Naro woke inside a bacta tank, and his initial instinct was to panic. He'd never been in a bacta tank before, and he thought he was drowning at first. It took a minute for him to calm himself; by then two doctors had noticed he was awake.
The doctors pulled Naro out of the tank. He was laid out onto a table, and the doctors began to prod him.
"On a scale of one to ten, how much pain are you in?" one asked as she jabbed him in the rib.
Naro croaked. His throat felt curiously dry despite having just been submerged in liquid. And everything hurt. But it hurt less than he had expected.
"Seven," he managed.
The other doctor wrote something on his datapad. He came over and flashed a light in Naro's eyes before noting something else down.
"You had three fractured ribs and internal bleeding throughout your torso," the first doctor said. "The bacta has accelerated your natural healing, but you will continue to experience pain for the next month or so. Seeing as the internal bleeding has stopped and you appear to have no lasting cognitive damage, you are free to go as soon as I finish logging your data. Avoid any strenuous activity for at least three weeks."
Naro blinked. His legs worked. His head was starting to work. He rubbed his side and found that touching it triggered immense pain.
The doctors walked out the door, leaving Naro alone in the cold and sterile room. He didn't have any of his clothes, he realized. The slimy, wet feeling of bacta was still all over him. He sat up on the table.
But before he could contemplate doing anything, the door burst open, and Davek rushed in.
"You're awake!" Davek laughed, and he threw his arms around him.
Naro gave a yelp, feeling his injuries flare up.
Davek let him go instantly and had the good courtesy to look apologetic. His torso and arms were now wet with bacta. "Sorry. How are you feeling? I brought you a change of clothes. The others are outside," he said in a flurry. "You scared us when you passed out like that. We were up all night waiting for you to wake up."
"I-" Naro began. But he coughed violently, and his ribs flared in pain again.
Davek filled a cup of water from the room's sink and handed it to him. Naro sipped it gratefully and felt better.
Naro smiled weakly. "I'm ok," he said. "Where's Ladrek?"
Davek's expression turned dark. "He's still in a bacta tank; he got pretty mangled, but the doctors say he's going to live." Davek leaned closer to Naro and murmured, "We're going to have to get our stories straight in case the Academy administrators take an interest."
"Ladrek attacked me!" Naro tried to hiss, but really it came out as more of a whimper. Talking hurt.
"He'll have two witnesses to claim you threw the first punch. And he'll use his family's influence to pressure the administrators."
Naro rubbed his face and groaned.
"Don't worry, though," Davek reassured. "Ladrek doesn't want to involve the administrators any more than you do. It'll reflect poorly on his family if it's known he's getting into fights. He probably wants to bury this as much as you do."
"So what do we do?" Naro said slowly; it hurt less that way.
"When Ladrek wakes up, I'll talk to him. We'll come up with a story to explain away the injuries then stick to it if the administrators question us. Let's say you both fell down a flight of stairs. Something like that. Without any witnesses, they won't be able to look into the issue any further."
Naro did his best to convey his immense skepticism through a silent look.
"It'll be fine," Davek said. He found a towel draped by the bacta tank and threw it to Naro. "Now come on, let's get you dressed. The others want to see you."
Naro wiped himself down and stood up from the table. He quickly discovered that leaning over was very painful, so Davek had to help him change into his Academy uniform. That also hurt, and Naro was starting to wonder if the next month of his life would be spent in agony.
Remarkably, Naro's legs worked just fine, and he was able to walk with some minor assistance from Davek. They were, as it turned out, in Carida Academy's clinic which doubled as a research lab and training center for cadets studying medicine. Davek led him into a waiting room where dozens of bored looking cadets were lounging in neatly arranged chairs.
Instantly three cadets stood from their seats, and a moment later Naro was being hugged by his friends.
"We were worried!" Emeris said after Naro had painfully endured their collective embrace.
"Should you be walking?" Hawkor questioned. "You don't look that great."
Naro managed a smile. "Thanks, you're not too bad yourself."
Galara clapped him on the shoulder, one of the few places that did not hurt, and said, "I heard you gave Ladrek a few good ones, eh? I wish I'd been there to help teach him a lesson." Suddenly she set her face. "Really though. You can't go scaring us with near death experiences like that. We care about you, and we were all worried."
Hawkor nodded. "If you need anything while you're recovering, we're here for you. You should take it easy for a little bit."
"Yeah, don't die on us," Emeris added.
