62 Back to Coruscant [2/2]

Part 6

Republica 500

Coruscant

Well, at least the dinner was delicious and I learned more rumors about Coruscant's Senators and celebrities than I cared for. Ah small talk with politicians – I missed it not. At least it turned out that C-3PO had a redeeming quality. The golden machine was the cook and it did the job expertly.

After dinner we retired back to the diner room with cups of our favorite drinks and went back to good old fashioned horse trading. Huh. I wasn't sure what was the current jargon for it.

The continuation of our negotiations went both better and worse than I feared.

"While I may never completely trust you or your agenda, that's a concern for later." Mon Mothma gave me a disapproving frown. "The sad truth is that it won't matter what you're up to if the Confederacy wins the war. However, if you do anything to threaten democracy, me and my allies will oppose you."

Well, the woman was brave, I'll give her that. There weren't many people who would risk antagonizing a Sith this way. Yet, she wasn't telling me a thing I didn't already knew or suspected.

"However?" I prompted.

The Chandrilan woman gave me a thin smile. "The GAR is still expanding and still more factories are needed to feed the Republic's war machine. I want you to consider certain planets and systems as good places to set up additional production facilities – for the new infantry armors and weapons, for vehicles, etc..."

"Sites that conveniently will create more work places and provide infusion of capital on the places where your allies come from." I nodded. "Give me a list." Purely by accident, those factories could be used to build gear for someone else if I went typical Sith and tried taking over the galaxy – like a rebel alliance that wouldn't have to be formed because I was a good boy… I almost snorted at that thought.

I wondered when did Mothma began to suspect that Palpy was up to no good and started laying down contingencies in case he decided to become a dictator. I shouldn't be underestimating the woman.

"Will Alderaan require similar arrangement?" I asked Organa.

Bail looked pained at the thought but nodded. Wasn't it interesting what a more dangerous CIS could make people do?

I looked at Padme. "Form what I understand, the GAR is already helping Naboo set up its own armed forces. Perhaps talking with Valentra to see if we can release some equipment your way to expedite training. You understand that all first rate gear is currently needed at the front-lines." I smiled pleasantly at our hostess.

Amidala looked like she had bitten into a particularly sour lemon at the suggestion.

"Perhaps sending some experienced warriors to act as trainers? The Mandalorian people will be glad to help you in that regard." My wife added.

Damn it, this was fun. I didn't think I would enjoy seeing self proclaimed pacifists ask for military industry to be set up on their worlds.

Padme closed her eyes then rubbed her temples. "I'm sure the Queen will appreciate such a gesture." She said in a flat tone.

"In addition, I have a few acquaintances that would love to discuss some trade deals with you and the new Mandalorian government." Mothma continued.

"I'm sure we'll be able to reach an outcome we can all live with if not enjoy." I said diplomatically and made note to sick Mothma's friends on Yomaget and Awuad. After all, the economy was their domain.

I turned my attention to Iblis, who had kept a mostly blank mask all evening. He gave me a disarming smile.

"After the latest unpleasantries, Mandalore finds itself in a need of a fleet. Corellia can either sell you or build you one to your exact specifications. We would love to in fact."

"We'll love to see what you have in stock and I'm sure MandalMotors will be in touch soon about building us some ships and components." I returned the smile. Yomaget wasn't going to like that too much, but the man was realist. His company simply couldn't build us a fleet in time.

The bigger problem was going to be to figure out how to pay for the ships we needed. With a bit of luck and finesse those trade deals might be of use. After all, once this war was resolved the galaxy would be a different place and the details of unfavorable deals could be re-negotiated… from a position of strength.

There was a lot of horse trading, or was it bantha, that night. By the time Bo and I reached the Mandalorian Embassy and crashed in one of the guest suites it was early in the morning and I would have another meeting in a few hours.

=RK=

General Valentra's office

GAR HQ

Coruscant

"Here we are again." Valentra sighed as he sat behind his desk and waved us do follow suit.

"This brings back memories. And to think it was just a few months ago." I chuckled.

"A lot changed in that time." Ivon Fell was still doing her ice queen impersonation. This time she was giving me suspicious looks too.

On the other hand, the ONI's director was friendlier. My victory above Geonosis earned me some kudos with the man and General Jack still respected me because my tactics kept as many Clones alive as humanly possible.

Director Fell rubbed one of he lekku and glared at me.

"General Veil, can you explain your reasoning behind your actions on Mandalore. The outcome put you and by extension the GAR in a precarious position." Ivon spoke bluntly.

"I did my best with the Pazaak hand I was dealt. I presume you've read my AAR about the situation." I spoke calmly. Keeping these people's support was going to be vital no mater what happened in the Senate later today. "Having the Mandalorians as allies to the Republic was the best outcome I could see and given the political situation on the ground, there was only one way I could ensure it. I'll admit when the opportunity to run for the title was offered I jumped at it. And yes, there're personal reasons for my decision too. I've fought beside the Mandalorians when they were a major galactic power. It was thanks to some of their people, one of whom ascended to hold the same title I now carry that I kept my sanity during my first years as a Sith. The alternative was to watch Mandalore tear itself apart in a civil war and given its strategic location we would have to be there to pick up the pieces anyway and deal with hostile local population too."

"Good enough for me." Jack added.

No surprise there – he was one of Skirata's disciples.

Fell looked between me and the Clone. Her frown deepened by she declined to comment further.

"My issue is the obvious. While you're an accomplished Republic officer, general Veil, you're also the head of an independent polity. Yet, simply removing you from your position in the GAR would not only be counter-productive but useless in the short to medium term. You already know more than enough to cause incalculable damage if you went rogue or something." Yle sighed.

"And very much irrelevant, unless our friends in the Senate do something utterly foolish. Even then, I don't believe that Delkatar will endanger the Mandalorian people by selling our secrets to the Confederacy and that is our primary issue." Valentra added. "I'm sure our friends in the SBI will watch you." He gave me a helpless shrug and looked at Yle.

"That goes without saying." Marik nodded. "What more do you want, Ivon? All of us have allegiance to our homeworlds besides the Republic as a whole. What makes Veil any different, besides that the Mandalorians will be our allies instead a formal part of the Republic? Will there be a practical difference while he is a part of our military command?"

"Oh, enough of this nonsense!" Jack snapped. "We all have the same problem – that our political masters will kriff up and kick you out of the GAR just as the Confeds are preparing for an offensive the likes of which we haven't seen. We haven't fully compiled all reports but there are all indications that in two months the CIS will have at least two thousand brand new Munficents and between three and five hundred proper capital ships to play with."

"Those are the conservative estimates." Fell grumbled. "We might see up to three thousand Munificents and couple of hundreds more capitals over the next three months."

