Chapter Twelve

Three weeks have passed since the start of the war and nothing of real note has occurred since then. The Soviet offensive had largely slowed down on its own accord, capturing a handful of systems along the Northern Outer Rim. A large swath of the northern portion of the galaxy as well as much of the Unknown Regions were controlled by the Soviet Union of Interplanetary Republics, who by this point was able to produce enough military equipment to at least effectively defend the most important star systems under their control.

In order to keep Stakhanov Station's dark side energies from influencing the Force-sensitive members of the military, several military and training bases have been built around three of the gas giant Stakhanov's habitable moons, far enough away from star and its factory's dangerous influence. The other three habitable moons were converted into a vast patchwork of collective farms, intended to feed the various peoples that served in both the Red Army and the Soviet Navy. Neko colonists began to settle on the agri-moons, as their Force-powers would enable them to produce large amounts of food and in high quality. These Nekos are part of the handful of those who wished to not fight on the frontlines or are unable to, such as the elderly and the crippled. Janko was grateful for the Nekos who volunteered themselves to farm on the fields of the agri-moons; it would not do for his forces to fight on an empty stomach.

With the situation on the front stable, Janko had returned to Mandalore along with Ahsoka, Anakin, and the Neko leader Yoshino Azuma. There were things that needed to be taken care of first before Janko could consider embarking on another adventure against the Empire.

Due to how quickly events developed since Janko became the leader of Mandalore (and subsequently the new Soviet Union), he was unable to properly consolidate his rule. There were of course elements among the former Death Watch group that did not approve of a seemingly total stranger taking power of their home by sheer luck. They were especially concerned of this new ideology that this stranger had brought with him, this system of equality among all peoples, not just Mandalore. Mandalore was above everyone else, they believed, and they should be bowing to them, not standing besides them like they were Mandalorians too.

Such elements, Janko had concluded upon his return, needed to be eliminated. The Nekos can be trusted, as they were very grateful for saving Nekohime from the Empire's planned genocide. However, the former members of the Jedi Order were a different story. Janko knew they would not approve of his plans, as they were often employed to prevent assassinations of important public figures. Unsure of how to deal with Jedi, Janko decided to sleep on it, perhaps something might come to mind once morning came.

-o0o-

The next morning brought Janko an excellent idea, to his delight. He could always send the Jedi on a mission to somewhere that needed taking from the Empire. There were a few difficult systems that needed to be taken and so far, the Soviet Union wasn't strong enough to proceed. Anakin and Obi-wan are skilled military leaders, perhaps they could make a breakthrough somewhere.

After eating breakfast and training his lightsaber forms for a few hours, Janko called Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-wan to the main military command center just outside of Sundari. Janko was already there and did not wait long for the former Jedi to arrive.

"Thank you for coming." Janko said. "The war has developed into a lull, which has allowed us to not immediately crumble to the Empire. That being said, despite this inaction, there are a few troublesome systems that need to be taken in order for us to prepare ourselves for the next offensive."

"Are we going on a mission?" Ahsoka asked, looking intrigued. "But you haven't finished training yet."

"I will not be going on this mission. I have to catch up on work for the Union." Janko said. "I will be training with the Nekos while you are off world, so no need to worry about me."

"What's our intended target?" Obi-wan asked pensively. Janko pressed a few buttons on the holographic table and pulled up a map. He then zoomed into the Prefsbelt sector.

"The Borosk system." Janko stated. "A system on the Entralla Route that also contains a smaller hyperspace lane that originates from the Garqi system. We need to take this system in order to cut down on resupply times from Agamar and provide a jumping point for our future offensive to Ord Mantell. The Empire has spent a significant amount of time fortifying this system, but I believe you three will not have any issues taking care of it."

Obi-wan rubbed his chin while Anakin and Ahsoka look thoughtful.

"Unfortunately, the Soviet Navy cannot spare any ships at the moment, so I have enlisted the help of someone you should be familiar with." Janko continued. He pressed a different button on the holo-table.

"Admiral, you may enter."

The door to the command center opened, revealing Admiral Trench. The Jedi looked at him in shock.

