C-3PO walks around the oval meeting table with a tray and Tsavong Lah's eyes flash evilly.
"Does anyone present want blue milk or ice-cold water?" asks the golden protocol droid in his tinny voice.
Tsavong Lah ostentatiously turns away. That's exactly what he'd feared.
"This is just the protocol droid that records the meeting and occasionally serves refreshments," Kyp Durron reassures the Warmaster. "Believe me, this droid has never harmed anyone." He grins. "Not that I would think you would be afraid of suffering or pain."
"No, I'm not thirsty now," Tsavong Lah says grimly.
Kyp Durron's and other council members' features relax. For the Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster, this was a highly diplomatic response.
Tsavong Lah had been placed as the thirteenth member of the New Republic High Council between Releqy A'Kla, the senator for the planet Caamas, and Kyp Durron. In front of each of the thirteen council members stands a bulbous glass, which rests on a long, thin stem with a wide base, the base being the same width as the glass above the stem. A glittering golden liquid rests in the glass itself.
"What is that?" asks Tsavong Lah Kyp Durron.
"It's wine, an alcoholic drink."
Tsavong Lah sips it. It tastes much better than the Wookiee Wango that Jaina served him on the roof earlier. Still, the drink burns his throat. "I'd better save that for the end of the session," the Warmaster decides.
"Perhaps you can still remember Releqy A'Kla's father, Senator Elegos A'Kla, who set out a year and a half ago to get to know and understand the Yuuzhan Vong," says Kyp Durron introducing the woman with the gold-colored fur at Warmaster Tsavong Lah's other side.
"Yes, I have heard about this thing," Tsavong Lah says to the young Caamasi. "At that time, Commander Shedao Shai was responsible for your father's fate, whose fanatical ways I did not approve of anyway."
"A Yuuzhan Vong even more fanatical than you? I can't really imagine that," says Ta'laam Ranth, joining in the conversation.
Tsavong Lah knows that it was the Gotal senator whose supporters ultimately ensured that the Alderaan Cal Oma became the new head of state and thus also head of the High Council.
"Yes, there are quite a few," answers Tsavong Lah as he looks at the horned Gotal with the goatee, then turns back to the Caamasi. "So if you have any questions about the Yuuzhan Vong instead of your father, please feel free to contact me at any time."
Releqy's purple eyes look away embarrassed. "I will remember it, Warmaster."
A lovely ringing sounds.
"I have called everyone present to this first meeting of the High Council so that this body can now act as a common link between the Jedi, the government, the military and other important groups within the New Republic,"Head of State Cal Omas is opening the meeting. "And since we want to start with the most important thing: Kyp Durron should please tell us about Kashyyyk."
"We have actually researched the technology of the Yuuzhan Vong even better," says the man in his mid-thirties.
Tsavong Lah grimaces. He is annoyed that his people's biological achievements are referred to as technology. But that is also one of the things he has to live with now. What is important is that these indispensable helpers of his people are still organic in nature, no matter what the unbelievers may call them.
"Tsavong Lah here on my right was able to give us much more information about it than Vergere did back then," he hears Kyp Durron say, "and so our forces are now able to pull enemy ships out of hyperspace like the Yuuzhan Vong always did with us."
"This achievement would undoubtedly fit well into Admiral Ackbar's plan," says Admiral Sien Sovv, "but due to new developments, Ackbar's plan is a bit oversized if it is not changed."
"Why change it?" contradicts Dif Scaur, the head of military intelligence.
You can tell that the gaunt person is extremely unhappy about the new development that Sovv just spoke about. He is even more unhappy about Tsavong Lah's presence on the High Council. Everyone in the room can see that Scaur is studiously avoiding even looking at the Warmaster like that one does with C-3PO.
"Isn't that obvious?" replies the Jedi healer Cilghal.
Scaur stares fixedly into the yellow, bulging eyes of the Mon Calamari. "We might as well use the plan against Shimrra and his people if Admiral Ackbar has already gone through all the trouble of devising it."
"We all occasionally make an effort that later ends up being in vain," counters Kyp Durron. "But it's still better this way than the other way around."
"It's high time for such a change," says Luke Skywalker. "My sister and her husband paid a visit to the Remnant Empire and we got the impression that Grand Admiral Gilad Pellaeon was not the possible ally we would have wanted in the fight against the Yuuzhan Vong. What's more, there were clear indications that Pellaeon is trying to play the New Republic and the Yuuzhan Vong against each other in order to benefit as the laughing third party. He suggested in all seriousness that the New Republic should buy an alliance with the remnant Empire by ceding entire planets."
Disparaging murmurs spread throughout the room and the sweet bells sounded again to encourage those present to calm down.
"That has usually been our strategy," says Tsavong Lah. "The fact is that Overlord Shimrra, with the remaining forces of my people, poses little threat to the New Republic. "So we can choose whether we want to reconquer Coruscant first or punish the rest of the empire for its fickleness."
Intelligence chief Dif Scaur speaks out. "I couldn't agree more with Luke Skywalker's report. According to my informant, Overlord Shimrra has dispatched an envoy to Bastion to negotiate with Grand Admiral Pellaeon."
