The relative quiet of the Conqueror's Star's bridge was deceptive. In Julius's mind, the gears were turning at full speed. Stellar maps were displayed, showing dozens of systems now marked with his empire's seal. But every new secured world, every established outpost, stretched his forces a little thinner.
"Our numbers are a problem, Data," Julius declared, breaking the silence. "Terran Marines are effective, but their production isn't infinite. And every world we add to our sphere of influence requires a garrison, patrols. We will dilute ourselves until we become ineffective."
"A correct analysis, Commander," the android replied. "The current expansion rate exceeds our capacity for producing sophisticated biological units. The free peoples, like Veridian, are not yet ready to provide significant contingents without compromising their own development and loyalty."
Julius stood and walked to the viewport overlooking space. "I do not wish to be a warlord who plunders his own subjects to fuel his wars. Their loyalty must come from prosperity, not fear. But I need soldiers. Cannon fodder, perhaps, but reliable and inexhaustible cannon fodder."
The concept had been maturing in him for some time. Clones. A standardized, obedient army, produced on an assembly line. It wasn't glorious, but it was pragmatic. And in the merciless galaxy of the 41st millennium, pragmatism was a supreme virtue.
"System," he announced mentally. "Search for solutions for the mass production of loyal biological military units. Priority on reliability and scalability."
The System menu opened, shifting away from weapons and vehicles to focus on biology and logistics. And it found exactly what he was looking for.
[Kaminoan Cloning Complex - Universe: Star Wars]
< Description: A planetary facility dedicated to mass cloning. Includes the stilted cities, accelerated growth centers, genetic material banks, and integrated training programs.>
< Capacity: Production of millions of clone units per standard cycle. Can be modified for various genetic strains and skill profiles.>
< Prerequisites: Oceanic planet with a stable atmosphere (preferably stormy).>
< Cost: 2,000,000 energy units.>
Two million points. It was the highest price he had ever paid. But it was the price of an eternal army.
"Find me a planet matching the prerequisites in our controlled sectors," he ordered Data.
A few seconds were enough. "The Nemesis-9 system. The third planet is an oceanic world, designated 'Abyss'. Nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere, permanent cloud cover, intense storm activity. No signatures of intelligent life."
"Perfect. Set course for Abyss."
The journey was short. When the Conqueror's Star emerged from hyperspace, a blue and white sphere, streaked with monstrous cyclones, appeared. Sensors confirmed the total absence of landmass, only a global and furious ocean.
"Entering the atmosphere," an officer announced. "Turbulence will be extreme."
The giant ship penetrated the cloud layer. Immediately, it was shaken by violent winds. Lightning crackled against the shields, illuminating the dark clouds with blinding flashes. It was perfect chaos, a furnace where nothing natural could survive. The ideal place to hide the secret of his army.
As the ship stabilized its flight above the raging waves, Julius took a deep breath. The time had come.
"System. Purchase and deploy the Kaminoan Cloning Complex on the planet Abyss."
< Consumption of 2,000,000 energy units.>
< Deployment in progress...>
What happened next surpassed anything Julius had ever seen. It wasn't a simple flash of light. The ocean's surface, over hundreds of square kilometers, began to boil. Whitened, slender, organic structures emerged from the depths, defying the waves and winds. Entire cities on stilts, connected by elegant bridges and transparent tubes, sprang from nothingness. Gleaming geodesic domes, surely housing the growth laboratories, formed. Bolts of pure energy, channeled by the System, sculpted matter and organic material with divine precision.
In less than ten minutes, where there had been only a wild ocean, now stood a technological megalopolis, a masterpiece of genetic and architectural engineering, seeming almost natural in this stormy landscape.
< [Kaminoan Cloning Complex] operational.>
< Initial genetic material bank: "Standard Terran Soldier" profile (based on Marine DNA).>
< First accelerated growth cycle initiated. ETA: 7 standard days.>
< Estimated strength of the first cohort: 1,000,000 units.>
One million soldiers. In one week. And this was only the beginning.
Julius watched the white city defy the storms. He felt no remorse, no triumph. Only a cold satisfaction. He had just crossed a threshold. He was no longer just a commander, a founder, or a psyker. He was now a manufacturer of men. The master of life and death on an industrial scale.
"Data," he said, his voice calmer than ever. "Establish a secure link with the complex. Program the first training modules. And find me a name for them. They will not be numbers. They will be the Legion."
The Abyssal Legion was born. A human tide, created to conquer the stars in the name of Julius Braveheart. The era of manpower limitations was over.