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Chapter 4: The plans of Sith and men

=KoF=

Part 3

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Jabba The Hutt's Palace

Tatooine

Sometimes, being a Sith, required a high price to pay for power. It led him to the "nicest" places. Dooku had to use every trick he had learned as a Jedi and diplomat. Still, it tested his composure no to sneer at the stench and general shabby feel of Jabba's "palace"! The gangster believed himself a man of power, yet this was the best he could get for himself. It was pathetic.

The only two things that made experiencing this place bearable. First, and most importantly, was the knowledge of how necessary this mission was. Second, as a Jedi, he had to visit worse locations for no real benefit at all.

Misery loved company. In this case, it was a useful teaching tool as far as control went. Dooku's Apprentice, Ventress, stood a respectful pace behind Dooku and held the nasty little Huttling. She didn't even try to hide her displeasure, which was all right. The important part was that she did nothing to Jabba's son, who was busy rumbling, squirming, and drooling all over her. A Sith had to know when to be patient, when to endure, and when to express their passions. It was time for caution and negotiations, not a bloody slaughter, no matter how deserved and gratifying it might be.

As the leader of the Confederacy, and his own homeworld, Dooku could not afford to be seen expressing his passions. Appearance and tact mattered a great deal in politics, no matter how tedious they could become.

Maintaining the bearing of the Count he was, was more important than ever now. Dooku suspected that his Master betrayed both him and the Confederacy. Skywalker was going to be Sidious' next Apprentice. For that to happen, Tyranus had to die. If that was to be Dooku's reward for all his hard work, then it was obvious he wouldn't die alone. It was only logical, that Sidious would remove his other agents within the Confederacy as loose ends.

That was why Dooku was on this dust ball in person. He needed time to consolidate his control over the Confederacy; time to neutralize his Master's agents and contingencies. Then he had to turn the grand performance that was the Clone Wars into a real war. It would be so much better if he could buy himself that time by striking a crippling blow to the Republic. If the Force was on his side in this, might pave the way for Confederate victory.

Dooku was about to betray his Master as a good Apprentice should according to the flawed Sith teachings. Even now, he could sense Sidious' barely subdued fury aimed at the Jedi. That was a curious phenomenon. As far as he knew, the Jedi hadn't done anything to personally cause such burning, blinding anger in either the Chancellor or him. After all, when Dooku left the Order, it was on amicable terms. While the Jedi were obstacles, and enemies now that he had chosen the Dark Side, that by itself wasn't enough to hate them this much and blindly seek their annihilation.

A brief smile flickered through Dooku's face, while a large group of Jabba's thugs escorted them to their audience with the great slug. The hatred burning within him aimed at the Jedi wasn't his own, even if he was justifiably frustrated with his former foolish friends. It wasn't even Sidious', even though his Master loathed them with unrivaled passion. It was the combined wrath of countless generations of Sith seeking revenge over multiple loss wars and almost successful genocides. That was the crux of it. Both as a Jedi and as a Sith, Dooku knew he couldn't coexist with the Order for long. History proved it. Realistically, the best he could expect if he ever fell in the Jedi's hands was life-long imprisonment, and he was going to pass on that.

For Dooku, it was victory or death. For his Confederacy, it was going to be a victory or continued exploitation by the Republic. In the end, it was a simple choice. And for Dooku, it was an easy choice. Being Tyranus was as much a mask he wore for Sidious' benefit as Dooku was a mask aimed at the galaxy as a whole.

Dooku became a Sith for a few simple reasons. First, after he left the Order and became the Count of Serenno, he saw exactly how corrupted the Republic was. It simply didn't deserve his protection, much less allegiance. Second, he did it for power – personal power that no one could take from him. That power gave him options he would have never considered before. Third, and last, becoming Sidious' Apprentice, gave Dooku an in into his Master's plans.

It was just that, until now, he willfully, didn't want to consider that Sidious would betray him in such a way. Perhaps it was some left-over sentimentality of being a Jedi, which clashed with the Sith's teachings. Or perhaps, it was the simple fact that Sidious was that good of a manipulator.

Well, it didn't matter any longer. Dooku knew and was already doing something about that betrayal. He had to gain uncontested control over the Confederacy, turn it not only into a proper nation but a competition to the Republic, which would draw in as many systems as possible. Then he was going to shatter the rotten foundation of the Republic, burn the whole thing down and rebuild it. That was the only thing that would work, and it was something he could never even conceive of like a Jedi. For that if nothing else, he was thankful to Sidious. His Master opened his eyes after all.

