6/8

It was a disturbing thought on many levels. Such a simple concept, yet the ramifications were so huge. "Reforming the Jedi could take centuries." He said aloud not really addressing Ranma at the moment, but simply speaking his thoughts. "We seem to have slipped into this apathetic stagnation over thousands of years. It could take that long to bring us out of it."

"Remember, I said it not be easy, it just needs be done." Ranma said with a shrug.

Dooku laughed quietly. "I suppose so." He looked at the youth. "That of course means you would not be willing to join the order even if I could try somehow to get you in?"

Ranma laughed wildly. "Hell no. I'm willing to work with Jedi, but I want to explore the galaxy, want to do it on my own terms. I have my Code, I not bow to yours."

And despite me turning down that Twi'lek girl, I really would like a girlfriend eventually. Don't know about the whole marriage thing, my Nerima experience sort of killed my interest in that. But a stable relationship in the long term would be nice, and sure as hell can't happen if I agree to that whole 'no attachment' thing.

Dooku nodded then looked up as the captain Michael came in. "Yes, Captain?"

"Sorry to interrupt master Dooku, but some news just came in over the Hypercom. The alien Yinchorri have attacked a planet, we're so close we're probably one of the first systems to pick it up. I thought you'd want to know."

A moment later Ranma and Dooku both stood in the command deck, watching the news. It showed the Yinchorri attacking several peaceful planets, the attacks covered by news crews on the ground and defenders themselves trying to get messages out to the Republic as a whole before the videos went blank. The fact the newscaster then went on to some bland news from some other planet with as much interest and energy as the previous one, a Chandra-fan, had covered the news about the Yinchorri was both jarring and damning in Dooku's mind.

Dooku looked up over at Ranma watching his hands clench and unclench. "Calm yourself Ranma, remember our conversations on anger."

Ranma whirled to him, one finger raised in Dooku's face. "That is part of the problem with you Jedi! There are different types anger!" Ranma paused gathering himself. "There are different types of anger, different types of love and different types of people too! You try to make one size, abstaining from all of emotions, fit all! Stupid! Righteous anger is in not dark or evil! Anger at person if he has done evil is no evil! Hate is curse, hate and anger sometimes together, but not always. I feel righteous anger when I see that, there nothing wrong with that! If you feel nothing when you see that, you sick in head, not living, but already dead!"

Dooku looked down at the finger in his face and then up at Ranma one eyebrow raised until Ranma moved it away. Then he nodded. "I suppose I can understand your point, but I am uncertain that most Jedi would, or even if they did could keep themselves from not falling to the Dark Side."

"I'm not most Force users, I'm not a Force user at all, least not the way you people think about it." Ranma growled. "So…" he said looking over at the picture still playing "what are you going to do about this?"

"What am I going to do about it?" Dooku asked. "I still have my mission here. The Jedi Council will probably send in a small group to try and deal with this, though what that will entail I don't know."

"Not what I was asking. I was asking what you as a person, was going to do. These Jedi the council send, they your friends they your allies, what are you as a person as an individual going to do? 'For evil to triumph good men must do nothing', that a saying from my world. Who cares if the Jedi Council sends others! You are here, you are a good fighter you go do what you can as a person!"

"We are about two hours away from the Yinchorri system my Lord, but it's not on a hyperspace lane. That's probably why it wasn't discovered centuries ago, but it's actually pretty close." Michael said his tone neutral. He served the diplomatic corps, and the Jedi in particular, if Dooku said to go he'd go but he wasn't about to give his own opinion unless he was asked for it, whatever that opinion might be.

Dooku turned back to Ranma staring into his blue eyes, seeing the challenge in them. The words Ranma had spoken reverberated in his mind, and he suddenly had a Force vision, of Jedi he knew cut down, dying, not so much overmatched then brought down by sheer numbers. With that vision came certainty. I can stop this, and I will. Yes, this was why he had thought the Force had led him to Ranma, this, the ability to change things even in a small way for now, showed that he was on the right path.

"Captain, how long would it take to rig this ship for battle?" He asked, turning back to Michael.

