Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 234, Section 226 - Situation and Policy

The Tross Jedi observed the Supreme Chancellor discreetly, letting her Force perception lightly brush across his mental surface.

It was a subtle touch, but if he were sensitive to the Force, he would definitely notice it.

If he really was the Sith Lord, Adi Gallia couldn't help but feel a little ironic.

He couldn't react at all, otherwise he would be exposed, so he could only continue to pretend that he knew nothing.

Considering Sith's inherent arrogance, she found his ability to control his outward thoughts so perfectly both amusing and admirable.

This must have been very frustrating for him.

The fear that Dua Ningo and the Bastion Fleet instilled in the Core World was originally a reason for him to further concentrate power in his own hands.

But the two separatist fleets are a completely different story.

With the reserve fleet already deployed to the border, the core world has virtually no troops available, except for the Fifth Deep Core Reserve Fleet and the Homeland Defense Fleet.

Speaking of the home fleet...

"Where is Admiral Honor Salima? Has the Barrier Fleet been dealt with?" the Speaker asked.

Everyone looked at Armand al-Isad.

He cleared his throat and straightened his collar. "The Barrier Fleet has fled to Skark for refuge and repairs, while the Home Fleet is currently trying to break through Skark's planetary shield."

Skako is the homeworld of the Skako and the Alliance of Technology, and one of the most populous planets in the Core World.

Pre-war censuses showed that the population of this industrial planet was just over 100 billion.

The numbers are so large mainly because almost no one has emigrated or left, and almost no outsiders have moved in.

Skako has a high-pressure methane atmosphere, which is quite different from the nitrogen-oxygen environment of most habitable planets.

Therefore, the Skako population is almost entirely composed of native races, and alien influence is entirely concentrated in the Technological Alliance.

That's why the Skakovs we see elsewhere in the galaxy wear sealed pressure suits.

“Throughout the entire war, we’ve been attacking Skako’s shields… and the shields of all the other separatist strongholds in the core system!” Senator Hanuk shouted. “Shouldn’t they be giving out by now?”

“General Honoro also thinks so,” the Isaad supervisor agreed. “I’m worried she’ll insist on completely eliminating the target before accepting any new orders.”

“This can be considered treason,” Cole Theden said, a calculating glint in his eyes, clearly considering how to exploit this. “She is defying the orders of the state.”

“We can’t touch Honor Salima,” Adi Gallia dismissed his idea with a single sentence. “Besides, she herself knows what the consequences would be if she were accused of treason. How many noble children, core world elites, ambitious young people, or simply upper-class people chasing fame and fortune are in the Home Fleet?”

Once we declare her a traitor, there are only two outcomes: either we are declaring most of the prominent families in the core galaxy to be traitors, or she will take the entire core galaxy hostage.

General Honoré was tough, but she wasn't stupid. She dared to do this because she had the support of a noble family.

“Some of my relatives are officers in the Home Fleet,” Mon Mosma testified rather calmly.

“There are a large number of Sesvenan exiles in the Home Fleet,” Senator Page-Tarkin agreed, adding, “Admiral Honor’s loyalty should not be the focus of the debate.”

Adi Gallia once again found it both amusing and terrifying that someone like Mon Mosma could so easily talk about the conflict between the military and the state.

Unfortunately, this is yet another reality of war.

The Republic's army is in dire need of funds, and these funds come from the support and goodwill of many prominent families in the core world.

Many members and children of these families serve in the home fleet.

Because the home fleet should have been a safe, cushy position, a place for reserves.

It should be so.

"Could it be that even the Fifth Deep Core Reserve Fleet can't stop the Peremia Alliance's fleet?" Supreme Speaker Palpatine looked around, his eyes filled with despair.

Gallia couldn't say how much of it was acting.

Even the Sith Lord should be panicking at this moment.

The war is real, and it has reached our doorstep.

“…Speaker,” Governor Cole Selden stepped forward, even pushing Armand Issaad aside.

He was tall and thin, standing imposingly before the crowd. "Let me speak frankly as a soldier: Carly Trilm has taken unconventional warfare to its extreme, planning hit-and-run attacks in the Arrow system. No single fleet can handle such tactics alone. The only solution is continuous and coherent patrols of our space lanes. Furthermore, each of our systems must have a sufficient garrison fleet capable of independently defending against any attack."

Serden's gaze swept over Isad and Senator Page-Tarkin, finally returning to the Speaker. "The Deepcore Reserve Fleet can do one of these things, but not both; it wasn't designed for that. The task of guarding star systems should be undertaken by local star fleets and navies, while routine patrols have always been the responsibility of the national judicial and military departments."

However, it is precisely the reform directives recently implemented by your office, and the nationalization bill proposed by Senator Page-Tarkin, that have effectively stripped all local defense forces in the core system of their autonomy, merging them into their respective military districts, all of which are now engaged in frontline operations.

“This is all your fault!” Cole Selden exuded this implication, almost trembling with excitement at the embarrassment of the politicians around him.

