Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Star Wars. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Note: The end of this piece has been decided and set. As has the sequel. We are not far now….

Chapter Twelve: The End Of Slavery / Yoda's Choice

The small but deceptively powerful grandmaster of the Jedi Order stared at the holographic image of Obi-Wan Kenobi, his ears fallen flat and a forlorn expression on his face. "Sure you are, that no other strategy would work?" He asked.

The image ahead of him shook its head in the negative. "I am sorry, Master Yoda. I have gone over the plans and available information with Grand Admiral Thrawn at Darth Rache's insistence, and there does not appear to be any other way to end this conflict without millions of unnecessary deaths."

"Clear do I see this." Yoda nodded. He'd been given the same information, but had wanted the verification by someone that he trusted. "Destroyed, the technology has been?"

"Yes. Rache took me to the site to see it myself." The hologram seemed to pause before it added, "Master Yoda, it is very important to the emperor that 'we' know he is not intent on ever using this technology again. He built it for this one unique purpose and now it cannot be used again or replicated. He is not an evil man."

"Know this, I do." Yoda agreed, though a nagging feeling was tickling the back of his mind. Deciding to give voice to it he said, "But believe the same, the chancellor will not." After the fall of Palpatine his predecessor, Chancellor Valorum, had been elected back to power in an emergency session of the senate. Since then he had been incredibly suspicious and paranoid of any possible threat to his newly reclaimed position and the Republic as a whole. "Think him a threat to the Republic, Vellorum will."

Obi-Wan looked quite concerned at that revelation. "Surely you can convince him otherwise, Master? Convince him to see reason? The Empire has been nothing but cordial to the Republic."

"But just the latest this is, in worries, hm?" Yoda responded. "Left the Republic for the Empire, many systems have."

"That is true." Kenobi ran nervous fingers through his beard. "Harry offered them neutrality in this war and better chances at life and trade. And from what I've seen he's followed through on all of those promises."

"See it as poaching, the chancellor will. As well as a criticism of his leadership." Yoda stomped his walking stick on the ground with annoyance. The man had made many… uncomfortable insinuations during their meetings in the past about the particular roles of the Jedi in 'his' Republic. He seemed to think that just because the Order had agreed to serve as generals in the Grand Army of the Republic, it meant that they were his to command on a dime. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Jedi were volunteers at the most, working to help the galactic good, and as such they had the right to leave service at any time to return to their greater purpose. It was in the Grand Army's charter if the man would even deign to read it. "Perhaps, time to leave, it is for the Jedi." He mused.

"L-Leave? Master-"

"Worry not, Master Kenobi." Yoda waved a hand to stall the clearly panicking blonde. "Consider the situation I will. Watch the outcome of the plague, I will. Listen to the chancellor's response, I will. Then… decide, I will. As Grandmaster my right and burden this is. Not yours or any other."

"Understood, master."

"Good. Go now you should, to be at Emperor Rache's side. Need you, your friend will. Feel too much, he sometimes does and help will a friend be. Hard choices breed hard consequences, for the ones that make them most of all."

"I will, master. May the force be with you."

"And with you be it." The grandmaster waved a hand at the holo-projector and the call fell to nothing once more. Slowly, he released a breath he'd been unconsciously holding and forced himself to think on the issue that had been haunting him for quite a while now. Could the Jedi leave the Republic? Should they? He hopped lightly onto his meditation chair, crossed his legs, and delved into the force. He reminded himself to thank Darth Rache once more in the future for clearing it up as he had with Palpatine's revelation.

For three hours he sat in quiet communion with the force, seeking the past, present, and future, going wherever the force pulled him along in his quest for clarity. By the time his eyes finally opened once more he knew what he had to do. He'd just experienced the last century of memory in record time as well as a clear view of what the Republic 'could' become should they stay. He'd watched the senate grow ever more corrupt and vile, seen the damage done to his Order as they became more and more beholden to the governing body's will and direction. Oh sure, they never outright said they were in charge, but things became very difficult when the Jedi didn't go places with senator's prior permission. It wasn't long before they were notifying them for every mission undertaken.

Yoda palmed his head with sadness. How had it gotten this bad without his notice? Without any of their notice? He did know though, deep down. It was what Dooku had accused them of the day he left them to return to his countship on his homeworld. The Jedi had grown complacent, comfortable, and set in their ways. The senate overreaching had been a slow, gradual, thing. Slow enough to not raise Yoda's hackles, and for the others in the temple and on the council, well, it was all they had known in their lifetimes. But he knew better, he remembered what the Jedi had been, what they stood for, and what they could be, but to do so… his ears slowly drooped, they'd need to leave Coruscant at the very least. Its capital, the sitting place of the senate and center of their power, they definitely needed to get away from that.

