The Jedi Temple was in a frenzy – a relative frenzy, given the nature of the Temple – but a frenzy nonetheless. Kayla and Runice had to leave for the senate, and getting there was a challenge in and of itself. The Chancellor had been pretty much forced to call the special session of congress requested by Senator Versca, or risk a massive backlash from all the systems supporting her, and possibly also some of the Jedi-friendly systems who respected strength. The streets of Coruscant were filled with anti and pro-Jedi protestors alike, and a confrontation threatened to take place, probably resulting in a massive riot that the Jedi themselves would be powerless to stop. Their precarious situation highlighted to Kayla just how vulnerable the Jedi could actually be.
She had wanted Ashlyn to come along too, but she and Ferros still hadn't returned from Glee Anselm yet. They were due to arrive today, and the Force whispered to her that they would have a very difficult time of it. She refused to look into the future voluntarily, and instead decided that the Jedi should prepare themselves for any outcome. Devin was busy contacting their many allies in the military, as a contingency plan in case the Jedi needed to escape in a hurry, and Lenny had already been in contact with many of their senate allies to inform them of what the Jedi perceived to be Versca's prerogative and that the Grand Master would be in attendance at the special session of congress to personally oversee it.
She stretched out with the Force into the Grand Convocation Chamber, and felt the wildly varying emotions and thoughts coming from the thousands of senators. From what she could tell, there seemed to be an even spread of support and disdain for the Jedi and the Chancellor.
"It's amazing, don't you think?" Runice commented.
Kayla responded with a raised left eyebrow.
"We've only been here for around six years, and so far we've helped take back several planets occupied by the Chiss, resolved countless other civilian disputes and assisted Chancellors Golan and Grennar so many times we may as well be their advisory council. Yet as soon as Taneel Versca raises her manicured hand and sows even the smallest seeds of dissent, the whole public starts questioning us. That's real power."
Kayla had to agree; Runice was right. No matter the Jedi's ability with the Force, no matter their foresight and wisdom, one single speech made by a single senator was enough to raise questions about their role and potentially bring them all down. She nodded in deference.
Suddenly her comlink began to buzz and she quickly took it out from a pouch on her belt and clicked it on.
"Talus," she answered.
"Kayla, it's Lenny. I've got Ashlyn calling through, she's about halfway home and wants to speak to you. Can I patch her through?"
"By all means, Lenny. Please do."
Runice listened in carefully, shutting out the murmur that filled the Convocation Chamber using a focusing technique.
"Kayla, finally! I've been trying to contact you for a while now, but those comlinks have such a short range," Ashlyn said.
"Where are you?" Kayla asked her.
"Not far, we should arrive late tonight. We were held up by a Chiss interdictor and had to escape in a rusty old shuttle. Anyway, that's not important. Ferry and I found something out while we were fighting some Sith on Glee Anselm. Has the emergency session been called yet?"
"It's about to start any minute now. They're just waiting on a few more senators to arrive. Runice and I are observing."
"Oh good, I was worried it might have started before we could tell you this." Ashlyn breathed a sigh of relief, then continued. "Ferry and I were caught on holocam fighting more Chiss; they're gonna use it as evidence against us."
"We know, we've already seen the footage, Ash."
"That's not all," the Togruta continued. "We were expected here. The Sith had all the Chiss troops relocated down in the south of Pieralos, waiting for a command to hit our advance force with a surprise strike. They knew we were coming."
"But only us, Minvessen, Jellener, Golan and RI knew about the operation…" Runice said.
"It's funny you should say that, Ash" Kayla added. "Runice and Gavin were ambushed on Ord Mantell, and it was a joint operation between themselves and RI. It seems that Lenny was right about Intelligence making life difficult for us. They've been playing on Versca's team the whole time."
"It certainly sounds that way, doesn't it? Listen, there's more. Ferry has a theory about why the Sith have been so easy to defeat, and frankly I agree with her one hundred percent."
