Chapter 77: Eyes on the Weapon

How in all nine Corellian Hells did C'Baoth bungle this badly?

Sidious's eyes wash over the blueprint Delta Squad had sent him, all of them standing at attention through the hologram save for his insolent apprentice who is watching his face for even a shred of emotion with both of her arms crossed under her chest. She hunts for any hint on what he might feel. Which is, currently, the desire to throttle C'Baoth. The battle station's plans were NOT supposed to be discovered this early into the war. He had the man's assurance they had been properly safeguarded, and yet... here they are. Their supposed top-line protection hacked by an overly curious commando. He had wanted Tachi to eventually discover them, yes, as it was part of his long term plans for her, but not in the first week!

Sidious makes his eyebrows furrow. "What am I looking at Agent Tachi?"

"Best guess? Some kind of battle station," she answered, "The outer hull is one hell of a durable shell from what we can tell. Littered in tough plating, shield generators, and turbolasers. If this thing pieces together as big as we think it will be, we're talking a battle station that can and will win any space battle with mere presence alone. Not to mention how genius its design is."

She sounds reluctantly impressed. "Oh?"

She highlights a few sections of the blueprint. "Lets assume all parts of this battle station share the same kind of construction. This mean each piece can operate separately from one another. Each can be jettisoned from the whole if it starts to blow up or suffer catastrophic failure. Each part has hyperdrive capabilities, which means that this battle station's parts can be built separately from one another and dragged around as needed to safeguard it from being targeted. Blowing up one segment will set it back, but not stop its construction. The Confederacy really has some top-line engineers for this thing. The only thing we haven't figured out yet is what all the energy transference mechanisms are for. Maybe a super-shield generator or a high-powered laser."

Oh... she is so dangerously close to stumbling onto its true purpose of destroying planets. He actually feels sweat start to form on his forehead, heart slowly increasing its pacing despite not showing any tell. This is too soon, and too close to the truth for any sort of comfort. Something needs to be done about this immediately. "Hm. Yes, I agree with you then considering this. Its likely it could severely cripple a capital ship in a single shot then, if not destroy it. Did you get any further intel on this?"

She shakes her head. "No, aside from this being part three of who knows how many."

Good, if C'Baoth had left a link to where the other parts were being constructed then Sidious wasn't sure he could stop himself from killing the man for such a disastrously colossal mistake. "I will have this sent to our intelligence division for investigation."

"Do keep me informed," she said mildly, "I'm very curious about what you find."

"Of course," he said smoothly, "I am a man of my word. Once we discover more, you and your team will be informed. Such a high stakes project will require a more potent approach, so it is likely your team will need to be involved. If these pieces can be destroyed, or better yet captured, it will be a massive win in our part for the future of the war."

He has a constraint now. He will have to steadily feed Tyrosus information every so often between her missions. She would be highly suspicious if absolutely nothing can be found at all, regardless of the supposed importance and secrecy the Confederacy's project would be implied to have. He may have to move up his timetable in regards to this, perhaps rather than towards the end of the war, midway through? Dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen now...

He forces the momentary panic away, irritated at himself, as it was pointless to linger. He wraps his mind around the concept that his superweapon has been partially revealed. Panic is useless, how he uses this is what matters now.

If he thinks on it. In his original designs before his chief engineer had given his update years ago, he had not even considered his superweapon to factor into his plans before he had taken over the galaxy and founded his glorious empire. The superweapon is not a requirement for the fulfillment of this phase of the Grand Plan. There are ways of course it could be used in this war that he had decided upon. It would have ideally been a later discovery by his wayward apprentice, an emergency scramble that would send the senate into a panic, in which any emergency powers he hadn't yet gained, any laws he needed to blunt force push, could be obtained and ratified. Then, they would 'steal' the superweapon from the Confederacy, he would either wrangle in his apprentice or subdue her for the remainder of the war, reveal himself to the Jedi, and when they tried to kill him, label them traitors to the Republic and wipe them out.

However, that was no longer feasible, at least not without stringing it along and making very plain to his apprentice that his public persona is either him or directly under his thumb. He is fine with her suspicious of him, but not with any degree of surety. Thus he considers... if they appear to be looking into it, if others are made aware... he intended one thing, but he can turn the partial reveal of the Death Star into something else entirely. There is risk to this... and yet it will allow him to further shape the direction of the war, and Tachi's involvement in it... even if one or two pieces of the Death Star are destroyed, while regrettable, it is acceptable as he hadn't originally thought it would ready for over a decade from now anyway...

