To all readers I have a quick request. I have received in my reviews requests to make Kuvira and Kylo Ren a couple. And as you have probably noticed I have added some hints of deeper feelings developing between them. I am happy to make a romance develop between them. However, I have wondered at time if that is simply to cliché and is a very obvious thing to have happen. As it does honestly happen in most stories like this.
Anyway, I basically want readers to tell me via Reviews if they want a relationship to develop between Kylo Ren and Kuvira. Or if they would prefer they remain professional.
Also, if you can chuck in some ideas for the course the story should take I would greatly appreciate it. I am eager to take all idea's into account.
Cheers.
Chapter 9 – Meetings and Intelligence
D'Qar, Resistance Base
"Senator please, understand the mission to Jakku had to take place. Our operative needed to gather the information held by Lor San Tekka. And he was completely unaware that the planet had been ceded to the First Order as he was required to operate under a communication blackout."
Leia felt a rabidly increasing urge to massage her temples as she felt the stress headache begin to reach a new level of pain. It only spiked further when it was clear that the Senator was not sympathetic in the slightest. Not that she expected her to be.
"You know well enough General, that ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking them!"
Leia winced. Senator Kayl had been a long-term friend of hers during her days in the Senate. And she had been one of the Resistance's staunches backers within the New Republic Senate during the years since she had founded the organisation. She represented her world of Deralia in the senate and she represented it well. And as a member of the populist party, she had been an ally of Leia for years.
That made it all the more painful to hear her call Leia by her rank, instead of her name. It was only a reminder of just how serious the situation was and how precarious the Resistance's position truely was.
"You were informed of the sale of Jakku to the First Order immediately after the purchase had been completed. I know, because I am the one who told your representative Kor Sella. Once you knew about the sale, communication blackout or not, you should have recalled your pilot. You had to know the ramifications of him even being caught on their territory."
Kayl's exasperated expression quickly changed back to angry condemnation.
"Instead you allowed him to kill their soldiers without provocation and attempt to assassinate one of their leadership. And all the while allowing these actions to be recorded. And now we stand on the brink of a new galactic war!" Kayl shouted through the hologram display being projected over the main conference table in Leia's private chambers.
Leia internally cringed at the naked hostility in her friend's voice. But she had faced down the likes of Tarkin and Darth Vader. She could project strength in the face of this.
But Kayl was not finished.
"The senate, the planet, the entire galaxy has been in uproar since the ultimatum was delivered. There are riots on the streets of Hosnian Prime, and the protests outside the senate building have only gotten bigger and bigger! Representative Sella has barricaded herself in her office. And there are crowds outside all but demanding her head.
The entire Home fleet has been called to assemble at Hosnian Prime to guard against a sudden lightning strike against the capital if the ultimatum runs out before…." Kayl trailed off.
Leia immediately jerked her attention into high alert. When she had contacted Kayl she had done it to get an idea of how the senate was going to respond to the ultimatum from the First Order. But she had not been able to get a word in before the irate senator had begun screaming at her.
Now however they were getting back to the heart of the matter. On what the senate would decide. And judging by the reaction of a long-time ally of hers. It did not look promising.
"What is the senate going to do Kayl? How are they responding to the ultimatum?" She asked while unintentionally holding her breath.
Kayl's temper seemed to have burned out as she signed and placed her hand on her forehead which she slowly dragged down her face in weary frustration.
"Most of the allotted time as pasted, but the senate has not decided anything official yet. You know how deadlocked the senate has been for years. And with a crisis like this they are even more disordered then usual. The only reason the fleet has been called is because the one thing they all agree on is they want to save their own lives." She said with a note of contempt.
Leia nodded. Equally disgusted.
"The senate is in brief recess at the moment, which is the only way I am able to make this call. But we will be reconvening within a few hours, and likely stay there until the matter is resolved or time runs out. But I can already tell you that it doesn't look good for the Resistance. But I know you probably guessed that anyway."
Leia nodded sadly. She had hoped that the senate might take the threat from the First Order as the proof they needed to see the First Order for a genuine threat. Afterall, they had assumed that the First Order was a loud but small minor power in the backwoods of the galaxy. But even the most hard-headed senator knew that a smaller power did not threaten war against a stronger one, not even in a bluff.
She had hoped that they would rally to fight an enemy that had clearly declared itself an enemy and that they would join with the Resistance against the First Order.
But that, like many of her hopes and ideals was clearly not going to survive meeting with reality.
"The senate is already demanding that all known associates of the Resistance be arrested and prepared to be handed over to the First Order immediately. They are also demanding that those associates be interrogated about the location of all the Resistance's members, bases and allies."