Michael shrugged, looking slightly shifty. "We took on some small turbolasers from the Alderaan Rangers when we met with them sir. It would take us about 45 minutes or so to set them up, the ships has control and energy runs we can change to suit weapons. But we'd have to do it here on the ground we couldn't do it while we were moving."

He turned to Ranma shrugged his shoulders as Ranma's looked as if he was about to volunteer. "It's not just about lifting heavy objects or anything, and it'd be exterior work for the most part kid, sorry but I'm not going to put my people in harm's way like that. "

"That's fine captain," Dooku said before Ranma could replied though he looked more understanding then he had a moment ago. "That will allow me to get in touch with some friends. You said yourself Ranma, for evil to succeed good people must do nothing. If that is the case, then perhaps I can get some other good people to realize that this problem with Yinchorri is one they need to step up and deal with now rather than later, and possibly more."

Ranma cocked his head not understanding and Dooku waved him away, not wanting to share more than that for now since he wasn't certain this part of the aspect would work. "I'll be in my quarters Captain. Do what you can to prepare the ship for combat."

OOOOOOO

A few moments later Dooku sat down in front of the Hypercom system, not calling the Jedi Council but a friend he had made on the Senate. "Senator Palpatine, do you have time to talk for a few moments?"

"I have been better my friend," said Senator Palpatine of Naboo, a man that Dooku had been introduced to by the head of the Banking Clan.

He knew Palpatine as a man whose thoughts on the senate dovetailed with Dooku's. Though looking back on it, Dooku was now certain the man who introduced them had his own reasons for his low opinion on that score.

"There is a bit of a kerfuffle in the Senate at the moment as you no doubt aware." Palpatine suddenly smiled, slightly wider than his normal politician's expression. "Especially considering that you caused some of it. Senator Ainlee Teem was very well-connected here in the Senate, the proofs of the allegation of slavery against him was damning to much of those connections, and when he was recalled, sacked and imprisoned, that acted much like a concussion missile in the Senate. The reverberations of it are still echoing here, not helped by all of the other issues covering at the same time of course."

"Unfortunately my friend I did not call you to talk about my own exploits, but rather one of those other issues, the Yinchorri. Can you tell me if the Senate is at all close to coming to an agreement on what to do about them?" Dooku asked.

"Between the two of us, I'm afraid that the Chancellor's position isn't strong on that issue." Palpatine scowled. "Many of my fellow senators cannot see the threat Yinchorri aggression would mean in the long term. They have too small a population, they are too technologically dependent on others to be considered a major threat, and of course, there is the problem of what to do even if we interdict them, all reasons that have been trotted out time and time again since this crisis began. The Chancellor is gaining ground, but it is slow going."

"Indeed? Then I will call him next, I have an idea on that score of my own, and one that might serve better in the long term than sending in a Republic Intervention Fleet." Dooku mused.

"You're being rather mysterious my friend." Palpatine asked, smiling conspiratorially and leaning toward the pickup slightly. "Care to let me in on it?"

"All I will say I am going to put my weight behind an issue that has been brokered about in the Senate for several months now, at least on a limited basis. You may wish to wait until this bit of excitement is over before deciding whether you want to be part of it."

"I see…" Palpatine frowned then shrugged a small smile still on his face. "Very well then I look forward to hear about how you happened upon the kidnapped miners by the way. Hopefully the next time you are on Coruscant we will have time to sit down and you can excite me with a tail of Jedi-daring do."

Dooku laughed. "We shall see my friend. Until then." With that the two men ended the communication, with Dooku immediately redirecting his call to the Chancellor's office, using a Jedi Code to bypass the man's secretary and send an ID to Valorum so he knew who was calling.

