Chapter 20. The Rise Of Tarkin
The Republic was a like a crazed nest of Gundarks as the incident on Yelma spread across the holonet. To make matters worse Sifo Dyas' resignation from the Jedi Council made matters worse. The Jedi had been recalled to Coruscant by Jedi Master Mace Windu and the Techno Union Army sent another wave of battle droids to crush the worker rebellion.
Tarkin was on Coruscant, he was a commander with his own private special forces unit. He was also Lt Govenor of Eraidu, his special forces unit had been used on Yelma. Tarkin was friends with Senator Afram and Jedi Master Sifo Dyas. Tarkin and Lt Haston were on their way to meet with Senator Palpatine. He asked them to meet him at his apartment. Two security guards stood at the door and announced them before they went in.
"Tarkin my old friend…"
"Palpatine… It has been too long…"
"It certainly has…" They hugged.
"This is my second in command Lt Haston…"
They shook hands, "Can we speak in private…"
Tarkin frowned, "I trust the luietenant with my life… Whatever you wish to say to me you can say in fromt of him…"
"Not this… Wil please…" Tarkin sighed and asked Haston to step out. "Thank you… Now watch this…" Palpatine pointed his hand at the couch and it rose into the air…"
"How did you…"
"I can do that and more my friend… Tell me what do you know of the sith…"
"Only what I read in the history texts…"
"The sith still exist… they have been operating in the shadows… Tin'sar Demask is a Sith Lord by the name of Darth Plaguies… and my sith name is Darth Sidious…"
"You… You are one of the sith?" For next hour or more Palpatine told Tarkin about the grand scheme. Then he told him how Tin'sar Demask taught him the ways of the Darkside. Then he went into how Tarkin could help him by convincing Senator Harther to present the military commissions bill. A bill that will keep a fully trained Military command staff in place.
What about the Jedi…"
"There time is coming to a close… Join me my friend in the new era…"
"I believe I can get Senator Harther to cooperate, but for the amendment to pass you are going to have to convibe your friends in the senate…"
"As I told you… My mental powers allow me to control the Senate… or at the least influence their emotions…" Tarkin smiled like a giddy child, "What?"
"Can I see your lightsaber…" The weapon appered from under his sleeve and he ignited it. Then he switched it off, "I am beside myself… All I can say my friend is to be careful.
The incident on Yelma allowed Senator Harther to present his amendment to the Droid Army Formation act and he nominated Lt Governor Tarkin to the post of Commander General. With Palpatine's assistance Tarkin appointed only humans to the key posts inside the Military commission. Within one months time the military commission board was up and running and they were all loyal to Palpatine and Tarkin.
"Ah Master Dyas over here…" Tarkin said waving for the ex-Jedi. They were in the sky garden having lunch. "May I introduce Senator Palpatine, his aid Sly Moore, and this is Senator Dormen of Hyphem 2…"
Dyas looked at Sly Moore, "Forgive me aren't you Umbaran…"
She smiled mischievously, "I am… Do not worry Master Jedi I do not hold with the beliefs of my people… It was a Jedi actually that saved my life from slavery…"
"Really… Do I know him or her…"
"No he is of the Corellian Knights…"
"Oh I have never been to Corellia…"
"Shall we get to business then…" Tarkin ordered appatizers for everyone at the table, "…What happened on Yelma was a travesty…"
"An outrage…" Dyas said in anger, which caused Palpatine to smirk. "I asked Master Yoda to deploy more Jedi… Did he listen…"
"Tell Senator Palpatine what you told me…"
Dyas closed his eyes and started breathing slowly before he spoke, "There is a small, but growing number of people in the senate and the Jedi who wish to create a standing army for the Republic to aid the Jedi when a crisis like Yelma breaks out…"
"Ha!" Senator Dormen said interrupting, "They will never overturn the Ruusan Reformation act…"
"That is what they said about the Droid Formation act, but it passed…"
"You will never get the support to pass it… and where will the funding come from to put an army together…" Dormen said.
Tarkin pointed at Palpatine, "I am close friends with Tin'sar Demask… and he has lots of friends in the senate…"
Dyas sat back in his chair, "We need an army that is expendable and by that I mean one that isn't made up of para=military troops or mercenaries…"
"What do you have in mind?" Tarkin asked smiling on the inside.
"Have you ever heard of the Kaminoans?'
"No I haven't…"
"Well they aren't members of the republic… They are isolationists… I bring them up because they are cloners… Expert cloners… We can have them clone an army for the republic…"
"I don't know… How many Jedi do you have behind you…"
"Master Dooku is all for it… and I am sure I can convince Master Jin… I have a solution… Senator why not conduct a secret poll… and see who would support this… In the meantime I will get the Kaminoans to give us an estimate…"
"Go ahead and place the order… but this conversation never happened… We will meet again in six months…"