Chapter 15: Challenge of Governing
May 5.
Iulius was expecting the title 'Lord-Protector' to be an honorary one. Instead, at the banquet held in his honor, he found out that he was basically becoming Grand Moff of the Mid Rim, if not even more powerful, but it also came with an enormous responsibility: now, every minor military setback in the region would be blamed on him.
This wasn't a promotion. It was an attempt to make him crash down under the adage 'the higher the stand, the greater the fall'. And there was a chance that such fall wasn't that far away.
The Grand Admiral had just taken office the previous rotation on Naboo, the homeworld of the Emperor, and had immediately asked for a report by the cadre of ministers that he had been assigned. All agents of Palpatine, for sure, but at least they did their job with no bias.
When Iulius read the report, the situation delineating was one of absolute chaos.
Ryloth had staged a massive uprising with the help of a small fleet gathered by various rebel cells and the planetary capital had already fallen. On the Perlimian Trade Route, imperial intelligence caught notice of the rebels and their allies gathering a massive fleet, which could only be the prelude to another offensive. And to top it all, there was still major unrest on so many worlds that he didn't bother learning the precise number.
On the major worlds, like Naboo and Kashyyyk, Iulius had already managed to put more moderate Governors after his first package of reforms, so slavery was abolished, taxes had become less burdening, and these two had become quiet worlds, from which he could count on to build the base for future campaigns. But many other Moffs had mostly ignored him since they could. Now, the Grand Admiral and Lord-Protector would use all the authority delegated by the Emperor to change things. The Empire had to adapt, or it would succumb.
"You know, they will push back with all they have." Qathora commented as he enunciated this last point. "And I don't think the Emperor will let you remove his henchmen."
"Not without a plausible excuse, at the very least." Iulius commented with an ounce of optimism. "But the problem here is that I won't have much time to go the frontline. I need to pick up some good Admirals, and there aren't many."
"What about Sloane? She seemed to know what she was doing at Charros."
Iulius hummed. "You're quite right…" he replied and tapped the datapad to go and pin the name of Sloane into his list of people to promote for Sector Commands. "Have I already sent the new curricula for the Academies of the Mid Rim?" he asked to his confidant.
"Yes." Qathora answered from her seat on the desk. "Along with the order for all fleets to stay on the defensive, for the moment."
He nodded tiredly before massaging his eyes with his left index and thumb. He hadn't slept much in these last few days. He didn't want all of this responsibility. He had always argued that mixing political and military careers was one of the major flaws of the Empire. He feared that the prospects of a political fallout might start poisoning his mind and lead him to bad decisions.
He quickly recapped in his mind what he had done since the day before, to see if he was leaving some important matter behind, but nothing else came to his mind. He had already ordered to enact major reforms: slavery was to be made illegal, as of now, the Mid Rim would recognize all sentient species as citizens of the Empire, therefore annulling the imperial law that stripped them of every right. He had instructed the military industrial complex to shift production from the Star Destroyers to smaller classes of ships, especially because the loss of the Outer Rim had severely reduced the resources available to the war machine.
And yet he felt that all of this might be too little, too late. He had ordered his new responsible for the propaganda, some guy named Tonio Gauvanis, to focus the public attention on the so-called 'New Republic', and underline that in reality it was only a puppet state set up by the extra-galactic invaders, who wanted to subjugate this galaxy by destroying its culture and identity. Gauvanis certainly took the task on with a certain degree of diligence, as the HoloNet was bombarding the public channels with this narrative almost non-stop.
Iulius' hope was to divert the public attention from internal matters while he fixed whatever he could, and try to create at least a minimum cohesion among the numerous species that still lived in the Empire. But honestly he couldn't blame the aliens for hating a State that had treated them like cattle or worse for two decades.
After all of this passed briefly in his mind, Iulius left the datapad on the desk and stood up. He walked until he was in front of one of the three large windows behind his post. He pushed a button and raised the shutter, allowing the sun of Naboo to shed some light in his office and to give him an outstanding view of the city of Theed. A thought immediately got to his head.
