IMPERIAL STAR DESTROYER BLOODFIN, ENTERING BASTION ORBIT

For most of galactic history, the planet Bastion had gone unnoticed. Originally known as Sartinaynian, it had been a colony for those who wished to remain away from the politics of the Old Republic, before it was drawn into the Clone Wars by the Muuns of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. While no conflict had ever come to the planet, the Separatists had established multiple bases and used it to mine resources for the ships they were building on Yaga Minor and Jaemus. When the war ended and the Empire rose, the planet swore loyalty to the New Order, and became a steadfast supporter along with neighboring worlds like Muunilinst and Entralla.

When the Emperor fell, the planet came under the control of Grand Moff Ardus Kaine and his Pentastar Alignment, before being transferred back to the true Empire after Kaine's death. It was then that the planet came to be known as Bastion, since it was a bastion for the true Empire and the Council of Moffs. The citizens had embraced this change, and were happy to see the planet remain the Imperial capital following the signing of the Bastion Accords.

Despite undergoing devastation by the Yuuzhan Vong, Bastion had remained the symbol of Imperial power for three decades. Dozens of Star Destroyers orbited the world, along with multiple Golan defense and refueling platforms. Also above the planet was the Might of the Empire, a massive space station that served as the headquarters of the Imperial Navy. It was equipped with hangars large enough to fit a Star Destroyer, and was as well armed as an Executor-class dreadnought.

From the bridge of the Bloodfin, Jagged Fel watched as the Might of the Empire grew in size as the Star Destroyer approached it. Having just arrived back from Corellia, Head of State Vitor Reige had called a meeting with both the Moff Council and the heads of the Imperial military, and had set the meeting to be held aboard the space station. Jag was also invited to the meeting, given his status as Reige's chief advisor. He was not looking forward to it.

"Station control has authorized us to dock in Hangar 3," an officer reported from the portside crew pit.

"Understood," came the voice of Captain Lactamosa, "proceed." Lactamosa was the commander of the Bloodfin, having been handpicked by Reige to command the vessel. While the young man had initially been hesitant to take such a position, especially on a vessel with as much history as the Bloodfin, he had accepted after more convincing from Reige.

The door to the bridge opened behind Jag, and he turned to see Reige, flanked by two black-robed royal guards, stride in. Reige himself wore a dark gray suit with the Imperial cog on his upper right torso. Approaching the age of fifty, Reige sported short hair that was dyed black, along with a clean shaven face.

"Captain," Reige said, nodding at them, "Jag."

"Head of State," Jag replied.

"How far out are we?"

Lactamosa reported, "Ten minutes. We've been cleared to dock in Hangar 3."

"Very good, continue the course." Reige turned to Jag, "We had best prepare."
Jag nodded. "Of course." He followed Reige off the bridge, hoping they'd be able to converse without the officiality that was required in public.

As they walked towards the turbolift at the end of the hall, Jag opened up conversation. "I assume we'll be the last ones to arrive?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Admiral Yage reported that the last few moffs arrived an hour ago, and that the other admirals and generals were already present."

"I presume that Grand Moff Saretti is already in the hangar?" Jag asked as they entered the turbolift.

"He is, along with the rest of my staff."

They rode down in silence, which surprised Jag. Reige tended to enjoy creating small talk with him, which hinted to Jag that he was likely stressed about the upcoming meeting. Jag did not blame him, though. There would be much to discuss, and tensions with the Moff Council had been increasing in recent months.

Although tamer than it had been during Jag's short tenure as Head of State, the Council of Moffs had continued to be a thorn in Reige's side over the past six years. Two factions had formed in the wake of Daala's short-lived bid for Imperial power, with one supporting her and the other supporting Reige and Jag. The latter had won, of course, and had gained power in Reige's government because of it. Ephin Saretti, Moff of the Braxant Sector, had been promoted to Grand Moff and given the title of head of the Moff Council, and Moffs Getelles and Garreter had been given more jurisdiction over military assets.

The other faction, meanwhile, had been punished. Drikl Lecersen, Moff of the Albarrio Sector, who had played the most significant role in Daala's coup, was exiled from the Remnant and turned over to the Galactic Alliance, who had imprisoned him for treason due to his leadership of the Lecersen Conspiracy. Moff Vansyn, another ally of Lecersen's, was imprisoned by the Remnant, while the others had had their personal fleet's diminished and lost parts of their sectors to other moffs.

