Chancellor Palpatine slumped wearily into his seat as the seventeen-hour special session of the Senate finally concluded.
After intense debates, lengthy speeches, and power struggles, the Senators had barely managed to pass the resolution authorizing additional funding for clone trooper procurement.
Eighteen trillion credits—a staggering sum to most people—was a mere drop in the ocean for Palpatine, who had already invested five hundred times that amount in the war.
He also transferred nearly five hundred million credits from his personal account to compensate the Kaminoans for their losses—a sum well within his routine expenses.
The war's cost continued to escalate.
The Separatists, bolstered by Count Dooku, proved far stronger than Sidious had anticipated.
He had underestimated Nute Gunray's cowardice and greed, the Munificent merchants' opportunism, and the cold calculations of the Skako engineers in the Techno Union.
The only reason the internal strife among the Separatist Alliance leaders hadn't erupted into open conflict was the fear they all shared of Darth Sidious.
Currently, the Separatist fleet outnumbered the Republic Fleet. While their robot armies triumphed in numbers, their quality lagged behind.
The Jedi's performance, meanwhile, was disappointing. Only a handful proved worthy of command positions.
Palpatine despised the Jedi from the depths of his heart, yet he had to admit that among them were some exceptionally gifted individuals.
These talented few connected with the Force through their innate abilities, displaying formidable power in battle.
This war served multiple purposes, one of the most important being the cultivation of his new Apprentice, Anakin Skywalker.
Through the crucible of war, Anakin's bond with the Force would deepen, and his true potential would be revealed.
He would experience the thrill of power and the helplessness of weakness, the glory of honor and the sting of betrayal, the joy of victory and the fury of defeat. When the time was right, he would be prepared to fully embrace the Dark Side.
Apart from Anakin, who had long been part of his plans, another figure once again came into his view.
This time, there was no trace of the contempt he had felt before, only increased respect and anticipation.
"Your Excellency!"
The secretary's announcement interrupted his thoughts. "Armand Isard requests an immediate audience, claiming to have urgent intelligence regarding the Separatists."
"Let him enter." Palpatine composed himself, donning the mask of a kindly statesman.
Isard bowed deeply and came straight to the point. "Speaker, we've received reliable intelligence that a massive deposit of precious ores has been discovered on Jabim, a planet in the Jabiim system within the Felucia Sector of the Outer Rim. The ores include Kavanium ore, Lomite ore, Neutronium ore, Patium ore, Carbonite ore, Millennium ore, and Bronze ore."
"Lomit ore, neutronium ore, patite, carbonite, millennium ore, and bronze ore."
Palpatine instantly sat up straight. "Is this planet under Separatist control?"
"For now," Ayzad replied, placing an information crystal on the corner of the table. "The local leader, Alto Stratus, has signed mining agreements with the Trade Federation and Banking Clan. The Techno Union has also shown great interest in collaborating. The Separatist Alliance has provided them with weapons, food, medicine, and massive financial aid."
"What's the source of this intelligence?" Palpatine's gaze sharpened. "How reliable is it?"
Ayzad hesitated, then reluctantly answered under the Speaker's gaze, "It's from Baron Baroning."
"Very well, you may withdraw." Palpatine waved his hand. As Ayzad turned to leave, he added, "Wait—haven't you forgotten something?"
Ayzad stopped and pulled out another information crystal from his pocket. "This contains information about the Jedi."
Palpatine took the crystal and pressed the communicator button. "Has Master Windu left the Senate Building? Inform him to come see me immediately. Also, connect me to the Jedi Council. And contact Senator Amidala—tell her I need to discuss important matters with her."
He placed the crystal related to the Jedi in a drawer and inserted the other into the projector.
Initially, he wondered why Dooku hadn't reported the discovery of such a crucial mineral deposit. After studying the documents, he realized the Trade Federation had secretly negotiated the deal behind Dooku's back.
These ores were extraordinarily valuable. When combined in specific proportions, they could be synthesized into duranium, the core material for constructing warships and battle droids.
Bronze ore, meanwhile, was a component of the armor for battle droids, giving them their distinctive sand-colored appearance.
If the Separatist Alliance gained control of these deposits, they could swiftly compensate for their losses on Kamino, tipping the balance of power once more.
Jabim was located near key Separatist supply worlds such as Metalon, Charros IV, and Dack, especially the shipyards on Dack. The Quarren were getting too close to this juicy prize.
However, siding Jabim with the Republic wasn't a wise move either.
Holding these mineral reserves for a more critical moment would be far more valuable than squandering them now.
