-Conference Room A, Main Facility, NCY-1-U, one light year off the Galactic Edge-
"He has been gone nearly a full week now, it's time we actually get something done around here for once!" Wat Tambor said loudly, as he slammed a fist into the table. "If Grievous is going to fly around the Galaxy, so be it. It's been over two weeks since old Palpatine died, and only four planets have broken the Republic's sieges! We need a plan!"
"I agree. But neither your last military adventure ended in disaster, did it not?" San Hill prodded.
"It's been years since Ryloth, I learned from my mistakes. And you yourself have been in Republic captivity, have you not?" The Techno Union's Foreman referenced Muunilist, which still had yet to be liberated.
"At least I knocked a clone abomination unconscious once, that's more than any of you can say." Viceroy Gunray added.
"You tell 'em!" Rune Haako urged on.
"At least I've never been stupid enough to get myself captured…" Shu Mai muttered in Gossam.
"I know how you feel…" Sighed Passel Argente. Poggle the Lesser just had his face in his palm. Po Nudo was leaning back in his chair reading something, ignoring the chaos that was developing. Tikkes, the Quarren, was outright sleeping. "You guys, we really shouldn't be fighting right now…" Argente said, but was ignored.
"Look, we should really do something for once! We have all these ships, why don't we go attack the Republic on Skako or something?" Wat Tambor yelled again.
"Of course you'd want to go to Skako, it's your home. And just for that, I'm going to say we go free Nemoidia and it's associated worlds." Gunray replied.
"I say we go to Muunilist. It'd definitely get our economy up!" San Hill suggested.
"My planet is still in my control. I say we wait for the General, while you idiots argue." Shu Mai said. Passel Argent nodded in agreement.
"A good suggestion. In fact, the first good one I've heard all day." He agreed.
"You should really start forming your own opinions for once…" Denaria Kee, his aid, told him.
"I do too have my own opinions! But I'm the only one here who realizes that we should sometimes back down and take someone else's side, or else we'll never get anything done." Argente replied. A loud snore form Tikkes suddenly caused everyone to stop talking for a moment.
"That fool is asleep!" San Hill observed, pointing out the obvious.
"Oh really, I hadn't noticed." Gunray snapped.
"No need to be rude…" The Banking Clan's leader started.
"Shut up, Hill. Leave the business to the big boys, okay?" Tambor growled.
"Hey, I have every right to be here!" The yelling brought a word from Poggle the Lesser.
"Here we go again…" He sighed in Geonosian. Passel Argente, Shu Mai, and just about everyone else than the three arguing palmed their face in some manner. Tikkes kept on sleeping. The shouts escalated as Shu Mai found herself sucked into to the heated argument, Po Nudo going in with her to vouch for some peace and quiet. The Geonosian Archduke got up out of his chair and went out the door.
"I wonder where he's off too…" Argente commented.
"No idea." Kee replied. Minutes passed, and Poggle the Lesser returned. He took a seat and was the very image of a dignified leader.
"If you're smart, you'd follow my example within 30 seconds." He told Argente and Kee. The both sat straight up and kept quiet, as the others argued. Out of sympathy, Kee woke up Tikkes and gave him the same instructions. Right on the mark of 30 seconds, the doors whooshed open and in strode Grievous. Gunray, Tambor, Hill, Mai, and Nudo did not notice his presence. The others who were behaved held back smirks at the explosion that was sure to come. Grievous didn't like being ignored. Grievous drew a lightsaber. He activated it and brought it down in them middle of the shouting mass, stabbing through the table.
"SILENCE!" He roared. The room went absolutely silent. The Separatist Councillooked up fearfully at him. The cyborg's eyes swept over them all, glaring and angry. "What the hell is going on?" He growled. Poggle the Lesser took the initiative.
"These idiots had an argument which devolved into a shouting match, trying to decide what to do. I left and attempted contacted you, and I discovered you were already on the station. I came back here, and told the only people who were acting like grown adults and not squabbling children that you were coming. Those not involved were Argente, Tikkes, various aides, and myself." The insectoid said.
"It was wise to act your age. The rest of you I will deal with in due time. I have been gone for six days as you know, and now I'm back." The general began.
