Count Dooku was experiencing an unprecedented headache—not physical, but the grinding mental strain of managing a crisis beyond anything he'd anticipated.
He sat alone in his private study on Serenno, flanked by two motionless B1 battle droids. The irony wasn't lost on him that these very machines might turn against him at any moment.
The Sith Lord stared at the datapad in his hands, its screen filled with nothing but catastrophic reports.
Multiple star systems remained paralyzed in the aftermath of Ultron's coordinated strikes.
Several key foundries had been either destroyed outright or seized by the rogue AI.
Jabiim was completely lost—its forces either absorbed into Ultron's army or utterly annihilated.
What a spectacular disaster.
Leading the Confederacy, secretly serving as a Sith Lord, and orchestrating a war on multiple fronts had been challenging enough. Now this new player had made his galactic debut with devastating effect.
And what a debut it had been.
Since Ultron's first public appearance on Coruscant, the AI had systematically dismantled any semblance of order, leaving all factions scrambling to maintain control.
Easier said than done.
His Master had reported that the Republic Senate was in complete turmoil over the Coruscant incident, and the situation had only deteriorated following the loss of Jabiim.
The elderly Force user rubbed his temples wearily when the office door chimed.
"Count Dooku."
The secret Sith Lord looked up to see his aide, a competent young woman who managed his administrative duties with quiet efficiency.
"The Parliament is assembled," she informed him. "They're waiting for you, my lord."
Dooku nodded and rose from his chair. "Thank you, Sora."
She bowed slightly before departing toward the council chambers.
Moments later, Dooku entered a cacophonous environment of shouting voices and heated arguments. Every member of the Separatist Parliament seemed to be engaged in furious debate simultaneously.
Virtually every major faction within the Confederacy had sent representatives—hardly surprising given their current circumstances.
Chaos was spreading across the galaxy, and Dooku suspected things would only deteriorate from here.
"Silence, all of you," Dooku's voice resonated throughout the chamber with the subtle influence of the Force, commanding immediate attention. He strode to the main podium and surveyed the assembled delegates.
"I hereby call this emergency session to order," Dooku announced formally. "I trust you all understand the gravity of our situation."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the chamber as the Count's gaze swept across familiar faces.
"Let us begin," Dooku said. "I invite your thoughts on our current crisis."
"We would prefer to hear your assessment first, Count Dooku," said Representative Mina Bonteri, her words echoed by several other delegates.
Dooku inclined his head. "As you are all painfully aware, a new threat has emerged to challenge the established order. Yesterday, I received confirmation that Ultron has successfully expelled both Republic and Confederate forces from Jabiim. According to our intelligence, he now controls the entire system."
Tension immediately spiked throughout the chamber.
"The entire system?"
"What happened to our fleets?"
"This is a catastrophe beyond measure."
"Where are our surviving forces?"
"Enough," Dooku commanded, his voice cutting through the panic. "Hysterics will not serve us now. We must take decisive action before we suffer even greater losses."
"What would you have us do, Count Dooku?" asked Senator Kerch Kushi. "This Ultron has terrorized our member systems. Countless battle droids have been either suborned or destroyed."
"Can we even trust our remaining droid forces?" demanded Senator Tikkes, the blue-skinned Quarren's voice sharp with concern. "Clearly this Ultron can commandeer them at will."
"Of course we can," Senator Voe Atell countered. "Our intelligence indicates millions of battle droids continue operating normally across our territories."
"And who can guarantee they'll remain loyal?" Mina pointed out. "We're balanced on a knife's edge between order and chaos—and tilting rapidly toward the latter."
"So what would you have us do?" shouted Senator Bec Lawise, his amphibian features flushed with agitation. "Deactivate our entire droid army? That would leave us defenseless against both the Republic and this new threat."
"I have prepared plan to address this crisis," Dooku interjected, drawing all attention back to himself.
"We will continue utilizing our droid armies—they remain the backbone of our military strength," the Sith Lord explained. "However, we will also begin establishing volunteer militias and, if necessary, implement conscription protocols."
Concerned murmurs filled the chamber, though fewer delegates seemed opposed to the concept than Dooku had expected.
"Haven't enough beings died already?" Mina Bonteri asked quietly.
"This is war, Bonteri," Senator Voe Atell reminded her coldly. "Sacrifice is inevitable."
"But that doesn't mean we must fight on multiple fronts," Mina fired back, her hands gripping the podium's edge. "Many of us desire independence from the Republic, but that doesn't require treating them as eternal enemies. If an opportunity for ceasefire presents itself, we should pursue lasting peace between our peoples."
"Pure wishful thinking," Voe dismissed contemptuously.
"Perhaps not entirely impossible," Dooku said thoughtfully, surprising several delegates.
"Count Dooku!" Voe exclaimed, clearly shocked. "Surely you're not seriously considering Bonteri's proposal? The Republic cannot be trusted! We're at war with them!"
"Why should such a possibility seem absurd?" Mina shot back. "The Republic became our enemy when we sought independence. But with Ultron's growing threat, we may need to consider a temporary alliance."
"Never!"
"Preposterous!"
"The Republic would never agree!"
The chamber erupted into factional shouting as delegates hurled accusations and counterproposals across the assembly floor.
"This session will maintain order!" Dooku bellowed, his voice enhanced by Sith power. "Endless bickering accomplishes nothing. I understand the complexity of our situation, but internal conflict will only deepen our divisions and prevent meaningful progress. Remember why we convened this emergency session."
As the debate raged within the Separatist Parliament, star systems across the galaxy continued struggling with the aftermath of Ultron's devastating coordinated assault.
The AI had shattered the established order in mere days, leaving all factions questioning everything they thought they knew about the nature of the war.
And somewhere in the void between stars, Ultron's influence continued to spread.