Who Shall Call Them from the Grey Twilight, the Forgotten People?

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum had always said he did not enjoy working with the Sith. Not in the long run anyways. But now was the time to put some actions behind those words. Through a friend he had heard the Republic needed help. Ultimatum had been somewhat aware of the going-ons of that galactic power, seemingly floundering to remain afloat with all the internal struggles.

While LOOM did not have the power to help hold such a massive government, or back its military might, Ultimatum decided that there were things that he could do. He would fill in where he could. He had come into contact once more with [member="Lady Kay"], in order to hopefully set up ways to help the Republic. He did not want to openly affiliate with them, not yet, the Sith would fall on him quicker than a blink. The Republic had little hold this far away in the galaxy. He was on his own to protect himself, LOOM, and the people under his leadership.

He hoped to start with smaller things, the Foresight shipyard was one of the things that he wanted to wait before using. A Sith that Ultimatum had worked with spent a lot of time thinking on that shipyard, the Sith's first space vessel had been built there, thus it was a place important to him. Ultimatum wanted to make sure that he could accomplish such acts as aiding the Republic without easily being caught. He had thought of using one of his outlying factories on planets closer to Republic space, that way it would be just that much more difficult for him to be caught.

But for now, it was time to speak. He had chosen a secure frequency and had sent the information to Kay through the HoloNet so that they may speak when she next had the chance. One advantage to being a droid was that due to the lack of sleep he could pick up the call at almost any time no matter if it were midnight or midday. He had sent a preliminary message across the channel, both to make sure she would see it and to ensure the channel's security. "Hello, this is Ultimatum. I wish to speak with you about some business that may interest you and your allies."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was at a bit of a loss with a couple of planets leaving the Republic for no good reason other than spite. But in the short run, it would only hurt those that had contracts with them. People on those worlds would be looking for jobs elsewhere to feed their families.

In the meantime, while one company pulls out, a handful of others are there ready and willing to take it's place. It was good to have allies everywhere.

Kay was busy in her office in the Senate when the message from [member="Ultimatum"] came through. It came as no surprise that he would have heard whispers of events through the holonet. "Good to hear from you, my friend. Did you want me to meet with you somewhere? Or is this channel secure enough?" His security was top notch, so she had no real worry over that. But she was eager to hear his proposal. His voice also had a soothing quality to it, so she loved to hear him speak.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum was glad when she picked up. "This channel is secure enough, if you are alright with talking like this. It is good to see you as well. How have you been holding up? I hear that there is a lot going on in the Republic." He was curious, his friend was important to him and he felt bad that there was little he could really do to relieve the stress of a government falling apart and trying to be repaired at almost the same time. It was a difficult job, but Ultimatum was certain that [member="Lady Kay"] was up to the challenge. He wondered what it was like to work in such conditions, he had never been part of such a massive government as the Republic. He maintained a neutral, due to the fact that he was trapped behind Sith lines and collaborating with the Republic would be a sure way to get himself and Mustafar in trouble.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay answered his question with a sigh. "As best as can be expected. People assume that just because I'm a Senator, that I think that I'm above everyone and look down upon them. But I don't think that I do that. Do I?.....I wasn't around for some of what was going on because some bounty hunters got a hold of me and I was taken away. And now that I'm back...well...It's tough. I'm not used to so much hostility around me and with people being so spiteful."

She wanted to say so much more and just get everything off her chest, but [member="Ultimatum"] wasn't her husband or anything. So it was her burden to bear. There was always the couch pillows in her office that she could scream into. That always helped somewhat.

"How are you doing?" Always a good tactic to change the subject.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum decided to go with the change in conversation. He could almost feel that the subject had been a bit too much for his friend at this time. He hoped she would be alright, Ultimatum had learned that organics were so easily worn by emotional stress. "It is going well. Mustafar is relatively stable. Under the control of the Galactic Alliance, I have been given relative autonomy. LOOM has expanded some and now has bases on a number of planets, which is the reason I called. From what I have heard, with the recent events the Republic is in need of suppliers. I would like to offer what I can to help the Republic. It will not be much, not for now, but I would like to help where I can. Would the Republic accept?"

The last question was most important, he could probably supply things to the Republic through black markets and the criminal networks that doubtlessly existed, but it would be best if the Republic accepted his work itself. There would be a greater and more immediate effect than trying to direct products through shady business. He anticipated no problems, but at the same time there was the possibility that some could occur.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

"You know that I would accept anything you had to offer. And given the current circumstances, the Republic should too. I don't see why they would say no. So, yes, the Republic would accept your offer to help with sincere gratitude."