"I think I see where this is going," Kayla said. "You don't think they needed the numbers to challenge us, do you."
"Nope, not anymore. Why would the Sith need so many Sith Lords if they control the Chiss and Versca gets instated as Chancellor?"
Runice's lekku twitched violently, striking Kayla in the side of her face with a slap. Kayla looked at her and suppressed a laugh.
"Sorry," the Twi'lek chuckled. "I didn't mean to break the tension."
Kayla turned back to her comlink then.
"As soon as it looks like Golan might be voted out, we need to leave Coruscant."
"That would be wise, Kayla. I get the feeling that the first thing she'll want to do is outlaw both us and Minvessen."
"Thanks for the warning, Ashy. We'll be in touch via the Temple if anything happens here."
Kayla clicked off her comlink and shared a look with Runice.
"I have to admit, I never thought they'd be bold enough to try something like that," Runice commented.
"It makes so much sense though. I'm just surprised we didn't think of it before. I guess that's probably the Sith Emperor's doing."
"I only wish I could tell you more about him," Runice lamented.
"It's fine, Runice," Kayla smiled. "We'll deal with all of this when the time comes."
"When what time comes?"
They felt the familiar presence of Master Jens Blekkard and regarded him through the Force rather than turn around.
"We just got word from Ashlyn and Ferros," Runice explained. "You know how we all thought the Sith were rushing the graduation of so many new Sith because they needed the numbers to challenge us?"
"I'm guessing that's not correct then," Jens assumed, his voice completely flat.
"They need them to fill this chamber," Kayla said. "They may not be strong enough to take on a Jedi, but they're more than capable of assuming control of individual governments. All they need is a majority in the senate, and if enough key systems are under the influence of Sith Lords then Versca will be able to do anything the Emperor tells her to."
"They'll own the galaxy completely, even the Unknown Regions," Jens gasped. "If Golan gets voted out-"
"We'll need to leave Coruscant immediately," Runice finished.
"Jens, can you please go and warn the Jedi in the Temple about this?" Kayla asked. "And let Devin know as well, he'll need to warn Minvessen and the rest of the military. Make sure the whole Temple is ready to go. We need people and equipment all packed up."
"Yes, Master," he bowed slightly. "I suppose it's not really necessary for me to say I have a bad feeling about this?"
The two girls smirked at him, and the older Jedi quickly left, his brown Jedi robes flailing along behind him. Within minutes the last senators arrived and took their places in the Convocation Chamber, and Chancellor Golan began to address the entire senate. Runice and Kayla listened in carefully, discreetly standing in the shadows.
After around an hour of hearing Versca and her senate allies talking about how important it was that the Republic negotiate peace terms with the Chiss, the atmosphere in the chamber eventually flared up to the point where several senators were about to walk out. The Jedi had been brought into the argument several times, as had Admiral Minvessen's orders. Versca seemed to be attempting to split the senate and force the two sides to argue fervently with one another whilst highlighting Golan's perceived inability to control the actions of the Jedi and Admiral Minvessen. Senators Serluss and Bruodu were heading the pro-Golan charge, and were desperately trying to remind everyone that the Chiss had been the invaders, and Minvessen and the Jedi had been tireless in their efforts to repel them. From what Kayla and Runice could tell, Versca had her half of the senate firmly convinced and they were not about to change their minds. Not surprisingly, the senators on Versca's side were all from systems located nearby threatened or Chiss-controlled systems, or were staunch allies of Kuat.
"The chair recognises the senator from Neimoidia," Golan's aide, also the speaker of the senate, announced.
"Thankyou, Mister Speaker," the Neimoidian senator began. "I think we are all tired of hearing this discussion – or argument, as it were – being played out here. We must come to a consensus regarding this issue, lest it plague our activities when we should be deciding what is best for the continued security and preservation of our great Republic."
