WotH Chpt 17

==War on the Horizon - Chapter 17 ==
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===Discusion about a Disturbance===
7948 CRC Eriadu System, Seswenna sector, Outer Rim Territories
"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice," Dooku bowed slightly to Wilhuff. "I know that you must be busy."
 
"It was a pleasure to speak with you before," Wilhuff smiled. "I hope that your travels have gone well."
 
"Unfortunately it seems I must return to Serenno sooner than I expected," Dooku frowned. "I have felt a stirring in the Force and I fear that something disastrous is about to occur."
 
"Ahh," Wilhuff's smile turned bitter. "The Force."
 
"I understand your skepticism," Dooku said. "But I have found great success in the use of the Force to assist in my endeavors throughout my years."
 
"I see," Wilhuff sighed. "Let us sit and discuss the situation a bit more. I think it will enable us to find a solution."
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"Wilhuff!" Gideon burst into the room, apologizing furiously to Dooku as he moved around his brother's desk. "You need to see this."
 
Gideon switched on the holopad before connecting it to the communications terminal against the wall.
 
"Serenno has been unable to meet the demands that it agreed to in our contract," a member of the Banking Clan stated publicly. "And as such, we are repossessing the properties that were mortgaged. Should we receive the correct payments, we will return the land and other properties that were seized."
 
"Can they do that?" Wilhuff asked. "It seems like they intended to take the whole world."
 
"Serenno does not have anything that would produce enough wealth to pay off all of the debts incurred by my family and the world currently," Dooku sighed. "My brother was a wastrel and nearly destroyed Serenno. Now it seems I must clean up the last mess that he made before his death."
 
"It's not just Serenno that the Banking Clans are acting against," Gideon pointed out a small section of the Holonet showing current market prices of goods and services. "Plenty of planets among the Mid and Outer Rim are facing economic upheaval. The Republic as a whole may have to tighten their belts."
 
"Buy why act now?" Dooku asked as he stroked his goatee. "Surely they would earn more in the long term if they waited."
 
"If the banking clans own the properties they can directly profit from the proceeds," Wilhuff explained. "If they begin hiring workers of their own or producing droids they will soon be capable of matching the Trade Federation."
 
"Leaving the Outer Rim's fate tied to tyrants," Dooku muttered. "I assume that the Senate is useless?"
 
"The Senate is currently discussing the market crash," Gideon sighed. "They are more concerned with how this will affect the core than the effects this may have on the Outer or Mid rim."
 
"The corruption grows with every passing day," Dooku sagged in his chair, his age showing for once. "If you'll send me that list," Dooku met Wilhuff's eyes and an understanding was reached. "I believe that I will have need of it soon."
 
"I will send it to your Comm," Wilhuff said before turning to speak softly to Gideon. "Now, I'm afraid that there are many things I have to do in order to secure Eriadu against further harm from what the Senate may do."
 
"I will take my leave," Dooku agreed. "Thank you for your assistance. I hope that we may remain allies in the future."
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===Unexpected Change of Plans===
"I take it the meeting went well?" Yaddle asked as Dooku boarded his ship.
 
"I thought you were supposed to return to Coruscant?" Dooku grunted.
 
"And leave you alone when you are in distress?" Yaddle shook her head. "I think not. I have watched many friends pass away, I will not see you wither away while I remain distant. No, I will go with you and render aid where I am able."
 
"It is good to be among friends again," Dooku smiled sadly. "But I fear that this is a journey that I must walk alone."
 
"No one should journey alone," Yaddle chided him as she strapped herself in. "It is when we are alone that we are most vulnerable."
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===Catching Up on the Developments===
"You know, this isn't exactly what I meant," I raised my eyebrow at Sheppard as four cruisers landed next to the rest of our dropships, the Gozanti's coasting in and setting down in between while the starfighters flew to the airfield.
 
"Well, the guy had a pretty nice deal," Sheppard gestured to the Neimoidian that was looking at the house we had promised him. "He didn't even really try to fight. To be honest, he reminds me of a Lyran middleman who got hung out to dry."
 
"What's your other reason?" I asked, my arms crossed across my chest.
 
"He's got connections we might need," Sheppard shrugged. "If there's even the slightest chance of him knowing people that could get us more ships and production then we should take that chance."
 
"Fine," I sighed. "We can use the droids to start working on some of the things the Engineers have cooked up."
 
"Oh?" Sheppard asked. "Anything interesting?"
 
"They took one of the Ballista up to the Argo to get a good scan of it," I pointed at the artillery piece that was in various pieces. "And it's extremely simple to manufacture. As is the standard ammunition."
 
"Anything else we going to work on?" Sheppard asked. "Artillery is king on the battlefield, but we don't exactly have the means to produce the rest of our gear aside from the most basic of spare parts."
 
"We're working on our combat vehicles," we walked over to the motor pool. "The Mechs is actually the hardest thing to build a factory for. The tanks we have are mostly internal combustion powered, and we do have the plans for the Toro and the Talos from the Taurian colony."
 
"So artillery first, then what, the Partisans?" Sheppard asked.
 
"Yep," I nodded. "We're working on fleshing out our combat vehicles and ASF before we move onto the mechs. AA and Artillery are going to be critical in the future. Plus, we've got to sort out how we're going to be organizing our doctrine from here on out."
 
"We do seem to be taking on more personnel than I expected," Sheppard nodded at the training grounds where drill instructors were screaming at new recruits. "I take it we're going to start standing up new Companies soon?"
 
"Probably going to be some extra battalions sooner than later," I shrugged. "We've got quite a few of the Twi'leks that seem to think signing up with us is the best chance they'll have to learn some combat skills. In fact, most of the people that have joined have been Twi'lek women."
 
"I wonder why that is..." Sheppard mused.
 
"No clue," I stopped walking as we approached the HQ building. "But I'm almost afraid to ask."
 
"Well, I'm sure we'll find out," Sheppard said as we moved into the building. "Think we'll have any more big contracts now that we've accomplished this one?"
 
"I think we'll get a break for a bit," I replied. "We need to get our newbies trained up and finish work on the Lucrehulk in the belt. There's still a ton of work to be done."
 
"Figures we just have more work to do," Sheppard grinned.
 
"Would you have it any other way?" I replied. "Adapt or die, my friend."
 
"Just make sure there's ammo and beer at the end and I'm with you," Sheppard laughed. "Now, we should probably get to the main debrief."
 
"Yeah, I want the details of what you arranged with the Neimoidian," I nodded. "Hopefully you didn't screw us over."
 
"Don't worry," Sheppard grinned. "I think you'll like what we arranged."
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Chapter 17