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Phase 1: A galaxy torn asunder

=RK=

Part 4

Secure room K-1

GAR HQ

Coruscant

Telar Valentra dragged himself to the head of a long table that dominated the room and slumped in the chair waiting for him. He took a few deep breaths and sighed. The doctors might have been right in their assessment that he needed at least one more week of rest before being cleared for the lightest of duties. However, there was too much work to do with the Republic going to hell while he was busy napping in a bacta tank.

Valentra put the data-pad he was wearing on the table, linked it with its in-built systems and called up the latest assessment of the Republic and Separatist industrial capacity. With the Corellian system all but lost, that left two major shipbuilding hubs in the galaxy. Kuat for the Republic and Fondor for the Confederacy. While the former was a very heavily industrialized system, they were almost peers as far as building capital ships went. Not only did each of them produce at least half the cruiser and larger classes each side could build, they were two of a handful of places where larger craft like battle cruisers and star dreadnoughts could be built.

Along with Coruscant, Kuat was the only other system the Republic couldn't afford to lose. The same was true about the Separatists and Fondor.

The single entrance into the room opened with quiet hiss and two people wearing identical green uniforms walked it.

"Yularen, Coburn, good. Come take a seat – we have things to discuss." Telar cracked a tired smile.

"They actually let you out already?" Wullf quipped. "I heard that you'd be on ice for a week or two."

"You know me, having too much time makes me restless."

"I'll take half your vacation time once the war is over." Coburn suggested.

"I'll think about it, but only if you take half my paperwork." Telar needled back.

"Whats the newest catastrophe?" Yularen asked after sitting to Valentra's left.

"No big problems." Telar frowned. "One of our own is apparently playing empire building in the Corporate Sector. Zanji or something. He apparently has family connections at Fondor and has limited Separatist support too."

"We'll have to sort it out sooner than later, before some other fool decides to follow that example." Coburn looked like he bit into something particularly sour.

"It's on Kenobi's to-do list." Valentra shrugged.

"Fixing the whole galaxy's on that list but it won't happen before the Senate sees reason. Any developments on that front?" Yularen asked hopefully.

"The newest edition of Palpatine's kriff the Senate just came online. Apparently its going to be a bad day to be from Ord Mantel." Telar shrugged. He caught a bit of it before coming in the secure room.

"It couldn't have happened to nicer people." Wullf smiled in content. "Anyway, any news on Palpatine's front? Was he just a Sith keeping a low profile to avoid the Jedi assassinating him or did he betray us?"

"Jack hasn't been able to find anything conclusive yet." Coburn grumbled. Being stuck with overseeing the debacle that was Republic Intelligence after his return from Kuat wasn't fun at all. SIB and ONI were effectively paralyzed while under investigation for treason which left only the GAR's own Military Intelligence as a working agency.

Which meant that the Republic's overall intelligence gathering capabilities were crippled and would remain so for the foreseeable future.

Investigating Palpatine for potential treason wasn't fun either. Jack's people weren't able to find proof, however that kind of work wasn't their specialty. Unfortunately, at this time Coburn didn't really have someone else trustworthy to offload the job to. That particular investigation was a very sensitive one considering that after his assassination and all the leaked evidence of corruption in the Republic, Palpatine was viewed as a borderline divine figure by the average citizen and low level functionaries in the government.

"The man's dead anyway." Telar noted. Not that the fact prevented Palpatine from stirring more trouble from beyond the grave. "Nevertheless, the former Chancellor isn't why we're here. We have some choices to make and I need your input. As you know our current capital ship building cycle is about to be complete. I'll need recommendations on any alterations you might want to propose while there's still time to make changes. I'll want your reasoning too. Once that's done and Kenobi's back from the Senate, we'll need to plan how to use our newly built ships. Thoughts?"

"We need more heavy capital ships. Kuat's Mandators demonstrated that even crushing numerical superiority wouldn't be able to either breach or hold a defensive line in the face of so much concentrated firepower if it is properly supported." Coburn began. "I saw three separate engagements where over a thousand Separatist ships engaged a star dreadnaught with her battle group and lost."

