[20 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Cron Drift, Off the Perlemian Trade Route, Auril Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

Reuniting the main fleet with the smaller support element was always a relief, and repairs were already underway when I took to bed for a brief rest. It was never enough, but with a shower and some meditation and I was mostly refreshed and ready for another day of talks, training, and planning destruction. I opted for my light body hugging armour, enough to resist lightsaber strikes a time, and put my more robe-like Republic General clothes over them, my own weapons hidden underneath as usual.

The debris field of several dead star systems, caused by some ancient Sith supernova causing super-weapon, that was the Cron Drift was an ideal, if dangerous, place to hide out. Close enough to the primary artery of the Confederate advance towards Coruscant to monitor traffic and get feedback from our 'foxhounds' in their tramp freighters. We'd taken damage at Centares, we'd had to scuttle two frigates after moving the crews off them, and repairs would take a few days to complete and restore us to full combat effectiveness. Light damage considering what we'd done, and the fact we'd seized a dozen merchantmen as prizes to strip down for parts.

Of course the Confederates were hunting us, for some insane fucking reason I couldn't entirely grasp, they were going to be freeing General Grievous in the next few days. Oh, the underlying reason I could follow; Sidious needed Dooku's best general running rampant to keep up the pressure in such a way the Senate didn't just cave in as some worlds were loudly demanding according to Holo-Net intercepts. I sipped my morning kaff, scrolling down through the 'morning papers' so to speak, even if they were a day or so out of date, that our droid-scouts or 'foxhounds' had sent back.

'Along with denunciations of the vile pirate that is me occurring to the Separatist-inclinded propaganda outfits looks like. Thankfully our employing a PR firm in the Core has got glowing reviews on the Republic' I mused with a snort of amusement as the doors opened and the Sith wannabe walked through with the escort waiting outside the door. I'd opted to me Ventress on her own rather than with her 'sisters' for the first meeting as I'd met her once already, and best avoid them thinking they'd get a better negotiation through numbers.

"Oh, do you find something funny?"

She was better dressed than when I'd met her in my temporary field headquarters and 'escorted' them up to the Stormcrow from the burning suburbs of the Centaren capital. I gave a snort of amusement, placing my mug down upon the table as I folded one leg over another "Ah, well, according to the Freedom Loving Press of the Confederacy of Independent Systems I am a terrible maraudering pirate, a scourge of civilized worlds, and will be soon brought to justice apparently. I find it an amusing interpretation of events"

Ventress cocked her head to her side as she studied my relaxing in my chair as best I could tell "Count Dooku will have you killed for these transgressions should he capture you, you must realise?"

"Heh, he'd already wanted me dead the day after my little speech on Ryloth I expect, it being after I killed his little turncoat Jedi Master. Or when I helped send assassins after him either..." I replied chuckling at the idea that he'd try and take me alive for anything other than torture "...so yes, I do in fact realise bad things happen should we get defeated. Now, breakfast?"

I gestured at the chair across from me at the table "We've things to discuss, and we can talk through them now that buildings aren't exploding and we've all had a nice rest. Oh, and order your breakfast, this is something of a working one for us. Next pirate attack to plan after all, as the Confederates would put it anyway"

"You are a Sith, is that why you hide your Force signature so, yes? But you seem so weak in the Dark Side, yet slew a Jedi Master?" she stated taking her seat and taking the data-pad into hand. I sighed, because I should have expected such a question now, shouldn't I?

"No, I'm pretty sure Braika shot him in the head with a blaster..." I responded "...and that's why I'm out here, to avoid vengeful Jedi. Though I'm not a Sith, not a Jedi either, but merely a student of the Force and various related powers"

Silence a moment as she looked at me, fingers flicking over the data-pad before putting it down and opening her mouth "You gave a speech that was filled with the Sith Code"

I couldn't help but smirk "I know, I very much expect the Jedi Council is bothered by that, big secret that it is...and it is not as if I do not know the Code of the Sith...I...just don't agree with it, at least not how it is practiced anyway. It is the same reason I called my Task-force the Remembrance of Revan when I retook Ryloth, and we're currently the called the Army of Light"

She gave me a raised eyebrow, mild confusion on her face "The Army of Light?...a strange name to choose to bother the Jedi Council?"

