Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Star Wars movies, shows, books, comics or games. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not for sale, or rent. The Mobile Armors, and later Mobile Suits mentioned in the story are inspired by the various Gundam shows. They obviously belong to their respective creators, and, or copyright owners.

Chapter 10

=FG=

Part 5

=FG=

7.5 ABY

Palpatine Class Star Destroyer Dauntless

Coruscant System

To Padme's surprise, it was about Veil's murderous stunts. Oh, she knew something like that would come sooner or later. The Federated Empire at least didn't try to make light of his atrocities. However, at the end of the day, that man was simply too dangerous and useful to make an enemy of. Padme could accept that Sullust had been a desperate military gamble. Despite the utterly unacceptable death toll across the system, Veil didn't set out to murder people for the sake of it like a Sith should. More importantly for Padme herself, Naboo would have been doomed without a victory there, no matter how the war unfolded from then on.

Bothawui was much harder to justify. When she was honest with herself, Padme didn't want to justify that butchery. The betrayal of the Bothan Council certainly didn't warrant murdering the whole planet with the Force of all things. Unfortunately, Veil's return was a powerful morale booster. That, combined with his proposed plan for Operation Star Hammer, brought the Republic back from the brink of a total political collapse. At that point, no one sane even thought about prosecuting Mandalore over what he had to do to get back to the Core as a savior. It wasn't fair; it wasn't just. However, Padme found the hard way that good intentions and morals could count for very little in a war. And at the end of the day, Veil was simply too powerful and valuable to make into an enemy. Besides, what would a monster like him do if his allies betrayed him again?

Instead of a great crime, Bothawui became Veil's crown achievement; there was no justice there, merely a cautionary tale as to why you don't betray your Sith ally.

Today, all that was a problem of a different kind. Padme felt dirty trying to justify Veil's actions, no matter how much they benefited her. While she was glad that Satine didn't try to sweep the issues their resident Sith caused and hated even thinking about lying over them, the reality of the situation put her in a bad position. The Federated Empire didn't even try to hide who and what Delkatar Veil was. If anything, his reputation as the Empire's pet monster kept reaping benefits for years now. The moment a diplomat from this side of the galaxy got a moment with the holonet from their side, the truth would be plain to see.

Padme simply didn't have much to work with. Besides, she was intimately familiar with people to whom "military necessity" wasn't enough of a justification. If the price for the Mid-Rim Alliance was burning systems, then it shouldn't exist. If the price for Veil's survival and that of his fleet was Bothawui, they should have died instead. Nowadays, Naboo was divided by those seized by newfound militarism and the pacifist of old. While everyone appreciated what Veil did for their people, the latter saw him as a monster. For many among them, saving Naboo wasn't worth the price paid in blood.

The Senator spoke of Veil's rise to prominence, giving the New Republic leaders context about the man while wondering what exactly she could show them that would make the situation not look as bad as it was. Padme quickly decided that even trying something like that would be immoral and foolish. The Federated Empire owed Veil's stunts; no one was trying to hide or mitigate the acts of mass murder he committed during the war. If anything, media aligned with the government took perverse pleasure in regaling their viewers with Veil's exploits, making him even more infamous as the "Empire's pet monster." Instead of being angry at the moniker, the damned Sith found it hilarious!

The heart of the matter was simple. While the war kept escalating beyond belief, worlds never got to burn, as a matter of course, until the Black Rebellion. No one could honestly argue that what Veil did was a common occurrence or that the enemy was so bad it justified murdering the populations of whole worlds wholesale. No one sane tried, anyway.

Eventually, Padme decided that the best course of action wouldn't be to highlight Confederate atrocities. However, she would showcase some of those. Instead, she would stress what Veil's successes salvaged in the end. Naboo was naturally a starting point. Until the Black Rebellion, between the Blue Shadow and all the battles in orbit, her beautiful world was a poisoned wreck that would take decades, if not centuries, to recover.

Padme browsed through the files on her datapad and linked a data transfer to the communications channel.

"Naboo after the Naboo Crisis a decade before the war," Padme narrated, for she doubted that decades after the Clone Wars, any of the people she was talking with might recognize the planet, save for possibly Mon Mothma.

