2 Months later
War.
Yet again, the galaxy was thrust into another conflict, initiated by the Sith. Despite the warnings, the deals, and the not-so-subtle reminders by the Republic, the Sith Emperor had decided that the time had come to strike at the Republic.
The opening attack came in the form of coordinated attacks along the Republic's Mid Rim corridors. Sith fleets emerged from hyperspace simultaneously across a dozen systems, targeting supply depots, communications relays, and forward defensive positions. The Republic Navy, which had been operating under the reduced capacity mandated by the Treaty of Coruscant, found itself stretched thin and unable to mount a response.
Almost immediately, the Republic declared a state of emergency, and the Senate announced a state of war now existed between them and the Sith Empire. Supreme Chancellor Janarus was immediately given limited executive powers to centralize the Republic forces.
Sector Defense fleets from the core worlds were called and formed into the Republic 4th, 7th, 12th, and 10th fleets. These fleets, in the coming weeks would move in to halt the Sith advance before they reach the core worlds.
Watching all the reports pile in from Imperial agents scattered across the galaxy, Daimon had received a call from Supreme Chancellor Janarus himself.
"Chancellor Janarus, what may I do for you today." he acted oblivious, but he knew what the Chancellor was calling for. A quick change to the Treaty of Coruscant to allow the Republic to build up their military once again to fight off the Sith.
"Emperor Daimon, I don't want to waste too much of your time, so I will just get straight to business." said Chancellor Janarus as he took a deep breathe before he said his next words.
"I would like to ask for some changes to the Treaty of Coruscant with the recent Sith incursions. As you know, the Sith was not affected by this treaty, so they have had a thousand years to build, expand, and strategize. We saw the signs but failed to react in time before the conflict started. I'm afraid our limited offensive capabilities will not be enough to ward off the Sith." explained Chancellor Janarus.
Daimon pulled up an edited version of the Treaty which he already had prepared and sent it over to the Chancellor who received it immediately. "I already had something like this prepared as well Chancellor. The Imperium may flex its power all the time, but we are not unreasonable. Nor do we strive to control the Republic or its people. Under these new terms, the Republic is free to build up its military, so long as we maintain friendly relations."
Chancellor Janarus was looking over the documents and had found the highlighted part that was changed. He wasn't surprised by the Emperor's preparedness as he understood the capabilities of the Emperor and the Imperium. He would have been more surprised if the Emperor didn't have something like this prepared.
"Thank you, Emperor Daimon. With this we will build up our military to fight off the Sith and continue our friendly relations." Chancellor Janarus paused for a moment, thinking about something he wanted to ask before he decided to just ask.
"If possible, I would like to ask for the Imperium's assistance in this war. We don't know what hidden weapons the Sith may have." asked Chancellor Janarus.
Daimon shook his head. "That won't be possible Chancellor. I will stay neutral in this conflict and let the conflict play out as it should. Although, I will permit volunteers from the Imperium to fight on the Republic's behalf, and I will allow the sale of Imperial-grade weaponry to the Republic at fair market prices. Beyond that, the Imperium will not directly engage with the Sith unless they cross into Imperial space."
Chancellor Janarus had hoped for more, but he understood. Direct Imperial intervention would set a precedent that the Republic would forever be unable to escape. They would become a protectorate in all but name, and the political fallout from such a development would haunt the Republic for generations.
"I understand, Emperor Daimon. The volunteers and the access to Imperial weaponry will be greatly appreciated."
"Then the matter is settled. I will have the formal amendments drafted and transmitted to your office within the hour. As for the volunteers, I will issue a public statement permitting Imperial citizens to enlist in Republic service should they choose to do so. The Imperial Intelligence Bureau will also share relevant intelligence on Sith fleet movements through standard diplomatic channels."
"Thank you, Emperor. The Republic will not forget this gesture."
"See that it doesn't," Daimon replied, not unkindly. "Goodwill is currency, Chancellor. Spend it wisely."
The transmission ended, and Daimon leaned back in his chair. The war between the Republic and the Sith had begun, and despite his stated neutrality, he had already done more for the Republic in this single conversation than most allies would do in years. The amendments to the treaty alone would allow the Republic to rebuild its military to a level capable of resisting the Sith assault. The intelligence sharing would give the Republic insight into Sith movements.
And the volunteer provision would, almost certainly, result in Millions, of Imperial citizens joining the Republic war effort, many of them carrying expertise and equipment from the Imperium.
He turned to Lord Maxim, who had been standing quietly at the side of the office throughout the conversation.
"How many do you estimate will volunteer?" Daimon asked.
