Little idea I had the other day, hope you enjoy this and what's to come.

As the forces of the GALACTIC REPUBLIC begin to turn the tide against their enemy, the CONFEDERACY OF INDEPENDENT SYSTEMS, on battlefields across the galaxy the Separatists' leader COUNT DOOKU shows that while the odds are against him, he and his allies are far from defeated by striking at the lightly defended TAURUS SECTOR, which place the Separatists in position to strike deep into the Republic controlled MID RIM.

The Republic's Territory is separated from all but three of the Taurus Sector worlds by the systems of the neutral GLOBAL DEFENSE INITIATIVE. So as the Jedi Council assembles to discuss this new development they dispatch OBI-WAN KENOBI to GDI's capital on Earth to negotiate for the passage of the Republic's fleets through their space or maybe even, they hope, to bring the small but militarily powerful nation into the war.

In the depths of the JediTemple several masters were debating how to deal with this latest hiccup in their plans to take the war to the Separatists' core worlds. Only five of them were physically present, the war had taken the Jedi's greatest members far from their temple on Coruscant and the rest, bar Master Fisto who was currently in the midst of a battle and couldn't be drawn away, were present via hologram.

"Bodes ill for us, this does" Yoda, smallest but perhaps most powerful of the beings present said "Draw troops from other sectors we must. The Core Worlds, vulnerable they may become"

"Has the Chancellor said anything to the senate?" Mace Windu asked

"No, letting the news spread before the morning session, he is. Viable response formulated before the session, he wants" Yoda replied

"Has GDI made any kind of public statement" Shaak Ti asked

"Only their usual message, they're neutral and any attempt to breach their space will be considered an act of war" Windu replied before turning to Obi-Wan Kenobi's hologram "Obi-Wan, how long will it be until you make contact with them?"

"We received a transmission from GDI's diplomatic corps an hour ago, they won't let me take my own ship to Earth so they've provided transport. My fighter will be kept on GDS New Beijing, the ship that's to transport me to Earth, while I meet with their leadership. My concern though is the Titan refugees, GDI will want an assurance that we'll surrender them before they even think about any making concessions to us"

Windu frowned, the status of the mutant refugees from the Titan incident had been the barrier between the Republic and GDI's diplomatic relations since the latter had made first contact. The problem was that the refugees who had made it to the Republic had claimed asylum with the local world Zathrian, which had fallen on hard times after GDI's economy began to dominate the sector market, and was therefore unwilling to surrender the refugees to GDI or the Republic, which had always made it clear that it would surrender them to GDI.

"Zathrian is heavily pro-Republic, if make it clear that they're in danger of falling under Separatist occupation they may surrender the refugees to our control" Shaak Ti said "One of my battle groups is in the area, if Zathrian's government agrees they can pick them up and deliver them to one of GDI's border stations"

"Agree I do" Yoda said as the other Masters nodded in agreement as well "Go to the Chancellor, I will. His help I will require to convince the Zathrian government"

"The diplomatic corps said that they'd allow me to access the holonet, so contact me as soon as you have word on the refugees" Obi-Wan said before he signed off

With crisis one of the day dealt with the other masters began to discuss the war's dozens of other front lines and how to deal with them, meanwhile Yoda departed the strategy room for the Temple's hanger.

An hour later, Yoda was seated in Supreme Chancellor's office awaiting the arrival of Zathrian Senator, Dill Blackas.

"Master Yoda, have the Jedi considered any other options if negations with the Global Defence Initiative fail" Palpatine asked

"Other options we have, but our best choice passage through their space is" Yoda replied

"Have you considered taking conquering passage through their territory, they continue to trade with the Separatists and that was sufficient for us implement a legal blockade of Valahari. Their technology is inferior to ours in many ways it may prove to be an easy victory"

"True, but heavily fortified we believe their worlds to be and little information of their full capabilities we have, fifty years since first contact to improve their military they have had. To attack GDI without more information, foolishness it would be"

"But how does the prospect of taking the three heavily fortified worlds leading to the Taurus sector compare to…" Palpatine stopped speaking and stood up as the door beeped and the Senator they had been expecting entered

He bowed to Palpatine and looked to Yoda then greeted them "Chancellor, Master it is good to see you"

"And you my old friend" Palpatine replied with a warm smile "I believe you can guess why we have called you here"

"Indeed" Blackas replied as he sat down, his own smile now replaced with a frown "My people are quite worried about where the Separatists will strike next and I have been asked what the Grand Army's response will be"

"Reveal all I cannot, but your cooperation, vital it is, to the plans in motion" Yoda replied

"Anything Zathrian can do to help the war effort we shall do. You both know we are firmly behind the Republic"

"Of course Dill" Palpatine said, his warm smile still on his face "That's why we need your government to hand over the refugees from the Titan incident to the Jedi"

There was a barely noticeable twitch in the Senator's brow before he replied "I will have to consult with my government. Do you have any intelligence that may allow me to convince them that this is the right course, the refugees have become a focal point for a great deal of nationalism"

"Passage through GDI's space we require, without the surrender of the Titan refugees achieved this cannot be. If flank the Separatists we cannot then needed a military build up for an offensive will be needed, weaken other fronts and leave the Republic vulnerable this will" Yoda said

"Very well, I will need to contact Zathrian" the Senator said as he stood up to leave "Chancellor, Master Jedi"