Chapter 21. The Wrath of Donovan

Tattooine

100,000 Arquillian troops stood at attention as Emporess Caseopeia's personal star shuttle landed on the platform. Donovan stood with his advisors and generals. Everyone but Donovan bowed as he was her husband. "Welcome to Tatooine-My Emporess."

"I would speak with you in private Lord Donovan!" She said in an authoritative voice. When they were alone they started kissing each other passionately. "I have missed you!" She declared seductively.

"So have I!" They started kissing again.

An hour and a half later-

"My people are displeased with this war." She said lying in his chest.

Donovan sat up, "I know-I have felt it in the force-No matter how close I get to victory something or someone snatches it from me." He looked away, "I have been betrayed by Thane, I have lost my most powerful servants-And sometimes I feel as if someone is pulling my strings and working in shadows-Using the force against me."

Caseopeia knelt behind him and massaged his shoulders, "We could call off the war if you like."

He looked at her, "No it is our destiny to give our child an Empire and an Empire we shall give him!"

Caseopeia smiled, "Or her!"

Donovan spent three more days with Caseopeia before he returned to the business of the war. Caseopeia attended a meeting where Donovan had Arquillion spies leak information that they were building a death star near the old home world of Nu'Yuuzhan Vong Empire. The Alliance came in and found the skeleton for a Death Star but it vanished and was replaced with the Arquillion fleet. They used massive dishes to project an image of the Death Star under construction and devastated the Allied Fleet. Wedge was captured in the battle and placed in carbonite. Luke tried to rescue him but the person he rescued was a clone who transmitted vital information to the Arquillion high command.

It was Luke who finally discovered that they had been dealing with a clone spy. They interrogated him, but he didn't know anything useful. In response Luke trued to capture Caseopeia's star ship on its way back to the Unknown Regions. In retaliation Donovan lead a full scale invasion of the Corporate Sector. Then he took control of the Banking Clan World of Muunilist in an attempt to bankrupt the Alliance. This bold move forced several Star Systems to break away from the Alliance and surrender to the Arquillion's.

"I demand the immediate unconditional surrender of Coruscant." Donovan said to Lando via holo-transmission. "Secondly Luke Skywalker must disband the Jedi order and the Alliance must accept the beliefs of the Arqullion Empire-The force is not to be used, but revernced and studied, three all citizens of the Alliance shall this day be known as citizens of the Arquillion Empire... If my demands are met in an appropriate time I shall unleash all funds-So that the government may continue under the name and power of Caseopeia Emporess of the Arquillions."

Coruscant

"We cannot give in to his demands!" Mara said as she sat next to Luke, Saba, Kyle, and Kyp.

"What choice do we have-He controls the banking clan and the entire monetary system of the Alliance." Lando replied.

"Luke me time to retaliate-The Arquillions are weak somewhere."

Muunilist

As they conducted their meeting Darth Khaun was on Muunilist to liberate the planet from the Arquillions. His Master Darth Traya sent a special unit for him to command and they attacked and destroyed the Arquillion forces in the system. When the Alliance arrived Khaun and his troops were long gone and the Muuns were unable to tell them how the Arquillions were defeated.

Bespin

Donovan could not believe it when his officers reported the liberation of Muunilist. "There were no survivors milord."

"Someone has set their hand against me! They move in the shadows and refuse to show themselves."

He was interrupted by a droid, "Milord-There is a priority message from the home world."

When Donovan read the message he was overjoyed, because Caseopeia was pregnant.