[19 BYY]

[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Republic Third Fleet {Army of Light}, In Orbit Gerrenthum, Gerrenthum System, Anoat Sector, Greater Javin Region, Outer Rim Territories]

"Joys of victory, now we have to wine and dine the local dignitaries..." I told Asajj as we walked through the bright and alive park on my person deck "...so your choice to attend as a bodyguard, or as the future Lady of Rattatak, or equivalent. You get a nice military uniform, or one of those fancy dresses I've been told I've no sense of taste in"

"Hmm, somehow that is more bothersome than the battles, or ghosts we have faced of late..." Asajj grumbled back as we enjoyed the 'fresh air' as the fake breeze blew, and birds sang softly in the simulacrum of an actual meditation garden "...and what of the...Jedi?"

"Miss Morne?" because who else could she mean "...a day out of quarantine and currently studying everything she can on our recent, and not so recent, history. She's been rather more patient that I'd expected honestly, and that discussion will come later. I'll be truthful with you...I'd prefer her on our side, even if just from the skills and knowledge she can teach, or simply knowing the location of potential stores of such knowledge, or Jedi relics"

Asajj nodded as we stood before the 'mini-lake' as I like to call it, though it was more a giant swimming pool that'd been designed to have fish and other life inside "Hmm, she was not what I expected"

I smiled faintly "Yes, talkative sort wasn't she on the day we all shared in quarantine with her? Trying to find our more, just be wary of her absolute hatred of Sith. Her knee-jerk reaction to Mandalorians may be an issue as well, but she is something of living proof that what I gathered about the Jedi once upon a time"

"Yes" she seemed to agree with a nod "And I shall attend another of these...meals, and meet with these puffed up fools. Are you bringing me on your arm?"

"If you wish..." I replied with a faint snort of amusement at her false sweetness and light "...I'm having to attend in my own formalwear, rather than proper armour"

"You associate with that mando female too much"

I rolled my eyes "You don't like Braika for putting you through the same training regime I did. Just remember...you asked for it"

Asajj shook her head "I just do not see the benefits of training in Not using the Force, when we are powerful!"

"Because it clears the mind, the Force can betray you, cause you to obsess. That, and being ready to deal with situation where someone shuts you down by various poisons, or certain very expensive lizards, of course. Better to be prepared if you can be I find"

She frowned, studying the waters before us, feeling the careful cultivated Force energies burbling around my little garden "Perhaps, perhaps. Now that you've won a great victory, what are our plans?"

"Wine and dine dignitaries of course!"

Asajj glared at me, and I gave an amused chuckle "Fine. We're going to try secure our operational area of course on the back of said victory. Limited offensive operations for a time I'll be honest, as our fleet took a battering, victory aside, and making re-establishing zones of control...ya'know, supply routes, bases, garrisons, the like"

She sighed "It was such much easier in dealing with droid armies and when Dooku had simply commanded"

I gave a snort at that "Yes, and that worked out so well. Anyway, Dooku wanted you to do missions, like a minion, I want you to command, but that also means listening to your subordinates. Or in dealing the puffed up bureaucrats and nobles that seem to infest every world and system. Some of them are worth keeping, most aren't, but I've found its chore to learn. Look on the bright side; you get to eat nice food and get drunk while dealing with them!"

Asajj actual gave a faint laugh "After days in a miserable quarantine, after strange ghosts, I do believe I would welcome those pleasures of this new job..."

--

[19 BBY]

[Royal Palace, under the oceans of Dac, Calamari System, Calamari Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

Lee-Char, King of Dac, watched the battle up in orbit around his homeworld, beyond where the planetary shields shimmered and withstood the assault. It was largely in the hands of Ackbar and the professionals of the Fleet now, along with the remnants of Republic's strike fleet from nearby systems. The screens showed constant flashes of light and destruction as the Separatist fleet, foolishly, pressed forward into the defences as the fleet in orbit retreated back, slowly, towards the moons.

"Second wave defences engaging in...four...three...two...one...engaging!" echoed out through the waters as the fleet 'hidden' in the storm above the oceans, and under the planetary shields, at great fuel cost began to rise above the cloud cover and open fire. Aging ships mostly, but ones with powerful weapons, that would be slow and poorly defended in a true space engagement...but not here and now. Here and now they were clustered together behind Dac's modern planetary defences, and even the ancient, albeit restored and refitted, railguns and coilguns began to fire.

"Is everything engaged" was all he could ask. Things had gone from good to disastrous in their region of space is shocking period of time. Not long ago...what seemed like an eternity ago now...their pocket had been slowly pressing at the Separatist positions along the hyperlane, even despite the losses in the civil war. Then everything went insane as Jedi and Clone Legions started murdering each other, word reached them the military was launching a coup on Coruscant, and that the Supreme Chancellor was either a Sith or a secret Jedi plant. Either way it had mattered much;- the result had been chaos within the Republic in politics and military as everything fell apart.

"Yes your Majesty, both ours and theirs it seems" his brother replied, and Lee-Char longed for the days when that answer would have been 'brother' or 'my friend', but they were gone. He was King now, and what had to be, had to be, for him to do his duty. The last time they had the aid of Jedi, of elite Gungan aquatic shock troops, and other support, but now there was none of those things. Just what they could deploy from the shipyards and graveyards, and draw in from their allied systems in the Sector; spirits, he even recognised one of the ships under the planetary shield as a museum piece he'd swam aboard once as a youngling.