Kayla felt a spike of satisfaction coming from the senator as the Grand Convocation Chamber fell silent. She could almost feel the response he was going to receive even before he finished speaking, and it made her stomach twist in knots. Runice must have felt it too, because her lekku twitched again and her brow furrowed.
"I hereby call for a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Chancellor Golan," the Neimoidian continued. "This situation has gone on long enough. We need to stop this warmongering by Admiral Minvessen and Master Talus before the Chiss decide to retaliate."
The chamber erupted in a storm of shouting then as the speaker and Golan turned to each other and began discussing something. Kayla knew it was about whether or not to go ahead with the vote, and troublingly, Golan seemed to be doing all the listening, solemnly nodding his head. The speaker then took the stand again.
"The senate will now be in recess until later this afternoon, when the vote will then be counted. You will all be made aware when your presence is required."
Kayla and Runice shared a look of concern as the senators dispersed. Senator Bruodu appeared as he exited his pod – which Kayla and Runice had been standing behind as they observed the session.
"Your thoughts, Masters?" Bruodu asked.
"It seems about fifty-fifty from what I can tell, Ackmus," Runice answered. "I just hope that Ferros and Ashlyn don't arrive back here right in the middle of it. That could sway some of the undecided senators away from us."
"What will you do if Golan is voted out?"
Kayla sighed. "We'll have to pool our allies and see where our support lies first, but I imagine we'll probably end up on Tython. There's an old Jedi Academy there – it's smashed up pretty good, but it's repairable, and it'll be good enough for us while we sort out this whole mess."
"I will do whatever I can to support you," Bruodu bowed. "In fact, I need to spend this time consulting some of my people and some of our allies. We'll come out on top, Master Talus, this I promise you. I won't allow the Jedi to become an endangered species before they've had a chance to flourish."
"We appreciate this, Ackmus," Runice smiled in gratitude. "You're a good friend to us. We won't forget it."
Bruodu bared his fangs in a Bothan smile. "No need to thank me, Master Arriah. We're in this together."
The two Jedi Masters watched the Bothan disappear down the hall, then made their way back to the Temple to assist the others.
Ackmus Bruodu arrived at the Grand Convocation Chamber several minutes after the call was put out to all senators. He'd only been a short distance away the whole time the senate was in recess, having been in his office consulting other senators friendly to the Jedi and the military and his own people back on Bothawui. He took a seat in the repulsorpod assigned to the Both system and waited while the other senators all took their seats. Before long the entire chamber was filled and waiting for the vote to begin. Ackmus noted that he could not see Chancellor Golan anywhere.
"This session of congress has now begun," the speaker said. "We are gathered here to initiate a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Golan, as called for by the senator from Neimoidia. I am sure you are all aware by now of the circumstances surrounding this vote, and I trust that none of the details need be repeated. You have all been given plentiful amounts of time to think on this issue, and I now ask that you recognise your data interpretation terminals at the front of your repulsorpods.
"As usual, these will serve as the input points for your votes today. I need not remind you all how critical this vote is. May your votes be given in earnest. You may now proceed."
As promised, the DITs at the front of the pods began to light up with the choices of 'Confidence' and 'No Confidence', shown in green and red respectively. Bruodu immediately put in his vote of confidence and glanced over at Senator Serluss, who regarded him with a subtle nod as he himself put his vote in.
After a period of around one minute and thirty seconds all the votes were in. It took a fraction of a second for the results to appear on the Chancellor's Dais Terminal, and the speaker immediately began to address the senate again.
"The results of the vote of no confidence in Chancellor Golan are now in," he began, and the entire chamber fell deathly silent. Not even a whisper was uttered; not a single foot shifted its weight or article of clothing rustled.
"By a vote of fifty-eight point three-four percent, Makrus Golan has been elected to be removed from office, effective immediately."