Finally, they reached Jabba's audience chamber. The place held a thick aura of suffering and excess, which clung to everything in sight. Dooku was going to need a long shower after being in this place, even if the Dark Side ensured that he quite enjoyed the ambiance, making it more bearable.

The doors opened, and a Gamorean guard waved them inside.

Finally, Dooku allowed himself to smile.

"Great Jabba!" He happily proclaimed. His voice carried within the chamber. A hint of the Force layered over his words was enough to silence the hangers-on and musicians. It was too bad that the Hutts were resistant to persuasion in that manner. While it would have made the meeting easier, Dooku was confident in his years of experience as a diplomat. "As we promised, we recovered your son." Dooku nodded to his Apprentice, who grudgingly went forward.

Ventress sent him a glare when she passed by him, but nevertheless, went straight to the large slug and handed him the drooling worm. For once, Jabba was silent. He stared at his son for a long moment, before a huge, disgusting smile stretched his flat face. The great Hutt carefully took his son from Ventress hands, who took a step back in relief. She was still more than enraged because of all the slobber covering her front. She grudgingly returned to Dooku's side, while Jabba's laughter shook the chamber.

The little Hutt started cooing and wiggling in delight.

That sad performance continued for a few minutes until the baby worm calmed down. Finally, Jabba turned his attention back on Dooku and waved him to come closer.

"You promised, and you delivered."

"We did," Dooku responded. "Further, we know who the perpetrator of this heinous crime is – Garuda." The Sith Lord fished out a data chip from under his cloak. "Proof. Once she was aware that we'll be able to recover your son, she sicked the Republic on his location."

"Are you telling me that she's working with them?!" Jabba roared.

"All I'm giving you is facts. Garuda kidnapped your son. We went to recover him. Once Garuda was aware of that, she sent the Republic to the place where he was held. They attacked the forces which liberated your son. It was fortunate that my Apprentice here," Dooku nodded at Ventress, "Was able to jump to hyperspace just before they arrived. We have some images of the Republic's 'rescue' attempt."

Dooku floated the data chip into Jabba's grubby hand, then his arm disappeared under his cloak for a second time, to retrieve a small holoprojector. He pressed a button and started the recording. A small but clear projection appeared, spliced from multiple cameras.

It showed a ruined temple built atop a tall plateau. Tiny dots and a few large dots were visible on top of it - Droids and AA emplacements. A vast and wild jungle spawned all around the monastery. It was obvious that at least one of the cameras shooting the holovid had been far away, though the picture was reasonably clear.

"This was where Garuda held your son. And this is the Republic's rescue attempt."

A blue bolt descended from the heavens and struck the side of the plateau near the monastery's courtyard. For a brief moment, an almost invisible bluish glow washed over everything, before it vanished, leaving torrents of raw Ionic energy that ravaged the droids. A few seconds later, the picture scrambled and shut down.

"They struck the temple from orbit with Ion canon. A good tactic… unless they were there to save a

child." Dooku nodded at Jabba's son, who had fallen asleep after all the excitement.

"Garuda and the Republic will pay for this!" The Crime Lord growled. "But, first. You brought my son back. Name your reward and you will have it!" Jabba declared.

"We have a mutual problem. I propose that we fix it." Dooku declared. "I request that you do your best to close Hutt space to Republic military and civilian shipping. While as the leader of the Confederacy, I would prefer a more formal alliance, that is all I ask!"

Jabba looked at Dooku for a couple of seconds and nodded.
"It shall be done."

"Thank you, Great Jabba." The Count gave his host a deep, respectful bow, that also hid Dooku's satisfied smile.

With a single stroke, multiple Republic armies and fleets in the Outer Rim would be cut off from reinforcement and supply. Suddenly the war was that much closer to being won. If handled properly, the eventual destruction of those units could weaken the Republic more than even their outright loss. More importantly, the loss of those formations would cripple the Republic and ensure it would be in no place to intervene while he removed Sidious' influence from the Confederacy.

When Dooku straightened up, there was no trace of his joy – he was once again the perfect image of a noble leader.

=KoF=

Part 4

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Chancellor's office

Senate Building

Coruscant

Glee, barely restrained fury, and cold calculation warred below Sidious' mental shields. He sat behind his desk, with a face resembling a rough sculpture. Suddenly, his plans unexpectedly went off the rails. The Jedi, Anakin in particular, should have recovered Jabba's son and thus, secured supply lines for the GAR in the Outer Rim. Instead of another test and pressure point for Skywalker, Teth had been a skirmish of no consequence.

