HP: Dance of the Veela

Their days became a pattern after that; getting up at the crack of dawn for a few hours of training before breaking for meals and then while Haron worked Din studied. Holocalls home rounded out the day before they went to bed and then did the same thing the next day. As time went on little seemed to be happening and while Haron had identified a half dozen senators or aides that could be bought little else was worth their attention.

Haron had most of what he needed and any additional information he wanted was obtained with a quick call to Mas Amedda, what he was seeing was not an encouraging picture and he was actually worried for a moment that the Separatists were going to have too easier a time with the Republic and his people would likely be next once they were through.

Finally though just as Haron was finally finished with his work a signal came in. It was Mas Amedda who by large had left Haron to get on with his job.

"Duke Ordo, the Chancellor has a meeting scheduled with the Loyalist Committee and wishes to discuss the creation of a military with them. Have you completed your assessment of the situation?" He asked pressingly and the annoyance Haron felt at the accusation in his eyes was pushed aside and he told Mas Amedda.

"Yes, I have completed my assessment and I can brief the Chancellor and this committee. When is this meeting?" Haron asked maintaining a professional facade.

"Tomorrow, once the senator from Naboo arrives. We shall be ready to receive you." Mas Amedda said before promptly ending the call and Haron just shook his head in indignation before turning to Din who was practising his shooting with a training remote who looked hopefully at him.

"We should be heading home soon."

Din was happy at the news unlike many children who would hate to leave such a beautiful apartment and a vibrant city world like Coruscant. He too was hoping for the familiar and safer surroundings of Reijar and would be glad to leave.

The Next Day…

Haron arrived early for his meeting with the Chancellor and was instantly able to learn of the attempt of Senator Amidala's life by the gossip that ran through the halls of the Senate. He heard many who would be glad of her death and annoyed it had failed due to either them being her political opponents, her rivals for influence, being corrupt or whatever else reasons there were for wishing someone dead. Haron ignored this however as it was not his concern and made his way to the Chancellor's office. The old man had left orders to allow him to enter and so he and Din were unchallenged by the Senate guards as they arrived in the office.

It seemed however another meeting was going on as to Haron's surprise and worry, as a number of Jedi were in the room. He knew they would probably have sensed him enter even if he was hiding his force sensitivity but paid him no mind as he and Din walked in, he looked at them and saw a number of different species represented and he realised that at least a good number of the Jedi Council were present. All masters and some even he recognised from various holonet broadcasts or the like.

And at the front to his anger and astonishment sitting right in front of the Chancellor was...him!

He knew the legend of course, nearly all Mandalorians did and the sight of him was almost enough to have him reach for his blasters but with effort he restrained himself. He felt the Jedi look at him as he came into view and seeing the armour and weapons he was wearing, they all looked at him with suspicion especially as he had Din at his side. Haron was only too happy to return the distrust, Din at his side was confused having never really heard of the Jedi before except in his history lessons and he had not quite understood yet the violent and difficult history between their two groups.

Before anything could be said though a signal announced the arrival of the Loyalist Committee, turning they saw a group of senators enter leading the pack was a young woman that was around Haron's own age...pretty perhaps some would even call her beautiful with rich brown hair and delicate features but her eyes were sharp and she carried herself with strength and determination. He had no idea just who she was until...he spoke to her.

"Senator Amidala, your tragedy on the Landing Platform...terrible. Seeing you alive brings warm feelings to my heart." He said and Haron almost scoffed but held himself at bay, the Senator like him was not impressed at the Jedi's words.

"Do you have any idea who is behind this attack?" The words were delivered with a certain bite to them which made him grin a little.

Another Jedi, a taller human man with dark skin who was still standing by the Chancellor's desk started speaking.

"Our intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners from the moons of Naboo." His words actually made Haron scoff briefly out loud. That caused every one including the senators and the Jedi to turn and look at him in confusion. One of the senators who he had managed to learn was Bail Organa of Alderaan looked at him with annoyance.

"Something amusing about an attempt on someone's life?" He asked him sharply and Haron managed to pull himself together enough to answer.

"On the contrary Senator Organa it would be a tragedy for one of the newest and most upcoming senators to be cut down in her prime, what amuses me is the Jedi's appalling analysis of the situation."

Many of the Jedi in the room looked instantly affronted at his insult while the others looked shocked at being questioned. A Cerean Jedi who honestly reminded Haron too much of Ter-Adi said sharply and with frustration at being questioned.