"You know what? I still haven't had the chance to see the city. They say it's beautiful." he commented.
Qathora slipped down from the desk and replied. "Very well, I'll call up a squad for escort."
Iulius however, gestured to tone it down. "No need. 517 and 518 out here will be enough."
The Togruta looked at him with widened eyes, then she frowned in irritation and walked angrily next to him. "I'm sure you're smart enough to understand that you have a target on your back now more than ever."
"The galaxy at large barely knows that I'm here. And I doubt that even a Moff who wants me dead would dare to do anything so soon." he replied calmly.
"At least let me call up Marek. You can't go around with just two guards."
"Three guards. You're coming too, right?" he asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, but…" she insisted, but couldn't find the words.
"Look," Iulius said in a reassuring tone. "the people of Naboo are known for their commitment to peace. I want to appear approachable, and if two Death Troopers might already be intimidating, our devious assassin friend would certainly send the wrong message."
Qathora grunted under her breath before sighing in resignation. "If anything happens, I told you so." she concluded with sarcasm.
"Noted. Let's go inform my most...trusted official, first." Iulius joked.
The two exited from the door, where 5-17 and 18 were standing. The troopers immediately followed the Grand Admiral as he reached an office just three doors away. Iulius opened it and saw the desk in the room, with his mother sitting behind it.
She was going through a list of reports sent by the local administration, something that Iulius had asked, but when she saw her son she stood up with a large smile on her face.
"Iulius." she said happily.
The Lord-Protector also smiled and went in front of her desk. "How are things going, Mother?"
"I'm still sorting out whatever requires your attention and what doesn't. And how are you feeling?"
"Tired from all the bureaucratic work. I'm going out for a walk, so please if anybody is looking for me, just tell them to be patient. I'll be back in two hours at most."
"Of course, dear. Have fun." she replied, then looked at the Togruta. "Qathora, make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble." she quipped.
The alien woman smirked. "As you wish, milady."
"I'm not defenseless, you know." Iulius replied, lightly touching his belt, where both his pistol and the Darksaber were hanging.
"I know." Sekta replied. "But be careful anyway."
So Iulius and Qathora left the office. After the two Death Troopers also protested that the Grand Admiral needed additional escort and this was turned down, the four of them left the base and ventured into the streets of Theed.
517 and 518 were constantly on guard, but Iulius wasn't tense at all. People in fact turned around to look at him with curiosity rather than fear and he thought of that as a promising start.
As he admired the beauty of Naboo architecture, Iulius stopped to look at a sign over a door. He recognized the name of a famous restaurant of the capital that he had casually read over a pamphlet lying somewhere in the main base.
"You know what? I'm tired of the food at the base." and he entered into the building with no hesitation whatsoever, so much that the other three had to jolt in order to follow him closely.
Iulius found a tranquil environment. The restaurant was a simple place and it was quite crowded with workers, employees, generally the lower strata of the population. But as he walked in and waited at the post where one of the waiters welcomed the customers, many noticed him and turned around. Unsure if they were to be afraid or not.
The waiter himself, a young man, looked at him with a frozen face, and stuttered. "L-Lord Tanis." he said in a submissive tone, also making a clumsy bow.
Iulius calmly put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him in a reassuring way. "Calm down, man. I'm just here to grab a bite, if possible."
Such language would be unfit for a man of high rank, but Iulius intended for those people to look at him not as a tyrant, but as what his new title implied: Protector. To such end, he turned around and signaled the Death Troopers to put the rifles on their backs, which they did.
The young man recomposed himself and, though still afraid, he escorted the group to a single table with two seats as Iulius asked. The Grand Admiral and Qathora sat at the two ends and it didn't take long before the owner came to greet them, making sure to stand at a sufficient distance that wouldn't upset the guards.
