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Phase 19: Storm front

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Part 8

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Mandalorian embassy

Coruscant

For a third day in a row, Bo-Katan was at the training area, vexing her vexation at droids, dummies and anyone dumb enough to want to spar with her. Her implants were settling in nicely and all that was left on that front was to get fully accustomed to them and her new limits and that was taking longer than anticipated. Two of her sparing partners were still recovering in the med bay and she had lost count of things she had accidentally broken when her attention slipped or she lost control of her temper.

Her frustration was the primary reason for any an all accidents happening lately. While Bo-Katan was glad that her husband has survived, the fact that she was apparently quite down his priority list was simply infuriating. It's been days now since he got back in Republic space and thus in range of the holonet.

Did he call? Ask about her?

The first time she heard he was in fact alive was when he appeared on the news when speaking with the Senate! Seeing what happened, it became painfully obvious that both her sister and Kenobi knew of Delkatar's survival and none of them deigned to tell her! That little fact did wonders for her mood!

As as consequence, everyone in the embassy learned to avoid her, though it took a few people a sparring match where they served as a punching bag and stress relief. That's how Bo-Katan ended up alone in the training area, with all sparing droids in severe need of maintenance or replacements, most dummies shot up to pieces, the punching bags torn by cybernetics enhanced kicks and punches… yet none of that really helped her mood.

Bo-Katan emptied her blaster's power cell into a shielded target and fished for a spare when someone cleared their throat behind her.

"You look like you need a good fight or to get laid, preferably, both."

She whirled around to face the intruder who just volunteered to be her next punching bag before his voice could properly register. Her husband was right there, grinning at her like an idiot. He wore his Mandalorian armour, the same one he had when they got married.

"You!" Bo-Katan snapped.

"Me?" That infuriating cheerful grin didn't waver.

She put her blaster on its magnetic clamp and stalked angrily at her husband.

"What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all?" Bo-Katan pocked his armoured chest.

"Why do people keep asking me similar things?" Delkatar exclaimed.

She gave him an exasperated look. As if it wasn't obvious! "You go out to have all the fun, then you go get yourself burned to a crisp on the holonet so the whole galaxy could see and when you somehow survive, you don't bother inform your wife so I had to learn it from the news!" Bo-Katan snapped.

"There were mitigating circumstances!" He tried to defend himself.

"Like what?" As if she really cared!

"I gave it more than even odds that upon my return your sister and Obi-Wan would order my arrest or even issue a kill order over Bothawui. Keeping myself out of contact seemed the best idea until I knew what way they were going to jump."

Bo-Katan opened her mouth to snap at him then his words fully registered. "No way Satine would have done something like that! You're Mandalore not to mention my husband!"

"I also destroyed a whole world, one that was Republic aligned until they betrayed us." Delkatar reasonably pointed out. "Your sister is kinda an idealist." He added.

"She got a solid dose of realism lately." Bo-Katan felt compelled to defend Satine. She really got better after marrying, who would have thought that a Jedi of all people would be good for her?!

"I know that, now."

"The way she became the Chancellor wasn't a clue enough?" Bo-Katan snarked.

"I'm still unclear on the details about how that came to be."

She grumbled in frustration and had to remind herself that unlike her, Delkatar had been stuck on the Rim for the last few months, fighting the good fight and making his legend grow while she had to be put back together and was relegated to merely training her new abilities. She was envious of her husband and all the fun he got to have, damn it all! Bo-Katan was still fuming when Delkatar's foolish smile slid from his face and all she could see was an expression of relief.

"It's good to see you're all right..." He trailed off and walked closer to her. He removed his right armoured glove and gently cupped her face.

"It will take more than a crazy Jedi to put me down!" Bo-Katan boasted… and phantom pain gripped her torso trailing the injuries Windu caused when he crushed her as if she was no more dangerous than a bug!

"He's a dead man walking." Delkatar growled.

"Good." Bo-Katan nodded.

He pulled her closer and their lips slammed together.

=RK=

"In the middle of the training area, really, Bo?" Satine stared exasperated at her sister. At least now she had some strategic pieces of her armour back on hiding the important parts.

"Envious? You've been quite busy for a long time now." Bo-Katan grumbled at her sister. The angry make up sex had been great at least until the Chancellor and her security detail barged in without knocking. For a moment there Bo thought that her husband might over-react over the interruption. He did levitate the Clones who barged in first and it was altogether a very close call.

"Madam Chancellor, your timing leaves something to be desired." If her husband felt any more frustration he didn't let it show in his tone.

"I can say the same about you two." Satine growled. "I could have walked in here with a few Senators, who by the way are waiting outside."

"Spoilsport." Bo-Katan grumbled. "Couldn't this wait?" She had a lot of frustrations to work through.