"Well, kriff. Added to their current active strength, that will be troublesome to manage." I muttered. We would have to give up ground. Perhaps a lot of it until our Venators came online.

"What a charming understatement." Jack chuckled grimly. "It gets better. We have fragmentary reports that at least few enemy commanders had used Munificents to ram our cruisers. If they pull that off on a large scale successfully we might, no. We won't be able to stop them."

"This information makes everything even more complicated." I took a deep breath. "I have a few ideas that will even the odds, though most of them won't be practical if I no longer have a say in the strategic decision making." Kriff it, I knew that the Confederacy would have a good window of opportunity thanks to the respective building rates of both sides, but those numbers…

"What do you think?" Valentra asked me.

"Its going to be ugly no matter what we do. We need to trade distance and space for time. Hold the hyperlanes and strategic systems at all costs." I looked Telar in the eyes. "We'll likely have to write off a large chunk of the Republic at least for a few months. At least the systems without planetary shield generators. We can't hold them if the enemy controls the orbitals and if I have it my way, we'll be pulling out the bulk of our fleets from any non-critical area."

"The only good news is that we'll be getting some Acclamators complete early next month along with a lot of escorts. That will help a lot but it won't be enough to counter the enemy's upswing in numbers by itself." Valentra informed me. "I've been thinking about something similar since Director Fell gave me a preliminary report about the CIS expected strength a few days ago. However, by myself I won't be able to convince the Chancellor much less the Senate that we might have to give up a lot of territory."

"I'll be meeting with Palpatine at noon and I'll talk with him about it." I nodded and kept my face carefully blank. "I may need those enemy numbers reports ready for my hearing this afternoon."

Who knew, the Confederacy might actually be my ticked out of trouble this time around. Then again, too many Senators were either peace time politicians or people whose worlds will be soon facing enemy occupation. They might lash against me as a convenient stress relief.

"We'll need to further increase equipment production as well as recruitment and training. The latter won't make a difference for the coming storm, but we'll need the warm bodies when it comes time to push the Confeds back." I thought aloud, then mentioned some planets that could accommodate additional factories.

Mothma and company should be glad about that… until they hear whats coming our way.

Then again, how the hell did the Confederacy lose with such advantage in shipbuilding early in the war? Most of that construction, especially all the capital hips should have been laid down before I made an appearance. I'll grant that my successes could be at least a partially to blame for the armada of Munificents that will be coming for us.

"Just in case the Senate decides to be unreasonable, I'll be pushing for a single allied command that will incorporate GAR, Corellian, Mandalorian and whatever other allies join us in the fight. If the worse happens, that will still give you some official pull and we'll be listening when you make suggestions about the strategic situation." Valentra added.

"That might work." I nodded. The Empire had a similar arrangement with the Mandalorians at least in certain sectors of the galaxy. While most Sith would have loathed taking orders from them, the ordinary army and navy had much less hang ups if the Mandalorian in charge was competent.

=RK=

Part 7

Chancellor's officer

Senate building

Coruscant

Palpatine stood in front of the outer wall of his office that was made of a one way transparent metal and watched Coruscant's skyline. The last month had been tiring for the Sith Lord. Thanks to the rotating guard of Clones and more importantly Jedi, he was forced to keep his illicit activities not only low key but highly irregular. Unfortunately, doing so was much, much easier than he ever imagined for a simple reason – Sidious had lost the tools he used to control the Confederacy. Those loathsome creatures had the sheer gall to turn on his agent Dooku and dared usurp power.

All he had to show for his efforts in setting the CIS up nowadays was a war gone out of control and a few still reporting agents. The incompetent fools usually couldn't even be trusted to provide Palpatine with good information – more often than not he got almost the same date from Republic intelligence sources and those were another sore point. After the debacle caused by rogue elements during the attack on Coruscant, the Republic military and intelligence apparatus had been cleaning up house. They not only caught a lot of CIS moles, but some of Sidious' own agents.

There were days lately that Palpatine felt that he had lost half the galaxy in one fell swoop and he was powerless to do anything about it for the time being unless he was crazy enough to unmask to the Jedi. Even with Veil around and serving as a useful example that not all Sith were evil, and wasn't that a laugh, the last thing Sidious wanted was to explain who he really was.

Palpatine exhaled slowly and frowned.

The general. A wild element that wasn't part of the Sith grand plan. At first, Sidious thought the man a madman and impostor if an undeniably competent one. It wasn't until the battle for Geonosis that Palpatine really entertained the thought that Veil might be dangerous to him as anything more than a complication. A part of him still wanted to dismiss the though, however Sidious ruthlessly squashed the very idea.

He had underestimated Veil again and again. Dismissed him as a lunatic, or a Dark Jedi with delusions of grandeur – no different than Dooku's minions if much more competent. The general did cull quite a lot of them after all.

"Hubris." The Sith Lord smiled. "To think that I believed myself immune to such trifle things."

Things were different now. A vital part of the plan was in ruins. Palpatine found it highly ironic that now the Sith were on the side of the Republic, fighting those who officially claimed to save it from them. The Chancellor doubted that he would be able to restore his control upon the Confederacy. Dooku was missing and while he hadn't sensed the man's death, he could as well be. In fact Sidious might have to arrange it. Tyranus was a captive and was either going to suffer a regrettable accident or be shipped to the Jedi.

No matter how incompetent they the Order was, Sidious doubted that they could misplace Dooku a second time and there won't be a Confederate rescue this time around. Faced with rotting in a small cell within the Jedi Temple, Tyranus might just talk in order to spread his misfortune to Sidious too.

Besides the man had proven less than effective lately. Even if he somehow escaped or was rescued by any agents he had left, Palpatine didn't believe that Dooku could wrestle back control over the Confederacy.

It was unfortunate that some of the high ranked contacts Palpatine had in the CIS had decided to turn on him and were in fact part of the new management. With Dooku out of the picture and Grievous dead, Sidious simply lacked someone who could get things under control. That at least simplified things tremendously.

Palpatine had to ensure that the Republic won the war. Then he would have his Empire and more importantly – vengeance upon both the traitors within the Confederacy and the Jedi. On the bright side, he had another prospective apprentice. One he would be meeting shortly.

Well, third time's the charm as some people liked to say. It might even be true – the Force sometimes worked in mysterious ways. Besides, now Veil was in the same boat as Palpatine – he was a political figure, a leader of a nation with all the unpleasant and infuriating things that entailed – like dealing with all too many idiots and not being free to strangle them with their own innards when they became too bothersome.

Sidious had felt the urge a lot of time the last month. Making sure that all his connections with the Confederacy besides a few informants who didn't really know who he was were cut was frustrating given the constrains he had to work under. That didn't do much for his temper and the constant need to present the persona of the good old Palpatine to the world grated more than usual.