"Where were you?" Asked Gunray. Passel Argente shook his head, no one should interrupt Grievous.
"Kalee. Now-"
"Did you find anything?" San Hill questioned, unwisely interrupting Grievous again.
"Yes, now shut up and listen! It's time to break the Outer Rim Sieges; I have devised a plan-" The cyborg was interrupted yet again.
"Well, will you tell use what you found?" Shu Mai asked. Grievous shuddered, a mix of sorrow and hate in his eyes.
"I never once contacted my family in the years before this. I went in person to make up for it. But they were all dead, as was everyone else I knew. Do you know how that feels? You deliberately ignore the only people you can really trust for years, and when you finally go to them, they're all not two days dead?" Grievous said, voice slightly trembling. The Council was at a loss for words. First, they didn't know he had any family left, or a desire to be with them, and second, they have never seen him display this much emotion other than rage before. It wasn't much for the average person, but it was a lot coming from the normally cold Grievous. "And now I come back here, and you're arguing and interrupting me. Do you know how much crap I have to put up with from everyone, not only you? I've got droids barely deserving of the name, I've got officers who don't know what they're doing or going off and getting sick, I have the entire Republic trying to kill me and who've already killed everyone I cared about, the weight of the whole Confederacy rests on me, and on top of it, I have you idiots to deal with, who won't even let me finished a sentence?" The cyborg made a noise in between a growl and a sigh. The whole room expected him to break out his weapons and kill them all. But instead he spoke again. "You know what, I'm done trying here." With that, he walked back out of the room. Silence dominated the room. Gunray finally spoke up.
"Someone's gotta say something." In a rare fit of courage, he went after Grievous.
"I never knew he had it in him…" San Hill said quietly. Wat Tambor looked down the hall.
"Strange… Grievous has emotions besides hate…" The Foremen remarked.
"I've tried to tell you all it before, I don't see why you're surprised now." Argente announced. Everyone looked at him. "I'm just saying… Well, the question now is, who is going to go stop Gunray from certain suicide?" No volunteers.
-Hallway F, Deck 2, NCY-1-U, one light year from the Galactic Edge-
Grievous stalked down the long corridor, feeling a little more at ease now that he had in some way dealt with those fools in the council. Still, the discovery on Kalee, no matter how short of a time he had been there, it hurt. His enhanced hearing picked up movement from behind him. The General turned and saw Nute Gunray, one of his worst enemies that wasn't a Jedi. He waited for the Nemoidian to get to him.
"General, General!" He said quickly, closing the distance between him.
"What?" Grievous growled in response.
"I'd just like to say, we're all very sorry for your loss, no matter how cliché is sounds." The Viceroy told him. "Furthermore, it seems to have become just how clear it is now that you're the leader of everything, and Dooku isn't just away on some mission. I guess it has taken time to set in… So from now one, you're not going to get as much trouble from us. From me, least of all."
"Good." The General simply replied.
"And because I'm officially second in command of the CIS now, I don't think we can afford to let our personal conflicts get in the way of things. We've been at odds from the start, perhaps it's time to put that behind us." Gunray extended a hand. Grievous shook it briefly.
"Agreed. If you excuse me, I have important things to attend to. Deal with the council." Gunray went back down the hall. The cyborg watched him for a moment, than continued on his way. If the Nemoidian held true to his word, than Grievous's life would be much easier. Well, not much easier, but easier enough to take some of the load off. But there was one thing General Grievous didn't get rid of easily, and that was anger. And what better way to take out that anger on an enemy of the state, one of the kind of who started this, no less? Shaak Ti was still in her cell, right where Grievous had left her. Perfect.
Darkness turned to burning light as the cell door opened. The Togruta Jedi had one bit of hope for a moment that she was being released from some surreal dream, but that died the moment a very familiar figure stepped into the light. "Shaak Ti. You have somehow managed to avoid death by my hand three times now." Said the dreaded Grievous emptily.
"And what is that to you?" She asked, wary of this unsuiting behavior from the normally angered cyborg.
"I do not know, and it does not interest me at this moment. I am here to tell you something: I am very angry." Replied Grievous, still holding his cool.
