WotH Chpt 34

==War on the Horizon - Chapter 34 ==
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===Mission briefing: Assist Jedi===
May 21, 3014/7953CRC Onboard Pueblo-Class dropship Messenger
"Everyone able to hear me?" I asked the group both around the table and tuning in from the Archon's favor. 
 
"We read you five by five," Hober replied. "Kinda curious as to why we're out here in the middle of nowhere though." 
 
"We've got a mission from our employers," I leaned forward and looked at every member of the team I had assembled. "You were all handpicked for this one because you know how to keep a secret."
 
A hologram of a ship projected over the table, the dark gray ship looking brand new and fresh. 
 
"This is a Dreadnought-class heavy cruiser," I began. "More specifically, this is the Katana, the flagship of the Katana fleet. It is one of two hundred such vessels that went missing over twenty years ago. We've got four possible locations of where the fleet might be. We're going to search each location and then locate the flagship of the fleet."
 
"Why are we only going to find the flagship?" Sanal asked. "And we don't have nearly enough crew to get even one of those things moving."
 
"Normally," I replied. "You'd be correct, but the Dark Force has something special going for it. All of these ships are slaved to the flagship via droid brains. And with automation improvements that were made, each ship only needs a crew complement of around two thousand to run properly instead of sixteen thousand. Once we have the flagship, we'll be able to program the coordinates for the point we want them to move to in Hyperspace. From there, we'll have a mobile shipyard going over them to ensure that they don't have any permanent damage. Then the CIS will begin working crews over from planetary defense forces that have decided to join the centralized military."
 
"Quite a few of the more well-off planets do have experienced Dreadnought crews," Knight Siri Tachi agreed. "Colonel, this is your mission, I'm merely here to observe and assist if something comes up that I am needed to handle."
 
"Consider Knight Tachi our mercenary Liaison from the olden days," I glanced at the crew from my original universe. "She's not directly in our chain of command, but she's here to help where she can." 
 
"Now, are there any questions before I move on to the rest of the briefing?"
 
"Yeah," Hober's projection nodded. "Do we know what happened for the fleet to go missing?"
 
"Negative," I shook my head. "So when we board, we're in sealed Mithril until we can confirm the environment is safe. And once we bring the fleet to the rendezvous point we're going to be both Biowarfare and Hazmat teams going over every ship."
 
"Anything else?" I asked. 
 
A group raised their hands. 
 
"What are the salvage rights?" a Togrutan asked.
 
"We get to keep ten of the ships provided we can crew them," I replied. "Along with everything that's onboard. Next question."
 
"Are we sticking as one group or are we splitting up our small fleet?"
 
"One group," I replied. "The Messenger is the main ship here for a reason. We've got enough ECM gear here to disguise our movements and keep us hidden. But it'll only work if we're all together."
 
"What do we do if another group is trying to salvage the fleet?"I sighed as I thought about this one, glancing at the Jedi Knight seated at the table. 
 
"No witnesses," I replied. "We've got a job to do, and we can't do it if a bunch of treasure hunters and other groups are trying to steal it out from underneath us. Now, that can mean that we capture them and hold them until after we've left, or it can mean that we eliminate them. We'll have to determine that when or if we find the fleet."
 
I waited a few moments for more questions and when none came I stood up. 
 
"You're dismissed, remember to get some rest, we're all gonna be working around the clock on rotation to narrow this down."
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===Cutting deal for ships===
Coruscant
"I thank you for being willing to meet with me," Palpatine smiled at the Senator from Kuat and the lawyer that entered behind him. "I believe that I have something that will be of interest to us both."
 
"And what might that be, Chancellor?" Risi Lenoan asked. 
 
"I believe the Republic is facing interesting times," Palpatine replied. "And that if we desire our beloved Institution to continue, then there are things that should be done."
 
"Such as?" the Kuati lawyer asked as he took a seat next to Senator Lenoan. 
 
"Such as ensuring that your famed institution becomes the premiere shipbuilder for the Republic. It has become clear to me that Rendili is in support of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and cannot be relied upon," the Chancellor leaned forward. "While they may pay lip service to the Republic, they continue to license their designs and assist in building shipyards among those systems. I know that Kuat can be relied on. And should you assist in the push for this, I will see to it that you are rewarded for such service."
 
"It will not take much to convince Onara of this," Risi reclined in her chair. "But she will need some reasoning in which to sway the board. This would result in a loss of profits, after all. No matter how temporary they may be."
 
"There will be no loss in profits," the man grinned. "I am certain of it."
 
"Let's start getting some details hammered out," the lawyer stepped forward. "Assurances are all fine and good, but we at Kuat deal in contracts."
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===Dark Side Setting Eyes on the Mercenaries===
The Dark Side of the Force flowed as the Kuati Senator and Lawyer left with no recollection of the details of their meeting. As far as they were concerned, they had just met with the Chancellor to support a bill he had been working on.
 
"Now," Sidious smirked. "We wait."
 
Reaching for the terminal before him, Sidious typed a few commands in, creating a bounty for an individual and setting a price that ensured the hunters would pursue it. 
"You seem capable, Colonel Hull," Sidious looked at the bounty picture. "Should you survive, you may have a place in my Empire."
 
With a final push, the bounty contract was set, the glowing lines in Aurebesh showing a large number of credits before the screen winked off. 
 
"Let the tension rise," Sidious murmured as he began to leech the Dark Side Presence from the room. "It is time to prepare for war."
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Chapter 34