A chorus of gasps from the pro-Golan senators contrasted drastically with the cheers and whoops of the anti-Golan supporters. Several senators elatedly hugged their aides and planetary government leaders, while others fell back in their chairs in shock or shouted their distaste to anyone who would listen.
"Order!" the speaker yelled. "Order!"
After another half-minute, the chamber eventually fell relatively silent again, and the speaker continued.
"The vote for Makrus Golan's successor will take place in exactly one week's time. Submissions for candidates will take place immediately, and the successful applications will be announced on the holonet tomorrow."
Bruodu's fur ruffled, and he glanced over at Senator Serluss again, who gave him another curt nod before leaving the Convocation Chamber. Bruodu left then as well, and walked down the corridor to meet Serluss.
"I knew this would happen," Serluss complained. "This is a dark day, my friend."
"The Jedi knew as well, Jamieson," Bruodu reminded him. "We must act quickly if the Jedi Order is to survive. Rally our allies, as planned. We won't let the Sith take us without a damned good fight."
"I'll speak to you again soon, Ackmus," Serluss said, placing a hand on the Bothan's shoulder, then took off quickly in the opposite direction to which Bruodu had come.
Bruodu pulled a comlink out from a pocket and activated it.
"Talus," came the reply.
"Scramble," he said. "You have one standard week."
"All the Academy's students and equipment are ready, Master," Crinnul Forster said.
"Thankyou, Crinnul," Liina responded. "Go and assist Master Tanski with the flight training simulators, please."
"Yes, master," Crinnul bowed obediently.
Liina was fairly certain that the evacuation was almost complete, which was excellent as it was well and truly dark by now, which would make it much, much easier for the Jedi to leave Coruscant relatively unnoticed. The Jedi Temple wasn't completely at its former glory; much of it was still either in ruins or just hadn't been refurbished yet, so there wasn't as much to do as older incarnations of the Order might have had to, should they have needed to leave Coruscant in a hurry. But due to the small number of Jedi currently in the Order, there weren't that many hands available for assistance. Admiral Minvessen had provided a small battalion of troops to help them out and even though he insisted on providing more, Kayla had refused, knowing that it would make his position look even worse among the anti-Jedi faction.
"Kayla, we're about done here. The entire ziggurat is on its way to the Corell Star as we speak, except for the simulators which are about to leave with Lenny."
"Thanks Liina, as soon as the simulators are on the transport, I want you on it as well."
"You got it, Kayla. I'll see you soon."
That about does it, she thought to herself. The only things left to evacuate were some of the equipment in the spires, and Minvessen's soldiers were handling that with Runice. She was about to head towards the hangar the transport was in when a shadowy figure disappeared around a corner. She smiled to herself as she recognised the figure's presence in the Force, albeit very, very faintly.
"It's okay, Makrus, you don't have to hide in here," she chuckled. "This is a safe place, for the moment."
Makrus Golan lowered the cowl on his old robe and stepped into the light.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
The Ansionian hesitated for a moment, then thought better of it as he remembered who he was speaking to.
"My business here on Coruscant is done," he answered. "If I can't represent my people anymore and the Republic will no longer have me as Chancellor, then I will do something even more important than either of those things."
He let those words hang in the air for a few moments, forgetting again that his audience was a Jedi Master and not a politician who was used to dramatic pauses.
"We'll be glad to have you with us, Makrus," Liina smiled. "You are always welcome amongst the Jedi."
"Is there anything I can do right now to assist you?"
Liina laughed softly. "My dear Makrus, you've just been voted out of office by a bunch of foolish senators who don't understand the potential for their stupidity, you've been made into a selfish, warmongering liar by the very same holonet that once painted you as a hero, and you still want to help out any way you can?" She laughed again, then hugged Golan tightly.
"You really are an extraordinary person," she smiled warmly. "If only the galaxy was filled with more Makrus Golans. I'm afraid there's very little you can do to help us here though; we're about done. In fact, I was about to make my way to the transport right now."