"Lord Tanis. It's an honor to have you here…" he said in a reverential tone that still stated how alarmed he actually was. "How may we help you?"
Trying to appear as relaxed as possible, Iulius replied in a calm tone. "Settle down, good sir. What is your name?"
The man hesitated, rubbing his hands nervously, but eventually answered. "Sammick, my lord."
"Very well, Mister Sammick. I'm not here for official business, I'm just here to try your food. So I would be immensely grateful if you can just bring us two menus."
The innkeeper made a bow and replied. "Right away, sir." and walked away with a fast pace to give priority to the Grand Admiral.
"Is it even possible for you to have these people trust you?" Qathora asked with a point of sarcasm after witnessing such a scene.
"I never said it was going to be easy. That reminds me, since we are on Naboo, I have to find a way to reach the Gungan population."
"Easy, there. They barely trust the naboos, so focus on your fellow Humans, first."
Iulius hummed. "Maybe you're right. But let's forget about politics in here. I have no rush to go back to the desk."
They did just that. The personnel and the customers slowly but certainly became less uncomfortable having the new supreme ruler of their planet around. When the innkeeper wanted to just offer lunch to him, Iulius steadfastly refused and insisted on paying the full price.
May 18.
Another soldier in front of him fell and Ezra dashed to drag the wounded man to cover, deflecting a couple of bolts headed their way. After injecting the emergency medi-gel with his omni-tool and sending the position of the wounded on the company's HUD, Ezra rejoined the fight infuriating all around him.
Nearly four rotations before, the allied forces had noticed that the imperials were hastily evacuating Ryloth and Ezra was afraid that they might have been preparing for a Base-Delta-Zero, so his battalion was rushing to take control of a planetary shield generator as quickly as possible and to take prisoners if possible.
The mission of Luke and the Falcon had indeed revealed that the imperials were now much more careful not to waste men and resources. Allied intelligence had also learned that Iulius had been promoted to be overall commander of the Mid Rim and responsible to hold out the remaining dominions of the Empire in the Outer Rim. In the past, Ezra might have been quite safe in the knowledge that Iulius was pretty moderate, but after Mandalore that perception had changed. It was clear that he was willing to do everything to save the Empire, so there was the risk that the Imperial Navy would completely destroy Ryloth rather than leave it in the hands of the Coalition.
Now, while he and his fellow Jedi Padawan led the land forces of the Amerigo to conquer the shield generator, the Twi'leks were fighting a general insurrections all over the planet, focusing their efforts on the few landing zones the Empire was using to evacuate men and materials. In orbit, the Falcon was taking part on another phase of the space battle. They had already managed to destroy the Star Destroyer already on the third day of fighting, thanks to a masterful use of aeronaval tactics by Riccardi and the consistent firepower of the Amerigo supported by the bothan cruiser Shadow Fall. But there were still several frigates and small cruisers to contend the control of the skies over Ryloth.
The news of the insurrection on Ryloth was also inspiring other rebel cells in the Outer Rim to scale up the hostilities against imperial garrisons. Strategically speaking, the mission to Ryloth had been a huge success, but now Ezra had to bring his people out of there alive, and make sure that the Twi'lek homeworld would survive in the process, by capturing this shield generator.
The combined forces of Alliance Marines and New Republic militiamen had already breached the gates and there was just another ramp to conquer before taking the generator. But the last stormtroopers had dug in and were holding the only ramp of stairs that granted access to it. The allies took cover behind some crates, but they were suffering casualties.
Ezra was wielding his TL-50 now, while Luke was next to him, returning fire with a DL-44 pistol.
That was actually Ezra's weapon. As time went on, the young Knight had essentially switched his arsenal to three main weapons: his lightsaber, his old TL-50 and an M-3 pistol. That was because he had found that pistol to be more easy to wield and more precise, so he had decided to cede his blaster to Luke, who instead appreciated it.
"Ezra." said Jinx suddenly from the left forearm of the Jedi as he fired a burst with his weapon. "I just detected a communication from the imperials. They are preparing to destroy the generator."