In the end it might not matter so much though. If the future played out as Yoda expected it would then the senate, and the corruption they brought the Republic as a whole, would not be an issue much longer. That being said, how to get his Jedi off-world and safe en masse? The moment a hint of the word 'exodus' was heard the green alien was sure Valorum would try to put a stop to it. He wouldn't want to lose what he'd called his 'best military resource'. Yoda's ears shot back up as the solution came to him and with an exultant guffaw he leapt into the air, did a flip, called his stick to his hand, and landed right in front of the door.

Several minutes later he was taking the temple lift alone to the deepest levels of the temple. To a place so deep and classified that only the grandmaster of the Jedi Order had the clearance to reach. When the beep of arrival sounded and the doors opened, Yoda stepped into a long hall and followed it to an ancient wall panel, control board, and a small shelf with three hardcover books kept behind a sheet of time resistant glass. He quickly opened the shelf, removed one of the tomes, and skimmed rapidly through it until he found the relevant information. Once he did, the laughter came back right away.

"Always wanted to do this, I have." He chuckled as he imputed several commands into the control board and watched them register on the panel. Then he swiped a clawed finger and watched as the information went away and his wrist computer unit lit up with the optional signal that would execute the action he'd just programmed. Oh yes, this was going to be fun. Though he really needed to alert the masters in the field first so they'd know when to make themselves scarce, and…. He really did want to see how Valorum reacted to Rache's Hutt plan. How he did would determine if this desperate, and most secret of Jedi contingency plans, was enacted.

One way or another, this was going to end, and the outcome of the war against slavery would decide how.

Boundary Space Of Nal Hutta

Harry stood stoic upon the bridge of the Rancor. It was a massive star destroyer, and the flagship of his fleet. Construction had begun the day he took command of Zygerria. It was so large that his personal craft, the Victory, only filled one of two hundred hanger bays along the hull. The vessel was a fleet carrier, and a monster of combat. And now it, and the entirety of the Sith armada, was surrounding and blockading Nal Hutta. Nobody could get in, and nobody could leave. It was time.

With his hands clasped behind his back, and eyes locked on the view of the planet, he didn't even notice when the door behind him opened, nor when several pairs of hands found themselves pressed to his body, offering comfort and support.

Shaak moved to stand before him and placed her forehead against his own. "We are with you, my love."

Asajj wrapped her arms around his right limb and leaned into his side. "You are not enjoying this, it is simply what is necessary. We all understand that."

Bo copied the Dathomiri on his left side, "Every soldier understands the need to engage and defeat the enemy. Mandalore stands firmly beside you."

Hermione molded her own body to his back, wrapping her arms around his chest. "We all love you, no matter what."

The feeling of a tail wrapping around his leg announced the presence of Zannah beside them all. "In my life I have known monsters that would take pleasure from an act such as this. You are not that. Do what must be done, nothing more, nothing less."

Harry let out a long breath and nodded before pulling himself free and turning around. He was not surprised to see Thrawn, Kenobi, and Satine waiting by the hatch, giving his women time to get him ready. Addressing the Chiss he asked, "Is everything in place?"

"Yes, Emperor." The Grand Admiral bowed slightly. "The weapon is loaded and ready to launch."

"Excellent." He looked to Satine, "Our military forces?"

"All in position. Your armada is blockading the planet and the army is set to watch over our empire's borders."

"You have my gratitude. I know serving as my point of contact with the generals is not… palatable to you."

She huffed sarcastically at that. "I may abhor bloodshed, but I was raised a warrior, Emperor Rache. I understand what is needed of me."

"I'm glad to hear it." Finally turning to the bearded Jedi that he honestly considered his best friend in the galaxy, he asked, "The council?"

"Master Yoda has been notified, and he understands what you are doing and why. Though the Republic might not agree, the Jedi Order stands behind your actions."

The Sith gave a nod of gratitude to the man and turned back to the viewport. "Nothing left to be done but get started then. Grand Admiral, open the channel."

"Right away, my liege." The white uniformed Chiss swiped a finger over his wrist control module. The 'channel' indicated had been set up specifically for this operation. It was set on a widespread frequency that would encompass every receiver on Nal Hutta, as well as the rest of Hutt Space. It was imperative that none could forget or deny what was about to happen.

When the red eyed man nodded that the line was open, the Sith began his speech. "Citizens of Nal Hutta, I am Emperor Rache of the Free Empire of the Sith, and I am here to conquer you. You may think you can stop me, you may be foolish enough to fight me, you may even try to use your slaves as shields against my military might. These would be the actions of fools. Long have you feasted on the wealth and suffering brought by your slavery and crime mongering. That ends here and now. Behold, the power that comes to stand against you. Behold, the fate that awaits those of you who resist. Behold, the fate you have brought upon yourselves."

