[19 BBY]
[Central Military Command, Raxus Secundus, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony, Outer Rim Territories]
"It seems we are at least gone from complete chaos, to some degree of organised chaos. That, at least, we can consider progress" Kleeve, General of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, stated as the 'Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Confederacy' sat in council. In theory they were to report to the Head of State, but Dooku had gone and gotten himself killed, alongside the official successor; Grievous. It was all rather frustrating Kleeve found as everything had been centralised around Count Dooku and his court, and the Count slain alongside said successor, there was nothing but power struggles and chaos within the upper ranks of the Confederacy.
The Harch, Trench, hissed, perhaps chuckling, or just being irritated. Kleeve often found it hard to tell the difference with the cyborg Admiral "Hssh, yes, better, but again...hiss...what was Dooku thinking"
Kleeve gave a snort "A mystery for ages I fear"
On the positive side Dooku had at least considered the possibility he, and Grievous, could be captured in battle, or in this case slain and his command ship captured. Tactical droids aboard their vessels, on some unknown subroutine, had begun purging databanks and transmitting emergency codes after the battle to ensure as little information as possible was captured. Unfortunately, and on the truly, maddeningly, negative side, the insane overkill Kleeve's former Commander-in-Chief had extended the file purge across the board.
Communications held in secure stores here on Raxus Secundus, or on his palace on Serreno, were also utterly, utterly, purged. From records of orders issues, logistics, down to communications between Dooku and his agents within the Republic;- Confederate Naval Intelligence had traced signals back and forth between the, then deceased, Count's primary hubs and Coruscant after all. Everyone was now sure that it was further purging names of deployed agents, ensuring the Republic would not learn of them and, much more worryingly, likely behind the sudden attacks on prominent Republic politicians after the death.
'My Count, what were you thinking?' Kleeve thought to himself once again as the progress report on their cobbled together command structure on the combined forces of the Confederacy. Till Dathomir the Devaronian had been certain they'd been on the verge of winning, but now that they were grasping the big picture it was clear that was less certain, even without the problem of the dead Head of State and the defeat there. Now it was clear despite losses and retreats the Republic militarily stronger than realised, and the Count had been holding back information from Parliament, Generals like Kleeve and the others, for fear of discouraging them perhaps.
"It is making prevent skirmishes with the Republics forward elements impossible" the pirate turned 'loyal' General of the Trade Federation Toth stated bringing up the various reports from the Galactic South "...the Stormcrow clash for instance, he's passed through Christophsis to note, and the clashes near Vondarc with Zsinji could be ours you understand?"
"Lose some of your captured ships Toth hssh hsssh hssh"
The human 'loyalist' glared coldly at Trench "No, claims and lies of the Republic aside. Those models were not amongst those under construction at Kuat"
"Fellow sentients, we must not dissent amongst ourselves. Not with peace, and victorious peace, so close, and other dangers arising" Dua Ningo, their Sullustan colleague and Admiral of the increasingly powerful Bulwark Fleet, stated calmly. Kleeve knew the height challenged Admiral had been angered by the calling off of the Anaxes offensive he had planned, largely in retaliation for the fall of his homeworld Kleeve suspected. Having seen reports of Republic strength available to Dooku it was clear it had been called off for good reason, though Ningo seemed less convinced of that...but he was biased in Kleeve's opinion as he nodded, replied.
"Yes, the Mandalorians their so-called Sith"
Trench hissed, angrily "Hsssshhh...killed Dooku, Grievous, and recent battles unfavourable. They are stronger than they should be"
"Black Sun, Pike Syndicate, a host of other pirate fleets. If Dooku hadn't gotten his fleet destroyed..."
Mar Tuk, the cyborg eyed Neimodian, silent till now, cut off Toth, waving his hand "If, if, if, Dooku and Grievous got our most modern fleet formation torn to shreds over a backwater we still have no idea why he went to, then threw our commands in chaos by dying. Allowing Parliament to send a force to seize Draboon was a mistake, and cost us badly despite keeping it silent, and now the Mandalorians raid our forward systems almost daily"
"Pinpricks" Kleeve pointed out "Nothing serious so far, they are merely probing us, if peace is made with the Republic, on favourable terms as we are being told, then crushing the Mandalorians, even if by just by weight of numbers, becomes viable. Right now nobody wants to risk another major reversal and show weakness, or if we are called upon to begin major offensive operations against the Republic again"
Toth hummed in thought "Easier said than done Kleeve, as we have reorganised, so has the Republic, and they have heavily reinforced all the major sectors bordering us, and reinforcing Bonadan the pocket, the Mon Cala one, with this ceasefire. Which could all break down because some secret protocols a dead man wrote up and authorised is running along with no way for us to stop it!"
"We don't know that for sure" Kleeve argued weakly, and the others showing the same level of belief in that thought that Kleeve had "...though, yes, it is possible. As we have told our patrons we can do nothing about it, and best pretend we know nothing about it. Let it run its course, and hope its ire eliminates dangerous enemies like the Stormcrow, or Skywalker, or those opposing a victorious peace like the Republic militarists being targeted. And if it fails..."
He shrugged "That's why we are using this breathing room to reorganise our forces is it not?"
