Star Wars: Rogue Knight II Return Of The Sith

=RK=

Part 7

Audience Chamber

Royal Palace

Theed

Naboo

The reception my party received was a mixed bag. Queen Neeyutnee and her court were quite happy to see me. Their emotions surged in waves of relief and gratitude mixed with fear for their people and weariness. Many of the guests on the other hand radiated distrust, greed and despair. They saw an opportunity in my arrival, a threat too. The more patriotic ones were terrified for their worlds though I couldn't judge if it was merely the fear of an invasion or the knowledge that right now the Separatists had a free rein in their homes. Others felt much more tangible and understandable fear – that for their very lives with Confed forces fighting within the city.

The audience chamber was a delicious head-spinning cauldron of emotions that by itself would be enough to make me drunk with power if I let it. Beside me, Tarkin felt a tingle of apprehension – he knew precisely what hinged on this meeting and wasn't confident we could get away with making any useful deal. I shared his sentiments. Diplomacy was usually a very s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e and time-consuming process. A single first meeting – that was nothing but a way to judge the other side. If left in the hands of the diplomats, it would usually be between low level functionaries and the only outcome would be deciding the avenue of a real meeting and if lucky hammering the most relevant details to make a proper summit possible.

There were other, more direct ways to execute diplomacy. It usually meant one side held significantly more power and wasn't afraid to utilise it. I was familiar with that kind. Used it in the past to great effect. Technically that was the case today too. Military speaking, Naboo and everyone in the region were kriffed without Republic aid. Yet, we were cut from our military logistics network, which meant that sooner than later our sh.i.p.s might turn into useless slabs of metal drifting through space. We needed raw resources, ammo, replacement parts, fuel... the list went on and on.

Even combined, the politicians gathered in this room couldn't give us what we needed to continue operating in this region of space with more than a fraction of the fleets gathered above Naboo. With many of their worlds occupied or contested, the situation was even worse. We were going to be in impasse – I knew that while Tigellinus was halfway through his summary of the situation. The politicians would want me to liberate and secure their worlds. They would demand it and if I refused at least some of them would seek alternative arrangements and the only alternative was the enemy.

The issue was as things stood I simply couldn't do what they needed. At best we could kick the Separatists from their worlds but by that by itself would simply put my fleet in untenable position while even shorter on supplies. Once the Confederacy rallied they would be able to defeat us in detail. That was the reality of the situation. At least few other people in the room knew it, yet they needed me to pull off another miracle otherwise whatever support they still had for the Republic would evaporate.

Why the kriff did I have to end in this bloody future?!

None of my musings showed on my face – I kept a blank mask on and when I came in front of the throne where the Queen sat, I respectfully bowed.

"Queen Neeyutnee, it's an honour to meet you again, your majesty. I'm relieved to find Naboo still holding." I spoke in a relieved tone, playing for the public.

"The honour is ours, general Veil. You're always welcome on Naboo after the services you did to our people." The Queen spoke in a regal tone. The small smile she flashed me appeared to be genuine. "We're relieved to see the rumours of your dead at Kamino are wrong. Yet, duty demands we request answers, dear general. What happened at Kamino?"

The crowd, which had been whispered furiously from the moment I entered was suddenly deadly silent. Everyone was closely scrutinizing me and straining to hear what explanation I was going to give. It was a very good thing I had a cover story crafted and rehearsed with everyone who survived Kamino. The only dissenter was Shaak Ti, who fumed in the recesses of my mind.

It was time to play for the public. I cast down my eyes and placed a picture of deep, heart-wrenching regret on my face. My shoulders slumped a bit and I began speaking in an emotional voice:

"Treason most foul, your majesty." I let a bit of anger enter my voice. "We were betrayed at Kamino. When I arrived, the world was on the verge of falling. Jedi strike teams spearheaded the Separatist invasion of Tipoka city. The few loyalists Jedi attempted to stop the tide but failed. When I led a counter-attack, Masters Rancisis and Shaak Ti attempted to assassinate me."

Murmurs of confusion, disbelief and even hatred erupted all around me.

"While I survived the encounter, the battle was time consuming and exhausting. There simply weren't enough ground forces with the task force I led to Kamino to stem the tide. By the time I defeated the traitors, Tipoka was on the verge of being overran." I sighed. "Giving the order to abandon the city and evacuate everyone who could reach a transport was one of the hardest things I've done in my life." I spoke and thanks to the Force my voice rang with the truth.

I ignored the increasingly louder murmurs and the odd shout of denial. The atmosphere in the chamber became thick with anticipation and building anger.

"The evacuation was still in progress when I returned to my Flagship and ordered area denial strikes against vital infrastructure that had to be denied to the Separatist. They couldn't be allowed to capture intact Kamino's cloning facilities or data-banks with strategic Republic intelligence. While the fleet positioned to execute said order, I used my ability of Battle Meditation to coordinate my forces and help not only more people to evacuate but hold the orbitals for as long as possible because by that point our defensive lines in space were collapsing." I let another sight and let my face wrench with real pain as I recalled experiencing the death of billions. "That was a mistake." I ground out showing the anger I felt - at feeling Bo die just before my arrival at Kamino. I paused to gather my thoughts or so it seemed. It was mostly for effect so the tension could build up even higher.

"What happened, general?" Queen Neeyutnee asked gently.

"The Jedi assaulting Kamino had a counter-measure prepared for my Battle Meditation." I admitted in a pain-wrenched voice. "Less than a minute after I utilized my ability, just after the surgical strikes at vital infrastructure commenced, the Jedi traitors unleashed it." I closed my eyes and put an agonized mask on my face. "It nearly drove me insane along with everyone I was influencing through my Battle Meditation. All my soldiers could do was roughly follow the last orders they got. I felt everyone dying on Kamino, the people connected to me did the same and then the bombardment hit. By the time I could regain a semblance of control Kamino was a dead world suffering shot after shot from gunners who could do nothing but press the trigger while their minds were flayed. The fleet was in tatters and the only thing we could do was flee while the Separatists pressed their advantage. It took us weeks to escape pursuit and mentally recover enough to risk another engagement. That's when we made our way to Eriadu for resupply and repairs." I finished my tale.

The chamber exploded in angry shouts, stunned exclamations and cries for justice. Some wanted my head on a pike, others were horrified and supportive. There were opportunists seeing a golden chance, people who were infuriated at another act of treason by the Jedi and most notably – a sheen of fear and disgust at what happened to us at Kamino.

I had to fight not to show the mirth I was experiencing. Putting a believable story in people's minds for Kamino was one my most important goals here and that at least seemed to be successful enough.