He also considers if he does actually want the superweapon finished during the war, because the Confederacy would be overseeing its construction after all. C'Baoth's surprise onslaught weighs on his mind, and he has to acknowledge that C'Baoth having a completed Death Star under his command would be most... unwise. Libel to give the fool ideas above his station. Best to put pressure on the Confederacy and slow its construction through the war effort, give the Republic and the Jedi something to focus on that wasn't discovering Sidious himself, and at the end, allowing the Republic to swoop in and take pieces for themselves.

Yes, that would work to his advantage. No matter what the Jedi do, what his apprentice does, what C'Baoth does, he can always turn their successes and failures to his advantage.

They have no chance.

"Delta Squad and I will be remaining on Kamino for a bit," said his insolent apprentice into the brief silence, not a shred of care for seeking permission, "Our infiltration of Geonosis worked so smoothly mainly because of the lack of opposition to counterbalance our lack of experience working together, and my lack of experience being able to cloak others."

She could what?

He doesn't bother to hide his honest surprise. He hadn't thought of that. He had gifted her Delta Squad for many reasons. A reward for her performance in the opening act of the war and her lead in for the surprisingly useful naming of the war (Jedi popularity was diving). It also served, as he advised her, as a method in for her learning how to take command, to lead, which she would need as his right-hand when he transformed the Republic into his Empire. They of course also served to keep an eye on her, to keep her in-line when on-mission rather than off on her own causing who knows what kind of problems. They will serve as her personal elite just as he had his own, a source of fame during the war, a source of dread when the Empire was born. Of course, he was practical and had control chips inside her elite, he wasn't going to simply gift her free power.

The fact that she could hide them within the Force... hiding herself was an obvious known, hiding others... clever. Very clever. It would be useful during the war, and later on under his command. Perhaps he was being negligent in his regard for her abilities. Oh he had summarized her obvious desire for the healing talismans to protect her favored, but he had not considered how other selfish uses of sorcery could be applied to others... normally it wouldn't be a concern for a Sith, but his apprentice had her flaws he supposed. He would have to meditate on this.

"Very well," he said, giving a nod after the pause, "Such a potent ability does require proper cultivation I imagine. An update of how the initial battles went will be forwarded to your datapad once the proper report has been made for me. For the moment, both the Republic and the Confederacy are, I suppose, licking their wounds from the initial clash before they move forward. I suspect you would be pleased to know that both Anakin and Knight Kenobi preformed spectacularly. Anakin's supremacy in flying is regarded as one of the few key reasons the Confederacy's droid and Dark Jedi flight squadrons were repelled, I've heard he's become rather famed in Kuat for his feats. Knight Kenobi was also surprisingly insightful in regards to ground warfare and handled the battle on Corellia well without stepping on the Green Jedi's toes or so I hear."

C'Baoth's attack had been useful in that last regard at least. His sources had reported that Corellia's senator had been looking into a rather obscure clause in the Republic Constitution to try and sit out the conflict. Such a shame that wasn't an option anymore...

His apprentice pursed her lips, exhaling and drawing his focus back, "Well, Obi-Wan was involved with at least two wars as a padawan, and probably other conflicts that were military in scope after my... departure, from the Order."

Departure.

He has to hold back his amused smile at her choice of words. "Indeed, I'm glad to know that some Jedi can handle the responsibility. The transition from peacekeeper to commanding roles in the military must be quite the change."

Her grimace slowly fades into a cold blankness, she mutters, "That, is likely the point."

She shakes her head and abruptly ends the call. "Contact us when a mission comes up, Tachi out."

He tsks when her holographic image winks away, standing and moving slowly to the window of his office. "She will have to re-learn one day that she is only dismissed when I tell her she is."

He observes the Jedi Temple at a distance with consideration, a daily ritual he's started since the beginning of the Second Jedi Civil War. He could, at any time, start the end. He could send out Order 66 and destroy the Jedi, and a similar order planted within the droids of the Confederacy for the Dark Jedi. Sometimes, he contemplates the path he has chosen, not the destination, Force no, but to have the death of the hated enemy a mere comcall away is... tempting in a way few beings could comprehend, that few beings could hold themselves back from. He savors the power like a fine wine, his mental touch caressing an emergency communications device that will patch him through to every Clone and Droid Commander to issue his order. He tastes it, samples it, wonders what it would be like to indulge in the full bottle... but puts it away once more.