A moment later the Chancellor appeared looking harried. "Master Dooku, I am always happy to hear from a Jedi master of your eminence, but I have already informed the Jedi Council of that I am doing all I can to try to…"

"Councilor, I have no wish to add to your work, in fact I am calling to tell you to stop trying to put together a quorum on the Yinchorri issue. I am going to try to put together my own bit of alliance for that issue. However, later on, you may be called upon to back an addendum to a certain law passed about a year ago now…"

It took Dooku about an hour to talk Valorum around, but in the end the Chancellor agreed that Dooku's idea sounded viable, if he could put it together. The cost down the line might be big in terms of the old demilitarization plan that the Chancellor's office had followed for centuries, but that had already begun cracking, as Dooku had pointed out rather pointedly. And when told who Dooku was willing to bring in on this, Valorum acceded to his request quickly.

After that, Dooku set up a conference call to Khedive Candobar Inglet of the Sluis Van Congregate, and Governor Shrook'an of Dac. Inglet was the head of a family that owned a large majority of the Sluis Van shipyards, which in turn controlled 80% of the Sluis Sector's economy, which gave him directorship for the sector. The Sluisi owned and operated a large defense fleet entirely separate of the ships they sold the small Republic navy, something they had been able to get away with since the Sluis Sector was on the Outer Rim.

While Dooku had only ever met Inglet personally he knew Shrook'an was the head of the Mon Calamari and Quarren party that were the most leery of completely joining the Republic, and thereby being tied entirely to its laws. Specifically, the laws which would force them to open their planet to foreign companies which might wreck their economy and the laws which would force them to turn over the defense of their planet to the Republic, adding their defense fleet to that of the Republic. That was one idea the Mon Calamari and Quarren, who often butted heads on practically everything, agreed on: they did not want their home system only guarded by the small republic navy and the goodwill of others.

Before either being could speak, Dooku began his pitch. "Gentlemen. I have recently been reminded of a saying I first heard as a youngling: that for evil to win, good people must do nothing. To that end, I am leaving Malastare, where you no doubt you both know I have been… rather busy, to aid my fellow Jedi in dealing with the Yinchorri's militaristic expansion. For governments of course, it isn't that simple. You need to have something to show for every action you take, and there is one law which you both wish to see changed, correct, or rather enlarged?"

Both beings glanced at one another. The Mon Calamari and the Sluisi might be in the same business as it were, but they didn't really have anything to do with one another economically. While both sectors were on the Outer Rim, they were nowhere near one another in terms of their places in space. Nonetheless, their economies were generally similar, and one issue in particular they had brought up in the Senate sprang to mind immediately, as Dooku had hoped. "You speak of the Arming Rights allowed to the Trade Federation's merchant ships."

"Indeed. While I still feel that particular issue was badly handled, I think that we can all say that it is not just the Trade Federation's shipping that has run into issues from pirates." He waited for both his listeners to laugh as their species allowed, and then went on. "Both of your senators have pressed for the right to arm those of your own merchant ships that travel beyond your sectors, or for the right to provide security ships to such, correct? I believe that, in return for your aid in dealing with the Yinchorri crisis I can see the senate extend that law to include your own ships."

"Not enough," Shrook'an said. "I understand the threat the Yinchorri pose in the long term if left unchecked, but the Senate will not agree to it for various reasons, both self-serving as well as good and decent ones as they see it. The pacifistic segment in particular will not like it."

"They will, if your warships, not only your defense fleets, but the armed merchant ships once you arm them, can be called upon to aid the Jedi in our roles as peacekeepers. Even the Alderaanian government would like that idea. I had thought about calling upon Senator Bel Iblis of Corellia, and I will extend the arming rights to include ships of the Corellian government's own merchant ships, but they are too far to send aid against the Yinchorri. I believe, with Jedi backing, the Chancellor's aid, Corellia and even Alderaan and other planets which follow pacifism would back the idea."

The Sluis Sector was right next door to the sector holding Yinchorr. They could get a fleet there within a bare few hours via hyperspace. The Mon Calamari could use the Overic Griplink to get to the Perlemian Trade Route, then come the rest of the way more slowly.

It took several more hours to convince both leaders of that of course, Dooku had been right: they couldn't commit their forces without getting something out of it, no matter how good the cause. But eventually the two of them agreed, with reservations, to send their fleets in. The upside was too good, and Dooku's numbers when it came to the Senate matched up too, which had been the holding point.

