[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Task-force Cavalier, In Orbit Solem, Solem System, Koradin Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

"...a pleasant enough world I agree, bit rustic for my liking, but Chandrilla...invaded by our...hmm, allies I suppose, I shall be making this Sector my home for the near future I imagine"

I sighed, shaking my head as Hanna complained, as usual, while drinking the finest wines and most luxurious foods aboard the ship, all cook to Core standards "Would you prefer to be on some random ice-ball Hanna?"

"Spirits and Force forbid Daron" she tutted as Jacques entered the room to join the other members of the Board present, including the First among Equals of Solem, Ardal Bren, and Nagarat Ustatil, the General of the Thand and Prime Minister of Karksis. The war had made both worlds wealthy, well, compared to the backwaters they had been before ESS, and the ORSF and various 'allied' trade groups, had invested into the Sector. Along with immigration too apparently, but that was rather necessary to get things like the massive [by edge of the Outer Rim Fringe standards] old light ship yard up and running with other industrialisation projects.

"Then don't moan about the Sector the rest of us call home..." I muttered before the doors closed, the holograms came alive of Shesagora, Jurdan, and Braika who were spread across the Galactic 'South', and I drummed my fingers off the table "...and I do believe we're ready to start this meeting?"

"Aye, we're short for time as it is..." the hologram of Jurdan replied with an edge of tiredness "...so I'll start the conversation. We've been pushing on Kinyen the past week, taking losses, but less than they've been, and there's been little sign of reinforcements from the Seppies. Since the GAR is assaulting Kelada and Teyr it seems unlikely they will, but we're being careful. Now, we've trouble down the lane I hear?"

I nodded "Yes, I'd sent Ventress to handle the Lorta, and turns out they've been building a battle fleet, the naughty religious nutters that they are. She's driven them back, but..." I pressed the buttons before me and brought up the sensor data she'd received "...as you can see, someone was planning a merry little crusade at some point in the future"

Shesagora's avatar hummed in seeming thought, hand on chin, then nodded "Reckon she could take them?"

"I do actually..." I replied honestly having transmitted the tactical data of her 'campaign' of the past few weeks while I dashed about like a madman across my OverSector command area "...but that'd take time, and losses, that we can't afford. Its nominal her plan, and it's a good one once I muster a strike fleet after departing from Solem. Religious fanatics...they'll fight hard and ain't afraid to die for their cause after all, so she'll be the anvil, us the hammer"

Jurdan seemed to concur, a curt nod following "I all for it, on my level I you to hit them, and then bring your combined fleet up to reinforce me Daron..."

His avatar held up a hand as I made to reply "Temporarily, till we can press unto Kinyen and conduct landings...that, and the Stormcrow is setup to contact long-range data-collection and communication now we're forced back unto hyper-buoys and couriers outside of situations like this where we control the lanes"

"Tttt...tttt..." I clicked my tongue off my teeth to dislodge a bit of mean, thinking, then nodding "...send me the operational plans, but much will depend on how swiftly we can deal with the Lorta, and then rally the nearby systems more permanently to our cause"

"There is also the matter of ensuring our voice continues to be heard on Eriadu..." the First Among Equals of my homeworld murmured drinking down is blood-ale "...with the armies on the offensive, and Coruscant returning..."

"Not that the Tarkins will concede power of course..." Hanna answered him, glancing at him, then at me "...matters, events, are accelerating my fellow sentients, and, for now, it is an alliance...perhaps of convenience...rather than a subordinate returning to their superior. They'll need us..."

"As much as we need them" I finished for her, not entirely happy the current offensives were bringing us into conflict with the group that the likes of Anakin had associated with due to his wife, and of course Kenobi "I agree, but it's forced us out of the stance we'd planned for our forces and we're running about putting out fires, to win loyalty of dubious value"

"Heh!" Braika barked in amusement "That's the Republic for you! Just you watch, a thousand worlds that were all best friends with Corellia and Kuat yesterday will swap sides, officially anyway, once word of Chardaan and Exodeen spread!"