I frowned, folding my hands together on my knee and giving her an odd look "You've no idea what the Army of Light was do you? Who Revan was?"

Another bout of silence followed then and my frown deepened as I hummed, bringing one hand up to stroke my chin "Okay...let's start with Revan the Revanchist? Darth Revan, Dark Lord of the Sith? The Prodigal Knight? Did your Master, Sith one at least as the Jedi prefer not to talk about him I've found, not teach you of him? No?"

I sighed, rubbing at my temple. Gods, I knew I'd liked history and the Jedi of the Temple actively worked to discourage such knowledge without outright banning it...but I somewhat expected more of the Sith wannabe at least "Lord Hoth and his Army of Light battling Lord Kaan and his Sith Brotherhood of Darkness? That was only a millennia ago, the cause of the Ruusan Reformation?"

She took on a cold tone, using anger to cover...something else?...as she folded arms across her chest and sat back into her chair "I was forced into slavery, the freed myself by my own strength...such drivel as history was not important to my power as a Sith"

"No, no...it is..." I responded, picking up my data-pad and bringing up the required texts from my library to ensure that this failing was rectified "...Revan had a big influence on both the Jedi and Sith views of their codes for instance, and Ruusan defined why the Temple is bad as it is today, and where Darth Tyranus draws his heritage from. People who do not learn from the past can be doomed to repeat it. You wish to be Sith...I disagree in that course, but you are limiting yourself by only learning the flashy, swing your laser sword part of it. I've just authorised you and your two...sisters...to have access to certain texts on the subject. Otherwise certain worlds we may visit will seem bizarre to you, ones that cause you to underestimate the dangers they might pose. It's a weakness...and I can't tolerate that in my would be allies"

Ossus was one, the ruined Library there being unguarded for the first time in years beyond a small Confederate observation post; along with Ruusan, Moraband that was once Korriban, and a place called Yavin IV. With another Force user in tow, a dark-sider, and with two to spare, I had options I didn't have before; and I intended to make use of them. If her education was as stunted as it appeared...well, then that would be a problem in showing the value of stopping at such sites.

She sneered...then looked confused in all honesty "And...what is the price of this? Nobody gives things for free?"

"Most of this is free available, if hard found due to lack of searches and discouragement by the Temple..." I answered with a shrug taking a sip of my kaff as a twi'lek 'waitress' delivered in Ventress's chosen drinks of water and fruit squeezings of some red/orange-coloured sort "...so could get it without my helping, in theory at least. As to why...well, we've mutual enemies, and the better you understand *Them* the better able you will be to kill them for me. It also goes to show you what your previous Master apparently held back from you, and I dislike ignorance of such things to be honest"

"Even amongst potential enemies, hmm?"

"Depends on the situation to tell the truth" I admitted shaking my head, tapping at my chin with my fingers "I would like to avoid adding you, and the Nightsisters and Mother Talzin, to my enemies list. It's getting rather long at the moment after all, and I've a war to fight in the meantime"

'I'd also suggest you tone down the imply you'll turn enemy in negotiations' I would have added, but she wasn't in my good books yet, so missteps were to be allowed in that regards. Seemed like attendance in the Jedi and Sith schools of negotiation had rubbed off on her ideas of 'trade deals with equals' compared to charging in to fight, or simply running and hiding. Still, she had given me detailed information on Dooku's inner circle and activities, and was communications conduit to another Force Sect, one outside the Temple and Dark-side using to boot...it was worth being polite, if guarded with her.

Our next move would be to strike towards Felucia, and beyond that Raxus, but we'd never actually reach either location; no, the true plan to strike along and indicate a move toward Mon Cala, before retiring to Ossus after a few strikes of opportunity as they presented themselves. From there we could strike along the Korriban route to terrorise the Zygerrian slavers whose recent independence with the Confederacy hadn't brought along heavy warships.

That should gain us some points with my large number of Twi'lek Troopers and Technicians, and might even have further recruits to gain us. Assuming we survived that long of course, but this was war, and movement was life right now...

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