"I can confirm that every word general Veil just told you is the truth." Tarkin spoke in a haunted voice. "We all felt everyone on Kamino die. Every death of our comrades in space as the Separatist tore into our fleets while we were incapacitated. I don't know what exactly the Jedi did but one moment we were doing our best to stop the enemy, then..." Wilhuff trailed off. "Something tore open in our minds. We could feel everyone dying. If it wasn't for the general I have know for sure we all would have gone insane."

"Dear general, you have our condolences and support." Queen Neeyutnee spoke from her heart. "Whatever Naboo could do for you and your people, consider it done."

"You have my sincere thanks, your majesty." I made sure that my voice hitched with emotion. "Your kindness and that of your people won't be forgotten."

Now it was time for the hard part. How the kriff was I supposed to ensure that these people would continue supporting the Republic for the time being? Or perhaps I should make sure that they didn't. For all I knew the Republic was a lame duck. I had no faith in the Senate doing what had to be done to win without Palpatine keeping a tight rein on them. What should I do then? For the time being not only I but my people back on Mandalore needed the Republic.

This was going to suck.

=RK=

Part 8

Audience chamber

Royal Palace

Theed

Naboo

My palms tingled in anticipation when I imagined frying every single politician surrounding me. Their screams would be delicious and I would show no mercy. The Dark Side edged me on with promises of power and never again dealing with such pathetic excuses of sentient beings.

It was bloody tempting to unleash my power and turn the whole chamber into a tomb. Paint the walls red too while I was at it. It would do wonders for my fraying nerves.

Instead, I continued to keep my expression carefully blank.

"It's mighty convenient is all am saying." Representative Zurch, who was chosen to speak for those who managed to escape from Alassa Major shrugged and gave me an oily smile. Through the Force the man felt like a bit of oozing slime. He reminded me of one of Baras' more irritating minions. "Only a Jedi might be able to confirm what the general told us about Kamino, however all Jedi present there either died or turned traitor. It's suspicious, not to mention convenient."

"We all got the transmission from Coruscant about the Jedi Treason!" Someone shouted from the back of the crowd filling up the chamber.

"A GAR officer no one has heard of. We haven't received a single transmission from the Senate or the new Chancellor – if Palpatine is indeed dead." Zurch continued to stir trouble. "Surely by now the Senate must have elected a new chancellor. Their silence is foreboding."

I mentally debated the merits of chocking the life out of him in front of everyone. Back in the day doing so would have been expected, necessary even to show I hadn't gone suddenly soft. Here and now? I had to talk with the worm. It was utterly frustrating.

"That's correct, representative." Instead, of murdering the kriff out of him, I gave him something that might be mistaken for a genuine smile. "Thank you for reminding us all that we're currently cut off from the Republic."

My words caused a lot of dark grumbling.

"What are you going to do about it, general?" Prime Minister Sloan from Ryndellia demanded.

He was one of those who seemingly bought my story, yet were antagonistic anyway. His actions were opportunistic, cowardly yet my read on him told me the man was a patriot. Ryndellia lacked the forces to keep the Separatist out of their world if they came knocking so he pulled out as much of their small army along with the navy and came here, to "make a difference". There was a reason why Tigellinus confided he had placed those forces in such positions that they could be easily taken apart if they turned on the Republic. Sloan wanted to have his cake and eat it too – a commendable attitude, however in the current situation it wasn't likely to work.

"A very good question, Prime Minister!" I graced the man with my best smile. "I'll be honest with you all. Before arriving at Naboo my plans were to gather as many of the surviving Republic forces here as practical and continue making my way to the Core. At best if there was a significant friendly presence still holding out, I might have reinforcing it before going on my way with the bulk of the fleet."

My words were met with a few seconds of silence before the chamber erupted in indignant screams. Accusations of cowardice, treason and cries cursing the Republic did their best to deafen me. Beside me, Tarkin g.r.o.a.n.e.d. I had the feeling that he was ready to face-palm at my blunt admission.

Almost all the leaders and ambassadors were infuriated by my words. There were just a handful of people who while angry took a moment or two to think about why I chose such course of action. The Queen had a frown on her painted face but kept her temper in check. Apparently in her book I earned the benefit of the doubt when I brought back the key ingredient for the Blue Shadow cure.

I fought the temptation to use the Force to silence the chaos but thought better of it. I couldn't afford to antagonize those people too much if I wanted to achieve something constructive in here. I kept telling myself that the option to abandon this bunch and had for the Core was still very much on the table and damn the long term consequences. I wondered if those fools would force my hand anyway.

"That's enough!" Neeyutnee's voice snapped like a whip. "We will have you behave as the a.d.u.l.t sentients you are!" Her voice thundered around the chamber no doubt made louder by equipment built in her throne.

The Queen earned herself more than a few glares and some unflattering muttering, yet her guests began quieting down.

"Good." Neeyutnee nodded in satisfaction once the noise was down to tolerable level. "General Veil, please explain your reasoning."

"I'll be blunt, your majesty. I'm no diplomat accustomed to fencing with words." I turned around to look over the gathered people and pointed at them. "I'll tell you a truth. One you all know, though it's not pretty, nor diplomatic. As long as we're cut off from the industry and manpower in the Core, your worlds and people are of little consequence for the outcome of the war. The Republic sh.i.p.s that admiral Tigellinus managed to amass above Naboo, the magnificent defence of this system he carried over the course of the last month – they won't be relevant for long. Those sh.i.p.s that kept the Separatist for harming Naboo even worse, the same sh.i.p.s and crews who fought and died to keep the enemy's attention away from your worlds, they need supplies. Ammunition, parts and fuel. Replacement crews for the casualties suffered in defence of Chomel and the surrounding sectors."

"It is a hard cold universe we live in." Tarkin stepped beside me. "Some of you know me. I've warned the people of Eriadu and our neighbours that a storm was coming. Most refused to listen. All the preparations we did, all the sh.i.p.s and defences we managed to built, they helped true. However, if it wasn't for general Veil fighting his way through hundreds of enemy sh.i.p.s to come relieve us, Eriadu would have fallen. If it wasn't for him, I would have died at Kamino along with the fleet that just broke the siege of Naboo. Even as I wear this uniform..." Tarkin rapped his knuckles over his heart just below the ribbons signifying his rank and notable medals, "I can't help it but feel resentful towards the Republic. If it wasn't for Republic sh.i.p.s and crews fighting and dying at Eriadu, my home would be occupied. If it wasn't for them fighting like demons at Kamino, I would have died there. Yet, the very fact those sacrifices were necessary and that many more must be done before we could enjoy peace once again, proves that there's something terribly wrong with the Republic."