"Then I shall accompany you, Master Hriyek. I have no desire to remain on this world at the moment."
"Ooh, I can understand that sentiment," Liina replied. "Come on then, let's get moving."
She began walking down the north-south corridor with Golan, heading vaguely towards the hangar where the transport was being loaded up.
"You're heading to Tython now, correct?"
"That's right," she answered. "There's an old Jedi Temple there that hasn't been used in thousands of years. It's a little smaller than this one – well, actually it's a lot smaller than this one, but it's lovely, and the planet is lovely too-"
"I know," Golan grinned. "I've been there."
Liina immediately stopped walking. "You've been there? When? Why?"
"Well you see, Jedi aren't the only ones who can predict the future, Master Hriyek," Golan responded, relishing in being able to surprise a Jedi Master.
Liina was quick though, and had read his surface thoughts through the Force even before he'd finished speaking.
"You knew you'd be voted out. You knew what the result would be, and you already knew that Versca would take out the Jedi Order straight away, didn't you?"
Golan smiled smugly. "I've had the Temple refurbished in secret over the last few years. It's not a luxury villa on Spira, but it's got all the modern facilities necessary for the entire Jedi Order to keep surviving. I've also had a small military base built nearby, in one of the meadows. It connects directly with the Temple. I thought it would be useful in case you needed to defend the planet or escape again in a hurry."
Liina stood open-mouthed, unable to completely comprehend was she was hearing. Suddenly she squealed and started clapping and jumping up and down, then grabbed Golan and hugged him again.
"You're amazing!" she squealed again, then gave Golan a kiss on the cheek.
"It's the least I could do for the Order who saved my homeworld and freed my people," he replied. "This doesn't even come close to repaying the debt the Ansionians owe the Jedi."
"Oh Makrus, there's no such thing as a debt to the Jedi. But thankyou so much for this, really thankyou. We were prepared to spend the next few years rebuilding the place."
"It was my pleasure, Master Hriyek."
They both heard footsteps approaching them then, and turned around to see Crinnul walking towards them.
"The last of the equipment is on the last transport, Master. It's time to go. We're waiting for you."
"Okay, thanks Crinnul," Liina smiled. "Lead the way."
Kayla and Devin stood on the bridge of the Corell Star as it travelled towards the hyperspace jump point in the Coruscant system, waiting for the last of the transports to arrive before they set off for Tython. The bridge's holocom unit beeped as an incoming transmission was detected, and Fleet Admiral Deugan answered it. Fleet Admiral Jellener appeared as a hologram as Kayla and Devin walked over to participate.
"Admiral Deugan, it's been a while," Jellener smiled.
"Yes, much to our mutual regret," Deugan answered sombrely. "It's too bad we speak again under such grave circumstances."
"Indeed, my old comrade. We have important business to discuss with our Jedi Master friends here."
"Yes we do," Deugan said, then pushed a button on the console. Two others appeared as holograms, and Devin recognised them as Fleet Admiral Meln Slen'otu – the Bothan commander of the Republic Third Fleet – and Fleet Admiral Rin Renuub, the Sullustan commander of the Fifth Fleet, who replaced Admiral Bruodu after he was caught out as a Chiss defector and killed in battle. Deugan turned to Devin and Kayla.
"Masters Rokanh and Talus, I've called this meeting to discuss our movements now that this coup d'état has begun to take place," he said.
"Indeed," Jellener continued in his imperious Commenorian accent. "We have all spoken with each other, as well as with Admiral Minvessen, and we have agreed that we will not support any proposals for peace between the Republic and the Chiss. We can see what is happening behind the scenes, and we know as well as you do that things are being presented to the public in a manner that contrasts sharply with the actual events taking place."
Admiral Slen'otu cleared his throat then. "We will not follow Versca or any of her witless cronies, and we will certainly not become pawns in the Sith's dejarik match."
Devin smiled to himself; Slen'otu had never been one to mince his words.
