Star Wars: From the Clone Wars to Starfaring Heroes

Chapter 291-293 - A Galaxy of Stars (Part 3)

Corusca District, Coruscant, Industrial Zone.

"How are you going to get out of here this time?"

Jedi Master Adi Gallia stared intently at the Supreme Chancellor, this one thought swirling in his mind.

Palpatine's gaze passed over her shoulder, as if drawn by something.

Adi almost turned around to look, but he restrained himself.

She heard the suite door slide open, and a dozen pairs of armored boots burst in with heavy footsteps.

As time passed, more Coruscant guards poured into the building.

Clearly, some people have lost patience.

"Answer the question, Speaker." ARC Commander Valiant's tone left no room for argument, as if he were not addressing the Supreme Leader of the Galaxy. "Cooperate; it's better for everyone."

A shadow crossed the Speaker's eyes, almost imperceptible if not for the Jedi Master's keen perception.

After that moment, all that remained on his face was a carefully feigned look of confusion and concern.

If the facts weren't right in front of him, Adi Gallia would never have believed that the person before him was the Sith Lord.

Once upon a time, she could read Shiv Palpatine's outward emotions, but now she could only sense an evil fog obscuring all the truth.

Palpatine's gaze swept briefly over her before returning to Valiant.

The tentacles on the head of this Solothorian Jedi Master stopped moving, and his lips were pressed into a pale line.

Shaktie moved stealthily, the Togrutta Jedi seemingly going to discuss matters with the assault captain, but actually circling around to the Supreme Chancellor's blind spot.

Adi suspects the Speaker had already sensed it but made no comment.

"Please forgive me, Commander." The Supreme Speaker bowed slightly, his hand resting on his chest. "You must understand, my schedule is already packed, and I've been especially busy lately. The Industrial Zone? That name sounds familiar... Could you... help me recall? Is it in Coruscant?"

The absurdity of the scene almost made Adi Gallia laugh.

“Speaker,” Captain Dane stepped forward, gripping the data panel tightly, “the industrial zone is an industrial eco-building in the southwest of the parliamentary district, adjacent to the Fubos district, and its administrative name is Dacho district. The Republic’s intelligence service recently submitted a memorandum to you detailing the possible presence of separatist organizations in the area, and you personally approved the investigation.”

The speaker looked surprised: "I see. I guessed you were conducting an investigation... but you've come to me... I don't want to question your team, Captain, but are you sure you haven't overlooked anything?"

Captain Dane's face showed self-doubt, and his previous confidence in the team and equipment seemed to have vanished.

After all, he was accusing the Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic of treason.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, he still found it difficult to maintain his stance.

But ARC Commander Valiant did not hesitate.

“The Jedi General has a question for you, Chancellor.” Valiant’s gloved fingers were on the safety of his blaster. “Please answer.”

Annoyance flashed across the Speaker's face again, furious at the ARC commander's inaction.

In an instant, the Jedi Masters could not predict how Palpatine would react... but after a moment's hesitation, he dropped all pretense.

The Speaker's body slumped, letting out an extremely helpless sigh, all the ease fading from his aged face.

The Sith Lord revealed his true face for the first time.

"Even if it was me... or my men who went there, so what?" The Sith Lord drawled, a terrifying flame burning in his eyes. "What does it matter?"

Adi Gallia instantly drew his lightsaber from his waist.

A series of metallic clicking sounds echoed inside the suite, and a dozen Jedi Knights followed suit.

Beside the Sith Lord, Shaktir, like a tiger poised to pounce, remained motionless, intently watching his target's every move.

Valiant and the commando team raised their guns in surprise, finding this blatant display unbelievable—

"Is this a confession, Speaker?" Captain Dane blurted out in shock.

Commander Valiant pushed forward, having already made his decision. He took out stun handcuffs from his tool belt: "We are going to arrest you, Speaker, and all regulars, including staff. Home security forces will seal off the apartment until the investigation is complete."

The Sith Lord curled his lips into a contemptuous sneer: "I don't think so, Commander."

Valiant froze—bang!

The door behind him was kicked open, and the two Red Guards guarding outside were thrown into the carpeted entrance, tackled by a squad of ARC soldiers, their weapons taken, and handcuffed to their wrists.