The future was in motion. The veil of the Dark Side was particularly oppressive, and all Sidious could divine was an unspecified sense of danger. Dooku didn't answer his call. As far as the agents Sidious could contact covertly were concerned, his current Apprentice was nowhere to be seen. Well, he was incommunicado right now. However, everyone knew where Dooku was twelve hours ago. There was no hiding his visit to Jabba's palace, returning the Hutt's son to the crime boss and derailing their plans for the war.

The safe and reasonable conclusion was that Tyranus betrayed him. That shouldn't have been a surprise, generally speaking. However, doing it now? That made no sense. Well, it didn't until a few hours ago. It was then when the Jedi came to him with their newest brainstorm.

To the outside world, Palpatine kept an impassive mask. Meanwhile, several Admirals and Jedi Generals argued in his office. A few more people, present over Holonet connections, kept their mouths shut, and quietly observed the unfolding drama.

"We have all reasons to believe that Anakin Skywalker has fallen to the Dark Side! He is compromised and dangerous to everyone around him!" Mace Windu gravely announced.

The dark-skinned Jedi stood tall and proud, wearing his usual Jedi robe. The Jedi Generals stood to the left, in stark contrast to the three career military men in their immaculate uniforms.

The division between the regular military and the Jedi officers was already in a full swing, and the rift was quickly increasing. In that regard, everything was going much better than expected.

Admiral Coburn was the most senior and experienced career military officer both in the Republic Navy and the meeting. He stood tall and proud, staring down at the three Jedi Masters physically present. Coburn endured the Jedi's demands with cold professionalism.

"You're out of line, General Windu. At this point, there is no proof that General Skywalker has broken a single military regulation. Or a civilian law for that matter. At least not a single one not overridden by the need to wage war. I'll be blunt, at Christophsis, General Skywalker made history. Right now, he is our most successful officer, an icon and source of morale we sorely need." At that, Coburn decided he had said enough and continued to stare down the Jedi with impassioned eyes.

"A Jedi Knight Skywalker is. Under Order jurisdiction, he remains." Yoda pointed out.

Technically he was right. As a Jedi, Skywalker was the Order's problem. Depending on how you read the tangled mess of Republic laws on the subject, at a stretch, all trained Force users within Republic territory were subjects of the Jedi Order. In practice, the Green Jedi of Corellia, and a few other organizations might contest said ruling within their backyard. More importantly, the moment the Jedi accepted to take command positions within the Grand Army… Sidious felt a spike of amusement at that thought.

"Anakin Skywalker is a Republic General. He is under our jurisdiction." Coburn stated curtly.

It wasn't lost to Palpatine that so far, the other military officers were content to let the old Admiral take point and do the talking. While Coburn wasn't his creature, they were acquaintances, and Sidious knew how to manage him. Coburn had been among the highest-ranked officers of the barely existing Judicial Forces, and certainly, the most senior among them. That by itself made sure that the man had to have a good working relationship with the current Chancellor. It did help that Coburn had been one of the most vocal proponents for increasing the Republic military for over a decade, and Palpatine backed him at every opportunity.

The Jedi subtly communicated with each other. To an ordinary man, it would have appeared that they simply stood stoically and thought about Coburn's words, and more importantly, their implications. To Sidious keen eyes, they not only thought things through but carried a silent conversation aided by the Force.

"Admiral Coburn," Plo Koon began, "I'm afraid you're gravely underestimating the dangers of the Dark Side. A Jedi fallen into its clutches is an unpredictable creature, who can no longer be trusted."

"Am I a Bantha fodder or something?" Skywalker finally spoke.

So far, Sidious future Apprentice had been content to merely observe the unfolding drama. More importantly, even with his shields firmly in place, the Sith Lord could sense the alluring call of the Dark Side singing from the young man. If he could afford to, he would have been laughing. Of all things that he expected from his Apprentice to be, this wasn't it. Skywalker was magnificent! He had somehow fallen under everyone's noses, yet retained an almost unreal amount of control. That was almost enough for Sidious to seriously consider the Sith prophecy equivalent to the Jedi one about the Chosen One. Could Skywalker really be the mythical Sith'ari? The very idea was almost as preposterous as the Jedi's blind belief in their own ancient legend. Yet, recent events were more than enough to make one think. Sidious had to have a quiet and private conversation with his young friend. But first, he had to help Anakin off the Jedi Order's hook and deal with the unfortunate turn of the war.

Sidious had a few more precious moments to ponder his course of action, while everyone else looked at Anakin's hologram. The young man wisely appeared wearing a fresh olive-colored military uniform, with his polished General insignia clearly visible.