I nodded in an obvious agreement while my mind spun. We didn't have any time to plan how to handle this mess. We really couldn't because we were flying mostly blind, yet time was against us. Today I needed to know if something could be done about these people and their worlds or should I be preparing to abandon Naboo. The Separatists would recover soon. Unless we overestimated their numbers in the region, they could still concentrate potentially overwhelming force against us. Win or lose fighting it would confine me to this part of the galaxy because after that I doubted I would have enough sh.i.p.s left to reach friendly space to the galactic east.

Still, the question remained. What was Tarkin thinking? This wasn't the place to openly criticise the Republic... or was it? Many of those people justifiably felt abandoned. The Republic couldn't protect them and the navy simply left instead of fighting for most of their words. Oh, it was the right military decision, there was no doubt about it. Even if they believed in that fact, I knew they would find it hard to care, especially those whose home-worlds were under Separatist occupation.

"The Republic abandoned us!" The Hegemon, what's-his-name, snapped. "What's the use of the Republic when during the first war it finds itself in living memory it abandons us?! I don't care if you have good reasons for it! They might be good for the Core, for the Republic as a whole, but they certainly aren't good enough for my people who are suffering while we waste time talking!"

That was surprising. For all intents and purposes the man was supposed to be a dictator if I interpreted Tigellinus words about him right. However, he was an autocrat who actually appeared to care about his people – I could feel it in the way he spoke. He wasn't pissed off because his seat of power was taken from him. He was afraid about his subjects. While not exactly uncommon, most dictators I've dealt with in the past seldom cared about the bulk of their people though the majority of the successful ones could fake it very well in public.

"It did. We knew what would happen. We knew that those we left without protection to the dubious mercy of the Separatists would hate us for it and would give kriff all about our reasons." I admitted. That gained me even more nasty looks and curses. "We at GAR High Command at the time knew all of that, knew we would take the blame but did it anyway. It wasn't because we enjoy failing in our duty. We simply couldn't do anything else."

"Do remember that the Grand Army was created as a response to Separatist aggression. The army and navy aren't to blame for the situation we are all in. They're the ones fighting and dying to keep us all safe." Tarkin said emphatically. There was something in the way he spoke that garnered everyone's attention. The man never struck me as a charismatic, yet right now he had everyone focusing on him with no effort at all. Damn, the man was a gem. I couldn't believe my luck that he was at Kamino so I could bind him to me.

"All we hear are excuses!" A guild-master from Heth snapped.

"You know, you're right." Tarkin agreed. "All I can give you are excuses for people who aren't here. Many of them I haven't even met. You want someone to blame? You need not look farther than Coruscant. The Senate created this mess. Chancellor Palpatine did his best to fix as many of the problems the Republic has as he could yet... Sheev Palpatine was one of the few men who earned my deepest respect. However, he was just a man just you and me. He couldn't produce enough miracles to fix centuries worth of problems. I can poetically wax to you how the Republic could do no wrong but we on the Mid Rim know better. You'll know such lies for what they are. May I ask you something, Prime Minster, Hegemon, why not all of you?" Tarkin looked earnestly at the crowd. "What would you have us do to protect your words? Can you change the way the galaxy works? Can you give us enough supplies so once we've secured your systems our sh.i.p.s would be able to resist a separatist counter-attack?"

"You know they can't!" Zurch sneered.

"You know that how?" I asked mildly. "I don't know if they can or can't do it. Do you know better than those who actually world the words in this region of space?" My voice was pleasant and friendly but for some reason Zurch became the colour of puke. Who the hell chose him as a representative and why? Was he a distraction?

"As loath I am to admit it, he's right." The ambassador from Rintone spoke for the first time. Until now she simply kept quiet and observed the show. "Even together we would be unable to keep supplying admiral Tigellinus' fleet to the extent we've been doing it so far for much longer. You brought a whole armada with you, general. We simply lack the assets to supply you too. Admiral Tarkin, do you have a suggestion? I'm familiar with you enough to know you wouldn't point out the obvious without some kind of solution or was just that in hope someone here knew something you didn't?"

"A bit of both, madam ambassador." Tarkin bowed politely. "I can't say I have a solution. Nor a plan. However, I do have the beginning of an idea. Are you willing to hear me?"

"What's the use? You're going to run to the Core the first chance you get." Zurch sneered.

"You're right. Unless we find some kind of solution for our supply situation I would have no choice but plan my immediate departure for the Core along with most of the Republic sh.i.p.s in this system. Admiral Tarkin, can you give me an acceptable alternative? Can any of you?" I asked. "If not... I'm in the same boat as you. Mandalore depends on the Republic. The fleet under my command might make enough of a difference if I manage to bring it back to the Core."

There was a lot of muttering, again. This time some of it was surprising. Apparently some people forgot that I was Mandalore, not just another Republic general.

What was Tarkin cooking up in that crooked mind of his?

=RK=

Interlude

"For decades now, we've all heard and read speculations about the Separatist's Grand Offensive that ended one phase of the Clone Wars. The most talked about event is the Jedi Coup launched on Coruscant. Many speculate how a different outcome of the Coup or even its absence would have changed the war. The appeal is clear – in a conflict spanning the width and breadth of the galaxy there are seldom single events that could significantly influence the outcome of such a war.

The Jedi Coup is one such occasion. The primary speculations about it centre around three main premises:

1. The Jedi remaining loyal, which has the potential for the greatest impact.

2. The Coup is discovered before it launches and Chancellor Palpatine orders Order 66 executed pre-emptively.

3. The Coup goes on as OTL, yet the Chancellor survives the assassination attempt that claimed his life.

We'll begin with a summary of the most likely outcomes of the first scenario – best and worst scenarios alike.

Without the Jedi Coup, the first big change in the timeline is obvious. The Clones aren't confused by conflicting orders that they were bred to obey. Admiral Yularen is able to bring the Republic Strategic Reserve in play at Corellia.

Then what?

Some would tell you that the fleets' admiral Trench of the Confederacy brought to bear against the Republic are crushed in short order. Next comes Kamino – without a coup, there's no assassination attempt on general Veil by Jedi Masters Rancisis and Shaak Ti. He wasn't left exhausted, there was no confusion and traitorous Jedi storming Tipoca city. It's very much possible that general Veil wasn't forced to utilise Battle Meditation at that battle and even if he did, the countermeasure unleashed upon him by the Jedi wouldn't be in play.

