Star Wars: The Rogue Knight

Republic Cruiser Requiem

en route to Coruscant

"Oh, get over yourselves!" I shook my head at the shocked kids. "The only reason the rest of the Jedi are not all over you two is the fact that most of those idiots won't recognize love if it hit them over the head. If they were not too busy pretending that they have no emotions you would have been found out few days after falling for each other."

Skywalker had the good grace to look embarrassed by my words. Everything I told them was true after all.

Back on Earth when I watched Episodes Two and Three it bugged me how those love-birds could carry on for years under the collective noses of the Jedi. Now, when I had access to the Force, it was mind boggling. If at least few of the Order members paid any attention, the Skywalkers secret would have been out a week after their marriage. At best.

"Next thing you'll tell me is that you two have no plans for when the Jedi find out what you've been up to." This was fun.

The guilty looks they gave me were answer enough. Splendid.

"Walk with me." I sighed doing my best impression of an exasperated parent.

I led the stunned couple to the nearest ready room. We found a bunch of pilots who were engaged swapping tall tales and I banished them to go check the status of their birds while I citing an important Jedi business as the reason.

When the last clone exited I pointed the Skywalkers to a pair of nearby chairs.

"Sit. And you can natter at me about Naboo later, Senator. For the moment the quarantine is holding so Theed is reasonably safe from orbital annihilation."

Amidala frowned at me but sat down next to her husband. I was ready to bet that if she had not been through hell for the last few days she wound not have been so docile. Not that I had anything against it – my patience for politicians, much less the self-righteous sort had never been high even before I became a Sith. She had spent half the time since my return from Iego helping and reassuring the infected and the rest by arguing with me, which got irritating fast. You could say that by now I was painfully familiar with her temper and sharp tongue.

I summoned a chair and sat down facing them. Jaybo from whom I could feel waves of curiosity, followed suit and watched us with rapt attention.

"You go back to tinkering, apprentice. If one of those two wants to share the contents of this conversation with you they will. Scamper."

Jaybo pouted but complied.

"Is it really that obvious?" g.r.o.a.n.e.d Anakin once we were alone.

I smirked at them.

"Well, you could have made it a bit easier to see by paying for advertis.e.m.e.nts in rush hour on Coruscant and calling for press conference to confirm it..." I trailed off. Seriously, how did the Jedi miss their relationship? It was clear how Sidious figured it out – it was obvious the moment you saw those two together.

Skywalker face-palmed.

"They are going to expel me..." he g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

"Throw out one of their better generals in a time of war? Because you've fallen in love? Surely you are exaggerating a bit. If it was a peace time the Council might have considered it, but now?" I played the ignorance card. To be fair I had a hard time believing that the Jedi Masters could do something that dumb. Such a stunt would give me and Palpatine a lot of ammo to use against the Council. Not to mention the risk of driving Skywalker right in my open hands.

Anakin didn't need to know any of that. His fears could be quite useful if manage properly.

"They will either throw me out or make me choose between the Order and Padme!" Skywalker m.o.a.n.e.d.

"Oh, Anakin..." muttered Amidala and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Am I wrong to presume that won't be too big a setback?" I asked. The way those two were looking at each other was making it clear what Skywalker was going to choose. No contest.

"Are you joking?" grumbled Padme. "That will destroy Anakin's life! Being Jedi is who and what he is!"

"Thanks. But I am more concerned what it would do to you. I am sure that the people in the Senate would use that to attack you. Not to mention the reporters. Those vultures would have a field day..." Anakin g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

That was surprising. The Chosen one actually was using his head for a change. And he was right about the circus in which their relationship would be turned by the media. The reporters would have a field day with it. On the other hand, when the secret was out, if the news got handled in the right way, it could become a PR coup for the correct people and unmitigated disaster for the Order...

I gave the married couple my best friendly smile.

"Skywalker, by expelling you from the Order, the Council will do more harm to its credibility than anything else. Anakin, even if the GAR is forced to strip you of command because you could no longer be a "Jedi General" I can assure you that by the end of the day there will be a lot of people offering you to accept a commission with equivalent rank. If you accept, that would solve the greatest problem for anyone expelled by the Jedi – no roof over one's head and no income. As you very well know, being a Republic general pays well. Besides, I doubt that your girlfriend will let you stay on the street for even a moment."

"Of course not!" declared Amidala. She had admirable look of resolve on her face.

