So this has been a question that I’ve seen a few times, and a lot of fix-it fics and general speculation has come up to address it, but I wanted to take the time to answer this question with actual SW Legends canon.
Was a cure ever developed for the clone army’s accelerated aging?
Short answer: Yes there was !! Woo! And the best part? Its development was by a clone trooper, for other clone troopers.
Null ARC Trooper Lieutenant, N-7, Lt. Mereel, synthesized a “cure” after several years of research, work, and the assistance of an ex-separatist geneticist, war criminal, and freed POW Dr. Oovolot Qail Uthan.
Please note: this isn’t to prevent you from writing your own fic or developing your own headcanons. I just wanted to provide a resource post for all of you who want to pull directly from Legends canon or use as a starting point. Under the cut will be literally everything you need to know about it.
Also note: there was a nod to the virus in question on The Clone Wars show. Depending on who you ask, this indicates the potential for a cure having been canon, if they ever do decide to pursue that route.
Back when Legends was known as the Expanded Universe, Null ARC Trooper Lieutenant, N-7, Lt. Mereel Skirata, developed a treatment via gene therapy (by viral vector) to undo the accelerated again done by the Kaminoans through genetic engineering (which was done by non-viral methods).
How does Dr. Uthan fit in? Well, at the start of The Clone Wars she had begun design of a viral bioweapon aimed to attack clone troopers only — and the way the bioweapon knew how to only attack clone troopers was by isolating the genetic markers that accelerated aging. Using her pathogen and Lt. Mereel’s research, they took what was meant to kill all clone troopers and instead give them a chance at life.
Listen, if that’s not poignant and poetic ??
First you have a clone trooper risking everything to save his brothers, and is eventually successful. He literally studied genetics and became a hotshot geneticist over the course of 4 years (or so) in order to do the impossible.
Second you have what was a PROMISE OF DEATH turned into a CHANCE AT A FULL LIFE !!
“Why didn’t I hear about this ?? Why wasn’t it distributed to the rest of the army??” You might be asking. Well, ask no more!
Simple answer: Because the “cure” wasn’t successfully developed and tested until at least six months to one year after Order 66, and because it was developed in secret by an ex-Republic Black Ops group who went AWOL just before Order 66, distribution was (understandably) limited.
The long answer goes under the cut, and will detail the how / when / why / what of the “cure’s” development, machinations, Lt. Mereel’s contributions, and everything you need to know so you don’t have to read the series it’s from if you don’t want to / don’t have the time / etc.
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