Boss Nass furrowed his brow at the report he was reading, it was simply and literally too good. There had to be a catch somewhere but he was just too stupid to find it, just like his ancestors, maybe the Gunga deserved their fate, they were too stupid to think for themselves. "No Boss Nass, it is not a trap for you. While you are yet again a pawn played on the board, this time you have no need to worry of the play. Here, this is the offer to the Naboo, the offer for plasma you mined for them..." I said as I passed over another document. The conditions were terrible, the offer absurd, it was downright scandalous... Boss Nass crushed the datapad because it was already twice what his people were paid.
"No, I can see what your thinking. I do not need slaves." I passed over some documents, it literally stated that the planet would be his. There weren't even any caveats or catches or loopholes. Figuring that he would need the republic context for the documents I even had those highlighted and sent over as of the most recent council meeting, and further sent over the rest of the senates rulings and Republics rules and laws just so that he knew I was not screwing him over or in case I forgot anything.
"It's simple really, we just have to give you the planet!" I said. Boss Nass turned away, aware of just how much that would cost them. Still, better to be slaves in the house than slaves in the field he thought.
I honestly wanted to give him the planet. Because then I could sign with the legitimate leader of the planet and sector. Of course, I knew I could not do so too soon. Sidious would have to become chancellor first, can't let my master tug on my leash too soon. But I would be out of his sight soon enough. When the Trade Federation was sanctioned for this action I would be 'forced' to 'retreat' from the limelight. But nothing could really be done. While I was aware that I was untouchable, there were several voting blocks on the senate that were literally owned legally by corporation's. They didn't even bother stating who these voting blocks technically belonged to, they were just the Trade Federation senator or the IGBC senator. It was convenient when your financial block had enough capital to simply rename some poorer sector, purchase it's seat on the senate, and have a team of lawyers keep the lawsuit going till the original clamant died of natural causes.
"This cannot be right. If this, if my people had this..." yes, if Boss Nass's people had this contract they would be wealthier, work less and already be traveling out and about in the galaxy. I of course had several additions annotated such as an orbital refinery and fueling depot, full time defense fleet and several others. ostensibly those were supposed to make sure the plasma flowed, a 'protection fee' however, with the Gungun it would be a protection benefit. But Boss Nass would have taken the 'scandalous' and 'abusive' contract as is. I simply wanted to invest in Naboo knowing that by the time the clone wars even started I would have made at least twice the return, if not more.
Of course, the Trade Federation was not here without reason, like most places, including Eriudu, Naboo had signed agreements with the Trade Fed. However, while Naboo itself was safe, protected by the Nabooian/Gungun star fighters, just outside their patrols lay mass pirates. These pirates were hungry and held even star frigates ready to take the fat sheep that had left Naboo. Only the strongest and most well equipped trade fleets could make the run because of these pirates, or the most desperate smugglers. So Naboo had made a deal with the Trade Fed, a deal the reneged on. Simple really, the Trade Fed had to enforce their trade deal. The seizure of assets itself was legal. However, they needed to make a new deal to legalize the... not blockade, but 'protection fleet', yes, so simple really.
It worked in most cases, and the few that had pushed back couldn't make waves before the Trade Fed tightened the screws. When it was said that the Trade Federation ruled the outer rim it was not a jest, but a fact of life. And it was working until Naboo. Of course, the old Nute Gunray knew this, that wasn't the purpose. Unbeknownst to Naboo and everyone the entire senate had been traded away in a back room deal that had been maneuvered and danced around for decades if not centuries. Depends on if you only counted the 'small' plays of Sidious or the Big ones of the sith that came before him slowly eroding away at the Republic.
But now Nute had a way to change things. Sidious may think that Nute was still playing by his handbook but he will soon find things taken out from under him. Nute did not want to wait 30 years for a young Luke to kill off the emperor, though he was not so sure that he could prevent the Empire itself from rising. Still, he has until the clone wars to maneuver pieces in the galaxy around, hopefully he can keep Plagious, or his ghost, on the board to keep Sidious in check until then.