"And what leads you to that conclusion Mandalorian?!" His voice had far too much emotion which earned him a look of disapproval from the other Jedi in the room. Haron to humour them decided to explain his reasoning while Din looked on amazed at the confidence of his mentor and adopted father.

"The Senator is a hero on her own world, the woman saved her people from brutal oppression at the hands of the Trade Federation and if a world tries to change its own constitution so she can stay in power I think you have their love." Haron said with a smirk knowing how humiliating this was the for the Jedi. "Killing her would only hurt their case not help it, not to mention their pockets are not so deep that they could truly afford an assassin as capable as the one that orchestrated the bombing today. If they did want to try and kill her they would have hit her on Naboo rather than here, far outside their own reach. There are far more likely culprits." Haron said as the senator did have some very powerful enemies.

While the Jedi looked at him with annoyance Senator Amidala looked at him with confusion, not knowing who he was and so the Chancellor with a smirk on his face that said he was enjoying this spoke up.

"May I introduce Duke Haron Ordo of Mandalore. He is here to consult with myself on the matter of a Republic Military." He said and Amidala now knowing who he was nodded her head in respect.

"Your grace." She said politely and Haron accepted it and gave one of his own.

"Correct form of address my lady thank you. This is my ward Din Djarin." Haron told her and Din who was a little overwhelmed by all this quickly did as Haron had and nodded his head at her. Seeing the young boy made the Senator smile warmly and Din blushed a little which made Haron smirk before they spoke again.

"I think you and I know a far more likely candidate for the attempts on your life Senator."

"Count Dooku." Amidala said and Haron nodded in agreement. However the Cerean Jedi who was still staring daggers at him broke in.

"He's a political idealist, not a murderer." Every word was spoken with an arrogance and confidence that was almost sickening.

The senior dark skinned Jedi nodded in agreement added his own objections.

"You must know my lady that Count Dooku was once a Jedi, he couldn't assassinate anyone. It's not in his character."

Haron again decided since his time on this planet was coming to an end and his desire to annoy the Jedi strong he might as well speak.

"What rubbish." Haron said which shocked the Jedi again, not used to someone actually disagreeing with them while the Senators and the Chancellor looked on, eager to see what he was going to say next. "Even if we accept that a Jedi cannot kill someone or order them dead which we all know is false, you said it yourself he was once a Jedi. If he is not one any more...then he no longer holds himself to your rules. In all likelihood he is doing so to curry favour with Nute Gunray whose pride was wounded by the Senator's defeat of him years ago." Haron explained.

The Chancellor decided to get the meeting back on track however much he was enjoying the Mandalorian embarrassing the Jedi.

"Perhaps we can get back to the matter at hand. Duke Ordo, would you give us the benefit of your experience in regards to the creation of a Republic Military." Palpatine said and Haron nodded and said.

"Of course Supreme Chancellor." He said and waited for the Senators and the Jedi to sit before starting his briefing.

"Now as most of you are aware I was asked by the Chancellor to look at the feasibility of an establishment of a Republic Military to counter the threat posed by the Separatists in event of war." Haron said and made sure he had their full attention before continuing.

"To put it bluntly, the situation is not very good. Given the vast sums that the corporations who drive the Separatists can make in the event of a war it is certain that they will press for it and during their recent raids on Mandalorian colonies the officers we captured all said it was a test for their droid army against the Republic." Haron said which alarmed the Senators especially. "Combining all the existing security forces within the Republic along with the Judicial Forces and the Jedi Order to assemble a military force poses significant problems as too many different chains of command would be interwoven like for example the Kuat Defence Fleet and the Naboo Security Force. It would be a constant struggle over just who is in charge and against an organised and determined enemy."

"Not to mention the logistics of a war are not currently in the Republic's favour, recruiting enough personnel to have a sizeable enough force to fight the droid armies of the Separatists will be very expensive for the Republic given the numbers you would need to fight the droids. Not to mention acquire; uniforms, weapons, vehicles, ships, fighters, build bases, medical supplies, equipment to make sure your forces are ready to fight. There is also the matter of training those personnel once you have them which will fall to the Judicial Forces or any professional soldiers you are able to draw on." Haron said outlining the issues of having to build a military from the ground up.

The expressions around the room were grim as the reality was laid bare and the Chancellor asked him.

"How long would it take to assemble all the things you mentioned and train the personnel?"

"How long, to make sure they are actually ready for combat?" Haron said with some reservation about that given the fact you had no idea of just how people would react in combat till it happened. Some of his own people trained their whole lives to be warriors only to falter at the first sight and sound of battle or half way through sometimes. For Republic citizens though? Haron thought carefully before giving an answer.