In the end, Sidious had to work with what he had on hand and that was the Republic. So he had be the best Chancellor this misbegotten pile of ineffectual corruption ever had. It was moment like these when he seldom wondered if becoming Emperor would be worth it. Ah, the price of ultimate power…

Palpatine sighed wishfully. He had work to do – the Republic wasn't going to run itself without a disaster striking, there was a war to be won, Jedi to crush, sweet vengeance to be had. First however, he had a general to meet.

Sidious had dug out everything he could find about the Sith Veil claimed to be. Darth Vael. The man had had an illustrious career, had been chosen as a member of the Dark Council and the, when he should have gone to Dromund Kaas to claim his new title, Vael had vanished. Allegedly during a battle against the Republic. Palpatine's fist instinct was that the ancient Sith had simply lost the game of power and had been removed by his rivals. That was the simplest and most logical explanation.

Everything was more logical than what Veil claimed. That madness was so easy to dismiss. Everyone sane would do so immediately, wouldn't they? Palpatine certainly did.

There was one question he never really asked himself. What if those claims were actually the truth?

The Force was still clouded and offered no answer.

The Chancellor turned around and went to his desk. He had various plans in how to deal with Veil but a lot was going to depend on their meeting. Well, that wasn't exactly true – Sidious was yet to decide was how much trouble he was going to cause for the general. It was less than optimal that the man was very good at his job and might in fact be needed if the Republic was to win this war before the conflict left the whole galaxy in ruin and thus much less for Sidious to rule.

Palpatine sat on his favorite chair and his intercom beeped.

"Sir, general Veil is here to see you." The Chancellor's secretary announced in an annoyingly chipper tone. If the bloody woman wasn't as efficient in her job as she was…

Palpatine shook his head, placed his best smile on his face and spoke pleasantly: "By all means, send him in!"

The Chancellor stood up when the door of his office opened and Veil strode in. The general wore a combat armor sans helmet that was painted white and had the emblems of the Mandalore and the Republic on the shoulders.

"Its good to see you back whole and hale my friend!" Palpatine beamed at his guest.

"It's good to be back, Chancellor."

Sidious wondered if Veil's smile was as fake as his own.

"Tia, make sure we aren't disturbed." Palpatine ordered his secretary and waved the general towards the seats in front of his desk. "Please make yourself comfortable, we have a lot to speak about."

"Thank you." Veil gave him a respectful nod and sat down.

Palpatine pressed a hidden button under his desk and a wave of static went through the room.

"Now we can talk freely." Ironically, his office was one of the few places Sidious could talk – at least for short periods of time – without being overheard by his protection detail. There were some Republic secrets they weren't cleared up for after all.

"Can we?" There was amusement in the general's voice.

Veil looked like anything but someone who knew he was about to be chewed up by one of the most powerful men in the galaxy. The general pulled out a data chip from a compartment on his armor and levitated it until it hovered in front of Palpatine's chest. Sidious had to give the bastard little credit – he was audacious if nothing else.

"I presume that this isn't a written apology and explanation. Mandalore." The Sith Lord kept his smile going as if the blatant demonstration of Force tricks wasn't grating when he was forced to appear as an ordinary human.

"Bad news I'm afraid. You'll be getting a more refined version of these reports in a few hours." The smile and apparent good cheer drained from the general's face. "You know, up until this morning I had various preconceptions about this meeting. This certainly wasn't one of them."

Palpatine plugged the chip in his terminal without removing his eyes from Veil. He didn't need the Force to know he wouldn't like whatever was on the chip. The Chancellor pressed a few buttons and waited for the data to be decrypted before it could be displayed.

"Well, my friend I'm sure you've been dreading my reaction about your new found conflict of interests. I can assure you that it wasn't my idea to let you handle the Mandalorians by yourself. I've been dealing with the Senators who..."

The data decryption completed and a summary of the reports appeared on the terminal's screen. Palpatine glanced at it and paused mid sentence. His facial muscles twitched as he did his bet to suppress a snarl.

"It appears I've underestimated our colleagues in the Confederacy." Palpatine muttered. His left hand danced on the terminal's keyboard and he dismissed the lock down of his office before calling the director of ONI, all the while he kept most of his attention on Veil who was grimly amused at the situation.

"Chancellor, sir. To what do I owe this honor?" Ivon Fell's image floated above the Chancellor's desk.

"General Veil just came in with certain preliminary reports. How accurate is the data?"

"Estimated Confederacy warship construction?" The director asked. "The numbers you've seen are our conservative estimation on what they'll be completing by the end of next month."

"I want comprehensive report about it ASAP." Palpatine ordered and cut off the connection before securing his office once again. "General, I don't find anything about this situation amusing." Sidious glared at his guest and let a tiny bit of the fury he felt slip through his mask.

Sidious knew about the Confederacy shipbuilding in general terms. He was aware that the CIS could built most of its ship classes faster. He ever planned to use the inevitable separatists offensive as a justification to gain even more power. What he didn't expect or plan for was to fight a real war, much less at a time when the enemy was about to gain overwhelming numerical superiority. What outraged and confused the Sith Lord was the simple fact that the Confederacy wasn't supposed to be building so much ships. The Munificents were easy to explain – replacements for all frigates lost since Veil entered the stage and building enough to absorb future significant losses.

However, the capital ships… those figures were almost three times larger than what the Confederacy should have been building! Why would they…

Sidious froze and it was all he could do not to curse venomously and trash his office with the Force. Two conclusions immediately jumped to mind. Either Dooku had been naughty and planning to use those additional forces to betray him or the traitors of the Confederacy Council had been planning their coup even before the war began.

The Sith lord wasn't sure which option was more upsetting.

The Chancellor leaned back in his chair and did his best tired old man impression.

"This is certainly a grave news, general. Unfortunately it doesn't change the issues created by your new title." Palpatine spoke quietly while his mind raced. This new turn of events threw askew most of his plans for Veil. "We can't have a foreign nation's leader be one of the highest ranking officers in the whole Republic military. Even your splendid record can't justify it."

While he might need Veil, simply letting the man get everything he apparently wanted without consequences simply wouldn't do. "Nevertheless, depriving the GAR of your expertise at time such as this will be criminal." The Chancellor continued.

Now, how to present this in a way that the Senate would accept? It was less than ideal that after the attack on this very building, Palpatine had lost a lot of the people he controlled. Oh, the opposition had been hit even harder, but that was scarce comfort when the truth was that nowadays Sidious had less control over the Senate than he needed. While he was working on fixing that issue, it would be months, perhaps even year or a bit longer before he had regained the direct power he lost with the death of so many political allies.

"You have an idea." Veil stated, declining to comment on his divided loyalties one way or another.

