Marcus nodded along as Thoja spoke, entertaining the thoughtful points the Zabrak made. His response was polite, but competitive, as were all beneficial talks of this nature. "GRIM stands apart as an intelligence agency that answers directly to the Senate. Their autonomy from us gives them a great deal more freedom than they would otherwise have. It would take an act of Congress to absorb GRIM into the fold of the military, and would pass on their bureaucratic responsibilities to the Senate onto our shoulders. I would recommend we leave the agency alone for the time being, and instead converse with those politicians close to the military about making a push in the Senate to expand the jurisdiction and powers of the intel community."
Expanding government authority was always a touchy topic, but considering the quandary the Republic was facing, a fearful Senate might not object. Marcus took a moment to address the Commander's other points.
"As for the Clans...you're right, Commander, a two-front war is not ideal, but it's the position we find ourselves in already. The Clans are advancing regardless, and we must be prepared to yield more territory to them before the day is won." The dark-skinned Admiral allowed a slight smile. "Yet, cooperating with the Alliance on a campaign in the Northern sectors yields two benefits. First, it allows us to embolden our ties with an ally, building a strong foundation of trust with them. Secondly, and this is most important, reconnecting the worlds of the Free Systems Coalition will prove to be an invaluable long-term strategy in our fight against the Mandalorians. If we can reforge those ties, we can provide the FSC with enough resources to strike at Clan territory from another angle, turning their single-front war, into a two-front war as well."
To be honest, Marcus was excited by the notion of turning the tables on the Clans. They had grown far too arrogant, and like any fruit tree, needed pruning. "Even so, you are most right Commander in that we must send a message to the Clans. Their Crusade is the most damaging campaign we've endured since the rise of the One Sith. I would recommend we use assets of the intelligence community to strike a true chord within the Clans: We must strip them of their economic assets in our space and turn them to production for the Republic, and destroy their beskar production capabilities at home. Cripple their war effort, take away their edge." Marcus drank from his glass once more and set it down on the Chancellor's desk. "Focused attacks on their means of production would render a long-term disadvantage and force them to turn resources back home, hopefully stalling their advance. And we can do this without exerting en masse military power."
[member=Caius Flavian] | [member=Suravi Teigra] | [member=Thoja Arlos] | [member=Alena Reckar]