She paused as she seemed to struggle with the words.
"And the more radical senators have demanded that the interrogation of the Resistance prisoners to be very, thorough."
Leia stiffened. "The senate is suggesting the use of torture on my people?!" She demanded. Her own anger rising now at the injustice of it. Also, at the fresh blow to her ideals as the New Republic was so quick to resort to such methods used by the Empire.
Kayl did not deny it. "They are scared Leia. Already most of the centralist party has plans to flee the planet within the next few hours. They say they are determined to ensure they and their worlds do not get dragged into a war because of the Resistance's 'insanity'. They are getting desperate and they feel that such actions are preferable to a war. Right now, they are willing to do anything to ensure that doesn't happen."
Leia scoffed at the weak excuse and muttered the old Echani proverb. "In times of war the law falls silent." She spat in disgust.
Kayl sighed and moved off the unpleasant topic. "Leia I don't think I can stop the senate from throwing the Resistance to the First Order. The support for that course of action is almost overwhelming. But if you tell me what the information you were after on Jakku was I might be able to do something. If it was as important as you claim then maybe that might be enough to convince the senate to listen. And if it is damaging to the First Order then it might be enough to pressure them to withdraw their threat."
Leia hesitated. She knew that the information would not be enough to convince the senate. The fact was that the senate felt that Luke was a distant travelling hermit at best. Even if they did not, they would not place one person's life above galactic peace.
In fact, they might decide to be even more against the Resistance if they learned they caused a war over something so 'trivial'.
Besides, while she trusted Kayl. She did not trust many of the senators in the New Republic. And while she knew that the First Order knew what the map led too. The less information they had the better.
"I am sorry Karl, but that information is too important. It needs to remain as secret as possible". She said resignedly.
At this Kayl seemed to lose her patience.
"Leia you don't seem to fully understand the position you are in! The senate has been against you for years but now they are howling for your blood. And in case you have forgotten my home world is in the outer rim territories near the border with the First Order. If a war breaks out it is going to hit my world and my people first and I am not willing to stand by and let that happen.
Now I am trying to remain cool headed and to remember all your past works and your warnings about the First Order. But you are making it very difficult!
If you don't give me something, anything, to show that the Resistance was in someway justified in its actions. That there is a reason to protect you from the consequences. Then I will have no choice but to advocate the acceptance of the First Order's terms. I will not allow the galaxy to be plunged into a war for a reckless organisation that keeps secrets from its supposed allies!"
Leia felt her heart grow cold. Ever since she had received the report from Sella about the ultimatum she had known these things would happen. It was after all in warfare and times of panic when people learned who their true friends were.
Already she had received condemnations and loss of contact with many allies and informants from across the galaxy. But she had not expected it from someone who was not only a political ally but a long-time friend.
She could understand Kayl's anger and her concern for Deralia was a legitimate concern. The planet was rich (by outer rim standards), populous and a climate that many worlds would kill for. If the galaxy fell into war her world would be an easy and early target. But she could not allow her friendships to determine her actions. The galaxy was more important.
She could only thank the force that Kayl did not know the location of the D'Qar base. No one in the senate had been trusted with that information for exactly these reasons. That secret was not shared with anyone who was not a full member of the Resistance. And even then it was only shared on a need to know basis as they were very well aware that the First Order had an intact and extensive intelligence service of its own. They had already encountered and neutralised a number of attempted infiltrators into their ranks.
With a deep sigh of resignation, she turned back to Kayl's blue tinged image and steeled herself for what would happen next.
"Kayl, please believe me when I say that I understand, and I wish I could tell you everything. I wish I could tell you so much. But the information on Jakku may very well be the key to saving the galaxy for the First Order. That is too important to be used as bargaining chip with the senate."
She turned her ashen face to look her friend in the eye. "I am sorry, Kayl." She almost whispered.
Kayl's face looked stricken for a moment. Then it turned stony and resolute. "Then I am sorry too, General Organa." And with that the image of her (former?) friend flickered and died. And Leia was left alone in her office as she struggled to hold back tears.
Once again she had lost a close friend to this ceaseless struggle. She had lost too many as it was. Whether it was to death or broken ties it did not matter, the outcome was the same.
And with each loss, she and the Resistance grew weaker.
She was not sure how long she sat in her chair behind her desk. It could have been hours. It could have only been minutes. Time seemed to slip away as she was caught up in her whirlwind of thoughts, doubts, recriminations and what if's. But eventually she came back to herself.