Kamino might hold for weeks, may be even months. Perhaps long enough for the Republic to finish her new construction at Corellia and Kuat, get those sh.i.p.s properly integrated in the navy, their crews trained and only then sent into the fray unlikely what had to happen in OTL. Then it's not a stretch of the imagination that an unstoppable tide of Republic sh.i.p.s could fight its way to Naboo, which according to Republic loyalists would have held no matter what, Eriadu and even Kamino. After that the war was supposedly as good as won.

We just outlined the best case scenario – unlikely but certainly possible.

However, many watching the records tend to see the blunders the Separatist did before their Grand Offensive, before the Confederacy Council took power and straightened up their command structure and declare that if only there was no Jedi Coup, victory would be not only inevitable but relatively easy.

Others believe otherwise and paint a different picture. No Jedi Coup. Admiral Yularen arrives to the rescue leading the Republic Strategic Reserve as the cavalry of ancient legend. Then he and Jedi Master Plo Koon crush the dastardly enemy, right?

Those who dedicated any serious time and effort in studying military history would not necessary agree. Ever since the Clone Wars, it's been held as an indisputable fact that Admiral Trench was one of the best the Separatists had. Perhaps the best. He was certainly as good as any Republic commander you wish to name of the era. One thing that people usually forget or dismiss is a very important fact – the Confederacy knew that the Republic had reserves. Roughly their size too and that they would be dispatched the moment it was known where the primary blow was falling – either Corellia or Kuat.

Trench and his colleague planned to reduce Corellia's industry, defeat the forces commanded by Jedi Master Koon and either bloody the Republic reserves before retreating once their job was done or defeat them if the opportunity presented itself. We don't know how such fight would have been resolved for sure, however there were certain wagames played by the Republic, Mandalorians and Empire in the aftermath of the Clone Wars that indicate that either side could have emerged victorious from Corellia. Declassified results show that while the odds of a comprehensive Republic defeat, meaning loss of space-borne industry, Plo Koon's and Yularen's fleets were slim, such an outcome was still possible.

There's one thing that all wargames agree upon – admiral Trench had enough forces in the Corellian system to see the virtual annihilation of the industry, which was his primary strategic goal. How many sh.i.p.s he would have left at the end and what damage he could cause on the opposing fleets would depend on his and his counterparts tactical decisions during the battle.

Right now we're assuming the worst case scenario for the Republic – a bad strategic loss at Corellia. Next, we go to Kamino. General Veil arrives there with a battle group centred upon the Corellian cruiser Freedom and needs to assist the friendly forces there in holding out for as long as possible. Bolstered by their strategic victory at Corellia, the Separatist might very well go all out to capitalise on that success. In order to do that they need to secure their grasp of the Core by eliminating any major threat to their rear areas. Ironically, even a bad loss at Corellia might have a similar effect...

We know what happened after the Burning of Kamino. General Veil retreated with a significant number of surviving sh.i.p.s, laid low until he and his crews could mentally recover and then went to reinforce first Eriadu then Naboo after raiding Darknell. During their flight from Kamino, the survivors were being chased by at least twice their number of Separatist sh.i.p.s which were unavailable for other operations. Here lays the rub – how many of those sh.i.p.s would have died in order to win at Kamino if general Veil, master Rancisis and their GAR counterpart had to stand and fight to the end at Kamino? Would salvage a major part of the Republic forces there be possible without the chaos caused by the Jedi countermeasure for Battle Meditation upon the organic Separatist commanders in system? That's a question with no good answer. Those few who know for sure keep silent to this day. So we have to assume and as in this scenario the Republic isn't particularly lucky, while general Veil might be able to flee with his Flagship the Freedom its unlikely he would be able to salvage enough of a force to matter.

The consequences are obvious – despite Gideon Tarkin's best efforts Eriadu falls in a short order and then admiral Tigellinus is left at Naboo in untenable situation. The Separatists manage to secure most of the galaxy despite suffering significant losses in the process and its questionable if even someone as revered as Chancellor Sheev Palpatine could hold a so crippled Republic together, much less win the war. At the very least we're looking at a divided galaxy between a rump Republic based in the Core and a Confederacy holding most of the galaxy. At best that's a recipe for another war once both sides recover from the conflict.

Most likely, the truth is somewhere between those two extremes. Without the coup, the war would have hinged on the outcome of Corellia, Kamino and what happened to Eriadu and the Mid Rim. There were too many variables to say for certain who would have emerged victorious. What we know is that both sides had a chance to win – depending on how you define victory, no matter if the Jedi launched their coup or not. One thing is certain – without the coup, the political situation would have been different and we might be living in a very different galaxy...

Next we'll examine the best and worst case scenarios if the Jedi Coup was discovered before it could be launched..."

"Speculative history of the Clone Wars"

Noreen K'var, Czerka Publishing House

=RK=

Part 9

Audience Chamber

Royal Palace

Theed

Naboo

I had no idea where Tarkin was going with his train of though. I had no plan about this meeting, only a pair of vague goals. The first was to garner enough reasonable doubt in peoples minds and hearts about what happened at Kamino so I could continue to operate within Republic space without suddenly turning in Public Enemy Number 1. Or perhaps 2 just after the Separatists. That was a marginal success. After all, the politicians gathered here had only my word to go by and Tarkin's support for my version of events. Every member of the fleet I got from Kamino was going to back it up too, but that mattered bot more and less than it might first appear.

For many people in this room it didn't matter if I gave the order to torch Kuat and laughed at the pretty fireworks. There were some who wouldn't care if they knew for sure I felt everyone on the surface die and loved every moment of it. Enough of the people in the audience chamber were either opportunists, self serving bastards or simply desperate enough to deal even with the devil. Some were all of the above or even genuinely good people who were against the wall looking for any way out for their worlds and people.

My second goal here was to see if something could be done so at least some of the worlds in the region would continue to be a bleeding sore in the Separatists side diverting resources from more important fronts. It wasn't nice, it wasn't how I would be presenting it to the locals, but it wasn't like I could do much for them. The logistics simply didn't work. If most of the present leaders decided that discretion was the better part of valour and either attempted to go neutral or threw their lot behind the enemy to avoid Confederate repressions, fighting our way through this region when, not if, we returned to kick the Separatists out would be a bloody affair that would waste too many resources and cause too much damage that had to be fixed later. Suppressing hostile population on former Republic worlds who now hated the Republic that abandoned them wasn't going to be fun. It could certainly be done but if I ended up in charge of the pacification what was left of my reputation would be shot to hell. Someone else might not be able to do what has to be done to secure the region turning large chunks of the Mid Rim into a quagmire.