Meanwhile, on the surface while Nute was in discussions with Boss Nass and Nute had him on his knees begging... wait... Anyway! The droid army was locking down the surface. They had the Queen in her chamber droids taking her from all sides firing their blasters on her.... wait... But that was only to take down her royal guard! Strong men with stronger blasters, they shouldered the blasts of these machines repeatedly at the orders of their Queen! Many fell to their knees painting, many more lay on the floor, no longer able to blunt the penetration of the machines advance! And of course the Queens handmaidens! These well trained ladies could take whatever the relentless machines could dish out, using both hands, and even their mouth when necessary!... wait...
Yes, it was a fearsome battle, just a regular, very bloody battle... Kinda... Blaster tended to cauterize, but blood still leaked through where the arteries used to be... So just a regular battle. Still, the Queen and her handmaidens were quickly captured. The machines were not able to process which one was the Queen, but Niemidian culture placed special importance on large hats so the Droids self learning algorithm did as well, while ignoring the males as the Queen was female(?). The non organics did not truly understand the concept of male or female unless you counted the factory they were assembled in, but they were not built to process morality, or philosophy. However, this was one of the few places where specially built stunners were used, as they couldn't hurt the Queen, mostly. if the Queen died a new election would be held, but it would still look bad and take time. Since time was on the Trade Federation's side they wished to capture her alive and well enough to sign the treaty.
Hundreds of droid corpses littered the hallways surrounding the queens chambers. The Queen would have used the ancient secret passages there, but the droids attempted to pour into the room through those as well. The rest of the planet belonged to the droids now and it was only one small room that was putting up any resistance. Most of the Naboo fighters were locked down in the hangers around the planet, and the few that were fueled and ready for launch against what stupid pirates would attack them were quickly dealt with with vulture droids. Of course, the silly Trade Federation had withdrawn all but a few droids, but Nute had nixed that in the bud. Still, the droids could not outfly a Naboo craft, so they had to out predict them. Any craft that tried to launch would quickly find that they had flown into a flock of vultures. A few smugglers had tried to escape, but their old pieces of junk and the few high end ships quickly found that they were Naboo craft, and couldn't even outfly the thousands of vulture droids around the planet.
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Still, without Nute to herd them, the Trade Federation captains had started to complain about the loses of profits, seeing the opportunity they decided that it wouldn't hurt to remove some of the droids. With one doing so, many others did so, and the blockade weakened considerably. But who would tell Nute? certainly none of these captains would. (Oh, Nute would know, and soon profits would be the least of many of these captains worries...)
This meant that the blockade over Theed had lightened up considerably. Still no traffic left, but the lacking vulture droids was notable, and a few more had tried, and failed, to leave.
But none of that mattered! As soon the Queen was in the hands of the droids! Her handmaidens, her captain of the Guard, and several of her royal guards were brought into a reasonably large drawing room after being disarmed and manhandled before a holoprojector. The Niemidians were not Nute, they would not bring themselves to the planet to brag or whatever he was doing, it was probably unimportant anyway. No, they the captains had captured the Queen, so they the captains could make the deal. After quickly changing some things, removing the Trade Federation's name from some places, and putting their name in others, removing some clauses, adding many more, it was done! And it was 'perfect'! Now they just had to get the Queen to sign it!
Captain Dool Brehg appeared on the holoprojector, he was the captain of the lead trade ship in Nute Gunrays absence and therefore had the right! He was also first, as all the other captains holoprojections were put on hold... "You failed to uphold the old treaty your highness, so we will sign a new treaty!" Said Captain Dool. "Your 'treaty' was a slave contract! And I will never sign a treaty with the Trade Federation again!" Said Queen Amidala. Dool hid a smile as she didn't say she wouldn't sign a treaty with him. He just had to amend the contract further, he was sure that he could do something before the Viceroy returned, and then it would be moot. It was fine now, everything was in place, he had all the time in the world, but why would he spend it?
"You have one hour to sign the treaty! If you do not sign the treaty in one hour I will kill someone close to you." Captain Dool stated. Of course, he did not refer to 'which' treaty as he and his fellow captains were already amending and adding clauses. There was no point in looking back now, and who knew how long the Viceroy would take. He had already been gone for a day and a half, must have found a local Naboo woman he liked. To be honest, Captain Dool was jealous, he wasn't into humans, but he could always add to his collection, his Twi'lek was probably getting lonely, but with only 1000 square meters to his room it was too small for any of his others.
