Zeke Cor regarded the worried looking Nautolan with the holo of the human female.
"Yes, I recognise her. One of your researchers, I believe. She has been here often, but not in the last few days." he said.
"Are you sure? She has gone missing, I fear the worst." said Gawaon.
"I can check our visitor logs." said Zeke, who entered the instructions into the terminal. After a while he looked up.
"She was last here at the Archives four days ago. Is that when she was last seen?"
"Yes. Oh, what has happened to you Camile?"
Furia oversaw the unloading of machines from the Black Ship. She was standing on the outskirts of Tarremar, the capital of Marrias. Droids and Clone troopers unloaded and began assembling the factory, taking apart nearby buildings for needed materials. She nodded to the woman approaching.
"Master." she said.
"Greetings my apprentice. I see everything is proceeding." said Darth Parlous.
Furia nodded. "Yes master. Although I agree the factories are best sited closer to the front I feel they are vulnerable. What if the Republic destroys them in a fit of moral outrage?"
Parlous smiled, "Then we win. Just as if they decide to use them or if they are destroyed by the Confederacy. No matter what they do, we win. Mark the lesson well, my apprentice. As Sith we do not seek mere victory, we seek victory to come to us by all paths."
"Of course master. Once operational, I wish to awaken Amidala. She has slept too long." said Furia.
"Yes, good. How do you propose to travel there?" said Parlous.
"I thought to let Gawaon rescue me. Hopefully he can follow the trail I left." said Furia.
"Very nice, my apprentice. Very nice indeed." said Parlous.
Anakin looked fit to burst in Padme's office as she and other Representatives discussed the latest offensive by the Republic.
"And I say we go now! Marrias needs our help." said Anakin.
"I strongly urge caution First Citizen. In a few days our task forces from the Hutt campaign will be ready. We should wait for them." said Palpatine.
"Every day gives them more time to dig in, bring in reinforcements." said Anakin.
"Anakin, Palpatine has a point. If we wait to gather our forces, then united we'll take less losses. Losses that are harder for us to replace than the Republic." said Padme.
"Who knows what they're doing to those people!" said Anakin.
"The Republic may be our enemy but they are not monsters. The people will be fine. Patience, my love. We can not always rush in." said Padme.
"But that's what I do." pleaded Anakin.
"I know. Now, however a little patience though. It does mean you have to stay here for a few more days." said Padme, smiling at him.
"Oh, okay then."
"Very well, contact the Admiralty. They will know how best to make a simultaneous attack through multiple hyperlanes. Also the army. I want my planet back!" said Padme.
Furia smiled at the nobles and functionaries of Marrias in restraints under the watchful guns of her clones. They were standing in the courtyard of the new factory.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded one.
Furia spread her arms. "Thank you for asking. You are present to participate in the opening ceremony of this new clone factory."
"Are you mad? Clones take years to grow. The Confederacy will soon be here to throw you out. Your factory is a giant waste of time."
Furia laughed. Devoid of levity it was hollow and frightening.
'I quite enjoyed that. No wonder we Sith are famous for it.' she mused.
"Grow? Oh, I don't have time for that. This factory produces clones. All I need are sentient brains and biomass. Yours, to be precise."
The crowd became fearful as what Furia had said sunk in. They began to struggle, to plead, to promise anything she wanted.
"I want the Galaxy. You're going to help. Process them." said Furia, laughing.
The guards herded the prisoners into the complex. Soon, the screaming, wailing and cries of agony began. It was music to Furia's ears.
"Now, to see that the Republic do their part." she said walking off.
A short while later Furia stood before the heavy cruiser captains of the Republic Fleet.
"You're insane." said one, others nodded.
"I prefer enlightened. Come now. You need soldiers, crewmen, pilots. I am providing them."
"It's monstrous. Are you just going to shove everyone into that, that obscenity."
Furia smiled. "The thought had occurred to me but it's a little much. At the moment I am converting their leadership. People who were your enemies a few days ago. Now they are loyal allies. Perhaps I can start next on their criminals, put all those bad, incarcerated scum to good use." As she spoke she let the Dark Side settle on them. One by one, they began nodding, agreeing.
"No, this is evil, you are a blasphemy against civilisation. Against all we stand for."
"Very well. I am not unreasonable. Please, any of you who feel like that remain behind and we shall discuss this further." said Furia.
As the other captains filed out Furia noticed three remaining.
"So, three of you have that strange thing the weak call a conscience. Such a burden. Let me relieve you of it." said Furia as she raised a hand. The captains fell to the floor screaming, clutching at their heads. After a while she walked over to each and touched each gently, almost lovingly on the forehead. The captains rose.
"Anymore problems, doubts or worries." said Furia.
"No mistress." they said as one.
