Chapter 148

While High Admiral Thrawn and Count Dooku were out carrying out their task, Alexander was talking with Yrena and Yona inside of his office about the two who just recently joined the Terran Ascendency.

"Thrawn can be trusted and he is also very smart, so he won't become a liability for the future" Stated Yrena as she always read the reports about Thrawn, from his first days in the Imperial Navy to his rise as a Grand Admiral.

"Even though he was once a Jedi who turned to the Dark side and took on the name Darth Tyranus, Count Dooku is not currently a threat. Like Thrawn, he is cunning and knows how to make calculated decisions that will further his own power and ambitions." Continued Yrena.

"In other words, as long as Dooku gains more power, he will remain loyal," Alexander summarized.

"Essentially Yes, But the fact that he fell to the dark side is troubling and we won't be able to give him a high position in the Terran Ascendency. With Thrawn it was a simple matter since Thrawn is a well known Grand Admiral who has proven himself capable on numerous occasions" Stated Yrena.

"Dooku was once a Jedi Master, but he succumbed to the Dark side of the Force due to the corruption in the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order's inaction. Despite this, he was known for his skills as a philosopher, orator, politician, and warrior. He was highly respected for his character and mastery of the Force before he left the Order. I propose that we start him at the lowest rank in the Order of Guardians and have him work his way up to Master. His will not be an issue as I can enlist Abeloth's help in altering it," Yrena concluded her thoughts on Dooku and Thrawn.

"Well, I will leave the matter of Dooku and Thrawn in your hands then since you know more about their past then I do" Stated Alexander.

"Also the matter of whether someone has fallen to the dark side or not can be easily fixed. Look at the Nightsisters for example they were a large cult focused on the dark side and utilized dark methods and abilities. But after a few years of joining me they have learned to balance between the two sides instead of focusing on just one" Explained Alexander.

Yona chimed in, "The Nightsisters and Nightbrothers have truly enhanced the Terran Ascendency with their skills and growth from training." She had been listening quietly, not having much knowledge about Thrawn or Dooku beyond what was publicly known.

"Indeed, they have," Alexander agreed. "But now that we know what to do with the two let's move on to other matters"

"Dooku has convinced the CIS leaders to end their war and dissolve the Confederacy entirely."

Yrena raised an eyebrow skeptically. "But I'm sure there's a catch," she asked, already anticipating the answer.

"Precisely, they want their rights as corporations to be restored and allowed to operate within Terran space once again, and to keep their current assets and be allowed to expand them once again" Answered Alexander. "Which is not an unreasonable request"

"Agreed" Stated Yona. "We can allow them to expand but also keep their expansion regulated and keep a close eye on them at all times"

"Exactly," Alexander responded. "That way we can monitor their activities and nip any potential threats in the bud."

Yrena nodded in agreement, while Yona seemed to be mulling over this new development. "Then what about the concerns of the rest of the Terran Ascendency? I'm sure there will be those who don't take kindly to the idea of former enemies being allowed to operate within our borders."

Alexander steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair, considering her point. "Yes, you're right," he admitted after a moment. "But building an empire requires some measure of pragmatism. The Confederacy's resources will be invaluable to us. Especially with a new threat that will emerge in the coming years"

"what new threat" Asked Yona as Yrena was also curious.

Alexander then explained to them about the report from the Chiss Envoy of the attack on a Chiss border world and about the Yuuzhan Vong who are invaders from another Galaxy.

He proceeded to describe his vision of the Yuuzhan Vong, where they were fleeing their destroyed galaxy in search of a new one to inhabit. He also mentioned their intense religious animosity towards technology and their expertise in biological advancements which made up their entire way of life, and their resistance to most force attacks.

Hearing about this information Yrena and Yona didn't think that they would pose that much of a threat but they figured that if the Yuuzhan Vong masted the use of biological technology then they would have weapons that they didn't know about.

"But worry not, the Vong are not entirely unaffected with the Force and through experience fighting them we can discover new abilities which can affect them. So for now I will implement a new more in-depth training method for the Order of the Guardian's regarding the use of the Force" Stated Alexander.

"The main way most people utilize the force is by using hand movements which helps concentrate and clear the mind. But for the Vong I will have them learn to utilize the force using only their mind so that they can wield a new weapon" Said Alexander.

"Interesting," Yrena noted, her tone thoughtful. "Will these changes only be limited to the Order of Guardians? What about the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers?"

Alexander considered it for a moment, his gaze drifting towards the window. The stars outside reflected in his eyes as he pondered the situation. "Initially, yes," he finally decided. "But once the techniques are refined and their efficiency confirmed, we can think about implementing them in other orders as well."

Yona, who had been silent till now, added her own thoughts. "Considering their unfamiliarity with our technology and their inherent resistance to it, we should also start working on a contingency plan for such scenarios."

"Agreed," Alexander stated, nodding at Yona's suggestion. "I will have the greatest minds of the Terran Ascendency work together to come up with technology which can be used to affect biological technology"

"But nonetheless when the time comes they should not pose that much of a threat to us" said Alexander.

Yrena and Yona nodded trusting that what Alexander said was true.

"For now though I want the two of you to accompany Leia and Allae who will meet with the delegates from the CIS executives to learn how negotiations work and such" Said Alexander.

Yrena and Yona smiled "I'm guessing they asked for this" Asked Yona

Alexander sighed "Yes, they wouldn't stop asking me so in the end I allowed them to go in my place" Stated Alexander now thinking that he probably spoiled them a little too much.

"Alright then" Said Yrena as she stood up "Let's get going Yona I want to see their growth" Yona stood up and the two of the left the room. They contacted Leia and Allae to get the time and location of the meeting so that they could meet them there.