“Don’t force me to do this to you, Speaker.” Valiant handed over the handcuffs, and with his other hand switched the blaster to stun mode.

"You can't do it." The Speaker of the Supreme Council said dismissively.

Captain Dane tried to de-escalate the situation: "Speaker, we will follow all procedures and will establish a Senate committee to oversee..."

The speaker interrupted him, "They won't."

Valiant was about to speak—

Boom!
Master Yoda slammed his staff against the carpet, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

The diminutive Jedi Master raised his staff, the tip pointing directly at the Speaker, his face devoid of its usual playfulness.

"Explain, you must," Master Yoda commanded, "what you did."

Palpatine gave a perfunctory bow: "Thank you for allowing me to explain, Jedi Master."

“Master Yoda…” Adi Gallia was about to speak when he was interrupted.

“Listen, we should,” Master Yoda had decided. “Understand, we must.”

The Speaker of the Supreme Council smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, and slowly stepped back.

His burgundy robe rustled on the polished floor as he extended his twisted hand in an inviting gesture.

Master Yoda stepped forward and tapped the ground lightly with his energy staff.

The speaker stopped in front of the huge permanent glass window, which offered a panoramic view of the parliamentary district in the night.

He deliberately turned to the side, revealing the huge oval outline of the Senate building that had been previously obscured.

The iconic dome stands out against the endless cityscape of Coruscant, gleaming under the lights of the republic's capital.

In the distance, the waterways flowed like rivers of fire, and even in the dead of night, countless aircraft continued to travel back and forth in the heart of the Republic.

“Tell me,” the Speaker began, his voice low and steady, tinged with amusement, “can you guess what the Senate is discussing right now?”

The silence was so heavy it was almost suffocating.

The Jedi present moved uncomfortably, their unease evident.

No one dared to answer.

Palpatine's smile widened, a sharp glint in his eyes.

“A hearing,” he finally said, savoring the word, “a special meeting for Chandela and his allies.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled Jedi, awaiting a response with a provocative air, "Can you guess the purpose of this gathering?"

Still, no one spoke.

Yoda's ears twitched slightly, his aged eyes narrowed, and he stared intently at the Speaker.

Palpatine chuckled, with a hint of indulgence.

“A vote, a vote that ends my term,” he grinned, “a vote that ends the state of emergency and forces a new election, but here I am dealing with you instead of managing you. Do you know why? Want to know the truth?”

Without waiting for a response, a notification tone sounded in the room.

The television screen next to them flickered and lit up, emitting a pale blue light that illuminated everyone present.

All eyes turned to the screen, where the Galactic Senate emblem appeared, followed by the serious face of Mas Ameda, who was presiding over an emergency meeting.

The TV was muted, but everyone could see the vote count chart next to it, and the votes kept climbing.

The red and blue bars representing the opposing sides continue to extend.

For a moment, the vote to end the state of emergency appeared to be in the lead.

However, the red bar then overtook them and took the lead by a significant margin.

The proposal was rejected by a vote of nearly 60 to 40.

No sound is needed to understand what is happening on the screen.

Chaos erupted in the Senate chamber as senators rose to their feet, cheering and shouting, their voices drowned out by a storm of celebration and despair.

The speaker chuckled softly, the sound like a sharp blade slicing through the room.

He turned to Jedi, a feigned humility on his face.

“Look,” he waved casually at the screen, “this is the will of the Senate, the voice of the people.”

The laughter grew low, like crackling embers, as he turned to look at the huge, permanent glass window behind him.

He deliberately and precisely raised his hand, his fingers slightly bent.

To the Jedi, it seemed as if he held the entire Senate building in the palm of his hand.

But he didn't linger, then pointed to the towering giant building outside the Senate dome.

“Look there,” he whispered, his voice laced with conspiracy, “the Galactic Court. Tell me, do you know how many Supreme Court justices I personally appointed?”

He let them imagine the answer themselves, then pointed with a twisted finger to another skyscraper.

“And there,” he said almost lazily, “the Holographic Communications Committee, nice building, but unfortunately it’s been almost entirely taken over by the home security forces. How much of the hearing content do you think the whole galaxy can see? I guarantee, only what I want them to see.”