The hour soon passed, it was time and the Queen still hadn't signed the treaty. We would see how strong she was when her resistance killed those before her eyes! It was a tactic that always worked! He saw it in a holodrama! "It is time my Queen. We shall see how strong you are when the life of those who trusted you drains before your very eyes!" He said, he always wanted to play a villain, or a hero. Obviously when they play him in the movie he will be the hero, but he will admit to himself right now he is the villain. It was just work, there was nothing he could do about it but collect his pay. He was already counting the 'indentured servants' he could buy when he next swung by Hutt space.
"I will not enslave my people to you Trade Federation! Not again, the Republic will not stand for this!" Said Queen Amidala. "I'm afraid my Queen, that in this it is the Trade Federation that the Republic stands for!" Captain Dool gave the order for the droids to pick someone other than the Queen at random and fire...
But the droid fell into pieces. Oh right, the Jedi! How could he forget! He was about to order the droids to fire when the he noticed a blade traveling through his projection "Oh de..." he got out before his projection was cut in half and terminated. The droids realized that this wasn't right and opened fire anyway, but they opened fire at the Jedi. The Jedi who were right now in the middle of the droids, oh wait now they weren't... too late.
Captain Dool, safe thankfully back on the flagship, he may have patted himself down a couple of times, realized that things were not going his way. He quickly ordered more droids into the palace, that will solve his problems! Soon after a large swath of droids were quickly killed all the way to the royal hangers which had been locked down. Noting that they were probably going to steal a ship which he rightfully owned! Luckily he already had Vulture droids on patrol, he would not thank Nute Gunray for forcing him to keep them there, or admit that bringing the droids back was probably a silly decision. Still there was no way... The royal cruiser, a space yacht blew past the vulture droids like they weren't even there. Even he could tell there was no way that they could catch up.
"Release more droids! And send the ones we have down to take that space yacht!" yelled Captain Dool. More droids poured out of the vessel, and the ones already on near patrol in case something got passed Theeds defenses launched toward the yacht... and quickly passed. Luckily the computers were able to start predicting and creating and algorithm of the vessel and it's capabilities, but not fast enough. While the damage was piling up, and he could see several astromech droids out and about making repairs, the ship was still moving like the sleek rocket that it was.
"Bring your vessels in close and release all your droids!" ordered Captain Dool to the other nearby blockade vessels. The other 4 that formed up his facing had already moved in, but those vessels of other facings didn't see the need to move their ships in and help Dool do his job, there was just no glory in it, no glory meant no profits!
"Who are you to order us? Dool? You are no admiral and no viceroy!" sneered a captain of one of the nearer vessels. "Are you going to explain to the viceroy how we failed our only job on this backward planet?! Launch. all. the. droids!" He cowed the other Niemidian captains. They did as he said, and launched their droids while also closing in the ranks of their ships to further blockade Theed. This left their own areas more open, but there was little need if they couldn't blockade Theed, the capital.
Of course, it was far too little too late. The had hit an engine, and the hull was further carbonized, but the little blue droid that could did, and the hyper drive was fixed. Would it be enough? Probably, to get them to Tatooine but not further. The ship was dead on the planet, well unless they could get parts, but where would they get the parts for that?
Oh and of course, I Nute Gunray had just finished up negotiations. Not only was the deal highly favorable, above and beyond what had ever been considered, but it benefitted both parties, Trade Federation and Gungun at least, immensely as well. So of course the first thing I did was call up to my flagship.
"Uh, Captain, you have a call incoming, sir." Captain Dool was of course, not ready for a call. "Put them on hold, while I... I think of something... And turn up the gravity!" He stated. If that Pissant of a viceroy could rack up the fuel costs to turn up the gravity a little just because of the Niemidian's natural reflexs then so could he! "Uh captain, sir, I don't think we can ignore this call..." The comms officer didn't get to finish that sentence as the captain rounded on Him screaming "I am the captain of this ship I will ignore..." The captain didn't get to finish that sentence as the holoprojector sprung to life with a life sized image and the comms officer quietly mumbled "... It's the viceroy..."
I had a pleasant smile on my face when I forced my way through the holocall. I didn't really care what was happening on the ship, as I would have to be apprised of it anyways, as long as they weren't having an orgy or something there was nothing that I really minded. "So Captain Dool, where is my Queen?" I asked the pale faced captain... Hmm, that can't be good, where they actually having that orgy and I wasn't invited?
