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Chapter 9: Casts the darkest shadows

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Part 5

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CIS Battleship Metal Dawn

en route to Ryloth

Hyperspace

The Hutt ultimatum stirred Wat Tambor into action. Asajj's target was already busy expediting his plans for Ryloth. It simply wouldn't do to have someone else strike the place to neutralize the GAR detachment there along with any coherent Twi'lek resistance. If that happened, it would mean Ryloth potentially slipping through his mechanic fingers, and that simply wouldn't do.

Instead, Tambor took advantage of Count Dooku's standing orders to neutralize the Republic's presence in the Outer Rim. He drew as many ships as he could, from maintaining the economy, to quickly build up his task force. That was how, a day after the Hutts released their ultimatum for the whole galaxy to see, and mere hours before the Senate began an emergency session to discuss it, a Confederate Task Force left for Ryloth.

Shortly before they reached their destination, Ventress finally figured out the real reason why Tambor was keen on taking Ryloth. Surprisingly enough, it had little to do with the whispers about his fascination with Twi'lek females, or even his dealings with the Hutts. Asajj had been stalking her prey as of late using the Force to cloak herself from both organic eyes and electronic sensors. That was a very useful skill when spying on a cyborg. She caught Tambor giving orders to a small detachment of Commando Droids.

"Those are the likely coordinates. Find Argente's stash, and secure it. Capture any organics in the vicinity and prepare them for interrogation. I want to know where else he'll be stashing treasures from conquered worlds!"

The Sith Apprentice gleefully recorded the Foreman's orders and waited in the shadows until the Droids left for their landing craft. Her Master was right, left to their own devices, those short-sighted fools would see them all fall over greed and petty feuds. Even if they didn't work for that treacherous creature, Sidious, the likes of Tambor had to go, if the Confederacy was to survive. And it had to survive and prosper if they were to survive the clash with the Republic and its Jedi.

When the Droids were safely gone, Asajj followed Tambor, slinking from shadow to shadow, avoiding the odd Droid crewman, and the ship's internal sensors. She found the Foreman relaxing within his suite.

Judging by the emotions she could perceive leaking through the bulkheads, the cyborg was in the capable hands of his Twi'lek attendants. They didn't enjoy the experience anywhere near as much as he did. Nevertheless, the women did a great show of persuading Tambor that they did, if the sounds coming from behind the armored doors were anything to go by.

Ventress shook her head in disgust and headed towards her quarters. Soon, she would no longer need to suffer Tambor's presence. That moment couldn't come soon enough!

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Senate Chamber
Senate Building
Coruscant

The Senate Chamber was chock-full with Senators, government aides of all stripes, and journalists from all over the galaxy. A sea of Clones in gleaming armor stuck out from the multi-colored crowds. They both provided dubious security and were a sign of the times, Padme guessed.

Senators and guests alike buzzed with excitement, even as the Chancellor's booth rose from its humble place on the Chamber's floor. Palpatine was a distinct black dot that quickly grew to show him wearing a simple black suit fit for mourning. The Chancellor has a severe expression on his face. His worried eyes went over the rows of booths full of Senators and their aides. The visitor seats were full to bursting as well. Thousands of camera droids hovered around like a metallic swarm ready to devour whoever got their attention.

"Greetings, Gentlebeings!" Palpatine's amplified voice thundered, barely overwhelming the buzz of energetic conversations. "I come in front of you today, with a solemn duty." The Chancellor spoke slowly and clearly, giving time to the gathered crowds to subdue and begin paying attention. "For the first time since the advent of our Republic in its current form a thousand years ago, we face an Ultimatum leveled at us by an external power. Never, since the dark times before the Ruusan Reformation, this Senate had been called to answer such a challenge! Even the Separatists, with who we're engaged in a bloody war with, weren't so bold and brazen!"

Once again, Palpatine proved that he had raw charisma and magnetism that few could hope to match. With just a few words, he had everyone in the Chambers looking up to him and listening, instead of continuing their loud discussions.

"As a matter of law and procedure, I will now summarize the key points of the Ultimatum." Palpatine continued.

This was little more than a political theater for the citizenry at large. Through leaks from Senator offices, local governments, and a loud proclamation from the Hutts themselves, everyone who paid any attention, already knew about the ultimatum and its key elements. Despite that, and thousands upon thousands of experts already discussing the issue, here and now, Palpatine's words were about to shape public perception. He wasn't merely the most famous Chancellor in a generation. Palpatine enjoyed unprecedented support among the regular citizens of the Republic. Through it, he could wield unparalleled influence across many democratic worlds.

"The Hutt Ruling Council, demands," The Chancellor's lips twisted in disgust at the word, something recorded by countless cameras, "that we disavow the actions of General Skywalker on Tatooine. They, demand, that we do the same for all soldiers who participated in liberating that distant world from the rule of slavers and other assorted criminal elements." Palpatine paused, waiting for his words to both sink in, and the grumbling of discontent they prompted to die down.