Naro fought back tears. He noticed that all his friends had bags under their eyes which made him feel both immensely guilty and loved at the same time. If it didn't hurt so much, he would have hugged them again.
"Come on," Davek said. "This room stinks of old rations, and we should get you into a bed before you fall over."
Together they helped him to his room, though really he didn't need it. The pain grew less intense the more Naro walked, and the further they went the less he had to lean on his friends. By the time they were nearing his dorm, Naro felt a tiny bit more normal.
He noted that few of the cadets they passed in the hallways had stared at him. And the ones who had stared had stopped after Davek gave them a dangerous glare.
Davek opened the door for him. "The bottom bunk's yours until you're recovered," he said. "I swapped our bedding while you were still in the bacta tank. Figured you'd have a hard time clambering up there each night."
Naro was touched.
Galara peaked into the room. "Did the doctors give you any pain meds?"
"No," Naro said. "Should they have?"
"Academy doctors are cheap and corrupt; they're probably selling your prescription on the side," Galara sighed. She produced a bottle of pills and offered it. "Here. I bought this off one of the cadets studying at the clinic. It might even be what you were supposed to be given."
Naro took the bottle. "Thanks."
He sat down on the bottom bunk, a little overwhelmed. He'd never had friends like this before.
"Alright, let's let him get some rest," Hawkor said. He yawned. "And maybe I'll get some myself. At least we don't have classes today or tomorrow. Thanks for waiting until right before the weekend to get seriously injured, Naro."
Naro snorted softly at that. He was promptly punished for it by a sharp pain in his side.
"We'll see you at dinner, yeah?" Emeris checked. She glanced at him, still wincing from the pain. "If you need, we could smuggle food from the cafeteria and have dinner here."
"I'm alright," Naro grunted. The pain dissipated, and he forced a smile. "Thank you. All of you. For everything."
Davek smiled. "Anytime. We know you'd do the same."
The next few weeks were a blur for Naro. As soon as the weekend was over, Naro was back in class; within three days, his near death experience was forgotten in the endless simulations his classes were now testing them on. Carida Academy prided itself on providing its cadets practical learning, and since there wasn't a major galactic-wide war to take part in, simulators were the next best thing. The simulations doubled as both learning tools and tests of each cadet's aptitude.
Naro led ground wars in planetside tactics. He fought engagements in fleet maneuvering. In sublight logistics, he arranged and defended supply chains in hostile systems. He directed an anti-piracy campaign from the bridge of a simulated cruiser in system-wide counter-insurgency, and then he waged a naval campaign across multiple star systems in galactic operational command. In one simulation, he conquered the Corporate Sector with a fleet half the size of Davek's, his opponent, after Naro's teammate stumbled into an ambush elsewhere.
"You know you were only meant to be a delaying force, right?" Davek complained.
"I had an opportunity," Naro said. He would have shrugged, but his recovering body meant that shrugging still hurt.
Later, he had to deliver the simulation's results to the instructor for grading, and the instructor raised an eyebrow when he looked over the results.
"How exactly did you manage to accomplish this, Cadet Tarrik?" he asked, tapping through the simulation's summary.
"A flanking attack using an asteroid cluster to cover its approach, sir," Naro said, swallowing his nerves. This was the first time an instructor had spoken with him one on one.
The instructor put down his datapad. "This allowed you to overcome odds of two to one?" he questioned.
Naro gave a hesitant nod. "The flanking maneuver meant that Cadet Tharn's screening ships were in the wrong place to defend his capital ships. It allowed my frigates and starfighters to eliminate them with proton torpedoes while enfilading fire substantially reduced the effectiveness of their shields," Naro explained. "The asteroid cluster hid this maneuver until it was too late for Cadet Tharn to react," he added.
The instructor looked silently at Naro.
Naro did his best not to squirm.
Finally, the instructor steepled his fingers and said, "Understood, Cadet Tarrik. You are dismissed."
Naro continued doing simulations for the rest of the month. It was exciting, because he finally had an opportunity to employ the tactics and strategies he'd been theorizing for so long. It was terrifying, because he knew these simulations were his examinations, and he noticed that his instructors began paying closer attention to him as he completed more scenarios. Still, the hectic month of simulations engrossed Naro entirely, even after his injuries had begun to heal and his pain was gradually reduced into nothing.
At some point during that month, Davek managed to talk with one of Ladrek's friends and came to an agreement regarding the 'incident'. It was agreed that Naro and Ladrek had both unfortunately fallen down flights of stairs, and that was apparently the end of it. The Academy administrators didn't appear to take an interest. Naro never had to talk to Ladrek personally.