"Karabast." Ezra mumbled. Then he quickly looked around and analyzed the situation. His squad could only go through the stairs, but they would be easy targets even if he and Luke used their lightsabers to protect the advance. All other Legionnaires were busy taking another section of the fortress and probably wouldn't make it in time to save the generator.
There were three Krogans fighting alongside him. They might have been useful as shock troops, but previously the imperials had used incendiary grenades, and if those stormtroopers still had some, they could take them out, too.
He probably found a way, but it was kind of a bet. The stairs were only needed to scale the tall wall on top of which stood the level with the generator, but perhaps Ezra could attempt to just jump over it. Thinking fast, he decided that it was the best opportunity and turned toward Luke while putting away his repeater.
"Luke." he called. The Padawan ducked behind his cover and turned to face him. "I'm going to jump over the wall. Be ready to lead the attack once I distract them."
"You want to go up there?" Luke asked stunned as he looked at the huge wall.
"Trust me, it's not the craziest thing I have ever done." Ezra quipped to reassure him.
"That doesn't make me feel safer." Luke replied sarcastically.
Ezra smirked under his helmet, but then crouch-walked around the crate he was standing behind to. It was large enough that the opposite corner would put him out of the general field of view of the stormtroopers still firing down. After reaching he peeked quickly over the edge. After being sure that the blaster and plasma bolts were not flying around him, he dashed toward the wall while materializing his jetpack. He jumped over a pile of steel boxes standing at the base of the structure and used them to propel himself even higher. It was a technique that he used in the streets of Lothal, but with all of the experience and equipment acquired in the last years, he could make it even further. He managed to gather enough momentum that he could literally ran on the vertical wall for a few steps, and just before his speed ended he activated the jetpack, which gave him enough additional sprint to finally surpass the top of the fortification and land on the upper level.
He ignited his lightsaber, catching the stormtroopers completely off-guard, as they were amassed on the stairs, each ready to take the place of any of their comrades when they fell.
"Jedi!" one of them exclaimed, shooting at Ezra and making a group of the reserve troopers turn around to face the new threat. Ezra easily deflected bolts back to them, knocking two of them down, at which point a soldier with a DLT-19 turned to face him and released a rain of blaster bolts, hoping to overcome the Jedi with sheer firepower.
It might have worked, normally, but if Ezra wasn't able to deflect one bolt or two, his armor and shields were more than capable to take the hit. Meanwhile, Luke had noticed the ruckus going on up the stairs. He had ignited his own saber and was now leading the charge of the allies. As predicted, two stormtroopers still firing downward tried to launch grenades, but Luke was able to use the Force not only to see them but push them to the sender. The imperial formation was blown away, and the few survivors quickly overrun. Only a handful decided to surrender.
"Secure the generator!" Ezra immediately ordered.
A turian engineer who was with the squad dashed to do just that and with the discipline that distinguished his people, calmly disarmed the bomb, despite the fact that there were only a few seconds left.
"Target secured, General. And it's still operative." the engineer said.
Ezra sighed of relief. "Call up the technicians. I want this thing raised as soon as possible." he said to a rebel corporal next to him.
"Yes, sir!"
He was then reached by Luke, who put away his lightsaber and was still impressed by Ezra's feat. "Do you always resort to these stunts?"
"Hey." Ezra shrugged in a playful tone. "One must be resourceful."
A moment later, the voice of Rex broke into the comlink. "Rex to Specter-7."
Ezra touched the side of his helmet. "Go on, Commander."
"We have secured the command room of the fortress. We only need to do some mopping up."
"I knew I could count on you, buddy. We have secured the shield generator, use the command room to inform the fleet."
"Right away, sir!"
And as the fleet finally received the good news, Riccardi finally pressed the attack when the shield generator was reactivated, thus protecting the surface from possible bombardments or the wrecks of destroyed ships.