Initially, tensions among the moffs had been minimal, despite the fact that many were unhappy with Reige's election. As time passed however, tensions had risen again. Led by Malvek, moff of the Prefsbelt Sector, the faction of anti-Reige moffs had begun to voice their displeasure with the Head of State. While initially smaller than Saretti's pro-Reige faction, they had steadily grown in size, and encompassed many of the same moffs that had once supported Daala. Malvek himself was one of the older members of the council, having been one of the many to enlist following the destruction of the first Death Star. While not attaining the position of moff until after the Yuuzhan Vong War, Malvek had become a devoted follower of the Empire, and believed that Reige and especially Jag were not true Imperials.

Jag expected the coming meeting to be tense. The council would be forced to decide how to respond to Wynn Dorvan's assassination, and Jag doubted they would see eye to eye. Especially not with many other high ranking officials present.

When they arrived in the Bloodfin's main hangar bay the vessel had just finished docking inside the Might of the Empire, and the massive ramp that connected the hangar to the deck of the space station had just finished connecting. Grand Moff Saretii stood atop the ramp with a large group of stormtroopers, many wearing the black-striped armor of Reige's personal guard.

Saretti smiled as they approached, stepping forward to greet them. "Head of State," he said, nodding to Reige.

"Grand Moff," Reige returned. "Shall we proceed? I wouldn't want to keep the rest waiting."

Saretti hastily nodded. "Of course." He gestured down the ramp, where Jag could see two platoons of troopers already assembled to greet them within the Might of the Empire's hangar. He made a small shake of his head. He'd never been a fan of the elaborate greetings officers put together for the Head of State. He'd experienced plenty during his time in the position, and he'd only seen more since accepting a role in Reige's cabinet.

They reached the bottom of the ramp, where an older woman with graying-black hair stood along with more of Reige's personal stormtroopers. She wore an olive green officer's uniform, with the six blue squares that indicated her rank as an admiral plastered on her upper right torso.

"Admiral Yage!" Reige called, stepping off the ramp to greet her. "It's good to see you again."

Arien Yage smiled. "And you, Head of State," she said, shaking his hand. Yage had been a trusted friend to both Reige and Jag over the years, ever since she had assisted the Jedi in finding Zonama Sekot during the Vong War. Since then, she had steadily risen within the navy, eventually landing the rank of admiral and being given command of Bastion's defense fleet.

"I trust your trip went well?" she asked.

"Considering we avoided the brunt of the terrorist attack, you could say it did."

"I'm glad to hear it." She gestured towards the blast doors on the other side of the hangar. "The others have already assembled in the assembly hall. We shouldn't keep them waiting."
"Of course," Reige agreed, stepping forward. Then they followed Yage and her stormtroopers out of the hangar.

Yage had been right when she said the others were waiting, Jag thought, as they entered the assembly hall. Seated around the room were dozens of high ranking Imperials from multiple branches. The Moff Council sat at the front of the gallery, and behind them were the military chiefs. Along with the chiefs was the Imperial Supreme Commander, Grand Admiral Jern Farlin. Aged in his late forties, Farlin had risen quickly through the Imperial ranks, and had held favor with Admiral Pellaeon before his death. Farlin had been promoted to the position by Reige, and the two had maintained a healthy relationship over the years. While Reige wasn't as close with Farlin as he was with Yage, he could still trust the Grand Admiral to lead effectively. After all, he trusted him enough to appoint him as the Supreme Commander.

The final few rows were filled by select advisors and political officials, along with the chiefs of the ISB and Imperial Intelligence. The ISB had been revived by Reige in the early years of his administration, mostly as a safeguard against the treachery committed by some during Daala's coup. Led by Director Chorl Talhan, the ISB operated under the direct command of the Head of State.

"Welcome, Head of State," came the voice of Moff Getelles, who sat in the center of the row of moffs, next to the empty seat Jag assumed belonged to Saretti. "We're glad you are safe."

Most in the gallery nodded along with Getelles, although Jag noticed a few of the moffs remain still.

"As am I, Moff Getelles," Reige said, sitting down across from the gallery. After making eye contact with many of the people present, he continued, "Much has transpired over the past week, which is why I asked for all of you to attend today's meeting. I will ask, however, that discussion be limited to myself and the Moffs, unless you are specifically called upon. That should ensure that things run smoothly." He looked back to the moffs, specifically eyeing Malvek and a few others. "I would also ask that we keep this meeting civil. There is no need for conflict between any of us, regardless of what we are discussing. Unity binds the Empire together, after all."