"I agree. While the correlation of forces at Corellia was much worse…" Yularen paused. "From all the AARs Felix forwarded it becomes clear that properly supported and led heavy capital ships are great power multipliers. Further, the battles during the last few weeks of the enemy offensive suggest that the strategy employed by the Confederacy is flawed."

"Extplain." Valentra leaned forward.

"While the enemy does outnumber us by a significant margin the war-plan we went with was the correct one. In a large battle our individually more powerful ships have a bigger impact that simple numbers or their individual capabilities would imply. When we've got large enough fleets to allow our capital ships to rotate away from the line of battle and replenish their shields, we gain a significant advantage against the Separatist when they're deploying Munificent or Recusant heavy fleets. In such engagement, the enemy need much higher than the expected six or seven to one numerical advantage or more battleships if they are to win with anything approaching acceptable losses."

"So the old axiom that big powerful capital ships are better remains true." Valentra nodded.

"In all out war and heavy fighting anyway. We need lighter ships to cover all our space and as escorts." Coburn pointed out.

"That's true. However while corvettes and frigates are food for scouting and police work, they have no business engaging proper capital ships." Yularen intoned. "Besides covering everything is a waste of resources. Light ships can't stop a determined opponent and when all is said and done most of the galaxy isn't exactly strategically important. Our current situation perfectly illustrates that fact. This war will be won at Kuat or Fondor. It would hinge on who could keep long term control over the hyperlanes."

"Besides, almost all important worlds do have their own defense fleets separate from the GAR. Most of them are already made from corvettes, light escorts and the odd cruiser." Coburn agreed.

"So we're continuing with Venator Mark II's and the new Victories as the backbone of the navy. There's also that Mandator II Kuat's building for us. Standard mix of escorts?" Valentra asked.

"That's my recommendation." Yularen nodded.

"I concur." Coburn agreed.

"That's settled then. I'll speak with Kenobi and inform procurement..." Telar leaned back and looked at the ceiling. It was high time he got a permanent replacement for Jerjerrod overseeing procurement. Damn the Jedi for getting a good man murdered!

"What's next on the agenda?" Wullf asked.

"While we're on the topic of shipbuilding and industry – Keyhole." Valentra answered.

"I'm not familiar with that designation." Coburn stated.

"Neither am I." Yularen said.

"It was a suggestion by Veil – building a secret industrial center to rival Kuat and Corellia. In that vein we need to discus contingencies if our war effort collapses due to either enemy action or politically." Valentra winced when he said the last word. That was a can of worms he was reluctant to poke with a long range missile.

"That's certainly ambitious." Wullf whistled. "Speaking about our favorite Sith, any news? Any new conclusions about Kamino?"

"Besides the obvious?" Coburn grumbled. "Even if he went off the deep end why did everyone just go along and bomb the planet? If that's even what happened."

"I'll ask him when he resurfaces. Or when we're able to push a scout to Kamino." Telar shrugged. There were very many questions about what Veil did or didn't do at Kamino. However, answers were in very short supply.

"Keyhole?" Yularen got them back on topic.

"We've got some good sites picked up. Most are in the Deep Core, so they're secure and out of the way. We can have basic shipyards operational within a year. Two to three for something with decent output, especially if we want to keep the place secure." Telar answered.

"I like the idea. Especially if the worst happens." Coburn indicated his support.

"Can we pull it off without compromising the war effort? Wullf inquired.

"If we're careful." Telar answered. "Jerjerrod was looking into it before he was killed. I'll see what could be realistically done and green-light it if feasible. Now, lets talk contingencies…"

"Can we get a useful Senate already?" Yularen muttered.

"The way things go, we might not have a Senate for much longer." Coburn noted. "Already a third is either arrested, fled Coruscant or joined the Separatists along with Cathar."

"Our political masters..." Valentra trailed off. This was a dangerous topic, however one that simply couldn't be avoided any longer. "They're a problem..."

There. He said it aloud. Was this the first step over a very slippery slope, Telar wondered.

The uneasy looks Yularen and Coburn exchanged didn't help. Valentra had been half-hoping that at least one of them would disagree with his simple statement, even if it was true.

They didn't.

Part 5

=RK=

Detention cells

GAR HQ

Coruscant

Anakin stalked through his small cell feeling restless. He just got back from another useless interrogation, where he was asked the same damned questions for the hundredth time as if the investigators expected him to contradict himself. Those inquires were infuriating. Each of the questions was a painful reminder that the whole galaxy went to the gutter a few weeks ago.