"Tell me something new." Said she. The general tilted his head, and bent down to her eye level.
"You killed my family." Came his simple answer. Shaak Ti had to admit; she did not see that coming. Grievous cared for people? That didn't make sense.
"It's not like you bothered to see them, why would you care-" A cold fist struck her down to the floor.
"Say that again." Grievous ordered coldly. Now the Jedi was more than confused, and in a bit of pain. But out of spite, she said what he didn't want her to say, though he was good at hiding that.
"Why would you care about your family?" This was met by what felt like a hard kick, though she knew he was capable of more. The cyborg's eyes seemed to burn in hate.
"Do you care about your family?" Asked he.
"I never knew my family." Shaak Ti said back.
"And what if you did?"
"Then I assume I would…" Answered the Jedi back; curious to see where this would go.
"And what if you had been horribly maimed in a plot to keep you from being any major threat to the Republic?" Grievous began. "What if you had been offered a second chance to fight for your people? What if your mind was tampered with without you knowing until years after the fact? What if you were prevented from thinking beyond the most basic thought about your home, and when you were finally free, everyone you cared about in your old life was dead?" Ranted the general. Shaak Ti wisely stayed silent. This was the monster that was responsible for the deaths of billions; she should feel nothing for him, technically it. But the fact that Grievous had just let slip that his mind had been tampered with changed that. Did it? Every report of Grievous described him as full of rage and anger, sometimes with the tendency to gloat. He was certainly wrathful now, but this was different from blind hate. This was something almost… natural. If his mind was not under his full control, then what did that say about his war record?
"When did you find out that you were tampered with?" She asked.
"Shortly after I had ridden the galaxy of that scumbag Skywalker, and Kenobi." Snapped the cyborg. "My head was damaged, my doctor found the chips. What does that matter to you, Jedi? Don't you have peace to 'defend'?" If there was one thing not changed about Grievous, it was his hate for Jedi.
"You left out your murder of Chancellor Palpatine." Added Shaak.
"Palpatine? You must mean Darth Sidious." Suddenly, the cyborg seemed amused at the Jedi's confusion. "You mean you didn't know the truth? Hah! The Jedi have been serving the greatest of the Sith lords in centuries, and they didn't even know it!" There was the gloating, Shaak noted from somewhere. She didn't believe the cyborg. "Fools, all of you! Dooku told me himself, on his deathbed. Sidious played this whole war like a game, all to create a new empire out of the Republic once it won, and the Jedi were killed by their own clones in Executive Order 66."
"What are you talking about?" Asked she faintly.
"Didn't know about that either? Idiots! The whole war was a set-up for Sidious's empire. It was a game, and all of us were pawns. I was supposed to die over a week ago. You would be dead too. But it was never a game for those people out there!" Grievous pointed towards the direction Shaak Ti could only assume the galaxy was in. It was odd, seeing him so riled about ideals and politics. "Your Republic has failed! Years of stagnation and corruption, all amounting to one final straw, for each system that seceded!"
"Not all systems joined you because they hated the Republic, you even conquered many, personally, too." Noted the Jedi, still taking in this new turn of events.
"But why did tens of thousands leave before the war started?" Asked the cyborg. "Millions of planets left for a better future. Not just for those who could benefit the Republic, but any who wanted that better future. A better future for everyone!" Grievous exclaimed, echoing the words Count Dooku had told him, not two weeks ago. "This was never a game to him, you know. Dooku believed in what we were doing, and he knew Sidious would betray him. I don't know why he didn't act, but if I hadn't made that single decision to go to that tower, I would be dead. The Confederacy would be dead. You would be dead. The Jedi would be dead. The Republic would be dead. And in it's place, the oppression that your precious Palpatine would bring under his empire!" Ranted Grievous. Shaak Ti had never seen nor heard of the cyborg being so passionate about something. Maybe he really wasn't under his own total control over the last three years. This was the noble Kaleesh warrior that she had learned once was Grievous, in the secret Council briefings. The constantly enraged madman was not this cyborg. Grievous had lost everything that meant anything to him at the hands of the Republic, he was a nigh-unstoppable warrior, and now believed that what he was doing was for the good of the galaxy. That made him all the more dangerous.