Whatever was discussed, Naro didn't care. His month was too busy with simulations for him to think about it.
The end of that month meant a temporary end of classes at Carida Academy. Every cadet was given a week of rest and recovery as instructors tallied final grades and posted class rankings. New schedules with new classes were to be provided to each cadet at the end of that week.
For Naro, the end of his first classes was proof that he truly had made it. Proof that he wasn't just a fraud who'd been bribed into the Academy.
It was somewhat anticlimactic for him since, unlike most other cadets, Naro hadn't had any final examinations. The simulations had been his examinations and those had been ongoing for weeks. He found himself surprised when, at the end of his final simulation, he realized he was done with his classes.
When he complained about it to his friends, they all called him a masochist. Hawkor and Emeris in particular had just completed excruciating final examinations, and Davek was especially grateful he hadn't had any.
Regardless, Naro ended the month feeling good. His body was almost recovered. Ladrek was taken care of. He had finished his first classes.
But Naro received the shock of his life when a voice came over the Academy intercom and said, "Cadet Naro Tarrik, please report to the Director's office. Cadet Naro Tarrik, please report to the Director's office."
In an instant, his happiness was erased.
Davek sat up in his bunk and met Naro's eye. He'd been scrolling a datapad while Naro had sat at his desk dreaming up strategies.
"They don't have anything on you," Davek stated firmly. "Remember, you fell down the east stairwell leading to the fencing salon. You didn't use the turbolift because you were working on your cardio. Ladrek was not involved."
"Right," Naro said. He could feel his heart pounding already. "Right," he said again, trying to reassure himself.
Davek nodded. "This is just a formality. In thirty minutes, it'll all be behind you, and you can go back to fighting your imaginary war, or whatever it is you're doing."
"Right," Naro said a third time. He stood and went to the door. "Thanks."
"You'll be fine. Just stick to the script."
Naro took a deep breath and entered the hallway. He strode forward, his feet seemingly moving on their own. He knew if he stopped now he'd never regain the courage to keep going.
A couple cadets eyed him as he passed.
He walked faster.
As he passed the showers, Naro had the visceral image of Ladrek dragging him in. Of a foot digging into his side. The precise feeling of one of his ribs cracking.
Naro flinched. The cadets in the hallway stared at him. He stood there a moment then made himself walk past.
He moved quickly, a pit deep in his stomach. Walking quickly made him feel just a little better. Like he had control of something. Even if that something was the pace he walked to his own execution.
No. Davek's right. This is a formality. Nothing more.
But the pit never left his stomach.
He went up a turbolift, took two lefts, and then went up another turbolift. The Director's office was on the top floor of the academy building, where cadets usually never ventured. Naro saw maybe a dozen people as he walked across the top floor. They were all administrators, and they glared at him with stern annoyance as he passed.
A durasteel plaque labeled 'Academy Director' marked the door of his destination. Naro hesitated a moment, staring at the plaque. Then he breathed in, exhaled, and forced himself to knock.
"Come in," an older man's voice ordered.
Naro entered and saluted immediately. "Cadet Naro Tarrik reporting, sir."
There was a human with gray hair sitting behind a large desk. He looked unhappy, or rather he looked like his natural state was unhappiness, and his face reflected that. He had a bushy gray moustache which he stroked as Naro came in.
"Hmmm… Cadet Tarrik," the Director mused. He sighed and gestured with his hand. "Please take a seat."
Naro sat in one of the chairs opposite the Director's desk. He could feel his breathing become quicker and shallower. His back was perfectly straight. He did his best to hide his internal panic.
The Director watched him for a long moment that felt like an eternity.
Finally, he said, "Cadet Tarrik, I understand that you were admitted to the clinic for severe injuries last month. How are you recovering?"
"Fine," Naro said. He did his best not to fidget.
The Director nodded and looked down at a piece of flimsiplast. "Three fractured ribs, internal bleeding, severe bruising across the torso and face, numerous minor abrasions." He frowned, a very natural look for him. "Would you please explain how you received these injuries on Academy grounds, Cadet Tarrik?"
Naro balled his hands into fists. Just a formality. Just a formality.
"I fell down a stairwell," he said.
"I see," the Director stated. He leant back in his seat. "And would you care to comment on why Cadet Ladrek D'Andar was admitted to the clinic for similar injuries only fifteen minutes after you were admitted?"