"Admiral Trench?" Anakin exclaimed. Janko stepped in between the Jedi and the former Separatist before any potential conflict could arise.

"After the Clone Wars came to an end, all Separatist units were required to be shut down and decommissioned, an order which Admiral Trench had disobeyed. The Empire's rising xenophobia had driven many talented non-Human individuals away from the Empire, especially Trench, who is still considered to be an enemy of the state in Empire territory. Naturally, he came to us and we took him in." Janko explained. "His fleet of Separatist warships and complement of battle droids will prove to be very helpful in your mission to Borosk."

"I admit (tck tck tck tck) that we did not have the best of relationships during the Clone War (tck tck tck)." Admiral Trench started. "We were on opposing side of the war after all (tck tck tck). However, in this time of the Empire (tck tck tck), I had to choose the best option for myself and my fleet, and I chose the Soviet Union, rather than death (tck tck tck). I hope we can put our differences aside and work together for a common goal (tck tck tck)."

Obi-wan frowned as Anakin looked at Janko, concerned. They still have some misgivings about working with a former enemy.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Obi-wan said slowly. "Trench is still a military genius and together with Anakin, we should cook up a plan to take the system."

Anakin sighed and nodded. He may not like it, but he's willing to go along with Obi-wan on this. Ahsoka shrugged and acquiesced, as she didn't know Trench very well and only heard of his reputation as a master strategist.

"Excellent! I will leave the details and planning to you. I must go attend to my duties." Janko said, smiling widely. "The most recent intelligence report on Borosk is in the holo-table. Use it well."

And with that, Janko turned and exited the command center and headed back to the main government building in Sundari. Now it was time for him to prepare for the Purge, and he had to move carefully. He wanted to make sure to get rid of all his enemies as quickly and quietly as possible, or risk getting assassinated or rebelled against by a portion of the populace. He took out his comlink and contacted the Neko Premier.

"Premier Azuma, I am in need of your assistance." Janko stated quickly, checking his surroundings as he drove his speeder to the government building. The small catgirl smiled and bowed.

"How can I help (nano)?" She replied.

"Can you meet me in my office as soon as possible? I have an urgent request that I must discuss and I can't have anyone else listening in."

"Of course (nano). I will be there in five minutes (nano)."

"Thank you, see you then."

-o0o-

Emperor Palpatine mused angrily in his private quarters located in the palace that he repurposed from the old Jedi Temple. He spent years carefully molding the Republic into the Empire and solidifying his hold over the galactic government, but with this new mysterious power emerging from the Outer Rim and Unknown Regions, things have turned sour. Thankfully of course, the propaganda machine was quite successful in convincing most citizens in the Core and up to some parts of the Middle Rim that this new enemy was coming to ruin the peace he had worked so hard to bring with the end of the Clone Wars. Yet, not much was know about this "Soviet Union" that occupied the space to the north and west of the Empire.

The Imperial Intelligence Agency were at a loss of who or what was this Soviet Union. All they knew is that the capital of this government was located in Mandalore, the Jedi were involved in this rebellion, and that they prevented Darth Petos from exterminating those dangerous cat-like people from the Unknown Regions. Something had happened in Mandalore that saw it transform from a state of constant infighting and chaos under Maul's rule to the ruthless warmongers of old. Palpatine cursed at not paying more attention to this sector. Someone powerful must have offed Maul and quickly restored order to the planet, bringing his own military fleet and everything. It could not have been a former Separatist; the ships were not built by any of the known shipbuilders in the galaxy, whether they belonged to the Empire or not. It also could not have been those extra-galactic invaders that recently arrived in small numbers, as the Soviet ships were mechanical like his own.

One thing for sure is that his traitorous apprentice Lord Vader was helping lead the Soviet Union against the Empire as well as his wife. His sources have also discovered Skywalker's children, powerful Force-sensitives who were born not too long ago. If he could capture them, he can mold one of them into the perfect Sith apprentice. And then he would no longer need Vader to do his bidding. But first, he needs to step up his intelligence gathering operations in Mandalore before he can make any moves there.