"That's a good question, General Skywalker." Admiral Dao pipped up. Along with Coburn and Tenant, he was one of the three highest-ranked Navy officers on Coruscant right now. "It appears that your fellow Jedi aren't particularly happy with you. You don't look, or speak like a deranged lunatic."

"That's good to hear," Anakin responded dryly and nodded to the Admiral with a small smile briefly flashing over his face.

This was a surprisingly level-headed response from Palpatine's old friend. He had to wonder if Padme Amidala was to blame. Skywalker had used to be her bodyguard for a short time before the war began, and Sidious wasn't sure what exactly happened between the two of them. While he could make an educated guess or two, it now appeared that her effect on the boy was both profound and positive, which was frankly a surprise.

Skywalker turned his calm mask on the Jedi. They undoubtedly both sensed the Dark Side in him even over the communication's line, not to mention his seething disdain aimed at them.

"Crazy and unstable, am I?" He asked in undisguised amusement. "If that was the case, I wouldn't have left Snips here, contact you to 'warn' you about how 'dangerous' I am now. Not to mention, that she wouldn't be merely distraught over the situation, right Snips?" At that, Anakin waved a hand. The camera on his side zoomed out, showing a very much healthy and intact Togruta youth, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there, under everyone's attention.

"Umm… Master Yoda? Hi?" The girl waved nervously.

"I can admit that I'm a terrible influence. Padawan or not, Snips here is still a child, who shouldn't have seen a single battlefield, much less fought in battle." Vader forged on with a grave expression on his face. He wasn't bothering to hide his anger over the situation. "Instead of doing what would be right and kept her sound and safe on board of one of my ships, I did what I believed might be better for the Republic. I admit that I brought her with me, and she fought valiantly both on Christophsis and Teth. That I am guilty of! Just like you are, Masters. Just like every Jedi who brought their Padawans to the front."

"That's not what you're accused of, Skywalker! We can sense the Dark Side upon you!" Plo Koon elaborated.

"Yet, I haven't done a single thing that many other Jedi had not!" Skywalker shot back.

"Master Yoda, I'm afraid I must agree with our young friend. Any religious disputes must wait until either our military situation is less perilous, or General Skywalker actually does something that merits sanction according to military law." Palpatine finally put down his foot and it was magnificent. It was extremely hard to contain his glee and continue to project the mask of a sad old man doing his best in an impossible situation. "I need options."

"I hope I'm not speaking out of turn, being the most junior officer summoned to this meeting." Anakin began.

"You've gone above and beyond what was expected or required of you at Christophsis, General Skywalker. I would like to hear your thoughts on our current situation." Coburn spoke before the Jedi could speak.

"I agree with Admiral Coburn," Palpatine interjected, cutting off the Jedi before the Jedi could continue to harp on about the Dark Side.

It was clear that the Admirals were evaluating Skywalker. So far, they liked what they saw. If he played his cards right, Anakin would gain invaluable allies, and help Sidious undercut the Jedi even more. It didn't matter if he was aware of it or not! The boy was proving a very valuable asset. If only they could discuss things and ensure that they were both on the same page! Sidious couldn't wait for it.

"With the limited data I have, I can see that we have three strategic options. The enemy will be able to overrun our forward-deployed forces within the next two weeks. They'll need two to three more weeks to neutralize critical strongholds

on the Outer Rim and secure their rear areas. From that point on, the only thing containing a deep strike against our industrial centers will be logistics, and that state of affairs won't last."

"We broadly agree with this analysis." Admiral Dao noted.

"The first option I see is conventional resistance. For it to be viable, we will need almost unconditional support from all Republic members, their System Defense Fleets in particular. At the same time, we'll need to consolidate and pull back all forces we have in order to cover our critical industrial centers. If we pursue this option, we'll meet the enemy in open battle, with the goal to grind down the Confederacy navy before it could deliver a knock-out blow." Skywalker explained.

The Admirals briefly looked at each other, before everyone turned to face the Chancellor.

"At this point, receiving the necessary support is a political impossibility. While I'll do my best, I'm afraid that many member systems won't release their defense fleets for what will be seen as a bloody last stand." Palpatine sadly concluded. The truth was that Palpatine would need weeks if not months to wrangle a significant amount of those fleets. Even blackmail could only get you so far, and there were too many governments that didn't see the war as their own. By the time they felt threatened enough to act, it would be too late.

"What is the second option?" Palpatine inquired.

