บท 128: V.2-C.29│Aftermath I│
The Pawn had escaped.
Finding success in his endeavor, he left as soon as he could and was almost caught as well by that meddling kid.
He had helped in the setup of the bombs on Tatooine, had smuggled everything in key locations that while dangerous didn't cause much damage. The people and alot of the buildings had been saved from the destruction and chaos that could have happened.
Again, the Pawn would attribute this to those droids, droids that may have very well been stolen from them. The Trade Federation.
The Pawn wasn't lying when he said he was a part of the dismantled Trade Federation and as they no longer officially existed, they had now become a part of the dark world. The underground, the underworld and it was both liberating and restricting.
They could no longer operate in an official capacity either within the Republic or the Separatists. Neither of these two great conglomerations of star systems and governments would ever allow them to participate in the grand scale of things again.
They had their chance and had failed miserably.
Now however, when given the opportunity they had successfully hit back against their perceived enemy, Anakin Skywalker and his empire.
"Sir, I have done it." The Pawn spoke to his direct superior.
"Good, good." The superior replied with praise. "You have done well. Have you also gotten the information that we want?"
"Yes." The Pawn answered in an affirmative tone.
The superior is referring to information related to the trade, or the market within the Empyrean. There isn't really much that is shared amongst those within the businesses of the Empyrean but it wasn't like it is all that hidden as well.
The Trade Federation is looking for ways to infiltrate the market and try to destabilize the situation using all sorts of elicit goods.
Too bad for them however, as Anakin had long ago allowed the production of certain illegal substances to become legalized but it is regulated.
Regulation is key to keeping a healthy society and complete bans on what one can buy and what they cannot destroys and creates from within a form of economic exploitation of the people. You cant always trust your citizens to be smart enough to not take drugs that could potentially harm you.
You would not where they have come from, their production process and several other factors like ingredients that go into this process.
It is crazy just how much smuggling could have happened if Anakin wasn't to regulate this sort of thing.
He doesn't mind if someone wanted to get high or go on a trip. Who is he to say whether or not they should do it? As long as it wasn't affecting him or affecting others in a harmful way or have a negative impact on the society as a whole, then it was all good for him.
Thankfully, the people agreed with his laws, not because they are drug addicts but because they had an immense and deep respect for freedom. They had fought over their freedoms and liberties after all.
"What is this!? This is useless!?" The superior screamed at the Pawn from the other side of the comlink.
It showed him that their ability to enter the economy would be allowed but the scale of impact they would have would be minimal at best. At worst they would have none at all, and there are restrictions to the drugs they want to get out in the market.
Tests were to be done and if approved by the Government, it would be allowed. Not everything was allowed within the Empyrean despite Anakin wanting it to be so because a free market would be great.
The people would be able to determine whether or not something is of value but a free market without restrictions or regulations in place could turn into chaos too quickly.
"We wont be able to do anything!" The superior slammed his curled up hand, making a fist into a desk. He is and truly well angry.
"Sir, please wait! I have at the very least caused some damage to-" The Pawn started but was interrupted.
"Shut up! That was useless! Pointless despite your success. You must remember that the purpose of our dismantled organization now is to get back at those who have wronged us." The superior told the Pawn.
The superior continued. "We may have succeeded but there is more yet to come. We will need to take our attention away from the Empyrean, it would seem."
"But sir, I am su-" The Pawn was cut off again and before he could do anything else or say anything else, the superior continued in a condescending voice that spoke volumes to just how expendable he was.
Truly he is a Pawn.
"Silence. That is enough from you." The superior disconnected the comlink after getting everything he needed and turned around to the others within the room he was in. A meeting was happening, taking place within yet another undisclosed location.
Probably somewhere out in the Outer Rim, and most likely within either Hutt space or somewhere unoccupied.
"Did everyone hear that?" The superior asked the room.
Most within the room just nodded and surprisingly enough there was a few Neimoidians within the room, and if there were people here to recognize these figures, they would definitely be surprised.
The former Viceroy, now just a member of the board. Or at least supposed member of the dismantled board a part of the Trade Federation was there. He had not died and was not captured to be handed over to the Empyrean for a prompt execution for the audacity to try and have their Prince killed.
"King, dont you think that we should focus more on the Empyrean?" One member spoke. "Surely they are in chaos now."
"That is untrue." The superior now identified as King spoke. "From the reports we have received which are minimal at best, they explain that the empire is at an all time high and still growing. The people still feel safe."
King continued. "Vindicated even that they now know that the Empyrean doesn't negotiate with known and unknown terrorist's."
"Then what are we to do? Is it not our main goal to take down the Empyrean?" Nute Gunray, the former Viceroy spoke with anger in his voice, letting everyone know of his displeasure at the current situation.
King ignored him and continued. "We will turn our attention to the Galactic Republic and the Separatists. It is through them we will siphon away any and all resources we can to build ourselves up. They are just sitting there ready for the taking and with us being located in a location no one knows about, it will be all the more easier."
Someone stood up and said. "For the Federation of Vengeance."
The rest of the room joined in on chanting this name of the rebranded Trade Federation. While the Trade Federation was terrible, there were a great deal many of people disgruntled and disillusioned about the fact the great Federation that had provided them with jobs had gone down.
Now there were alot of people, alot. Like, alot, alot of people that are now jobless and it could have lead to the entire destabilization of the Federation controlled systems. Too bad, or was it too good that the Separatists saw this as an opportunity to take over as well.
They had only needed to give up a third of the droids and resources the Federation had, but never any planets.
