Groder looked at the alien with something akin to pity. But the alien's current understanding he was not here to question nor to hinder in any way.


He had, after all, helped bring about the current understanding.


Or, rather, as is the joke at INS, the current misunderstanding.


He began to understand why the Grand Marshall moved quickly on the negotiations once the Coalition opened the opportunity.


Perhaps here was another opportunity.


By all appearances, the Coaltion (and by extension ORS) would get what they sought after for so long and the Empire would also save face...


... he thought of Kaine's words when the first peace was brokered. He remembered the heavily laced irony when he said, "The stronger always has the option of determining with what actions peace is won."


So what options will the Empire choose?


He turned to the Jedi warily. He did not trust religionists. Neither the Sith nor the Jedi. For all he cared, the two could fight till doomsday or when they eliminated each other's presence from the galaxy at large.


"The Empire is flourishing. With the wars, the Imperial High Command is focussing on addressing the citizen's needs medically speaking. Health Centers all over the Empire are being set up and citizens are required to take advantage of the government's free examination and physical program. Soon our medical computers will have the genetic make up of every citizen on file."

Groder grinned as he threw out an INS slogan, "The Empire will soon be winning the war of biology."

Sobering some, "Too long our citizens have lived in fear over the pall cast by the Wrath Virus. Now we wipe away it's stain forever. Our goal is none other than the elimination of most major illnesses."


"And you? What have our 'friends' the Coalition been up too lately? Besides travelling to the Imperial Center?"