It was one of Padme's favorite images, taken from the Royal ship shortly after they drove off the Trade Federation. A verdant, blue world covered with wisps of light snow-white clouds. That was a sight that Padme wouldn't be able to see back home in her lifetime.

"This is Naboo after the Separatists unleashed Blue Shadow, and the virus got into the water in a fashion impossible to contain."

The next image was captured by a Republic hospital ship as part of the relief and quarantine efforts. The clouds were similar, though there was a storm brewing near the South Pole. However, in contrast to the previous image, the oceans were a much darker shade of blue, almost purple.

A short clip followed, captured by a probe droid. One of Naboo's pristine, crystal-clear rivers resembled a poisoned disaster zone that could come right out of Nal Hutta. Fish and other animals floated, decomposing on the surface, almost solid, barely moving sludge. The shores were no different – many critters had died there, seeking relief from the symptoms but only ingesting more of the virus instead.

Mon Mothma's apparent shock was cold comfort for Padme. She called up yet another image. It was a still of Theed City, with a Lucrkehulk intentionally crash landing at the valley stretching below the capital. The controlled "landing" shoved the battleship right against the cliff wall, allowing the Confederacy to deploy troops directly into the city from the vessel's cavernous holds.

More images of that battle followed, showing captured pictures from the intense fighting at the capital and the tank battle in the plains below. General Veers became a Hero of Naboo, among many others, just like Anakin did so many years ago. Of course, Maximilian wasn't a general then, but a young officer out of his depth, yet still doing his best to protect Padme's people.

He was another of Veil's proteges.

"Veers, Hero of Naboo?!" Admiral Ackbar choked as he saw one of the propaganda posters from shortly after the battle. As far as Padme knew, they were collector items now.

"You're familiar with the man?" Padme politely asked. "Maximilian Veers distinguished himself in that battle. He was just a young Lieutenant then," Padme sighed. "Veers was the highest ranking officer from the Republic armored units deployed near Theed to survive the battle. The Republic paid a steep price to save us, and it was all possible because General Veil won at Sullust."

Finally, Padme showed a clip recorded by Veil's flagship after he forced the enemy to surrender above Naboo.

The pristine, if tarnished, world from the previous images vanished. A camera panned over a brown and red planet, with massive fires burning through continents clearly visible from orbit. Dozens of crashed ships with leaking reactors poisoned vast stretches of the planet. Smoke and ash from infernos consuming Naboo's lush forest and debris thrown up from crashed warships choked the sky and most of the surviving plants. The oceans were dark in color, more of a sludge due to Blue Shadow and other poisons murdering almost everything in them.

The only reason Naboo didn't starve was rapidly refurbishing captured Lucrehulks into orbital farms and refugee centers to keep people from the worst-affected areas safe.

When Padme finally got to return to Naboo after Operation Star Hammer and saw what was left of her home, she wept for a long while. Back then, she wasn't angry at Veil over Sullust or Bothawui. She was angry he didn't manage to get back to Naboo and spare it that fell fate.

"My people didn't die en mass because General Veil won at Sullust. My home can eventually recover because the Mid-Rim Alliance is a thing that survived the war, thanks to the Sith Lord," Padme sighed. "Chancellor, all the justification we need to accept, if not approve of what Veil did, stares us in the eye every day of our lives. We don't ask anyone to like or accept it. We merely implore everyone sane not to provoke the Sith. No one wants another Bothawui," Padme paused but decided to forge on. "He didn't bombard that world. He didn't unleash a secret doomsday weapon. All it took was him. One Dark Lord of the Sith backed into a corner, and a world died, murdered by the Sith with the Force."

She called up another recording, again from Veil's flagship above Bothawui.

"General Veil." an old Bothan glared at the camera. "It is my sworn duty to inform you that you are under arrest for war crimes too numerous to list here and now. The Bothan people could no longer be part of a Republic that stands for the murder of innocents and the destruction of whole worlds! Please surrender and spare the soldiers under your command. This doesn't need to end in bloodshed."

"Yet another treason by your people. You do live up to the stereotype," Veil countered, dark amusement clear in his voice. He listed the names of all Eighteen of the Bothan Councilors and the deals they made with Sidious – deals that meant they betrayed the Republic and were ready to turn it into a puppet for the enemy.