"Twelve months."

The figure was an estimate but the stunned looks on the faces of the Senators and the Jedi, none of them had imagined the scale of such an undertaking. The Judicial Force was little more than a police force and the Jedi despite being called in to serve weren't a military themselves.

"Twelve months?!" One of the other Senators exclaimed, an extremely fat Twi'lek called Orn Free Taa. The extremely corrupt senator for Ryloth and one of the most greedy too. Haron nodded before adding the worst part.

"Unless an actual military from outside the Republic can be drafted in then yes, it is the minimum to get a strong and larger enough force to challenge the Separatists who already have a considerable army of droids at their command. Not that it matters since my best estimate has the Republic falling to the CIS in six to eight months. It might be possible to put a rough military together in a shorter time but the quality of it would be bad and unlikely to be able to stand up the Droid Army. Either way till it is able to effectively fight back the damage to the Republic worlds would be catastrophic." Haron finished.

- x -

Palpatine inwardly was smiling, Ordo had without even knowing it helped his plan along beautifully. He hadn't even lied just told the truth which was even better as he had to do effectively nothing and let the information spread among the Senators and like a pack of terrified pack animals they would fall into his schemes to be saved and be thankful for it.

He couldn't be happier with how this was going, it would seem to them like a miracle when the Clone Army appeared to save them and his plan to gain emergency powers was achieved. He was in a way surprised at how good Ordo's analysis was and although he himself was quite capable at strategy wondered if keeping him on as a military advisor would be a good move. His credentials as a military leader and a warrior were well known and established and to be honest he might need an expert in military matters to refer too when he was busy with other concerns.

It would he also thought be a useful way to keep him around so he could keep an eye on him, the man was capable of becoming an annoyance, not a true threat but still it would be one he could do without so best to keep an eye on him for now until he could decide whether or not to use him as a puppet ruler for Mandalore.

His plans were coming together beautifully he thought, inwardly smirking as the destruction of the Jedi and the restoration of Sith rule came closer and closer but first he had something else to do first.

"May I suggest since her life is in danger from unknown assassins and their employer whoever it might be that Senator Amidala be placed under the protection of your graces?" Palpatine said with his well practised air of a kind and wise statesman. "Maybe someone familiar like Master Kenobi?"

"You think it wise in these stressful times?" Bail Organa interjected, an utterly annoying man who clung to his principles far too closely and Amidala who might be a useful prop for his plans was similar in her mind set and said quite boldly given her life was clearly in danger.

"I do not believe-" She started saying before he interrupted her.

"That the situation is that serious? No but I do Senator. I realise additional security might be disruptive but the thought of something happening to you...is unbearable." He said adding emotion into his voice for effect and he saw her will begin to fold right before his eyes. Amidala was far too emotional for her own good he thought with humour...far too vulnerable and Anakin would certainly work his way through those paltry defences in no time at all.

He saw the look of suspicion Yoda was sending his way and almost wished to draw the lightsaber hidden up his sleeve just to see the shock in their eyes before he killed them all, oh how he longed for the day when he could finally let himself go and just kill them all but he restrained himself and kept up the act.

"Thank you Duke Ordo for your assessment, I would like for you to stay a few more days as I may have additional questions for you." Palpatine said turning to Ordo who looked uncomfortable about the idea but said back.

"Oh course chancellor although I will need to return home soon given the threat to my homeland." He said and Palpatine nodded knowing he could keep around for awhile longer.

Haron honestly was uncertain of what kind of questions the Chancellor might have that he hadn't already outlined in the detailed report he had compiled for him but did as he was bid and decided to take Din to see some of the sights of Coruscant that day.

The regular museums were too political for him but he could expand his ward's education in other ways.

"Bars are always good places to find information, information flows as easily as alcohol in places like this." He told Din from their table as they listened to some Corellian Engineering Corporation employees complaining about their YV-929 armed freighter, apparently the Techno Union the parent company was restricting sales to Republic clients and it was costing them money in sales and commission. Another table over was a party of space port administrators who were enjoying themselves and drunkenly praising the smugglers who were bribing them to use the ports without any questions.

Din nodded under the cloaks they were wearing and listened to the conversation flowing around before they retreated back their temporary dwelling, swerving to avoid a speeding air taxi piloted by a certain pair of Jedi on the way back.