He knows he will sample that wine many times until the time comes.

For now, he will see if C'Baoth reigns himself back in and plays the game according to plan. He should, but one can never be to certain with potentially renegade apprentices if Tachi is anything to go by. He will also have Tachi monitored, more than just standard, he will have video feeds and recordings linked to him. He wants to watch her train, he wants to see what she makes of herself, to see a modern day Sith Sorceress at work, to see how much of what he imparted upon her shows through. Its an order he punches in quickly, the message sent to Kamino to be carried out. There will be a small time delay of course for these things, but it pays to be Chancellor and having access to the best technology can offer for such things.

He goes through a few meetings, both political and tactical, before a pause for lunch comes. So he settles at his desk, dining on fine food and drink, watching as a holographic image springs up of Tachi leading her squad in a simulation room...

One of the bonuses of being an 'Elite Squad', is that apparently it makes them first in line to try and give feedback on some of the newer, harder simulations that were crafted in response to the first few battles against the Confederacy. Their current objective is to blow a communications relay the enemy set up in an occupied world. Simple enough. Apparently some planets provided natural communications interference that such a relay was needed for directing droids rather than just from a ship. They're trying it normal before they try with her cloaking. So far, they'd only have to restart once, and that was due to a glitch in rushed programming. Otherwise... it was okay she supposed, if but inaccurate...

"No real Jedi, fallen or not, would be this stupid," she mutters under her breath, blocking a lightsaber strike, booting her foot up to slam into their chin, sending them staggering back and then falling when she clove them in two, "But I suppose simulations cant accurately portray the Force outside of just making them have better reflexes."

"Do you always monologue your opponents when you're fighting commander?" askes Fixer over the comms, "Its funny, but a little distracting."

"That's kind of the point, distracting them in combat is a valid tactic," she answers, flicking her wrist and sending a squad of droids careening into a wall... then the simulation cut, "What the kriff?"

She takes off the simulation helmet and glances over at Boss when a burst of frustration flows from him.

"Scorch and I were just cloven in half by lightsabers, Fixer was about three seconds away from a similar fate," he said dryly, "I thought you said Dark Jedi would be drawn to your distraction? There were three there and a squad of droids at the optimal detonation site. That's a bit much for us even with Sev's fire support."

"Well, real Dark Jedi would have come to me," she snapped back, "Considering how loudly I was broadcasting in the Force, they shouldn't have been there with you, I was clouding your intent, but again... simulations can't measure that, can they? Probably should have thought of that..."

"Bloody Jedi blocked every shot every time," interrupted Sev sourly, taking off his helmet, "Is that accurate for them or no?"

"Probably," she answered, "The Force would give warning. If you want to actually snipe a Jedi, they need to be distracted. You're probably better off hitting the droids first and taking out their support..."

The plodding of feet cuts away any further chatter as a few Clone engineers approach to debrief them on their first real attempt...

"...with respect ma'am, coding that isn't simple," said one of them, "How is a simulation suppose to know if you are 'broadcasting' in the Force?"

Siri considers how to answer. "All Force Sensitives give off a presence, some louder than others. Unless there is some kind of interference or cloaking involved, nearby Force Sensitives can sense eachother. This especially spikes if the Force Sensitive is using the Force itself."

The engineer nibbled on his lip in thought, looking down to type on his datapad. "Okay, we could do a proximity base awareness if a Jedi is in the simulation, then an alert if a Jedi 'uses the Force' in a way the simulation can register..."

"Force Sensitives can also feel other lifeforms," she advised, "In a base full of droids, living beings would rather stick out."

The engineer frowned and made a quick note. "Noted for future reference, but wouldn't the hypothetical Dark Jedi then be curious about the squad going away from you? Wouldn't that practically announce that you were a distraction? Or that there were separate objectives?"

"That's why I was broadcasting my presence and not being subtle in the slightest," she answered, "Ignoring my ability to shroud my squad's intent in the Force which is relatively unique to me, beyond that being loud in the Force is incredibly distracting, and can make it very difficult to focus, can make it possible for the Dark Jedi to miss what they should sense."