That would be less than ideal, though depending on what happened on Coruscant since the coup, such a mess might have its benefits. It certainly aided my long term goals of replacing the Republic with something useful. However, I was getting the nagging suspicion that Tarkin was ready to jump the gun and this wasn't the time nor the place to show any division between us. Openly displaying such a weakness would kriff up our position even worse than it was and all but guarantee we wouldn't be able to do anything useful in the time we could afford to spent on Naboo.

Tarkin, what the kriff were you up to?!

Said bastard stood proudly and watched the people surrounding us with an inscrutable expression on his face. He had the unmistakable bearing of Core Nobility despite his family coming from Eriadu. I guess it's been so long that there were places on the Mid Rim that were culturally hardly distinguishable from the old worlds in the Core.

In other aspects, they couldn't be more different. What Tarkin was talking about today, what we discussed back on Eriadu would be anathema for most people in the Core... unless they were part of our little conspiracy with credible promises for money and power.

"Everything general Veil told us today is true to the best of my knowledge. I was at Kamino when the Jedi betrayed us. During his Battle Meditation I could experience his emotions, hear his thoughts. The general shared our agony, he hated experiencing every single death upon that world and there were billions of them. If it wasn't for him we would have died at Kamino. The Separatist fleet that confronted us there would have proceeded to sack and capture Eriadu and then the enemy would have struck Naboo with overwhelming force. Once admiral Tigellinus fleet was either destroyed or forced to retreat, this whole region of space would have been at the enemy's non-existent mercy." The sheer intensity and conviction in Tarkin's voice took me aback. The way he spoke was compelling you to believe him. If I didn't know better I would have thought he used the Force to enhance his voice.

"So? That's what's going to happen when you abandon us again!" A CEO from Heth snapped. "What do you expect us to do? Fight and die for people who don't give a damn about us? Why should we protect the interests of the Core worlds while they scramble to secure Corellia while we're being abandoned?"

Almost everyone agreed. I could hear it in the way they shouted their support. The corona of conflicting emotions surrounding me made their feelings crystal clear. Only a few of them had any use for the Republic right now. They were on the verge of jumping ship and the moment I gave the order to pull back from Naboo we might lose the whole Mid Rim, not just this region of space.

I ran basic strategies through my mind, half backed plans... It didn't matter. Logistics was a harsh mistress. I could hurt the Separatists, perhaps bad enough to give them pause but doing so would strand most of the fleet above us in the nearby sectors without sufficient ammunition. I would be forced to cannibalize and scuttle a lot of sh.i.p.s for supplies. In the grand scheme of things it would be a waste for dubious gain at best. I would lose time as well and if Mandalore hadn't fallen yet it might before we could get to the eastern part of the galaxy.

Ultimately I didn't have a reason to stand here and fight even doing so would mean my actions would help the Republic fragment. That could actually turn out to be a plus in the long run, though in the short to medium it was going to be a colossal pain in the a.s.s.

"From a pure military perspective, abandoning you all is the correct course of action. It's going to be a political disaster, however doing so would help the Republic win the war and when that's done none of you will have much of a choice. Those who decide to spare their worlds the horrors of war and those forced into accepting Separatist terms will be declared traitors and collaborators." I told them. I had the feeling that Tarkin was using me as the proverbial bad cop and vessel to deliver the nasty truth while he was about to offer them salvation on one form or another. All I had to do was tell the truth while trying to figure some course of action that wouldn't result in a disaster, however I was drawing blank. The only thing that had a prayer of working... Nah. That might very well see us branded as traitors. Tarkin couldn't possibly mean to... If we did this it might very well be more than the Republic cold bear. At the very least whoever ended up in charge of GAR at Coruscant if it wasn't Obi-Wan would see all aid and forces recalled from Mandalore. Even Kenobi might be unable to stop it if he wants to retain his position.

We weren't ready for such blatant open actions! Even if we were, this wasn't the time nor the place! The logistics would suck and attempting what I began suspecting he had in mind might see us all dead for nothing. Besides, how many of the locals would agree anyway? Neutrality would be a very good alternative for some of them – if anyone decided to honour it anyway.

I turned to stare at Tarkin, who gave me a tiny nod and began speaking.

"We know the situation our worlds are in. The Republic might as well be gone. For all we know it is gone or locked into inaction as it was during the Naboo Crisis before Chancellor Palpatine was elected." Tarkin began outlining a proposal I was sure would end in the history books.

It might very well damn us along with the Republic or be an unexpected blessing in disguise. It was going to be a huge complication for sure.

He kept the crowd reasonably quiet by a sheer force of personality. Who knew he had it in him?

"At Eriadu, my family facilitated certain deals between the GAR, Corellia and Mandalore represented by general Veil and the various worlds and industrial interests supplying my homeworld with its defences and the material needed to build them. While your worlds are in a worse position – the enemy has many more forces stationed in striking distance making your position even more perilous, I believe I have a workable solution. It isn't a perfect one, nor one some of you would enjoy. However, it might just be enough to either keep the Separatists off your worlds or allow us to liberate them." Tarkin's confidence was infectious. He had everyone's undivided attention. "Right now Eriadu and the surrounding sectors are temporarily secure. I won't lie to you – my proposal is born of selfish reasons because if it bears fruit it's the best chance to keep my home safe and protect yours too."

"We would hear your proposal, admiral Tarkin. We would give it all due consideration and give you a decision here, today, if that's the recommendation of general Veil. He saved Naboo twice and we believe you two might save our home yet again." Queen Neeyutnee spoke regally.

It was good to know that I had at least one person in my corner in here besides Tarkin.

"Thank you, your majesty. I hope I won't disappoint." Tarkin bowed with a flourish once again demonstrating his impeccable manners.

"Let us be the judge about that, admiral. Please, speak."

"My proposition is deceptively simple – an alliance, both military and economic aimed at protecting the Mid Rim from any aggression." Tarkin dropped the bomb and the world literally stood still.

It wasn't often I've heard such deafening silence within a room chock full with politicians, yet Tarkin managed to stun everyone. My mind spun exploring the implications. I would need to hear more details but it suddenly became clear that Tarkin had been a very busy boy back on Eriadu. I should have kept a closer watch over him or at least asked him some pointed questions. I knew he couldn't really move against me, however the way he was working to achieve my or should I say our, long term goals was interesting to say the least.

I needed to hear more details. My first reaction was to dismiss his idea as a madness born by me messing with his mind on Kamino. However... There was a very slight possibility that it might work at least in the short term if we acted fast and were very lucky. That stunt he pulled at Darknell – was it just an opportunity he seized or did he plan something like this since before we left Eriadu? I needed to have a heart to heart talk with him.