At least his call was for good news, as opposed to bad. Kay wasn't quite sure if she could handle too much bad news at once. There was more than enough going on.

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

That was good. First hurdle done. Now it was a matter of seeing what would be accepted. Ultimatum was not looking into the military equipment as yet. Weapons and non-civilian vehicles could be seen by his Sith contacts. That would be a danger to his ability to help the Republic. It might even be worse, that the Sith could use the weapons against the Republic. Though apparently there were things going on in the Sith government that was interrupting their focus. Perhaps he could use it later to produce better things for the Republic.

"Very good. Thank you. What does the Republic need at the moment? What can I have my factories begin work on that will help with where it is at?" He wanted to hear from [member="Lady Kay"] what the Republic required, he could log the information and use it for later decisions, especially if there were a lot of things needed. He hoped against that, if only because it would perhaps show what a bad shape the Republic was in.

 

[Kay-Larr]

She thought about it for a moment or two and then spoke up. She had a promise that needed to be kept and if accepted, this would go along with her promise nicely.

"The clone army. Some of them are quite lost. Many don't want to fight anymore which is fine. But they need help adjusting to life outside of the military. Some are hurt physically, while others are hurt mentally. As there are a vast number of them, we need supplies for them, help with construction for better places for them to live. They need good medical care, schools for them to learn basic skills. Would you be able to help with that?" If [member="Ultimatum"] couldn't, well she was sure that she could think of something else.

 

[Ultimatum]

That was a better start than he would have hoped for! There was nothing easier to send anywhere in the galaxy than simple tools, datapads with academic information, and simple medical equipment of any sort. This would be a good start. From there he could first gain the definite trust of the Republic and then perhaps be allowed to build factories on some of their worlds to easier produce the items they wanted.

"That is a brilliant idea. I can have the factories begin producing prosthetics and work equipment. If we can get the Republic to allow my ships to enter their space I can droid come and build specific schools, unless they already have that?"

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled. She was pleased that [member="Ultimatum"] liked her idea. She was sure that the Republic would be pleased. They just had to be. If she ruled her own planet, she would appreciate the kind of help that her friends are offering. But she didn't rule over anyone. She was just a voice in the Senate and nothing more. Well, she was more than that to the slaves that she liberated, but it wasn't the same thing.

"Thank you so very much, Ultimatum. I'll bring it to the Senate and to the Commander of the clone army. They should allow your ships to come in, but of course I'll double-check. This is such a big weight off of my shoulders, thank you."

 

[Ultimatum]

"Very good. I will begin the work immediately. Is there anything else that I can do?" He had no doubt of [member="Lady Kay"]'s abilities within the Senate. There was no fear of the Republic deciding to not allow him in, they needed help and he was offering it with little in the way of expected return. He wanted this to be a long term relationship, between LOOM and the Republic. For that reason, Ultimatum was fine with not receiving anything, perhaps in the future when LOOM expanded more then a proper contract could be made. Maybe even further the Republic could back his efforts in later work. That was the future though, for now there was this business to handle.

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Have a spare room handy for me? Just in case? With the new Supreme Chancellor not being the one that I had voted for, well...more than likely I will have to leave the Senate. And depending on how the Supreme Chancellor reacts, I may have to leave Republic space for a bit. I can't be sure on that part yet, but the possibility is there." It was of course one of her fears, to not only be kicked out of house and home, but also out of the entire Republic. Of course that was an extreme reaction bearing weight only in her imagination. But she wanted to be prepared, just in case.

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum would have grinned, had not the possibility been so real. It was most unfortunate that such things were likely. [member="Lady Kay"] did not deserve this, at least from Ultimatum's perspective. She had done just about everything for the greater good of sentient races, fighting slavery and trying to help the Republic. It was not something that Ultimatum would agree with often, but sometimes the end did justify the means. Not many times, but occasionally it did. When things such as slavery and genocide needed to be stopped, there were few things that would not be accepted as justified.

"You can always expect a warm welcome on Mustafar if ever you need asylum." Again, he might have smiled at the unintentional pun, if not for the severity of the subject. He would have a room set aside for Kay's personal use prepared and ready for whenever she may need it.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay caught the pun and it made her smile. Maybe it was unintentional, but if he was standing right there, she would have hugged him. That in itself might be a bit awkward, but [member="Ultimatum"] was well on his path to being a part of her family. Ryn was right. They were all an odd sort, come from different parts of the Galaxy and different walls of life, organic and artificial, but they had gone through a lot of adventures together and always looked after one another.