Harry waved another hand to Thrawn and another button was swiped. A second later they all saw through the viewing wall as an orbital torpedo was launched from their cannons and sent hurtling to the planet's surface. Then thirty six monitors sprung to life, containing live feeds of all the Hutts on planetary residence at the moment for the galaxy to see. The Sith emperor forced himself to watch as they began to spasm, scream, clutch their throats, and finally fall dead to the ground with dark liquid escaping their slackened mouths as all around them their slaves looked on with fear and wonder, completely unaffected.

Speaking for the last time, Harry announced, "This is but a taste of the plague I could bring upon you all. A plague that will only affect you, and not the slaves I seek to see freed. You have been warned." He paused for a moment, gathering himself. "I will expect your declaration of surrender within the hour. Do not test me."

At the end of the last word Thrawn immediately cut the feed, and Harry practically collapsed into the arms of his women. "There was no honor in those deaths. No challenge."

Asajj turned to the Jedi, Admiral, and Duchess, and said, "Give us some time alone with him."

The others left without another word.

One Hour Later

The group was back on the bridge, and Harry sat on a throne upon an elevated platform as he stared once more out the viewing wall to the planet's surface. Streamed directly onto that wall were the hundred Hutt visages that made up the headships of the great families, the ones that made governing decisions for their entire race.

They tried to bluster before him, to threaten repercussions and military responses. Instead of answering vocally he replayed the launch of the plague and watched as they grew ever more terrified. "Any more threats?"

Through their modulated translators they acknowledged such actions would cease, and then wished to know his demands.

"Unconditional surrender of your race. Everything you own, everything you have ever built, now belongs to my empire. Every military drone will have its codes sent to us for immediate control and as of this moment every slave is also freed. You will deactivate their collars and embedded explosives. If these demands are not met here and now I will send my plague to every world that a Hutt currently sits its fat tailed ass upon." He played the recording once more, and one by one the Hutt leaders sent him their votes of confirmation. On the other side of the room Thrawn, who'd been observing more private feeds of the slave populace in Hutt space gave him a nod signifying that he was seeing a multitude of slave collars falling away. The enemy it seemed was wise enough to know they couldn't fight the threat he offered.

Addressing the Hutts once more he said, "Welcome to the Empire. I do not think you'll enjoy your time here." He waved his hand and the screens fell away.

"It's done." The Sith muttered, a vision of pure relief crossing his features at the words. "Slavery is finally finished in the galaxy. We've won."

"Yes, my love." Shaak rubbed his neck in a gesture of support. "Your purpose has been completed. Now what shall you do?"

"Reconvene our forces along the borders. The galactic civil war is still going on and our people must stay safe while it plays itself out."

"Continued neutrality may not be possible after this, my liege." Thrawn noted.

"Then we will cross that bridge when it comes." Suddenly seeming to realize something he asked Obi-Wan, "Where are the padawans anyway?"

The blond Jedi coughed lightly into his fist, Satine smirking openly at his clear discomfort. "They are still… training."

"He means flirting." The duchess supplied.

Indeed, the two had been circling each other from the moment the Mirialin girl had first landed on the surface of Mandalore. Their entire group was waiting, along with Ahsoka, dressed in a traditional Zygerrian courting outfit. It was a green number consisting of two pieces, the skirt and top. The skirt was loose, went down to the ankles, but was slit up the side far enough to expose the hip. The top was a silk number they descended from the neck to just under her breasts, effectively displaying all of her midriff. The outfit had had the desired effect it seemed, as Barriss had not been able to take her eyes off of her after the first look. It seemed the posh and proper Mirialin girl wasn't so far beyond her own emotions and desires as Obi-Wan had thought.

"We'll leave them to their fun then. Use the new codes, Thrawn, and bring those battle droids with us. I'd rather we make use of them than leave them to the Hutts."

"It will be done, my liege."

Coruscant - Two Days Later

It was finally time. Yoda sat at the head of the Jedi Council as a private call from the office of the chancellor was patched through to the high chamber. As too often in the last several months, the majority of their seats were empty, filled with absent holograms instead of warm bodies. However, if things came about as Yoda expected they would, this set of circumstances would work better to their situation.

As the call finally clicked open and the blue tinged image of Chancellor Valorum hovered before them all, Mace Windu, who sat beside him, visibly held back snarl at the superior glint in the gray haired man's eyes.

"Master Yoda," He began, "I trust you have heard the horrible news as I have?"

The green alien raised a thick eyebrow, "News you say? What news? No horrible news have we heard."

Valorum's eye twitched at the nonchalant tone. "I am speaking, of course, of the targeted biological attack on the Hutt clans. Clans that we need to be on good terms with to make use of their trading lanes if you do not recall. Trading lanes that a foreign power now has unilateral control of and access to. What is to be done about this travesty?"