If there was one thing the Senate could be counted on, it was on their reactions towards perceived insults from uppity barbarians. That was how Palpatine put it once a long time ago. The very idea scandalized Padme back then. Yet today, she saw his words tragically proven true.

"They demand we pay a blood price for the death of one Jabba Desilijic Tiure, the principal Crime Lord who ran Tatooine until a few days ago. That was the same Hutt, who met with General Skywalker, and his Padawan, the young Togruta Ahsoka Tano, to negotiate a resolution to the Hutt's closing their trade lane for Republic traffic. Instead of negotiating as a civilized being, Jabba demanded Padawan Tano, a young girl, as the price to graciously allow General Skywalker to leave his presence intact. A demand I must point out, that resulted in Jabba the Hutt's death."

More disgruntled voices rose from all over the chamber. Those coming from the guest stands were particularly loud, though many Senators used the opportunity to show their personal opinion on the matter at hand to the whole galaxy.

"Finally, the Hutts demand that we make certain territorial concessions to avoid future misunderstandings and establish a buffer zone between the Republic and Hutt controlled space. They require from this Senate to cede over thirty Republic worlds, and abandon their people to the Hutt's idea of mercy."

More than a few shouts of outrage came from all over the Chamber. Many of the beings Padme could see from her position were extremely agitated now. It was as if the Chancellor repeating the contents of the ultimatum, made it that much more real. It was as if until now, you could simply dismiss it as the rambling of people without any relevance.

That was all it should have been, Padme knew. The Republic shouldn't be this weak and vulnerable. Yet, merely wishing it to be otherwise, wouldn't make it so.

"We all know that answering to this Ultimatum is the Senate's purview as a whole. However, as the Chancellor, I find myself compelled to make a statement, before opening the floor for discussion." Palpatine spoke in a sharp tone, slicing through the ongoing grumbling. "What I'm about to say, is simple. I implore you all to look beyond any short-term gain that submitting to the Hutt's demand could give us concerning the war against the Separatists. If we accept their Ultimatum, we will betray everything this great Republic of ours stands for. If we surrender to such blackmail, we will be selling what is not ours to sell, but protect – our citizens and worlds! Such a betrayal would be a greater threat to the future of the Republic than a hundred Separatist movements vying for military conflict! I implore you, reject this ultimatum! Help me rebuild our Republic into a power that could stand on its own against all foes, no matter if they're domestic or external!"

Thunderous applause met Palpatine's speech. For a moment, Padme felt heartened, while she joined applauded as well. Then, cold reality reassessed itself. This wasn't a decision to be made by simply winning Senators on your side through fiery speeches. It was a decision influenced by what local governments would see as being in their best interests. In that regard, right now, all bets were off.

When the furor died down, a single booth rose to join the Chancellor's in the center of the Chamber.

"I give the floor to the esteemed Senator Orn Free Taa, Representing Ryloth!" Palpatine announced and took a step back. The Chancellor's booth moved back and down, symbolically ceding the floor.

Taa was a large blue Twi'lek, and one of the oldest statesmen in the Senate. He was one of the strongest voices in the Rim Faction of the Senate, symbolizing one of the two major divisions within it – that between the Core and the Outer Rim and Mid Rim, along with various special interest groups falling on either side of that particular divide.

"Dear friends, and honored rivals," Senator Taa began. "The Chancellor is right! Today, is a dark day for the Republic, nay for the whole galaxy! My fellow members of the Republic, I shouldn't stand in front of you all today, trying to justify why my home, Ryloth, should remain a part of the Republic! For ten thousand years that has been the choice of our citizens! That choice didn't change a few days ago! Ryloth is and remains a member of this body in good standing! We remain committed to the ideals of the Republic, instead of standing against it like the despicable Separatists!"

Shouts of approval drowned Taa's words. In an ideal world, that would be it. All the discussions happening about the ultimatum would be a mere formality, and the Senate would reject it as one. Unfortunately, the reality was different.

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Part 6

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Senate Chamber
Senate Building
Coruscant

For hours, Senators spoke against accepting the ultimatum. Some offered rousing speeches, while others presented cold, calculated facts. With a few exceptions, everyone who spoke so far came from the Rim; most of them represented the systems and people the Hutts demanded as the price of appeasement.

While the Senators from the Core often applauded and shouted encouragements, right beside their colleagues, they remained content to let the Rim Faction present its case. It was late in the afternoon when Senator Fird from Alsakan took central stage.

He was the first to break rank, and speak for accepting the ultimatum. His words took Padme aback, reinforcing Palpatine's points from their earlier conversations.

"I appreciate what our colleagues from the Rim said. They made clear, concise points. And they were right. This ultimatum from the Hutts should be nothing but a farce to laugh at." The aging human let his words sink in. The apparent support from the Core was heartening for the Rim Faction.

Padme knew better.