Skywalker was deep in thought for few minutes. In that time he was like an open book. I could feel his emotions which were turmoil his heart. Regret that he could be pushed in such a corner. Anger at the unfairness of fate. He felt sorry about the possibility of being separated from his friends and apprentice.

He was confused when wondering: What would Kenobi think about him if he was thrown out? There was regret about how his actions might reflect on Ahsoka and he hoped that his apprentice would understand. But beyond all that was his love about Padme. It was blazing like a beacon.

I felt what was in the cauldron of his emotions and had an epiphany.

Some of those who had watched the ROTS in my original dimensions might have wondered why Anakin fell so easy. Many might have thought that his turning to the Dark side was because of his love of Padme. That his fall vindicated the Jedi and their Code – emotion was to blame. But now, when this young man had his very heart open for all to see, I can tell you that the very reason he would have fallen in that other future was rooted in the Council and their dogma.

I knew his emotions. His feelings. Any loyalty Skywalker had towards the Jedi Order as an organization was a pale shadow of what he felt towards individual people. He would go to hell and back for Amidala, Kenobi, Ahsoka and Palpatine as well as his few other Jedi friends. But if he had to choose between any of them and the Order? There was no contest.

The Jedi Masters never understood the heart of this man. They could not. Not while following their own creed. That's where the seeds of their destruction were sown. The Council made it a choice between his wife, unborn children and a man who had been his friend since Skywalker was a kid and the Jedi as a whole.

The young Jedi sitting in front of me could make only one decision in such circ.u.mstances. And the Order would always loose. Bloody fools.

I watched the turmoil in his heart subduing. Skywalker had calmed down himself. I could sense vines of hope sprouting within his heart. Anakin took a deep breath before grinning impishly at me.

"You know, I've never thought about it in such a light. I'd hate to be exiled or made to choose between my wi... ahem Padme and being a Jedi but..." he trailed off and gave a fond look to his spouse. "If it comes to that, it is the easiest decision that I've ever made."

Apparently that was the right thing to say because he was engulfed in a rib cracking embrace by the Senator. Amidala had thrown all thoughts about appropriate behaviour and was busy sticking her tongue deep in Anakin's throat.

"Ah. Young love. At least you still got all your clothes on." I smirked. "You might want to get yourselves a room."

I knew that once Amidala had at least few hours of uninterrupted sleep she would be back to her composed self and likely continue to be a pain in my a.s.s. Back to her much more vocal self too, which would not be an improvement. After days with little to no sleep, stuck into a hazmat suit and watching Theed go to hell thanks to the virus, Padme was not acting exactly as the Senator I've met back on Coruscant.

Eventually the Skywalkers had to come out for air. After the display, both of them were flushed more scarlet than Shaak Ti's skin.

"Anakin, am I to judge by that slip of the tongue that you two managed to get married already?" I asked gleefully.

"What? No, that's not how it sounds!" Skywalker hastily denied.

"Definitely not!" Suddenly Amidala was a perfect picture of affronted indignation.

Their immediate reaction to my question was a lot of spluttering denials. I rolled my eyes and waited for them to calm down a bit.

"Just don't go complaining to me when Kenobi or worse Ahsoka come asking why they were not told earlier... Or invited." I grinned at the couple.

Skywalker winced at that. One of these days he'll have a very interesting conversation with his former master. One with the little spitfire that was his apprentice too.

He glared at me then smirked. "Well, at least I won't be the only one in trouble with the Council. Taking an apprentice to restore the Sith, are we?"

Amidala frowned at that thought. I guess she was not too pleased to have disregarded what Jaybo's presence meant until Anakin spelled it out. I could positively feel her self-recrimination because she had not paid attention to her surroundings when she came to once again accuse me of being an unrepentant monster.

"Should I be concerned?" asked Anakin. It was obvious he meant Jaybo.

I knew what confused him. No trace of the Dark side upon the kid, though that shouldn't be surprising at any rate. Even if I intended to train him to be a typical Sith, I did get the kid just yesterday and I've been quite busy since then. Well, I had no need of a typical Darksider, which would be something that would throw a lot of Jedi for a spin in the foreseeable future. I was not going to teach Jaybo much about the darker aspects of the Force until he had the basics up to par and he knew much more about the source of our power and himself. He needed the right mindset to make falling to the Dark Side unlikely too and crafting that into him would take time. Perhaps more time than I could spare before the end of the war.