There were nods from most in the crowd. Reige continued, "As I'm sure you're all aware, Wynn Dorvan was assassinated by a Corellian militia group on the first night of the Unification Summit. The group also killed multiple other high-ranking Alliance officials, and destroyed most of the hotel building they were staying at. No Imperials were targeted, although we were immediately rushed off world in a precautionary measure. Tensions between the Alliance and the Confederation are running at a high not seen since the Second Civil War, and as the other most powerful government in the galaxy, it will be expected that we respond to the situation in some way. I already have my own opinions on what we should do, but I would ask for the wisdom of the Moff Council in deciding on a path forward."

"If you already have an opinion," Moff Callron said, his voice coarse, "I don't see a reason to continue with the proceedings. You're the Head of State, and your opinion takes precedence over ours."

"That doesn't mean I won't take your opinions into account. The Moff Council is the official ruling body of the Empire, after all."

"If you want my opinion," came the deep voice of Moff Malvek, "we should use this as an opportunity to increase our strength once again. We made great territorial strides during the Second Civil War, and we should be able to again if the Alliance and the Confederation start trading blows."

Grand Moff Saretti eyed Malvek. "You forget the cost that came with our victories during the Second Civil War," he said. "Grand Admiral Pellaeon, dozens of Star Destroyers, and multiple moffs. Not to mention the fact that we technically lost the war to the Jedi. Was all that really worth it just to gain control over what, Borleias and Bilbringi?"

"The losses were unfortunate, to be sure," Malvek said calmly. "But sometimes you have to lose something to gain something."
"You miss Saretti's point, Moff Malvek," said Moff Garetter. "The gains did not outweigh the losses."

"That doesn't mean things will go the same way this time. The Empire is in a stronger place now than it has been since Palpatine's final death," Malvek argued.

"And we could make it even stronger through another war," Moff Woolbam added.

"Let's all pause for a second," Moff Vardian, the youngest of the moffs and the only woman on the council, interjected. "Everything in this discussion assumes that a conflict does break out between the Alliance and the Confederation. While I'll admit that that is a likely scenario, we can't completely disregard the fact that they may manage to work things out. Hell, right now we don't even know if the Confederation was responsible for Dorvan's death. And if I were a gambler, I'd put my money on them not being responsible."

"Well said, Moff Vardian," Malvek said coolly. "But don't you think it's a good idea to make plans for the scenario that they do go to war? I see no harm in humoring the possibility."

"I never said that," Vardian replied calmly. "All I said is that we shouldn't treat it as gospel that they will go to war."

Malvek made a small nod. "Of course not."

There was a moment of silence, before Reige restarted the conversation. "I think that both Moff Vardian and Malvek have a point," he said, speaking slowly. "We certainly should prepare for the possibility that the tensions between the Confederation and the Alliance do flare up into war, while also not treating it as an inevitability. What we certainly will not do is try and force conflict to break out."

Woolbam looked at him carefully. "I don't think anyone was suggesting that, Head of State."

Reige shook his head. "I wasn't suggesting that anyone was. I was only making sure that nobody would try and argue for that."

"Of course," Woolbam said.

After another half hour of conversation, in which Malvek and Saretti got into another heated debate over the distribution of naval forces within the Empire, Reige once again attempted to recenter the discussion, proposing for an emissary to be sent to Coruscant.

"And who would we send?" asked Callron. "Surely not a moff."

Reige shook his head. "No, I was actually thinking that Jagged Fel would be perfect for the job."

Jag lifted his head in surprise. "Sir?"
"If the council agrees, I'd like for you to report to the Imperial embassy on Coruscant so that we can better keep an eye on the situation as it develops."

Jag knew he couldn't refuse, but still attempted to question the order. "Why me, Head of State?"

"Because you have experience in the politics of Coruscant that none of us possess. And, after all, you used to be Head of State."

Jag sighed. "Very well."

Reige smiled, and the meeting continued for another hour. By the time it ended, and as most in the crowd were filing out of the room, Jag found himself in a circle with Reige, Yage, Getelles, and Saretti.

"Thank you for accepting the assignment so easily, Jag," Reige said, smiling at him. "I was worried that if you didn't some of the other moffs may have spoken in opposition to the idea."

"Of course. I can't say I'm excited about returning to Coruscant, but I'll do anything to protect Imperial security," Jag replied.

"Nobody was particularly provocative at the meeting today," Saretti pointed out. "Probably because so many others were present. The last thing Malvek and his cronies want is to appear divided in front of the military."

"The military knows as well as anyone that the council is divided," Getelles countered. "It's not exactly a secret."

Saretti shrugged. "Even still, I was pleasantly surprised."