"I'm flattered. You didn't think your fleet was potent enough to face this Republic force, so you ran to beg the Separatists for help at the moment of your betrayal."

A screen opened within the screen on the clip, showing sensor records from multiple sources, complete with helpful annotations to tell the viewers who were who.

"You betray us and expect that we will lay down our throats so you can cut them more easily. We will not. This trap – it won't hold us!" Veil declared. "Bothans, you believe that today you choose the winning side. Your leaders deceived you. This war – is only beginning. The Republic and its allies won't bow so easily. This war was not of our choosing. Yet we will see it to its bitter end. We will sacrifice, we will bleed, we will exhaust ourselves, we will die, yet we will fight you still, traitors! Because our cause is worth any sacrifice! We fight for our very future! We fight for our people, our husbands and wives, our brothers and sisters, for our children! To protect them, no sacrifice is too great, no act too monstrous to contemplate if it brings us closer to victory," at that point, Veil's voice became entrancing, demanding everyone pay attention and heed his words."Have you ever wondered what could happen if you back a Sith into a corner? You have my fleet trapped here at Bothawui. Do you expect me to run and abandon my soldiers? To betray my people and allies as you did? Or perhaps you want me to make a doomed last stand? Fools. Tonight, we fight! Tonight, we burn together! Tonight I may die, however my people will live!" Veil's voice turned dark and deadly.

Such a speech wasn't Padme's cup of tea, but she had to admit it had a powerful effect when it finally spread throughout the galaxy. That night at Bothawui, Veil became a legend, especially among the Mandalorians. And when he liberated Mandalore against all odds, he might as well ascended as a living god to his people. The morale impact was tremendous, revitalizing the war effort from the brink of collapse.

"I am The Dark Lord of the Sith. I am the Dark Side made manifest, and tonight, no traitor shall touch my people!"

The image changed from that of a disbelieving Bothan to that of Bothawui. It didn't take long at all. A green and blue jewel hung into the ether until a gray spot suddenly became visible from the cameras of the Republic fleet. It grew rapidly, faster than anything really should have. In no time at all, there was no spec of life left on the planet. It was a gray, dead world ravaged by the unnatural power Veil unleashed. Neither droids nor people lasted long when they tried to go to the surface to check what, in the name of all that is good and proper, happened.

"Bothawui died. General Veil and his fleet lived to get back home, becoming instrumental in winning the war. Victory. Success. That is all the justification Veil needs after such a display. He is not an enemy anyone sane wants. While a monster, he is our monster and proud of it," Padme made her case.

With Veil around, winning hearts and minds wasn't a great way to go about diplomacy. Making people rethink their life choices and dissuade them from fighting a war that can have him come after them? That, sadly, worked. Who knew, now, that the New Republic leaders might think long and hard before doing something stupid so the relief efforts could proceed as planned and buy some goodwill.

While speaking, Padme transferred more data files, showing worlds ravaged by the war yet saved by either Veil's personal intervention or forces under his command.

"Each of those worlds, if not whole systems, didn't suffer worse than they did, thanks to General Veil's efforts. Because of his victories, it was possible only because he won and survived at Sullust and Bothawui. That is why we grudgingly accept and justify what he did as a military necessity. I am not going to lie if we lost, or if he wasn't as successful as he was, things would be different," Padme admitted.

Or if Veil wasn't personally dangerous enough to murder worlds.

"Success has many parents," Admiral Ackbar spoke in a deep, bubbling voice. "Failure is an orphan. I believe almost everyone has a similar saying, though my people's doesn't translate well in Basic."

Padme was looking at the other Republic Councilors. They were all clearly struck by what they just watched. And to think that this was only a taste of the Clone War's horrors, much less what happened during the Black Rebellion…

=FG=

Part 6

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7.5 ABY

Home One

Coruscant System

Watching worlds die never got easier. By all that was good in the galaxy, Mon Mothma hoped it would never get easier.

The Chancellor knew this Padme was different, and now she better understood why. She remembered the Separatist gambit to unleash Blue Shadow on Naboo. Mon recalled that that was only notable in their past because Padme got exposed while raiding a hidden Confederate laboratory somehow built on Naboo itself. Otherwise, with the outbreak contained to the facility in question, it was one more item on the Separatist's list of pointless cruelties.