"That's good to hear. By the way, who do you serve?"
"We serve Darth Furia." they said.
"Excellent."
Not all the captains were so foolish as to openly state their misgivings to a Sith. Transmissions were sent back to Coruscant. While the ones sent to High Command were largely ignored the one sent to the Jedi temple was not.
Preparations were made. Allies and favours called in. A small fleet of warships headed by the Jedi departed within days to see to the workings of the Sith.
Furia shifted a little on the pallet she had chained herself too. While the torn, white under dress made her look the part of holo victim it provided little in the way of comfort. She wondered if she should of done this on a comfortable bed, appearing to be awaiting the unseemly attentions of the Sith Lord. No, that was too unbelievable. She had her story. Best to stick with it. While the screams from the Clone factory gave her some comfort, she did wish Gawaon would hurry up and rescue her.
Gawaon raised his hand and the door burst inwards. He charged through, cutting down a Sith trooper. He wondered about the light defences on the place. A simple oversight or Sith arrogance? Did it really matter? He reached out with the Force searching for Camile. There. He chose a corridor and ran down it.
Furia sensed the Jedi charging to save her. Finally, she breathed in and screamed.
Gawaon charged through the last door. He found Camile restrained and propped up so she could see the horrors below. With quick motions his lightsabre severed the restraints freeing her. He caught her as she fell forward and she clung to him.
"Thank you. Thank you. I knew you would come for me." said Camile.
"You're safe now. How do we destroy this vile place." said Gawaon, looking about.
"No, please, take me away. I cannot bear to be here any longer. The horror. Please love. Tell the Confederacy, have them destroy it. Just get me away from here!" pleaded Camile.
Gawaon paused. He knew he should destroy this place while he was here. He looked down. Camile had buried her face in his chest.
"Please. The screams. I can no longer bear it anymore." she wailed.
Gawaon came to a decision.
"Can you walk?" he asked.
Camile looked up at him, her face streaked with tears.
"For you love, I will run." she said.
"Very well. This way." said Gawaon as he led her away to safety. Camile did not speak again till they were safely in hyperspace.
"My hero." she said, hugging him.
The Jedi were in a conference room in the Assembly. They listened to Gawaon as he described what had transpired on Marrias.
Anakin glared at the hologram. The Republic were not monsters? Then what was this?
"That concludes my report. This factory built by the Sith is an obscenity, a horror beyond imagining. The sooner it is destroyed the better." said the hologram of Gawaon.
"Now can we attack them?" said Anakin.
"Why kidnap Camile from Coruscant? If they wanted a witness, why not pick a local?" said Obi-Wan.
"I myself wondered that. Camile is a Jedi archivist. Her credentials are impeccable, or observations not called into question." said Gawaon.
"Yes, likely that is. Still, something strange at work there is." said Yoda.
"I agree. Something just does not add up. The Republic would never agree to this normally. Anakin what do you think?" said Obi-Wan
Anakin, however was no longer there.
Anakin burst in Padme's office. She looked up from where she was speaking to various beings.
"Anakin!" she said.
"Have you heard? What they are doing? You said the Republic were not monsters. Well, they are." he said.
"I know Anakin. I was wrong. I wanted to believe the best of people." she said.
"Well, as I see it there's only one way to stop them."
"I agree. We were just discussing that. It is no longer enough that the Confederacy survive. We must defeat and conquer the Republic to stop these atrocities. They have changed the war, but we must finish it."
"As you wish. I will leave tomorrow to join the offensive." said Anakin, he turned to leave.
"One more thing, my First Knight. Before you go." said Padme.
Anakin paused. He turned back round.
"Yes?" he said.
"We're getting married. Now. We will take back the Galaxy as husband and wife." she said.
As ceremonies went, it was a little rushed, Obi-Wan thought as he guided the two through the words. As he finished, only he heard what Padme said to her husband.
"Kill them. Kill them all."
The Republic Cruiser Relentless sat in orbit over Marrias.
"Transit! Multiple contacts. Mostly lights. Inbound from our side."
"See who they are." said Captain Welham.
"Aye sir."
Soon a connection was established.
"This is Master Lasek representing the Jedi Council. We are here at the behest of the Will of the Force. You will stand aside and let us put an end to this atrocity." came the demand.
"You have no authority here Jedi. I will defend this world and all structures on it to the best of my ability. Republic Fleet. Prevent these newcomers from entering orbit. If they attempt to do so, open fire."
Welham's command was met with confusion. Oppose the Jedi? It was unthinkable. While most of the heavy cruisers formed up the rest of the fleet maneuvered to support the newcomers. Despite entreaties from either side to see reason and desist, the ad-hoc Jedi force approached the planet steadily. As they entered range, both forces opened fire.