Yet he couldn't remain idle. The balance of power was already dangerously fragile.
After delving deeper into the details, Palpatine abandoned the idea of achieving a swift victory.
Jabim was an inhospitable planet, with relentless, almost ceaseless rainfall and raging ion storms in its atmosphere. These storms could directly disable aircraft and repulsorcraft, posing a major hindrance to military operations.
Alto Stratus, the charismatic Separatist leader, had recently launched an uprising that overthrew the planet's legitimate rulers, winning the support of the majority of its nearly one hundred million residents. The Republic had long neglected the plight of this remote planet, ignoring the Trandoshan invasion, pandemics, famines, and incursions from neighboring states without providing substantial aid. While the Separatists weren't offering assistance for free, they were far more proactive than the Republic.
"Your Excellency, Master Windu and Senator Amidala have arrived."
"Please invite them in."
Master Windu nodded in greeting, while Senator Amidala performed a formal salute. In unison, they asked, "What urgent matter brings us here?"
Palpatine offered a sorrowful smile, then activated the projector. The image of Jabim and its mineral resources data appeared prominently. "Master Windu, Senator Amidala, I have important news regarding the direction of the war..."
Solo and Ahsoka quickly left the treatment hall and strolled through the small garden near the Archives. The rare tranquility allowed Ahsoka to regain her usual vivacity.
"Master, what's the point of looking at these flowers and plants?" Ahsoka swung her arms, kicking at the moss growing between the paving stones, her ears swaying gently with each step, brimming with restless energy.
Solo remained silent, his gaze captivated by an unassuming clump of plants in a corner of the garden.
The plant grew close to the Archives' perimeter wall, its pale purple leaves edged with a fine silver fuzz. Veins shimmered with a faint, star-like glow, as if glistening with morning dew.
More strikingly, when a gentle breeze passed, it didn't rustle like ordinary plants. Instead, it emitted a barely perceptible hum of the Force, both gentle and deeply penetrating.
"Found it." Solo placed a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, his voice tinged with excitement. "Look at this."
"What is it?" Ahsoka asked, puzzled. "Isn't it just grass?"
"It's Pota Grass!" Solo smiled. "It's mentioned in Judge: The Rise of the Red Blade. Shortly after the Battle of Geonosis, a Jedi discovered this plant in a walled garden near the Coruscant Jedi Temple Archives."
This meant he wouldn't need to go to Delonga after all. He crouched down, carefully bringing his fingertips close to the leaves. The moment the Force touched the delicate fuzz, a warm, soothing current flowed into him through his fingertips.
"Pota Grass?" Ahsoka leaned down, her curiosity piqued as she hovered over the plant. Her Force perception instantly widened her eyes.
Solo's fingertips trembled slightly as he gently parted the leaves. At the base of the plant, he spotted several glistening droplets of dew, refracting sunlight and emitting a faint glow that seemed to resonate with the Force itself.
He tried to guide the Force within him to resonate with the plant. The previously thin and sluggish energy suddenly flowed smoothly, and the perception limited by his Midi-chlorian deficiency surged forth like a floodgate bursting open.
He could clearly sense the "breathing" of every flower in the garden, the soft rustle of pages turning in the distant Archives, and even the surging Force currents within Ahsoka's body.
"Yes!" Solo's fingertips gently caressed the leaves. "For Force-sensitives, this is a treasure that enhances our potential. Normally, it's a potent healing agent, but its hidden property can awaken dormant Midi-chlorians within us, widening the Force channels and doubling our perception and control of the Force."
He paused, sensing the slowly surging Force within him, and added, "My midi-chlorian count is actually far lower than yours. While midi-chlorians can't grant the achievements of a Jedi, many Force techniques are limited by innate talent and difficult to master. But Pota Grass can compensate for this weakness. Moreover, it rapidly loses its potency once removed from its native environment, so it must be immediately sealed with carbon-freezing equipment."
Ahsoka's eyes widened in shock. She raised her hand to touch the plant but hesitated, afraid of damaging this rare specimen. "Master, shouldn't we find carbon-freezing equipment? There should be portable units near the Temple's medical bay."
"Exactly." Solo carefully dug up the Pota Grass, roots and all, along with the surrounding soil, then wrapped it securely in his cloak. "Let's borrow a carbon-freezing chamber from the medical department—quickly, and let's keep a low profile. This plant's hidden properties aren't widely known yet."
"Understood!" Ahsoka immediately responded, turning and sprinting toward the medical department.
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