[16 BBY]

[Moff's Ready Room, Command Bridge, Command Deck, Imperial Capital-class Warship Stormcrow, Imperial 1st Frontier Fleet, in orbit Eriadu, Eriadu System, Seswenna Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

"This is very Seppie…I mean, Confederate looking fleet Daron" Braika said to me as she sat across from me with Gardan and Asajj in attendance, all of us going through logistics "Just saying"

I shrugged, arms up helplessly "It is battle for scraps right now, their concentrating all the best ships into three heavy mobile fleets, system defence fleets are returning home and being reorganised…and then there's all the rest of us trying to get what active heavies are left over. There is a veritable mountain of warships at Naboo needing repair or salvage….to be honest, we're getting quite a lot of support in this"

"It's just very separatist in fleet structure"

I sighed at Asajj's amusement "Yes, it is, we'll live with that, because that's what we've got, and, let's be honest, the Lucrehulks are very, very, useful for what we plan to do"

"As mobile bases with starfighter ranging?" Braika queried "Since we won't have the fleet we've had till now?"

"We work with what's available, and what we've got available is an invasion fleet crossed with a colonisation fleet" I muttered rubbing by chin, then motioning at the displays "Now, I will admit that is partly me, because I've been grabbing as many repair ships as I can, along with light freighters and various engineers. We're building bases…and we've wrecks to salvage from our previous operations. So, yes, starfighters and droid-fighters are going to be our focus unfortunately for dealing with patrolling"

I gave a shrugging gesture "Bright side, I have managed to get us a good stock of ARC-170s, we have our TIEs, and, hopefully, production lines given time. We are forming a military academy after all"

"A mobile one" Braika snorted at that, shaking her head "Or, just training on the ship as it were"

"Yeah, well, there'll be a planet side base too…eventually" I admitted gesturing at the star charts "So, yes, lots of fancy names for things that don't exist yet. Or, simply put, our job is to make those fancy sounding things a reality within the next few years"

She nodded "It's achievable"

Then glanced at Asajj "Your world is first in line"

Asajj nodded, smiled "Yes…full control will be good, and then, when the rot is burned away…it will have factories and other industry to support this fleet"

"No, our supposed friends and allies from here to Greater Javin all the way back to Gai'Solem and the rest of the Lipsec region are our first ports of call" I stated showing our projected route "We need to cooperate with Yanthis for one, as well as Locus Geen, as his Second Battle Fleet will be basing out of Great Javin"

It was an ad-hoc response to the current situation, and everyone knew it. Losses amongst the mobile fleet had been severe, even if the Confederates had suffered far more losses, and now we were, technically, out of the war other focuses had to get attention. So, as best I understood matters, our High Command were focusing our remaining mobile, heavy, starships formations into three fleets based out of Greater Javin, Seswenna, and Naboo-Enarc. The main being at Eriadu, the capital, in Seswenna obviously, but we'd, in theory, have support from Greater Javin.

Then there were six 'Frontier' fleets, like my own, where were glorified colonisation/suppression fleets that were meant to secure the hyperlanes and the borders, with a relevant 'Battle Fleet' ready in support if called upon for help. That was Locus Geen for me and a number of others, all of whom had worked with the human before, along with Sector Defence Fleets. It wasn't a long-term viable solution, not with the plans our new Emperror and his allies seemed to have, but it would work with what was there now. Repairs would soon start to churn a whole lot of starships back into our fleets…or new fleets, or whatever, as standardising the 'Imperial Military' was going to a thing as well.

"Training by combat?" Gardan asked as he reviewed the information as Captain of the Stormcrow "Pirate suppressing and being a training unit?"

Braika gave a grunt "And fighting any raiders or invaders from Wildspace or the Unknown Regions too"

"It is more cycling in green recruits in with our veterans, making sure they are trained…and settling our veterans as well" I pointed out as we discussed the various matters "The training programmes for the starfighter pilots and mechanics have priority, that's why we're talking. If we have to convert a few Lucrehulks into training ships…then we'll do that, but I need all of you onboard to make an integrated plan of action"

I held up a hand to forestall Asajj's amused smirky question "Yes, I've spoken to Secura, yes she's coming with us, and yes she'll be on training duty and pirate suppression"

"Ah, well…she is one of the…." Asajj grinned "Faces of the Imperial Starfighter Corps recruitment effort when one considers the subject"

I gave her a look, Braika chuckling and Gardan rolling his eyes "Yes, indeed. But, back to business, we'll e using the Stormcrow as a mobile baseship, and we'll see if we can add to that on out way to there…I'm in talks with the Figg family about an old barge they have that might be repairable for instance. We'll conduct upgrades and various finetuning of systems as well"

That was always an edge I wanted to maintain, and, ironically perhaps, now I'd actually be using the massive ship for what I'd always expected/feared I'd need to use it as – a mobile base in Wildspace. Though thankfully I wouldn't be using it to raid and flee from the Galactic Empire now, but instead to raid and play conqueror against the pirates that lived there. Tracking new, and hidden smuggler, hyperspace routes would be a big part of the game out on the frontier, as well as watching for any of the horrors I knew/suspected existed in the Unknown Regions. All in all, another busy task to perform, as the current peace was all certain a lie…