"Our desire is to keep up with our efforts to repel the Sith and the Chiss, regardless of whether the Republic supports us or not," Rin Renuub added.
"We propose to form an alliance," Jellener said, "to continue defending the true ideals of the Republic against the tyranny of the Order of Sith Lords."
Kayla and Devin turned to each other and shared a short exchange of vague thoughts, not giving anything away in their expressions. After a few moments Kayla spoke.
"The Jedi will always continue to serve the true ideals of the Republic," she said. "But there are several things we need to sort out first, such as funding, resources and strongholds."
"Senators Bruodu and Serluss have expressed their desire to assist us in this matter," Devin advised them. "They have pledged to help us with funding and strongholds. Bothawui and Commenor are already confirmed as places of sanctuary for us."
"I have had words with Serluss since you began your evacuation, Master Rokanh," Jellener said. "As I am also Commenorian, and actually quite close friends with the senator, I can confirm that a number of other worlds have also pledged to assist us in any way they can."
"Which systems?" Deugan asked.
"There are many systems, all of which unsurprisingly voted Confidence in Makrus Golan. So far we have the support of Naboo, Kothlis, the wookiees of Kashyyyk, Onderon, Balmorra, Borleias, Mon Calamari and Ansion."
"All of those?" Kayla asked in surprise. "I'm impressed, Admiral."
"They are simply smart enough to recognise that there is more to this No Confidence vote than meets the eye, Master Talus," Jellener said. "You have the full support of their governments, industry, military and lands."
"May I suggest that we name ourselves?" Renuub suggested. "We will need a solid name for our new alliance if we are to inspire support from our potential allies and fear in our enemies."
"I have already thought of this," Slen'otu said. "Since the Jedi are the true target of this coup, perhaps we should name ourselves after them? After all, it's in no small part due to the efforts of the Jedi that we aren't all speaking Cheunh already."
The other Admirals considered this for a moment, all seemingly in agreement. They glanced at each other and nodded, then looked to the two Jedi.
"I found out while researching a few years ago," Jellener began, "that a long time ago – around six thousand years ago, actually – that there was once another situation where the Jedi Order left the Republic due to a coup in place within the Republic. A young Jedi Knight named Jacen Solo had managed to assume control of the Republic military, and subsequently had the then-Chief of State of the New Republic murdered. He was, by then, known by few as the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Caedus, and he assumed control of the Republic. The Republic itself was split in its alliances, and the Jedi Order managed to garner support from many systems. They called themselves the Jedi Coalition."
"I think that's a solid name," Deugan said with a nod. "It's rebellious, strong, and yet conveys the kind of solidarity that is needed for our continued support from other systems. It also highlights the importance and honour of the Jedi in this crusade." He looked to Jellener's hologram. "You have my vote, Willem."
The other two Admirals gave their support then as well, then they all turned to the two Jedi Masters.
"Well, Masters?" Jellener asked. "Your thoughts?"
Kayla and Devin shared a look, again trading snippets of thoughts between each other's minds. Kayla nodded to the Admirals.
"You honour us by using our Order as the title for the alliance," she said with a small curtsy.
"If you feel the title brings undue pressure on the Order, then of course we can reconsider-"
"No, no," Kayla put her hands up in a gesture of defence. "It's quite alright, it's just a bit difficult to agree to naming the alliance after the Jedi when I'm the Grand Master of the Order, that's all."
"We are in agreement, then," Jellener grinned, his bushy moustache bristling out. "We will meet on Tython in a week's time, the day after the election of the new Chancellor. Until then, our fleets can be safely hidden at any of our supporting systems."
Approximately one standard hour after the naming of the Jedi Coalition, Ashlyn and Ferros arrived aboard the decrepit shuttle they'd managed to escape in during the firefight above Glee Anselm. Finnschall, Liina, Kayla and Devin were there to greet them as they stepped off the shuttle.