May 24.
The news of Ryloth's liberation had been well covered by the republican HoloNet, and Jaral, too, couldn't have been happier to see Ezra celebrated for the hero he was. But almost a week had passed. With Ryloth relatively safe, where the scientists of the Amerigo had built innovative underground greenhouses to help the Twi'leks be more self-sufficient and also welcome other rebel cells in need, the exploration cruiser had set sail again and had gone radio silent. Ezra was still looking to set a new operative base, after all. And his final objective was still Sullust.
She remembered the day she herself had ordered him to embark on such endeavor with Luke, the only other Jedi left. They were inevitable thoughts as she walked with Darvos toward the office of Mon Mothma, inside the new Senate building on Lianna.
They reached it and the two honor guards stood at attention, presenting their pikes to the Grand Marshall.
"The President is awaiting for you, ma'am." one of them reported.
"Thanks." Jaral replied, then turned quickly toward her husband. "I'll just be a moment."
Darvos smiled in a supportive way and nodded. Jaral returned the smile and then entered, letting the door closing behind her once she stepped in.
The room was clearly a unique sign of the new era they lived in: it was a mixture of both galaxies. Mothma sat behind her desk, but used a holo-terminal of the Milky Way and she had even been gifted an IV mostly to manage her agenda. Aside from that, the furniture was definitely from Andromeda.
"Jaral, always good to see you." Mothma greeted cordially.
"Same for me, President."
"Please, make yourself at home."
"Don't mind if I do." she concluded and went to sit on one of the two seats standing in front of the desk.
"So." Mothma said, leaning forward on the desk. "What do I owe this visit?"
"Actually, it's about work, if you would say. I want to rescind my position as Grand Marshall." she said bluntly.
Mothma was clearly caught off-guard as her eyes widened. After a few seconds to elaborate, she shook her head, but still kept a good degree of composure. "Why is that?"
"It's mostly due to my upcoming mission, the one I already told you about."
"You mean, your expedition on the Sith worlds?"
"Yes. In order to maximize my chances of success, I need to focus all my energies into my Jedi training. Not only this means I won't have much opportunities to lead the war, there is also a considerable possibility that I might come back from this mission in a state unfit to command. Or not return at all."
Mothma was clearly both surprised and admired by the incredible tranquility that Jaral showed in reporting such unsettling scenarios. Eventually, the President had to accept the will of the Jedi.
"It's going to be hard to find a substitute."
"I beg to disagree. We have found many great commanders since we have managed to reunite the Alliance. Which is another reason why I think it's time for me to step down. It made sense for me to act as a symbol when we were desperate, but now we have our New Republic. We may not yet be ready to liberate the entire galaxy, but nonetheless we have the forces to face the Empire in open war, and that requires a true soldier."
"You talk as if you didn't plan winning strategies all the way here." Mothma said to remind her of the numerous triumphs. "Lothal, Mon Cala, even Lianna owe their freedom to your skill as a commander, Jaral."
"I appreciate your words, Madam President, but the point remains. I cannot delegate the mission to Korriban, and at the same time there is a risk that I won't come back, so it's better that I stand down. That way, the Republic won't suffer too much if I disappear.
"But rest assured of one thing: if I come back in one piece, not only the Republic will always find a strenuous defender in me, but I will dedicate everything to my next project, one I think you will definitely agree on."
"May I inquire on what that would be?" Mothma asked calmly, but certainly with her full attention.
Jaral slowly leaned forward, as if she wanted to whisper it, even though she spoke with her usual tone. "I want to recreate the Jedi Order."
Mothma didn't move, but a spark was clearly visible in her eyes, at least to Jaral it was. "Tell me." she asked eagerly.
"I talked with Ahsoka and Nimbus, recently. They are quite positive that there are more Force sensitives that we might recruit. Some are still children, but some are a little older. Who knows, maybe there are more former members of the old Order who are still hiding among the stars. Once I find them, I'll gather them on Lothal with the children we already transferred there, and if needed, I'll help training them."