This doesn't feel like a kriffing formality.
"I don't know," Naro said.
"Really?" the Director said slowly. "Would you care to explain why then the doctors found bruising across your knuckles? A typical sign of a… physical confrontation."
Naro steeled himself.
"I don't know," he repeated.
The Director frowned. "Cadet Tarrik, I really must insist that you tell me the truth."
Naro let his eyes wander around the office to cover his indecision. The Republic was corrupt. The Director was an agent of the Republic. Naro had seen the Academy's corruption first hand; the only reason he was there was because of it. Ladrek had the money and influence to use that corruption.
There was nothing to gain by cooperating.
"I don't know," Naro said again.
Insist away, old man.
To his immense surprise, the Director smiled. "Good. Let's keep it that way" the Director said.
Naro blinked.
The Director stood from his seat and began to pace his office. "Cadet Tarrik, in the time you have been at this academy, you have excelled in all of your classes. Several of your instructors have recommended you for your performance, and I am told you have vigorously pursued your studies outside of your classes. In recognition of your performance, I would like to offer you a full scholarship for the remainder of your attendance at the Carida Military Academy."
Naro stared blankly, unable to comprehend what was happening. He'd been certain he was about to be expelled. And now…
"However," the Director continued, "this aid is conditional on your silence regarding this matter with Cadet D'Andar. It would reflect poorly on the Academy for such an incident to be publicized, and as such it is in our collective interest to keep this quiet. I am sure you agree."
Corruption everywhere, Naro thought bitterly. But his parents had already sacrificed so much to get him here. A full scholarship…
"Nothing happened between me and Cadet D'Andar," he affirmed. "I fell down a stairwell."
The Director nodded. "Excellent. Your scholarship will be applied immediately. You are dismissed, Cadet Tarrik."
Naro stood, saluted, and went out the door.
But as he left, he thought, If the Republic is corrupt, then I'm complicit in that corruption. I'm no better than the bureaucrats accepting bribes.
The thought gnawed at him.
Despite his guilt, Naro let his parents know about the scholarship immediately. He told them it was for his performance in his classes which, technically, it was. They sent him back a very sweet recorded holomessage which made him just a little homesick.
He hadn't thought he'd ever miss Raxus. He was supposed to be living his dream here.
In truth, he was living his dream. The classes. His friends. Access to so much military learning.
But the Republic's corruption was evident at Carida, and it tainted everything else.
Regardless, Naro was grateful that the incident with Ladrek was behind him, and that he had a week of free time before his next classes. He distracted himself by returning to his military learning.
An idea had formed in Naro's mind while he'd been doing his classes' final simulations. Now he finally had the time to develop that idea. The core of his idea was based in his favorite tactic, force concentration, and in the fact that hyperdrive technology had advanced considerably since the ancient Jedi-Sith Wars. In essence, he wanted to use hyperspace jumps to rapidly concentrate multiple portions of a dispersed fleet against a single enemy detachment. It would enable a force to trap the enemy fleet in a larger battle than it had expected, achieving tactical surprise. Additionally, it allowed a force to disperse itself prior to battle, easing logistical strains and enabling the dispersed portions to scout out a greater number of systems than a concentrated enemy.
But that was all easier said than done. The arrival of a second portion of the fleet was reliant on a precise hyperspace jump, and that was only achievable through either exceptional skill or extensive pre-planning. Naro wasn't satisfied with either, so he was trying to figure out how to-
There was a knock on his dorm room door, and Naro sat up in his bunk. Davek sat up as well. He was on the top bunk, and he'd been reading through the HoloNet while Naro lay in the bottom bunk developing his idea.
"Come on in; it's open," Davek said.
Lynara Valorum walked in and made a face. "Do you always keep your room unlocked?" she questioned.
"Yes," Davek replied, sliding off the top bunk. "I'm going to hit the gym," he said, and he winked as he went out the door.
Lynara looked at Naro.
"So," Naro began, and he cringed internally at himself. "So, uh, why are you…?"
Lynara shrugged. "We have a week of free time, I'm bored out of my mind, and you're the only interesting person to talk to in this whole academy." She bit her lip. "Also we haven't fenced since you got injured, and I miss spending time with you. How are you recovering, by the way?"
"I'm not in constant pain anymore," Naro said. "I think I'll be up to fencing again in a week."
"Well that's good," Lynara said. She hovered by Naro's bunk and asked, "May I?"
Naro nodded.
