[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, In Orbit Javin, Javin System, Greater Javin Region, Outer Rim Territories]

'Well there go my original plans of going to Hoth' I thought reading through the accumulated information laid before me as the full Board of ESS sat in session aboard the Stormcrow. Hanna and Jacques had been in place before our arrival, and the political side laid out by our two Planetary Leaders, Solem and Karksis, indicated the situation was a potential house of cards. Well, perhaps not that bad, but there was a level of urgency here, and the Confederates were pushing down the Corelian Trade Spine into the gap, albeit cautiously for now.

The Kriselist system looked to be on the verge of switching sides firstly, and many systems were in wait and see mode all in all. For now though the Muugari were rolling in behind our version of the Republic, along with various Figg Family dominated worlds of Greater Javin, and that was enough if we moved fast. Or at least what resembled moving fast in slow motion as we were forced to organise the Sector into something resembling order once again. Revolutions and military coups were just like that, and locking down the great expanse of the Outer Rim Territories Trailing from Javin to the Unknown regions. To do that we had certain matters to deal with first and foremost...

I let out a sigh, looking at the others "So...we need to strike at the Confederate fleet sooner rather than later?"

Jurdan nodded "Yes, we do. Everyone's looking to see who's the strongest side, and that means sitting things out till...well, till, somebody fills that role in their eyes"

"Which better be us from our point of view..." Hanna clarified the obvious, looking like she was dressed for Gala rather than a council of war "...as we need credits, and other worlds to cooperate in things anti-piracy patrols, and, oh, not selling us out to the Separatists, or Chancellorists, or the deserters running about"

"I know, I agree..." I muttered resting back in the chair "...but it's going to be obvious when we move with the gaggle of ships assembled here. Keeping that level of operational security on an ad-hoc force like this is going to be hard"

'Hard' really meant impossible, as while I was relatively confident of our forces, ESS and Aegis Guard, the muddle of others loyalty was far more suspect. Very necessary muddle of reinforcements of course, but that didn't mean it wasn't bringing its own problems when 'loyalty' to 'the Republic' could mean anything and everything to different people. Sending Asajj and Naa'leth off might have been a mistake, at least in terms of timing, but what was done was done, and we had to work with what we had on hand; in this case the fleet we'd assembled here, and the half-baked plans we'd drawn up.

The problem was you couldn't just go 'We must move, Now!' with such a large number of starships when we were still hammering out a fleet structure outside our own forces. I'd somewhat relied on the previous Republic systems staying functional, but since arriving we'd had to wine and dine several Sector 'leaders' to ensure their loyalty, or at least cooperation, just to get a bare minimum of operations. My own fault really; I'd wanted a crumbling, and I'd got a 'late stage empire decline' just like I'd wanted...along with all the problems that came with that situation.

Jacques shrugged, the old pirate uncaring it seemed, largely because he wouldn't be the one charging in turbolasers a blazing I suspected "Them's the breaks Captain-General. Look, lets be straight here me fellow sentients...we need lay down the law, or the drift'll get hard to taper down on as time passes. Legitimacy comes at the barrel of the blaster in many, many, places"

The old Solemite, the First Amongst Equals of Solem, Ardal Bren nodded "Unfortunate, but true in the case of several systems. Recent years have seen our lot in life improve; our worlds are flourishing for the first time in generations, centuries...so we must ensure that continues. If the Trade Federation were to regain a foothold in the nearby Sectors..."

He trailed off, and we could all silently agree that would be bad for our collective self-interest. Still, the idea of the Trade Federation wasn't inherently wrong, and the concept of it would help create a more solid base to operate our forces from. So I nodded in agreement, then moved at a tangent "Which is why we need to get a coalition of worlds handling economic concerns together in this region. We need to keep the Trade Federation and Banking Clan out, and fund our own forces to do that, so we need make sure the services they provided are in place. They built their power on actual needs of member worlds as well as exploitation of the rest of us...and as Sector Commander we can sign off on this – but I don't have time to do such groundwork"

Hanna nodded, as did the ruler of my homeworld and that of Karksis, bringing her manicured hands together on the table and looking speculative "Hmm...you're talking about a formal Charter?"

"Uh-huh, call it the Republic Economic League, Outer Rim Traders Association, or something like that..." I replied waving it away "...what matters is the financial support to keep us in the field. We should be able to sell it to Eriadu as long as we aren't too blatant about it. Myself, Jurdan, and Shesagora will handle the situation on the Corellian run as best we can, but we're going to have to hammer our logistics into something resembling an organised state while we're doing that. At least that'll separate out those who'll play ball with us willingly and those who need a bit more...forceful negotiation...to bring around to our cause"

War was unfortunate like that, and sometimes you had to make deals with bad people and let well intentioned idiots, and pacifists, suffer the consequences of not living in a galaxy at peace. Not that many in the Outer Rim felt any sympathy for that sort; those were usually the kind that benefit off the 'peace' that had seen worlds like my homeworld reduced over the centuries to poverty. All the bleeding hearts in the Core that spoke against slavery, but in the end built the system that had expanded slavery's hold in the Outer Rim since the Ruusan Reformation, really didn't matter anymore. Order would prevail in the Outer Rim, no matter the cost...