"So, General, what is your point in being here?" She asked.
"You have a choice Shaak Ti, see the truth, or remain in here. That choice is yours." He replied.
"I will need time to think on what you've said." In truth, Shaak was very sure she'd rather languish in a cell than be working with Grievous.
"Very well." The cyborg left the cell. "I do hope you do the right thing. Even a Jedi can be redeemed…"
Grievous strode out of the cell, feeling slightly better. At least he had gotten some anger out. Now that he was done with the Jedi for the day, he could begin formulating his next move against the Republic. Most of the Outer Rim Sieges still held, even with the attack on Coruscant. But, that was precisely what this fleet was meant for. Grievous didn't know much about the Ultimate Weapon, he only knew Dooku was building something, but it had been a mystery. Now, the Ultimate Weapon was on schedule for seven years, and the rest of the new Confederate armada was almost ready itself. These ships would be used to break the sieges in the Outer Rim, and chase the Republic back into the central regions. That is, if everything went well. War had taught Grievous that things seldom went well for him, but it was mostly due to Kenobi, Skywalker, Tano, and a few other assorted Jedi. Now that they were out of the picture, perhaps spontaneous overcoming of impossible odds would no longer occur for the republic.
The general wandered the halls, thinking over many strategies on how to beat the Republic. If he didn't strike soon, they'd recover, though not under the same strength and unity Palpatine had. So, he had to strike, but where? Hours dragged by as Grievous thought to himself. Eventually, he did come up with a plan. The general was off to the war room.
-Sluis Van, unnamed mountain, 72 kilometers from Alkeir Prison-
DFS-3ER stood under a rock outcrop, watching the Sluissi he rescued move back and forth. "I just don't get it!" Nomar Thorae ranted. "I'm in jail for something I don't remember doing, a damn droid breaks in, and then flies me out to these damn mountains I don't even know the name of! I don't get it!" He could have at least been grateful for it, the Vulture droid thought. If only there was some way to communicate. "Where are we anyways? Oh, that's right, you can't speak." 3ER shook his head, and began walking east. Thorae followed him. "Well, I guess you know where you're going. I got nothing better to do than follow… Why aren't you flying, anyway?" The droid turned and looked at him, then at the sky. "No fuel?" 3ER nodded. "You must have used it all getting away from those other fighters…" The droid nodded again
"I must hand it to you, you're quite the flyer. And I think I deserve credit for not falling off or puking all over your wing… spike… blade… Whatever those things are." The Sluissi pointed to 3ER's legs. For a third time, the droid nodded. 3ER was beginning to doubt the feasibility of this plan. Thorae didn't even remember why he was in jail. Officially, it had been for disrupting the peace, but it had been for protesting the use of droids as weapons. Seeing as it happened during the sieges, it wasn't much of a surprise he had been put in jail, the planet had been starving until recently, and jails weren't places for free food. Not on this planet. "Anyways, it seems were both fugitives from the law, me for something I don't recall, and you… I don't know about you, but to have a droid on the run, that must be significant some how." Oh, and how significant it was. "You better be going somewhere, because I'm hungry." Foolish organics and their strange ways of energy intake. Batteries were so much more superior to consuming nutrients of other living things. After an hour of walking, the two came upon a stone road. A sign pointed the way to a place named Syrn. That was a good way to go. "Syrn, eh? I had a friend who lived there. Maybe he can help us, if that's still his location." Help was good too. They could certainly use some help.
-War Room A, Deck 1, NCY-1-U, one light year from the Galactic Edge-
Grievous stared at the map of galaxy as it was as of two hours ago, assigning fleet movements and plotting out probable Republic moves. He had ordered the commanders of this facility to the war room, but they hadn't arrived yet. As he was contemplating the Felucia problem, one of the Separatist Council members came in. San Hill, the InterGalactic Banking Clan executive. "What?" Growled Grievous, not looking up from the holomap.
"Good afternoon, general." The Muun said.
"You want to know if I have intentions to liberate your home world." Grievous stated.
"Uh, yes, that would be nice." Replied Hill.