If they were divided in the first place. The man could very well be a real Sith playing his own long game in which case the Mandalorians were simply means to an end. A political marriage to a woman Veil had met just a handful of times certainly indicated that, especially when Sidious had read reports that the general had been growing closer to that Togruta Jedi Master before he went to Mandalore.

He had to find the time and place to have a secure heart to heart conversation with Veil. That ultimately might either gain him a new powerful apprentice or at least reveal enough of the man's true nature so Sidious could have a much better idea how to handle him once the general was no longer useful.

"A sideways promotion I think. You my friend can't be expected to command all our combat forces and execute your duties as Mandalore at the same time. You would simply be buried by mountains of work and in the end won't be able to finish anything worthwhile. Trust me, I know." Palpatine waved at his office. "Perhaps being in command of a mixed Republic/Mandalorian unit to promote cooperation between our armed forces and bring our nations closer together?"

"That sounds like an interesting idea." Veil nodded. "How would the Senate react?"

Sidious frowned. His current pain in the ass should have thought about that before becoming Mandalore. On the other hand, Palpatine could see the benefits of that decision. Now Veil had an independent power base that would be growing. The Chancellor decided that he should do something about that before the war was resolved, but not until the Confederacy ceased to be an existential threat to his plans for becoming Emperor.

There always was the good old fashioned economics. The Mandalorians needed to replace their fleet now… Binding them with some carefully crafted contracts that would place them in debt to the Republic and later his Empire would be a good first step. Especially if those deals could be used as a justification to crush the Mandalorians if they became any sort of problem…

Well, that was for later. Now he had to figure out how to handle the Senate so they wouldn't kriff up things any worse than usual.

The time Sidious could dispose of that outdated institution couldn't come fast enough. The significant amount of headaches he would have to deal with by itself would be worth it.

=RK=

Part 8

Council Chambers

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

The Jedi Temple had changed quite a bit in Obi-Wan's absence. Oh, on the outside it looked the same… from distance. Once he got closer, it became painfully obvious that the building had been extensively modified. The four towers surrounding the Temple proper wore sensor dishes like demented crowns and they were further altered to hold an AA emplacement. The same was true for the main building – it's walls wore two concentric circles of laser canons. The same was true for the hangars – which were permanently sealed and shielded unless someone with the correct codes was approaching.

It was sad to see the only home he knew being turned into an armed camp. However, after the second attack not even the Council could really refuse the GAR's offer of assistance in securing the building.

Another change was with the vehicles in the hangar. While Obi-Wan parked the speeder he had borrowed from the Mandalorian he had a great view of the two rows of LAATs that apparently replaced the vehicles usually used by the Jedi on Coruscant. Kenobi even glimpsed a pair of custom fighters in one corner and he was pretty sure he saw at least few Jedi and Clones working on them.

When he disembarked, a squad of troopers came to greet and scan him, to confirm that he wasn't an impostor. If all that wasn't a clue enough, the way the Temple felt – it was different. More tense, restless. The peace Obi-Wan associated with his home was absent.

Perhaps it was fitting. He was coming to meet with the rest of the Council and a likely outcome was that he would be leaving soon after that – permanently at that. It couldn't be helped. While Obi-Wan would regret such an outcome, his marrying Satine wasn't something he could give up.

On his way to the Council chambers, Kenobi noticed even more changes. Many of the corridors were reinforced so they might survive a limited bombardment of the Temple without collapsing and at most junctions he saw installed armored blast doors that presumably could be used to contain or at least slow down any attacker. The Jedi Master passed by three squad sized patrols too. Whoever was running the operation on the GAR side was obviously paranoid.

While a part of Obi-Wan wanted to rebel against such an armed presence within the Jedi Temple itself, he couldn't do it. He had seen too much, been in too many battles to consider the almost insane security unnecessary. Perhaps it might be enough to dissuade the Confederacy from striking at the Temple a third time.

Obi-Wan frowned. All those idle thoughts – he knew what they were – an attempt to distract himself from the most disturbing thing he saw in the corridors. It was the Jedi themselves. They were all tense, on edge. Kenobi could feel how anxious most of them were without even trying. More than a few of the knights he passed by in the halls were at least a little scared and there was more than a hint of anger there.

They were also pointedly avoiding him, even a Jedi he had thought a long time friend.

Finally Kenobi reached the Council Chambers only to be stated down by four fully armed and armored Temple Guardians.

"The Council is expecting you." One of them spoke in an emotionless tone.

Obi-Wan frowned. Those men… he couldn't feel even a shred of emotion coming from them. Not the sense of peace or serenity that he usually associated with most Jedi, nor the confusion and trepidation coming from the knights passed by moments ago. There was nothing – just the presence of four living beings.

What had been happening to the Council while he was away fighting a war?! Hopefully he was going to get some answers now. Kenobi nodded to the Guardians and went in.

Obi-Wan walked to the center of the empty circle that took up most of the room, while looking who was present. To his left sat the snakelike Master Rancisis whose head and face were hidden by long silver hair and beard. The old man was tapping the side of his chair with long, scythe like nails that were no less dangerous despite looking quite fragile.

Next to him "sat' the holographic image of Shaak Ti, who looked anything but amused. Obi-Wan hoped that Delkatar at lest called the Togruta to tell her about his marriage in person.

To her left sat Master Yaddle, who looked like a toddler in her chair. She was of the same species as Yoda and still had hair, which she wore in a long braid. Or perhaps only the females of the species had it, who knew. While she and the Grandmaster were far from the first Jedi to come from their mysterious homeworld, their kind was practically unknown to the galaxy at large.

Besides Yoda himself, there were only two other Masters present in the flesh. One was the short Even Piell, who had an uncanny resemblance to the Grandmaster's species – though the man had even larger mynoc-like ears and wasn't green. The last Jedi in the room was Saesee Tiin who looked like a monster from the Outer Rim with his two large horns and what appeared to be a scowl permanently fixed on his face.

Ki-Adi-Mundi and Plo Koon were also present, though they were en route to different battlefields after wrapping up things on Geonosis and experiencing a short R&R at a GAR FOB on the edge of the Inner Rim.

"Obi-Wan." Yoda greeted tiredly. The ancient Jedi Master looked all his nine hundred years today. This war and all the complications it brought wasn't good for the Grandmaster.

"Master Yoda. Esteemed Council Members." Obi-Wan gave them a polite half-bow.

"Explain yourself you will." Yoda ordered.

"I fell in love with Satine Kryze on an assignment to Mandalore more that a decade ago. While I didn't act on my feelings then, after we met again on my mission to observe general Veil and assist him in the negotiations with the Mandalorian government, I met her again, which was inevitable considering the post she held. Death Watch attacks complicated things. We reconnected. This time I acted on my feelings and we married just a few hours before a CIS fleet led by Grievous attacked Mandalore."