-o0o-

Bail Organa sat in his senate platform fighting the incoming migraine that was developing from months of frustration. While the Senate had largely become something of a token in Coruscant, they still made decisions, provided that the Emperor was willing to listen. The fall of democracy in the Republic and its transformation into the dictatorial Empire proven a major loss on his group of democratic supporters and privately, he expressed thoughts of rebellion against the Empire. Such a sentiment was shared by his allies Mon Mothma and a few others, but with the Empire still consolidating its rule over the known galaxy, they did not dare to make a move.

That is, until the new war began unexpectedly.

Officially, the Empire was suddenly and deliberately invaded by the Mandalorians with the help of the Jedi. Their quiet and unnoticeable spread evolved into a rebellion across much of the Outer Rim, and the various planetary rebellions quickly consolidated into the "Soviet Union", a power that expresses equality among all peoples and champions the rights of the common worker. This group were violently against the Empire (anti-authoritarianism wasn't exactly the right term to describe them) and were led by a total unknown. Little was known about the new General Secretary, the new term to describe the Soviet leader, except that he killed Maul, the previous de facto ruler of Mandalore.

Unofficially, though, the Empire invaded a distant star system in the Unknown Regions and had surprisingly been defeated. Due to the Emperor's tight control of information, few knew of the nature of this battle. It was a difficult battle that the Empire should have won, even with the Jedi present, if it hadn't been ambushed by Soviet forces. The Soviets inflicted heavy losses on the Empire and not long after the defeat at this system, did the war began. Bail was impressed, as meteoric rise of these Soviets had put a genuine sense of hope among him and his allies. The Soviets had proven to be stout opponents, beating back most Empire assaults on strategically important star systems. And thus, an idea was formed. Although rebellion was a pipe dream at the moment, if he and his allies could start preparations for one, perhaps democracy would be restored to the galaxy once more.

-o0o-

"General Secretary, it is good to see you (nano)." Yoshino said quietly. "What do you wish to discuss (nano)?"

Janko had reached out to the Force to look for anything and anyone near his office that could be listening. When he found nothing, Janko turned to the small Neko.

"My rise to power has not been unopposed." Janko said lowly. "Before I departed for Nekohime, I sensed that there were certain elements that were less than happy with my methods of rule, and I fear that they will make a move on me before I am able to accomplish my ultimate objective."

"I see. How do we factor into this (nano)?" Yoshino asked.

"Back on Nekohime, one of the government tour guides had mentioned that your people had been working with matters of the mind, which I was told was mostly wiping the memories of trespassers before being released back into the galaxy." Janko replied, deep in thought. "Tell me, do you possess the ability to read into minds and know every thought?"

Yoshino leaned back on her hoverchair slightly and smirked.

"We do (nano). Any intruder into our region of space were 'interrogated' by our special forces before we decided on their punishment (nano). Most of the time, we would get erase the memories of our existence from their minds before we release them back whence they came (nano). A select few would be straight up executed (nano), as their presence in the galaxy would be problematic in the long run (nano)." Yoshino said. Janko breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent. I have a very important request." Janko said. Yoshino nodded for him to continue.

"Will you collect your best and most trusted special forces units and help weed out the negative influence in my government?" Janko asked carefully.

"I can do that, but on one condition (nano)." Yoshino said. "I do not want any Nekos targeted by your coming purge (nano)."

Janko shrugged.

"I have no problem with that. I do not desire such a thing."

"Good. I will have my assistant gather our best intelligence operatives at once (nano)." Yoshino replied. "In the meantime, I have a gift for you personally."

"Gift?"

"Of course. Our participation with the Soviet Union in the war is a gift for the Soviet Union itself for coming in at the nick of time. I have decided that you and your two Jedi companions should have a personal gift from us, as a thank you for helping us stop the Empire from destroying us." Yoshino replied with a slight tonal uptick. "She will be waiting in your quarters tonight."

"Thank you?" Janko said hesitantly, unsure of what Yoshino meant by that. Yoshino bowed and left the office. Janko sighed and sat at his desk and began to catch up on his government work. After a few hours of reviewing and signing documents, dusk had started to fall and he began to feel hungry. The Jedi and Trench had departed Mandalore earlier, leaving Janko for the battle ahead. Just as Janko was about to leave his office for a nearby cantina, a knock diverted his attention to the door.