Mothma hummed, the back of her hands propping up against her face. It definitely sounded too good to be true, but Jaral so far had never failed in delivering whatever she promised and more. If there was a chance to recreate the Jedi Order and make it a valuable support for the New Republic, she couldn't possibly pass this opportunity up.
She rose her head again and replied. "Very well, Jaral Bridger. I accept your resignation. Who do you think should take your place?"
"Actually, I was thinking about making a few modifications to the position. Since we are now in an alliance with different nations, how about you talk with the other governments and you all decide on who should take my place?"
"Makes sense. I don't want the New Republic to monopolize all positions of power. Our allies would resent it in the long run. I'll propose it to my ministers. Nonetheless, if you have a preference, it would certainly help us decide."
"Of course. I propose Admiral Ackbar. Not only he's the best leader for our fleet, but he's technically a citizen of the Mon Cala Kingdom. That should send the message that the Republic shares power."
"I concur." Mothma concluded before standing up and extending a hand. "Well, I can only thank you for everything you have done, Jaral." she said. Jaral shook the hand and Mothma added one last sentence. "For every generation coming, you will be reminded as the Mother of the New Republic."
Jaral chuckled. "I'm flattered. I only did what I thought was right."
Mothma smiled back and finally bowed to the Jedi. "May the Force be with you. Always."
Jaral replied with another bow in respect, and the Jedi finally left the office, being saluted by the guards again.
"How did it go?" Darvos asked, even though he could clearly tell.
"All is in order. She didn't object at all." she replied as they started walking.
"Told you so. Now, when do you think it will be time for you to leave?"
"I need Ahsoka and Nimbus with me. But nonetheless, I want to train as much as possible. I'll head back to Lothal and meet with the Ordo Quaeris. They're the closest thing I have to other Jedi, for now."
"I'm sure Hera will give us a lift."
"She has to. I already asked the Ghost to be put under my command. I may not be the Marshall anymore, but I'm still a General."
"So is Hera, technically." Darvos quipped. "But I doubt she will have any complaint, as well."
Jaral chuckled. "You really enjoy rubbing the fact that you're good at understanding people, uh?"
"Well, you can see the future, move things with your mind and even make our armies perform better just by meditating. Leave me something."
The two chuckled, then Jaral put her arms around that of Darvos' as they kept walking toward the exit of the Senate.
May 27.
"Here it is, Your Highness." Iulius said as he handed over the nicely crafted scroll to Queen Dalné. "With this, I personally restore the powers over the planet of Naboo and its system to You and the Advisory Council."
The young Queen carefully unrolled the scroll and carefully read at least the first lines, where the Lord-Protector of the Empire officially recognized the autonomy of the civilian government of Naboo. After being convinced enough, she closed the scroll again and turned her face toward the imperial officer.
"This is a most generous gift, Lord-Protector. I swear that your faith in us will not be wasted."
Satisfied, Iulius made a small bow, imitated by Qathora next to him, then spoke up. "I look forward to a fruitful cooperation. Now, I must take my leave."
The Queen made a bow with her head, so the Human and the Togruta walked away in a fashionable manner so long as they were required to, then they became less tense.
"Now I'm genuinely impressed." Qathora commented as they walked down the stairs at the entrance of the palace, heading for their transport. "But are you sure you won't get into trouble with the Core?"
"Whatever I do is troublesome to them." he coldly stated. "But when the Emperor will see the results of my activity, the others will have to hold their tongues."
As he finished, they reached their ITT. Iulius saluted back the driver, who then went into the cockpit and the convoy was soon on its way to imperial command.
"It's not the Emperor who worries me." Qathora said. "The Moffs notoriously hate to share. I know that many were open to the idea of reforming the system, but I saw at least a dozen of them looking at you with daggers at the last meeting."
"Most of them simply want to preserve their power. And if the rebels and the invaders roll over them, they will lose it. They will adapt or they will perish. It's simple as that."