"Blame your husband and his thoughtful actions on the Rim." Satine responded glibly.

"Why would Senators want to meet me? I had the impression that most would prefer to be at least a thousand light years away from me."

"Others seem to be your fans." Bo-Katan added. She did watch the live broadcast from the Senate and the media storm that followed. It was most educational not to mention mildly entertaining. After that and failing to contact her sister of Kenobi who were apparently to busy keeping the Republic from burning down around their ears, she had retired to the training area.

"I somehow doubt that those are the ones you brought to meet me." Delkatar addressed her sister.

"No, those are our allies or at least were until I had to publicly support you over Bothawui! What did you think you were doing?!" Satine glared accusingly at Delkatar.

"What I had to in order to win."

Satine grimaced and rubbed her temples. "At that rate there won't be much of a galaxy left when this is all over."

"I would take that bargain if it means we will be alive when the dust settles even if it is less than ideal." Delkatar shrugged unapologetically.

"Get yourselves presentable and meet me in the ambassador office. It's the most secure part of the building."

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Part 9

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Ambassador office

Mandalorian embassy

Coruscant

My sister in law managed to lose all good-will she won herself by not sicking the army on me after my return. Bo wasn't too thrilled at the interruption and I had the impression that she was quite peeved with me still. Eh, some more make up sex might fix that provided no one was suicidal enough to interrupt us again. Regretfully, making ourselves presentable didn't include some fun and games in the fresher so by the time we met Satine and company my mood was less than ideal. That however changed when I saw who was waiting for us.

Anakin's presence I did feel before we came anywhere near the ambassador's office, so neither he nor Padme were a surprise. Garm Bel Iblis and an unfamiliar younger man on the other hand ensured that this meeting might actually be worthwhile. A short round of greetings and introductions later cemented that impression. The stranger was Senator Derrik Storm from Kuat and his presence along with the others made this meeting most interesting.

"Veil, I'll be blunt." Satine glared at me. "Your actions, both in the Rim and in front of the Senate put us all in a tenuous position."

"Becoming a dictator was your choice, Satine. One I approve of given the situation." For some reason my approval didn't make her feel better. "It's not like the Senate left you a better alternative."

"Like throwing you to the kath hounds?" The Chancellor offered me a wintry smile.

"I half expected something like that." She didn't even try to deny it and given the audience that was telling about how radically things on Coruscant had changed.

"Do I want to know what would you have done in such a case?" Anakin asked.

"Whatever it took to get away from Tanaab in one piece." That was one answer they should have seen coming.

"What about the war then?" Padme prodded further.

"What about it? Both sides losing would have been in my best interest if that happened. Make no mistake, at this time, a Republic victory is in my best interests and it is what's best for my people. Let's be honest however, I do not have any inherent loyalty to the Republic and that was before the Senate collectively proved to be an obstructionists bunch of incompetent and corrupt fools."

"That was something we should have seen coming from the start." Iblis sighed.

"You mean you didn't?" Anakin looked in confusion at the gathered politicians.

"He did gave such an impression." Padme pointed out.

"Well, after becoming a general and fighting along some of you, I do have a measure of loyalty and respect for individuals fighting for the Republic and towards my subordinates. The Republic offered me a lot of opportunities and winning the war for it is in my best interest. However being loyal to it as an institution? What has been happening on Coruscant since my return from Mandalore ensured that wouldn't be happening."

"As interesting and depressing this is, we aren't here to discuss Veil's non-existent morality." Satine put them all back on track. "I didn't support you because of your moral fibre nor because I approve of your actions, general. I did it because you're possibly our best bet to win this war or at least not lose it too badly. The reason these Senators are here are similar. Padme feels indebted to you for saving Naboo again and again, not to mention that Mid-Rim Alliance you hammered together with Naboo as a leading member. Senator Iblis..."

"I can speak for myself, Chancellor, thank you very much." The Corellian gave me a shrewd look. "If the circumstances were different, I would be leading the crowd wanting to lynch you." He grimaced. "However, first and foremost, my duty is to Corellia. Each victory you win, every moment you exist as a threat to the Separatists means that my home could be liberated that much sooner and easier. Your very existence means that some of the systems most likely to fight this was to the bitter end will continue to support the Chancellor's administration and war efforts."

"While Kuat is currently the strongest member of this alliance, we're also the primary target for the Separatists. If they manage to neutralize our industry or worse, take control of our system, they will win the war. I've been instructed by my government to assist as support this alliance to the best of my ability." Senator Storm added. He easily presented himself as my only friend among the politicians, something that wasn't lost to the others.

"That said, if you continue to pull off stunts like Bothawui, there won't be a Republic left to fight this war – we will be too busy fighting a second civil war or watching even more hostile elements in the Core to deal with the Separatists!" Satine glared at me. "Threats would work only so long before we are put in an even more impossible position!"