She took a few moments to compose herself and then she activated her intercom and contacted Admiral Ackbar to come into her office from the main tactical centre within the base. She then activated her long distance holocom and contacted Admiral Amilyn Holdo on her home world of Gatalenta. Finally, she contacted Kor Sella directly at her office in the Senate building on Hosnian Prime. If what Kayl had said was true, she would likely not be anywhere else.
When she had the two holograms and one flesh and blood Mon Calamari in front of her she stood and began to talk.
"We are facing a growing crisis for the Resistance and by extension the galaxy, my friends. We need to discuss how we are going to navigate this situation. Kory, what is the situation in the senate?" She inquired.
Kory looked stressed and clearly dishevelled. She had the look of a hunted animal. Which given the situation on Hosnian Prime might be an accurate description.
"The situation here is becoming dangerous, General". Kory relayed with no short amount of fear in her voice.
"I have a mob outside our office block at all hours and they never stop shouting and yelling for over a day and a half. I have had no less than 26 break-in attempts and the senate guards are doing only the bear minimum to stop them. In fact, last time saw them smiling as the mob attempted to break down the door. I have received about 7 bomb deliveries and two of them exploded at the security check killing two men and damaging a number of droids.
I have been asked by the senate to attend their meetings to answer questions, but I cannot leave the office and they refuse to provide additional security. They have also captured a sniper that attempted to gain entrance to the senate district. At first they thought he might be a First Order operative, but it turned out he is a Hosnian citizen." Kory finished in a clearly frantic tone.
When she continued after a breath she almost appeared to be on the brink of collapse.
"General, I don't know how much of this me and my staff can take. We are under constant threat for our lives and we cannot leave the office without having people try to rip us apart! We cannot even address the senate in person. And when we do it by hologram we cannot get a word in before they start shouting at us demanding for us to turn ourselves in and revel our bases and informants!"
Kory's voice broke into almost a sop as she finished, and Leia felt her heartstrings tug.
Despite holding a Lieutenant rank, Kory wasn't a soldier and she never had been. She was a public servant. Her job with Leia in the senate had consisted of preparing review holos for her so the senator could recognize each delegate in attendance at official events.
She was not used to having her life constantly under threat or being trapped for fear of assassination. It took soldiers a while to develop that mental discipline.
Leia signed and turned back to the rest of this small council.
"I think we can be assured that the senate is not going to act in our favour. If they even reach a decision?" Holdo asked.
Kory composed herself before answering. "They might come to a decision as the centralist party members seem to be evacuating the planet en masse and returning to their home systems. Because of this the populists are unopposed in the senate. They might now be able to come to a decision, but they will not be favourable to the Resistance." She signed
Leia nodded as she had expected that result from the start. "We have a very limited amount of time Less than 7 hours until the deadline expires. And the New Republic we are committed to defending is currently all but calling for our immediate surrender to our enemies. What are we to do?"
Silence reigned in the room for a moment. Then Ackbar broke it.
"I think we should simply run out the clock." He said in his slightly garbled basic.
Leia, Holdo and Sella stared at him for a moment before he took the hint and elaborated.
"We naturally cannot surrender our personnel and bases to the New Republic. That would doom them personally and it would give the First Order an almost assured victory if the Resistance surrendered. But the First Order doesn't expect us to surrender. They know that we will not surrender even if the Republic demanded it. They also know that the turning over all our forces within 48 hours is an impossible task.
The sole purpose of this ultimatum is to drive a wedge between us and the New Republic senate and its citizens. To make the citizens of the Republic blame us if war breaks out and for us to be remembered as the aggressor in this conflict. It is a propaganda ploy, more than any actual military tactic.
Unfortunately, this has clearly succeeded. When the war begins we will bear the blame and it will make our war effort considerably harder. While the First Order will appear to be the wronged party and is merely acting in retaliation to provocation.
But beyond that we will have what we have been aiming for all along. The First Order will have declared war on the New Republic and the senate will be forced to respond in force. They might not accept our help at first. But as the war continues they will recognise that we share a common enemy and that we have resources and personnel that they cannot afford to ignore. And before long we will have attached what we wanted. A war against the First Order with the New Republic and the Resistance working together."
The council paused for a moment to consider. Finally, Sella spoke up. "Shouldn't we do what we can to avert war? This plan seems like we are using this ultimatum for our own ends."
Ackbar looked at her in a way that Leia's trained eye recognised as the Mon Cala's exasperated and disbelieving expression. She had seen it more and more often as the experienced Admiral was forced to work with the younger soldiers. Or the 'fry' as he called them.