"And thus you became Mandalorian too." Adi-Mundi bobbed his huge head in barely restrained amusement. However, that wasn't a sentiment all Masters shared.

"It's no surprise Skywalker went bad if this is the true face of his master." Tiin grumbled. "We all heard him. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has willfully and knowingly spat on our Code and traditions. I move to have him expelled from the Order."

"Making such a call now, without hearing more is premature at best." Master Koon tried to be the voice of reason.

"Whatever else Master Kenobi reports, it won't change the facts. He let his emotions compromise him and acted on them. What example would we make if we don't censure him?" Shaak Ti growled.

Ah. So Delkatar didn't tell her, she found second hand and is now pissed. Probably feels betrayed too. Damn it, Veil!

"I'll abide by the Council's decision on the matter." Obi-Wan felt strangely calm. "I made a choice and if my expulsion is the consequence then I'll accept it. May I ask a question?"

"Ask you may." Yoda sighed. The Grandmaster didn't look surprised by this turn of events. Just resigned.

"What will happen with Padawan Ahsoka Tano? She's losing a second master in two months." Obi-Wan asked.

"Skywalker's former Padawan?" Master Rancisis voice had a barely audible hiss to it. "Sent her to the Agri-Corps at least until the war ends. Considering what her teachers did, she needs time in peace to reflect on their mistakes and if she has it in her to become a proper Jedi."

"I second it!" Tiin snapped. "We can't let the Sith derived corruption spread further in the Order."

"Ahsoka Tano had no choice in who was to be her Jedi Master. Don't blame her for..." Plo Koon raised in defense of his former pupil.

"You've taught her yourself. I understand you don't want to even think she's been learning bad habits or worse." Shaak Ti interrupted him. "The corps will be the best and safest place for her. Or do you want risking Ahsoka falling to the Dark Side? Veil had been giving her an unhealthy amount of attention."

What Veil did was kriff up beyond any reason where Shaak Ti was concerned. That's the only thing Obi-Wan could think off as he stared at the unfolding debacle in shock. He opened his mouth to defend Ahsoka too, but thought better of it. Those who wanted her out of sight and out of mind weren't likely to listen. In fact they might try using his defense of the girl against her.

"Call in the vote, Grandmaster. The call has been made and seconded." Tiin nodded grimly at Yoda.

"So it has been. Padawan, young Tano remain should."

"She'll make a good Jedi." Plo Koon nodded.

"I'm on the same opinion." Adi-Mundi added.

"Sent her to the Corps." Rancisis hissed in annoyance.

"Corps." Tiin's response was came in a flat, bored tone.

"Agri-corps. That's the best for Ahsoka." Shaak Ti's tone had a finality to it.

"Corps. After this mess, she'll need time to clear up her head before continuing her training." Piell voted.

That left Master Yaddle. "I believe that sending her to the Agri-corps would be a disservice to the girl. However, considering what is happening to the Order, it would be better that she is away until we find our way once again. Agri-corps."

"Good." Rancisis nodded.

Obi-Wan shook his head. Somehow he didn't believe it was going to be that simple. No one appeared interested in asking Ahsokas opinion and Kenobi was pretty sure that she had other options. He wisely kept that thought to himself. The last thing this fire needed was someone adding an accelerant.

"Obi-Wan, before we vote about you, please tell us about Veil. What was he up to on Mandalore? Besides the obvious?" Shaak Ti grimaced when mentioning Delkatar's name.

"What do you want me to say?" Obi-Wan didn't take the bait. What he wanted was for this farce to be over so he could talk with Yoda and find out what the kriff had driven the Order in this madness.

"The truth. Becoming Mandalore… Did we harbor an enemy all those months? What do you know about his long term plans concerning the Jedi and the Republic?" Shaak Ti asked.

"He intends to prosecute the war to the best of his ability both as a Republic general and Mandalore." That at least was the truth. Obi-Wan was afraid to tell anything else, to share any of the suspicions he might have had, because there were at least four people in here who appeared ready to go after Veil.

Kenobi had no illusions what would happen if the Jedi attacked him… and he dreaded if some misguided fool went after Bo-Katan, no matter the reason.

A cold pit formed at the bottom of Obi-Wan's stomach.

"That's all? Perhaps he didn't share anything of importance with you after all." Shaak Ti sounded resigned.

"Do you have something to share, Obi-Wan?" Adi-Mundi asked.

"Not really."

"He'll be of no help. Let's vote." Tiin stated.

"Seconded!" Piell and Rancisis spoke almost as one.

The vote went the same way, though this time Master Yaddle had no reservations.

"Please hand us your lightsaber, Obi-Wan." The tiny woman spoke in regret.

"That's what happens when we let a Sith have a free reign." Master Ti sighed. "I'm afraid this isn't going to be the end of it. If this is all?" She asked and when nothing was added she terminated the connection from her side.

Obi-Wan pulled out his lightsaber and looked at it for a long, long moment. To simply give it away… it felt as if he was handing out a piece of his very being. Kenobi sighed in regret and strode up to Yoda, then fell on one knee so he could look the Grandmaster in the eyes and gave him the saber.

"All this is. A world, Obi-Wan." Yoda slowly got out of his chair and used the Force to retrieve his walking stick, which was leaning next to the furniture.

"More than one, Master Yoda. I would really like to know what just happened." Obi-Wan paused. "What has been happening since I left for Geonosis?!"

"Come you will. Talk we will." Yoda muttered.

=RK=

Part 9

Master Yoda's quarters

Jedi Temple

Coruscant

Yoda's rooms were less spartan than one might expect. The Grandmaster had collected a lot of little mementos and oddities in almost a millennia of life. It was something that Obi-Wan always found fascinating. There was so much history in that room and almost everything on the many rafts and shelves covering the walls or secured in a handful of large chests in the back told interesting, often amusing tales.

Unfortunately, today Kenobi had no eyes for the oddities. He watched concerned how Yoda slowly made his way to the bed and sat down with a tired sigh.

"Questions you have. Ask them you will. Answer I will." Yoda muttered.

"What the kriff happened?!" Obi-Wan blurred out and helplessly waved around.

"Veil." Yoda grumbled.

"Veil?! How did he manage this?!" Kenobi exclaimed. He was pretty sure Delkatar hasn't been kriffing up with the Order lately. The man was simply too busy to have the time even if he wanted to.

"Master Ti." Yoda gave the much younger man a long suffered look. "Slept with her her had. Knew about it, did you?"

"I… Yes, I was aware." Obi-Wan stammered. "This is the fallout?!" Now that he found hard to believe. He thought he knew Shaak Ti. If she was as pissed off as she seemed, it would be like her to try stabbing Delkatar a few times with her lightsaber.