If the locals didn't attempt to lynch us first, because what Tarkin just proposed was for all intents and purposes a secession not unlike what the Separatists did before the war began. Oh, there were possibilities that might work in our favour but the danger... A smile slowly crept up my face. I was a Sith. Since when did I run away from danger?

The stunned silence broke and everyone began shouting questions and accusations at the same time. Tarkin bore the storm with aplomb and didn't let it visibly effect it. He stood beside me like a pillar radiating utter confidence in his chosen course of action.

I wish I could say I shared it. Things just became so much complicated it wasn't even funny.

=RK=

Part 10

Audience chamber

Royal Palace

Theed

Naboo

For fifteen minutes utter chaos reigned. Naboo's Royal Security closed ranks around the Queen and my own escort butted their way through the raging mass of politicians, CEOs and advisers to fall into a protective ring around Tarkin and me. I spent that time tuning out the madness surrounding us and thought about my chief minion's stunt.

It was pure madness unrivalled its sheer insane audacity. It was an impossible, suicidal mission that nevertheless appealed to my warrior heart. Charging in against impossible odds and damn the consequences? How many Sith got themselves killed that way again?

The risk was insane. I should be kicking Tarkin back down to a regular crew member, arranging a meeting with a shrink for him, perhaps both.

Just the political complications if this went through were mind-blowing. The military ones – honestly pulling the operations needed to make such an alliance anything but a cautionary footnote in history were going to be perhaps the greatest challenge I've faced as a commander. Everything I've learned over decades as a Sith told me that I should be choking Tarkin for being a bloody idiot. At the same time I couldn't help it but appreciated the crooked deranged mind that could have born such an idea. I had my suspicions about what he would say if he got the chance to explain this alliance of his. Honestly, there weren't many options that had a prayer in hell of working.

After Kamino I think that I owed Tarkin at least hearing his proposal in full. Then I could go old fashioned Sith on his a.s.s if I didn't like what I heard. I might still do it even if he had a remotely workable plan in mind because I would be the one facing the music if we lived to get back to Coruscant.

"ENOUGH!" I roared with a Force enhanced voice. My shout thundered around the chamber and everyone froze when I let a tiny bit of my presence be felt. Light leached off from the space surrounding me and if anyone had any trouble believing that I was very much a Sith, those doubts were dispelled as I glared at them with yellow shining eyes. "If this is the pride of the Mid Rim, I wonder why I should risk the sh.i.p.s and crews entrusted to me in order to protect you all." I hissed. My patience had very firm limits when dealing with politicians and those imbeciles managed to reach them. It was a very good think I didn't intent to crown myself as an Emperor otherwise the reign of terror I would unleash just to rid myself of the idiots currently running most of the galaxy would be spoken in hushed whispers for the next ten thousand years. "I wish to hear admiral Tarkin's proposition in full before deciding if he's one of the most brilliant men I've had the honour to meet or simply a raging madman." My voice snapped across the suddenly subdued chamber.

People looked uneasy at each other as their breath escaped their lips in wisps of vapour. I reigned in the Dark Side around me and a bit of warmth came back into the chamber. The lights shone brighter too as there were no more barely controlled Dark Side energies absorbing their radiance.

"Thank you, sir." Tarkin flashed me a polite smile and turned to look at the gathered worthies. "My propositions is simple. We will pool our resources, committing everything we've got left. That combined with the presence of a Republic armada in orbit of Naboo gives us the only chance we're likely to get to have a say in what happens to us here on the Rim. I can't promise you certain victory. Logistics is the harshest of mistresses. We might win every battle for as long as our supplies hold but that would be for naught once we run out of them. However, Eriadu and the worlds on the Outer Rim and in the Western Quadrant standing behind us when combined with everything you have left and the Republic assets in this system are just enough to give us a chance!"

"To become traitors!" Someone shouted.

"To prevent more worlds falling to the Separatists. To liberate some or perhaps all of your homes. To have a united voice in the Senate that couldn't be ignored!" Tarkin ignored the jab.

"You and the Sith told us that the logistics simply won't work!" A CEO of Heth grumbled. "I know enough to agree with that sentiment! What you're proposing is a both political and possibly literal suicide!"

"Under normal circ.u.mstances that might be true." Tarkin allowed. "The situation is far from normal. I don't speak about the usual, reasonable level of support that is expected by the Republic. If we are to stand a chance, I propose a full commitment. Every single hyperspace capable vessel. Every crew-member. Fully committing your industries to supporting the war effort so we could keep the Separatists as far away from our worlds as possible!" Tarkin smiled crookedly.

More shouts of disbelief followed and even my baleful glare was slow in silencing them.

"It's madness right? There would be nothing left if we do that... So what? That's the choice all of us have right now! Either we all commit ourselves and our worlds in full or we're left to the mercy of the Separatists. The Republic fleet currently at Naboo would be on its way to the Core by this time tomorrow at the latest in that case. This is the choice that I can give you. To fight not for a distant Republic currently cooped up into the Core but for your homes. For the Mid Rim just as my own people would fight to keep the enemy away from our own part of the Outer Rim. However, doing just that won't be enough and we all know it. The Separatists are monsters. They proved it again and again here on Naboo. Simply standing by ourselves and resisting alone is a sure way to the grave or slavery in all but name for no gain! Together we stand a chance, no matter how slim." Tarkin turned to face me and jabbed a finger at my c.h.e.s.t. "Look at him. General Delkatar Veil, Dark Lord of the Sith. A monster who terrifies most of you. As he should. His credentials are war. His resume – a list of shattered fleets stretching from Ryloth to Geonosis, Gerrenthum, Eriadu and today above this very world. With his military leadership, together we can achieve the impossible."

This time the exclamation were of pure incredulity.

"Everything?" I spoke and my voice rang with the Force. "Full support not the old games that crippled the war effort since day one?" I let my own incredulity creep into my tone. "If that incredible claim comes to pass then there's a chance." I agreed. "There might be enough sh.i.p.s to be pressed into our logistics train across the Western Quadrant and here in the Mid Rim to make such a bold proposal somewhat feasible. Could there be such a support even if enough of you agree to a full alliance here, today?" I asked lacing my voice with enough disbelief that even an idiot would notice it. "Because anything less would prompt me to continue with my original plan and leave."

Anything else would make staying here for the campaign needed to secure the region a glorified suicide though we would hurt the Separatists before our supplies ran dry.

