WotH-2 Chpt 19

==War on the Horizon - Chapter 19 / Book 2==
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===Sending out the Hunters===
Admiral Jerome Landkai of the CIS Navy looked at the holotable as space stations that were designed for processing slaves slowly changed colors from green to red as their marines boarded and took control. 
 
"Commodore Nuthros, once the stations are secure lift the interdiction fields and have the Aid ships enter the system. Senior Captain Nak, I want comprehensive scans of the surface. Find the weak spots in their shield emitters and defenses."
 
"Lifting interdiction fields now, Admiral," the Commodore replied. "Sending signal to search and rescue teams along with the aid and hospital ships."
 
"Sir, full scans will take days or weeks," Nak's bridge had a bit of smoke in the background. "I recommend we secure and lock down the system before attempting to land ground forces."
 
"I'll take that into advisement, Senior Captain," Landkai stood up and clasped his hands behind his back, moving to the screens that simulated a viewport. "Do we have a status report on the stations?"
 
"The mercenaries are finishing up with the largest station now," the comms officer reported. "They had a larger amount of slaves there so they've been moving more cautiously."
 
"Understandable," Landkai reached a hand up to stroke his mustache. "Detach Confederacy Intelligence assets from the fleet and allow them access to the computer systems. I want every piece of data we can acquire stripped from them and put to use finding other systems like this. We may not be allowed to strike directly at the Hutts for the moment, but we can cause them issues by carving away at the slave trade and what supports it little by little."
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===Building the Resources for the Future===
Date: March 25, 3018 AD/25.03.7957 CRC (Coruscant Reckoning Calendar)Location: Raxus Secundus, Confederacy of Independent Systems
"Our operations against bands of slavers and pirates in Confederacy Space have been a success," Senator Clay grinned at the rest of the cabinet.
 
"They have been," the director of the CIA agreed. "It will take some time to go through all of the intelligence we gathered from it."
 
"We've already fixed the logistical issues that we discovered during this operation. And Rendili, Mon Calamari, and our other shipyards are already beginning to replace our losses," Secretary of War Alidus Twicor reported. "The Marksman are patrolling the sectors we contracted them for and are holding steady. The War Department is readying plans for potential open retaliation from the Hutts, even if we're currently only attacking the deniable assets. We do have concerns about the lack of intelligence on what might be hidden in Hutt Space. They've been in control of that sector for many millennia and we have no idea what superweapons or relics have been stashed for a time as this."
 
"And our diplomatic ties?" Dooku asked the Secretary of Foreign relations.
 
"We have approval across the Republic for our actions from the common people," Alexgra Hanpash tapped her datapad nervously. "But the Senate is trying to push more sanctions through against us even in the midst of this. The Hapans are happy to continue relations with us but are mostly content sticking to themselves. Ambassador Anita Talpav has informed me that they are willing to assist with circumnavigating the loss of trade due to sanctions."
 
"They'll certainly mark it up to make a profit off of it," Clay shrugged. "But such is the game of politics."
 
"I fear we must finish this policing action soon," Dooku closed his eyes for a moment as he caught a glimpse of a possible future. "War is on the Horizon, I can sense it."
 
Dooku stood up, his cape sweeping behind him as he looked at each of his cabinet members.
 
"This will be my last term as Head of State," He finally spoke. "I have served for four years, and the Confederacy has Flourished. But I have responsibilities beyond the Confederacy, I am also the Count of Serenno. While I serve here, my world is kept by a Steward. It does not lie fallow, but progress is not as I would desire it to be."
 
"I will serve out the rest of my six-year term, and then I will retire to my estate. But I will not leave a weak and shallow Government behind. I will see to it that the Confederacy is able to withstand whatever may come without compromising the ideals on which it has been founded."
 
Dooku's eyes softened.
 
"I am an old man. Yes, Cassius, older than even you. I have served nearly my entire life for one cause or another. I would spend the last of my days rebuilding my home to a glory it has not seen in millennia," Dooku sat back down. "Now, we will plan out the next two years of my term as Head of State. We will do all that is granted within the power of my office to prepare for the future. Whether it is War or Peace, the next Head of State will have all of the resources available to them for whatever the future holds."
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===An Important Talk===
'Date: June 6, 3018 AD/06.06.7957 CRC (Coruscant Reckoning Calendar)Location: Location: Beloria, Independent System
", breakfast is ready!" I called out from the kitchen as I plated an omelet. Melted cheese oozed out of it and the smell of the bacon I'd cooked already filled the air.
 
"It smells good," Siri smiled as she entered the kitchen and accepted her plate. "It's good to finally both be in the same place."
 
"Best sleep I've had in months," I agreed. "I'd forgotten what it was like to get used to sharing a bed with someone."
 
"It is something I am quickly learning to enjoy," she began eating. "I am not as used to some of these things as you are."
 
I paused as I fixed my own plate and sat down across from her.
 
"So, generally, when it comes to relationships, there's going to be what I call the break-in period," I took a bite and then sipped my coffee. "There's always little things that annoy people, but those can be learned or adapted around. The big issues are what I like to call the 'deal breakers'. The things that are non negotiable. Things that wreck relationships faster than anything else. The most obvious of these is cheating on your significant other, but there are others that people don't realize they have until they sit and discuss them."
 
Siri hummed thoughtfully as she considered what I said. 
 
"I will have to think on this," she muttered. "I had not considered all of the ramifications."
 
"I have a couple of main dealbreakers," I finally said. "The first one is the one I discussed as an example. But the other one is something that I'm not sure you've even thought of yet."
 
I paused and considered how to say the next words.
 
"I don't do casual relationships," I said after what felt like years. " I enjoy sex as much as the next human male, but I want more than just a warm body next to me. I also want a family. Biological or not isn't a big deal to me, but I want kids to raise and teach. Sure, my profession might be violence, but I'm also a farmer. I come from a long line of farmers and ranchers. I want to pass on the things that were taught to me as a kid growing up. I want to patch up scraped knees, throw a ball back and forth and teach them how to shoot better than me."
 
"I know it's a lot to just dump on someone all at once, but I learned a long time ago that if you don't tell people what you want and expect, eventually, it'll turn into resentment as they fail to live up to the unspoken expectations."
 
I stood up and began cleaning the table from breakfast. 
 
"I don't expect you to have an answer right away. But take the time to think about your own dealbreakers. And whether or not you want the same things out of life that I do. Because I'd rather find out now, than both of us end up miserable in a few years…"
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Chapter 2-19