Chapter 73

Coruscant, Coruscant System

Corusca System

“Bode, Barriss, I want you two to keep an eye on PRIESTESS. If Palpatine communicates with Dooku, I want to hear it.”

“Copy that leader.”

“Understood, Master.”

Plotting a scheme to depose the most powerful man in the galaxy was no easy feat, but it was a simple feat. One could make the scheme extraneously complex and opaque, Jedi Master Adi Gallia could attest to, but in this instance she decided the outcome would not be worth the immense effort imputed. Ultimately, the influence of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine now pervaded every facet of Republic governance in some way or form. There would be no concealing the meeting of influential senators, representatives, generals and admirals and other political figures who were willing to stake their bets against Palpatine.

Especially so if the Supreme Chancellor was a Dark Lord of the Sith.

In which case, Adi Gallia determined, she might as well host the council directly under his nose.

The Jedi Master patiently waited as the numerous eminent bodies of the Republic political strata trickled into the room; one of the too many committee chambers housed in the Senate Building. Master Gallia mentally took note of the personages in attendance, and what or who they represented, arranging them in order of importance and necessity. Many of them, Adi Gallia and her network had to contact–clandestinely or otherwise–and convince them to attend the dialogue.

Some took more effort than others. After all, simply showing their faces here was tantamount to putting themselves in the crosshairs of COMPOR and other Loyalist lobbies. Especially should the particulars leak; which Adi Gallia had already accounted for. No doubt some of them were puppets of the Chancellor, standing by the relay every word spoken back to their dark master.

Some took less effort, in other ways. The Palpatine Administration’s popularity had taken a massive hit in the recent months, following numerous Separatist incursions in the Core Worlds. Those who didn’t take much convincing included the main ringleaders of the anti-Palpatine faction still active in the Senate; Mon Mothma of Chandrila, Bail Organa of Alderaan, Bana Breemu of Humbarine. Their attendance greatly bolstered the legitimacy of the dialogue in the eyes of the Senate, the fact that a Jedi Master of the High Council was hosting notwithstanding.

Beyond the Core were the star sectors of the Rims, motivated by an equally vast panoply of reasons. The noble houses of the Senex-Juvex Sectors, chafing against the growing centralisation of power in the Core. Among them were representatives from satellite sectors, led by Senator Tanner Cadaman of the D’Aelgoth Sector. Then there were those motivated by more pacifist ideologies, such as the Ithorians of Ithor, led by Senator Tendau Bendon. Or those who simply stood against the corruption of the Palpatine Administration, such as Senator Lexi Dio of Uyter.

She will be important, Master Gallia made a note. Uyter was one of the most productive agri-worlds in the Mid Rim, especially in recent years as they replaced the thousands of Rimward agri-worlds that seceded to the Confederacy, and their support would be worth their daily export’s weight in beskar.

Then there were the wildcards, who even a Jedi Master like her couldn’t fully read, and yet their support could mean life or death of this budding rebellion. Queen Neeyutnee of Naboo, attending in holographic form. She was a small woman, dressed in the traditional Naboo style, with regal headdress, facepaint, and all. And yet, her royal raiments were simple and modest, at least compared to the downright ostentatious plumages sported by her predecessors. A simple red dress, covered by a sleek black topcoat of Cyrene silk.

It was a striking message, and one representative of her character. By all accounts, Queen Neeyutnee was not Padmé Amidala, and the same arguments that may have worked on the former queen of Naboo would not work on the current one. The current Queen was a wartime monarch, and by all means a rationalist. She did not so much act out of principle as Padmé Amidala may have, as she might weigh the potential gains and losses for the homeworld and the star systems she held overlordship over.

Next, there was Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore, who was a consummate pacifist, and leader of the Council of Neutral Systems in fact. Adi Gallia may have already written off her potential support, if not for her willingness to attend in the dialogue. Despite the pacifistic ideologies of the New Mandalorians that she ruled over, the Mandalore Sector remained a sleeping powerhouse in the Outer Rim. Well over a thousand neutral, strategic systems rested in Mandalorian Space, filled with a traditionally warlike people whom not all have converted to the ideology of the New Mandalorians.