"Well, given who you all are, it's obvious what you want and it coincided with what we all need." I smiled at the Senators. "We need victories, high profile, visible victories that matter to the people in the Core. Like removing the Separatists from Corellia," I nodded at Iblis, "pushing them away from easy striking range of Kuat," another nod this time to Storm, "and opening communications and supply lines to the Mid-Rim and Naboo." A third nod to Padme. "Obi-Wan and the rest of High Command had been busy making that possible, yet here you all are."

"Obi-Wan is a good man. No matter if the Council kicked him out he is still a Jedi. For all their misgivings, these nice people come to you because they know you'll get your hands as dirty as it takes to keep their worlds safe or liberate them. That includes our good Chancellor." Bitterness and sarcasm dripped from Anakin's words. He looked totally unapologetic when his wife slammed her elbow in his ribs and glared murderously at him. "I tell it as I see it, Padme. For all high minded declarations, here we are, aren't we?"

Satine at least I could understand, especially if she had some heart to heart conversations with Kenobi. A full scale galactic war could break even Jedi who had been trained and prepared for such a conflict, which he certainly wasn't. That bastard Perrion was just the most high profile example alive today. I've seen it happen in the past, the same was true for saner Sith who slid firmly under the influence of the Dark Side under the pressure of the war. Obi-Wan? He was in a position that would ether would immortalize his name as one of the greatest Jedi and generals in history or utterly break and tarnish his reputation.

The others? Storm was clear and cut case – he did what Onara Kuat told him to do and it seemed that Zash had that woman on a very short leash, something I would be reinforcing once I got to Kuat.

Padme and Iblis were more interesting. I've been very vaguely familiar with the Corellian but our good Senator from Naboo? The way her experiences lately changed her was startling. The woman who stood before me today was a very far cry from the idealistic and naive girl I escorted to Rodia not that long ago.

"Well then, it's good I come bearing gifts!" I gave the gathered politicians my best charming smile yet they looked most apprehensive. "Senator Storm, you and Kuat would be best positioned to make a good use of them." I fished out a data chip and offered it to Satine. She plugged it into the terminal built into the desk and soon we had a holo-image projected between us. "This ladies and gentlemen is the Silencer. When mounted on a Venator, it is capable of destroying multiple Munificents with one shot or crippling a Separatist battleship. I believe it is high time we put them in mass production."

"How long have you had kept this under wraps?" Iblis glared accusingly at me.

"Long enough. It wasn't until now that I was reasonably sure the Republic wouldn't be in a good position to turn on me. I wouldn't be giving you this weapon otherwise."

"Every time I think you have some redeeming features..." Padme muttered darkly.

"Remind me again, whose Jedi attempted to murder me on multiple occasions and who was debating if would be for the best to issue a kill order with my name on it?" I pointedly looked at Satine.

"The Jedi betrayed the Republic." The Chancellor pointed out, making Anakin scowl.

"Not all of us!"

"And there are many who would have gladly followed their example if they weren't more afraid of the Separatists than from my people and me at the time." I countered. "We all know that right now 'the Republic' is an alliance of convenience bound together by self interests and fear from the Separatists and the Sith… and from what I gather, this situation isn't much different from what it was under Palpatine. He merely had the charisma, support and connections to keep the whole rotten mess together by more palpable means."

"Are we here to discuss the various failings of the Republic? Can't you do that on your own time?" Bo interjected.

It was funny to see everyone's reactions when the self-proclaimed Mandalorian Warrior in the room acted as the adult. There were a few angry looks sent her way but mostly mortification.

"Ahem. From what I see, this Silencer would be a strong power multiplier. We won't be able to have it built and installed in sufficient numbers to make a decisive difference in the short term. What else do you have to offer, general Veil?" Satine asked drawing on her Chancellor persona. It was quite impressive too – she was all professional now and there were no traces of her real feelings that could be seen unless you were a Force Adept.

"Our friends and enemies alike are terrified of what I would do next. I suggest we play on that fear. While the Separatists are concentrating their forces, preparing for the blow at Corellia, we're going to break the stalemate in the East."

"Mandalore." Iblis frowned. "Give us one strategic reason why we should release substantial forces for that theatre of operations?"

"Mandalore will be both a trap and a stepping stone. We will let the Bothan Spy Net learn the truth – that after relieving Mandalore, I'll be leading an offensive in Separatist space and bring their worlds to their knees."

A few moments of stunned silence followed until Anakin nodded. "You want to draw as much of the enemy fleets in the quadrant as possible in one grand battle and annihilate them. Just like at Geonosis but bigger – turn their trap back on them."