- Location
- United Kingdom
- Pronouns
- They/She
WHO DARE SAY THE SUN IS FALSE?
Blood drips from the presiding stand of the Galactic Senate. The metal, scored and twisted - signs of a struggle, or simply of unreasonable and unrestrained force. A cleanly severed head lies sleeping on red stained robes. It's body set back, crawling away from the scene. The blood fills the chamber, it overflows. Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine is dead.
He was murdered yesterday - New Year's Day, 19BBY. Believed to have been practising for a major speech, his location was supposed to be secret whilst the Senate was out of session for the day. His killer; Jedi Master Mace Windu, assisted by Shaak-Ti, Ki-Adi Mundi, and several other Jedi. The group of assassins seemingly bypassed all Senate security, presumably with the aid of supportive Senators. There were no witnesses, and even the security cameras were off. First knowledge of the event came from Mace Windu himself, who revealed what had happened to a lowly Senate Guard on patrol. Details of the death have only just begun to filter to the public.
So far, Mace has only stated that he acted to save the Republic. Apparently he had it on good authority from a source close to the Chancellor that Sheev Palpatine was, in fact, a Sith Lord; and that the force confirmed it. But there were other motives at play; with his Security Amendment Act due to be voted on soon, tensions in the Senate were close to boiling point. No doubt those Senators that supported Windu had interests besides the balance of the force.
In some places public mourning has already begun; at others, celebrations. Across the Galaxy Sheev Palpatine was a polarising figure - many saw him as the sign of a deep sickness, others felt he was a saviour. But he guided the Republic through it's greatest crisis in 1000 years, and all agree he was a man of unmatched vision. Nonetheless, clashes are expected to erupt imminently.
The Galaxy, however, stops for no one - even Sheev Palpatine, and the public has already begun to ask; what now? It's been over a century since a Chancellor has died in office, and it has been over a millennia since it's occurred in wartime. Initially, sharp eyes turned to the Vice-Chair, Mas Amedda, widely viewed as Palpatine's second-in-command in the Senate.
But sharper eyes still noticed that Mas Amedda was not next in the line of succession. The Vice-Chancellor, a position most had forgotten about, was someone else. It was one Gaed Dullma.
Gaed Dullma, known in his prime as "the Elder", was once thought to be the representative in body and spirit of the soul of the Republic. Widely respected across all factions, he was a charismatic and personable figure - a model Senator, and largely free of any public corruption. A noted enemy of the Trade Federation, he suffered for what was then considered to be a warlike position (now vindicated), and only barely lost out on the Chancellorship to Finis Valorum.But that was several decades ago. The purpose of Gaed Dullma has been, for the past 13 years, to appear at all the lesser-known functions that Palpatine was too busy for. He lended a veneer of tradition and class to Palpatine's reign, which he could roll out whenever questions were being asked. Moreover, he was so old that he was long past asking any questions of his own. Only an increasingly vague sense of duty seemed to keep Gaed in the Senate, rather than in a retirement home on Zeltros.
As of yet, Gaed has been unavailable for comment. A doctor was seen entering his Senate chambers shortly after the news broke - rumour has it that he suffered a minor heart attack when he heard of Palatine's demise. Legally, Gaed is only obligated to hold an election to the Chancellorship as-and-when he likes. But many doubt that this fast-fading north star of the Republic can continue to man the helm for long.
PRO PATRIA MORI - THE CLONE WARS, 19BBY
At the dawn of 19BBY the savage Clone Wars remain in full swing. With the early offensives of the CIS finally blunted, Chancellor Palpatine promised to crush the CIS once and for all, beginning a maximalist strategy of besieging the CIS' Outer Rim holdings. Whilst the Republic has finally begun to secure a material advantage over the CIS in the course of the war, the CIS has scored several tactical victories during their retreat, and the progress of the Republic armadas has been significantly slower than expected. Many traditionalists felt this strategy was too aggressive, whilst militarists believed it was the only way to secure total victory.
As battles rage across the Galaxy, morale also fluctuates heavily. Not since the Sith Wars has such bloodshed been seen, and Galactic Warfare is a phenomenon few expected to see outside of holocrons. As news of the Chancellor's death spreads to the front, discord at every rank has already begun to erupt, and the entire chain of command is deep in confusion. Indeed, many officers are unsure whether it would be less treasonous to obey or arrest their Jedi commanders. For the Separatist's, it couldn't be more welcome - raising hopes just as the war seemed to had turned against them, and offering a chance to take the initiative. The Clone Wars are still anyone's game.
MYGEETO/MUUNULIST - Under the command of Mace Windu, Mygeeto seemed close to falling, opening up Ord Trasi and the possibility of encircling Yaga Minor. But Windu's sudden flight to Coruscant threw operations into chaos, and news that their commander is responsible for the death of Palpatine is being greeted with much confusion and strong feelings. Meanwhile, General Greivous leers from his base at Muunulist, eager for any opportunity to turn the tide and take revenge for being forced onto the defensive.
MANDALORE - Considered one of the two worst assignments in the Galaxy, Mandalore has quickly reminded the Galaxy of it's ancient pedigree as a world of warriors. Although the coup that overthrew Duchess Satine was greeted mostly by trepidation, the subsequent occupation of Republic forces has broadly united the populace in virulent opposition. The resistance employs every kind of technique to make life hell for the Republic, from insurgents to timed plasma bombs - although on many parts of the world, even the flood of Republic forces have had difficulty holding down nominal control. General Pong Krell is increasingly out of patience.
FELUCIA - The other worst assignment in the Galaxy, Felucia is a very different kind of hell. Possessed of a uniquely force-sensitive ecosystem, full of enormous, and extremely deadly, plant and animal life, fighting on the planet is more like fighting against the planet - itself perhaps the Galaxies greatest bio-weapon. Separatist troops use hit-and-run tactics to harass the Republic forces, whilst otherwise letting them grind themselves down simply trying to stay alive.
CATO NEIMODIA - Having managed to quietly hold out in the Galactic core, Neimodia was only recently occupied by General Plo Koon, overcoming a CIS military blockade. The world is still being pacified.
GEONOSIS/RYLOTH/HYPORI - The birthplace of the war, Geonosis is a world of great symbolic significance in the Clone Wars, as well as possessing substantial droid factories. Along with Ryloth, occupied by Wat Tambor early in the war, securing these Outer Rim pockets has been a central goal of the offensive. Generals Obi-Wan and Aayla Secura are still menaced, however, by the brilliant Sev'rance Tann, who managed to slow their advance significantly. The difficult desert environment, and strange tactics of the native Geonosians, has proved difficult to advance through - whilst Ryloth, a world with one side perpetually in the light and the other in the dark, requires constantly alternating equipment and tactics.
THE GAME BEGINS - IT IS 19.1BBY
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