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[19 BBY]

[Approaching Executive Security Solutions YT-1300 Freighter Midnight Shadow, Spaceport, Nar Saddaa, Y'Toub System, Hutt Space]

Night, rain, and misery...Asajj Ventress was glad to be getting off of Nar Shaddaa, package secure, information exchanged, as the rain hammered down on her robe and armour clad body. Artificial rain at that, cold and tainted black, as the vile world gave forth vile tears part of her mind told her. Something she gave a faint snort at; too long with Daron Stormcrow it seemed if such turns of phrase were creeping into her thoughts. Whatever the case her current vessel wasn't too far off as the electrical discharges lit the control towers around the Spaceport, the Force whispering darkly at the back of her mind.

'Something to be on guard for then' she thought striding forward, the package following along behind her a squad of droids and armoured soldiers. Too like a holo-vid, and as her new ally kept complaining of; the Force did love its drama at times. An odd way to interpret the Force's urge to conflict as the Sith and Nightsisters taught, but not too far distant, and right now her instincts were on edge after only two deaths acquiring the item hovering over the wet hard ground of the spaceport. Her hand drifted up to the comm-unit activator at her neck, at the base of her helmet.

"Confirm secure? 5Y-42N"

"Confirm secure Colonel, 2X-33P. No activity" came back after a few seconds and Asajj moved her eyes back and forth over the nearby buildings around them just a little more actively than before. Nothing of course, but something...felt...off, and that was rarely a good thing, nor was the fact the level of activity around them was some less than upon arrival. No Hutt mercenaries glaring at them, or spies watching them, merely handling droids and haulage machines loudly rumbling at some smaller star-fighters and shuttles being brought under shelter.

Marshalling her passion, controlling it, directing it, she reached out around in the Force...

...there, power sang back to her left...no three sources of power...

Ones that realised they had been spotted, coming out from a landing shed ahead of the, two on the left side, a third on the right as lightsabers ignited in the dark gloom. Asajj raised her hand, weapons of soldiers and assault droids raising, shields igniting into indigo light as they formed up around the package at the sight two hundred metres distant and her hand signal. Perhaps leaving Naa'leth at the heavily armed light freighter had been a good idea if three Jedi were running about, and clearly hostile. Still...she had learned control, better control at least, from a certain someone and perhaps these fools would reveal some useful information before she killed them.

"Well if it isn't three little lost Jedi..." she smirked at them not yet drawing her own blade, showing them the contempt they deserved "...and how can we help you this foul night? Come to seek asylum from all the scary people seeking to arrest or kill you? Hmm? If you would lower those toys I'm sure I could...put in a good word for you!"

"Silence Sith!" the one in the middle, with the green lightsaber snarled...oh, someone had lost their calm 'serenity' it seemed "You will die here for your crimes! Whatever vile task you wish to accomplish for your dark master ends here"

Asajj sighed behind her helmet "Now, now, Master Jedi, I've been granted amnesty for any such crimes, as my former Master is dead. I work for the Republic now, just my ever loyal Captain-General, the Stormcrow. The one whose orders I'm currently operating on. So, whatever has gotten into you my poor, shivering, lost Jedi?"

"The false General! The traitor! Just like the Chancellor! A Sith!" another of the trio cried out over the rumbling rain, waving the lightsaber dramatically as the feminine voice continued "What foul monstrosity of the Dark Side do you claim Sith?! Tell us and we shall make your death swift and painless"

Honestly dealing with Jedi was confusing sometimes Asajj found just looking at the three idiots a moment, before shaking her head as they just stood there rather than attacking "I think you're all very confused, it must be the cold and rain...and the whole being traitors to the Republic thing. I read it on the Holo-Net, so it MUST be True!"

"SITH LIES!!!"

'Oh, someone was getting emotional it seems' Asajj nodded raising a finger and waggling it at the robed female Jedi "Tut-tut, don't you remember. There is No Emotion, there is Peace..."

Anger spiked, emotion, movement, as the female and third...a male from the sounds of the snarl...roared out a battle-cry and charged forward as the first, the male, raised his free hand and futilely called for the other two to hold. Asajj gestured with her free hand again, fingers flicking a signal as her other drew her blade and ignited it into crimson light. Slug-thrower rounds echoed out, lightsabers blurred to stop them...

Something of a mistake for one of the Jedi as he, she was sure it was male despite the screams that followed, blocked the slugs directly in front of him...causing the alchemical mixture inside to ignite and spray back into his face. Face and clothing which, despite the rain caught aflame, as he fell backwards to the ground and momentarily stunned his two compatriots. Idiots really...

Asajj stepped forward, gripping the blade hand of the Jedi in front of her, and jammed the crimson blade into her heart. She was in control Asajj reminded herself, control and power, not just drawing deeply on her rage without thinking. No, she was power and grace, all rolled into one, and she glided forward passed the shrieking Jedi as the body slid off her blade. One more threat to be dealt with...

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