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[16 BBY]

[Royal Palace, Bardotta, Bardotta System, Shasos Sector, Colonies Region]

"Master Yuhn, Master Kermit, I welcome you" Queen Julia of Bardotta greeted the honourable monks of the Dagoyan Order "Your presence upon the Bahk-Tov Council is of great comfort to us all in the dark times"

Both masters of the Order bowed "Your Majesty, it is, as always an honour and a pleasure to serve you and our people"

Julia smiled warmly "Very formal Master Kermit"

The older Bardottan winked as he smiled at her, his colleague shaking his head in an exasperated manner "Oh, don't get too used to it Julia. Old fellow like me, many opinions I'll give, like them, many shall not"

"That is why I sought you out old grump, times have taught hard lessons" she replied honestly, thinking on the dark days of recent years, of betrayal, then hope, and then watching it all fall apart as Bardotta thought to take a slightly less insular role in the galaxy. Only for the galaxy to burn "And hard questions I too will have to ask"

The older monk sighed, arms folded in the sleeves of his robes, as serene yet weathered as Julia remember from her time as a youngling and taking lessons from this male "The younglings we have taken in"

"How known is it?" she asked calmly as they walked into the empty council chambers. This was an informal meeting after all, and those guards present were those trusted, having been thoroughly loyal checked after the destruction of the Frangawl Cult once more. High Seneschal Peteen's betrayals had been deep, but the wounds had begun to heal "That should find out…"

"You were to be informed majesty" the old monk murmured "So less easily than other ways one hopes, and, through the Force, we hide them and our own from dark and greedy eyes as best we can"

He chuckled "Perhaps some amusement of the Force, in that we watched them for such things, and now we hide these ones amidst our own"

Julia smiled "I agree you understand, it is the right and correct choice. The innocent must be sheltered, but I must be aware of the dangers at our orbitals"

"The galaxy has turned dangerous your Majesty, and our Order's visions have…cleared" the younger monk, Yuhn, murmured calmly, kindly "We would not advocate for helping grow such violence, but, as the Frangawl showed, we are not isolated from the darkness either. We will, and do not, bring any greater threat to our world's orbits that do not already threaten them"

Old Master Kermit gave a nod "It is a Master Yuhn says majesty, dangers lurk, and much as we are loathe to do so, the Order supports the efforts of those such as your honourable self to strengthen the Royal Guard. If aide is needed, then spiritual guidance we shall give, be it here in council, or in council with warriors whose wounds need tending. Or to seek out those that would abuse their powers and seek to cause disharmony or even harm upon our fair world"

Her old teacher sighed sadly "It is regrettable, for even as we made peace with the Jedi they have been shattered, just as the Republic. But you seek to ask other things"

"My…" Julia paused, uncomfortable to say what she had debated but had not been granted due to rank and needs of her people versus Jar Jar's own duty to his people "…someone I am close to has risen to heights within the Empire to the southern trailing. I would not entangle our world, but…it would be best to seek aid, secretly, from now Chancellor"

"It may be advisable majesty, yes, advisable to seek out…close friends" Kermit hummed back as they stood in the circle of the Council "For even the Order would be served to seek words with the successors to the Jedi, to avoid troubles, and, perhaps, to grant those younglings we have care of a choice"

Julia looked down "It was a deal with dead men"

"Aye, but we yet live, and harmony was offered, and we shall continue, as ever, to seek accord despite great differences in thought" he answered "The systems beyond us seek similar, but have their own concerns that darken their gazes"

She nodded. The sectors towards the Core from her world had largely been what one called 'Chancellorists', and were both hostile to the Jedi, as well as to those loyal Corellia. Julia was not fond of Corellia either, but it had made the nearby sectors unstable as both former friends, brothers, and allies under the Galactic Republic now tore at each other in pointless battle. It had made getting any warships, or even starfighters, exceedingly difficult, even as piracy looked to be a growing problem. While her world was committed to nonviolence, they could not allow chaos to cast everything in disharmony in their neutral sector either. For that would invite would be conquerors that styled themselves liberators for either Republic faction.

Bardotta needed to be strong enough to discourage any such aggression, as even the Dagoyan Masters had agreed there were times when inaction against violence led to even worse violence. That had been the lessons of the chaos of her world's early history after all, and now it swirled about them, especially with reports of 'Grand Offensives' in the Core by Corellia and Kuat against the Alsakan and Corusa aligned forces. None appealed to her, nor, in truth, did this Empire, but…personal bonds gave hope, especially in troubled times. So she nodded again "It is agreeable to me, and a refugee we shall be if needed, but…one that shall be able to shield itself as best it can"

Kermit gave a sad smile "Such is the hard path of seeing nonviolence, for, sometimes, it is not a matter good and bad to choose from, but of bad and lesser bad choices. But we must always seek our better nature even in those choices, even in these times…"

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