What Kenobi didn't expect was for her to throw him and Ahsoka on the pack of hungry krath hounds that were the conservatives. Damn it, Veil…

"How did this happen?" Obi-Wan's tone was resigned.

"Master Ti, betrayed feels. Used. Blames Veil she does. Believes right Windu was. The conservatives joined she has." Yoda's ears dropped.

"I noticed." Obi-Wan muttered. "What I felt when I got back… How is the Order as a whole took that the recent changes?"

"Divided we are. Confused, scared the Jedi are." Yoda paused. "Angry." His small frame practically radiated regret.

"You know, even if he wanted to move against the Order, Veil wouldn't have done it now. The war is going to escalate even further and the Republic doesn't need another internal division right now." Kenobi didn't know how right he was.

"Believe his intent this was not." Yoda grumbled. "Responsible he still is. Listen to reason the conservative Jedi refuse. Become Mandalore Veil has. Proven their fears he has. So did you." Yoda sent a disappointed look at Obi-Wan that made him feel like a little boy caught stealing sweets from the kitchens.

Well, it was Yoda who caught him doing it that one time…

"I'm sorry, Master Yoda. However, I might regret the consequences of my actions and how they affect the Jedi Order, I don't regret marrying Satine. It was the right call for the two of us." Yet, causing further strife among the Jedi, the only family he had know until this last few weeks tore him up inside.

Yoda grumbled quietly.

"Perhaps mistaken we were. Emotions… Unsure am I. Does as taught Master Tiin do. The best interest of the Jedi he has. The Code he follows. By traditions he swears." Yoda looked sad at the admission.

"Once I would have agreed. Now? I'm not sure if our traditions and reading of the Code could be called wrong. What I can see is that they simply aren't right for all Jedi in the Order. That's something I've been tormented by for months now – torn between rigid tradition and a single understanding of the Code, and what I've seen and experienced in the wider galaxy. Some might reach a different conclusion. I believe that's what happening right now, at least in part. What I experienced out there," He pointed at the sky far above the ceiling of the room, "is the simple fact that our Code doesn't work so well when confronted by the outside world. Perhaps its our understanding of it that is flawed. Or just the galaxy is too messed up. I don't know." Obi-Wan shrugged.

"Above politics we were. Stood aside galactic affairs we did. Best of intentions we had." Yoda muttered. "Apart of the galaxy we were."

"I'm not sure that the rest of the galaxy ever saw us that way." Obi-Wan interjected.

"No. Act we did. Command we took. The Clone Wars we fight. Apart we are not." Yoda added. "To the Senate we must go." The Grandmaster's eyes suddenly widened and he looked disturbed.

"Veil's hearing should be starting soon." Obi-Wan added.

"Master Tiil there will be. Speak he will..." Yoda jumped from his low placed bed and the Force around them trembled as he used it to revitalize his ancient body.

"He's about to do something stupid, isn't he?" Obi-Wan groaned. As if Veil wasn't enough…

=RK=

Senate Chambers

Senate building

Coruscant

"This place looks much better than the last time." I muttered when we entered the place where the galaxy fate was decided on a daily basis. Supposedly at least.

"The lack of terrorists is refreshing." Palpatine snarked.

We went in together, so the Chancellor could show his support for my cause. His large security detail fanned out and spread around our primary exit and we headed for Palpatine's platforms followed by the hulking figure of Mas Amedda – the Vice Chair of the Senate.

He was Palpatine's creature. The only thing I wasn't sure if that has always been the case or if it happened after Valorum had his vote of no confidence. It didn't really matter nowadays. Amedda was likely to be an ally for the time being and in the long term – I would lose if I played the political game against someone as established as Palpy and his cronies. That's why my bet was on the military.

The Chamber was already buzzing from thousands of beings talking and that sound raised up to crescendo once we boarded Plapatine's personal pod and ascended to the center of the room. A lot of Senators jeered when they saw me but what sounded like an equal number actually cheered my presence. Even if he was going to take credit as the man who had the foresight to give me my commission in the GAR, Sidious had to chafe under sharing the limelight an even influence with me.

That was something I was going to enjoy in private. Now it was time for a bloody circus. I suffered through the formalities and soon enough it was time to answer the Senate. The noise that followed was deafening, but soon enough it was clear who would be my first inquisitor for the day. It made sense really.

A single pod raised up until it was on the same level as us and I had a great view of its occupants. Three Cathar stood proudly in it. Two large males flanking their Senator – a lithe, furious looking female. They all wore traditional garb – gray suits with a crimson sash across their chest held in place by golden brooch shaped like a lion, well Cathar head.

Considering that the Mandalorians drove their species to near extinction during the first war between my people and the Republic it made sense that the Cathar would be first to raise in opposition to my new title. On the other hand, I've fought besides their people when multiple Clans joined us against the Republic after Imperial Intelligence rescued a political prisoner held on Belsavis for decades by SIS.

The males were of the subspecies that were practically bipedal lions complete with manes – white furred in their case. They looked more than mean enough to fit their roles as bodyguards.

The Senator on the other hand had a short golden fur and a long hair tied up in a braid that went well past her waist.

"Chancellor Palpatine." The Senator gave him a respectful blow. "Mandalore." She bared her teeth in a clear threat.

Yeah, certainly not a fan.

"Senator. I'm afraid we aren't acquainted." I spoke calmly, doing my best to present myself as a reasonable fella.

"I'm Senator Sylvaris, Mandalore." She introduced herself, putting emphasis on my new title. While it was obvious what she was doing, it didn't make it any less effective. "I've hoped that after their Civil War the Mandalorians finally learned their lesson and were finally ready to turn another page. I'm saddened to see them going back to their old, murderous ways. How long would it be before the Republic will have to fight the Mandalorians again? And this time it will be with almost perfect intelligence, isn't this true, general?" She glared daggers at me.

Almost everyone from the Outer Rim that had remained loyal to the Republic instead joining the Confederacy were shouting their support. An unintended consequence of me becoming Mandalore was going to be a stiffening support for the CIS among all their members that had clashed with my people in the past.

"If I have anything to say about it – never!" I spoke aloud. "We've all spent too much time wasting precious lives and resources trying to kill each other in the past. And that's what the conflict between Mandalore and the Republic is – an artifact of a bygone era. My people didn't suddenly change yesterday or last week. They didn't change just because I hold the title of Mandalore." I gave the Senate a reassuring smile and waved a hand to encompass the chamber. "The simple truth is that we have no issues with the Republic. No reason whatsoever to wage war against it. In fact, one of the reasons why I'm here in my official capacity as Mandalore is to seek a military alliance against the Confederacy – the madmen who are our real enemy. An enemy to the Republic and Mandalore both."