"Welcome back," Kayla smiled sweetly at them both. "A lot has happened since you left Glee Anselm."
"Fill us in," Ashlyn said tiredly. Although the trip from Glee Anselm to Coruscant wasn't far, neither of the two girls had had any chance to get some rest; in fact, they came directly from the fighting on the planet's surface, straight to the Lucrative-class Battleship Solar Wind, then immediately back to Coruscant. They hadn't even showered, and although it didn't show much on the surface, both girls felt it.
Kayla and the other Jedi Masters explained to them both what had been happening, from Runice and Gavin's spy mission all the way through to the mass exodus of the Jedi.
"Wow, fifty-eight percent?" Ferros said in surprise. "That's a lot more than I thought it'd be."
"So we're heading to Tython then?" Ashlyn asked.
"Yes," Liina confirmed. "And Golan has a present for us when we get there, too."
The others all looked at her in puzzlement; she hadn't had a chance to tell anybody yet.
"He felt as though he owed the Jedi for recapturing Ansion, so during the last few years he's secretly been securing funds to rebuild the old Jedi Temple on Tython for us."
"He rebuilt it?" Finnschall asked in disbelief. "All of it? Already?"
"Apparently," Liina replied with a smile. "And not just that, he's equipped it with all the basic modern comforts that make a place liveable. It's not just structurally repaired, it's refurbished."
"But that's fantastic!" Kayla squealed. "What a lovely gesture!"
"And he's built a small military base adjacent to it, so we have a base to defend the planet from and keep our starfighters in."
"I can't wait to see this," Devin grinned. "That Ansionian is a revelation."
"But enough about that, we have some important news to tell you about," Liina said.
"Yes," Kayla remembered. "As you can obviously tell, we've left Coruscant. It's not safe here for us, what with all the persecution of the Jedi and the military. We're not on our own though, as it turns out. We've been able to secure support from all over the galaxy already."
"Within hours of the Chancellor's sacking," Devin continued, "we've been able to gain the support of Kothlis, Bothawui, Commenor, Naboo, Onderon, Balmorra, Kashyyyk, Mon Calamari, Borleias and Ansion. That's just the ones we've been able to get in contact with. We also have the full support of Admiral Minvessen, as well as Fleet Admirals Slen'otu, Renuub, Jellener, Deugan and their fleets."
"Their whole fleets?" Ferros asked, not entirely sure if Devin was joking or not. "Are you serious? That's almost half the Republic Navy."
"Actually it's exactly half, but that doesn't take into account the fleets of individual systems so in reality the Republic still has a bit more firepower than we do."
"And we have the support of all those star systems as well?" Ashlyn asked.
"Financial, military, industrial, governmental and proprietorial," Devin confirmed.
"I'm astounded," Ashlyn gasped. "So many people, so willing to risk persecution to help us."
"We should have even more soon enough," Finnschall added. "Senators Bruodu and Serluss are going to be in contact with as many people as they can to gain more support for the Jedi Coalition."
"The Jedi Coalition?" Ferros asked. "Cool name. Sounds heroic."
"Yeah, we thought so too," Devin grinned. "It was actually Admiral Jellener's idea. It's the same title used by a separatist group around six thousand years ago to challenge Darth-"
"Caedus," Ashlyn finished with a smug smile. "I think it's a great name, it'll inspire hope and remind everyone who the real enemy is."
"Anyway, we've done enough blabbering for the time being," Kayla said, "you two need some rest. Oh and Ferry, there are two youngsters who'd like very much to see you. It'll help our cause greatly if you went and visited them…they won't stop asking about you and frankly it's driving us all mad."
"Oh? Who are these two 'youngsters'?" Ferros asked.
"One is a very handsome young man, and the other is a feisty little one who insists that she's your Padawan," Kayla grinned slyly. "They're in the dormitories."
Ferros' eyes lit up as she realised Kayla was talking about Byz, and immediately dashed off at full pace.