactic Republic.

Approximately one decade prior to the First Battle of Geonosis, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas secretly contacted Kamino and commissioned a clone army to be bred for the Galactic Republic,^[12] in the guise of a request from the Galactic Senate.^[3] This happened due to Sifo-Dyas' premonition that a great conflict was going to start in the near future. In secret, the fallen Jedi Count Dooku,^[12] under his given Sith name Tyranus, hired the Mandalorian Jango Fett on one of the moons of Bogden^[3] as the clone template for the Kaminoans to use.^[12]

Fett would spend most of his time living in Tipoca City with his cloned son, Boba Fett, in their apartment^[3] located in the military complex.^[2] There, Taun We would show Fett the clones being trained, although Fett did not particularly care about their successes.^[11] Fett also taught his "son" Boba how to fish on one of the outside platforms in the city.^[2]

The arrival of Obi-Wan Kenobi[]

"Master Jedi. The Prime Minister is expecting you."
"I'm expected?"
"Of course. He is anxious to meet you. After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming."

―Taun We and Obi-Wan Kenobi^[3]

Kenobi-Visits-Kamino — A quarter of a million clones stood ready for deployment by the time of Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi's arrival in Tipoca City.

Over ten years later, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi traveled to Kamino in search of the individual who killed the bounty hunter Zam Wesell, and the believed mastermind behind the plot to assassinate Senator Padmé Amidala. Kenobi's friend, the Besalisk chef Dexter Jettster, had identified a poisonous saberdart of Kaminoan origin which led Kenobi to find the world.^[3]

Kenobi was greeted by Taun We, who remained oblivious to his confusion at being expected, and brought to Prime Minister Lama Su. Kenobi was told to inform Master Sifo-Dyas that the clone army he requested was in full production, however Sifo-Dyas had been dead for almost a decade. After a brief tour of the complex and witnessing the 200,000 battle-ready units marching in formation, Taun We took Kenobi to Jango Fett, the bounty hunter responsible for the assassination plot, and Zam Wesell's killer. Kenobi subtly interrogated Fett, who gave the information that he had been hired by Tyranus, however Tyranus' true identity was unknown.^[3]

Jango and Boba attempted to escape Tipoca City, but Kenobi intercepted them and they briefly dueled. The Fetts escaped to Geonosis, with Kenobi having placed a homing beacon on the ship's hull.^[3]

Clone Wars[]

An aborted invasion[]

"The destruction of Kamino will stop the production of clones for good."

―Grievous^[13]

Rex inspirational — The invasion of Kamino was stalled by a group of clones who alerted the Republic to the Separatist fleet's location near the Rishi Moon.

With the galaxy on the brink of war between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Grand Master Yoda traveled from Coruscant to Kamino, ultimately taking command of the battle-ready clone units in Tipoca City, many of them going on to participate in the first engagment of what would become known as the Clone Wars.^[3] During the early days of the Clone Wars, the Separatists planned to attack the cloning facilities of Kamino in an effort to hinder the Republic's war effort. However, the attack was thwarted by the efforts of the novice clones of Domino Squad, including CT-1409 "Echo," CT-5555 "Fives," and CT-782 "Hevy," who were serving in an outpost on the Rishi Moon.^[13] At some point prior to this, Jedi Master and High Council member Shaak Ti was appointed to oversee the training of cadets before they could become full-fledged troopers, assisted by contracted bounty hunters Bric and El-Les. Ti's care for the clones as living beings clashed with the Kaminoan leadership, who viewed them as property and did not understand the Jedi's spiritual beliefs and compassion. Lama Su also raised the issue of Jango Fett's death during the opening stages of the war, forcing the Kaminoan scientists to stretch his remaining DNA samples and resulting in imperfections or irregularities with certain clones, advising the Jedi to consider finding a new genetic template.^[9]

The assault on Tipoca City[]

"All is ready, General."
"Good. We will attack Tipoca City first."

―Asajj Ventress and Grievous^[6]

TridentDrills-ARCT — Tipoca City continued to produce clone troopers throughout the Clone Wars, making it a strategic target in the galactic conflict.

Despite the Republic's initial success in protecting the Kaminoan cloning facilities from a direct attack,^[13] the Separatists remained committed to shutting down the production of clone troopers in Tipoca City.^[6] In 21 BBY,^[14] the Battle of Kamino commenced with a space battle between the Confederacy of Independent Systems Navy and the Galactic Republic Navy, commanded respectively by General Grievous and Admiral Wullf Yularen, while Asajj Ventress infiltrated Tipoca City with the support of Trident-class assault ships.^[6]

Jedi Generals Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Shaak Ti were the leading Jedi in the Republic's defense of Tipoca City. Kenobi discovered Ventress' hidden assault ships, and they attacked the city shortly after, drilling into Tipoca City's domes, allowing battle droids to enter the city. Clone Commander "Colt" was among the earliest casualties, dying at the hands of Ventress. Her objective was to retrieve a sample of clone DNA, while Grievous attacked the clone barracks.^[6]