At the end of the discussion Dooku sent off two copies of the agreement, as well as the addendum they would be pressing into the Arming Rights law that had so favored the Trade Federation. All three men smiled at one another, knowing they had just done something good, not just for their own people or even in terms of standing against the Yinchorri, but possibly going forward into the future. "Gentlemen, thank you. I look forward to meeting your fleets in the Shili system five hours from now."

Both beings nodded, and Dooku sat up, closing his eyes for a moment and sending his senses out into the Force. The sensation came back immediately that this action of his was what he was meant to do and he smiled, touching his lightsaber lightly before marching out of the room.

OOOOOOO

Sidious frowned, leaning away from the pickup. Thwarted by the chaos still rippling in both the present and the future around Dooku, Sidious had been unable to get any idea of what the Jedi Master was planning.

Yet even so, I was able to discern that it is not Dooku himself, but something connected to him, to his current work and his ousting of Ainlee that is the source of those ripples. I need to see what my agents on Malastare have come up with, I need to have an idea of what Dooku found, or perhaps who he found, to steer him away from searching for the Sith and to change him so much.

Several moments later while Sidious was still concentrating on the ripples Dooku's actions were causing he felt several of them solidify. He frowned, first in consternation, then after a moment with a sneer.

Interesting, and rather brilliant in a way. But, oh but…heheheh… there are several ways this can be manipulated to the Grand Plan's advantage, oh yes… heheheh, Dooku might not come to the Dark Side, but still, this, this can indeed be turned to my advantage. I think I can 'get behind' the resumption of that debate, oh yes. It might seem a good idea now, but later on…

Deep in the dark of his senatorial suite, Sidious began to laugh quietly, before shaking his head and getting back to work.

OOOOOOO

A bare day after deciding to aid his Jedi brethren Dooku's ship met up with the two fleets of the Sluisi and Mon Calamari. The two fleets combined numbered around forty-five warships, mostly heavy cruiser and frigate classes with a few dedicated carriers for space fighters. Ranma stared avidly at the screen in the observation sector of the bridge, watching as the ships flew past. At the same time Dooku was on the Holocom with the two admirals. "This is not going to be a standup fleet action, not unless we need to. Essentially what we are going to be doing is simply keep the attention of the Yinchorri fleet on us, while my Jedi brethren do their part."

He tapped the screen, and an image appeared, appearing simultaneously on the hologram projectors in the two admiral's command centers. One of them was a Mon Calamari, whose skin was pocked along one side. His name was Arikakon Baraka, a middle-aged, thoughtful and well thought of commander.

His counterpart, Tuvou Sitoris had served the Sluis Sector Navy as one of its admirals for many years, commanding dozens of anti-pirate actions. But neither of them had commanded a mixed unit before, nor a fleet on the scale that had been gathered here.

Dooku hadn't either of course, but he was well read and figured that between them their makeshift triumvirate would be able to figure out the correct tactics. "What I propose is for us to come in out of hyperspace at speed, cutting across the system like so." He said gesturing into his own hologram, which was faithfully copied by the hologram projectors on the other two ships.

"First will be the Sluisi, because your ships are faster, thus harder to hit. But you'll come out in such a way that you won't actually be attacking anything, nor will you be in any danger of becoming bogged down. Instead your task will be to skirt around the outer system for a few hours pulling as many of the Yinchorri ships after you as possible."

"Those ships in turn will be jumped by my fleet yes?" Questioned the Mon Calamari.

"Indeed. I have studied their psychology, and they are unused to thinking of themselves as anything but the alpha predators. The challenge of you fleet will bring the Yinchorri out to attack us, pulling them out of position and unable to affect what is going on around the planet."

"And our own tactics after battle is joined?"

"I will not be in any position to give advice or commands gentlemen, since I will be taking my own ship deeper into the system. I believe once in the system I will be able to sense where my fellow Jedi are, and thus where to go. Once my ship leaves the fleet, it will be up to the two of you to decide on your tactics."