Now, Mothma knew exactly what horror that thing could unleash if released on Naboo. It was a waterborne disease, and Naboo's unique nature, with oceans going deep through the planet's crust, made it uniquely vulnerable to such a disease; as if that wasn't terrible enough, watching another world ravaged from space battles above it hurt. The outcome wasn't pretty when kilometer-long ships ended up shot down in a planet's gravity well. There were still worlds with ongoing clean-up efforts from the Clone Wars… and a number of less-developed planets had to be abandoned because the effort necessary to restore them simply wasn't worth it.

What a worse Clone Wars might have wreaked was the stuff of nightmares. It was also likely to happen now, between the Warlords vying for power and the Federated Empire entering the picture. Mon Mothma had the sinking suspicion that their part of the galaxy hadn't experienced a full-scale war for at least a thousand years. That's why it was even more imperative to avoid a clash with the Federated Empire, if for no other reason, so everyone could comprehend the price of such a war.

Then, there was the rampaging Bantha in the room. That Veil character. A Sith Mandalore who allegedly could murder a world without needing fleets or Death Stars. No matter the truth of him, it would be for the best to keep him on the other side of the galaxy. Avoiding a war with the Federated Empire might just do the trick, especially now, when the New Republic suddenly found itself lacking their only Jedi.

"Senator Amidala, you've given us a lot to talk about. I am grateful for your enlightening input. We would appreciate discussing your history at length later. However, right now, we must convene to continue our emergency meeting. Have a nice day, Senator," Mon smiled pleasantry to the ghost of the past and cut the connection after hearing Padme's goodbye.

Mothma looked at Fey'lya, who stared stupified at Bothawui's frozen image. If that had been Chandrila, even a version of it, Mon wasn't sure her reaction would be better. Everyone had nightmares about their world dying after Alderaan. The Chancellor was sure many would experience them again after watching these recordings.

"Gentlebeings, we have some hard choices to make right now," Mon took the opportunity to take the initiative. "Some of us keenly remember the Clone Wars. For all of our successes as the Rebel Alliance, that was no true war. We were an insurrection. A very successful one," Mothma allowed herself a proud smile at that. "But an insurrection nonetheless. These other Imperials fought a very different, far deadlier Clone Wars. We are looking at a conflict of such a scale if we clash with them, no matter the reason. We are no longer the Alliance to Restore the Republic. We are the Republic, which means we are now responsible for the well-being of all our citizens. We already have countless systems to protect, and that is not something we can guarantee if we pick a fight we don't need. The Warlords are still there. Zsinj will soon move to secure as much of the Core as possible. Isard proved herself a mad dog, and we will need to handle her sooner rather than later," people finally stirred, moved one way or another by the Chancellor's words.

"We agreed that we can't take on Isard at this time. Legally and morally, what is happening at Thyferra is an internal corporate issue," Indriummsegh grouched tiredly. "Like you pointed out, Chancellor, we are the New Republic. We are no longer a band of Rebels doing what we must, with little thought about legality or political expediency. That is no longer the case. Until we have a good reason to intervene there, or Isard makes herself vulnerable, we can't move against her," the Elomin reminded everyone.

"Didn't we reach an agreement? Shouldn't we quietly send Rogue Squadron to take care of the problem?" Tevv asked. "We can dispatch them after we've solved the issue at hand!" The Sullustant wouldn't be deterred.

Mon suppressed a wince at that. Rogue Squadron wouldn't officially go "rogue" anytime soon like they planned with Madine. At the very least, three key pilots were now on a special assignment the Council wasn't aware of yet; that wasn't something Mothma was ready to share right now.

"Councilor Indriummsegh point stands," Admiral Ackbar intervened. "We were in no position to go after Isard while Zsinj is the greater threat. That didn't change overnight!" his voice sounded like rumbling, angry waves. "If we can't afford to send a fleet against Isard, what makes you all think we can afford to start a war against a new galactic power? Most of our fleets are bound in defensive deployments securing the New Republic! The assets we can deploy offensively are limited! They are even more limited now after that disaster at Cal-Seti. We should focus on bringing key worlds like Corellia and Kuat into the fold. That way, we will strengthen our strategic position and deny vital assets to the Warlords!"