Palpatine turned to face the Jedi, his smile growing even brighter. He deliberately moved to the center of their field of vision, once again obscuring the glowing Senate building.

“Media. Law. Justice.” His voice was low and soft as silk. “Every pillar of the Republic now obeys my command.”

He opened his arms in an almost inviting gesture, but his tone was full of triumphant pride: "Isn't it spectacular? My suite has a superb view, doesn't it? It's the perfect vantage point for my great cause."

He stepped forward and mocked them with the truth.

“Every institution and every building beneath your feet now submits to my will. Do you understand, masters?” His smile grew sharper and colder. “You’ve already realized it’s too late to stop me from starting all of this.”

Master Yoda tapped his staff lightly on the ground, the sound particularly loud in the tense silence of the room.

He looked up at the speaker, his voice calm yet carrying the weight of centuries.

“There’s one thing you’ve forgotten,” Yoda rebuked the most powerful person in the galaxy like a parent scolding a child. “The Jedi Temple. As long as the Jedi exist, justice will be served. If the Senate can’t do it, if the courts can’t do it, then the responsibility will fall on our shoulders. The future doesn’t belong to you yet, and as long as we have a voice, we won’t let it belong to you.”

“Ah, Jedi Temple.” The Dark Lord of the Sith said thoughtfully, his voice full of sarcasm. “A monument to outdated ideals, a crumbling fortress of your heritage, which you cling to as if it could protect you from your inevitable fate. You talk about justice, but what justice is left when every institution, every center of power, submits to me? The courts, the legislature, the media… they are all mine. I am the Republic.”

“If you dare to defy me…” he raised his voice, “you will be betraying the Republic itself.”

Master Yoda's green lightsaber lit up.

Immediately afterwards, Adi Gallia, Shak T'i, and a dozen other warriors activated their lightsabers, their synchronized hum filling the room, their faces filled with unwavering determination.

The room was shrouded in an eerie light that intertwined blue and green, and shadows swayed on the walls.

The commando team received a signal from the Jedi Generals' actions, as these expressionless soldiers pointed their weapons at the Supreme Chancellor.

Captain Dane and his men retreated to the back of the room, away from the danger zone, while attempting to contact the Republic's intelligence services.

“We serve the Galactic Republic,” Adi Gallia said, pointing his sword at the Sith Lord, “not your distorted world.”

"Your reign is over," Master Yoda declared. "It hasn't even begun."

Palpatine's face was gloomy, and his eyes were narrowed into thin yellow slits.

"Then you are enemies of the Republic," the Supreme Chancellor announced. "Commander Valiant, the Jedi Order is attempting a coup."

Valiant brazenly pointed his blaster at the Speaker: "What are you doing...!?"

"With the authority of the Supreme Speaker of the Galactic Republic, execute Directive No. 66."

……

……

On the other side, Bode Akuna strode quickly through the empty corridor of the Republic's intelligence department, his boots striking the durasteel floor with a crisp echo.

Late at night, the building is usually quiet, as most of the staff have already left work.

But tonight is different... For nearly a month, it has been like this every night.

As the hub for all intelligence exchanges in Coruscant, it is no exaggeration to call it the brain of the Galactic Republic.

A low hum filled the corridor, interspersed with voices, footsteps, and the occasional notification sound from the data panel.

Ordinary conversations were interspersed with various rumors, and although the frenzy wasn't as intense as during peak hours, the tense atmosphere was palpable. News of the expeditionary fleet's fierce battle at Sereno had spread throughout the department, and the raid on the industrial zone was a hot topic among the action-oriented agents.

It was an ambitious operation aimed at dismantling the separatist group suspected of involvement in the recent satellite terrorist attack.

In addition, there was that Senate hearing that cast the longest shadow.

Will Speaker Palpatine be removed from office?

The thought haunted Bode like a ghost.

Absurd, almost laughable.

Palpatine... the man who consolidated war resources and expanded the Republic's intelligence department into the behemoth it is today... could he be overthrown in a single vote?
That's impossible.

Bode moved through the corridors, weaving through groups of whispering analysts and junior agents.

His steps were firm, but his thoughts had already drifted far away. Despite the rumors, one thing was clear: the Speaker's power base was too deep to be shaken by a single meeting.