Lynara sat down next to him. "So what have you been doing to stave off boredom?"
"Developing a tactic for space warfare," Naro admitted before immediately wondering if he should've made up something else. Normal people didn't do that in their free time.
"Now that's interesting," Lynara said, a glint in her eyes. "Care to explain?"
Naro felt a smile form on his face. "It's a maneuver based around using hyperspace jumps for rapid force concentration. A fleet could disperse itself in several contingents across multiple systems then concentrate for battle in one place when contact with the enemy is made."
"So you gain the benefits of a dispersed force while allowing force concentration when necessary. And at the same time you gain the element of surprise when engaging the enemy in battle." Lynara gave a look of approval. "Good idea. Why hasn't anyone else done it?"
"Because it's been a thousand years since the last major war with these kinds of large scale fleet actions, and hyperdrives from the Jedi-Sith Wars weren't precise enough for a maneuver like this." Naro shook his head. "Really, even today's hyperdrives aren't quite good enough. At least not without a really good astrogator."
"You could practice the jumps. If you drilled them beforehand, you could get the positioning down almost exactly."
Stars, it's nice to talk to someone who understands.
"Right, but that requires days, maybe even weeks, of preparation. Ideally I want this maneuver to be possible at a moment's notice."
Lynara tilted her head. "What about using gravity well projectors? They could drag a fleet out of hyperspace exactly where you needed. No need for the ships to calculate a precise jump then."
"That…" Naro paused briefly. "That could work. Except that they're too power inefficient to be mounted on ships. So you couldn't deploy them as you'd need for this maneuver."
Suddenly Lynara's face lit up. "You could use planets to do the same thing. All a gravity well projector does is attempt to imitate the gravitational force planets naturally have. You could aim your jump near the planet, and its mass shadow would pull the fleet out of hyperspace next to it."
"Except you can't position a planet where you need it," Naro objected.
Lynara scoffed and said, "So then position your fleet based on the planet's location." She looked at him, excitement clear on her face. "It's like the terrain of a planetary battlefield. Every system has planets and stars; you just need to place your forces in a spot that can take advantage of them. If you put one part of your fleet next to a planet, the other parts can use the planet to jump in right next to it."
Naro suddenly understood. "Right, of course." He laughed at the sheer simplicity of it. "Brilliant. You could even use them to outflank the enemy or jump into the enemy's rear if you position the fleets correctly."
"Bait the enemy into an engagement with a small force then jump into their rear with the larger force," Lynara said. "Then you've cut off their retreat and have them pincered between your two forces."
"Brilliant," Naro repeated, and he looked at Lynara fondly.
Lynara looked at him. And then she looked away.
"So, uh…" Lynara coughed. "What are you going to call this tactic?"
"The Tarrik Maneuver," Naro admitted sheepishly.
Lynara laughed. "How very humble of you."
"I suppose it should be the Tarrik-Valorum Maneuver, considering your contributions."
"The Valorum-Tarrik Maneuver has a better ring to it."
Naro made a face. "But I was the one who came up with the idea," he protested.
Lynara shrugged. "And I'm the one with the prestigious name. Don't you want people to read about your tactic? Putting Valorum first will catch their eye better."
Naro thought about protesting further, but then he saw the grin on Lynara's face. "Alright, fine," he conceded. "We'll call it the Valorum-Tarrik Maneuver."
Lynara's grin grew. "Naturally," she beamed. She looked at him again, and Naro thought she might say something more…
"Would you like to get dinner?" Naro suddenly asked.
"Yes," Lynara said instantly. "Right now? Where?"
"The cafeteria should be-"
"Please," Lynara interrupted. "Our first dinner together will not be at the academy cafeteria."
Naro briefly wondered at her phrasing before saying, "I've never been off academy grounds."
Lynara raised an eyebrow. "Really? In that case we're definitely not eating at the cafeteria. Come on, if we're quick we can catch a shuttle to Ryleel in ten minutes."
She stood from his bunk and headed straight out the door. Naro didn't hesitate in following right behind.
"Don't we need passes to leave academy grounds?" Naro asked as they went down the turbolift to the hangar bay.
"It's our week off," Lynara said over her shoulder. "Passes are only required while classes are scheduled. Besides, no one checks if you have a pass or not. And if someone does, you can usually 'buy' one from them for a few dozen credits."
They exited the turbolift and crossed a long hallway leading to the hangar bay. The massive scale of it all once more caught Naro off guard. He hadn't been here since his arrival on Carida.