The two admirals looked at one another than Arikakon smiled, his eyes swiveling for a moment. "You have seniority my friend, but if I may add some advice, my ships can take much more of a pounding than you might think. And whatever Master Dooku says, we should possibly think about destroying their mobile forces."

Sitoris closed his eyes his upper body moving sinuously from side to side in the hologram for a moment. Ranma watched his lips quirking at how much the motion made him look like a snake waiting to strike. Pretty damn apt right now.

After a moment Sitoris nodded. "Yes, that is true. We will need to also think about destroying the orbitals, if we are to make certain the Yinchorri do not attempt further military conquests. To that end, I believe there is a maneuver that could be used against creatures as aggressive as the Yinchorri…"

About an hour passed while Ranma sat silent, simply listening to Dooku and the two admirals bandying ideas around until they had an idea of the tactics they would use. The conversation wound down after a time, with all three of them happy with their strategy for the coming campaign. As they were about to sign off, Arikakon looked at Master Dooku. "Do your Jedi allies know we are coming?"

"I have been unable to contact them. I'm afraid that they are either in communications blackout prior to their arrival, or have already arrived." Dooku sighed faintly. "We will have to simply trust in the Force."

OOOOOOO

The Sluisi fleet flashed out of hyperspace going to full normal drive quickly, racing forward. Made up of mostly corvettes and frigates they had a major speed advantage over the Yinchorri ships stationed around the main hyperspace outlier for the system. The Yinchorri ships, around twenty capital class ships, were larger, heavily armed and armored, but not very fast. The Sluisi dodged through and around the defenders heading deeper into the system before making a wide turn back outwards, pulling the defenders in behind them, the Yinchorri giving chase.

They disdained the one ship that wasn't moving with the others, instead making straight for the inner system. There would be a lot more glory to be attained in facing a fleet rather than a single fleeing vessel.

Soon the two fleets were well out of position to interdict the single cruiser. Dooku watched for a moment on the tactical display as about thirty minutes ticked by with more and more of the Yinchorri ships moving out to try and engage the Sluisi from deeper in system. But the Sluisi under Sitoris were as sneaky and tenacious as they could be. Their course were constantly changing slicing in and out of the inner regions of the system back out to the known hyperspace jump points. This action kept the Yinchorri's attention fully focused on them while Dooku's cruiser kept on moving deeper into the system, no longer facing any defenders themselves.

A few moments longer passed, and Dooku, his senses extended out into the Force around him, nodded at last. "Make for Yinchorr captain, the homeworld of the Yinchorri. I sense at least eleven of my brethren there, several of which I know personally and one I know very well indeed." Interesting that Qui-Gon would have been chosen for a mission like this…

Michael nodded, and the ship changed course slightly. A few moments later the other jaw of the assault struck.

The Mon Calamari ships came out of hyperspace on the coordinates sent by Admiral Sitoris. Built mostly of heavy and light cruisers, the second assault group came out of hyperspace practically on top of the Yinchorri ships trying to close with the Sluisi. The two fleets immediately began to exchange fire, but the Yinchorri were mostly out position to defend one another, and were shocky from the sudden assault from a new direction. Their fighters were also all out of position to defend the capital ships, a bad thing when the Mon Calamari ships had full fighter crews on their own ships. Four Yinchorri capital ships blew up quickly, their shields overwhelmed by turbolasers and photon torpedoes, their hulls unable to withstand the pounding. Two others drifted all systems dead, all weapons gone. And then the Sluisi turned, launching their own fighters and turning back to attack the pursuers who now found themselves trapped and out of position.

Dooku nodded, having watched all this in the tactical display. "Well done, the Yinchorri fleet will suffer tremendous losses, and are caught between two fires, unable to concentrate on either. That will keep our own force's losses down"

Ranma nodded too. "Nice tactics. I don't know much about fleets but even I can tell the lizards are in a bad way."

"About twenty minutes away from Yinchorr, Master Dooku. Do we have a specific target in mind?" Michael asked.