They spent the rest of the small trip in silence. Per Iulius' order, the convoy didn't run too fast along the city, not wanting to risk hurting the people or give the impression that he was afraid of them. And it was a good opportunity to see the fruits of his hard work of public relations in the last month: as the convoy passed, many people at the sides of the road waved at it or cheered. Iulius smirked, regretting that the ITTs didn't have windows.
They reached the command base, eventually. First thing to do was to head to Sekta's office to see if anything happened while he was away.
"Well, you got a lot of mail to read, honey." she said from her desk. "But a few minutes ago your Commander, Ciena, was looking for you."
Iulius raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't she on leave with Kyrell?"
"Yes, they were both in civilian clothes, but she said she needed to see you. The poor creature seemed quite distressed, actually, you should talk to her."
Iulius nodded. "Got it. You know where she went?"
"Last time I checked she was in the relax area at the end of the corridor." Sekta explained with a brief nod of her head.
"Thanks, Mother. That will be all."
"Anytime" Sekta concluded before returning to her own duties as her son's secretary.
Wasting no time, Iulius headed toward the relax area, a big room that he had converted into a space with a bar, some holo-games and other recreational possibilities. Once he got in front of it, he signaled Qathora and the Death Troopers to wait outside, as he had already spotted Ciena, Thane and even Nash sitting at the same table.
Indeed, Ciena was hiding her face into one of her palms while Thane was tenderly holding the other and Nash rubbed one of her shoulders to comfort her as much as he could.
Hands behind his back, the Grand Admiral walked in front of their table. The two men noticed him only when he stopped and looked at him, with Ciena noticing him a couple of seconds later.
"You don't look like someone on leave, Commander. What happened?"
Ciena adjusted herself a bit and stood up to make a request. "Sir, I ask your permission to travel to Jelucan."
Iulius was curious. "Your homeworld? Why?"
Ciena lowered her head in shame. "I...I don't wish to bother you, sir. It's a personal matter."
"Ciena." Iulius said sternly, making the young woman look at him with incredulous eyes. Even for him it was extremely rare to call his subordinates by name. "You are part of my crew and you're my best officer. Just tell me what it is so maybe I can help you."
The woman nodded a couple times with emotion building up a little. "My mother. I just received news that she has been accused of embezzlement and will be trialed in a week."
"Embezzlement?" Iulius asked with a suspicion. "Isn't your mother a supervisor in a mine operation?"
"Yes, sir. But something is off...you see, she has been denied the right to a defense."
Iulius' eyes widened in an enraged surprise, but then he thought about it. There was only one kind of person who could allow such thing.
"Who is the Governor responsible for Jelucan?"
Ciena hesitated, but eventually answered. "Moff Goreed. Governor of Eriadu."
It all made sense now: Goreed was one of the Moffs who openly opposed Iulius' policies. He was trying to hit him by hitting his loyal second.
Enraged at such dirty move, Iulius' face turned into one ready for war. He turned his gaze and gave the order. "Nash. Recall the crew of the Admonitor and her escort. We're going to Jelucan." he said with a calm tone that still let sheer determination shown.
Clearly agreeing with the sentiment, his Navigation Officer stood up and grinned. "With pleasure, sir." and jogged away.
Ciena was still unable to realize what was happening. "S-Sir?" she stuttered. There was no way a Grand Admiral would mobilize his own Star Destroyer for a trial that he normally wouldn't even be informed about.
Iulius, however, was not messing around. He looked at her and put a hand firmly on her shoulder. "Nobody threatens my crew."
Ciena slowly started to smile. Thane, too, went next to her and patted her back and the two chuckled with emotion at each other.
"Looks like you'll have to delay your date." Iulius said sternly, though the joke was obvious. "Go get prepared."
"Sir, yes sir." Thane said before pushing his lover away with him.
Iulius calmly walked out of the room, preparing for his first political duel ever.