- x -

The following morning Haron returned the office of the Supreme Chancellor for a consultation and as he and Din walked in through the door that afternoon he saw Palpatine was standing at the widow walking with a Jedi Padawan who was a little younger than Haron himself. He had fair hair and a somewhat petulant look on his face and wearing standard Jedi robes in cream and brown which honestly didn't suit him. Haron however was not there to give the Jedi fashion advice and walked forward to greet the Chancellor only when the pair noticed him the unexpected happened.

"ASSASSIN!" The Jedi Padawan yelled and charged straight at him with his saber already in his hand and lit. Haron quickly pushed Din out of the way and raised his vambraces just in time for the beskar to block the blue lightsaber blade cutting through him! Haron was grateful that the spear which he had last used against Lexia years ago was still a part of his standard equipment and he quickly brought it to his hands in time to block the following strike.

The young Jedi was almost foaming at the mouth as he kept pressing his attack against him, his heavy cleaves were definitely Form 5 Haron recognised as he did his best to stave off the attack and knew his best chance given the tight confines of the room they were stuck in was to employ an energy based conservation method ironically like Form 3. To wait for his enemy to deplete their strength and tire by deflecting attacks away until he could counter-attack, that was of course if the Jedi didn't manage to penetrate his defence Haron thought a little nervous as the blue blade narrowly missed his neck.

There was no time to think about anything but defending himself as they moved around the room, his spear twirling through the air as fast as possible to block the Jedi's relentless assault. He was shocked at the speed the young Jedi was actually managing to achieve not to mention his considerable strength and he was having to focus very hard on maintaining his defence against him. The form was a little raw perhaps Haron realised with him sticking very close to the basic moves but it was dedicated.

Finally though in his earnest attempts to break through his defence, the Jedi made a mistake. He engaged in a blade to spear lock in an effort to force the spear away from Haron's chest so he could strike it but this allowed Haron to get close enough to headbutt the young Jedi. The sudden throbbing of his head was worth it though as the Jedi staggered back allowing Haron to deliver a powerful punch to his gut and wrest the lightsaber from his hand while he was stunned.

"ENOUGH!" A strong voice said and Haron with an aching head turned to see a very annoyed looking Palpatine staring balefully at them both. "BOTH OF YOU!"

The young Jedi with a big mark on his head and wheezing from having all the air knocked out of him seemed to recover enough of his wits to glare at Haron before saying to Palpatine with anger.

"HE'S INVOLVED!" The Jedi almost shouted, pointing at Haron who was angry at the unwarranted attack. "WE SAW SOMEONE WEARING THE SAME ARMOUR KILL OUR ONLY LEAD IN WHO IS BEHIND...behind the attempt on the Senator's life." The Jedi finished, calming down a little at the hard stare Palpatine was giving him.

The mention that someone with armour like his killed the assassin after Amidala was a bit surprising but not impossible Haron realised with annoyance. It could be anyone from his people or just someone using their gear which made him wonder if he should look for the assassin himself but for now he had a Jedi to shut down.

"I am not the only person in the galaxy that has armour like this!" Haron told the Jedi sharply. "This is the standard armour design for all Mandalorian warriors and anyone can wear it if you can get hold of a suit."

"And Anakin while I appreciate your concern for my safety Duke Haron Ordo is here as a consultant for the Republic and my guest. He was seen docking at Republica 500 at the time you and Master Kenobi cornered the assassin, it isn't him." Palpatine told the now named Jedi who looked again at Haron and saw that the armour wasn't exactly the same as the man he and Obi-Wan had seen the previous night.

"Maybe you should think before you act next time!" Haron told 'Anakin' who was looking rather sheepish at having been called out on his rash decision by the Chancellor. "Each Mandalorian house or clan usually has its own unique colour scheme so perhaps if you describe the armour you saw this assassin wear I can help."

Anakin was surprised at his offer and with a look to the Chancellor who nodded slowly described it.

"He was a bit shorter than you, his armour had silver coloured plates with a greyish blue body suit underneath and his helmet had a lighter blue around the...the visor." Anakin said and Haron thought for a moment and remembered there was 'someone' who used that particular colour scheme.