The engineer grumbled, then asked, "Do you have a few hours ma'am? Having an actual Force Sensitive to plan these out with could do wonders."

"You didn't have anyone on hand when you created these simulations for the Clone Army?" Siri asked, fishing for information.

The engineer shrugged. "No? When we took over making these, based on our training instructors suggestions and the information we had on the early Separatists, we thought our enemies were all going to be droids. Dark Jedi didn't factor into our flash training or simulations at all."

Hm. No training against Force Sensitives specifically? Not what she expected, but that was of course if her suspicions had merit.

"Some of the trainers had experience fighting Jedi, and of course the Prime did," mused the Engineer, "But that wasn't something the rank and file were instructed on. Kind of wish we had. I don't have a body count exactly, but I have a few Vode through the fleet who keep me up-to-date, I heard anywhere we didn't have a Jedi fighting off the Dark Jedi, losses were bad. A single Jedi could cut through squads easily before being taken down, if at all.."

Siri ponders it. Perhaps when this army was devised, the Jedi Schism hadn't been envisioned? But still... given the opportunity and surprise, a Commando could take down a Jedi. The Engineer had implied that even with heavy losses, some Dark Jedi fell to regular Clone Troopers without Jedi assistance. They didn't need to be trained specifically to kill Jedi, just given the chance or overwhelming numbers to do so...

So she has to really consider, is giving tips on improving these simulations for facing Force Sensitives a good idea? Her instincts still tell her that this army should have been made for the Confederacy since they were cloned from a Jedi Killer, but they're fighting with the Republic alongside the Jedi. It makes little sense, and the Force offers nothing to her prodding. So... she takes the selfish route. She wants to improve herself more than she cares if this somehow gets turned around on the bulk of the Jedi Order. Obi-Wan and Supernova could handle themselves.

"Sure, I got some time to sit and answer I suppose."

The Engineer nods in thanks before leaving. "Ill get a conference room set up."

Boss moves to stand next to her, arms clasped behind his back. "Its appreciated ma'am. This kind of additional preparation will save lives."

She simply shrugged in response. "I suppose."

He eyes her. "You seem... apprehensive about it?"

She considers him for a moment. "Do you recall our discussion about the creation of the Clone Army?"

His jaw clenches. "What about it?"

"It makes far more sense for an army cloned from a known Jedi Killer to have been given to the Confederacy rather than the Republic," she says softly, "So why wasn't it?"

Angry silence is her response, save for...

"Wow, I thought failing a sim for the first time in ages was crushing," said Fixer, "You really know how to kill an already killed mood, dontcha Commander?"

Siri laughed. "I do, anyway, I see the engineer coming back, come with if you like, or do whatever. I'm going to meditate after I'm done being prodded."

"Could be useful to hear first hand accounts or advice on what to expect," said Boss, expression and tone calm despite the agitation she feels waving off him.

"Not to mention ask for clarifications," said Sev pointedly.

Siri gives an amused huff. "Alright then," and leads them off...

Settling into the Dark Side to meditate when a galaxy wide war is going on now that she knows to consciously tap into that well of power, Siri imagines, is like taking in a puff of spice with every breath. Its also overwhelming how vast her meditative reach becomes. While most of the major battles have faded into a brief downtime as the combatants lick their wounds and prepare for the next targets, there are, for better lack of terms, echoes. Ripples in the Force from death and suffering and conflict. She can get a sense of where these happened, flickers in her minds eye of a landscape, but she doesn't have the knowledgebase to determine where these are without an outside resource to try and look them up.

She wonders if Sidious has the capacity and the vast knowledgebase to feel a battle across the Galaxy and know when and where and how it went. She has the unsettling feeling he does, and its kind of alarming to realize the kind of advantage that gives him. To also realize that any boon this war grants to her it also grants to him, and combined with his already vast advantage, is... well... bad. She doesn't think she could have stopped it from coming to war, not even if she had managed to assassinate C'Baoth first thing post leaving the Temple, but she could have potentially delayed it. Her willing ignition, going along with Sidious's plot out of bitter anger, hadn't been wise. But she'd let herself be backed into a corner, forced into a role, rather than bucking it and playing to her own tune, and there were consequences to that.

