WotH Chpt 55

==War on the Horizon - Chapter 55==
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===Fighting for Jurisdiction===
Date: September 2nd, 3015/ 02.09.1954 CRCLocation: Hotel near the Hapan Embassy, Coruscant, Corusca Sector, Galactic Republic
"No, you may not pass," Mathis glared at the robed figure attempting to enter the now completely secured hotel room. 
 
"It's our responsibility to see to it that this is properly investigated," Windu crossed his arms. "You will let us pass."
 
"No, I won't," the Giant of a man before putting on Mithril towered over the small group of Jedi. "My team is going over things now. If you want to assist with our internal investigation you can follow the rules and procedures detailed in Bill 103, subsection 3.2 recently passed by the Confederacy of Independent Systems. As mercenaries directly contracted to provide security to Representative Clay, we're not to allow anyone under the command of a foreign nation to investigate until we've completed one of our own."
 
"But you're not in the Confederacy, and this is under the Jurisdiction of the Republic." a second Jedi argued as Windu stared at Mathis. 
 
"Actually," a female voice spoke up from behind them, a small group of guards surrounding her."This building from floors one Thousand and five to the top floor is designated as part of the Hapan Embassy, and as such, not under the Republic's Jurisdiction, but instead to be internally managed by the Hapes Consortium. Now, we of Hapes respectfully ask that all police and investigative forces of the Republic leave until both ours and the Confederacy's investigators are satisfied. We will share our findings once we are finished."
 
"Anita Talpav," Windu growled at the gray-haired woman.
 
"Ahh, Master Windu, it is always a pleasure to see you!" she smiled wide. "Would you like to know how-"
 
"We're leaving," Windu swept out of the room like a gust of wind, the few knights and masters following suit.
 
"Anita," Clay smiled at the Hapan leader. "It's been a while."
 
"It has been too long," she turned her attention to the older Representative. "I see that you've got quite a lot more gray than before."
 
"I'm not the only one," Clay chuckled. "Thanks for the assist by the way. It's been rough keeping the Coruscanti police out, much less the Temple."
 
"We are lucky that it was Windu and not another master." the Hapan cautioned as she followed them into the destroyed room "I'll not have leverage like that on another master."
 
"Right," Clay sighed. "And given the damages," he gestured towards the wrecked room and the priceless furniture that had been scarred and destroyed by the skirmish. "We'll pay for them, but there's a bit of a problem."
 
"Moreso than an assassination attempt?" Anita raised a refined eyebrow.
 
"Ha!" Clay gave a harsh barking laugh. "I wish it was just an unsuccessful assassination attempt. There was a Dark Jedi among their midst," Clay pointed out the lightsaber damage. "Which means that the Jedi do have jurisdiction here. You know the treaty just as well as I do."
 
"Please tell me that's the last of it." Anita pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off a headache.
 
"Colonel Hull's lost, probably dead," Clay sat down on a destroyed desk, leaning on his cane as he looked out the damaged window at the patrolling Archon's Favor and squadron of ASF that supported her. "The Dark Jedi threw him out the window, and it's a fucking long way down."
 
"Fucking?" Anita mouthed before shaking her head with the new information. "That settles it, you're going to war with the Republic soon enough."
 
"I'm aware," Clay sighed. "Hull's group is extremely popular within the CIS, even though his group is mercenaries, they have recruitment across all of our worlds, and provide training to most planetary defense forces."
 
"They're thoroughly embedded in your nation, aren't they?" Anita asked.
 
"Aye," Clay nodded. "For all that some make fun of them as 'Dooku's pet mercenaries', they are more akin to the Confederacy's independent troubleshooters."
 
"Cassius," Anita looked him dead in the eye. "The ruling family is interested in negotiating, but we can't until this mess is sorted out. I'm being given leeway in letting you stay in our Embassy, but you've got to get this handled, and soon. Before the Republic decides to rid itself of any need of a 'Hapan' embassy."
 
"Anita, we'll handle it," Cassius grinned. "I've got some of the best people in the galaxy on it. We just need a little time."
 
"And while those people investigate?" Anita raised an eyebrow.
 
"I'll be taking care of the job I was sent here to do," Clay's eyes and voice hardened. "He enabled the slave trade that has ravished this Galaxy, and I'm going to see to it that he's brought to justice. And then," he turned and looked out the window. "Then I'm going to start working on the rest of the galaxy."
 
"Always the same," Anita stood up to leave. "Never change, Cassius, never change."
 
"After this is all said and done, we'll have to get a drink." Clay stood up to see her out. "I still haven't gotten to hear what the Twins and their brother have gotten up to."
 
"I'll hold you to that," Anita replied, moving to the elevator door as it slid open, a bloodied man falling from where he had been leaning on the doors. 
 
"Medic!" Mathis jolted into action, his hands checking the pulse of the fallen. "Pulse is still strong."
 
"I'll take it from here," the medic slid into view, his partner stopping to pull out scissors and begin cutting the gold and black clothing from the bearded man. 
 