"His name is Jango Fett." Haron said and both Anakin and Palpatine looked surprised at him coming up with a particular person especially Palpatine who secretly knew he was spot on. "He is Mandalorian by birth and spent a long time as a mercenary in our space before branching out into the wider galaxy, its the only reason my people leave him alone. You see in my culture you are only allowed to wear our armour if you are truly Mandalorian. When I heard about him I thought he was just a pretender using our equipment and was fully prepared to hunt down and kill him to retrieve it. He has always been vague about his past and loves to spread false information but I was able to learn his origins through considerable effort. He is by large a bounty hunter by trade and one of the best in the business, there are even rumours that he took down Komari Vosa...a fallen Jedi who was head of the Bando Gora Crime Syndicate. He is expensive so whoever hired him must have very deep pockets." Haron said and wondered if he should try and find Fett too to see just who was pulling the strings here and if it was true he had taken down Vosa.

Killing a Jedi even a fallen one was no small feat as Haron himself well knew so Jango was exceptional, Haron knew that man was too driven by credits to ever really be trustworthy but a warrior of his calibre was very rare.

Someone worth having on your side.

But then again Haron realised Jango was probably off world now, having killed his associate and been seen by the Jedi it would be the best move to leave until the heat died down or the target moved to a more vulnerable location.

Din who had been fearfully looking at him fighting the Jedi came forward and looked worried but Haron smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder, letting him know he was alright. Din smiled a little now he had that reassurance that he was okay and Haron nodded.

Anakin now feeling not only very foolish for being so rash that he had attacked a guest of the Chancellor but also because he had just provided what could be a very important lead in finding out who was responsible for the attempts on Padme's life and that he had embarrassed the Chancellor too. He knew he should apologize for the mistake but didn't want too, not in front of the Supreme Chancellor and the young boy that was apparently following Ordo around. Ordo then turned to the Chancellor and said.

"I see you are currently busy Chancellor, I will be taking my leave and returning to Reijar soon." Haron told him and was about to turn around and leave before the Chancellor stopped him looking rather irritated.

"I completely understand my friend but I must request a few more days of your time, nothing to much I assure you. Now I can formally introduce you, Anakin Skywalker...this is Duke Haron Ordo of the Mandalorian Territories, leader of House Ordo and one of the strongest and most respected families." Palpatine added looking at Anakin like he wanted him to say something.

This only made Anakin feel worse as he realised that he had not only humiliated himself in front of the Chancellor who was his greatest advisor and confidant but to a foreign figure of considerable standing, worse a Mandalorian who were at odds with the Jedi nearly all the time. But before he could apologize Haron told him firmly.

- x -

"Don't apologize, its a sign of weakness. Passion Skywalker is like a fire, it is a very great source of strength and can keep you going when you fall but like any fire if out of control it will destroy you and everything around you. Use it but don't let it use you." Haron told the young Jedi, Skywalker was very strong in the force and even though he wasn't trying he could feel his importance. Anakin was a very conflicted person, his emotions raw and ruling him half the time...a young man in need of guidance even if the gap between them was only a few short years, guidance he was unlikely to receive from the Jedi.

This was another reason he and his people disliked the Jedi so much, they didn't care at all for the emotional well-being of their own people. They just expected them to be emotionless and do as they were told, Haron would never let them take a child if he had the opportunity to prevent it. This poor boy was desperately in need of some guidance and he wasn't going to be around long enough to really provide it so he should tell him that now.

- x -

Palpatine watched Ordo interact with Anakin and was surprised at the advice he gave, even telling Anakin some useful words of wisdom in the process. Ones that would be helpful in getting Anakin to start down the dark side or at least possibly useful to that end. He could see the disdain the man had for the Jedi and wondered if he could be helpful in driving a wedge between Anakin and the Jedi so when the time was right, he could introduce him to real power.

For that reason alone it was a good enough reason to keep him around for a while longer.

Three Days Later…

"Pleasure doing business with you Duke Ordo, your new ship will be delivered to Reijar within a week." The clerk at the office of the Corellian Engineering Corporation said, offering his hand to Haron who shook it with a polite smile. He had just purchased at a discounted price a brand new YV-929 armed freighter, it was expensive at nearly two hundred thousand credits but the quality of the ship made up for that. It was a good cargo carrier, reasonably fast and extremely well armed and protected something he had improved on with a few custom modifications hence why it would take a week for the work to be completed and it delivered to Reijar. It might be seen by some as insulting to go to a Corellian company for ships but everyone respected their engineering prowess.

He did not intend for this to be a regular occurrence though, it was merely a chance to find a ship that was good at many roles and one that they might copy and use in secret if it proved successful not to mention it was compatible with the cloaking system they had reverse engineered and would be very useful in making secret deliveries where needed.

He was exiting the office of the ship vendor when he received an urgent summons to the Chancellor's Office. He sighed with annoyance, wondering if he should just leave and deal with whatever insult was caused. He had no idea just why the man was so intent in him being around when to be honest he had already done his job.