"Enemy droid-fighters and landers attempting to approach the planetary shields to attempt bypass the Admiral believes" one of the nearby officers called out, and Lee-Char nodded, gesturing as was agreed prior to the battle should this situation arise. One of the lessons of being a leader was to keep up confidence in others, and to make sure orders, even obvious and pre-planned ones like this, were followed. Or at least that's what his brother Lemcke had told him, with the support of Fleet Commander Ackbar.

"Activate drone defence grid, and order Task-force Dac to deploy all star-fighters and aero-fighters to eliminate any enemies that breech the shield. Cruisers and Reserve vessels to maintain fire on the main enemy fleet element"

The Separatists had the numbers, even if now half-caught between the mobile task-force and task-force Dac under the planetary shield, and they were using them. He wasn't yet skilled or knowledgeable enough to know for sure, but it seemed to him that enemy were slowly starting to overwhelm his people's forces despite the dreadful casualties they were suffering. If this kept up the mobile task-force would need to flee, and they'd have face the enemy attempts to batter their planetary defences down; though in truth that'd already started as he watched droid-fighters die...

Lee-Char blinked as one of the Luchrehulks at the rear of the enemy assault fleet exploded...or, well, shuddered violently according to the sensor data behind the icons on the holo-tactical as it's shields dropped first. Three large unknown icons appeared, roughly resembling Venator-class Star Destroyers as his officers reported some sort of energy surge...or surges...prior to the exploding enemy battleship "Report?"

"Unknown Majesty, there are..." one of the sensor officers, a Quareen, reported before suddenly cutting off as an enemy frigate exploded a minute later and a wide-beam broadcast was detected. Lee-Char immediately gestured for it to be displayed, watching as the Separatists began to shift forces to deal with the three arriving Star Destroyers. Two of which were launching unknown star-fighters while the third, the source of this transmission, was giving off very high energy reading...

"People of Dac!" a hologram flashed into existence, of a hooded and robed figure gesticulating wildly with his arms "It is I, Darth Imperious, Dark Council Member of the Restored Sith Empire, and I have come to save your planet..."

Lee-Char blinked, looking around him, this a bad thing probably?

--

[19 BBY]

[Royal Palace, Sundari City, Mandalore, Mandalore System, Mid Rim]

Pre Vizsla, of Clan Vizsla, looked out over the sunlit vista of Sundari, at the shadows of ships in the skies above. His now to command- though not fully; merely as Duke, rather than a true Mandalore of old as he so wished to do even now. Certainly while Fett lived, nor the possibility of the coalition they'd created risked fracturing by such a bold move, as there were potential challengers to that title that he could not easily risk duelling. Even Jango Fett was more intent on revenge against him and Death Watch that truly leading their people, and Satine Kryze and her new Mandalorians remained a strong bloc now that war had begun.

'Speak of Kryze' he noted, turning his head as one of senior commandoes descended with a flare of her jet-pack. Bo-Katan so liked to show off her found, and he personally found it hilarious watching the two Kryze sisters interact "What news?"

His lieutenant smirked "Seems the Confederates just suffered another big setback over Mon Cala, another Force-user claiming to be Sith turned up and blew up their flagship or something. Maul is in an 'aden, had to give him a few droids on murder-mode to calm him down"

Pre Vizsla sighed, hands behind his back and watching the light shimmer off the city "Another one? Was everyone leading Republic forces secretly a Sith all along?"

Bo-Katan shrugged "Ah-dun-no, lot of'em. More of challenge I say! Driving my sister up the walls, and Maul, so my day is complete...Restored Sith Empire, heh. Between that and the Chancellor being a Sith Lord, Chorn's protégé, and all the fighting;- we were born in the right century! A chance to bring back the glory of our people!"

He nodded "That we can agree with, allies aside...are the two brothers stable?"

"Well, as much as Sith can be I guess. I find the Kenobi and Palpatine holograms help on the droids..." Kryze replied with a cocky smirk "...and not that I disagree with him being crank. Nobody likes their Mother turning and starting to help to direct your battlefield of choice"

She paused, a more serious look on her face "I suspect the new arrivals have helped keep them and the Pike lot in line. I don't know if she is their mother like the tests you had claimed, but their allied but not allied. Nor is she really on our side"

Pre Vizsla shook his head at that "Of course she isn't, she's on her own side, just like the rest of us. Even down to sending some of her witches to Chorn and her Stormcrow, she's keeping her options open. But right now, and likely for some time to come, we all have similar interests with the Sith Supreme Chancellor trying to kill us all, alongside the Confederacy, and Fett. Much as I hate to admit it...some Force-users would be of use in dealing with these Jedi running about"

'And as a counter-balance to Maul' he didn't say as Bo-Katan shrugged since she only cared for the six arrived Nightsisters, or Witches, as useful sparring partners. The truth was the Separatists were throwing vast droid legions at the Mandalorian League right now, alongside Fett's Crusaders and other Confederate actual troopers, and freeing up true soldiers from 'policing' was important to keep up their momentum. Satine and her pacifists had at least been useful in that regards as, useless as they were at times, they were still Mandalorians and putting them in those roles gave no complaint. No complaint and freed up more Death Watch, but that didn't mean they could avoid watching other fronts.

"Once they've calmed down by breaking a few droids have someone summon them to a Council meeting. We need to discuss this new player, and if we can exploit the recent setbacks of the Confederacy..."

--