The Past - Geonosis

The figure swept into the underground chamber, his cloak billowing out behind him. The room was dark, lit only by the illumination from the large holographic display in the centre of the room.

A large table dominated the space, around which stood a number of beings - some human, some not. A pair of Super Battle Droids guarded the only entrance, their glowing eye lenses providing an eerie glow to the tunnel.

Both raised their armoured hands in salute as the figure entered, the clank of metal on metal echoing down the cooridor.

Count Dooku, former Jedi Knight, apprentice to Darth Sidious, and leader of the new Seperatist movement, was lit up by the holodisplay as he entered the room. His features were startlingly handsome for someone who was viewed by many as evil - not the ugly scarred visage of the bad guy from the holodramas. Dooku appeared to be a respectable gentlemen, as he was, and could have fit in perfectly at any of the many gentlemen's clubs on Coruscant, the Galactic Capital.

The other prominent figure, an alien with an obvious ancestry of some kind of flying insect, turned, his wooden cane tapping on the floor as he settled his weight onto it.

He spoke, and from his mouth issued a series of clicks and buzzes, the language of his species. Count Dooku understood, and he offered a small nod.

"Everything is coming to a head." He said, his voice low and powerful. "The Republic is almost ready to fall. My Master will ensure the Senate acts accordingly."

The creature issued another series of buzzes and clicks, and gestured to the hologram in the centre of the room. Count Dooku barely looked at it, but again he nodded.

"Yes, our ultimate weapon is nearly ready. My engineers assure me it is possible, though the expense if astoundingly great."

More words from the creature, and Dooku smiled.

"With the weapon in our hands, no one will dare oppose us."


The Present - Ubiqtorate Monitoring Station

Despite the late hour the Ubiqtorate monitoring station was alive with activity. A dozen personelle were crammed into the situation room, most of them holding cups of hot caf.

Things were happening very fast in the galaxy.

"New report coming in from out contacts on Adumar." One of the lesser officers announced. "Tholatin forces in full retreat. Lots of people getting out of the system."

It was the same all over. The Tholatin Republic had been hit hard by something, and things were collapsing all over. In the last hour, dozens of reports had made their way to the station with regards to the recent collapse, and most of them cited the recent Battle of Adumar as the primary reason.

"Commander!" Another officer called out, his voice high with the excitement. "We've got something from the nets!"

The nets were the official networks, news agencies and the like which conveyed news to the general populance. They were usually overflowing with lies and propaganda, and so the station employed a full division to sort through such reports and seperate truth from lies.

"Is there confirmation?" The Commander asked, reading over the text of the transmission.

"Not yet, Sir. But it looks like a hack job. Probably put together in a hurry."

"No time to make it up?"

"Not by the looks of it. We're monitoring the Tholatin networks now, in case the Prince decides to say something."

The commander smiled thinly and read over the text again.

...that which we know so far appears to suggest that the Tholotians may be dissolving their inter-planetary government and warfleet and remaining at home...

"Commander, news."

An Ensign handed Commander Archer a datapad with words from the Prince on it. He read through it rather quickly. more of a cursory glance than actually reading it. But it still got through to him. The Republic had disolved. They still held sway on their member worlds, but the planets were on their own.

"Get the Geonosians to prepare for defense. It's likely we'll come under attack. Tell them our troops will still be here to assist them."

"Yes, sir."

Archer looked out the window at the fields of nothing beyond.

"Prepare for a ground war."

Forces:
25,000 Army
3,500 RPGC
-200 Demonite Knights

Star Destroyer Eternal
Hyperspace

The room's only door slid open with such speed and silence that even Trinity, who had been expecting General Melvar's arrival, was surpised by it.

The man had to duck his head to avoid brushing the doorframe, and his tanned hand nearly obscured the datapad he held.

"General." Trinity said, rising and returning the man's salute. Although a General in the Army was the equivilent of a Commodore in the Navy, because they were on a naval ship politic dictated that the General salute her.

"Captain Trinity." The other returned, taking the seat she offered and resting the datapad on the table.

The Line-Captain took a moment to observe the General. His face was rugged and tan; his service record showed a long assignment in his younger days as an officer on a hostile dessert planet, and his uniform was flawless, obviously worn with pride. A scarf in a tanish colour, almost the colour of sand, gave him the appearence of a man who had been stationed in the dessert to long, and had partially "gone native".

But he was an able officer, not a genious in the field but smart and reliable and very good with the soldiers. And resistance at Geonosis was not expected to be heavy.

"The ground campaign is ready?" The Captain asked.

"It is. The soldiers are running through simulations as we speak. Our sources indicate that the majority of the Tholatin persons have left the planet to return to Tholatin itself, leaving only a small detatchment to defend the world."

Why they wanted to defend it at all, having declared themselves no longer an inter-planetary government, was beyond either the Captain or the General. But perhaps they would learn the answer to that question in time.

Prince Kamon had taken advantadge of the chaos following the Wrath epidemic and the "New Empire" to take charge of the former Imperial holdings, planets like Adumar and Geonosis. And occupied as they were with the Galactic Coalition, the Empire had not yet found time to deal with them.

But now, with the war winding down and the sudden dissolving of the Republic, the Empire was moving to bring worlds like Geonosis back into the fold.

"The Empire was of great aide to the people of Geonosis once before." Trinity mused.

"You anticipate aide from the natives?"

The Captain shrugged.

"Not aide, perhaps. But certainly not hostility. Not after being abandoned by the Prince."

On the wall, a red light began to blink.

The fleet had emerged from hyperspace. The Empire had returned to Geonosis.

Underground Strategic Command Center

Archer looked up as a red warning klaxon went off.

"Imperial ships in sector B114."

"Troops being placed on high alert. Geonosians have retreated to their catacombs."

Archer nodded.

"Very good. Move all troops into station. Have the Knights prepare for battle. It's time to see if their advanced training can pay off. They'll be given some sort of covert mission."

"Yes, sir."

The Commander in charge of the Knights detachment on Geonosis moved off to get his people ready. Above ground, the Army had set up with ghili suits all over the planet. Some of them laying on the ground not moving, others in fox holes and spider holes. The RPGC was set up in the mountains, waiting for the enemy to present a target.

"Time for a major ground war."