He was glad given the late hour that Din was at their apartment and hopefully asleep by now as he rushed to the Senate building hoping this was important or else he and Din were leaving tonight whatever the Chancellor said! Haron thought with annoyance.

Arriving at the building he was expected and rushed with surprising speed to the Chancellor's Office where he and a number of senators and Jedi where all watching some kind of holo-message from one of the Jedi that had been investigating the attempts on Amidala's life.

He silently entered and listened to all that was being said, describing the clone army that was being created on Kamino and that it was indeed Dooku and Gunray that were behind the attacks on the Senator's life not to mention they were creating an enormous droid army on Geonosis. Not to mention that Dooku was allied with the Trade Federation, Techno Union, Corporate Alliance and the Commerce Guilds. That was an extremely powerful and rich group between them and Haron was already worried about what it might mean for his people when the Jedi was attacked by a Droideka and the transmission ended.

He was silent, wondering if his people could withstand a full scale invasion on the Separatists but thankfully the Republic seemed to be their main focus now. He listened as the Jedi gave orders to Anakin who was apparently on Tatooine of all places and began to discuss the situation.

"The Commerce Guilds are preparing for war there can be no doubt of that now." Bail Organa said looking incredible unsettled and another senator said in Huttese.

"The debate is over, we need that Clone Army!"

But Bail Organa however saw a problem with this and with irritation explained it.

"Unfortunately the debate is not over, the Senate will never approve the use of clones before the Separatists attack."

Haron marvelled that the Republic got anything done given how unwieldy the system was and how slowly it moved. Partly the reason in his culture that their leaders had the power they did was so they could react fast and effectively as required or not in Satine's case he thought.

"This is a crisis." Mas Amedda interrupted. "The Senate must vote the Chancellor emergency powers...he can then approve the creation of an army."

"But what Senator would have the audacity to propose such a radical amendment?" The Chancellor said looking far older and more despondent over having to resort to such methods.

"If only Senator Amidala was here." Mas Amedda added and the Gungan in the room looked down at his feet like he was considering something.

Haron watched the whole thing and was able with difficulty to keep the suspicion off his face, this was far too convenient. He was here to say how difficult it would be create an army and low and behold one just appears at the precise moment it was needed. Almost like he was here to breed fear and so the Senate who all he didn't doubt knew of his analysis by now would give the Chancellor anything he needed to 'save them'.

He honestly now was starting to suspect the Chancellor had known about the army all along and was just using them all to get power over it, after all if any government is to be toppled then the military must be on their side and since the Republic had no military it would need to make one.

Thinking back on Luna's words of some dark puppet master playing them all Haron was struck and his eyes turned to Palpatine who was now talking to the other senators in the room about an emergency session.

Could it be? He thought, was it possible?

Palpatine, the puppet master? A Sith? Or was he perhaps just another puppet?

If he was right, well it was a terrifying reality that he was now caught up in. The Sith now had control of the Republic and the Separatists and soon an army to back his rule which would accept orders whatever they were. The Jedi didn't even see it which was even more concerning and yet Haron suspected this was only part of a much greater design that for now he didn't see. He knew even if he told them no one would believe him, he wasn't even sure of it himself yet but all the pieces seemed to fit. It also made his relationship with Skywalker take on a new complexity, Haron wondered given how powerful Skywalker was if Palpatine was grooming the boy to be his apprentice.

Another worrying thought.

The sight of the old man walking towards him that he honestly realised could be one of the most cunning and powerful Sith Lords ever to have masterminded such a plan and be able to gain so much influence under the very noses of the Jedi nearly made him step back and reach for his blasters but he restrained himself and greeted the Chancellor.

"It seems an even greater burden is now on your shoulders Chancellor, my condolences." Haron said with respect, trying harder than ever to keep up his act so as to not tip the man off. Palpatine nodded sadly.

"Yes, it seems I must now become a war leader and my friend, I need your help. Myself and the Jedi have no experience commanding armies but you do. If we are to deal a devastating blow to the Separatists we need the best commander to lead the Clone Army into battle. I need you." Palpatine said and if he didn't suspect the man was an evil manipulator playing them all he would honestly have accepted the desperation of the old man's words without question. His skill as an actor was enough that he would have been a legendary star with a mansion just to keep all his awards in Haron thought, unwillingly impressed especially with the task being pressed upon him.

