Chapter 58: The First Dominoes Falls

[Van Personal Apartment, Coruscant, Galactic City]

(Van: POV)

Enjoying some alone time I watched a holodrama in the living room of my apartment.

As it finished I went and made myself, and then enjoyed a nice lunch.

I then decided to go back to watching holovid's.

But before I could I heard the beeping of my mini holoprojector.

Picturing it in my mind I brought it to me using telekinesis and then answered it.

Finding myself looking at a miniature hologram of Arwen Cohl after I did.

For just like HK-47 I use the mini holoprojector in my hand to contact him. Which I have started doing more of ever since we had our first face-to-face meeting on Myrkr a few months back.

After all, I can't build up trust with him and his people if I don't interact with them.

And I want to build up trust with them.

Which has been going well so far.

Arwen has even introduced me to his right-hand man the Rodian Boiny, and his female human lover Rella.

Both of whom were shocked when they learned who I was.

But after some time they accepted it and now trust me, just as their leader does.

Ok maybe not trust me, but they do trust Cohl, and since he trusts me by extension I have their trust. Though I hope they will trust me on their own one day.

Moving on.

"Hello Cohl, what seems to be the issue?" I asked him.

Since he rarely calls me.

Even about the jobs I supply him and his loyal band of mercenaries with.

Which he still accepts, even after knowing who I am.

So once more, I'm pretty sure he trust me. Even knowing I am a Jedi.

"Today Boiny brought me a job proposal from someone known as Havac, who is associated with the Nebula Front." Arwen told me.

"I see." I spoke.

'So, that time is here.' I thought.

The 'Eriadu Trade Summit'. The precursor event to the blockade of Naboo. Also known as Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

"Just like you told me I rejected the job." Cohl spoke.

"Good my friend, that's very good." I told him.

Since there is no way I'm allowing a man like Cohl to get called up in the bullshit machinations of the Sith and get himself killed.

"Yeah well you haven't led me and my people astray so far since we met kid, so you earned a little favor. But don't let it go to your head." Cohl bluntly spoke.

Which is a thing I've come to like about him. He is blunt and to the point. Not the type of man to hold anything back. 

"I won't." I replied. "Also I was wondering if you could find out who is going to take the job for Havac and Nebula Front instead of you?"

"Sure I can, but why?" Cohl asked.

"Just curiosity on my part." I said.

"Right." Cohl replied. Giving me a pointed look.

Yet my face stayed neutral, not even flinching a bit under his gaze.

"Look kid, I don't know what sort of plan you're cooking up in that head of yours, but be careful." Cohl told me.

"Noted." I replied.

Cohl nodded at my response. "I'll contact you again when I have the information you want." He spoke.

The miniature of hologram of Cohl then blinked out of existence.

Once it did I went back to watching holovid's until Cohl called me back.

Which he did only and hour later.

'Damn, he works fast.' I thought. But then again that's why he's one of the best.

Cohl informed me the one who accepted the job for Havac and Nebula Front in place of himself and his mercenary band, was one captain Cavik Toth, and his mercenary band Sabaoth Squadron.

Who were also allies of the Confederacy during the Clone Wars.

After passing me the information I wanted Cohl signed off again.

Immediately after he did I placed a call to HK-47. Who answered immediately this time.

"Statement: Greetings master." HK-47 said.

"Hey HK." I replied. "Listen, I need to drop whatever you are doing. For an opportunity has just presented itself for us to launch a major strike against the Sith and their allies. Come to Coruscant and pick me up. Once we are together I'll explain all the details to you. Be prepared, for I can say with certainty this mission will truly put your assassin skills to the test."

"Excited Statement: Finally." HK-47 said.

His eyes glowing brighter than I've ever seen them do since we met.

Which I will take as a good sign for this missions success.

As HK-47's hologram blinked out of existence I got up and began making my own preparations.

For I will make sure this operations succeeds.

No matter what.

--------------------------------------

[Seswenna Hall, Eriadu City, Eriadu]

(3rd Person: POV)

*Bang!*

"Aghh!!!"

"Hahh!!!"

First a shot rang out, and then screams erupted.

The entirety of Seswenna Hall filling with panic as a sniper's bullet flew through the air towards the supreme chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

Seeing this the Jedi guarding him sprung into action.

Yet there efforts were not needed as the assassin's bullet missed chancellor Valorum.

Seeing this, the Jedi, and everyone else in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.

However a few seconds later that relief soon turned into panic once again, as a droid from the protection detail of the Trade Federation Directorate turned on them and opened fire without hesitation.

The droid in question mowing down six of the seven members of the directorate before it mysteriously malfunctioned and shut down.

Leaving the only member of the directorate alive being the Nemodian, Nute Gunray.

Once more screams erupted in Seswenna Hall.

But not everyone was screaming, nor mourning the loss of life.

Sitting with the Naboo delegation Palpatine put a practiced terrified expression on his face, while inside he was grinning like a maniac.

For everything that had just taken place had been orchestrated by him. To once more further the Sith Grand Plan.

Palpatine continued internally reveling in his success.

Though that all came to an end a second later when something he had not planned for happened.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Several explosion's rang out through the air.