Despite the Separatists' coordinated efforts to overrun the Republic garrison, Tipoca City's defenses held and Ventress was unable to escape with Fett's DNA samples, which the clones recovered while during the assassin's lightsaber duel with Skywalker. Meanwhile, another duel took place between Grievous and Kenobi, and Shaak Ti led a group of troopers to defend Tipoca City's main hangar. Skywalker and Kenobi were able to force their opponents to retreat to a flight pod. The final assault ships were destroyed, and the Confederacy retreated from Tipoca City. Though the battle had caused considerable damage to the city, the cloning infrastructure remained intact and Tipoca City would continue to produce and train clones for the remainder of the war.^[6]

Secrets on Kamino[]

"Listen, we aren't equipped for this type of situation. He'll have to be taken back to Kamino. Only then will you have your answer."

―Kix, referring to Tup^[15]

EpGuide602 — CT-5385 was taken to Tipoca City as part of an investigation in the killing of a Jedi General.

During the Battle of Ringo Vinda, CT-5385 "Tup" suffered what appeared to be a mental breakdown and murdered Jedi General Tiplar,^[15] which was attributed to a premature activation of Order 66 in the inhibitor chip in Tup's brain.^[16] Unable to diagnose Tup's symptoms, clone medic CT-6116 "Kix" advised the Jedi to send Tup to Kamino^[15] where he could be examined by the the scientists in Tipoca City, including Doctor Nala Se who designed the clones as Kamino's Chief Medical Scientist. The ARC trooper Fives accompanied Tup on his return to Kamino, and was instructed by Shaak Ti to remain in Tipoca City while the Kaminoans ascertained the cause of Tup's actions at Ringo Vinda.^[16]

Fives and Tup were separated while the medical droid AZI-3 operated on Tup. Shaak Ti, still stationed on Kamino, wished to perform an atomic brain scan on Tup. However, Nala Se wanted to terminate and perform an autopsy. Se reported to the Prime Minister, who then both secretly reported to Count Dooku. They discussed the real reason Tup killed Tiplar, which was a premature activation of Clone Protocol 66. Dooku then ordered them to terminate the clone, perform an autopsy and give the inhibitor chip to him.^[16]

Meanwhile, Fives convinced AZI-3 that his duty to save a patient overrode all orders, and so they performed an atomic brain scan on Tup, discovering a "tumor" which was in fact the inhibitor chip. Nala Se denounced AZI-3's claim, and referred to the chip as a virus. AZI-3 extracted the chip, Tup woke up, and only a few moments later died after declaring a mission in their dreams to be a nightmare. The chip was then ordered by Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine to be sent to the Grand Republic Medical Facility for analysis.^[16] However, before this could happen, Fives and AZI-3 switched the sample out with another.^[8]

The plot behind Order 66[]

"Wait. What are you doing? I thought we were escaping."
"Nope. This is a diversion. I need them to chase this pod while we go back and investigate the cause of Tup's death."

―AZI-3 and Fives^[8]

EpGuide603 — CT-5555 conducted his own investigation of CT-5385's actions, leading to a confrontation with Tipoca City's security force.

Fives and AZI-3 continued to sneak around Tipoca City, where AZI-3 made the discovery that the "tumor" in Tup's brain was not in fact a tumor, but rather an implant. Nala Se and Shaak Ti continued their hunt for the fugitives, catching them in the Genetic Records Hall; however, they escaped into a maze of emergency access tunnels. Later, there was a confrontation in the city, where Fives and AZI-3 discovered that all of the clones had the chips implanted in them. Fives revealed to Nala Se and Shaak Ti that he had the chip removed, which AZI-3 backed up by showing them the chip.^[8]

Shaak Ti had Fives taken to Coruscant, where he could recount his story to Chancellor Palpatine. Nala Se protested, but Shaak Ti's orders stood.^[8] While on Coruscant, Fives attacked the Chancellor, who revealed his involvement in the conspiracy behind the chips, and a planet-wide manhunt for Fives took place, ending in the clone's death.^[17] Not long after his death, Order 66 was activated in the clone troopers, which resulted in the almost complete extinction of the Jedi Order.^[18]

Rise of the Empire[]

"I heard they shut down the facilities on Kamino. They'll train up the last batch of clones and that's it."

―"Ding"^[19]

Coruscant-shock-troopers — In the wake of Order 66, the Republic stationed a detachment of Coruscant Guard shock troopers in Tipoca City.

Following the initial execution of Order 66 against the Jedi, a contingent of clone shock troopers was sent to Kamino. Security was also tightened across the planet as even Republic Military personnel were required to provide clearance codes before gaining entry past Kamino's defense perimeter. Clone Sergeant "Hunter," the commanding officer of Clone Force 99, was surprised to see the Coruscant Guard in Tipoca City. A mandatory assembly was held in Tipoca City's staging area where the clones and their creators gathered to witness the Supreme Chancellor's speech. With the Clone Wars ended through the destruction of Grievous on Utapau, and the Jedi accused of treason and consequently purged from the galaxy, Palpatine declared himself Galactic Emperor. With the exception of Clone Force 99, the clones in Tipoca City celebrated the Emperor's announcement of the Republic's reformation as the First Galactic Empire.^[4]

KaminoansandClones-WM — The Empire removed all essential personnel and viable clones from Tipoca City after terminating Kamino's contracts.