"You want me to command the Clones at Geonosis?" Haron asked, not sure exactly of what the endgame was but wanting to be clear at least in his own head.

"Take overall control of the army and direct the battle, you have the experience to do it and the tactical wisdom to get victory." Palpatine said and again Haron was again struck by how good Palpatine was at manipulating people. He felt his pride being stoked up by the man and had to hammer it down hard before saying.

"Very well Chancellor, since you have been such a marvellous host and the Separatists are as much my enemy as yours I will do as you ask...for this battle at least." Haron told him, knowing if it came to it he would need to know this army well to fight against it in the future.

Palpatine smiled slowly and said with seeming genuine gratitude.

"Thank you my friend. You will not regret this."

That...Haron thought with dread was debatable.

Geonosis, the Outer Rim…A Day Later…

Haron was impressed at the ships that the cloners on Kamino had chosen for the clones, the Acclamator-class assault ships were well designed. Useful for moving troops and vehicles while being well armed enough to serve as warships and fighter carriers if required. The fact they were carrying ARC-170s and Y-wings was enough of a surprise and made him feel foolish for not enquiring just who the fighters were being sold too.

Either way he stood with Din at his side in the small war room on the leading ship, the Defiant while the Aken and other ships made their way down to unload the troops, the ships that remained in orbit were here for a different purpose.

Haron saw a hologram of the battlefield below and a plan started to form in his mind.

"Deploy all troops in Sectors 9 through 12 and establish a defensive perimeter, bomber and fighter squadrons stand by. All capital ships in orbit rotate 90 degrees port." He ordered and the clones who honestly felt strange to him as they all looked alike were confused.

"Sir?" They asked not seeing just what he was doing and he turned to them and repeated with an annoyed look in his eye.

"Rotate 90 degrees port and bring turbolaser cannons online, target sectors 4 through 8 on the planet's surface." Haron knew Acclamators weren't meant for this but it was a weapon in his arsenal and one he intended to use to the full. The Clones were he admitted quick on the uptake because they saw immediately what he was planning and carried out his orders without question. The ships slowly turned on their side so they could now bring their turbolasers to bare on the surface.

He heard from the surface that the Jedi survivors from their appallingly bad attempt to rescue Skywalker, Amidala and Kenobi from the surface had been extracted. He wondered whether it was the 'will of the force' he mocked to sacrifice their lives like that in such an arrogant attack but pushed forward, they had paid the price for their hubris.

"Ships in position sir." The ship's captain told him and Haron nodded before giving the next order.

"All starfighters and bombers harass any ships that make it into the upper atmosphere, all turbolaser batteries open fire."

"All batteries opening fire." The gunnery control officer repeated.

- x -

From the gunship they were riding in Anakin, Padme and Obi-Wan greeted with an enormous battlefield as the Clone Army deployed itself against the droid army of the Separatists, then as suddenly as the gunships which had rescued them from the arena had appeared the sky turned blue.

Large bolts energy came screaming down on the surface, hitting the droid army and their starships before they even came close to the clone army, they watched as a Commerce Guild starship was torn apart by turbolaser fire and the debris smashed down on the droids around them which were now being bombed from orbit.

The three had never witnessed an orbital bombardment before and it was an awesome sight, the droids were being smashed to pieces before they even made contact with the enemy. Those that did manage to weave their way out of the death zone that was being created by the ships in orbit were confronted with the artillery of the Clone Army, heavy cannons and gunships strafing the ground to finish off any survivors.

Then just as they were about to land and see what was going on they saw a figure on a speeder bike flying away.

"It's Dooku! Shoot him down!" Anakin said with anger at the man that had just killed well over a hundred Jedi in that arena. The pilot turned and said.

"We're out of rockets sir."

"Follow him." Anakin then said with frustration.

- x -

In orbit Haron saw the damage the ships were inflicting with satisfaction, he had offered the Clone Army effectively as bait to the trap while the capital ships in orbit were the actual spear point of the assault. Making sure the droids stayed confined while being bombarded from orbit to inflict maximum damage while keeping allied casualties to a minimum.

"Federation Core Ships approaching upper atmosphere sir." The Captain told him and Haron nodded.

"Order bomber squadrons to harass them in the atmosphere where the shields are the most taxed, target their engines." Haron ordered and the captain duly passed his orders on to the Y-wing pilots who under escort of the ARC-170s began to attack the fleeing Trade Federation Core ships. Some of them would escape he knew, there wasn't enough ships present to stop them all but the more damage he could inflict here the better.

