#two highly intelligent individuals with a taste for murder released in the one place where they'll find weapons of mass destruction?

[demonir]

thinking abt the fallout new vegas dlc old world blues and how if medic or engineer tf2 were released in there everything would go TO SHIT

[evabellasworld]

Storm of the Republic

Chapter 2

AO3 Link | 1 | 2

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Summary:  When Tup murdered General Tiplar during a battle, Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex dispatched Ahsoka, Fives, and Yara to solve the mystery that was plaguing the Clone Army. Meanwhile, Senator Padme Amidala contacted Commander Fox, Commander Tori, Riyo Chuchi, and Dipper to help her continue investigating the death of Palpatine, suspecting that Dooku was behind the evil plot. But when Dooku send an ISB agent to stop them, the team had to race against time to search for the truth, which could alter the course of the galaxy.

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Facing the wide window, Emperor Dooku gazed at the Coruscanti skyscraper, holding a file in his hands. He gazed at the white, puffy clouds floating in the azure sky as he watched the traffic flowing smoothly, taking a mental note of every hovering vehicle. The old man noticed the Jedi Temple from afar, which was left in ruins.

The scenery of the city was like how he remembered when he was first brought to the metropolis planet, where he trained to be a valiant Jedi from a young age. Dooku’s first training from Master Yoda was meditation practice, where he learned to detach himself from his physical surroundings. It wasn’t as easy as it seems, but after a few attempts, he was beaming with pride and joy towards his own success.

When Master Yoda knighted him, he experienced the same emotions he felt as a youngling after going through the challenging trials and errors he endured. Dooku could also say the same for his late apprentice, Qui-Gon Jinn, who was the apple of his eye.

The Emperor recalled the day when a 12-year-old boy with dark brown hair was assigned to him. Qui-Gon was shy and was anxious about failing his master, but Dooku wasn’t upset. Rather, he was impressed that his Padawan admitted his flaws. Not everyone has the guts to reveal their vulnerabilities, and from there, he took Qui-Gon to explore the Temple.

He was a curious boy, Dooku smiled fondly, as he glanced at the photograph of him standing underneath a cherry blossom tree. He even saw some similarities with Qui-Gon’s apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Qui-Gon spoke highly about him a couple of times. At one point, Dooku even persuaded Obi-Wan to join him and defeat the Sith, but was disheartened when the Jedi Master refused his offer.

Turning to his desk, Dooku picked up another file. Only this time, it was related to two missing Jedi Knights. According to an investigation by Agent Starros, Ava Lira and Eva Bella Young were born in Chandrila to a single mother, Kaia Young. At the age of 3, they were taken to the Jedi Temple, and the rest, as they say, was history. Based on their appearances, the identical twins resemble their mother, despite their red hair and blue-green eyes.

Six months ago, the Jedi Order reported them missing after they did not turn up, and the Nurin alert was placed in order to search for them. Though there was a lead, the trail went cold and until today; they were nowhere to be found.

They don’t deserve to die, he frowned at the twins’ photograph when he heard the door hissed open. A light purple woman with chestnut hair and facial markings entered his office, bowing at him with utmost respect. “You summoned me, my Lord?”

“Yes, Agent Doherty,” he greeted cordially. “You may take a seat, please. I would like to discuss the progress of your mission so far.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Lenora answered politely as she sat down and placed her datapad on his wooden desk. “I have a list of senators I have monitored so far. Would you like to have a look?”

“That would be lovely, Agent Doherty,” he agreed as he picked up the datapad, skimming through the list of senators that sided with the Galactic Republic. Though he barely knows all of them, there were a few individuals that stood out, particularly the ones closer to the late Chancellor.

They were Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila, and former Senator Riyo Chuchi of Pantora. These were the politicians that were vocal in the Senate, particularly about the ongoing war they’re facing.

Senator Amidala was close confidant with Chancellor Palpatine. They knew each other decades ago, when she was still Queen of Naboo. She was most critical about the Clone Wars and even tried to end the conflict with one of the Separatist senators, before the latter was killed. Despite her background in politics, however, she was also skilled in combat.

Senator Organa was also her closest ally, along with Senator Mothma and Senator Chuchi. His home planet, Alderaan, was the most peaceful in the galaxy, and like her, he also advocated for the war to end, which didn’t come as a surprise to the Emperor.