Its not to say she can't turn being in a war to her advantage, but when Sidious gains the same advantages and can use them better... its not something she can allow herself to forget...

Especially when he kriffing brushes against her presence across the bloody Galaxy!

'Is it not beautiful?' is the sensation she gets, rather than words, his eyes washing over a Galaxy descending into war and darkness and pushing that sensation to her.

She brushes it off, annoyed, and throws back her irritation at his gloating.

His responses comes a few minutes later, a chiding 'tsk'.

Siri hadn't been bothered to hide herself when she meditated, but if that is what she has to do to get peace of mind away from him then she is going to from now on. But for this meditation, she doesn't receive any further nudges, just the sense that he is watching her as she pokes and prods through the Force, examining how the Dark flows and thrives in a wartime galaxy, winds of energy rushing through the stars propelled by death and screaming. What he thinks of her examination, he doesn't express. She does not like how easy it is for him to reach across such vast distances and observe her like this. She's aware that as one of the few active trained darksiders, let alone arguably three Sith if C'Baoth even counts, she has to stand out, but to hone in on her like this...

Its uncomfortable.

Will she ever be free of him?

Siri swallows back the fear into her, tears it apart, and feeds it to the Dark. She imagines it like a treat, her hand holding it up for the Dark to eat out of. Funny enough, there is a chill across the palm of her hand almost as if it had. The sensation of fur under her fingers fills her before fading away. She turns her awareness away from Sidious, and gives herself to exploring the Dark...

Obi-Wan sits down in a conference room on their 212nd Attack Battalion's command ship and sighs. They would be leaving Corellia soon for their next destination, with only a little downtime between the hell that was that conflict. He can still recall it... the gut clenching nausea inducing feeling of seeing lightsaber clash against lightsaber in open combat, red and green and blue sparking against eachother, the Dark Side howling and overwhelming, blasterfire everywhere, screams, death, pain and suffering... former allies twisted into monsters. Former acquaintances, distant friends whose lives had ended, some at his own hand, some at his padawan's...

Siri had only been the beginning of the Sith's insidious corruption, a hint of what was to come.

His padawan sits down quietly next to him, mood morose. Both of them had been at the forefront of the carnage. Their combined Soresu a bulwark against lightsaber and blasterfire alike. Its safe to say, without the shift to Soresu, they'd likely both be dead. Or at least far more injured than a few burns from close calls. Being able to simply stay alive, and keep the focus of several fallen Jedi on them, had saved countless clone lives. He is aware that the Green Jedi had lost a number of their own, but wasn't privy to those details.

He senses she is as wound tightly up as she was at the beginning of their apprenticeship, if only for differing reasons so... "Do you wish to meditate together later?" he offers quietly.

She gives a jerky, uncomfortable nod.

He hesitates for a moment, not sure if he should bring something up with her. He had given an initial report to both the Council and the Chancellor, gotten his orders to ready his forces to head out... and then had a conversation with the Council. The Jedi Order as a whole had not been ready for this madness. Initial losses were not pleasant in the slightest, and as such, they Council had been looking for Senior Padawans to fill the gap of Knights lost to battle and to the Dark Side. His padawan had been brought up and it had been all he could do to not balk at the outrage, instead politely stating she needed more time. One should not be knighted simply because a gap needed to be filled, but because they were actually ready for it.

Lorana was at the higher end of skill and experience for Senior Padawans, honestly already at a knight level, and at twenty-nine years old, was on the later end of the spectrum for how long humans generally were padawans for. As much as he would always regard her as his padawan, he could not ignore that she was a grown woman at this point, she was older than he was when he had first taken her on as a padawan. Had C'Baoth not betrayed his oaths as a master and sabotaged her apprenticeship, she'd likely have been knighted a few years ago. But the fact was that she HAD been sabotaged. That took time to recover from, to correct. For her to come into her own confidence. Even years later, she still had trouble trusting in herself, trusting in the Force.

That could get her killed, that could get people under her command killed if she is always second guessing herself.

He is not willing to propose her ready for Knight Trials if she is going to be thrown unprepared into command and end up dead months later. Though he supposed very few Jedi were prepared to lead in armed combat regardless. He is not unaware that the pressure to knight her will rise as time goes on, but if he could only have a few more months, even a year to help prepare her in specific ways...