She was, unfortunately, likely correct in that. Our area of operations wasn't too bad...or at least the reasons for loyalty or not, as when it came down to I'd found that we more direct and basic for Outer Rim governments. For a large swath of 'Republic' territory who they were loyalty was a matter of shifting sands, and who was nearest with a fleet or supply of credits. The 'Republic Civil War' was a mess of shifting loyalties, temporary alliances, and confused actions. Sure the our forces and the Grand Army had clashed with the Corellians at Chardaan and a dozen smaller skirmishes, but at Yout the Grand Army and Corellian faction had allied to drive off the Separatists.

'Just like Palps forces and the Corellians trying to kill them a short while ago joined forces at Commenor to do the same. Boss above...this war is giant mess' I thought darkly as I nodded idly in agreement with Braika "Hate to agree with that, but she's right to some degree. Most worlds don't care, as they're not being raided or assaulted, but some systems are just too vital to ignore. Which is why you want me at Kinyen?"

"Aye Daron"

I let out a breath "It's not going to be immediate Jurdan, organising a strike force, getting the allies in line and then assaulting the Lorta...weeks minimum"

"Expected" he answered with a calm nod as I glanced at Braika's avatar, after a look from the leaders of Solem and Karksis anyway. Unspoken, but more internal politics that came along with the needed recruits and materials to fight this war; always fun I found.

"I'll want some strike teams off you Braika, and we'll be sending another Legion your way to train up. I'm taking one onboard myself before you complain, mix recruits and veterans. Oh, and yes, I'm taking Vhonte into my personal bodyguard as you wanted. Just be warned I won't slack on training"

"That's the point Daron, I know you won't" she replied with amusement to my seriousness, then nodded, smile vanishing "More the merrier, and I assume you want a Legion or two as well Jurdan"

"Of course Braika"

The holographic Mandalorian shrugged her armoured shoulders "You'll have them, I'll warn one is an integrated one though, de-chipped clones, regular GAR, primitive world mercs who joined up. Expecting resistance?"

Jurdan made a 'Hard to know?' gesture "Can't know for sure, but they'll have time to prepare defences, so I'd have to assume it's a strong possibility"

Ardal Bren took another drink, shrugging "We have many, many, eager recruits for the fighting, and the new bacta treatments mean many more live past their mistakes to learn. Another million perhaps would join your ranks"

'Which is still a ridiculously low number to wage interstellar war with, but right now it's something we need to restore order' I thought as the discussion expanded unto the minutiae of who needed what, and what exactly could be provided to who. I was Captain-General of ESS, and the Republic Aegis Guard, but I was also the youngest, and the Board was a somewhat democratic so I listened and argued my own points with reason rather than orders. We all brought our own talents to the table, from war-making, to credits, to planetary governments, and I needed this to stay secure...even to have the little Jedi sanctuary remain in the isolated northern mountains of Solem.

I'd only gotten the briefest time with my family, but the 'beach party' had been a joy, and it was a bit of light in the gloomy days of war, planning war, and raising tax-income to fund that war. So far establishing...well, re-establishing, that logistics and financial network was working in the barebones sense. With the financial system of the Core, and therefore the Republic, in meltdown due to the civil war, and the Confederate one in a similar state, I counted that something of a success. Perhaps wishful thinking, but one could only do the best one could after all.

So I watched and listened, argued and conceded, as we hammered out our negotiating position with Eriadu as my plans changed, yet again, to deal with the current situation. Sure we were on the offensive, but we were far too reactive to events right now, and one of the situations I'd liked to have avoided was now in effect as the Civil War worsened. No matter; securing Solem, Karksis, and then Lipsec beyond, came first, and we divided up two damaged Lucrehulks needing urgent repairs between Solem and Karksis while I took the new Cataphract builds to serve as fleet escorts just like the not-yet-built Lancers of the future they emulated...

--