"As a matter of fact, Muunilist is on the priority list, along with Geonosis. We're retaking the outer rim, Mr. Hill, fortunately for you; your world happens to be among those we need to take. The Confederacy doesn't run on only patriotism, sadly. We need a source of money." Grievous said. Hill looked overjoyed.
"It's about time someone other than my fellow council members admits that! I'll lead the assault my self!" San Hill exclaimed. Grievous gave him an annoyed look.
"Last time anyone on that council tried to take a planet, it ended in disaster and the capture of that council member. We both know who I'm talking about."
"Yes, but I'm not a fool like Tambor!" Hill protested.
"Yet, you got yourself captured as well when Muunilist was taken…" The general replied calmly. "No, I think someone with actual successful military experience will lead this attack. Perhaps me. Lord Jerithox will go after Geonosis himself. You will stay here and not get captured. Do you understand?" The cyborg asked. The Muun reluctantly nodded. "Good. Now, leave me to my work, go do whatever useless thing it is you do."
"You mean manage the economics of this government?" Asked Hill.
"Yes. Now leave until the others arrive." Grievous pointed at the door. San Hill walked out, but was quickly replaced by that battle droid, OOM-27.
"Good afternoon, sir." Said the droid.
"Finally, a competent strategist." Remarked Grievous.
"Why, thank you, sir. Just a few weeks ago, you would have been calling me out on my supposed short comings as a droid." Replied OOM-27.
"You've proven your worth. Are the others coming?" Asked he.
"Roger- Roger." The droid had tried to stop from saying it's programmed response, but had obviously failed. "If only there was a way to remove that line from our programming."
"I don't mind it. It stops me from taking most of your abilities seriously, thus allowing your failures to be expected, instead of an unpleasant surprise." The cyborg said. OOM-451 walked in, accompanying Lord Jerithox. "Finally." Commented Grievous. Various other commanders walked in, along with the Separatist Council members, and took places around the table. "Now that you're all here, let's begin." The map reverted from Grievous's plans to the galaxy as it was. Red marked Republic territory, and blue marked the Confederacy's territory. There was a lot more red than blue. "As you all know, we were winning this war not a year ago. We had our foot on the Republic's throat, and before we could step down and crush it forever, I received the order to pull back to the Outer Rim. Why? To entangle the Republic so much out here that we could strike Coruscant and capture the Chancellor. I must say, the plan worked perfectly. However, I assumed the Sieges would break after I killed Palpatine, not to mention Kenobi and Skywalker. This obviously did not happen.
"But now, I have a plan. The fleet we've been building here is meant to break these Sieges, and I'll have you know that there are several other facilities like this out there, though not complete. Also, we have the Ultimate Weapon." Grievous gestured at the spherical frame out the window. "And now we've captured the Republic's super weapon, not to mention, captured an influential Jedi and killed two more. I know many of you have your doubts about me as a political leader as well as a military leader. Make no mistake; I am not the same man I was even a month ago. Certain events have changed me, as well as this new role of leadership. I will lead us to victory, and I will hold this Confederacy together to see that everyone has a better future in this galaxy." The cyborg looked around, making eye contact with all of them. "And now, the plan." Markers representing substantial CIS fleets appeared on the map. Grievous pointed to the largest of them, located just off the galactic edge. "This is us. We're going to strike as one group. Together here, we have the same amount of ships as only a few of our besieged worlds put together, splitting up will do no good. You see, I intend to employ the same strategy I used to strike Coruscant, though with a few changes.
"We're going to attack various Inner Rim and Core Worlds, draw as much Republic ships as we can back to the heart of the Republic. This will give many of our less important Outer Rim worlds a good chance to break their sieges, and support our more heavily attacked ones. Simple, yes?" The assorted generals and admirals nodded. "Only for the first stage. After we lure the Republic back to the core, we're going to attack the Middle Rim and Colonies, while simultaneously striking the fleets hold worlds such as Muunilist and Geonosis, and not to mention, the besiegers too. We'll give the Republic total war on all fronts, at all times, and never give them time to stop chasing us from system to system, all across the galaxy. I don't know how long this will go on, but I know once those sieges break, that'll free up many of ours ships. I know that we have more ships than them, and we can produce more droids than they can produce clones.