"Thank you. I greatly appreciate it. Knowing that I have somewhere to go is quite a relief....It's rather strange to be faced with so much uncertainty again. But....I can imagine that somewhere out there, someone wants me."

 

[Ultimatum]

The droid frowned, it was indeed unfortunate that she was going through such an uncertain time. The Republic was in enough trouble as it was, it did not need internal fighting like this. The weakness would be its downfall if the Republic did not reunite against the Sith. Their enemies would not hold off an attack forever, they might have had their own problems but it would not last forever. Time was of the essence and Ultimatum wished that the new leadership in the Republic would turn the attention back to fighting off these enemies. He understood that there were more problems than the droid could see, that was why he did not make any comments about it.

"I am sure that there are those that want you. Ryn and I are two of those. I hope it does not come to you running from the Republic, you seem to be one of the few who understands the dangers right now."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

"You're a good friend. The both of you are. I can't imagine how it would be without you." She furrowed her brows in thought as she just stared at nothing in particular. "You know [member="Ultimatum"] , I could be odd in saying this, but I'm going to miss politics. I did a lot with it, I was one of the hardest workers. It's hard to imagine what I'd do next. The Republic doesn't trust Force users in power, so I don't think that I could even get a Minister position. It's....it's really sad."

Kay faced this kind of transition before when her husband died. It took a few years before she got back on her feet. But she was alone. This time she has help.

 

[Ultimatum]

Ultimatum was surprised to hear that the Republic did not like Force users in positions of power. Didn't they trust the Jedi? Had something happened? Being so far away from the events made it difficult to keep track of them, especially when he had business closer to home to work with. The deals made with Sith were always traps, they liked to keep an eye on things. On top of the Sith, there was the Alliance, who were much easier to work with. For the most part he could handle it, but getting information from halfway across the galaxy through Sith territory and then Alliance territory was no mean feat. He wondered what had happened. Things were not going well he assumed, if the guesses he made were anything close to what was actually going on.

The droid was not too surprised that [member="Lady Kay"] enjoyed her time as a politician. To get where she was Ultimatum assumed that one needed to enjoy their work. That however did not stop him from feeling saddened that she would leave. The Republic would be losing a valuable person if they gave her up. They probably would not even realize it. Which was all the more unfortunate. There were so many great things for them, freedom and power. Yet they were having problems realizing the power that they had and maintaining it.

"I am very sorry to hear that. Is there nowhere else that needs a person with your skills? What happened to the Jedi? Does the Republic not trust them anymore?" He was perhaps being a bit nosy, but information was something that helped him understand the organics.

 

[Kay-Larr]

"I don't want to give up on the Republic. I just...I can't let the hope of goodness in the Galaxy to fade away. I'm stubborn, as you know. The Jedi are valuable to them, but they are their ow Government with their own laws. They only work with us. When I revealed to one of their Masters that I was Force sensitive, he got really angry and had me taken into custody. He wanted to have me tested, to see if there is any Darkside influence on me, but that never happened. I don't want to go with them. I'm not a bad person. I shouldn't be forced to go to their Temple where I'll just get scolded."

Kay knew that with hiring Sith to help her free slaves,as well as learning a couple of techniques, it was good enough to have her put in jail for a while. In the eyes of the law, it didn't matter what her reasonings were, or that she didn't harm the Republic in any way.

[member="Ultimatum"]

 

[Ultimatum]

Well that was even worse. They treated one who had been nothing but loyal as if she were some common traitor. He had had higher hopes for the Jedi. He had assumed that they were like those of old, being able to see into a person's heart and know the truth. The stories on the HoloNet lent themselves toward this ideal concept. Perhaps the Jedi were not the upholders of truth anymore. They had separated themselves from the Republic, the government they had promised to protect for millennia.

"That is most unjust. Have you not done enough to prove that you are loyal to the Republic? Was the Master that tried to take you in especially harsh? Perhaps you should try to find those who sympathize with you and understand, beyond myself of course." He added with a small grin.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

She smiled. Yes, [member="Ultimatum"] and a few of her closest friends did sympathize with her. And she was all the grateful for it. Otherwise she'd start to believe that she was in the wrong in all of this. But that couldn't be the case.

"I thought that I did enough to prove that I wasn't a threat or disloyal. But maybe I didn't do quite enough. I didn't resist when the Jedi Master took me into custody, but he was prepared for it in case I did. I did help save his life soon afterwards when he attacked a Sith Lord. I should probably have a meeting with him. Every time that I've seen him lately, he's been on escort duty. But maybe I can help him to see and understand..."