"As was I," Reige agreed. "Still, there was silent contempt against my proposals by many. And not just on the Moff Council."

"I noticed that too. Several generals and admirals seemed supportive of Malvek's side," said Yage. She shrugged, "I doubt it'll be an issue, just something I noticed."

"It shouldn't be an issue no," Reige agreed, though his tone was unsure. There was a moment of awkward silence, before Reige continued. "Well, I think it's time I head for the planet's surface. There's many things I must attend to." He looked at Jag, "Report to the Coruscant embassy at your earliest convenience. I'll tell our ambassadors to prepare for your arrival, and I'll have them alert Alliance leadership that you will be on world."

Jag nodded. "Understood. Thank you, Vitor."

When they dispersed, Jag headed for the hangar bay, where he would find the shuttle that would transport him to Coruscant.

OFFICE OF THE MINORITY CHAIR, SENATE BUILDING, CORUSCANT

Senator Gage Kendall leaned back in his chair, looking across his desk at the two people sitting there. On the right sat Netina Hag'leth; a Mirialan who served as his public affairs advisor. On the left was Drak Bengaal; an Umbaran who served as his chief political advisor, and was the head of Gage's staff.

"This moment is ripe with opportunity," Bengaal was saying, his voice calm and cool. "Dorvan was a popular leader, making his death all the more traumatic for the senate and the public. This makes it all the easier to persuade them to support a sharp response against the Confederation."

Hag'leth made a short nod. "Exactly. Polls already show that a large portion of the public would support sanctions." She paused, her expression darkening slightly. "But we need to be careful; we can't push too hard for military action. The public may be on our side at the moment, but pushing for the extreme will push them away. And we'll need all the support we can get in order to ensure that you are elected Chief of State, Senator."

"I agree completely, Netina," said Gage. "Ensuring that we keep the public's support is essential to fulfilling our goals." He stood up from his chair, looking out the window towards Fellowship Plaza, where a small group of protesters were gathering to demand action against Corellia. "And pandering to Dorvan's popularity will be the prime way in which we do that." He turned back around, looking at Bengaal, "Desha Lor has the advantage in that department, however. She was his protegee, and will be able to persuade many to her side based solely on that fact." He smirked, "But her position as interim Chief of State places her in a precarious situation. If she fails to adequately handle the Corellia situation, she'll lose support based upon that fact alone. In order to succeed, we need to make sure that she fails as the interim Chief. That alone will win me the position."

"And supporting increased measures upon the Confederation makes it all the more likely that Lor fails, at least in the eyes of the public," Bengaal agreed. "Very good."

"I'm glad we're on the same page." Gage looked at Hag'leth, "Thank you, Netina, that's all I have for you. You're dismissed."

She nodded politely, before standing and crisply walking out of the room. After a moment of silence, in which Gage turned back to the window to watch the demonstration in Fellowship Plaza, Bengaal spoke.

"Having second thoughts?"

Gage turned, seeing Bengaal's icy blue eyes watching him closely.

"No, of course not," Gage said quickly. "Why would I have second thoughts?'

Bengaal shrugged, his expression calm. "You seem nervous."

"Well, it's not exactly the most morally correct move to play off the death of a colleague in order to win an election."

"But it gives us the highest chance at victory."

"True, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to think about it."

"Fair enough. But let me assure you, Senator, that once you win the presidency, all second thoughts will melt away."

"You're right of course."

"I do understand your position, though," Bengaal added. "Dorvan was a good man, and it does hurt to use his death as a political tool. But sometimes sacrifices have to be made, and this is a sacrifice that will play right into the hands of our political goals."

Gage nodded, his expression lightening. "Oh I know it will, that's why I agreed to it in the first place."

Bengaal showed a small smile, before he stood from his chair. "Is there anything else you require from me, Sir?"

Gage shook his head. "Not right now, no. Thank you, Drak."

The Umbaran nodded. "Of course." He turned and left the room.

Returning his gaze to the window, Gage pondered what Bengaal had told him. Of course he's right. Grandstanding about Dorvan's death and playing upon the public's anger is the easiest path to the Presidency. I just wish I felt more confident about the strategy. I wish I didn't feel like I was sacrificing a part of myself to achieve victory. He shook his head, No, those thoughts won't help anyone. Drak's right; once I become Chief of State it will all have been worth it in the end.

But as the minutes passed by, and he gazed out at the setting sun across Coruscant's skyline, he couldn't help but feel like he would be a part of himself in the upcoming campaign. And he didn't know if he would ever be able to recover that part back.