Finally, someone spoke sense! It would have been even better if it was someone besides the level-headed Mon Calamari Admiral. Mothma's eyes jumped from Councilor to Councilor, judging their reactions.

"By the same logic, the new Imperials are the greatest danger now! We can't allow them to gain a foothold here!" Tevv narrowed his beady eyes at Ackbar. "They're already drawing defectors from the Warlords, strengthening their position! The Federated Empire is a greater threat to us in the long run than our insane Imperials! Sooner or later, the Warlords' actions would shatter their support until only fanatics back them. The same can't be said about the Federated Empire! We must show its true face to the whole galaxy and stand firmly against them here and now when we have the advantage!"

So much for sense prevailing; Mon felt despair grip her heart. She glanced at Fey'lya, who finally shook himself out of the stupor.

"No self-respecting Bothan will work with people who condone this!" Borks pointed a trembling finger at the image of a dead Bothawui.

"Like no self-respecting Bothan will sell the Republic?" Kerrithrarr roared for the first time since the meeting began, and a translator dutifully repeated his words in Basic. Until now, the Wookie elder bid his time, listened, and thought over his options. "I am a warrior at heart. While a good hunter knows the value of cunning, treachery is anything but commendable. Speak plainly, Councilor Fey'lya. If this wasn't Bothawui, would you really care right now? Councilor Tevv? If that Sith had burned different worlds, would you be interested in their fate besides the political advantage you can drain from such tragedies? Do you think us blind?"

Bless that Wookie's big heart! At that moment, Mon would have kissed him, fur and all, if he was here in the flesh! While this wasn't the done thing, especially during this kind of meeting, speaking the plain hard truth without coaching it in diplomatic niceties had its utility from time to time.

"You dare!?" Borsk bristled.

"I would like to know how much our histories coincide in that particular way," the Elomin Councilor interjected.

"It matters not what Bothan agents might have been guilty of in the distant past! We've been supporting the Rebellion for a long time now! Many Bothans died as heroes to bring us the Death Star's plans! We all know what would have happened without them!" Fey'lya snarled. "Do you really want to dig around for everyone's dirty secrets? I assure you, my people will come ahead in such a contest!"

While for some, that might be a tactic admission about the Bothans' culpability with the Empire or the Separatists during the Clone Wars, Borsk was right. It pained Mon to admit it, but everyone had secrets, and some were buried for good reason. Governments changed. Interests changed. People changed, too, after they experienced the Empire's tender mercies. Flinging accusations of past wrongs would get the New Republic nowhere good.

"I am not disputing their heroism!" Kerrithrarr roared. "I am disputing your motives! You claim to intimately know what the Bothan Spy Net has to share. Then you must know our situation. We are in no position to fight another war right now! You are no fool, Borsk Fey'lya!" the Wookie accused. "Why are you pushing for a conflict now? Do you want to risk damning us for a fleeting political advantage!?"

"Our motives should be plain to see! We would no more work with these Imperials than a proper Alderaani would have remained loyal to the Empire after the Death Star destroyed their home!" Tevv was next to disregard diplomatic norms. "If you want to work with these butchers, it will happen without any Sullustan support."

"I concur. The Bothan State will not back any initiative to form closer ties with our enemies of the Federated Empire. There is nothing more to discuss on that topic," Fey'lya also put down his foot.

The rest of the Council could outvote them if it came down to it. In practice, Bothan intelligence and Sullusts industry were still vital, though in the latter case, not as much as before Mon Cala's liberation and the successful negotiations with Rendili. Unfortunately, Madine's resignation made the Bothan Spy Net even more valuable and indispensable than before.

"We are not discussing a treaty of friendship, much less some kind of alliance!" Mon's patience was already frying, so her words came with a keener edge than intended. "We are trying to figure out how to deal with the Federated Empire without starting a shooting war we can't afford. The aid they're supplying to Coruscant is directly benefiting us. It is giving us vital time to secure new Bacta sources and find a way to deal with Thyferra in a politically acceptable manner. Like it or not, Councilor Fey'lya, we need peace to deal with Zsinj first and secure as much of the Core as possible. Only then can we even contemplate a conflict with the Federated Empire!"