"We've got glass embedded into parts of him where it cut through his uniform," the first medic began diagnosing the injuries. "He's in partial shock, pulse is beginning to drop. We've got quite a bit of blood loss here too."
 
"We need to get him to the Katana," the Medic began putting pressure on the largest of the wounds. "He'll need surgery for some of the glass."
 
"Archon's Favor, we need a medevac on the roof!" Mathis's voice stated on the radio. "And someone get Knight Tachi on the horn, She's in the Undercity with Lieutenant Sturn trying to track down the Colonel."
 
"What do we tell them?" the comms operator asked as he pulled the massive device off of his back. 
 
"Tell them the VIP is secured, nothing else over an open channel," Mathis responded. 
 
"Well," Anita turned to Cassius. "I suppose that's one problem solved."
 
"I certainly hope so." he glanced at the downed Colonel.
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===Carrying on despite the Challenges===
Location: Republic Senate Chambers, Coruscant, Corusca Sector, Galactic Republic
"Representative," Amidala glanced at the older man. "I'm glad to see that you're alive and well."
 
"It's not the first time someone's attempted to assassinate me," he waved a hand. "I'm sure that you understand more than most."
 
"Unfortunately, yes," she frowned. "I wanted to let you know that I've managed to get some small support for your request. But it will be up to you to see to it that Orn Free Taa is released into your custody."
 
"Indeed," Clay nodded before turning and heading for his own pedestal. 
 
"Are you sure you want to do things this way?" Lieutenant Sturn looked at Cassius.
 
"I'm old, and I find that I do not want to spend time in this cesspit any longer than necessary. It is better to offend and make an enemy than have an uncertain and untrustworthy neutral body."
 
"The Chair recognizes the Representative of the Confederacy of Independent Systems," Amedda exchanged glances with Palpatine, receiving a small nod in return. 
 
"Thank you," Clay stood up and leaned on his cane, his blaster now visible for all to see along with the weapons of his bodyguards. "People of the Republic," he began and then let the silence settle fully upon the chambers. 
 
"I am certain that many of you do not wish to hear the words that I have to say, so I will be utterly clear and concise. Orn Free Taa is not just the man responsible for the deaths of some of my countrymen and women. He is also responsible for allowing the slavery of his own people to continue unchecked. He has profited off of the harm of his own constituents, even breaking the Republic's own laws in order to do so."
 
Clay then pulled out a stack of various religious texts and set them on a table beside him. "For those of you who believe in the laws of gods, I make to you this argument against slavery and to return Orn Free Taa to our courts. For those of you who believe in the laws of the Republic, I set this argument before you," he pulled out a copy of the Republic's founding documents and set it beside the religious texts. "For those of you who believe in neither, I set to you this argument," he set his blaster on the table and then sat down as the chamber erupted into chaos once more. 
 
Then, turning to Sturn, Clay gave a short nod, signaling for him to return the platform to its place. They were done here, and it was time to move to a more secure location.
 
After the platform was locked down into place, the door behind them slid open and the group stepped out. Lieutenant Sturn and the other guard ran their eyes over each potential enemy, their hands resting near the sidearms they had been permitted to enter the Senate Chambers with. 
 
"Be advised Archon's Favor, we are foot-mobile to landing pads now," Sturn spoke into a comms device. "Stand by to provide escort."
 
<<"Copy that,">> Hober's voice responded. <<"On approach now, we'll be waiting for you.">>
 
The amount of bureaucrats began to thin out as they neared the pads, eventually leading to a lone group right in front of the pad itself.
 
Said group drew blasters from their robes and opened fire, Lieutenant Sturn shoving the representative to the ground before his pistol snapped up and a laser flash-boiled one of the enemies while his partner eliminated another. 
 
"We've got contact!" Sturn reported as he covered Clay, only for the old man to shove the Lieutenant off of him and charge in close to one of the assassins, a knife appearing in his hand as he began the grisly close-in work that most avoided. 
 
"Lieutenant, report!" Mathis's voice barked.
 
"Assassins are down," Sturn reported. "The Representative is wounded though."
 
"Get me back to the platform," Clay growled. "I'm not done yet."
 
The Mandalorian met Clay's eyes and nodded. "Yes, sir," he gestured for the other bodyguard to follow as they cleared the area ahead of the CIS representative.
 
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===A Ultimatum===
The platform rushed out into the middle of the Senate Chamber and a hush fell over as a hologram of the wounded Cassius Clay was displayed for all to see.
 
"You have one more chance to hand Orn Free Taa over," Clay spat blood onto the ground. "Before I come for him myself. I have been attacked twice now, and both myself and a dear friend have been grievously hurt and nearly killed." He glared at everyone. "I am a man who believes in the rule of law. But I am nearing the end of my patience regarding the Republic. You have two days to get it together before I do it myself."
The platform returned and silence reigned over the Senate Chambers for the first time in a decade.
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Chapter 55