Placing the last three names on a list, Dooku then shifted his focus towards Riyo Chuchi, who was formerly a Senator of Pantora. She was part of the Republic Senate for almost three years, before the Imperial Security Bureau labeled her as a traitor. “Agent Doherty,” he spoke, showing his interest towards the young politician. “What can you tell me about your findings on Senator Chuchi?”

“Senator Chuchi was responsible for the death of Agent Starros and fled Coruscant 6 months ago,” Lenora explained to him. “She had help from clone units CC-1010, CC-6231, and CT-1512, who were part of the traitorous Republic remnants’ army. If it weren't for Agent Starros, they would have been captured by now.”

“I’m impressed that you outdid your former mentor,” Dooku lifted his chin up. “I find Agent Starros rather emotional for my taste. I’m sure you shared my sentiment towards her, considering what she had put you through.”

Lenora bobbed her head as she recalled the torture Agent Starros had committed in the past, making her fist clenched. “I’m glad she’s dead, my Lord. She had sociopathic tendencies and was prone to emotional outburst when things didn’t go her way. It’s rather unprofessional, if you ask me.”

“And that is something we do not tolerate in our government,” he returned her datapad, along with the files related to the Chancellor’s death. “Take these back to the late Chancellor’s residence, please. It is much safer there.”

“Yes, my Lord,” she bowed, acknowledging his orders.

“And keep a vigilant eye on Senator Amidala and her latchkeys,” added Dooku. “We must let no one bring down our government, just like how the Jedi did with the Chancellor.”

“I understand, my Lord,” the ISB agent approved as she walked out of the room and stepped inside the lift, releasing her breath. That wasn’t so bad, she wiped her forehead. I’m so glad the Emperor wasn’t as bad as he seemed.

Lenora recollected the day the Republic Intelligence was dispatched to handle the case of Palpatine’s murder. Dina Starros was in charge of the case, much to her envy. She used to pour a bucket of ice-cold water on Lenora whenever she failed, and forced her to sleep outside her dorm. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, she begged. I’ll do better next time, I promise.

Thinking about it made her shiver in fright as she pictured herself in a warm, secluded desert, which soothes her. Still clinging on her datapad and files, Lenora stared at the panels when the lift door opened, revealing a familiar face she saw from her datapad. “Good morning, senator,” she chirped, catching her by surprise. “How delightful to see you here.”

“Good morning, Agent Doherty,” Padmé replied in a nervous tone. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Oh, the Emperor summoned me. He wanted to know more about my progress. You know how meticulous he can be.”

“Of course he would,” Padme raised her eyebrows as the lift door was shut, leaving her at mercy with the ISB agent. Out of all people, why must I run into her?

“Is everything okay, senator?” Lenora inquired, noticing her fidgeting. “You seemed tense.”

The Senator of Naboo shook her head and cleared her throat. “Everything is alright, agent. I was just thinking about the next Senate debate, that’s all.”

“That wouldn’t be a problem, given that you are one of the best politicians we have right now. Besides, I trust you’ll do great later on.”

“Thank you, Agent Doherty,” she coaxed. “You must feel honoured to receive a mission. It’s not easy to get special attention from the Emperor himself, you know.”

How smart of her to say such a thing, Lenora bemused as she turned to her, crossing her fingers behind her back. “I wouldn’t call it special attention, really. He only told me to monitor the rest of the senators and put those files back at Palpatine’s residence, that’s all.”

Padmé’s eyes widened when her plan worked, prompting her to sneak a quick glimpse at the datapad and the files she was carrying. “What’s so important about the files that it needed to be kept at the late Chancellor’s house, anyway?”

“It’s a case file relating to his death,” Lenora spilled the truth. “Every piece of evidence that we’ve collected from the investigations is recorded here. That way, it’s easier for us to keep track of our progress. Impressive, isn’t it?”

If I could get my hands on them, I could finally reveal the truth behind Palpatine’s death to the Senate. “It is, actually. I bet there must be a lot of guards outside his house.”

The agent shook her head. “We only placed sensors by the door. The Emperor finds it a waste of resources to dispatch a couple of guards outside. Besides, I doubt anyone is going to break in.”

I’ll risk my life for that file. “That makes a lot of sense.”

Stopping at the 47th floor, Padmé sighed in relief as she stepped out the lift, grinning at Lenora. “I wish I could go on with our conversations, but I have important matters to deal with.”

“I understand, senator,” she maintained her smile. “Have a wonderful day.”