[21 BBY – 17 Hours after the Great Raid on Kuat]
[Grand Convocation Chamber of the Galactic Senate, Galactic Senate, Coruscant]
Justus Fird, of Noble Alaskan Blood, and now Senator for the Glorious and Ancient Core World of Alaskan, sat calmly despite the usage of medication and kaff to account for the lack of sleep since the first reports to the Battle of Kuat over a day ago. While Kuat was not the ancient enemy that Coruscant and Corellia was, it was a great blow to a major competitor and it was already proving difficult by all accounts in suppressing the unsavoury reactions amongst senior executives across various Core worlds. Rendilli merely being the most unfortunate in theirs being caught on holo-cam and require significant efforts in getting it under control by all accounts before it hit the Holo-Net.
'Yes, yes, truly terrible...Kuat getting what it deserves for so foolishly trying to piggy-back its way to power by holding unto the coat-tails of Old Palpatine's power plays' Justus thought with contempt as one of Kuat's minions from the Colonies Region attempted to call outrage forth. It was an outrage of course, the degenerate filth of the Colonies Region like her, non-humans of course, and Mid-Rim daring to believe they had the right to strike at their betters in such a way. Or that the Kuati had allowed their defences to weaken so much in their great gamble to allow the mongrels to manage pull such madness off.
So Justus merely half-listened to the idiocy and continued preparations for dealing with the political machinations brought forth by their foes to reduce their losses due to self-inflicted idiocy. Glancing down he perused the plans put forth by the Old Goat from Naboo and his floppy eared sea-creature they dressed up as a Senator. More Mid-Rim trash like Palpatine, and this one didn't even have the decency to be human, or speak like an intelligent being that pretended to be human like some of the lesser creature's Alaskan employed in its service. At its heart it was yet another power grab by the Federal level of the Republic, cloaked in humanitarian drivel, to pour more credits into the war effort...and its favoured worlds shipyards.
'Well, we shall just have to put a stop to that now, shant we?' he thought giving a firm nod to the distant grouping from Rendili, and the other humans from Duro, that he was in agreement. The Caamasi, tolerable aliens as they were Founders such as Alaskan and knew to keep their ugly noses out of others business, also indicated full support as he noted looks and glances between the Chancellor and his minions. Somewhat late in the game truly, but their impromptu grouping had moved swiftly in coordination with their homeworld governments to mitigate the great damage the Old Goat had allowed to happen on his watch. It was ridiculous to expect Founder Worlds to pick up the tab for the missteps of a rival after all.
"Indeed, such a great misdeed as had occurred over Kuat..." Novaria Ilustrade from Rendelli, the system now suddenly relieved that Kuat had won the contracts for the Republic's military expansion, started as her delegation's hover-seat came to the fore "...that such an outrage would be brought upon a Core World itself! That the Republic would fail to defend one of the Founder Worlds itself..."
'Ah, look at those glances amongst the aliens and Mid-Rim savages surrounding the Old Goat, not exactly what they desired now is it?' he mentally chuckled pressing agreement almost the moment the 'Kuat Relief Bill' appeared on the screens as one of the co-sponsoring worlds. Oh, there was great play of Humanitarian Aid, and Reconstruction Funds...for anything not related to military structures or losses.
No, the main goal was to protect the Alaskan industrial investments, and to ensure the tax burden was shifted away from the Core Worlds out to those responsible for such destruction. And, most importantly, force the Grand Army of the Republic to defend the Core by separating out elements of the High Command out of the Chancellor's greedy little hands and into solid, sensible, Alaskan and other allied officers. Men and women who'd know which worlds were vital to defend, and which ones weren't worth the effort...
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[21 BBY – 22 Hours after the Great Raid on Kuat]
[Extracts from: Holo-Net News]
{...passes the Senate Floor at record speed. Kuati sources have indicated displeasure at the proposals, and demanded a firmer line from the Senate to deal with the outrage that has been pur...}
{...rioting erupted today in Galactic city as protestors demand the Republic honour its guarantees to protect the Core from...}
{...taxation increases will be raised to handle the outrage, with exemptions for essential World, with management of funds being organised through an Independent Senate Committee for Wartime Manage...}
{...Corellia refusing sale of further military material and non-civilian ship rfits to the Republic military. CorSec Forces serving with Republic Core Victory Fleet under Senator Iblis recalled by Corellian Government...}
{...are we facing a Financial Crisis? With the failure of the Kuat Reinsurance and Republic Military Reinvestment Bill on the Senate Floor what happens next as Renallo-Katat Insurance Corporation warns of Credit Crisis if funds not...}
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[21 BBY – 24 Hours after the Great Raid on Kuat]
[Republic Aegis Guard Combat Freighter Stormcrow, Task-Force Aegis, Destreg System, Bon'nyuw-Luq Sector]
"How bad are we looking?" I asked sitting back into my chair with a weary sigh. Operation Thunderstorm was well underway, Anakin and his merry band were due to arrive in orbit of Naboo, and now disastrous news was reaching us from our offices in the Core. Jurdan shook his head as the more detailed data-packet was transmitted to my Stormcrow's private server.
"Corelia is pulling the plug on the three planned refits, though they have offered to purchase the ships off us at a hundred and thirty-two percent cost rate. Hanna recommends we accept on the two, and focus on getting the Luchrehulk-class refit in one of the alternative yards...if we can lock in a place and a price we can afford that is"
I nodded reading through the summary provided by our 'money-woman' from Chandrilla, along with the worrying outlines of economic chaos probably going to happen. Trillions worth of credits had been destroyed outright, and trillions more would be on ancillary contracts as the Republic struggled to cover the losses, and piracy, of so many brand new, top-of-the-line, Star Destroyers "The Confederate Navy is only going to get more ambitious in the wake of this"
Jurdan's holographic avatar nodded, then gave his hand a side to side motion "Yes, but not immediately, it'll take time to refit those ships, and for the losses to be felt by the GAR Sector fleets. In two, probably three or four, standard months the CIS will be back on the offensive up in the Colonies and Core. Though that's just the main fleets in those areas, hard to know what Grievous will do for instance. Or the forces opposite us right now?"
"We need to hit harder, push the offensive further and faster" I replied glancing at Braika who gave her own nod of agreement. Shesagora's avatar sighed after a few moments consideration, deciding to offer opinion as Jurdan frowned.
"Daron's right, we've a window before the Confederate Navy gets reinforced and the Core manages to gets its grubby little hands on every reinforcement so they can sit over their shiny worlds doing nothing. Also...we have the advantage right now in these sectors, and opening up Eriadu and capturing some industrial facilities. We've got a good idea of what the clankers have formed up opposite us...we knock'em out, and try source what we can from the Outer and Mid Rim"
I nodded, taking a breath "I think we need to run a Black Op and hit their system command and control before we go all out"
"Magic space wizard time, eh?" Braika asked and I nodded, causing her to grin "...well, that's me and wizard-boi here going all commando then. I ain't going to complain"
Jurdan shrugged "Runs the risk of discovery, you've gone to a lot of effort Daron to hold back such...abilities"
Honestly I couldn't but agree, but we were going to be under severe pressure shortly "True, but we're only barely two days in and we're getting reinforcement and refit problems. We are on our own, and swift crippling of Confederate C systems is now beyond vital. Basically...it is worth the risk considering the situation we're going to be facing with time. Hit hard, hit fast, and link up with ORSF and Republic forces so we can have secure supply lines...and industrial base behind that..."
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