"Gus?" he held out his hand to Emerest, who handed him a document that the two had apparently been writing before Ryuun arrived. Emerest was generally known in public as a cordial old man, but behind closed doors, as Chair of the Senate, he became the shrewd politician (and disciplinarian) that he truly was. Thus, Senators who were summoned to meet with Emerest could never be quite sure if he was going to invite them to play golf, or ruin their careers. Or both, if he was feeling whimsical. Fitzgerald, a shrewd politician himself, had recognized the value of having Emerest on his side and had developed a working relationship with him early on. He was a man to whom his administration owed much of its success.

Fitzgerald retrieved a pair of reading glasses that he had previously stuffed into his shirt pocket (he believed his glasses made him seem "fallible," and was rarely seen wearing them), and began to read from the document. "We have reason to believe," he began, "that Mr. Novak has made use of bribery, and his command of the Force, to assume his present position as Druckenwell's Minister of Defense, a position which he has used, along with his fleet, to partake in clandestine missions across the Outer Rim, the true nature and purpose of which remains unknown."

"Senator Ryuun himself has expressed his grave and sincere concerns to us, and to New Republic Intelligence, regarding Mr. Novak's undue influence in his government, and his misuse of the vessels comprising Druckenwell's fleet, some of which, according to the Senator, are unaccounted for over days and weeks while "phantom warships" with no transponders are sighted across the Outer Rim, and incidents of mass killings and abductions by such warships are reported. From the evidence gathered from such incidents, the vessels in question match those under Mr. Novak's command. We also have evidence that most recently, Mr. Novak and the forces under his command have been responsible for the murder of Ewoks on Endor, a world and a people to which the New Republic owes more than it can ever repay."

"Thanks to Senator Ryuun's diligence, and the tireless work of New Republic Intelligence, we are only beginning to know the extent of Mr. Novak's activities and intentions. But this we do know; that Mr. Novak has used bribery and coercion to secure his position, that he has abused that position to commit what may be atrocities across the Outer Rim, that he has refused the integration of his forces into Druckenwell's command structure (and thus commands a private army, unlawfully), and that he has, by his own admission, established a 'New Sith Order,' deriving its name and its customs from an order that believes not in peace, but in war; not in coexistance, but in 'the death of the weak.' And this we know for certain, above all, that these acts must not be tolerated in a free society, if it is to remain free."

He paused for a moment, scanning over the document before finding the passage he was looking for. "As of this hour," he continued, "I have ordered the New Republic's 3rd Task Force to assist Druckenwell's government to secure the planet, its people and its institutions in the wake of the apparent assassination attempt on Mr. Novak that occurred this morning. With the cooperation of Senator Ryuun, and members of his government, we will restore to the people of Druckenwell what is rightfully theirs; their defenses, their government, and their freedom to live with suspicion of neither."

He dropped the document onto the coffee table and regarded Ryuun in silence for a moment. "Excerpts," he said after a pause, "from a speech I intend to deliver to the Senate this afternoon. But I can only do that with your cooperation, Senator."

"As for his popularity," Fitzgerald said the word "popularity" derisively, as if it were an insult. He shrugged, and turned contemplatively to look out the suite's spacious viewport. "Popular opinion can change quickly. It's a fragile thing, especially considering that your people's admiration for Novak is, in fact, an admiration of something intangible. He is admired for things that haven't occurred; namely, Druckenwell hasn't been subject to violence under his tenure, yet. But nor has it been subject to violence for, what? Over a decade? And surely, Druckenwell's relationship to the New Republic has bolstered your economy much, much more than one man ever could. No Senator," he shook his head. "Opinions will change, quickly."

He was a man who, it was safe to assume, knew much about public opinion; his own approval ratings were consistently high on most worlds, in some places higher even than Mon Mothma had been prior to Shadow Hand. Like all politicians, Fitzgerald claimed that he didn't pay attention to polls, but also like all politicians, he actually did. He had seen the polls on Druckenwell, too. Yes, Novak had his supporters, but they supported him in spite of the fact that he was a Sith. The majority were still distrustful of Sith, and it would take only these new revelations about Novak's activities to unearth the suspicions and the prejudices that they had buried in their hearts. They would scorn Novak just as they had cherished him, and at the markets, the bazaars, the offices, the water coolers, the parks and the squares, they would say to each other, "I knew it all along," "I never trusted him," "I told you so." Because ultimately, the public wanted to see a man destroyed. They wanted their suspicions redeemed, not their hopes, because life is full of disappointment and it is easier to be suspicious than to hope.

Fitzgerald sighed, turned away from the viewport to face Ryuun and returned to the subject at hand. "Your suggestion is not unwise," he said, "but we can't risk Novak's forces escaping to prey on more worlds, not even Deralia." He looked at his wrist chrono. "The task force is already en route; it'll arrive in about five minutes. Senator, I need to know that you're going to support us at Druckenwell, and that you'll order Novak and his forces to cooperate. Your government is already cooperating with us, and I'm told your police are working for us now. But I need you to tell the Senate and the galaxy, and your people, that Novak and his conduct have no place on your world."

"Look at the trouble that he's brought upon you, just in the last day. War with Neimoidia? Protests at your embassy? A bill in the Senate to blockade Druckenwell? Not to mention the stigma of the entire galaxy associating Druckenwell with the Sith, and now with atrocities. I've just heard the Commerce Council is considering punitive tariffs on your world. None of this is helping your people, Senator. For their sake, and the sake of your career, will you support us? I apologize for being blunt, but will you be remembered as the Tarsus Valorum of Druckenwell, or a Sith enabler?"

"And also Senator," he added, gesturing in the general direction through which Ryuun had entered the suite, "I'd feel at ease if you'd let me post one or two of those guards with you. Novak might have people in your security detail, or your staff. If he knows that you've found him out, he might try retribution against you, to create a power vacuum. You're a good man, Lomen, and you've made the right decision, and I don't want anything to happen to you."