Lynara grabbed Naro's hand. "Come on!" she said, running for a shuttlecraft parked at one of the far landing pads.
There was a line to board the shuttlecraft. Lynara and Naro stopped at the back of it and shuffled forward as cadets began to board.
A thought suddenly hit Naro.
"I don't have many credits," he blurted.
Lynara rolled her eyes. "And I happen to be extraordinarily wealthy. I'll pay, naturally."
That didn't quite sit right with Naro, but she was indeed very wealthy, and Naro was practically broke. Lynara paid their shuttle fare, apparently unbothered by Naro's inability to pay. He thought about paying her back eventually but then realized it was pointless. Her family had so much money that she didn't even count what she spent.
The shuttle took them from the academy, across a vast ocean, then over a seemingly barren landmass that extended for miles and miles. Eventually the shuttle stopped at a city located in the midst of the landmass, Ryleel, as Lynara pointed out. The city had originally been a mining town, but, as it was the closest population center to the academy, its inhabitants had long grown accustomed to catering to wealthy cadets looking to enjoy their time off.
They departed the shuttle, and it quickly proved that Lynara had spent a lot of time at Ryleel. She brought him to a market, where hundreds of fellow cadets wandered about, and led him from store to store. He didn't buy anything, despite Lynara's insistence that she would pay for him, but it was fun to see what was on offer. Most of it was trinkets and baubles, meant to entice visiting cadets, but one shop was selling quality vibro weapons, and Naro was entranced.
He held a vibrorapier, testing its weight and balance, then did a few practice thrusts with it. Naro loved the feel, and he was suddenly envious of his lack of wealth. In spite of this, he still refused Lynara's offer to buy it for him.
Naro did, however, allow Lynara to pay for dinner which they ate at a place purporting to sell local cuisine. The food was just alright, but the restaurant made up for it by being located on a hill overlooking the rest of the city. They watched the sun set over the horizon as they ate nerf steaks.
Later, much later, they walked through a city park, watching the stars above them.
"Do you ever feel like you've only just discovered something incredibly obvious?" Lynara asked.
"All the time," Naro admitted. "Just today with my tactic. Our tactic," he corrected.
"The Valorum-Tarrik Maneuver," Lynara murmured. She gave a soft smile.
"You know you're brilliant, right?"
"Naturally. Just like you."
Naro matched her smile.
Lynara moved a step closer to him. "May I?" she asked.
"Yes," Naro breathed.
Lynara put a hand on Naro's chest and leaned forward. Naro leaned forward as well.
And, as the stars shone over them, they kissed.
The next morning Naro walked to breakfast with a skip in his step. He'd returned to the academy late last night, but he felt refreshed regardless.
He entered the cafeteria with a smile on his face. Except, instead of the usual dispersion of hungry cadets, two hundred people were all crowded around a single table watching in stony silence.
Naro pushed his way forward.
A holoprojector had been set up on the table. On it, the hologram of Count Dooku was speaking.
"The Republic's corruption cannot be solved!" Count Dooku announced. "The Core Worlds' interests are too heavily entrenched for meaningful progress to be achieved. Faced with this futility, it is the obligation of planetary leaders like myself to take action for the betterment of all galactic citizens. This Republic must be torn down, so a new government can rise from its ashes!"
"Stars above," Emeris muttered from the crowd.
"Traitor!" someone else shouted.
The count's hologram continued, "I hereby formally announce the secession of Serenno from the Galactic Republic, and, in the interest of a better future, I proclaim the creation of the Confederacy of Independent Systems!"
"Oh stars," another voice said.
Naro could see Galara in the crowd. There were tears running down her face.
"Treasonous bastard!"
"Back-stabber!"
The hologram shifted to a HoloNet reporter who explained that the address had been given from a hijacked relay station in the Raxus system and broadcasted galaxy-wide. A dozen other planets had joined Count Dooku in seceding from the Republic. Naro listened, paralyzed in place, as the reporter read them off one by one.
The last planet was Raxus Secendus, and Naro's heart dropped.
Davek was in the crowd. He met his eye.
Davek was afraid. Everyone was. Naro could see it on every face in the cafeteria. Not uncertainty or panic. Real fear.
And anger.
Naro could only watch.
I promise that the action is coming, but I can't tell the story I want without a lot of groundwork chapters like this one. Thank you for being patient, and especially thank you to every one who has reviewed. Reviews are my primary motivation to spend more time writing and release chapters quicker.