"About what?" I asked innocently.

"Another Sith trying to cut off pieces from me." Anakin deadpanned.

"Don't worry. If Jaybo cut something off you I am sure you would deserve it." I smiled at him.

Amidala rolled her eyes at us. "I'm going to have a chat with the kid!" She declared and marched out of the room undoubtedly to begin interrogating Jaybo. I had no illusions that she would soon convince him that it was his idea to tell the pretty lady everything she wanted to know. It was no problem – the kid knew nothing of note anyway.

"Where did you find him anyway? What do you intend to teach him?" Anakin asked

"I found him on Iego where I went for the key compound of the cure. It was obvious that he is Force s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e and he wanted to be trained. I believe its obvious what the Council would think about training him as a Jedi. However, now that he is my apprentice they might make an exception and try to get him away from me." I snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt.

Anakin got a far-away look in his eyes and nodded.

"I was nine when Qui-Gon brought me in front of the Council. They told me I was too old. If it wasn't for Obi-Wan's insistence I would not have been trained either." He admitted.

"And he is much older than you were." I agreed.

"I will reserve judgement until I see what you are teaching him." Anakin took a deep breath. "You deserve the benefit of the doubt." He sighed. "I guess."

Skywalker being level-headed and using his brains. That was something that would take some getting used to.

A shiver went through the Force. It was the echo heralding that the thread of a possible future had unravelled. Whether that would be for the better or worse remained to be seen...

When Padme finished her chat with Jaybo Skywalker had to carry her to their quarters. She was too exhausted to walk there by herself. Anakin did not look too good himself. I had to remind myself that he was still recovering from injuries received during his last mission. I would not see them until we exited hyperspace. It did not take premonition to know how they kept themselves busy during the journey.

=RK=

I took Jaybo to the mess hall for a light lunch before leading him to a large training room which I had made for my use. It was time to start with his training in earnest.

I sat cross-legged on the training mat in the centre of the compartment and waved him to follow suit.

"The Force. It is what gives us our powers. She is our greatest ally. And our most vicious enemy." I began lecturing.

I stretched my right arm forward and showed my apprentice an open, empty palm.

"Watch." I ordered.

A mere thought and with a quiet crack, bluish lightning arched between my fingertips.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Jaybo exclaimed.

I chuckled at him. Rule one of being a good teacher – make things interesting and keep the attention of your student.

"Concentrate. Until now you've used this power unconsciously. Feel the Force. It has always been there. Just beyond your grasp. Like a sound you could almost hear. Open your mind and embrace it."

Jaybo looked at the electricity dancing in the palm of my right hand with hooded eyes. I watched him for nearly an hour while was trying to reach for the Force. Then he gasped in wonder.

The currents of the Force around him changed their direction and flowed through him. I could feel him drawing it in him and smiled.

'That's it. Good work!' I spoke directly into his mind. 'This is the first step on a hard and wondrous path!'

He was startled by my words and the Force slipped from his grasp. Jaybo gave me a proud smile and gasped for air. I had forgotten how much it could take from you the first time you consciously touched the Force.

"Good. Now you must be able to do that without even thinking about it. And keep your connection with the Force open indefinitely..."

=RK=

Senator Amidala's Office

Senate building

Coruscant

Once the Requiem reached the capital I left Jaybo on board. There was no need to expose him to the Council right now. Dealing with that particular complication would be a distraction at a time when I was about to have an important hearing in front of the whole Senate. That was the reason I was with Amidala and Skywalker in her office. The Senator was checking her messages and arranging to speak with few of her allies before the hearing. We needed to know what the real agenda behind this session was.

Was it really just meant to discuss the latest Separatist atrocity?

After resting and coming back to her normal self, Padme was not particularly thrilled with my actions towards Naboo but was ready to at least consider the possibility that I knew what I was talking about. Though she still thought I was a blood-thirsty maniac, now I was one with a tiny bit of hidden depth, something that was a source of unending amus.e.m.e.nt for her husband and myself.

"If it was not for this kriffing virus we would be resting right now!" grumbled Skywalker. "We'd be able to leave for some place where no one knows us. Where we could be just husband and wife with no strings attached! Instead, we are stuck here being a Senator and a Jedi!"

"You know we can't Any." muttered Padme. "We have to deal with this and ensure that Naboo receives enough aid."