He takes the moment to school his hesitation away, and thankfully she doesn't ask even though he can tell she noticed. Likely assumes its over the battle they went through. This isn't the time nor the place to discuss it anyway, their commanding clone officer joins them shortly, a datapad ready for notes, he stands at attention at the door before Obi-Wan motions him to take a seat. He does, and when the meeting time hits, a holocall initiates. Obi-Wan is surprised to see Siri on the call, a set of clones behind her. A number of other generals also spring up along with the Chancellor, so not just their next standing orders then if its a full meeting.

"I'll not waste time," said the Chancellor, starting right away, "Thanks to Agent Tachi and Delta Squad's infiltration and destruction of the Geonosis main droid production facilities, we have been made aware of a dire upcoming threat."

Siri and this 'Delta Squad' hit Geonosis? He hadn't even known she was getting further involved in the war effort. Well... he's not going to complain if those facilities were crippled. Though he is... wary of Siri being in the war to any degree, she is already so far gone, she hardly needs anything else pushing her deeper into the Dark Side. She skirts far to close to the edge of what she had been on Naboo with her abominable sorcery as it is.

Palpatine hits a few buttons and... some kind of blueprint springs up? He'd call it a bowl, but his eyes hone in on connectors at the edges. So its a single part of some kind of structure? There appears to be an absurd number of turbolasers and shielding on it from what he can tell...

"We believe that the Confederacy has been constructing some kind of advanced battle station in preparation for war with the Republic," informed Palpatine, "We are not sure how long specifically, but evidence that Delta Squad gathered shows that there is some development with it. Intelligence has been directed into trying to discover more about this and the Confederacy's progress with it, but in the meantime, my advisors and I believe strategy should be shifted with this discovery. Judging by their analysis of the blueprint part we have, we believe this battle station will be capable of winning any space battle it is involved in once it is completed. This cannot be allowed."

That... wasn't good. He doesn't ever want to see this thing completed.

"To that end, applying pressure to their ability to both fund and build this battle station will prove beneficial," he continued, "Resource rich planets and trade routes are priority targets, along with of course putting pressure towards certain finance centers of the Confederacy," he paused briefly, eyes flickering towards Siri before he continued, "Because of the Confederacy's ability to force a Jedi to fall, need to know policies will be in effect. While broad overviews will be offered in meetings such as this, specific targets will be given in individual communications to to each general."

That earned a few grimaces, but, it was the truth. Those abominable Sith Torture Masks were a legitimate threat.

"That is all on my end," said the Chancellor, "I will contact individual fleets afterwards with standing orders."

The council dips in to speak of Jedi lost, or missing in action. They can't just assume dead because there is chance for capture, and they can't afford to be surprised if a former ally shows up on the opposite side twisted and warped. When they're finished, the Chancellor orders "Agent Tachi, please stay on. I would like the Third Systems Army to stay on as well."

Others blink out until those designated remain.

"You've made yourself clear in that you will not answer to a Jedi," began Palpatine, head dipping towards Siri, "But I would like you to be working alongside the Third Systems Army on their next objectives."

Siri shrugged. "Which is?"

The Chancellor turns to the Jedi. "It has been suggested to me that we follow the money, to that end, the Third Systems Army will work on hitting the more wealthy worlds and suppliers of the Confederacy in the northern sectors. Seizing complete control of Muunilist is one of the core goals I give to your forces."

"Hm," mused Dooku, "Last I knew Muunilist, and the Intergalactic Banking Clan, was trying to play both sides. They certainly have benefited off the chaos the Separatist Crisis created."

"They are and have," agreed the Chancellor, voice sour, "But publicly confronting them out on this would prove... unwise. They own the debt of and finance so much of the Republic that the risk of pushing them fully into the arms of the Confederacy would be a disaster. Muunalist does currently lean more Separatist than Republic last I was advised, but part of that has to do with San Hill's leadership, and the fact that the Planet is occupied by Confederate forces. I have been advised that the population of Muunalist is not pleased with the occupational forces however. If San Hill is captured, and Muunalist is taken from Separatist control, this would push their alignment towards us and weaken Separatist finances. Including the funding of their superweapon."

The Chancellor turns to Siri. "This in turn leads us to your squad's primary goal. While you will be expected to support the Third Systems Army and deal with other important matters that come up, your focus is on infiltration."