These politicians repeatedly undermined the governor's authority, using various regulations and rules to restrict the Republic's navy. Seeing them reap what they sowed, Gallia had to admit it was satisfying. Cole Stern turned abruptly, as if challenging anyone.

But no one answered.

“Speaker, if you still want the core world to believe that the great ship of the Republic has not sunk,” Serden said slowly and clearly, “then it is in our best interest to hand over command of the army and navy to those who truly know what they are doing. The separatists are drilling holes in the ship, and we must fill them, even if it means dismantling materials from other parts of the ship and recalling the fleet.”

“I will…” Palpatine glanced around the room, moistening his pale lips. When his gaze met Gallia’s, the Trojan Jedi returned a cryptic smile. “I will make a decision based on the conclusions of the Strategic Planning Center.”

General Serden nodded decisively. "Very good, Speaker! So, Chief, what's the situation with our missing Bontri? Octavian Grant claims that the terrible 'Grave Slayer' intends to invade the Tapani Federation. I suppose their Major General Bontri would be happy to play along?"

“The Republic’s intelligence services suspect that Bontri’s fleet has been dispatched to the southern core system to scout the invasion route,” Director Isard began, “However—”

“We haven’t even seen a glimpse of Hydra,” interrupted Senator Canni Mandari Betal from the planet Mursis. “If he did go somewhere, it certainly wasn’t the Tapani Federation.”

Before Roddy led Fondo to break away from the Republic, the former councilors of the Tapani Federation were humans from Fondo.

In an effort to quickly atone for this disgrace, the Tapani Federation hastily dispatched a new member of parliament, Kenny Betar, a Mursis, to Coruscant to replace the traitor.

However, now that Fondo has returned to the Republic, Gallia couldn't help but wonder what would become of Senator Roddy.

"As for the 'Grave Slayers'," the colorful feathers of the Senator Mursis rustled softly, "the Free World Alliance of Tapani is on high alert. At the request of General Grant, they have mobilized the Free World Alliance Navy of Tapani together with the 20th Military District Fleet, assembling a total of 1,200 warships of various types, including more than 200 capital ships."

"...According to our latest intelligence, General Ambigine's Fourth Fleet Group has 1,500 warships," Armand noted, "and they are currently engaged in combat with the Second and Nineteenth Fleets on the Rima trade route."

Adi Gallia perked up his ears.

The Tapani Free World Alliance is an alliance in the southern core star system, largely dominated by the Tapani Federation.

Its members are mostly colonies on the edge of the Tapani system, including Fondo, Gorman, and Tefra.

This piqued the Jedi intelligence chief's interest, because if the Sith Lord refused to relinquish control of the Republic and chose war, civil war was undoubtedly a possibility she had to seriously consider.

If the situation continues to deteriorate, the Tapani Federation will be one of the few autonomous entities that dares to confront the Coruscant government.

They enjoy a high degree of autonomy and are practically in a semi-independent state.

The military nationalization bill has had little impact on them, which, given the current situation, is perhaps their good fortune.

The Tapani nobles are powerful and located in a remote area, making it difficult for Coruscant to suppress them directly.

The current Galactic Republic is founded on the idea that "joining is more advantageous than independence," which is indeed the case for most galaxies and sectors.

Without the republic, they would struggle to survive.

If the Republic were to fall under the control of the Sith Lords, most planets would follow the Sith.

But the Tapani Federation and the corresponding free world will not.

They possess an independent political system, economic foundation, and military strength, large enough to be self-sufficient.

They are one of the few regimes in the Galactic Republic that can break away without immediately causing collapse.

Therefore, if the situation worsens, they are worth courting. Another advantage is that Octavian Grant had dealt with Hydra and gained valuable experience from it.

“Horn Ambigine might find the invasion too costly,” Bell Organa mused. “Could we assume that Ryan Bontri has been reassigned to another theater of operations?”

"Transferring him before he's even consolidated his control over Yagdul?" Jenny Hanuk raised an eyebrow. "Unbelievable."

"..."

To everyone's surprise, the Speaker's office suddenly fell silent.

At such times, Armand Issaad would usually say something insightful, whether in support or in opposition.

But at this moment, judging from his expression, the supervisor was focused on something extremely serious on the data board.

"What happened, Chief?" Speaker Palpatine asked with concern.

Armand Issaad's face was as solemn as stone. He slowly leaned close to the Speaker's ear and whispered a few words.

The Speaker's eyes widened, his face turned deathly pale, and the wrinkles on his face deepened, as if they had been etched into deep furrows.

Adi Gallia straightened up. "What happened?"

Issaad looked at the speaker, who rested his elbows on the table, rubbing his hands wearily, and staring at his knees in frustration.

Palpatine then nodded.

The Republic's intelligence chief cleared his throat. "Separatist warships have been discovered on the Koros mainline. They come from the Deep Core system. Seven planets in the Queen Titan system have declared their allegiance to the Separatist Alliance. All indications suggest that... a second fleet has already invaded the core system."

(Raine has arrived, and the Clone Wars are entering their final phase, scheduled to conclude in September, after which the Empire arc will begin.)
(End of this chapter)