Lastly, there was the representative of the Tapani Federation, the Mrlssi Senator Canny Bertar, who needed little introduction. The League of Tapani Freeworlds constituted over a quarter of the Galactic Interior and included an entire Sector Army.

The avian Senator started, her feathers ruffling with impatience, “For the sake of unambiguity, I attend here in the name of the Tapani Federation and her Freeworlds. With the power vested in my body, I listen and speak on behalf of the Octavian Grant and the Tapani Noble Houses.”

The Mrlssi’s eyes shifted, before continuing, “It appears to me that we convene to discuss the numerous trespasses of the Palpatine Administration, and the continuous overreaches of the Executive Body. Am I correct?”

“You are, honoured Senator,” Master Adi Gallia replied kindly, gesturing for the doors to be closed. Jedi Master Plo Koon just about materialised from the shadows to do so, catching the attention of the gathered body.

Not just one Councilmember, but two? A wave of recognition washed through the seated audience. A similar wave washed through Adi Gallia, but one borne from Senator Canny Bertar’s words. How much can be believed; had the Tapani Federation truly vest their interest in their Senator? Would Octavian Grant truly act depending on her conclusion of the dialogue? Adi Gallia allowed the Force to fill in the missing details in her mental image of the situation.

“I am glad we can all agree that something must be done against the overreaches of the current government,” Queen Neeyutnee’s voice was demure as befitting of her stature, and yet compelling enough to bid men listen, “And yet I must question; how much can be trusted of the Core Worlds? The Supreme Chancellor is a canny man, and his staff are equally capable. Even in the Chommel Sector, I hear news of his tightening grip in the wake of that scuffle at Rendili.”

“You are well-informed, Your Highness,” Master Plo Koon said gravelly, “Indeed, the Chancellor’s overreaction may prove to earn him allies in the Core nobility, but it is also a sign of desperation. He realises what we all do; support for his government is waning. His most recent actions are those of a man trying to salvage a terrible situation as much as possible.”

Many nodded in agreement with the Jedi Master’s words, Bail Organa and Mon Mothma in number among them. Following the Battle of Rendili, Honor Salima had been declared ‘Admiral of the Core’ for her victory, and near every one-in-three servicemen in the Home Fleet had been awarded the Republic Medal of Valour–most of them posthumously. No doubt powerful Jedi detractors in the current military administration would have loved to derogate the Open Circle Fleet’s actions during the battle, if not for the fact that doing so would contradict the current narrative being built around the Home Fleet…

And that for some reason, Admiral Honor Salima had praised the Open Circle Fleet and Task Force Hyperion for their conduct and timely assistance during the battle. Well, the Tholothian Master might say ‘for some reason’, but she had a strong suspicion she knew why. Regardless of the reason, few could oppose the awards lavished upon the Home Fleet.

They had destroyed the Perlemian Coalition! The Perlemian Coalition that had obstructed the Republic time and time again since the Battle of Centares. And not just that, but also finally put the nail in the coffins of two most infamous Warlords of the Perlemian, Rain Bonteri and Calli Trilm. If it wasn’t for the fact that Plo Koon and Obi-Wan were Jedi of the Temple, and thus duty-bound to decline any awards, they too would have had medals and ribbons heaped high on their humble robes. The clone forces under their command, however, earned everything from Medals of Valour to Bronze Crescents.

By all accounts, the Battle of Rendili had been a massive victory for the Galactic Republic. The Perlemian Coalition’s leaders were dead, its fleets rendered combat ineffective. The Bulwark Fleet was near annihilated in its entirety, with no more than a dozen ships still operational. The only dark lining in the battle was the escape of the Rendili Home Defence Fleet, which emboldened the Provisional Independent Government to hold out against any Republic repercussions. The damage was limited, however, as the Home Fleet’s ongoing tour of the nearby sectors stamped down on any budding restlessness in the region.

With the fleets recalled from the front now returning to their garrison posts in the Core, the unrest stemming from the prolonged lack of military presence finally began to ease. Unfortunately, the Grand Army of the Republic found itself back at square one when it came to ending the war—but the national crisis had passed, and that brought a collective sigh of relief from just about every faction within the Republic.