"I'll hear no more of this madness!" Zurch snapped. "Are you all traitors?!" He sneered. "This... this insanity is nothing less than another Separatist movement in the making! The Republic would never let it slide!"

I couldn't believe my ears. His outburst actually silenced the angry shouts that met my declaration. The angry and resentful mood shifted. The anger grew and the target changed from Tarkin and me to the Republic as a whole and Zurch himself.

"Really?" The Hegemon asked in a deceptively light tone. "I find myself in agreement. The Republic would have a dim view of such an alliance as the one admiral Tarkin proposes. That's actually a reason to give his idea a consideration given the situation. The Republic..." He trailed off. "How many of you believe that the only reason they have a whole armada here on Naboo was because Sheev Palpatine was local? This was the Chancellor's homewolrd and that was the primary reason why the Republic deemed it important. Let's be honest for once!" He smiled in amus.e.m.e.nt. "The reason why most of us are here was to garner goodwill with Palpatine by aiding in the protection of his homeworld. Don't deny it! Not here and now, when we all know the truth! I'm an autocrat and can afford to actually tell the truth from time to time." He jested.

"What's your point, Mario?" A long suffered voice asked.

"We gathered here in the first place to form an informal alliance with Naboo. We all hoped that the Republic would move the heavens themselves in order to keep this world secure and thus give us a chance to state our cases and beg for help by whoever ended up in charge. A good world from our dearest host could have gone a long way in ensuring that. We all know how that turned out. The Chancellor is dead. There's no reason to believe that whoever was elected to replace him don't give a damn about what happens out here on the Rim. There hasn't been a single transmission from Coruscant for weeks now! We are on our own and now have to decide what to do. That's all I'm saying."

"Then why should we fight for a Republic that abandoned us?"

"Tarkin proposes that we fight for ourselves!"

"Nice sentiment. He admits that his reasons to propose the alliance are selfish!"

"So? Do you expect anything less? We're all selfish doing our best for our worlds or ourselves. That's no reason to dismiss his proposal."

"I want to hear more details."

"Me too."

"Kriff this, I won't hear any more of this lunacy!"

"I agree!"

"Coward!"

"Your Majesty, may I propose that you clear the chamber of everyone but the various leaders and ambassadors. They might actually make a decision without so much distraction and I need their decision soon. It is irrelevant that this isn't how alliances and diplomacy are supposed to be conducted." I snapped at the ever increasing volume of chatter.

"That's a capital idea, general. I beseech most of our guests to retreat to the gardens and relieve a bit of their stress." The Queen smiled beautifully at the gathered crowd. She wasn't thrilled at the circus happening in front of her throne.

Now there was a tiny chance that this herd of crazy people might actually do something productive. I wondered should I support Tarkin's plan or tank it and make my way back home to Mandalore and then Coruscant.

=RK=

Part 11

Audience chamber

Royal Palace

Theed

Naboo

Getting the chamber emptied of the hangers-on took some time and not so careful prodding by the Queen's guards, but finally we were alone with the important people.

"Before this train-wreck in the making can go on, please someone give me a good reason why should I commit my forces to this idea of yours, Tarkin. I understand, if it works it's going to be good for this part of the Mid and Outer Rim. Not so much for the Republic or Mandalore." I stated pointedly. "Tarkin's plan does have potential, no matter how slim. It still doesn't tell me why I should risk everything to aid you and your people. We all know that the Senate would be content to leave you to your fate and when the Republic is finally ready to come back, you'll be judged on your actions while out of contact. You all know how that would go." I shrugged. "Why should I care? More than half of you believe me to be an unrepentant monster out for personal gain and most of the rest aren't too sure."

"I can speak only for Eriadu and our current allies. If the opportunity presented itself I was authorized to offer the following: financial and material support for rebuilding Mandalore or establishing a new capital world and primary industrial hub if the damage is too severe to fix in a reasonable amount of time. We'll provide low interest loans both to the Mandalorian government and selected corporations designate by it. We'll give you what you need to make the Mandalorians the leading power in your sector of space, no questions asked." Tarkin admitted. "Further, we'll lend you political support within the Senate."

Damn, he has been busy when I wasn't looking. That heart to heart conversation between us just became a priority.

"I like the sound of that. If the Mid Rim powers can offer the same trade concessions and loans I'll take your idea under the strongest consideration... if you can get to an agreement tonight. Time's running out for us all. One way or another I'll need to get my fleets moving tomorrow evening at the latest. Minor repairs and distribution of supplies will be done by then. The only question is if we'll be heading back towards the Core or if we'll try to do what we can here in the Rim. So make up your minds one way or another." I looked at the politicians expectantly.

Tarkin... What am I going to do with him? What he just offered was everything Mandalore sorely needed and currently could only get from the Republic. To sweeten the pot – if I wanted to get what Eriadu and company was offering, I would need to secure he Mid Rim and then a corridor towards the eastern part of the galaxy.

Kriffing logistics! With almost two full sector fleets gathered here I had the forces to go wild. Battle Meditation could make up for the lack of training together but the supply situation... My thoughts drifted to Tarkin's stunt at Darknell. Could we capture enough supplies to fuel our war-machine? Perhaps... The one such instance I could recall on a large scale was back from my homeworld. It took incredible amounts of luck, it could have gone terribly wrong at a lot of points but it actually worked until it didn't...

Could I decline such an offer? I would need all the help I could get to build Mandalore as a galactic power and coming home with something even more useful than a list of glorious victories would be great, vital even.

I paid attention to the arguing people again. It would all be a moot point unless these fools actually agreed to the proposal and backed it with deeds not only words and that was a remote chance. No matter. I would think of a rough plan of action while the circus was ongoing. Who knew, I might get to make my luck again.

=RK=

There was two more hours of arguing, which I ignored while busy examining a map of this region of the galaxy or reviewing situation reports from all around Naboo. My reinforcements had the Separatists forces in Theed pinned down and it was only a matter of time before the locals and GAR units within the city wiped them out. My minions and Rex managed to reach that battleship's reactor and there was no real danger of the thing blowing us all into orbit. Two whole regiments were fighting their way through the ship to clear it out of the enemy.

Outside Theed the situation was stabilizing thanks to four Acclamators providing close air support along with whole wings of fighters and bombers. The friendly casualties after the battleship landed were extreme but there was no longer any danger from additional enemy units reaching the capital.

