Five Hundred Republica Street—a building that stood above all the bustle of the city. For some, it symbolized power and prestige. For others, it was a refuge from the intrigues of the Senate. Among the latter was the Senator from Naboo, Padme Amidala—once Naberrie, and now—secretly—Skywalker.
And yet, it was not always possible to escape politics in this corner of quiet and calm: sometimes politics came here on its own…
Padme Amidala listened distractedly to Mon Mothma's chatter, though her thoughts were occupied not by her, but by Anakin. As always, he had sent a message at the very moment she could no longer sit still from worry—the news from Christophsis had not been encouraging. And yet, he was all right. A few brief lines—almost nothing about himself—with a note that he would soon be returning to Coruscant…
Into her chambers on the very top floor of the building entered Bail Organa.
"Hello, Bail," Mon Mothma said lightly, giving him a casual wave.
C-3PO presented the guest with a tray of caf.
"Padme, Mon. I did not arrive alone," the Alderaanian said, gesturing toward his companion, whom the seated women had not immediately noticed. The stranger lowered his hood.
"Finis Valorum," Padme Amidala stated. "We have not seen one another in… quite some time."
The man had visibly aged, and even his gaze had changed.
"You mean since the time of my disgrace and downfall? Yes… The greater the height, the more painful the fall."
"Finis," Bail Organa said, placing a reassuring arm around Valorum's shoulders, "I believe you bear no responsibility for what happened…"
"You are one of the few who think so, Bail. In any case, I blame no one," the former Chancellor of the Republic replied as he walked to the window, gazing out over the night skyline of Coruscant.
"I was framed—most elegantly, I might add… I spent two years in seclusion, simply trying to comprehend and endure it. Since then, that is all I have done—reflect upon what occurred. I pondered, wrote my memoirs." Valorum let out a heavy sigh. "I harbored no illusions about resuming my career. But I have watched the politicians of the capital very closely…"
He turned sharply toward Padme Amidala, Mon Mothma, and Bail Organa.
"…And I cannot believe my own eyes! Have you all lost your minds?!"
"I beg your pardon?" Padme Amidala asked, exchanging a startled glance with Mon.
"Palpatine! The Senate places all these emergency and extraordinary powers into his hands, and he demands more and more! And the Senate continues to indulge him!"
"These are temporary powers…" Mon Mothma began, but Finis waved his hand angrily.
"The Senate has thrown its fundamental rights into the trash—the very rights upon which the Republic was built! Do you truly believe that a tyrant, whom you elevate with your own hands, will relinquish these benefits when the crisis ends? Ha!" Valorum laughed bitterly. "Palpatine will give back nothing! A man who craves power as fiercely as Palpatine does will never share it!"
Amidala bristled.
"That is simply impossible! The Senate still retains its veto power, and the Jedi will not so easily surrender their authority!"
"And how long do you suppose that will last? Anyone who opposes Palpatine or stands in his way soon disappears. I know this. Palpatine framed me, and I was forced to resign. And he immediately took my place."
"In that case, we must act," Mon Mothma said firmly.
Padme turned to her.
"What do you mean?"
Mon Mothma, Senator from the Chandrila, rose and approached the standing Valorum.
"Finis Valorum. Are you prepared, fully aware of the danger, to stand in Palpatine's way once more?"
***
Count Dooku stepped out of the cockpit of his personal starship and into a hangar concealed within one of the buildings in Coruscant's industrial district. He immediately dropped to one knee before a figure clad in black robes.
"The Force is with us, Dath Sidious."
"Dath Tyranus. I have been expecting you."
The two Sith walked side by side toward the conference chamber.
"The Jedi will succeed in concluding a treaty with the Hutts," Darth Sidious broke the silence first.
"What a misfortune, my Lord. The Jedi's forces will now have a clear path into the Outer Rim. It will become more difficult for us to wage our struggle."
"I am interested in the circumstances. Why was Quinlan Vos on Tatooine—and not you?"
The Count of Serenno grimaced. The loss of Vos had wounded his pride. Worse still, he did not know the details of what had happened and could not even guess what had gone wrong. Quinlan had been meant to turn that Jedi to their side. After studying all the materials available to him, Dooku had concluded that such an outcome was highly probable. Neither Vikt nor his padawan would likely have withstood the temptation of the Dark Side. Yet the result had been shocking. Vikt was alive, and Vos—dead.
However, Dooku had taken precautions.
"A complicated situation arose on Parcelus Minor. My personal intervention was required to turn it to our advantage. Certain rumors reached me, but I could not have imagined that that whelp Vikt…"
Sidious allowed himself a faint chuckle, and Dooku cut himself off.
"Oh, Tyranus, he is far from a whelp."
"You have taken an interest in this Jedi?"
"For now… no. I will observe him and decide what is to be done."
Dooku nodded in agreement, then shifted to another matter.
"My Lord. Rumors have reached me, and upon verification, I have learned something significant. We may lose control of the Senate. Chancellor Palpatine may soon face a rival in the struggle for his seat…"
Sidious silenced him with a wave of his hand.
"I am aware of Valorum. I shall take the appropriate measures from within. You, however, will ensure them from without."
"My Lord?"
Sidious permitted himself a thin smile.
"I believe an attack on Coruscant will cause the senators to tremble with fear."
"On Coruscant?"
"Precisely. The attack will be more demonstrative than strategic, but it is necessary to create the appearance of decisive action."
"I believe three hundred ships will suffice… I shall prepare them in less than a month. But… Coruscant is well guarded. We cannot slip our ships past the monitoring stations unnoticed."
"I will see to that. One of the monitoring stations—on Kidiet Olgo—will be disabled by my agent. Moreover, this attack will allow us to draw the Jedi's forces back to the Core. And in the meantime, you will once again sever the North from the South."
"My Lord? We will attack the Hutts?"
"I think not. The Droid Army's targets will be Rodia and… Ryloth."
For a moment, Dooku froze in admiration. Sidious's plan was breathtaking in both scope and calculation. The Jedi would be forced to rush from one edge of the galaxy to the other, losing the initiative.
"I shall begin preparations at once. I believe Wat Tambor will handle Ryloth, and Gunray—Rodia," the Count said, folding his arms across his chest. "Still, this will take time—time the Republic will use against us."
"Let the Jedi rejoice in their small victory, my friend. The entire course of the war serves our purpose."
***
The Jedi and senators gathered in the Chancellor's office listened attentively to the hologram of Knight Vikt.
"…thus, the disputed points were resolved and the difficulties that arose were smoothed over. Further military coordination between Hutt Space and the Republic will be conducted through the commander of the Thirteenth Sector Army, Moff André Byluir, and Jedi Master Idian Keepsal on our side, and a representative of the Hutt High Council, who will be selected for this purpose. The full version of the treaty has already been transmitted to you."
Plo Koon, who had arrived on Coruscant only a few hours earlier, addressed the Jedi.
"Knight Vikt. Proceed to Coruscant with your ships. You will report in person to the Council and to the Chancellor. A well-earned rest awaits you on Coruscant."
"It will be done, Master Plo. We depart immediately."
Shaak Ti caught a quiet whisper from a red-haired woman standing near Senator Bail Organa.
"…We must obtain a copy of the treaty as soon as possible…"
Chancellor Palpatine rose from his chair.
"Honored senators! Once I have reviewed this treaty and ratified it, it will be forwarded to you for examination. Master Shaak Ti, I trust that Knight Vikt's accomplishments will be duly recognized by the Jedi Order. He has done colossal work, and I doubt that anyone else could have achieved more."
"Without a doubt, Chancellor," the Togruta replied, bowing her head respectfully.