He has thousands of agents under his command, and people like Bode... but not entirely... ensure that dissent is suppressed and that key votes are firmly in his grasp.

Whether through persuasion, coercion, or subtle threats, the Republic's intelligence department is ensuring that the Speaker's control remains unshaken.

The issue isn't whether he can win, but how much he can win.

He passed by a holographic terminal that was silently playing a video of the Senate chamber, and the senators gestured excitedly.

Even without a sound, the tension is palpable.

Bode knew the content of the argument without even listening.

Freedom is to security, democracy is to control.

The same old tune.

Has the voting ended?

The thought didn't last... A strong sense of unease crept up his spine and into his brain, making the hairs on the back of Bode's neck stand on end.

A sense of danger from the Jedi told him.

problem occurs.

At this moment, the waist communicator vibrated.

He slowed his pace and glanced at the identification code.

It's Adi Gallia.

Bode resisted the urge to look around and casually answered the call.

Bode relaxed his pace, his intelligence uniform blending perfectly into his surroundings. He quietly turned into the first secluded corridor.

Only when no one was around did he answer the phone.

"Grandmaster?"

“Delete…this!” Adi’s voice was broken, with the clear sounds of battle in the background…lightsabers whistling, blast guns firing, and shouts in the distance, “Palpatine…Order Sixty-Six!”

Bode froze instantly; those words struck him like a heavy blow to the chest.

“…No time!” Adi tried to continue, “…Stop…Warning…!…Satellite!”

The words were muffled and interrupted by muffled thuds and shouts.

"Not yet...transmission!" Adi continued to shout, "Priestess—!"

Communication was suddenly interrupted.

Bode was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

He unconsciously squeezed the communicator in his hand, crushing it in his palm.

He rushed to a specific area designated by the intelligence department, where ground terminals connected to military satellites were located.

He knew this place inside and out... The central operations center was one of the locations he had scouted to place the "priestess".

The brain has begun piecing together the fragments hastily passed down by Master Gallia, connecting them to a larger plan.

That's why Adi Gallia had him stay here on standby.

Two security guards stood at attention at the entrance to the restricted area, their eyes sharp.

Without hesitation, Bode inserted the security access cylinder into the wall panel's data port.

The silence was broken by the soft click of the terminal processing the credentials, and the surrounding security guards quickly exchanged glances, alert for any possible emergencies.

Bodlu's friendly smile eased the tense atmosphere.

“Sorry,” he said casually, “I know the night shift should be quiet.”

One of the security guards shrugged, his posture less tense, and relaxed: "It's okay, it's better than standing here doing nothing."

The other, looking on with curiosity, tilted his head and asked, "What are you doing here, sir? If it's classified..."

“Oh, nothing sensitive,” Bode waved his hand and laughed. “This is a lead in the satellite case. I’m verifying the data and writing a report.”

The second security guard's eyes widened immediately: "The satellite case? That's a major case, are you sure you can let us..."

A soft click interrupted him, and a permission bar popped up on the data port.

The terminal is flashing green; the access request has been approved.

Seeing this, the security guard stepped back, indicating that they could enter.

Bode hesitated for a moment, looking embarrassed. "Actually, there's something else. My communicator was sent for repair, and I need to contact my supervisor, Manager Denwick. You know him, could you let him know for me?"

The security guards exchanged glances again: "Denvik might not be in the office."

Bode chuckled, “Oh, believe me, he’s here. That guy lives on his desk. His disagreement won’t affect you. Just let me know, and I’ll put in a good word for you.”

One of the security guards looked delighted.

“Don’t worry, sir,” another nudged his companion, “we’ll tell him.”

"Great!" Bode smiled easily, stepping through the open door. "Thank you."

Upon entering, Bode paused briefly to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

The central operations center was dimly lit, with rows of terminals arranged along the walls, extending to the center of the room.

Each workstation corresponds to a specific satellite, and the terminal is marked with a code.

The hum of machines mingled with the whispers of the night shift workers… but the moment he heard footsteps, the conversation ceased.

Bode scanned the room.

Only a few agents were scattered in front of various terminals; one or two, like him, were temporary hires, while the others were at fixed workstations.

They caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of their eye, but once they realized he wasn't a manager, they went back to work.

The terminals feature a sleek design, each equipped with multiple holographic screens that display real-time data streams and encrypted readouts.

His gaze fell on the required terminals, and seeing none, he walked over and moved between rows of workstations.

It is here.

He slid into his chair and began browsing the terminal interface.

He took out the "priestess" access key that Barlis had obtained and inserted it into the data port.

A window popped up on the interface. Bode finalized his plan to use the satellite network security system in his mind, his fingers flying as he typed in commands.

Adi Gallia wanted to warn him about Emergency Order 66.

He certainly knew this, although it was beyond his authority; fortunately, there was still the briefing sent by Master Gallia:
"If the actions of Jedi officers harm the interests of the Republic, upon receiving specific orders directly from the Supreme Commander, the Commander of the Grand Republic Army will use lethal force to eliminate these officers, and command of the Grand Republic Army will be transferred to the Supreme Commander until a new command structure is established."

Adi Gallia was likely trying to tell him that Directive 66 had not yet been sent out of Coruscant.

If the Jedi are to be saved from being scattered throughout the galaxy, the key is to intercept this order before it reaches the troops.

This is precisely the purpose of the "priestess"—Bod Akuna appeared at the right time and in the right place to carry out the mission.

But the question is: how?
Emergency Directive No. 66 can only be issued by the Speaker of the Parliament or the Security Council, who possess the highest security authority.

This type of transmission has absolute priority and overrides all other signals.

In theory, the "priestess" can intercept.

But once intercepted, the entire intelligence agencies of the Republic will put pressure on her.

He could conclude that the best option was not to intercept directly, but to delay.

Slow down the signal speed and block the system.

Create enough congestion to buy time without immediately arousing suspicion.

This way, the spy network planted in Palpatine's government would not be immediately exposed.

How to do it?
“Priestess,” Bode whispered, his fingers flying across the keyboard, “forge as many Alpha-priority transmissions as possible, all through the slowest satellite route in the network, and wait for Command 66 to arrive… then put it at the end of the queue.”

After finishing this, Bode paused to think.

How much time can this really buy?

Even the slowest satellites only need a few seconds to process information, and Alpha-level priority transmissions like Command 66 are even faster.

Worse still, once intelligence agencies discover the delay, they simply retransmit it via another satellite.

“No,” Bode growled, then frantically deleted the command. “That’s not enough.”

The new plan was devised, a desperate yet simple gamble: "Priestess, forget about the queues, flood the network, send everything out... all files, all logs, all data that can be extracted from the Republic's intelligence agencies, transmit it all, send it everywhere, overload the system."

That's not very clever.

Bode was neither a hacker nor a tech expert, and he was unaware of the exact capacity of the satellite network.

The server might crash under pressure.

But if he can generate enough digital traffic, he can create a situation similar to traffic congestion during peak hours on the network.

I just hope that Directive 66 will remain mired in chaos.

A delay of a few minutes, or perhaps a few hours.

That's enough to send a warning to the Jedi.

“Oh, and…” Bode hesitated for a moment, then typed another command, “Notify Paris Orpheus, she’ll know what to do.”

The last key press completes the command submission.

Bode pulled out the access key, cleared the terminal history, and then slowly exhaled.

At that moment, two security guards rushed into the room. Their eyes swept over the various terminals and finally landed on Bode.

The Jedi sighed and stood up.

"What happened?" he asked, feigning innocence, as if he knew nothing.

The previously amiable security guard now looked serious, holding up a tablet that displayed a list and faces: "Excuse me, sir. Are you Bode Akuna?"

“It’s me,” Bode nodded, feigning confusion. “Denvik’s here?”

“We just received an order,” the security guard said apologetically, clearly not wanting to cause trouble in front of others, “Could you come outside with us for a moment?”

“Alright,” Bode crushed the Priestess’s access key and used the Force to toss it, along with the broken communicator, into a nearby trash can. “Nothing’s off.”

Of the four people... Adi and Iskar were together in the industrial area.

It sounds like they were the first to be attacked.

Next up is me.

So the last one is...

Paris, she is in the temple.

Bode Akuna silently gritted his teeth.

Now it all depends on you.

(End of this chapter)