Securing the rest of the planet would take time, however if we could keep the Separatist from receiving reinforcements for the next month or two it would be a done deal without having to suffer too many casualties. That however looked more and more unlikely. The politicians continued to argue and were unable to agree on even a basic alliance meant only to oppose the Separatist with everything they had. In that case why the hell would I risk myself and my people to help them? Bloody idiots. Perhaps that was for the better. I needed to go relieve Mandalore and then to Coruscant. I needed to see Bo with my own eyes, to hold her...

The decision got made for us all, in a way that I didn't see coming. The Force stirred and the anticipation that was my constant companion since I arrived at Naboo spiked. One of the Royal Guards stiffened, then went to the Queen and whispered something to her. She frowned and nodded before fiddling with a pannel expertly hidden in the armrests of her throne.

"It appears that we might be getting a message from Coruscant after all. Certainly not in a way we expected."

A hologram came to life above us and the face was that of a familiar Twi'lek. Shadowfeed? The kriff?

"This is Ryloth Resa on Shadowfeed, free people of the galaxy! Today we have a special treat to you courtesy to our rivals on Coruscant!" The Twi'lek woman beamed cheerfully at the camera. "For almost a month now, a Dead Man's Switch set off by the death of the Sith Lord Sheev Palpatine has been releasing the Senate's dirty little secrets all across the Core. With the Holonet across most of the galaxy not working properly because of the Republic's scorched earth policy, we at Shadowfeed decided that you need to see the truth for yourselves. Worry not, we'll show untampered recordings of every little misdeed and their proofs committed by the despicable Republic Senate. For those of you who worry that our glorious Confederate forces had sacked Coruscant because of the persistent silence coming from the Republic government..." Resa smiled impishly, "the truth is actually worse for any delusional Republic loyalist out there. There's a war going on, yet the Senate in their infinite wisdom has been unable to elect a new Chancellor over the past month. You heard that right, gentle beings!"

I rubbed my temples. I had the unpleasant feeling that for once the Separatist propaganda wasn't full of shit. The politicians who remained mostly agreed too – their discontent muttering and quiet curses soon filled in the chamber. When the supposed recorded transmissions from Coruscant began, there were enough indications that this might actually be genuine for us to pay attention.

Ti was paying attention too and I could clearly feel her horror at the situation. The Republic going to hell without my direct intervention all because the Jedi jumped the gun? That was a horrifying revelation to my passenger.

"Huh. This part's true. I know for a fact pops bribed the three of them." The Hegemon looked thoughtful. "I'm pretty sure my intelligence people were still bribing that Rodian."

"At least a grain of truth then." The Queen's frown deepened.

"You know the Senate better than I do. If this is correct and such revelations has been going on for the past month... Can the Republic continue to function? Can the Senate reach the needed majority to elect a new Chancellor?"

"What's that about the Clones going rogue?" The Prime Minister interrupted. He was giving wary looks to my bodyguards.

"Not an issue. Every Jedi we encountered or knew of in the area are either dead, under arrest or cleared of any connections with the coup." Boomer answered. "Can I speak freely, sir?" He asked.

"Do go on." I hadn't really thought about the effect Order 66 might have on the Clones. If they wanted to go hunt Jedi? More power to them. I only hoped that Windu lived long enough so we could meet again. I owed him a galaxy worth of pain and I intended to deliver.

"If there were Jedi within reach, the nature of our training would demand that we go after them. The contingency orders are absolute and only an elected Chancellor can countermand them. As far as any of us know, there are only three Jedi left in this sector of space. They were apprehended as per Order 66 then cleared of wrongdoing by general Veil so that's not an issue. However, if we learned of other Jedi..." Boomer sighed. "Most of us would have to go after them and execute Order 66. Anyone attempting to interfere would be considered as traitor and treated accordingly."

Incredulous silence met Boomer's words.

"Joy. I take it neither the Jedi, nor GAR High Command did their homework properly when they accepted the Clone Army? No questions asked? Yet, I didn't ask enough questions too so I'm not one to judge." I grumbled. The worst thing – what Boomer told me made absolute sense. The Clone's primary purpose was to purge the Jedi when the time came. Of course they would be indoctrinated to follow up on Order 66 no matter what.

"This changes things. If this is true, the Senate and Republic has been paralysed for the past month." Tarkin g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

"The GAR too. It will be at least couple of weeks before the new recruits are fully ready for deployment and they will be green." I added. "There won't be any help coming from the core for the time being. It would take the GAR months at the very least to fight its way here and that's if the GAR can regain control of the Clones in the Core. With Jedi likely going to ground all over the place, it's going to be a complete mess." If that broadcast wasn't full of Bantha fodder, yet Boomer's words made it awfully plausible. "Besides, the primary target of the navy and army won't be relieving the Mid Rim. They will be throwing everything they have at Fondor once the Core is more or less secure."

Kriff the Force cursed Jedi and whatever hell spawned them!

"Well this seals it. The Republic won't be riding to the rescue any time soon. What are we going to do? We have few realistic choices – either suck it up and submit to the Separatists, go with Tarkin's creative idea, try our luck with neutrality, we all know how useful that's going to be, or resist on our own and get crushed for no gain at all." The Hegemon shrugged. "Look at the bright side. If this scheme works, it's going to give us what we came here for in the first place."

"How so? It will simply mean our annihilation." A CEO grumbled.

"Perhaps. The same is true if we rely on the Separatists' good intentions." An ambassador snorted. "If general Veil can kick the enemy out from this part of the Mid Rim it would help not only us but the Republic as a whole. That has to be worth something."

"Let's talk terms. What does full cooperation means? How would we recover even if this madness pans out?" Another Heth guild-master rumbled. "We do have credits to burn and raw resources to offer."

"We'll be one of the primary targets after Naboo falls." Rintone's ambassador intoned quietly. "My government had made it's mind up some time ago. We'll fight. You have our support, general. Make good use of it. We would however require additional resources for our shipbuilding programs."

"We can do something about that." A Heth CEO nodded.

"Rugosta's in."

"It's not like Nuralee has a choice. The Separatists don't appreciate us seeing them for what they are and standing against them. We're behind you, general." Senator Divinian intoned.

Huh. They were actually agreeing on an alliance. This certainly blind-sided me. Of course, now there was the "little" issue of following up on the agreements their mouths were writing. I might actually have to go on with this insanity. Kriff it all.

Just like that instead of arguing the merits and dangers of Tarkin's proposal everyone was discussing terms and what benefits they could bribe, threaten or extort of everyone else.

I had to actually figure out how to prosecute a campaign across multiple sectors of space on a shoestring logistics at best. I had to keep in mind that at least a few of those bastards were going to sell us out to the separatists and plan accordingly. Lucky me.

How the kriff did I get myself in this mess?