"It's the other extreme, Chancellor. We acknowledge that without extreme measures we're about to lose the war and act accordingly. In the time we have left, we lay down the groundwork for resistance. One that will be able to eventually overthrow the Confederacy. We preserve as much of the navy and army as we can, disperse them, and prepare for a long resistance. Naval and army elements that can't easily operate without long logistical train will make a last stand, inflicting as many losses to the enemy as possible. Then, we go to the ground and prepare for a long struggle."

That suggestion left everyone stunned. Palpatine could honestly say that he didn't see it coming, especially from Skywalker of all people. Yet, the idea did have some merit. It also broadly aligned with a few of the contingencies Sidious had in place or intended to establish in the future.

"You would have us surrender the Republic?!" Windu was the first to recover and he wasn't afraid to tell everyone what he thought about the very idea.

"As painful as it is to say it, surrender is a viable alternative. The Chancellor just confirmed that he might be unable to give us the support we will need to conventionally prosecute the war after the next couple of months on the outside." Admiral Tenant responded. "We're officers in the Republic Navy, sworn to protect her. We will do our duty and if we have to, we will die protecting the Republic and her ideals. However, this doesn't change the fact that soon, the enemy will be in a position to overrun us."

"Perhaps surrender best might be." Yoda's low voice cut through the building tension. "Save many lives it could." His ears drooped. "Shroud the galaxy into darkness a surrender might. A Sith the enemy leader is. Dark the future is."

The Admirals exchanged glances.

"Count Dooku is a former Jedi. I don't profess to know everything about your religion, however, how much different is he from General Skywalker here?" Admiral Dao inquired. "Do we have any confirmation of him being a Sith, or a criminal beyond the obvious, him leading a secessionist movement? Most of the people on board with the Confederacy, especially those in leadership positions, are regular people after all…"

"His actions on Geonosis should be proof enough!" Windu declared with utmost conviction. "He stood by, if not outright ordered the murder of two Jedi and a Republic Senator!"

"While I do agree with this stance, legally speaking, from where the Separatist stood, the three of them were spies and saboteurs." Admiral Tenant gave Anakin an apologetic look. "I know this might strike a sore spot, General Skywalker. However, if I was in his place, I would have accused the three of you of the same." He raised a hand at that. "I would have just left it to the courts to decide your fate."

"That's what Count Dooku has been proclaiming to the whole galaxy. Many Republic members agree with his narrative. The Jedi incursion on Geonosis doesn't help. For many average citizens, and more importantly, government officials all over the galaxy, we started this war. A war we are hardly in a position to win." At that, Palpatine gave the Jedi his best-disappointed look.

"From where I stood, I can't say that I agree with that particular narrative." Skywalker shrugged. "However, I can see and understand how many people might disagree. They weren't there, and presentation matters."

That, Palpatine decided, was another point towards the theory of Amidala being blame for this new Skywalker. The girl might turn out to be quite useful after all!

"Let's table the talk about surrender for now." Palpatine declared. If push came to shove, he still had the codes to deactivate the Separatist army. If it came to that, he would have to call Order 66 and be content with the destruction of the Jedi Order and then pick up the pieces. "I would also like to hear your third option, my friend." He smiled at Anakin.

So far, Skywalker was proving to be a delightful surprise.

"Again, we acknowledge that we're in no state to conventionally win the war," Skywalker smiled grimly, and the Dark Side coiled in anticipation.

Sidious leaned forward, sensing that this was going to be good.

"We don't fight conventionally or fair. We change the rules," For a brief moment, Skywalker's eyes flashed as if made of molten gold.

It was all that Sidious could do to keep his glee unnoticed by the Jedi. Skywalker pointedly looked at them before continuing.

"The first step is to move against Jabba. We either force him to reconsider his support to the Confederacy or make an example of him. More importantly, we make a point to all Hutts – if they chose to side with the Separatists, it will cost them, both in treasure and personally. I suggest that if we can't convince Jabba to be at least neutral and quickly, we take him out. We should also instigate a slave revolt on Tatooine and destroy the Hutt order there. Make it a point that if the Hutts move against us, we will respond in kind and destroy their way of life."

It was bold! It was dangerous and arguably insane. It was a plan that no proper Jedi could come with, considering that Sidious suspected that Skywalker meant it when he said he suggested using any and all means against the Hutts.

Predictably, the Jedi were at arms against the very idea. The reaction of the actual military officers was more interesting. They all appeared thoughtful. It was obvious that they were considering the merits of the overall strategy.

A genuine smile appeared on Palpatine's face. If nothing else, Skywalker's idea might just be enough to buy him enough time to rally the Republic. If not, they wouldn't be in a worse position. At that point, it wouldn't matter if the Hutts fully allied with the enemy.

=KoF=

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