Courtesy of bombs planted all over the hall.

Seeing this turn of events Palpatine was greatly shocked.

But that shocked only lasted for a moment before his senses were flooded with danger. However before Palpatine could even think of a way of reacting to the danger without revealing his identity as Darth Sidious he was flung forward and onto the ground.

For a rather large explosion had just gone off where the Naboo delegation was located.

Right under the seats of Sate Prestage and Kinman Doriana.

The two now dead, and their body parts and chunks of flesh flung all over the hall.

A true tragedy.

Right, so anyway.

Several more explosion's rung out across the hall, throwing it into even more chaos.

Seeing this governor Tarkin immediately sprung into action and started giving orders. "Evacuate the delegates, secure the hall, and call in all forces! I want this place locked down and all those involved in this attack caught!" Tarkin commanded. A great fury in his voice.

For although he had agreed to help his benefactor assassinate the Trade Federation Directorate he had never heard bombings like the ones he was witnessing would be apart of the plan.

It sparked a deep anger with Tarkin.

An anger he wished to unleash towards his benefactor.

*Boom!*

Though he would never get the chance.

For before anyone could blink a bomb went off near Willhuff Tarkin, blowing the man into several pieces.

"Governor Tarkin, no!"

"You bastards, you killed him!"

"No!!!!"

Tarkin's subordinated shouted in anguish and pure hatred as the loss of his life.

Yet another tragedy.

So once again, anyway.

A couple more bombs went off, before the explosion's finally stopped.

Leaving a number of people injured, and a lot of Seswenna Hall damaged.

Yet what no one would learn until later is that despite the horrific bombing there were only three fatalities.

But that is exactly how the bomber planned it.

----------------------------------

"Kriff, kriff, kriff!!" Eru Matalis shouted as he ran through the backstreets of Eriadu with all his speed.

As the man who went by the codename Havac, and the one in charge of the Nebula Front militant wing, Eru had good reason to be afraid.

For he knew he would be blamed for all that had just occurred, even though he and his group were only responsible for the assassination fo the Trade Federation Directorate.

He wasn't responsible for those bombings that killed the two members of the Naboo delegation, nor the kriffing lieutenant governor of Eriadu himself!

But once more Eru knew no one would believe anything that came out of his mouth, and instead think it was all simply Bantha Dung.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Eru cursed.

Running faster and faster after every word flew out of his mouth.

His fear pushing him.

He knew he was lucky to get out of Seswenna Hall when he did.

Thanks to all the chaos the bombings caused he was able to slip right now.

But he knew it was only a matter of time before and his people ended up being hunted down. Which is why Eru knew he needed to get off Eriadu as fast as possible.

Reaching the warehouse where he and his people were supposed to meet after the operation Eru burst through the door.

"Everyone, we need to leave now!" Eru shouted. "The operation turned to-"

Eru's words died in his throat.

The fear he was feeling then multiplied.

For scattered around his groups safehouse were all of his comrades dead bodies.

And with them were two individuals.

The first was a person dressed in armor, seated in a chair in the middle of his comrades bodies. While the second was a droid Eru had never seen before, equipped with two blaster pistols and a blaster rifle.

Looking at the person and the droid Eru felt he was staring at two living incarnations of death.

"Ah, Mr. Matalis, finally you join us." The armored individual spoke. "Or should I call you Havac?" The armored individual asked.

Hearing the armored individual use his Nebula Front codename Eru's instincts told him to turn and run for his life.

But before he could the droid grabbed the blaster secured to his left hip, aimed at Eru, and fired at him. Hitting the man in both his kneecaps, destroying them.

"Agh!!" Eru screamed in agony as his kneecaps were shot out.

He continued doing so until he landed face first on the floor.

The moment he did the droid walked over to him, grabbed him by his collar, and then dragged him over to the armored individual. He then raised up Eru's head so he could look at the armored individual.

"Who, it was you who planted those bombs."Eru stated.

"Well, not me personally. It was my droid, HK-47 here." The armored individual spoke. "By the way the names Moriarty." The armored individual revealed. "And the only reason I'm telling you this is so you know the name of the people who killed you. So anyway, thanks for all your help in this matter. You guys taking the blame for this is really doing me a solid."

"Wha-Kri-"

Eru didn't get to say any more before Moriarty drew his DD6 blaster pistol, aimed it as his head, and pulled the trigger without any hesitation.

Putting a hole straight through Eru's head.

Killing the man.

Once this happened HK-47 dropped Eru's head back to the ground.

While he did Moriarty stood up from the chair he was sitting in and stretched a bit. "Ok' we're done here. Let's clean up and then head out."

"Statement: Yes, master" HK-47 replied to Van.

After he did the two of them set some explosives across the entire warehouse.

Once they were sure they had set enough the two of them exited the warehouse, and as they walked away Van pressed the detonator to the explosives he was holding in his right hand. Creating an explosion in the background as the droid and master walked off into the night.

Thus ending their mission on Eriadu with a resounding success.

---------------------------------------------

A/N: Yeah, my friends major deaths this chapter.

Don't worry, all will be explained. As for the Naboo Crisis it will still happen.

Though in some ways it will be different.