"Follow the money," mused Siri, considering Palpatine, "You want us to dig into the Banking Clan's records during the chaos. Find out where money is being funneled throughout the Confederacy. Because even if they lean towards the Republic, they are most certainly not going to willingly disclose their records."

"Correct, your cloaking ability both through the Force and with your ship, will allow you great stealth in this, and it goes without saying you are not to be caught," he said mildly.

"Of course, wouldn't want your fingers slapped by the banks," she said, a tint of mocking to her voice.

She really couldn't help herself, could she? Obi-Wan despairs a bit that she can't resist prodding the Chancellor.

"Quite," said the Chancellor, not rising to her tone, " I do believe you have quite the journey from Kamino to meet up with the Third Systems Army. I suggest you prepare for the trip. You are dismissed."

She smirks, wiggles two fingers in the air as a goodbye, and winks out of the meeting.

The Chancellor gives a soft sigh. "It goes without saying that an eye should be kept on Agent Tachi."

"Of course," agreed Dooku.

"In what regard?" chimes in Qui-Gon, drawing an annoyed look from his Master, "As much as she is a Sith, I do not believe she would betray us to the Confederacy. She loaths Jorus C'Baoth, nor would she return to Sidious"

"Oh, I agree Master Jinn," said Palpatine, "It is not outright treachery I suspect from her, she was rather upfront with me during our negotiations that she is using the Republic just as we are using her. I merely have the concern for mitigating collateral damage. Its why I gave her a squad to work with rather than just solo work. If there are eyes on her, there are less chances or inclinations to commit unsanctioned less than legal acts or make ethically unsound choices. She is to useful not to use for the good of the Republic, and to risky to allow her to go off on her own designs. Beyond that, public perception is important, and with the Confederacy calling out our use of her, of a Sith, as a rallying point, keeping her at least somewhat in line will be important."

"Good luck with that sir," said Anakin.

"Skywalker," admonishes Dooku.

Chancellor merely chuckles. "Oh, I agree with him. Controlling her is not a realistic goal, and being too constrictive can lessen her effectiveness as well. But she can be painfully blunt and confrontational. Any disagreements or dispute she has with the Jedi or with the Chain of Command should be kept in a private setting as to not effect moral. Its one of the reasons your forces were selected to work with her."

"Even after her parole ends, we are still stuck babysitting the Sith," said Dooku, sighing, "Very well."

"If there is nothing else, I have others I need to meet with," said the Chancellor, "Relevant information for your objectives will be forwarded shortly."

The Chancellor winks out, as does the other parts of the fleet.

Jinzler grumbles. "Is it bad if I cant decide on her involvement being a good thing or not?"

"Oh, its likely to be both, padawan mine," said Obi-Wan, running a hand through his hair.

"Sir," said their Clone Commander, "It may be prudent to brief the troops at some point that we are likely to work with her."

Obi-Wan blinks, a little startled by the coldness of his tone and bitterness coming off him in the Force. "You believe this will cause problems?"

"I wouldn't normally bring up something like this, as the men are more than disciplined enough to work alongside whoever we need to in order to do our duty, but, the recording of her report to the Senate over Geonosis has been passing through the ranks," said the Clone mildly, "With respect, sir, she outright more or less accused us of being created by the enemy. None of them will be pleased to work alongside her. We are loyal to the Republic, not the Separatists."

Oh.

He hadn't considered the reactions of the Clone Army to Siri's debrief by the Senate. "I'll keep that in mind Commander, pass word along, as well as a warning that she is often... confrontational with her wording, but to not rise to the bait. I'll try to minimize exposure to the troops if she ever does travel alongside us."

"Its appreciated sir," said the Commander.

Obi-Wan had to think for a moment, they had been thrown together so quickly, then into battle, and there we so many numbers to remember... "I do appreciate, CC-2224, that you came to me with this concern. I prefer that things like this are voiced to me to address rather than allowing an assumption that leads to an incident."

"Of course sir," said the Commander before offering his datapad, "I've compiled several reports for review when you have the chance."

Obi-wan takes it, eyes flickering over a list of links on the screen with a brief summary underneath, and resists the wince when he sees 'Casualty Report'. "Thank you Commander."

He really isn't looking forward to reading it, but for now, he has a few things he has to oversee before he can settle down to read and then meditate with his padawan...