Rumors began to spread throughout clone ranks that the Empire would stop cloning new troopers.^[19] After extensive experiments with human recruits in secretive Imperial military installations, the Empire decided that the clone army and their creators had served their purpose and terminated all contracts with the Kaminoan government. Lama Su and Nala Se, who had been growing increasingly concerned for the future of Kamino under the Empire, resolved to secretly gather medical personnel and flee the planet to resume operations elsewhere. However, their plot was discovered by Vice Admiral Edmon Rampart before it could come to fruition. Nala Se was taken into secure custody, as her scientific expertise still held some value to the Empire, whilst Lama Su was detained for treason.^[20]

The operation on Kamino continued as planned with the facilities being shut down; the cloning technology fell under the direct control of the Empire, and the remaining active clones were reassigned offworld. In addition, the facility's droids were deactivated and the Kaminoan personnel were forcibly removed or terminated if they resisted. As a result, Tipoca City was largely cleared of all but a few straggling personnel by the time Clone Force 99 arrived to rescue Hunter,^[21] who had been captured on Daro.^[20] He had been brought to the decommissioned facility of Tipoca City in an attempt to lure and trap his remaining brethren. Using knowledge gained from her time as Nala Se's assistant, Omega was able to guide the others to a secret landing platform and tube transport system that connected to a secret research lab not on the official schematics. From there, they rescued Hunter and incapacitated their former teammate CT-9904 "Crosshair," who had remained loyal to the Empire.^[21]

TipocaCitySinks-KL — The shutdown of the clones production on Kamino resulted in the destruction of Tipoca City.

However, all remaining Imperial personnel had been withdrawn from the city and Rampart, on the orders of Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, had the city bombarded by a trio of Venator-class Star Destroyers. The intense barrage of turbolaser fire quickly laid waste to the complex, tearing into its dome structures, shattering walkways and platforms and eventually destroying several of the stilts holding it up, causing the burning ruins of Tipoca City to sink into Kamino's raging oceans with Clone Force 99 still trapped within.^[21] With Omega's guidance, the group managed to make their way back into the secret research lab and escape, by stowing themselves in growth jars and allowing them to float to the surface.^[22] In time, the original clones' fighting ability deteriorated due to their advanced aging process.^[23]

Inhabitants[]

The millions of Kaminoans who lived and worked in the city were either affiliated with the cloning industry or the government, as there was no public space within the massive domes. The two professions were closely interlinked, with the government overseeing the cloning space. Homes and recreation were only located in satellite cities nearby Tipoca. Cities like Tipoca were built with materials and construction droids from off-world suppliers. Repair work and construction occurred in a lull between the planet's rainy seasons.^[2]

Behind the scenes[]

"George described this as a planet consumed by storms but with very high-tech, sophisticated cities built on stilts. That image was very appealing, since I've always liked the striking image of oil derricks in the North Atlantic. When I was painting, I was trying to capture that mood where there's a break in the weather and a shaft of sunlight is highlighting the city, but the rain and winds are still powerful."

―Doug Chiang, on the first production painting of Tipoca City^[24]

Tipoca-City-concept — Concept art of Tipoca City by Doug Chiang

Tipoca City was created for the 2002 prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, where it first appeared.^[3] Conceptual designs for the city were created by Erik Tiemens, Doug Chiang, Edwin Natividad, Kurt Kaufman, and Marc Gabbana, and Gabbana, Natividad, and Iain McCaig created concept art for the city's cloning facility. Director George Lucas's earliest concepts for the "cloning world" included a high-tech, sophisticated city perched on stilts above a stormy sea. The first production painting, created by Chiang, was intended to capture the essence of oil derricks in the North Atlantic, with sunlight breaking through the weather while the rain and winds remained powerful. Gabbana's sketches resembled Chiang's idea of oil rigs, but scaled them up to the size of New York City to emphasize the space and give a sense of danger.^[24]

Tipoca-Tiemens-Concept — A conceptual design by Erik Tiemens

For Natividad's work on an exterior image, in order to capture Kamino's elemental force, he recalled the waves of Hawai'i, where he had a home, and production paintings of storms for other films such as The Perfect Storm. He drew the city structures themselves as slick, flying saucer-like buildings, a callback to a retro style. The art for the establishing shot of the city was a computer painting created in Painter by Tiemens, and was one of six of his digital concept paintings created as variations on Chiang's original concept. The shot design concepts of both Tiemens and Ryan Church emphasized the stormy atmosphere that surrounded Tipoca City, with the images dominated by the roiling sea and thick mist, making even more dramatic the breaks in the clouds and the sunlight on the waves. This also demonstrated the indomitable will and incredible intelligence of the Kaminoans, with their stilted city structures amongst the stormy waters proving they were in control.^[24]