Palpatine, the closest man Anakin had to a father was murdered. Assassinated by the Jedi. By the people he used to trust.

Skywalker snarled and the meager furniture in his cell began shacking. He cursed and forced himself to calm down before his jailors overreacted.

He felt Palpatine die. Hundreds of Jedi flaring through the Force before flickering out just here on Coruscant. Thousands across the galaxy. At least half the Order was gone. The rest were either jailed like him or on the run with the whole Republic baying for their blood.

There were friends of his who were caught in this madness. Feeling their death struck almost as hard as Palpatine's.

At least Obi-Wan still lived. His mentor was changing.

Anakin rubbed his forehead. Kenobi felt different through the Force. He wasn't exactly Dark, though the light that Skywalker associated with his former master was muted. Greyish? Did that make any sense?

A new presence entered Anakin's awareness and he smiled. Padme was approaching. To his senses she felt much sharper, more real than the usually muted Clones who guarded him.

It took his wife a few minutes to reach the cells and pass through security and they felt like eternity. Anakin barely restrained himself from jumping at her when the door opened and the force field disengaged.

Padme smiled wanly at him, making her scars stretch like living thing. She walked in and Anakin was hugging her, taking comfort from her presence before he knew he moved.

"Hey." Padme relaxed I his arms and returned his hug. "I've got some good news."

"That's a relief." Anakin muttered, too busy inhaling the scent of her hair to pay proper attention to what his wife was saying.

"You're being released into home arrest. My security detail is supposed to keep an eye on you. Anakin, please don't do anything foolish." Padme begged.

"I… That's great!" Skywalker exclaimed. He couldn't wait to get out of that cell. Being home with his wife… He smiled.

"Anakin, promise me!" Padme hissed.

"I'll behave, I promise." Anakin reluctantly pulled back to look her in the eyes. "I won't do anything to hurt you again, Padme. I won't do anything that will get us separated."

Anakin hoped he would be able to live up to that promise. While there was a part of him that craved to go after Windu and Tiin, they weren't worth it in the end. Being stuck in a cell again helped him to straighten up his priorities.

He wasn't going to go half-cocked on some crazy revenge quest or something like that. Finally he could go home with Padme and that was what mattered.

=RK=

SIB Safe house

Coruscant

Awareness came back to Count Dooku with a sharp twist. One moment he knew nothing, then he could feel the Dark Side's heavy presence and he grasped at it with his whole being. Power flowed through his body and it chased any vestiges of lethargy he could feel.

"It's done." An older Rodian grumbled. The man wore blue hospital scrubs and was leaning over him with a scanner in hand. "Everything looks good. Now we just need to calibrate the prosthetics."

"Good." Dooku rasped. He was laying on a raised gurney locked at a forty five degree angle.

"Here, water." The doctor shoved a cup with a straw sticking out of it in the Count's face.

Dooku glared at the man who was already busy looking back at the scanner, however didn't refuse the water. The cool liquid soon splashed over his parched throat. It was one of the best things Dooku could recall tasting.

When the offensive man got the cup away from his face, the Sith looked down at his body. For the first time in months, Dooku had arms, even if they were made of dull gray metal and had a rough rugged look to them. Certainly not top of the line prosthetics. Still, it was better than being a cripple.

Dooku felt Windu's onerous presence and looked at the entrance to the man's bedroom. The Jedi was glaring at him, making the Sith put a thin smile on his face. His new hands might be rather primitive, however their existence made him anything but helpless with the Jedi around.

"How long before he's going to be useful, doctor?" Windu asked.

"He'll need a few days at least to acclimatize to the hardware. A more advanced model would have needed much less time, however that's the best I could get on short notice." The Rodian explained.

"Good. Then we can leave soon." Mace grumbled and went back into his room.

"Looking forward to hunting Veil, are we?" Dooku smiled thinly. He didn't intent to follow SIB's plan. Oh, they would prove useful allies while he pursued his vengeance. Veil simply had to die, however certainly not on the terms of his new friends. Dooku was a Sith and thus no ones tool. Windu and his handlers would learn that soon.