"Nice, empty words." Sylvaris nodded. "Why should we believe a Mandalore? It hasn't worked so well in the past."

"In the past the Republic and Mandalore were long standing enemies. Yet, its been a long time since a state of peace had reigned between our nation. My people fought a civil war against what you fear – maniacs like the now defunct Death Watch who would have seen the galaxy burn for their own gain. We fought them just a few weeks ago – them and their backers in the Confederacy. While we paid a steep price in both Mandalorian lives and those of our allies in the Republic who fought side by side with us, we won again and put a stop of that nonsense, hopefully permanently this time."

My smile grew.

"In fact that's one of the primary reasons why I seek an alliance with the Republic. Fighting together against a common foe like the Confederacy will make what you fear even less likely than its today. Honorable warriors don't one day simply turn around and stab the people they fought beside in the back. There would be no honor, no glory in such an act. Not to mention the little part that doing so would make no sense for Mandalore as a whole."

"I see. What about your conflict of interests? You're Mandalore now. You can't be one of the highest ranking generals in the Republic military at the same time. From your words its clear you'll do what's best for Mandalore and its people. That's not necessary what's best for any Republic soldiers you might command in the time or in the interests of the Republic." The Cathar woman was undaunted. What's more, you could clearly hear the conviction ringing in her every word.

"If I may field that question?" Palpatine interjected and offered Sylvaris his best grandfatherly smile. I wondered if he had it patented. "That exact issue wasn't lost to the good general, nor to me or the officers in the Grand Army. In fact, at first opportunity, general Veil approached me about the problem. Senator Sylvaris, you can rest assured that we view the issue as important. In fact we even reached a solution that I hope will allay your fears."

"What is that solution? Is Mandalore resigning from the Grand Army?" Sylvaris asked hopefully.

"While the offer was made, me and Republic High Command refused it." Now Palpy looked severe.

Just to cover our assess I actually made such an offer to Valentra from the Chancellor's office shortly before we had to come here. Telar wasn't amused.

This time both sides were equally outraged. Sylvaris' allies were furious that my so called resignation offer hadn't been accepted and that I hadn't been kicked out of the army as soon as I made it. Those who wanted the Republic to have as many allies as it could get were pissed off at the very idea that the GAR might lose one of its most effective commanders.

All the commotion irritated Amedda a lot – it was part of his job to keep things in the chambers more or less civil. It took him a few minutes to have the noise down to just a dull roar so Palpatine could be heard.

"Precisely because the issues you raised, Senator Sylvaris, General Veil will no longer be in command of all Republic combat units." the Chancellor used the opportunity to make her share the blame for everything that might happen once I wasn't holding my current position and responsibilities.

If things went bad during the CIS offensive, Palpy would need scapegoats and guess who volunteered to shoulder the blame? I was sure that he'll be using the next month to convince the public that this whole thing was the brainchild of certain Senators who conveniently were causing him problems. And when something goes wrong, which was a given, he was going to remove some of the opposition within the Senate after hanging the responsibility for any setbacks on their insistence that I couldn't keep my current job.

Considering that this maneuver was likely to keep my hide out of at least some political complications down the line, I wished Palpy luck. It also reinforced the fact that I shouldn't go against him in the political arena. Doing so would be unwise.

"That's a relief, Chancellor." Sylvaris relaxed a bit.

"Considering general Veil's change of status and some issues that were brought to my attention concerning problems coordinating command between the Grand Army and some of our forces that aren't technically part of the Republic army, I'll like the announce the creation of a Unified Command Structure between the GAR, Mandalore and the various armed forces of systems like Corellia. The primary goal will integration of our armies and navies to better fight this war and resolving any issues about who is supposed to be in command long before our boys and girls could reach the front lines. As a pilot command under that initiative, we'll be creating a single integrated unit under the command of General Veil which will include Republic, Corellian and Mandalorian forces. Lessons learned after the first months of operations will be then used to speed integration of our militaries and figure better how to more efficiently expand the UCS." Palpy smiled. "And no, the UCS moniker won't be the final name of that initiative. It's simply less of a mouthful that the rest that were proposed."

I'll give Palpy that, even without using the Force, the man was damn charismatic. When he spoke, the Senators listened, even if at least half of them were quite furious by what he was actually telling them. I simply couldn't pull something like that off without leaning on the Force to figure out what I should be saying, at least when speaking to civilians or politicians.

Amedda was quite busy once again and Sylvaris was busy giving us both death stares. Palpatine simply gave her an apologetic shrug. Before Amedda could restore order, our attention was caught by a pod breaking protocol and heading our way. That made the Senators quiet down so they could see and hear what the kriff was happening.

I frowned when I saw someone clad in Jedi robes approaching. In fact he wasn't alone – there was a short being that next to him that was hidden by the bulk of the pod and his companion due to the angle of approach. For a moment I thought it was Yoda, but the color was wrong despite the superficial resemblance. I stretched my perception through the Force and frowned. They were quite powerful for Jedi of this era. Council members was my guess though I haven't met them. I wracked my brain to place names to their faces. I've went over what was publicly accessible about the Order soon after I found myself in this time, but some details had slipped my mind as not too important. Like Council members that were more or less non-entities.

Apparently that had been mistake that might very well be biting me on the ass right about now.

"Chancellor Palpatine." The tall Jedi spoke in a booming voice and bowed. "I'm sorry to interrupt these proceedings, however the Jedi Council has issues that have to do with the subject in this hearing. I regret the fact we were unable to give you more warning."

"Master Tiin and Master Piell, was it?" Palpatine looked at the Jedi. "Both as a Chancellor and an old friend of the Jedi I always have time for your issues." He showed just the right amount of concern and surprise in his voice and expression.

"I'm glad to hear it, Chancellor." Tiin, the taller, horned one nodded. "For some time, the Jedi Council has had concerns about General Veil. I heard the your outrage..." He turned around and looked at the Senators. "How betrayed you feel when Veil chose to seize power and become Mandalore." The Jedi Master glared at me. "I'll ask you something. Why are you surprised? Some of us saw a thing like this coming, yet our warnings fell on deaf ears, because it was convenient at the time." Tiil took a deep breath and pointed an accusing finger at my chest. "Right here for all of you to see stands a Dark Lord of the Sith. One who thousands of years ago engineered the fall of the Old Republic as Darth Vael. I don't know what Sith Sorcery allows him to stand here today so he could spread his lies and corruption in an age we all believed, no hoped that the Sith were gone for good."

The good news was that Palpy was glaring at the Jedi and I was pretty sure if this was a set up, it wasn't one of his doing. Not when Sidious stood at an arm's length from me. Unless he has lost all his marbles, the Chancellor couldn't know how dangerous I truly was and wouldn't engineer such a public confrontation with him in the epicenter of it.