"I know!" grumbled Anakin.

"If the Senate wants a scapegoat. We have Vindi in custody." I added my two cents. "Undoubtedly a big part of today's agenda will be assigning blame."

"Our work as Senators is to serve the Republic. To protect those who could not defend themselves. It is natural that the Senate wants to know how the attack on Theed could happen." Padme continued to be her quite blind idealistic self.

"Those are laudable ideals. Too bad that outside the Core words they do not mean much." I whispered to myself. In fact they didn't mean much in the Core either.

The door chimed and Bail Organa strode in without waiting for an invitation.

"Senator Amidala." he saw me and Skywalker and nodded stiffly. "Generals. I am sorry to interrupt you but Mon Mothma called a meeting before the hearing. She wants to speak with you, Senator." Bail spoke formally.

"Ah. Senator Organa. Of course. I'll be there shortly." Padme looked back at us. "I'll meet you two in the senate Chambers. Try to behave yourselves." She ordered.

"I'll keep Anakin out of trouble." I smirked at the Jedi who gave me a dirty look.

Organa turned to leave and looked back at Padme.

"Are you coming, Senator?"

"But of course. I'll see you later. "

When they left, Anakin slumped in a nearby chair.

"I hate politics!" he grumbled.

"Unfortunately, that's what keeps the world spinning." I commiserated.

=RK=

GAR Headquarters

Coruscant

In the building housing the High Command of the Republic's army it was business as usual. Officers – both clones and naturals were striding in and out of the headquarters doing whatever was needed to keep the army running. From the high level strategic decisions directing the war to insuring that the logistics needed for a campaign spawning the whole galaxy were flowing freely.

In all this, the droids maintaining the building went on with their jobs mostly unseen beyond some routine scans. On that day the clones responsible for the security of the headquarters were working with faulty equipment though they did not know it. A captain responsible for the maintenance of the scanners had gotten a fat addition to his bank account and helped ensure that six droids with some unusual equipment slipped in. Late last night he got on a flight to Scipio and was never seen again.

Just like every other day, the machines went on to do the jobs they were programmed for. Most of them did what good cleaning droids would do. A few of the altered ones did the same but only until their internal clocks reached specific time. Then a non-standard circuits came to life for the first and final time. A spark of electricity was sent into a mechanism buried into the torso of each machine. Then two things happened. The plating covering their chassis blew outwards in a rain of shrapnel which wounded the people unlucky to be around the droids at the time. Then two spheres housed in the c.h.e.s.ts of the droids exploded spreading thick blue gas.

One of the robots was working on fixing a faulty computer in the main junction where the ventilation of the building was passing through in order for the air to be filtered. Two minutes before the rest of its brethren self-immolated, that droid froze for few seconds while a hidden programming kicked in. It proceeded to place two canisters full of Blue Shadow within the heart of the ventilation system before going to a nearby terminal and slicing into it. It would take two minutes and four seconds by the time the intrusion would be detected. Another minute before it could be stopped, which happened moments before security cut through the sealed door keeping the droid safe.

That would prove to be an eternity too late. The droid temporally disabled the automatic shut down routines of the ventilation in case a biological or chemical agent was detected in the building. By the time it was turned into slag, blue mist was spreading throughout the whole headquarters.

=RK=

Freighter Sea of Tranquillity

Coruscant Airspace

Ferok Loren was captain of one of the countless trade sh.i.p.s delivering the supplies needed for the survival of a planet turned into one giant, spawning metropolis. At a first glance his craft was nothing to look at twice. The scans it suffered prior to entering the atmosphere showed nothing out of the ordinary – just a small compliment of crew and a holds full with droid parts. After that ordeal he had chuckled nervously. He was in! It was time for those kriffing Republic murderers to pay!

The Tranquillity's cargo was in fact much more sinister than its manifest or any cursory scans could show. In Loren's opinion it was great that on surface scan there was now much difference between parts for various robots and deactivated commando droids hidden among those components.

The freighter was one of three that managed to slip through the Republic's navy umbrella over the capital. Two headed for the GAR bases closest to the seat of the Republic's government and the last flew towards the biggest space port nearest to the Senate.

Sea of Tranquillity veered sharply off its course and headed straight to military base Pelor.