"Travesty?"

"Yes, travesty! That self-acknowledged Sith targeted our allies and released a biological weapon onto their home planet to conquer cannot allow this to stand."

"Matters of state, not for the Jedi to decide. Keepers of the peace we are."

"Then it's a good thing those matters of state are the purview of the senate. We met in an emergency session and a verdict was decided upon. We want you to send every Jedi you have available to Zygerria and capture or kill the emperor. We cannot allow such a wild factor as him to run free at this time of unrest. For all we know he could be planning to conquer us next, and with our forces spread out to combat the Separatists we would not be able to mount an effective defense."

"An ally, Darth Rache is. And beholden to the senate, the Jedi are not."

"The Jedi follow orders," The chancellor growled, "or they find themselves arrested for treason."

Silence fell throughout the chamber as Yoda's eyes closed with finality. "Your decision, that is then?"

"It is the will of the senate, and thus the Republic. Fall in line, Master Yoda."

"We will not." In a flash Yoda crushed the holo projector with a force of will and immediately swiped the long awaited button on his wrist computer. At once the room began to shake in place.

"Master Yoda, what is-" Mace began, only to be stopped by a raised claw.

Yoda opened a channel to the temple as a whole and announced, "Time to explain, there is not. Hunker down, and strap in to whatever is solid, you should. Leaving Coruscant, we are." He clicked off and turned to face the rest of the council as the shaking intensified. "Long forgotten, the Republic has, that Jedi did not always reside here. Wherever needed we were, we wandered. Often in great force we were. See you will now, how that was accomplished."

And indeed they did. The shaking reached a crescendo, the windows were suddenly covered by transparent descending blast shields, and before their very eyes the ground below began to grow smaller. It didn't take long to realize what was happening, and what it meant.

"Master Yoda," Plo Koon exclaimed with shock, "The temple is… is…."

"A space station." The grandmaster chuckled heartily. "Indeed, yes. Secret this was, told only to each grandmaster in case came the need to flee a corrupt government. Sad I am, it took this long to realize the time was nigh."

For a vessel of their size, it surprised many how quickly they reached orbit, but they were even further surprised when a missile left their temple and collided with a massive communications satellite. In fact, the only one not surprised was Yoda himself, who had sent the projectile flying. Yes, the future while not set in stone, was certainly possible if he set the right steps in place, and this was a big one.

The others seemed to sense it too, as the hologram of Obi-Wan addressed him. "Master Yoda, what does this mean? What are we to do now?"

Yoda in turn hopped off of his seat to stand in the center of the chamber where all could see him. "Means, this does, that we are to return to our original purpose." He stomped his stick on the stone for emphasis. "Complacent we have become. Reliant on the senate we were." Another stomp. "No more. Jedi keep the peace, fight we do for freedom and justice. Not for the will of politicians or agendas." Addressing Kenobi directly he said, "Now, we are to end this war. One way, or another."

The entire room gaped at the small creature, but Mace was all smiles. "Finally," the tall man remarked, "An actual strategy to end the fighting. What is your plan, Master?"

"Take the fleets, we will, to planet Raxus, the Separatist capital. Attack we will, with all of our might at once, and destroy the Seperatist government and its leader. Then, to the Empire we go, and work to rebuild."

"Surely the Republic will not grant our fleets clearance now that the Jedi have officially defied the senate?" Ki Adi Mundi commented, and he was right to feel nervous as he was currently deployed with a fleet of his own.

To that though, Yoda only chuckled, the sound full of more mirth than any had heard from the powerful creature in a long time. "Why that is, I destroyed the communication satellite. Has its own, does the Temple. Much time it will take for Coruscant rebuild it to reestablish contact with the other officers. Bylaw it is, in the military charter, in times of lost contact, Jedi are in charge of campaign movements. Benefits to being generals, there are."

Once more he turned to Obi-Wan, "Master Kenobi, ask the Emperor will you, if join us in this mission he will?"

The master bowed low, "Of course, Master Yoda. If I know Rache as well as I think I do, he'll accept the invitation. Especially once he realizes the Republic is no longer behind it."

"Then we have a plan." Mace agreed, addressing the room at large. "One last gamble, one last assault. We take everything we have and make one massive push into Seperatist territory. Win or lose, this war is about to end."

"Said it better myself, I could not." Yoda agreed, staring off into the idle distance as the waves of the force assaulted his mind. It seemed…. pleased, and clear, in ways it had not been in a very long time. Funny, in the end it seemed all he'd really needed was a bit of perspective and distance. It was what they'd all needed.

One by one the holograms faded away as Jedi went to see to their tasks, and all throughout, Yoda smiled into the depths of space. 'Qui-Gon, my old friend' he thought to himself, 'watching I hope you are. As you once told me to, following the living force I am.'