Closing his eyes Dooku once more sent out his senses, trying to get a read on what was going on in the planet that was quickly becoming larger in the viewscreen. The Yinchorri of course were almost blank in the force, which was a given since they were immune to Jedi mind tricks. Evolution can be odd like that, he mused smiling faintly as he remembered Yoda telling him about an odd animal he had run into once that actually pushed the force away from it.

However Dooku could sense the Yinchorri when there were large numbers of them in one place, and he felt all the Jedi very near one of those concentrations. "Head to the mountains along the westernmost continent, for now, and captain, I suggest you start powering up the weapons systems and make certain the shields are at full power." Help is on the way my former padawan, Dooku thought to himself, not sending the thought out for concern that he would distract Qui-Gon at an inopportune moment.

Behind him, Ranma turned and left the cockpit, cracking his knuckles as he closed his eyes, centering himself. While Dooku had been trying to put together his alliance to aid his fellow Jedi, Ranma had tried to exercise and sleep to get his mind off things. But every time he did, his mind would go back to those live newsfeeds from the Yinchorri attacking other planets.

Ranma had seen a lot of odd and weird stuff in his time, but true evil or war? The former he had rarely seen, and the second he had never seen. He had never even killed before taking on the slavers on their ship. Yes he'd come close several times, a few would-be molesters in China, and of course his battle against Saffron and Herb though the second wasn't nearly as close as the first.

Part of him was anxious about this, yet another side didn't care, or didn't care about the size of the conflict. Large or small, Ranma was confident in his skill, and more importantly the Code didn't change. If you are prepared to take a life, you're prepared to lose one. The strong should protect the weak, not prey upon them. These Yinchorri had done that, they had killed, slain, stolen from, and made war upon innocent civilizations, those who could not fight back!

A crime that Ranma could liken only to things he had seen once or twice on news the few times he was interested in watching it back in his old dimension. At the time, those things had seemed so far away and so unimportant, which Ranma put down to the Youthful Mind technique his father had used on him. He'd simply been unable to comprehend that there could be a connection between what he saw on the TV and Ranma himself.

If I had known then that kind of thing was real, would I have done anything about it? No, wrong question. It's never what you could've done; it's what you're going to do now. Remember these are the same bastards who attacked those other planets, remember that this isn't a spar, this isn't a game, this is real, they've got to be stopped, and I can help do it.

Centered, his emotions under control Ranma unlocked his ki, what Dooku called the Living Force, from his habitual control, breathing deeply as it began to overcharge his body and sense. He cracked his knuckles, his blue eyes shining with ki-light for a moment. "Time to party."

OOOOOOO

The team of Jedi that had been sent to find the command center for the Yinchorri had run into issues almost from the get-go. They had been attacked the moment they came out of hyperspace for one thing, nearly losing one of their cruisers to the fire which had come at them from several dozen capital ships. Those ships had then launched fighters which made a bad situation worse.

Master Windu and his ship had been forced to hyperspace through a planet, something most intelligent spacers would never have even attempted. Yet under the masterful hands of Jedi Master Saesee Tiin they made it through, even heading down to the surface of the planet Yinchorr, that race's original homeworld, unseen. They had hidden their ship in the mountains, before moving off to try and find the Yinchorri command center, which would house the Council of Elders that ruled the Yinchorri.

Master Gallia fared even better, having tricked one of their pursuers into destroying two others before getting away cleanly. Despite Jedi master Plo Koon at the controls however the third cruiser fared poorly. It was only a bit of trickery thought up by Padawan K'kruhk that allowed them to survive. They had lost all their escape pods, but were able to land in the cruiser itself.

None of their separate missions had gone as smoothly as hoped of course, but neither had they found their objective, the command center where the rulers of the Yinchorri could be found. After numerous adventures apart however, they had all come together once more on Yinchorr, more because Mace and his group had run into more trouble than they could handle than because they had narrowed down their search. The Yinchorri had found their ship, destroying it before starting a search which inevitably found Mace and his fellows.

None of them had died thus far Mace was pleased to feel, watching as more of his fellow Jedi arrived opening up an assault on the Yinchorri attempting to encircle Mace and his group. Yet that reinforcement seemed to be in danger of becoming overwhelmed itself.