The Battle of Naboo had ended.
Queen Amidala had returned victorious. The Trade Federation's control ship was destroyed, the droid army deactivated, and Naboo freed.
But in the corridors of the Galactic Senate, the true victor was Palpatine.
Elected Supreme Chancellor by an overwhelming vote, he now held the power he had patiently maneuvered toward for decades. While the galaxy celebrated peace, he moved the first pieces of a larger, darker game.
And in the shadows, Cassian Voss moved his own.
A Seat at the Table
Cassian stood aboard his orbital research platform above Zereth Prime, staring down at the ever-expanding industrial city below—Cassian Yards. It now rivaled Kuat Drive Yards in technical innovation, if not yet in scale.
EVA materialized beside him as a holo-projection.
"The new Starforge expansion is 17% complete. Dimensional cloaking is holding. Hyper-matter reactor core stable."
Cassian nodded. "Good. I want Phase Two operational within the cycle."
"And Phase Three?"
He turned toward the viewport. "That begins when the Republic stops pretending to be a democracy."
Trade, War, and Design
Though the Trade Federation had suffered a humiliating loss, its fleets were not dismantled. They were modified—by Cassian.
The Republic's new Security Enhancement Act required the armament of commercial vessels for "defensive" purposes. Cassian received a covert commission to modify hundreds of Trade Federation freighters.
He obeyed the letter of the law, but left loopholes buried deep in their code—fail-safes only he could activate.
Meanwhile, his Spartan Program accelerated. Clones merged from Jango Fett and Spartan gene sequences were being field-tested by EVA on desolate moons. Their combat data was flawless. Their loyalty, absolute.
"Phase One Praetorians are ready," EVA said. "Requesting operational deployment."
"Send a team to Mustafar," Cassian ordered. "Retrieve HK-47's chassis. He'll make a fine addition to our collection."
Whispers in the Senate
Cassian's public image remained that of an eccentric industrialist—wealthy, brilliant, and useful. But rumors swirled.
Some said he held influence over both Jedi and Separatists. Others claimed he built entire fleets in secret.
The Jedi Order had begun ordering custom starships—more agile, better shielded, able to handle unknown threats. Cassian delivered.
The Trade Federation paid him in rare minerals and Hutt-secured credits for "unauthorized" retrofits.
The Bounty Hunters Guild received his weapons in discreet deliveries—contracts routed through middlemen and droid brokers.
Everyone wanted his tech.
No one saw the web.
Palpatine's Visit
Now Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine paid Cassian a rare personal visit.
They met aboard Cassian's flagship, the Voss Paradox, in the deep void between star systems. EVA's sensors confirmed that the Sith Lord traveled alone no guards, no aides.
"You've grown," Palpatine said, eyeing the massive viewport showing a holographic galaxy. "So has your ambition."
"We all grow," Cassian replied coolly. "Some of us faster than others."
"There's talk in the Senate," Palpatine continued. "Talk of independence. Systems grumbling about Republic overreach. What would happen if they… left?"
Cassian didn't blink. "Depends. Are they taking their fleets with them?"
Palpatine smiled, as though that was precisely the question he'd hoped Cassian would ask.
"Build me ships," he said. "Fast ones. Ones that can hit and vanish. And droids far more capable than what the Federation fields. You'll be well compensated."
"Schematics or full production?"
"Both."
A Request from the Queen
Back on Coruscant, Padmé Amidala no longer Queen but now Senator of Naboo requested a meeting with Cassian.
They met in a quiet garden high above the industrial sector.
"I need a diplomatic vessel," she said. "One with protection, but not aggression. Naboo must remain a voice of peace."
"Peace is fragile," Cassian replied, handing her the design schematics. "This ship can jump between systems in seconds. Its shields can withstand orbital bombardment for ten minutes. And it broadcasts a Naboo diplomatic signal so strong even Hutts will hesitate to fire."
"You've already built it, haven't you?"
Cassian offered a rare smile. "I thought you might ask."
She studied him, hesitant.
"People are afraid, Cassian. They say war is coming."
"That's because it is."
The New Forge
In orbit around a dark star, hidden within a gravity well only EVA could navigate, the upgraded Starforge neared completion.
It now boasted dimensional phasing, quantum replication chambers, and a command AI core a fusion of Athena and Cortana, reborn as EVA Prime.
Cassian stood on its central platform, surrounded by endless construction lines.
"Prepare for large-scale manufacturing," he said. "And open a secure channel to Serenno. It's time I spoke to Count Dooku again."