"It is a tragedy of our doing we face today. The ultimatum is very much real, and something we must take seriously," Senator Fird continued, speaking hard truths. "The Republic is not what it once was!" He went on, echoing Palpatine's words from a decade ago. "We became complacent. We were so sure of our destiny and in our invulnerability! We allowed the Republic military to decay into extinction. As we speak, the only thing standing between us and Separatist victory is a thin line of Clone soldiers." Fird's expression became stark and cold. "A slave army that only exists due to the foresight, or paranoia of a single Jedi, who is now long dead. As we speak," Fird stressed, "those Clones are fighting and dying all over the galaxy to protect ideals we already betrayed. That is what we reduced our great Republic to. It is a painful truth that we must face today," the Senator went on, ignoring the rising whispers and angry grumbles echoing within the Chamber. "Our Republic is weak. Today, it faces one of its darkest hours, and we are not ready for it. We're divided by petty squabbles and old rivalries. Many of us, refuse to fight to preserve the integrity of the Republic, seeing it as not worth it. The price is too high, some say. There is not enough to gain, as far as some of us are concerned. Others believe that this simply isn't their fight. What do they care about worlds on the other end of the galaxy?"

Padme had to give the man this much, he wasn't afraid to say what no one else dared even whisper about aloud since the Separatist crisis began. The Republic was too large. It embodied too many conflicting interests and worldviews. Local affairs and concerns were often more important than the war.

"The stark truth is that the Republic is losing this war, and the reasons why stand in this chamber," Fird said it plainly. "The so-called Grand Army of the Republic is little more than a joke! It is wholly insufficient for fighting and winning a galactic war in its current shape! Despite the Chancellor all but begging us all, many of us rejected and keep rejecting, giving proper support for the war effort. We refuse to give him the means to fight the Separatists to a standstill, much less prosecute the war to a victorious conclusion!"

Shocked gasps answered Fird's accusations, yet he was far from done.

"It is a cold reality of our own making, that we might very well lose the war against the Separatists! All because not enough of us are willing to pay the price for victory! In the same vein, we are in no position to dismiss the Hutt's ultimatum. Doing so would be disastrous for the GAR and any prospects for ending the Clone Wars in a timely fashion, much less with a victory. Many of my colleagues told us that they shouldn't explain why even thinking about sacrificing their worlds and people is wrong. And I wholeheartedly agree! They offered us a poisoned pill. It is a bitter pill, yet one we must swallow. One day, in a hopefully brighter future, we might be in a position to renegotiate any deals we make with the Hutts. This is not that day. If we're to survive the Clone Wars, if we're to keep the Republic together and bring it into a better future, then we have no choice. Accepting the Hutt ultimatum is not optional. It is a requirement for preserving the Republic and the first hard step we can take on a path towards recovery!"

Shouts of outrage drowned Senator Fird's words. He accepted the verbal abuse without flinching. The Speaker of the Senate spent long minutes regaining control. The journalists lapped up the unfolding spectacle. All through it, Fird stood tall and proud, enduring every slight thrown his way.

"I'll ask you all a simple question. What forces are you ready to commit, to safeguard our Outer Rim worlds? What price are you ready to pay right now, to keep the Separatists at bay? Can you offer enough forces within the next two days, for us to face both the Separatists and the Hutts? Is the answer whole fleets to throw into the war, and the resources to rebuild a military capacity to wage war on a galaxy-wide scale? If not, then there is no other choice we can make. We made the Republic this weak. Through our actions, we betrayed one of its fundamental principles, that of mutual defense. We are in no position to protect the Outer Rim, from either the Separatists or the Hutts. The ultimatum we're facing is nothing more than a monument of our failures. It acknowledges the reality of our own making, and we must now do the same, no matter how unpleasant it is. I implore you, accept the ultimatum and the reality of our situation. And I also ask you all, let us do something to change that reality because the situation we're in is flatly unacceptable!"

Senator Fird said his piece and stepped down. Subdued ovations and many more angry shouts followed him, echoing throughout the Chamber.

For fifteen minutes, unrest raged throughout the Senate, until the Speaker could finally calm things down to an angry simmer.

"The Chair recognizes Senator Danu, from Kuat!"

Angry murmurs met that proclamation. Kuat's booth rose, revealing the dark-skinned Kuati, wearing his traditional white and black suit.

"Honored Senators, we're facing an unprecedented crisis and a terrible choice. Accepting the Hutt ultimatum is against everything many of us stand for. There is no question of how immoral doing so would be. That much is obvious to every right-thinking being to see. And that is the issue, my fellow Senators. Like our colleague from Alsakan bluntly said, how much of a choice do we have? Do we stake everything on a war we won't necessarily win? Do we risk expanding it to include all of Hutt's space, when we are unable to put our own house in order? Or do we accept unpleasant reality? Those are questions that every single one of you has to answer for yourselves. Whatever you choose, think long and hard about the consequences. What price are you ready to pay for your decision? This is the choice we have to make! Do we expand the war, or do we swallow our pride, and put our house in order first? When the war is over, we can negotiate with the Hutts. After hard deliberations, I must offer my support for accepting the ultimatum."

Pandemonium followed Danu's proclamation.

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