"For the Federation of Vengeance." Today was the day an enemy group of the Empyrean was born and although small in number that would annoy the hell out of Anakin.
This would force him to unfortunately either fix the situation with people outside of his empire or lead him to destroying them all. Either option was good for him.
For now though, the Federation of Vengeance would focus all of their efforts in making sure that the Separatists and the Republic suffer as they continue their war. It is a group that would no doubt be able to increase the amount of resources and money spent to take down the entirety of each other.
The Empyrean would have no part in the war, which was unfortunate for the Federation of Vengeance as they would be unable to harm them. But the constellation is that they get to get back at the other two conglomerates of star systems while at the same time making a profit.
[]
Bewildered.
Befuddled.
Confused.
Mind-boggling, mind-twisting dubiety.
Sidious was all kinds of things, and has all kinds of feelings conflicting in various ways. It was a good thing and bad thing to be so stumped because it gave him pause, gave him some time to know that something had gone wrong.
However that didn't mean what had gone wrong was right for him.
As Palpatine he had put up a front of everything was going fine but he had taken to lashing out at some random person every now and then to release his anger. The dark side is a source of many unnatural abilities indeed, but it certainly twisted you to make you just like that unnaturalness as well.
One didn't need to look no further then when Palpatine reveals himself as Sidious or even as he is now. He is becoming paler by the day, his skin sagging more and more as his age progresses but also because of his dark side alignment further corrupting his being.
He has control but not in the way of his physical self. He may be strong with alot of things but what he lacks is a good, young and strong body to help him be at his peak.
Even when he only just started out training as a Sith he was old. Way too old to really reach peak physical capabilities but that didn't mean he was unable to make up for it through the usage of the Force.
The first thing that bothered him was the enigmatic existence of Anakin Skywalker. A simple academic interest he may have been until he got to witness his abilities and power within the Force, allowing him to make a decision there and then.
He would either have the boy or would destroy him once and for all because he could get in the way of his rise to power. He would not be the strongest and would only be second to the boy.
The supposed 'Chosen One.'
The precious, precious 'Chosen One,' of the Jedi had left them. Left them all behind to rejoin his lofty and glorious empire.
Sidious would be lying if he said he was not envious of such an opportunity. If he could, he would try and start to build himself just as the Empyrean had started out as within the Outer Rims. There are no fancy laws or puffed up politicians to get in the way of his ambitions but that would just not be happening, now would it...
No, he will continue here within the Republic and when the time comes, he will destroy the Empyrean and the boy. No, the boy was no more a boy but a full on grown adult man.
There are many things Sidious was interested in when it came to the Empyrean, specifically when it came to this mysterious super serum meant to increase the peoples mental and physical capabilities.
It was a marvel of the era they were in and he wanted it, but his agents had failed to bring him any. That was until he received one such sample and experimented with it, only to find out it was useless.
There were mechanisms in place to protect the serum from being administered without a special condition.
'There are just too many things happening and not everything is going in my favor.' Sidious thought to himself as he had gotten Padme's resignation from her as she darted off to the Empyrean.
Another pawn gone from him and joining Skywalker. It was starting to make more and more sense to Sidious.
The Empyrean, Skywalker, Vader... Everything was connected and these three were all in the middle. It would seem that Skywalker and Vader was either one and the same or two completely disconnected beings that just so happen to share the same goals.
He had noticed Skywalker's intelligence and maturity for his age but he knew that Force-sensitive people seemed to grow up quicker, mentally at least when it came to it. So he had assumed that because of Skywalker's special status it had granted some form of increased mental maturity.
It would seem however that the boy was taught in the ways of the Force, even before he came to the Jedi. It was quite possible he had only used the Jedi as a training ground before he left to go back to the Empyrean.
'Maybe Vader trained Skywalker while he was younger.' Sidious thought to himself some more and this seemed like the most probable and most plausible explanation. 'It doesn't matter, what matters for now is the Republic and its reconstruction as my empire. Then the destruction of the Jedi and the Empyrean is all but guaranteed.'
There was something that Sidious had down, it was talk to the Jester. He had supplied the man with ample things to make sure he was able to do as much as he could to destabilize this foreign entity that would be a threat to him.
But from the reports he had received, there was no way it would happen and he may have just made the faith the people there had increase.
While it looked like a win on the outside, it was actually a loss.
For now, Sidious would have to pull his attention away from the Empyrean as the battle between the Republic and the Separatists was becoming more and more heated. Dooku may be a very good leader but that didn't mean he told his student everything.
He knew there was many things that Dooku isn't telling him and he was starting to believe that Sidious was trying to start his own journey to becoming the next Sith Lord after him. Of course this is just Sidious' paranoia acting up.
It is not that Dooku wants to become the next Sith, rather that he wants to destroy him because he is lowly eroding the Republic. Dooku may be no Jedi but his heart is still in the right place and he had the capability to be a proper leader within times of war.
He is capable of making hard decisions others would hesitate to do.
Dooku is no Jedi anymore, but one simply cannot also call him a Sith. Not truly, but for now his disguise was still kept up and Dooku had wanted to make sure the C.I.S. could run independent from Sidious or himself once it was all over.
In fact, Dooku was making many discoveries about the Empyrean and may just very well secede control over to them. This would be of course once everything he is planning comes to fruition.
"Bring me the documents." Sidious ordered his aid after staring out of the window of his office, located in the senates high-rise building. 'Paperwork is the bane of my existence...'
'A necessary evil...' Sidious left off with those finishing thoughts.
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