Its crew, who were hand-picked from people whose colonies in the Outer Ring had suffered from mistakes caused by the Republic's forces, disregarded the frantic calls of various controllers and multiple warning about entering restricted airspace. The freighter came in screaming low over the buildings surrounding the target, which it used to take cover from the surface to air weapon emplacements planted around the base. By the time fighters were scrambled and reached the descending transport it was too late for its mission to be stopped.

"Raise shields." calmly ordered Lorak. "Head towards that row of warehouses. Blow the underside of the holds the moment we are over the base."

The human male smiled contently. Soon he would join his family who were murdered by an "accidental" orbital strike. As if he was dumb enough to believe it. You do not wipe a peaceful village by mistake!

Shields too powerful for a mere freighter snapped to life and absorbed the few volleys the weapon emplacement had time to unleash before the ship was over the base. Pelor's own shields were just a heartbeat too late in coming to life and the freighter slipped through. Its own defensive field held long enough, despite not having enough time to charge to full capacity before coming into fire. The underbelly of the craft was sundered by a series of well-placed charges which opened it spilling two hundred commando droids. Yet, the machines raining all over the base were merely an afterthought. It was the four big spheres which detached from the freighter and blew up five hundred meters over Pelor which were the real danger. Their payload covered the base with blue mist.

=RK=

The same scene unfolded over the second military base near the Senate as well as at the nearest space-port.

Ferok withdrew a small silver locket from under his shirt and opened it. He smiled contently at the holo-image of his murdered wife and little daughter. He was still looking at their faces when his ship's nose cleaved through the roof of the first warehouse chock full with military equipment.

The last act of the freighters attacking the bases was to crash land straight in the motor pools of the military installations.

At the space port, the transport attacking it was turned into a burning wreck by the guns of an Acclamator, which was preparing to launch. Its crew wasted no time, zeroed on the approaching intruder and unleashed all weapons that could bear on the freighter. However, the Republic Assault Ship was in the atmosphere above a friendly space-port. It simply couldn't afford to use the full power of its weapons in fear of causing more collateral damage than the incoming freighter could do itself. The fire-power raining upon the approaching ship was not sufficient to fully stop its deadly descent and it crashed in the command pylons of a defenceless Venator. The resulting explosion crippled the cruiser and waves of blue mists washed over the space-port.

Moments later, the airwaves over Coruscant were filled with calls of distress and pleas for back up by beleaguered Republic forces.

=RK=

Senator Amidala's office

Senate building

Coruscant

My first clue about the newest mess rearing its ugly head was a tremor in the Force. It was a sense of premonition. Skywalker and I looked at each other. Something was about to happen. It was going to be bad. Very bad.

I turned my head towards the window. I could see five big vehicles – basically flying buses, break from their lanes and head straight towards the Senate. Considering that those were just the ones I could see, there probably were four or five time more all together.

I jumped from my stool and activated my comm. My intention was to warn the building's security and then call for back up from the nearest military base. I did not believe for a second that what was happening was something harmless like another anti-war protest.

My and Anakin's comm s came to life before my call could go through.

"This is General Valentra, identification Besh-Delta-Three-Niner-Five. Code Midnight. I repeat Code Midnight! GAR headquarters has been hit with bio weapon! Bases Hercal and Pelor are under separatist attack and confirm Blue Shadow released in the area! This is not a drill! All GAR units on Corusss..."

The transmission was lost to the characteristic hissing produced by powerful jamming.

"Skywalker, get your wife and as many of the senators as you can out of the building. I'll try to meet with the senate guard and slow down those bastards!" I ordered. For once there were no protests from the peanut gallery.

=RK=

Republic Cruiser Requiem

High orbit over Coruscant

"All GAR units on Coruscant implement plant Winter."

For few precious seconds Commodore Pellaeon stood frozen by the unbelievable orders coming from GAR headquarters. The sheer audacity displayed by the CIS with attacking targets on Coruscant while simply bypassing was stunning in its sheer audacity.

With sheer act of willpower, Pellaeon shook himself out of the stupor and started barking orders.

"Battle stations! Raise shields and power up weapons! I want all fighters launched yesterday! Assume that this is combined space and ground attack and the Seps kriffed the timing until we know better! Comm, find out who is in charge of our forces in system! I want what little ground forces we have on board to be ready for deployment on the surface ASAP!"

The commodore turned to Piett who was still struggling with the sheer impossibility of the situation.

"Ensign do whatever you can to contact the General! Move it people!"

