FORSAKEN - Target: Zero

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

The senate appeals committee gathered in the conference room at the Imperial Senate Building. They were scheduled to discuss the Senate's decision to continue "peacekeeping operations" in Lasan. In truth, it gave Bail Organa the perfect opportunity to discuss Syrran's proposal with his fellow dissenter senators and military officers.

Assembled on one side of the round conference table sat the senators: Bail Organa, Riyo Chuchi, Mon Mothma, Meena Tills, Garm Iblis, Giddean Danu, Bana Breemu, Vasp Vaspar, Malé-Dee, Tynnra Pamlo, Terr Taneel, and Nower Jebel. On the military side, there was Military Intelligence Commander, Davits Draven; special operations General, Crix Madine; Air Cavalry major, Antoc Merrick; army generals, Carlist Rieekan, Pitt Onoran, Baccam Grafis, Dustil Forell; and Admiral Jan Dodonna. R2-D2 stood by the entrance, keeping watch with his sensors. C-3PO stood by his master.

"This is insanity," Colonel Madine said. "You can't rush a delicate operation like this. It requires careful planning to set up logistics and contingency plans—"

"Not to mention securing political alliances," Senator Danu said.

"And even so, do I need to remind you of what happened to some of our fellow members of the Delegation of 2000?" Senator Breemu said. "Arrests, exiles, executions."

"This is different," Senator Tills said. "We're not talking about going through political channels this time."

"Which is a mistake," Senator Jebel said. "With all due respect to the officers present, we can't hope to enact change by engaging in open hostilities. The Imperial army is too strong. We need to find a political solution."

"And it risks putting our homeworlds in further jeopardy if it fails," Senator Pamlo said.

"I agree," Senator Vaspar said. "Who knows to what extremes the Emperor is willing to go to secure total control of dissident systems. He has already instituted Oversector Governors."

"This is exactly why we're here, to forge an alliance" Senator Mothma said.

"With the event upon us?" General Onoran laughed. "You must be mad. This isn't something that can be hashed together."

"It's a target of opportunity," Commander Draven said. "This man is seizing a small window of time to conduct his mission, while keeping operational security."

"An opportunity we might never have again," pondered Admiral Dodonna.

"Because no one would be mad enough to try," Colonel Madine said.

"Plus, we don't know anything about this man," Merrick said. "For all we know, this could be a counter-intelligence operation by Military Intelligence to uproot conspirators."

"I know the man from the days of the Clone Wars," Riyo said. "He has my implicit trust. If he says he can pull it off, he will. I wouldn't be wasting our time otherwise."

"Then he should have been here, pleading his case to us," Senator Malé-Dee said.

"And risk being discovered?" Bail said. "Ladies, gentlemen, he is going through with his task regardless of our involvement. We must come to an agreement."

"He's a maverick," General Forell spat. "A lone gunman with delusions of grandeur."

"Who could potentially send the Empire into disarray," Senator Taneel added. "We're talking about a second intergalactic war. The Separatist will surely rise again if the Empire falters, and we don't have the resources to win this time."

"Conflict is unavoidable," Mon Mothma said. "Sooner or later, someone will have to take a stand against the tyranny of the Empire, and it's going to lead to war."