"The First Order is the one that has declared this war. We are simply making the best situation of it that we can. It is the most tactically sound move that we can make."
Sella fell back into silence as she digested this verdict.
Leia nodded and rose to stand. "Contact all our forces and outposts. Tell them to recall all personnel to their home bases. We cannot take the chance of them being turned over to the First Order by the Republic, bounty hunters or enraged citizens. For the moment until the situation clarifies, we are establishing a complete recall of all active forces to our outposts and home base. Informants can remain in place, but they must maintain radio silence unless urgently required."
She then turned to Sella. "Kory, I know that you are very limited in what you are able to do given the circumstances. But for the moment do all you can to stall and hinder the senate voting on the ultimatum."
At Kory's confused expression she explained. "If the senate votes definitively to hand the Resistance over and we refuse. We would be villainised in the eyes of the people, probably beyond repair. But if the senate failed to give a clear response to the ultimatum before the time limit expires. Then we can salvage some of our reputation.
Holdo nodded. "You are telling everyone to bunker down until the war is declared and the first shots fired." She said, a statement rather then a question.
Leia nodded. "Yes, and it will allow us to concentrate our resources into finding BB-8 and the map. Right now, Luke is our only hope.
Starkiller Base
First Order Security Bureau
The First Order technicians worked diligently on the consoles that filled the operations room. The black clad junior officers that were expertly trained at data analyse and the compiling of information.
Each console was receiving a direct and constant feed of information from nearly every corner of the galaxy. Sourced from informants, spies, monitoring devices, drones, droids and publicly available information.
The First Order was built from the remains of the Galactic Empire. But they had survived and rebuilt and improved all that the Empire had left. And that included their secret intelligence service. And now they had eyes and ears everywhere. Almost matching the renowned skill and resources of the Imperial Security Bureau.
But right now, all Admiral Kuvira was focused on was the data console that was receiving the direct feed from Delta Source.
Even as she examined the incoming information she could not help but marvel at the brilliance of the intelligence monitor and the marvels that nature produced. Such as the ch'hala tree.
The ch'hala tree was a beautiful plant found on Cularin and was supposedly an important part of the religion of the native Tarasin. The tree's bark consisted of a pigmentation that was sensitive to pressure, including sound waves, so the tree would often change in colour and pattern in response to noise. However, it was how the trees could react to sound waves that truly made the tree's valuable.
At least to Kuvira's thinking.
Pressure on the trunk of the tree, such as pressure from sound waves or the touch of a stray hand, would set off chemical changes in the bark. And the scientists and technicians of the ISB had found a way to create a device that would allow those sound waves to be interpreted. The chemical data was interpreted into speech patterns in a module on the taproot, while another module transmitted the data.
Once the system had been perfected, it had been almost too easy to ensure that one of the modified trees was delivered to the Resistance representative's senatorial residence within the Hosnian Prime senate district. It had been sent through the most secure channels. And if the resistance had even bothered to investigate its origins. The trail would have led them to nothing more then a grateful supporter of the Resistance who happened to be a botanist on Cularin.
Not a First Order spy at all.
As an added bonus the system was organic, so it could not be picked up by most sensor sweeps. It was this that prevented Delta Source from being found for so long.
And it was this marvellous combination of technology and nature that had allowed Admiral Kuvira to listen in on the entire conversation between General Leia Organa and her little war council.
However right now she was silently cursing that during the entire meeting. Not once had the location of the Resistance home base been mentioned by name.
She had not really been surprised as never once in all the hundreds of monitored recordings with the embassy, had the planet's name been mentioned. And she was forced to conclude that it was a deliberate policy to refrain from mentioning the base location outside certain circumstances.
Still she had been hoping that given the circumstances they would have had even a momentary breach of protocol. It only took one slip of the tongue to win the war for the First Order.
If the planet had been mentioned she would have already had a fleet on the war to set that planet ablaze.
But Leia Organa had not been able to maintain the Resistance, and before that, the Rebel Alliance by being careless. Once again she was conflicted by her hatred for the woman and respect for her abilities as a worthy adversary.
Still, she had heard enough to be of use.
She turned back to the data analyst sitting in the seat that manned Dela Source's information and data feed. The poor lad looking deeply uncomfortable as he endured his vastly superior officer's scrutiny. But he relaxed when she broke the silence.
"Continue to monitor the situation and if any relevant information is received alert your watcher immediately." She ordered calmly. The analyst nodded and continued to review the data flow.
Kuvira turned and began to make her way out of the room. Already her mind was racing with the new information she had received from Delta Source and what the best ways to implement that information were.