=RK=

Senator Amidala's Office

Senate building

Coruscant

We just exited Padme's office when the lamps cut off only to be replaced by subdued red emergency lights. The floor shook lightly when a flying bus struck the building. Then again and again. I counted at least six impacts nearby.

Skywalker darted along the right corridor undoubtedly tracking Amidala's force signature. I ran to the left. Before I reached the corner I could hear the subdued sounds of battle. At least for now there were guards who were still alive and fighting.

I rant towards the sounds of gunfire and a minute later reached a corridor where one of the doors along the left wall was blown out. A bunch of commando droids were exchanging fire with a dwindling group of men in distinctive blue armor.

I vaulted forward and jumped at the backs of the CIS Special Forces. Their first clue that I was amongst their ranks was my lightsaber vertically bisecting a black coloured droid. A reverse strike sliced in two a machine to my right while I sent two others at the wall on my left with a telekinetic push. Before that pair could recover I picked them up and threw them at their brethren.

My intervention raised the morale of the Senate guards who intensified their fire. Caught from the both sides of the corridor and with no place to take cover or escape, the only thing the droids could do was to perish. Within moments the Commandos were dismantled but not before they managed to gun down three more of the blue armoured guards

"Thank you, sir. If it wasn't for you we'd be goners." said an old, gruff NCO who was the senior of the surviving guards. Only two of them were left combat effective with a small group of wounded laying on the floor.

"You are welcome. The comms are jammed. Any idea what is the best way to call in the cavalry?"

"If you go to the computer control room there're landlines connected with the nearby GAR bases. Or one of the antennae arrays near the rooftop – you should be able to boost your signal enough to cut through the jamming."

"Thanks, sergeant."

I helped them move their wounded to a nearby guard room which had basic medical facilities as well as a lot of guns, while they gave me directions both to the roof and the control room. Considering that I was about to speak in front of the senate the only weapons I had on me were my lightsaber and dart launcher. I used the opportunity to take a pair of blaster pistols and few thermal detonators. You could never know when you'd need the fire-power.

=RK=

Anakin made his way to a par.a.p.et overlooking a large room where seventy or eighty senators and their aides were herded in. The men and women were surrounded by twenty odd droids and few mercenaries.

Skywalker hissed angrily. A tall man wearing dark brown duster and a large hat which hid his face from the position where the Jedi was, had Padme caught by the chin. He was both proud of her bravery and pissed off because she was endangering herself, again, damn it! She was telling the terrorist that the senate would not negotiate with such as him which made him laugh at her. Anakin could sense that the man was amused and had no care in the world. He was either insane or knew something that neither Skywalker nor the senators knew.

Padme somehow saw Anakin and their eyes met. The man holding her noticed it and spun around. His weapon moved in a blur and unleashed a hail of laser bolts at Skywalker's cover. The Jedi rolled away from the opening and ran down the corridor.

"It's Skywalker! Get him!" shouted the terrorist.

As he ran, Anakin made another futile effort to raise someone on his comm.

"This is useless!" he grumbled and turned around a corner only to find himself face to face with a pirate armed with a pistol and a droid carrying a long barrelled blaster.

Before either of them could shoot him, Skywalker had his lightsaber in his hands and had it ignited. He deflected their first shots at the walls and then the man fell slowly to the ground with most of his brain and the back of his head missing. The droid was made by a sterner stuff because few deflected shots did little to slow it down. That prompted Anakin to advance towards the machine. With an economic slash he cut the barrel of the droids gun and with the back stroke took off its hands. The machine's distressed w.h.i.n.e was cut off by a blue laser blade applied to its head.

=RK=

Chancellor's Office

Senate Building

Coruscant

"Sorry for disturbing you, Chancellor." said a holographic figure that was projected in the centre of Palpatine's cabinet. Judging by the smugness in his voice the man did not regret it at all. "I already have control of the eastern part of your building and fifty odd senators. I will soon have most of the Senate in my grip. If you care about your senators I advise you to release Count Dooku and General Grievous."

Palpatine frowned.

"You know that the Republic does not bow down to terrorists. No deals."

"What just happened to two of your nearby bases should be an object lesson about my abilities. If my demands are not met I will release Blue Shadow not only in the Senate but across Coruscant."

Palpatine stood still at hearing that. Getting the virus released around the planet was not part of his plans! He narrowed his eyes dangerously at the mercenary.