Except one–

“Would the death of the Battle Hydra affect our agreements with the Separatists?” Adi Gallia had asked Plo Koon upon his return.

The Kel Dor Jedi had paused upon her worries, “I find it unlikely that he is dead, despite what the HoloNet may claim. Unfortunately, the nature of his being makes it difficult to ascertain anything. Nevertheless, we do not need him. Nor does the Pantoran. He is the right arm of the Separatist military, indeed, but a body does not stop moving just because a limb had been amputated. If his words prove true, then the Raxus and Serenno Governments are diverging at an unmitigated rate. A Separatist civil war is all but inevitable, at which point continued war with the Republic would be undesirable.”

“You believe his death changes nothing?”

“Nothing at all,” Plo Koon confirmed, “The Pantoran will play her part, and we will play ours. Then, we will simply forge a lasting ceasefire between our two factions, so that we may focus on our respective enemies. If we manage to seize the Republic without bloodshed, then the matter will be even simpler; we cement an alliance with the Raxus Government and turn on our true enemy–Count Dooku.”

His argument was sound, Adi Gallia had to admit, but even then it left a bad taste in her mouth to shake hands with a man and stab him in the back right after. Even as a spymaster, she still had some Jedi sensibilities–or rather, the sensibilities of any moral person. Master Plo Koon, however, seemed perfectly capable of compartmentalising which persona to use for the situation. The ‘Jedi Master’ or the ‘General of the Republic.’ Not that Adi Gallia couldn’t empathise. It was the only way to survive a war that stood for everything the Jedi Order was against.

“I concur with the Master Jedi, Your Highness,” Senator Bail Organa outstretched a hand, “Palpatine has too many parties to balance–not all of whom wish to be balanced. After spending his entire term curbing the autonomy and influence of the noble clans, only to double back and honour them as he loses favour with the military and citizenry? It is a precarious balancing act, and after a series of blunders leading into this national crisis; it has left most factions feeling lukewarm to him at best. The support base he boasts now is nowhere as large as the one he started the war with.”

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A flutter of metaphorical butterflies took to the air, rampant murmurs like the flapping of their wings. Until now, the Supreme Chancellor’s position seemed bedrock solid, unassailable as a political fortress. Cracks were forming, and for the first time someone has openly pointed it out, that person being Senator Bail Organa no less.

Duchess Satine’s piercing tone cut through the commotion, “I would like to hear from the host herself; Master Jedi, what is the purpose you intend to unify this assemblage with? We may all share your sympathies regarding the Chancellor, but not all of us are unified in ideology or motivation. Rationalists, pacifists, self-interest parties. What is your compromise?”

Adi Gallia found herself nodding along with the Duchess’ statement. The three most influential bodies in the audience–Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and Bana Breemu–together leaned forward in anticipation. The three of them were a microcosm of her statement, in fact. Mon Mothma of Chandrila was a pacifist, seeking peace between the Republic and Confederacy. Bail Organa of Alderaan was a rationalist, one who supported Palpatine early on in the war, before distancing himself as the Chancellor’s true intentions revealed themselves. Bana Breemu of Humbarine represented the self-interest of her homeworld, whose commercial and industrial value had waned as Palpatine prioritised rival worlds like Kuat.

In fact, every character in the dialogue could be more or less organised into one of those three camps. And now Master Adi Gallia had to unify them under one banner. She shared a glance with her Jedi partner. It’s now or never.

“At this point in the war,” her mouth was as dry as Tatooine, though she did not show it, “We see no other recourse but to force the Supreme Chancellor to stand down and surrender his post, and end this terrible conflict by making a conditional peace with the Confederacy of Independent Systems.”

Duchess Satine’s eyes widened. Perhaps she had expected them to be in favour of continuing the war–and she was not incorrect, to an extent. Adi Gallia and Plo Koon were only in favour of continuing the war to the extent of Dooku’s downfall. In fact, her words had prompted a swell of support from the gathered assemblage–the war had taken its toll, and even the most hawkish character among their number had to admit it may be high time to cut their losses–bar one.