First of all, I buried myself in the news reports.
To my surprise, the duel with Ventress had somehow ended up on the HoloNet. Slicers rule, apparently. The footage had spread everywhere and stirred up a rather unhealthy amount of attention.
Naturally, the Jedi Order had already begun spinning the story.
I was particularly *delighted* by the public response from Mace Windu. The man delivered a thirty-minute speech about noble Jedi defenders and treacherous Separatists. I strongly suspect the Senate was fed an equally impressive load of nonsense about me.
Thank the Force I wasn't on Coruscant right now. They would have torn me apart with questions.
Fortunately, Yoda had advised me to keep a low profile for a while. I was more than happy to follow that advice.
I also needed to talk to Nox.
Unfortunately, the holocron was still aboard the *Terminus*. At least the gauntlet had survived the battle. Old Sith technology, it seemed, worked surprisingly well against undead ancient Sith.
I really needed to finish my treatment and disappear into some quiet hole until the dust settled.
---
Next, I started reviewing the battle reports from headquarters.
Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were currently terrorizing the Separatist rear guard. Eventually, on the planet Thule, our so-called Chosen One finally destroyed the Dark Reaper.
For that, I was genuinely grateful.
I wondered if he had spoken to Ulic.
Our Afro-samurai Windu had also distinguished himself in battle, along with Luminara Unduli and Plo Koon.
But the price…
In that single campaign alone, the Republic lost four Acclamators and over forty thousand clones, along with nearly all their equipment.
Geniuses of tactics, my ass.
Naturally, the Republic still declared it a *grand victory*. I didn't expect anything else.
Across the galaxy, battles continued with mixed success. If I remembered correctly, the Separatists would soon attempt an assault on Kamino — the homeland of the clones. Shaak Ti was currently in command there.
That battle would be bloody.
Of course, who would believe me if I warned them?
---
After that, I started browsing the HoloNet for… photos.
Of Riyo Chuchi, naturally.
Yes, it was corny. But I wanted to see her every day — even if only on a screen. Seeing her in person would obviously be better.
Hopefully I had made an impression on her.
Maybe next time we could talk properly.
Eventually, my daydreaming turned into something more productive: a plan.
After all, I had promised to help her.
---
Digging through trade listings, I finally found what I needed.
I purchased four used—but supposedly well-maintained—Gozanti-class cruiser from a reseller. I also bought four GD-16 pilot droids.
Sure, I could have chosen something heavier. But after thinking it through, the Gozanti made more sense.
Calling a forty-five-meter ship a *cruiser* was admittedly a stretch. But the design had an interesting history.
Originally, the project aimed to create a light cargo transport capable of defending itself from pirates in the Mid and Outer Rim. The ship became a hybrid between freighter and warship.
With each design revision, more weapons were added.
By the time the first Gozanti rolled off the slipway, it was practically a compact warship: eight laser cannons, two quad-laser turrets, and two proton-torpedo launchers.
In almost every category except speed, it outperformed the Consular-class cruiser.
Naturally, the Republic was not thrilled.
To approve the ship for civilian sale, regulators forced the manufacturers to weaken the engines. Atmospheric speed dropped to around four hundred kilometers per hour. The hyperdrive was also unimpressive — a class-three primary with a class-twelve backup.
Reliable, though.
Fortunately for me, the ships were mass-produced across the galaxy. Each cost only sixty-five thousand credits.
Cheap.
I planned to crew them with B1 battle droids. That would extend operational endurance from one month to roughly six.
Another advantage: the Gozanti was extremely easy to modify. It could be expanded, refitted, or repurposed with minimal effort.
If I remembered correctly, the future Empire would eventually use these ships as patrol craft, landing vessels, and even small carriers.
That alone made them worthwhile.
The pilot droids cost fifteen thousand credits each — expensive, but necessary. I couldn't exactly assign clone crews to a private operation.
I programmed the droids remotely and ordered the ships to travel to Va'aart before continuing to Pantora.
The journey took them nearly a week.
Definitely not Acclamator speed.
Total expenses: roughly three hundred and thirty thousand credits.
Easy come, easy go.
---
Predictably, two hours later the authorities contacted me.
Of course they did.
Someone had just purchased several armed starships during wartime. Naturally the security services were curious.
Still, dealing with them was easy.
"This matter concerns the Jedi Order," I told the young lieutenant. "I am not authorized to disclose further details."
That was enough.
Who would suspect a Jedi of illegal activity?
The officer even offered official clearance documents for the ships to prevent future problems.
Naturally, I praised his diligence and accepted.
Two hours later, my datapad received confirmation: the ships were officially cleared.
Now nothing would stop them from crossing half the galaxy.
---
Since training was still prohibited during recovery, I spent the following days studying the data I had copied from the Jedi Temple Archives.
Separating myth from fact was… challenging.
But possible.
Still, one thought kept nagging at me.
Sooner or later, the Separatists would want revenge.
---
Eventually I stopped by headquarters.
I wandered through the halls, chatted with a few staff officers, and tried to look harmless.
The only familiar face I encountered belonged to one of Kinaun's subordinates, walking around with his arm in a sling while supervising logistics.
After that, I headed to the spaceport.
The crew greeted me warmly when I boarded the ship. I could feel their emotions clearly.
One of the perks of being a Jedi.
I spotted Ditmar near the cargo bay.
"General," he said proudly. "The bacta shipments sold extremely well. Demand was enormous."
"Good," I replied.
"There's more," he continued. "The heavy bomber squadron you requested is ready. Fully purchased and paid for."
That caught my attention.
"And the finances?"
"After all expenses, roughly twenty million credits remain," he said.
That was excellent news.
Enough to fully equip both his squadron and Kinaun's.
For once, things were going well.
Soon afterward, the *Akatsuki* lifted off from the planet.
Time to go home.
---
### Elsewhere
In a dark chamber, Count Dooku knelt before a towering hologram.
Darth Sidious.
"Master."
"I am dissatisfied with you, my apprentice."
"Master, I—"
"I will not tolerate excuses."
Invisible power seized Dooku.
He rose from the floor, choking as the Force crushed his throat.
"You failed to inform me what your apprentice was capable of," Sidious said coldly. "If that Jedi Knight had not killed her, I might have assumed you were attempting to assassinate me."
"Master… I did not know," Dooku rasped.
Sidious released him.
Dooku collapsed, coughing.
"I had assumed," Sidious continued, "that when you began collecting disposable pawns you would at least understand their limitations."
Dooku bowed deeply.
"Of course, my Lord."
Sidious paced slowly.
"The Nightsisters will have sensed the death of their sister. They will demand vengeance — especially Mother Talzin."
A thin smile formed on the Sith Lord's face.
"Use this."
Dooku looked up.
"Take a male from their clan," Sidious continued. "One similar to my former apprentice."
He paused.
"The males are easier to control. And far less gifted than the females."
Dooku bowed again.
"As you command, my Master."