The obvious choice would be to compel the senate to come to a confirmed verdict to surrender the Resistance and to demand that all members of the terrorist organisation surrendered themselves to either their custody or the custody of the First Order.
That way the blame for the start of the war would be unquestionable. Much as the Resistance feared they would be.
However, that plan of action would be problematic as the centralists had been given clear orders to evacuate the planet. Already the vast majority of them had withdrawn to their home worlds to prepare to the mass desertion to the First Order.
Publicly they had announced that they were determined to not get their worlds dragged into a war caused by the Resistance's terrorism. And that they were making it clear that they were distancing themselves from the Republic in the face of First Order retaliation.
Unfortunately, it also severely reduced their influence in the senate. And with the Resistance trying to (ironically) stall the senate in this case. She was not certain she could enforce a confirmed verdict in their favour.
But with less than 5 hours to go until the ultimatum ran out it was likely the senate would panic and be forced to make a verdict. But even if they did not the result would be the same.
As she made her way to the door she heard her rank and name being called by the intelligence division watcher.
"Admiral, we have received a report from one of our operatives on Takodana." The senior intelligence watcher reported. Despite the years of training and discipline working in the First Order's intelligence service. She could see that he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he prepared to deliver the news.
Whatever it was.
She waited but he did not continue. He seemed to be waiting for her to actually ask him for the information. She tried not to roll her eyes at the childish behaviour.
"Well do you intend to keep me in suspense Watcher?" She said bitingly. She expected the tone to snap the watcher back to his senses. But remained in a borderline chortling state.
Whatever this news was must be important.
"The droid, and the traitor have been sighted on Takodana, within castle Maz in the company of the Jakku desert dweller, the Wookie Chewbacca and Han Solo, Admiral." He said all in one breath
Kuvira stiffened and immediately ran the situations through her mind.
Takodana was a planet located in the Mid Rim, though it fell in the southwestern region of the galaxy known as the Western Reaches.
Covered in lush forests and small lakes. Takodana was located on a hyperspace route between Chalcedon and Noe'ha'on and was a popular departure point that offered easy access to trade routes that connected the Inner and Outer Rim.
Takodana was also known as the long-time home of Maz Kanata's castle that served as an open port to spies and dubious travellers alike. Travelers found the planet's neutrality and distance from galactic politics appealing, and as a result Takodana became a haven for fugitives, smugglers, and explorers.
Or degenerate scum as Kuvira thought of them.
But if the droid was there then they had to act fast. It would not be long before the Resistance knew of the droid's location. If they did not know already.
After all, Maz Kanata. The freaky little semi-immortal gnome that claimed the castle was a known ally of Han Solo and thereby Leia and the Resistance. If she saw the droid, she would not take long to realise what it was and what it carried.
She tried and failed to stop her lip curling into a small snarl. If that bloody troll, prevented them from getting the droid first. She would personally wring the life from her stubby body.
Turning she marched from the surveillance room and activated her personal comm as she marched down the corridor. She wanted to run as time was of the essence. But she could not afford to have her subordinates see her in anything that might be interpreted as a panicked state.
She activated her comm and brought up the direct line she had to the Finalizer's captain Peavey.
"Captain Peavey is Lord Ren back aboard the Finalizer?" She asked with clear tone that had no time for questions.
But credit where it was due. Captain Peavey did not let the sudden question phase him or hinder his duty. "Yes Admiral, he arrived just recently and is currently in his chambers. He left orders not to be disturbed as he was meditating I believe."
At least, that is what he thought that melted relic of a mask was for anyway.
Kuvira nodded. "Excellent, tell him I want to speak to him immediately. Then I want the Finalizer prepped for travel to Takodana. But do not depart yet. We have just five hours until the ultimatum runs out. And that will be just enough time to prepare our opening salvo."
She paused for a second and then continued.
"Also contact Hux and tell him I want him to make himself presentable." She said.
While she internally muttered 'As only that preening peacock can.'
Finally, she activated her comm for a third time and keyed it to the command centre of Starkiller base.
"Starkiller Operational Control. This is Admiral Kuvira, authorization code: C-2-1-8-Black. Call all troops to assembly in four hours. And…."
She paused for moment as the gravity of what she was about to do took hold on her.
"Begin weapon charging and prepare to fire."
Takodana
Maz's Castle
As the three humans, Wookie and droid moved to join the small orange alien at a separate table within the castle cantina. None of them noticed a battered relic of a droid study them briefly before sending out a coded message.
"Alert the Resistance, their missing droid is here."