Lord Maxim looked at his datapad briefly, "Based on prior recruitment patterns and current sentiment within the Imperium, the initial wave will likely be between three and five million. If the conflict extends beyond the first year, that number could reach fifteen to twenty million. Many of them will be veterans of the Coruscant campaign or younger Gen'Dai seeking their first significant combat experience."
"And how many of them will be operating with our equipment?"
"Effectively all of them. The volunteers are permitted to retain their personal weapons and armor under standard Imperial discharge protocols. The Republic will be receiving, in everything but name, several million highly trained soldiers carrying Imperial-grade equipment, free of charge."
Daimon smiled a little. "The Sith will not be pleased."
"No, my lord. They will not."
"Good." He stood and walked to the window of his office, looking out over the city below. "Begin coordinating with the Ministry of War. I want the volunteer enlistment process streamlined and operational within forty-eight hours. Establish processing centers on Veldari, Korrun, Tessara, and the other major core worlds. I also want the weapons export licenses approved for immediate production and sale."
"It will be done." replied Maxim.
"And Maxim?" said Daimon, adding one more thing.
"Yes, my lord?"
"Send word to Vey'la. I want her to compile a list of Balance Keepers willing to take indefinite leave from their formal duties to serve as volunteers. I will not order any of them to go, but those who wish to should be permitted."
Maxim nodded as he left to carry out his orders.
Daimon stood there with his eyes closed, in meditation. In the past few months, the Force has become clouded. He couldn't clearly see what the future may bring. Part of it may be because of his presence in the galaxy which he has saw caused quite a few changes. Other parts of it could be a number of things. He may have had a higher understanding of the Force except for a select few, but the Force was still vast, and prone to changes.
What he didn't know was that various darkside forces were making moves after him. One such force which was a recent addition was on Mortis. Something big had just happened, but it had yet to reach his ears.
———
In the Jedi High Temple on Coruscant, the Council had assembled for an emergency session. The chamber's circular arrangement of seats was fully occupied, and the holographic display in the center of the room showed real-time updates from the front lines.
Master Sate Tann stood as the meeting was called to order. "We have all received the reports. The Sith have launched a full-scale invasion of the Mid Rim. The Republic Navy is being pushed back on every front. Casualties are already in the millions."
Master Orath, who had been given a seat on the Council following his return from Taris, leaned forward. "What is our position? Will we commit Jedi to the front lines?"
"That is what we must decide," Master Tann replied. "The reformed Order has not engaged in a full-scale war since the Treaty of Coruscant. Our doctrines have been restructured. We are not the Order we were a thousand years ago."
"With respect, Master Tann," said Master Vorr, a Cerean who had served on the Council for the past fifty years, "we are also not the Order that allowed itself to be manipulated by Chancellor Thrace. The reforms have made us stronger, not weaker. We have shed the dogma that made us vulnerable."
"And we don't have the numbers that we should have," Master Tann countered. "We have perhaps 150,000 Knights and Masters available for active deployment. The Sith have an untold number of hundreds of thousands of trained Force users in their military structure. Throwing ourselves at them in open battle would accomplish nothing except the eradication of the Order."
A heavy silence settled over the chamber.
"Then what do we do?" Master Orath asked. "We cannot simply stand aside while the Republic is overrun."
"No," Master Tann agreed. "We cannot. But we must be strategic about how we engage. Small teams. Targeted operations. Protection of civilian populations. Disruption of Sith command structures. We will fight, but we will fight smart."
"And the Balance Keepers?" Master Vorr asked. "If they are sending volunteers, perhaps we could coordinate with them. Their methods are not ours, but their goals align with ours in this matter."
"I will get in contact with Hierarch Veshara," Master Tann said. "Joint operations have worked before. There is no reason they cannot work again."
The Council murmured in agreement, though there were a few skeptical expressions among the older Masters. The relationship between the Jedi Order and the Balance Keepers had always been complicated. The Balance Keepers had a way of making the Jedi feel like apprentices in their own discipline, and pride was a difficult thing to set aside, even for those who had spent their lives practicing detachment.
"There is one other matter," Master Vorr said. "The Sith Emperor. We have not seen him on the field of battle, and we have not heard from him directly. That concerns me more than the fleet movements."
"It should," Master Tann replied. If he is content to let his Dark Council manage the war, then he is conserving his strength for something else."
"For what?"
"That is the question, isn't it?"
The Council fell silent again. None of them had answers, and none of them wanted to speculate aloud about what the Sith Emperor might be planning. Whatever it was, it would not be small, and it would not be predictable.
Master Tann finally broke the silence. "We will operate under the assumption that the Sith Emperor has a long-term strategy that extends beyond the immediate conflict. We will share our concerns with the Imperium through appropriate channels. And we will commit our Order to the defense of the Republic; in the manner I have described."
The Council voted, and the matter was settled. The Jedi would fight.