"I can not back or authorize military operations against the Federated Empire unless it is a defensive action. If I am ordered to start a war we can't afford to fight and can avoid, I will have to resign as well," Admiral Akbar's grave voice put things into perspective.

Losing him as well, right after Madine, would have catastrophic political and military implications. The effect on morale would be devastating.

Borsk and Sian stared at the Mon Calamari as if he had just backstabbed them or at least slapped their faces with his huge webbed hands.

"We will seek a peaceful coexistence, but nothing more for now," Mothma made a reconciliation offer for all it was worth.

One after another, the Councilors officially voiced their agreements until only Tevv and Fey'lya left.

"I abstain," Borsk growled.

"I abstain as well," Sian made his protest and displeasure clear. There would be consequences for today's actions, and they were yet to discuss the official reason for this damned meeting…

=FG=

7.5 ABY
Palpatine Class Star Destroyer Dauntless
Coruscant System

After the inquisition finally ended, Padme marched to her quarters and collapsed on the couch. Anakin was kind enough to give her time to gather her thoughts and calm down.

"Spit it out, Ani. I can see you're dying to ask," Padme eventually relented while her husband stood nearby, looking expectantly at her.

"It's not often you're on the back foot in negotiations. I usually have my hands full with you and dread the time Leia grows up and takes after you," Anakin blurted out.

"You were right there beside me! You heard it all!" Padme scoffed.

"It's always Veil's fault somehow. Delkatar has a knack for it that rivals our knack for finding trouble," Anakin nodded sagely.

"While there wasn't much time to plan and prepare for this mission, we discussed what to expect and prepared a briefing for the people out here. As far as everyone was concerned, the primary sticking points would be our ongoing policies to ensure we won't fight a war on multiple fronts again."

"Your good work in bringing worlds back into the fold," Anakin beamed proudly at her.

"More like the economic blackmail and the outright invasions that happen every time diplomacy fails or isn't moving fast enough. For all intents and purposes that matter, our Empire is an expansionist imperial power. We believed this truth would make the locals wary, and we would have to bend backward to reassure them they weren't on the list for conquest. We have no territorial interests out here. All we want is a secure border, and that's best done diplomatically, not by picking up a fight!" Padme exclaimed. "But no one ever hinted at what we are doing as being a deal breaker! Instead, it was all about what Veil did during the war before the Empire was even a thing!"

"Typical Delkatar," Anakin nodded sagely. "By merely existing, he is causing people headaches and somehow creating complications out of thin air."

"I had to improvise and justify mass murder on an unfathomable scale! I loathed every moment of it!" Padme vented.

"You kind of like Delkatar," Anakin reminded her.

"I also hate a lot of what he does, even if it ultimately benefits us. We owe him, and he is decent enough to be around…"

"He is not a one-dimensional villain from a holo we can love to hate without a thought," Anakin walked to sit beside Padme and took one of her hands in his. "You know personal relationships can be complicated. I've got much blood on my hands, including that of innocents. Of people, I was sworn to lead to the best of my ability, yet I wasted their lives at Geonosis. Yet you still love me, dark past and all."

"I've seen you at your lowest, Ani. You're just a person, like the rest of us."

"That's my point. We know Delkatar, the person behind Mandalore's mask. The man behind the Sith, so to speak. To almost everyone else, he is a symbol at best and a monster to loath at worst. That makes it harder to hate him, especially when his worst acts greatly helped us."

"It's not fair, nor just," Padme grumbled dejectedly.

"A hard lesson that," Anakin agreed. "If things were fair, we would live happily in a just and prosperous Republic that lived up to its claims."

"That's a nice dream," Padme murmured wistfully. "It's too bad that such a Republic hasn't existed since before we were born."

"All we can do is ensure the Empire does as much good as possible along with the bad. At least Obi-Wan and Satine are trying."

Padme wisely didn't mention that Palpatine most certainly hadn't been trying now that she knew more of the truth about him. Speaking of the man with Anakin was hard, for he died as her husband's friend.