"Enter."

Yoshino had returned to Janko's office followed by about thirty Nekos in the standard intelligence officer uniform. They snapped to attention and saluted.

"Here are some of my most trusted and skilled intelligence officers I can confidently rely on (nano). Use them well (nano)." Yoshino replied. Janko smiled.

"Alright, listen up, for time is of the essence and everything discussed here will not be repeated outside of this office, nor shall you be allowed to discuss this with anyone else." Janko said gravely. The Neko intelligence officers paid very close attention to Janko's every word.

"There are elements of the government which seeks to destroy me and the work I have done to bring the Soviet Union to where it is. We are at war and we cannot afford distractions or weakness like political infighting and such. I did not have the time to root out this corruption, so this is where you girls will come in. Your top secret mission is to evaluate all government officials in Mandalore and find any anti-Soviet behavior that can endanger me or the Union. Once you find them, take care of them. Permanently. And ensure that this is kept quiet as possible. We do not want anyone to get any ideas."

"It will be done, General Secretary."

The Neko intelligence officers quickly filed out of Janko's office.

"They will do their job well (nano)." Yoshino said. "The Minister of Intelligence made sure of that."

"Good."

Janko and Yoshino then left the office for a bite to eat, dusk fully setting in.

-o0o-

After having dinner together, Janko and Yoshino parted ways to settle in for the night. Janko mused at the meaning of Yoshino's "gift" to him for saving Nekohime. She mention that someone would be waiting for him in his quarters, for what he didn't know. A nervous feeling had been niggling at the back of his mind, but he paid it no mind.

After a short while, he finally reached his quarters. He opened the door and found a tall and black-hair Neko laying on his couch wearing nothing but lingerie. Janko yelped in surprised and stumbled out of his quarters.

"Koji kurac?! Who are you and why are you indecent!?" Janko exclaimed from out the door, keeping his eyes away. The Neko blushed in embarrassment before replied.

"I'm Captain Ayana Fubuki, I was General Kaguya's second-in-command before the Premier assigned me to be your adjutant."

Ayana's tail moved erratically as she got off the couch.

"The Premier had told me these types of duties are what would be expected of me as your adjutant, especially as you had shown attraction to us on a carnal level." She finished. "I wouldn't have minded; you did save all of our lives from the Empire."

Janko choked back a cry of embarrassment before recomposing himself.

"Just go get changed."

The Neko practically bolted out of the living room and headed to one of the spare bedrooms she was staying in. After changing back into her standard uniform, she stepped back out.

"I'm decent now."

Janko sighed and reentered his quarters, plopping himself down on one of the chairs next to the couch. Ayana sat down on the couch. An awkward silence permeated the area as both tried to recover from the initial embarrassment.

"Listen, Ayana." Janko started. "I don't expect you to do anything you aren't comfortable with, like having sex for example. I don't know why the Premier told you to do this, but I am not a lunatic. I had a lot happen to me for all my life and frankly, sex is the last thing on my mind right now, with the war and my duty to the people. I am also not comfortable with doing the deed with someone I don't know and I'm sure you don't either. Let's just put this behind us and focus on the now."

Ayana nodded as her ears perked up from their flattened position.

"Right. So I am Captain Ayana Fubuki, formerly the commander of the 1st Neko Skytrooper Battalion and 2nd-in-command to General Kaguya. I will be your right hand girl starting now." She said. "It is nice to meet you."

Janko smiled.

"I've heard of you. You helped take back the city of Katzestadt from Empire to complete our encirclement of their army. You have done an excellent job." Janko praised.

"Thank you for your kind words." Ayana replied, blushing in happiness.

"Let's get some rest. We have a long day of training ahead of us tomorrow."

"Wait what?" Ayana replied, confused. "Training?"

"Yes." Janko said. "I want to learn how to be a Skytrooper."

Ayana hesitated.

"I'm not sure… We don't have a lot of calculation gems." She replied.

"We'll figure out the details laters. Will you teach me?"

"Of course." Ayana replied as she smiled.

"Thank you. Good night."

"Good night."

TBC….