He looked at the holo displays and saw the fighters move into position and begin to attack the enemy ships while their shields were strained by the atmosphere. Smiling with slight satisfaction as some lost engines and plummeted back down towards the surface of the planet. A few managed to make it into orbit he noticed and dock with their support structures, then make the jump to light-speed.

Each of them contained enough droids to occupy an entire star system he thought with annoyance at each that managed to escape, wondering if they would be used against his people but he realised that it was unlikely. They had only been testing the army against them, now they would be turned against their true enemy...the Republic.

"When you are fighting a battle anything can be a weapon if it is used right, these ships are not supposed to bombard from orbit but by doing so and using the atmosphere to our advantage allows use to cause far more damage than we could otherwise. You must learn to use everything and everyone to their best ability to get the greatest results." Haron told Din who had never seen a real battle before and nodded as he absorbed the lesson.

Haron smiled at his adopted son, while he had two children of his that were biologically his he thought of Din as a son. One that he could teach and help him find his feet and would be proud of the day when Din went on to find his own life path whatever that might be, but for now he had a great deal to learn.

"Sir, the Separatists have declared a complete retreat. Count Dooku though and most of their council have managed to escape." The Communications officer said and immediately after the ship's captain added.

"Duke Ordo, the Chancellor wishes a report on the battle." The Captain reported and Haron nodded before telling him.

"Connect him."

The communications officer nodded and a few moments later a hologram of Palpatine appeared on the bridge.

"Duke Ordo, how goes the battle?" Palpatine asked and Haron reported.

"Very well Chancellor, all droid forces are in full retreat and we have managed to prevent many of their ships escaping although Count Dooku and his supporters were able to flee." Haron told him and Palpatine nodded with a smile.

"Congratulations on the victory Duke Ordo, we will find Dooku eventually. Now that war has broken out I will need an advisor in such matters and I can think of no one better for the position than yourself. I know better than to expect an answer straight away of course but if you could inform me of your decision as soon as possible I would appreciate it. Now I must inform the Senate of our victory." The Chancellor said and Haron grimaced the moment the hologram disappeared, this was not what he had agreed to and if he was right about Palpatine then the last thing he wanted to do was help him.

He needed advice, so he turned to the captain and said before leaving the bridge.

"Begin the recovery of all units."

As he exited the door with Din at his heels he was growing increasingly worried about the enormous web of conspiracy that they were all now woven up in. He had no idea just how to extricate himself and wondered just how to keep his family safe. Reaching one of the ship's storage closets he turned to Din and said.

"Keep an eye out, I need to contact Reijar and not be observed."

Din dutifully nodded and stood outside the small room Haron crammed himself into. Once he did a quick sweep for surveillance devices then he opened his communicator and set frequency and the scrambler, making sure the channel was secure before opening it.

It took only a moment of waiting for a response before the tiny holograms of Deera, Ara, Neville, Hannah and Luna all appeared and he told them.

"I apologize for not making contact before but I think I have learned some crucial information and this is the first chance I have had to communicate it." Haron told them and he launched into an explanation of everything he had seen and heard since arriving on Coruscant and his suspicions about Palpatine...not to mention the fact that the clones had white armour identical to what Luna had described in her vision.

They were silent as they now understood the sheer scale of the problem that they were faced with, it was far too late to stop Palpatine gaining emergency powers and the army he would need to enforce his will. The Jedi had no idea of the danger they were in and would not believe them if they said anything.

"You should accept." Ara said with a grim look in her eye. They all turned to look at her in surprise. "If you are right then we will need all the advantages we can get, being at the centre of Republic power puts you in a position to make useful connections and establish sources of information for the future."

"And make a bond with Skywalker." Luna added which again shocked them. "He is important in this, I don't know how but he is. If Palpatine is trying to influence him then you have to be there to provide another ear, maybe find out what the Sith wants that way."

"It would mean relocating to Coruscant and I would have to be alone here." Haron said not liking the idea of being in the centre of the web. "I couldn't risk the children or any of you coming in case Palpatine or the Jedi sense them."

"I know and I am sure regular visits would be possible." Ara said with sadness that he was going to have to be apart from their family for who knows how long and right close to the Sith Lord too. It was going to be a very dangerous game they were playing here. "But unless we want everything to be force under the Sith's boot heel what choice do we have?"

Haron couldn't argue with that, he was hesitant to trust prophesies on principal given his own experience but what else did they have to go on?

"Okay." Haron said with resignation and a certain sense of trepidation. "I'll accept."