--
[19 BBY]
[Modified Minstrel-class space yacht Midnight Beauty, Entering unnamed System, just beyond the Outer Rim Territories]
Shaak Ti collapsed to the floor of the training room shrieking in pain as the shock-staff impacted her bare back, then continuing as the next, and the next, droid held weapon slammed into her body inflicting agony on her till darkness claimed her. For how long she didn't know, seconds it felt like as everything hurt as her eyes fluttered open once again to the shinning silvery floor of the training room. Or torture room as she found it as she was felt the Force seize her, forcing her back up to stand as she groaned, standing on weak wobbly legs, despite the droids and floating training spheres having retreated.
"Oh, so close Shaak, getting there, getting there I suppose. Your skills are slowly getting to half the level your mouth claimed they were at. I'd rate Knight level now, maybe" her personal tormentor told her cheerfully clapping as she panted and sweated, barely holding unto the training saber in her right hand. She sank down a little, hands resting on knees as she tried to catch her breath as the Force helped her stand, at best, having been driven to her limit in beyond in the demented training regime from the Darkest Depths of the Dark Side.
Recited the Code to steady herself, before taking a breath, straightening as she turned off the training lightsaber, and bowed faintly to the Sith who'd taken 'ownership' of her as he made a 'tut-tut' noise, gesturing with his fingers. It was frustrating as he ignored the fact she was without clothing as usual; the laughter and sheer amusement at her one attempt at a seduction effort to cause him to lower his guard had annoyed her greatly. The fact he seemed completely uninterested at all, other than as a 'training tool' as pain-sticks on bare skin was significantly worse than when buffered by...anything really.
"I'm sorry to disappoint Master"
Good cheer in the tone as he pointed at her "See you can make Master sound so threatening and sarcastic in inflection, Master, reminds me of my Sith Apprentice, or Harkun after I outranked him!"
Shaak Ti let out another ragged breath, utterly exhausted physically and mentally as only drawing on the Force was keeping her going currently, and Darth Imperious knew that obviously "I won't fall, I am a Jedi Master, of the Council. You may humiliate me, torment me, whatever your dark mind dreams of, but this will not break me Sith"
"Nuh-uh, manners now"
She sighed, grunted, as the sweat clung to her, and she stank after the hours of intense exercise "Master, my apologies Master"
It was best not to test the limits there, not with a control chip in her brain and the ability to inflict pain on her with a button press. The Sith, strangely, had used it only once so far, when she had attempted to escape shortly they departed the Hutts Palace, but 'offenses' as he called them led to things like training 'difficulty' going up, or him 'training her personally' instead. It was less painful than the droids, but the casual ease of defeat and the banter was somehow much worse to suffer through.
"Don't worry apprentice, keep up the hard-work and I'll start to take you seriously even!" he replied clapping his hands "Anyway I came to see you as we've arrived somewhere! Come on now, drop that toy in your hands, shower quickly, and walk with me to the bridge"
"Ugh...yes Master" Shaak replied handing over the training 'weapon' over the droid that offered its open hand towards her and a black red trimmed robe and boots in the other. Retreating to the cubicle across the room she groaned at the cold water, hot only being available upon 'success', before quickly drying and accepting the robe from the droid. Thankfully it opened and slide over her shoulders easily as she trudged along beside the Sith up the corridor of the converted luxury yacht. Forced herself to straighten, to march at a nudge from him in the Force as the exited the training area;- to stand tall and proud as one of the mercenaries saluted them as they passed, headed towards the bridge.
"See! Tada!" the skull masked lunatic announced as they came upon the bridge revealing a field of stars, and then the faintly illuminated form of starships "After all these years at least ONE of my super secret stashes are still there. Yes, yes, Apprentice, I am just that awesome!"
"Those are..."
"Ah, historical records for you! Museum pieces!" he bantered back at her simple statement, then glanced at him as he gestured at the viewscreen "But hey, it is the start! Even I only get to keep two...and find a crew for them...anyway, three Harrower-class dreadnoughts! The start of our fleet! The Empire!"
Shaak Ti sighed despite the exhaustion, shaking her head "You are insane if you think two ancient, likely non-functional, warships will do more than make you a larger target...Master"
"Oh Shaak Ti, all Sith are crazy, I'm just the love-able kind!" he retorted as the crew supplied by the Hutts went about scanning the ships out here in the middle of nowhere "Also the kind that will save the Galaxy, because apparently I have to do it again, do you know how kriffing useless you Jedi have been, how bad you let the Galaxy get in the past few millennia without me"
She straightened, drawing upon the Force to hold her proud "We have been Guardians of the Peace Sith, Protectors of the Republic, and your kind bring only death, destruction, and horror in their wake...Master!"
"Yes, yes, heard that song many times, the more things change the more they don't. I'm sure the Core worlds are doing absolutely super as always. The useless, weak, parasites there ruling over the strong, the skilled, and the worthy because of where they were born not innate strength...also hunting me down when I was doing nothing!" he replied smirking in his stolen body, arms folded across chest "So I've decided to reform the Dark Council"
She just stared at him and he pointed at himself, then her, and then at himself again as he spoke "Me, you, and the voice in my head! For now at least. Together we shall right wrongs! Bring worlds to greatness! Restore the Glorious Sith Empire! Uplift these fallen worlds! Retake the rights and titles Corelia denys me! Oh, and return me to my true body and my glorious colicoid heritage"
Shaak Ti decided she had fallen unconscious and was currently in a terrible nightmare...
--