"It would be funny if we recaptured Coruscant first, so that the negotiating basis would literally be taken out from under the negotiator Shimrras, wouldn't it?" says Kyp Durron.
"I would agree to lead this operation and then guarantee the reconstruction of the planet," says Tsavong Lah, "unless, of course, the Yuuzhan Vong-formed Coruscant pleases the New Republic."
"Then you are the commander of the landing, while Traest Kre'fey commands the troops from the command ship," says Sien Sovv, the Sullustan admiral. "You and Jaina Solo have given us enough Jedi for the battle, so you don't have to be afraid of being the same as your landing commander when you first conquered Coruscant."
"Romm Zqar," adds Tsavong Lah.
"It honors you that you still know the names of your most important fallen soldiers," says Sovv, his yellow cheeks swaying.
Wookiee Senator Triebakk howls and C-3PO translates. "I, too, am of the opinion that a direct reconquest of Coruscant at this point in time is much better suited to the current situation than Admiral Ackbar's ambitious plan."
The Tammarian Ayddar Nylykerka speaks up and his air sacs, which allow him to survive in a vacuum for a short time, shake. "As head of fleet intelligence, I can only agree."
Luke Skywalker raises his real hand. "I am willing to give my blessing to any Jedi to help retake the capital planet, provided it is only against military objectives."
"With all due respect, Master Skywalker," interjects the Jedi healer Cilghal. "You yourself have repeatedly warned us throughout the war about the danger of aggression. But now you're sending Jedi to serve under a commander who wants to use them aggressively and perhaps without regard to the loss of life? Have you changed your mind about these things now?"
Luke looks into the Mon Calamari healer's large, yellow eyes. "I changed my attitude, yes. And also, Tsavong Lah will be accompanied by Jaina Solo during the reconquest."
Everyone present - with or without Jedi powers - feels Cilghal's reserve transforming into optimistic composure.
Kyp Durron's eyes flash. "You could have saved us a lot of trouble if you had supported or at least approved of my actions in this direction years ago, Master Skywalker!"
Tsavong Lah touches Kyp's upper arm in a friendly manner. "And I have just agreed to revise the outcome of my own attack on Coruscant. Do you think something like that is easy?"
Kyp smiles painfully and looks around. "Am I the only one here who would like to punch these two in the nose?"
Luke Skywalker stands up, walks over to Kyp and ostentatiously held out his face to the younger Jedi. "Go ahead, Kyp Durron, let's put this matter to rest once and for all."
Kyp Durron reaches out and gives Luke a hard slap in the face, which also touches his nose. Luke blinks, then smiles. "At least I didn't get a nosebleed."
"And now me," joins Tsavong Lah.
"You don't have a nose anymore, but I guess you're still enjoying it." With these words, Kyp Durron hits quite hard and a trickle of black blood runs out of Tsavong Lah's heart-shaped hole, where his nose once sat many years ago.
The Warmaster extends his tongue and licks the blood from his face before noticing the disgusted look on the faces of some present, especially Dif Scaur, and grabs an organic cloth from a pocket in his cloak to spread the get the bleeding stop.
"That's what I call a baptism of blood for this unique committee," says Ta'laam Ranth.
"Not just for that." Cal Omas reaches for his wine glass. "All right then. Tsavong Lah, you will retake Coruscant for the New Republic under Admiral Traest Kre'fey – with a Jedi at your side, I just heard."
The Alderaan stands up and raises his wine glass to the group. "Cheers to retaking Coruscant!"
All twelve remaining council members stand and join in the toast with their wine glasses. "Cheers to retaking Coruscant!"
The twelve council members sit back down, but Cal Omas remains standing. "I have spoken with Master Skywalker and others, and we have come to the conclusion that now that Tsavong Lah has joined his forces with the New Republic, not only is the time for a High Council to oversee the work of the the Senate, the Jedi and the secret services coordinate with each other... no... it's also the case that the New Republic as such is already very outdated."
Releqy A'Kla's purple eyes move from Kyp Durron to Tsavong Lah and beyond to the other council members. Tsavong Lah realizes that the Caamasi is trying to figure out which of the council members already know and who are surprised like she is.
"And to send a message to the Yuuzhan Vong who still have to suffer under Shimrra's thumb, to send a message to the rest of the Empire that still thinks they are cooking their own soup in the middle of this war," Cal Omas takes a breath and raises his wine glass again, "and to show everyone in the New Republic that there is now a new spirit of awakening and unity in the face of these challenges, I propose that the New Republic be renamed something even newer, so that in it all previous species and also the Yuuzhan Vong may have their place. I hereby propose that the New Republic be renamed the Galactic Alliance of Free Systems!"
Once again all council members stand and raise their glasses. "Cheers to the Galactic Alliance of Free Systems!"
Everyone clinks glasses with their neighbors while C-3PO symbolically holds up an untouched glass next to the table.
"Once again, no one is thinking about us droids," the golden protocol droid murmurs amidst the loud claps, aware that no one will understand his words. And that's a good thing, since a mortal enemy, a Yuuzhan Vong, is present.