"This brings up my next point: The droids. For the past few years, I have reached the breaking point with the stupidity and incompetence of our soldiers. I am implementing a program that will require the Techno Union, Trade Federation, Corporate Alliance, Commerce Guilds, InterGalactic Banking Clan, and every other droid producing company under our command to heighten the intelligence levels in our droids. Smart soldiers that can be mass-produced will be our key to victory. It has been said that it takes a thousand droids to beat a Jedi. I want that down to one by the time the Ultimate Weapon is completed. I don't care if you have to design a droid that costs more than a Subjugator, I want it done." Grievous pointed at the Council members, who looked shocked at such expenses Grievous was asking them to pay.
"Onto the Ultimate Weapon." He continued. "That battle station out there is our key to eventual victory. The late Count Dooku ordered it to be fitted with a super laser, a weapon capable of destroying entire planets." Various gasps and grumbles came from the assorted military leaders. "Whether it works or not is not a problem, as long as the Republic think we can destroy planets, that is good. It'll be more of an intimidation tool than an actual weapon, though I will use it if I must. I think it would be better for all of us is one space station can scare a world into submission than having a costly battle that does billions in damages." The Council nodded.
"Now, some of you may know that this last week has been rather… difficult for me." Grievous specifically looked at the Council. "I'm going to share with you some rather personal information. My family is dead, at the hands of the Republic. Before this, I was merely a warrior and a general who happened to be fighting for the Separatists. Dooku's death started something in me, that there was something more to this war than just killing. My family's death ignited that into my goal: The Republic will fall. I do not care how, but it will, by my hand." Grievous shook his fist for emphasis. "And this Confederacy, you in this room, the people out over thousands of worlds who battle each day, the millions more under the oppression of the Republic, the droids on the land and in the skies, everything and everyone with me, that is my weapon. Together, we will have victory. I've done many terrible things in this war, and it does not matter whether I was in full control of myself or not, I still did them." The assembled leaders looked confused. Others thought to such events as the bombardment of Humbarine, a planet of hundreds of billions. "Some of those things cannot be forgiven, but I intend to make up for that every way I can. There is a better future awaiting this galaxy, and I will lead us there, even if that road brings me to my death as well. Some of you don't believe in what you are doing, you're only in it for the money, or the power. I ask of you, open your eyes, see the real plight of this galaxy. Wealth, glory, money, power, it doesn't matter, compared to what we can do for everyone. Take this as a load of propaganda if you will, but I know we can do so much more than what we're already doing. Thank you for your time, you will receive your orders within an hour. Good night." Grievous turned away from the table, cloak flowing behind him, and walked through a door into his personal quarters. The cyborg collapsed into his favorite chair, taking a claming breath. That whole speech had been completely spontaneous. The door rang. "Come in…" He sighed. It was the Jedi, Esera Corin.
"Nice speech, sir." She said.
"Thank you… What is your purpose in being here?" Asked Grievous.
"I'd just like to note on your incredible change in personality." The general nodded.
"I feel more and more like my old self every day. I used to give speeches to my men, in the Huk War. I've never given one like that, before."
"Maybe you should consider giving it to the people. On a broadcasted message, to boost moral. There are many who doubted your abilities in that room, I could sense it, until you started that speech of yours. Hell, even Nute Gunray looked inspired at the end, if only a little bit. That's impressive." The Jedi spoke.
"I'll take your words into consideration. Now, I believe we both have work to do." Grievous responded.
"Yes, we do. Where am I attacking?" Corin asked.
"You'll be bringing your ship with me and Jerithox. We're going raiding in the Core Worlds."
Author's note: Well, that's another really long gap in chapters from me. I hope someone out there is still reading this. Anyways, now the war is just getting started, now that the situation is out of the way. And with the next Clone Wars episode featuring Grievous, whatever pathetic failure they make him do will get me riled up to my old pace in updates, hopefully. School is a factor I still haven't accounted for, though it plays a major part… Anyways, reviews=motivation. If you want more, all you need to do is say so, and more will come faster. And like I've said: I don't die, I just go inactive. This story will be finished, even if it takes me the next two years to do.