However, the Senate was another matter. Those pissed off that I had given the Mandalorians a leader in myself and fearing the ghosts of an ascendent Mandalore behind me… they were listening.

Amedda tried to silence the Jedi but a glare added by a subtle pulse of the Force kept him quiet. Such a blatant use of Force powers here and now by the Jedi of all people put me on edge. I was suddenly glad to have my lightsaber on me. Wearing an armor with integrated shields was good thing too, just in case the Jedi went crazy. Well, crazier.

At least if things didn't go too badly, they were going to give me and Palpatine more than enough rope to hang them with it and make the Jedi Order as a whole non-entity.

"Because of this man's corrupting influence, just a short time ago the Jedi Council was forced to expel one of our own. A Jedi Master who was an example for us all became corrupted in just a few months of interaction with this Sith and forced our hand." Tiil pointed at me again. "He almost succeeded in corrupting a second Jedi Master too!"

If he did that a third time I might just give in the temptation to grab his hand and break that finger, consequences be damned.

Tiil looked at the Chancellor, then at Amedda, before his eyes swept over the chamber. "If he did that, we should ask ourselves who else he has corrupted. Who has he deceived. Who will be his next victim. And I can promise you, if Delkatar Veil isn't removed from power right here and now, we'll all live to regret it. How long before the democracy we're sworn to protect is replaced by a new Sith Empire with him in charge? How long before he twists and corrupts the Republic in something that even the monsters running the Confederacy will find terrible to behold?"

I couldn't help it and started laughing. Me, a kriffing Emperor and having to do the bloody job? No thanks.

Well, whatever Tiil and Piell was it, expected, me laughing my ass off for the whole Senate to see wasn't it. Even Palpatine gave me one glance and snorted.

"You had me going there for a moment..." I muttered before laughing again.

Tiil glared at me.

"Funny is it? Recently. For all we know, you were the one behind Dooku's fall and the Confederacy and are merely playing us against each other for your own sick amusement." Piell spoke for the first time.

Curiously, the Senate was actually silent this time. This kind of show wasn't something they saw everyday. Not between Jedi and Sith. Nowadays that was the stuff of legends.

"Dooku was a Jedi!" Someone shouted. "How do we know he ever truly left?!"

Now, that accusation ignited the crowd and everyone began shouting. The commotion was so big and my attention was centered on the Jedi Masters in front of me that I didn't notice the approach of yet another pod, this one holding Yoda and Obi-Wan. When they reached us, earning themselves glares from Tiil, the noise was so loud that there was no way in hell we could hear each other even if we were shouting.

Well, kriff that. I took a deep breath and gathered the Force around me, making the Jedi Masters take a wary step back.

"SILENCE!" I screamed and my voice echoed around the chamber. "Now if we can all act as grown ups, it will be appreciated." That's me the consummate politician.

"Master Yoda." Palpatine beamed at the tiny Jedi. "I hope you might shed some light over, well this..." He waved at Tiil and Piell. "Am I to understand that they speak for the Jedi Order, because the timing of your arrival indicates otherwise."

Yoda looked quite disgruntled and appeared to want to be anywhere but here. I almost sympathized to the little fella. A big feature in the Sith Empire was if one of your subordinates kriffed up publically in such a fashion, you could Force Choke them or something then and there, thus removing the headache permanently.

"The Jedi Council split is. Half supports this." Yoda reluctantly pointed at Tiil. "Expelled Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was."

Not totally unexpected but still quite a dumb move. Unfortunately it was obviously where Tiil and company was coming from and there was probably no way to apeace them without putting myself in Jedi custody to spent the rest of my life under close guard. That or simply died where I stood.

Naturally, I wasn't going to oblige them. What I might have to do is to move against the Order myself in Yoda lost the obvious power struggle or the likes of Tiil forced my hand.

Such an outcome was going to be ugly and it was the last thing we needed right now when we should be preparing for the inevitable CIS onslaught.

"I see..." Palpatine trailed off. I was sure he was leading a valiant fight not to fall down laughing his ass off. "Am I to understand that the Jedi Council is divided and you thought it was a good idea to bring that out here for everyone to see? And accusing a Republic general with exemplary record, not to mention a foreign political leader of what amounts to treason too." The Chancellor's face became a severe mask. "Master Tiil, Master Piell, I hope you have proof. Solid one."

"What a solid proof would be, Chancellor?" Senator Sylvaris asked. "The Jedi Masters are correct. We all apparently forgot what Mandalore truly is. I wonder, if it simply slipped our minds because we fixated on his positions as a general and Mandalorian leader or how they put it, Sith Sorcery? After all we all know he has certain powers. Some of us were right here in this building when he used them against the terrorists and Confederacy droids who took us hostage. Many of us died that day. Now I have to wonder how much of that was inevitable, how many died not because we couldn't be saved thanks to the Confederacy planning their attack well enough but because Veil wanted them to die!" The Cathar shouted her accusation at me.

This time there was no easy way to calm down the Senators. Sylvaris earned herself an approving nod from Tiil and a disappointed look from Palpatine. The Chancellor shook his head and went next to Amedda so he could shout something in the man's ear. The Large alien nodded and began fiddling with a mechanism built in his ceremonial staff.

A deafening gong sounded, followed by a loud announcement: "The Senate will be in recess until six o'clock this evening. I repeat, the Senate will be in recess until six o'clock in the evening."

I looked at Palpatine who waved helplessly at the chamber around us and activated the recall function of our pod. He waved for Yoda and Kenobi to follow us and ignored the people in the other two pods.

As clusterkriffs go, this was a new experience. If this what democracy, Republic style meant, I might just as well ignore my plans for reforming the whole kriffing thing. That left me with figuring out who to use as a controllable Emperor because the last thing I wanted was the never sufficiently kriffing job. If I could trust Palpy not to stab me in the back or well, create his own quagmire of an Empire I might have been tempted in keeping him around.

The moment we were out of the chambers, the noise cut down significantly. At the same time a quite worried security detail fell in place around us.

"If you haven't, call in for reinforcements. This might get yet more ugly." I advised the Clone in charge of keeping Palpy in one piece.

"Already done, sir. Just so you know, general, most of us don't believe that..." He waved helplessly at the madhouse behind us.

"I know." I gave him a reassuring nod. "Well, this didn't go according to plan."

"You think?" Palpatine shot back in an out of character sarcastic tone. For a just a moment I glimpsed a combination of glee and fury coming from the other Sith, then his shields were firmly in place before Obi-Wan and Yoda could come behind us and sense anything beyond the mixed emotions of the Senators who were growing even more frantic.