[h2][b]Falul ' Taham - Aboard the [i]Tantive IV[/i][/b][/h2]

[hr]

Falul nodded towards Erthos. “Then I suggest you gather any specific information you might have on this potential weapon. We can discuss it in detail the next time we meet together to form our war plans. If it is a near enough threat, we may need to seek it out and destroy it.”

[hr]

Across the far reaches of the newly-created Empire, and even some places beyond, the attitudes of the people had been dominated by tension and uncertainty. Regardless of whatever feelings they may or may not have had towards Alderaan or its people, Anubis’ show of power was the topic on the tips of everyone’s tongues, or analogous appendage. Palpatine, their former Chancellor turned Emperor by popular support, had been slain and replaced by a usurper claiming to be a god. It was a claim that would perhaps normally be ridiculous, only, as the days went on, it seemed more and more like he was proving it. Just as Anubis had said, Alderaan became an unlivable wasteland before the eyes of the galaxy. Some took it as evidence enough to accept Anubis’ claim to godhood, though many across the Empire were not religious to start with and would not be so quickly swayed to faith. Still, even if it did not immediately convert them all, it was a very [i]real[/i] display of power that could potentially paralyze any resistance before it had a chance to begin.

Accompanying the fear came disorder as well. Anubis had proved himself both murderous and vengeful, so there were few figures of authority willing to openly denounce his actions, at least so soon after the event. With silence from their leaders, the majority of the galaxy’s people were left to make their own judgments with only the information they had before them. With the only remaining symbol of authority being Anubis himself. 

This was until the live feed broadcasting Alderaan’s slow destruction was suddenly interrupted. The feed cut to black for a few seconds, then was replaced by what was, for many, a familiar face. Thanks to Palpatine’s machinations, the reputation of the Jedi had been severely tarnished, with Anakin Skywalker as the exception. For citizens of the Republic, he had been a popular figure, a war hero, and a “good” Jedi. Bail had assisted him in preparing his speech, though for the sake of his people, he did not yet appear directly on the broadcast. They needed time to recover before risking Anubis’ ire being directed [i]specifically[/i] towards them again.

“People of the Galaxy, both members of the Republic and those of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Today we watched a crown jewel of our galaxy be turned into a lifeless husk. And by who other than a being claiming to be a god and demanding that we bend the knee to him? Sheev Palpatine sought to manipulate us all into fighting a bloody war that would leave both sides weakened and susceptible to total take over by his Empire while he swept the remnants of Seperatist and Republic aside with ease. The Jedi discovered this and tried to arrest him, but were already too late to do so, and so our Order was decimated.

We cannot let this stand, just as the Confederacy fought for their beliefs the Republic was corrupt and we of the Republic fought to protect a union of systems that, while it had its issues, was a united front against tyranny and oppression from all sources. And we should now all turn to face this Anubis and show him that he cannot simply walk in and claim dominion over any being! Set aside your grievances and fight to protect our freedoms as a one Galaxy! Not as a Republic or a Confederacy, but as one united peoples to defend what is ours! Stand with me, stand with Master Yoda and help us send this tyrant to join the Force!”

Anakin stepped to the side enough to show to the galaxy the view from the bridge of the stolen Assimilator-class Star Destroyer from which he was broadcasting. "His Empire isn't as unbeatable as he wants you to think."

[hr]

[h3][b]Falul 'Taham - The [i]Immaculate Aegis[/i][/b][/h3]

[hr]

For the fleet, the ships they had brought to Alderaan did not immediately return to their hidden shipyard, but instead joined their new allies over Mantor VII. They had not yet come to a consensus on whether they should reveal the location of their base of operations to any of their allies, and if so, who they should trust. Of course, they still had access to near-instant superluminal communication to their base, so they could still communicate with their shipyard. 

It had been only a day since the destruction of Alderaan came to completion, so its impact on the galaxy as a whole was still uncertain. Still, the fleet could not just wait and see what was going to happen. They were at a pivotal moment, where an effective resistance could either be forged, or crushed, so they needed to act quickly and decisively. 

While the majority of their ships’ crew members would have some time to catch their breath, their leadership was under more pressure than they had ever been. They could not delay any longer; they needed to make decisions about the structure and direction of their fleet and its goals that could shape their approach to the war. The [i]Aegis[/i] would be hosting their meeting to make use of a secure slipspace communications node, so they could still communicate back to the shipyard. 

On Falul’s part, he had spent every waking hour since they left Alderaan preparing himself as best as he could. For the situation they were in, he recognized his own shortcomings in personal experience, but he took the time to seek the counsel of trusted members of his crew, as well as to review historical data from the Human-Covenant war. In many ways, the challenges that Humanity faced against the Covenant during the war would be similar to what their fleet would bear similarities to what they would have to face against the Empire, at least in a broad sense. If he could learn from his former enemy, then he might be better prepared for such a different sort of war. 

The room they would be using was fairly isolated deep within the [i]Aegis[/i] so they would not be disturbed during their deliberations. It was a simple, mostly featureless chamber, apart from a holographic display table at the center of the room. For this meeting, the leaders of their ships could, of course, include anyone else they deemed necessary from their respective crews. Falul himself had not come alone, as he was accompanied by, curiously enough, a Kig-Yar. A T’vaoan, specifically. She was not dressed in armor, like almost everyone else on the [i]Aegis[/i] but instead wore a garment consisting of separate pieces of fine, colorful, silk-like cloth, in stark contrast to the solid black feathers on her head and forearms. She also wore a fairly excessive amount of jewelry: rings, bracelets, necklaces, and even a few jewels embroidered into her clothes. There was no unifying “style” among her jewelry, suggesting it all might have been collected from many cultures. Not all of the metals were even particularly valuable; the only thing they all seemed to have in common were that they were shiny.