Stalgasin Hive

The day was hot, even by the standards of the Geonosians. The sun seemed to burn with intensity and excitement at the day's events, and certainly the people did. The Stalgasin Hive, now constantly expanding into a Warren of both new tunnels and Geonosian dwellings l, along with a suddenly vast network of building, factories, skyscrapers in construction and the like, that had popped up. Only the Geono truly enjoyed being underground, and the influx of foreigners into what was to be the Capital of a new state had greatly changed the dynamic of the vast lump of rock known as Stalgasin.

Harch, Rodians, Humans, Muun, Kerkoidians, Devaronians, Karkarodon, Utapau, Dug, Neimodeans and many more now dwelled here, alongside the native Geonosians. All around the city, the great military reserves, the resource reserves and the military depots were situated. In great underground hangers, in mountains, occasionally in defenses found above the ground. All around Stalgasin, defences were being built.

Artillery batteries, earthen works, sensors arrays and the like. All across Geonosis, the great hives we're slowly being connected by the creation of a vast monorail network - constructed, like everything else, by Gulch Industries - designed to transport, people, cargo, war machines and troops.

The great factories worked like never before, churning out their products, some of which would be given slightly different programming, given the red paint of security droids and sold to galactic corporations, but most of which would join a burgeoning army.

To the south of the Hive, a great drydock was in progress. Geonosis, for all its industrial brilliance, lacked an orbital dockyard, and the solution was brilliant.

A huge network of factories surrounded this drydock, and they would build the modular designs Separtist ships were famed for, then assemble them into one in the drydocks, then either transported to the Naval Ship Reserve - a massive series of underground hangers housing ships - or launched directly into space.

But all of this paled in comparison to the military parade grounds. Serving no purpose but to provide a place to make official and grandiose announcements, it was perhaps the only simple construction in the whole city.

Simply a very, very large section of level ground, surrounded by temporary stands, monitor screens, and a large permanent stand and podium, the most notable feature was the blast door shielded ramp that opened to allow an army out onto parade, as it was doing now.

The tanks, artillery and other vehicles of the 1st and 2nd Consular Guard Divisions came first, followed by rank upon rank upon rank of droid infantry, led by their officers at the front, who were followed closely behind by droids bearing regimental, brigade and the divisional insignia, as well as the newly designed national flag.

All around, crowds in the stands cheered wildly for the army, as it matched out in its perfect series on manoeuvres, before it finally came to halt in front of the podium, with the colours and the officers standing nearest.

And atop that great podium stood Krennel Gulch, ratified as the first Military Consul of what was about to become the Grand Confederacy of the Outer Rim. He raised one of his six hands for silence, and the soft gurgling clicks hummed from the Admiral over the grounds.

"My friends, but a short time ago, our Senators formally quit the Senate of the Galactic Alliance. Once a great idea, formed to fight against the tyranny of the First Order, the Galactic Alliance has fallen to the corruption, decadence and negligence that destroyed the Galactic Republic, the New Republic and all of their incarnations.

Upon their resignations from the Senate, the Senators came here, to Geonosis, where they sat in the first sessions of the National Assembly! They voted, unanimously, to secede from the Galactic Alliance and to form the Grand Confederacy of the Outer Rim!"

Waves of cheers rose, and images were flung all across the Galaxy by means of the HoloNet, as Gulch gurgled with satisfaction.

"In the same sitting, both myself and Archduke Pagger were appointed as respective Military and Civil Consuls, to act as the new Premiers for this glorious new state.

In this sitting, they ratified our Constitution, and put into law the very ideals which will govern our society!"

Thunderous applause rumbled around the parade grounds and Gulch watched with intense pride as this nation became fact, rather than ideal.

"My brethren, we are free from one tyrant, but we must never allow ourselves to fall to another. The First Order, this Braxant Empire, and their leader Nicamedus Delvardus, are dictatorial fiends, and we shall never bend to them. If we must fight them in space, in asteroid fields, on our planets, from cities to countryside to underground, we will never submit! We shall never surrender!

We shall remain strong and true to our ideologies, to ourselves! We will allow the First Order not one inch into the Southern Rim! The Galactic Alliance is too weak now to stop the Enemy, but we are not!

The Age of the Republic has finally ended, the Age of the Grand Confederacy is here!"

And with that last bellowed declaration, a great chorus rippled through the arena, shouts and cheers and jubilations shook the very ground, as fighters and bombers roared over head in formation, setting off fireworks. The time had finally come, Gulch noted with satisfaction, the Grand Confederacy had been born.

Somehow the Padawan had gone all the way through the growing city, getting past all the guards, through the labyrinth of tunnels and chambers, all the factories, the officers and everything else, to end up here on the upper levels of the Stalgasin Hive, and somehow he had found himself outside what had once been the Archducal War Room, and was now the War Room of the Military Consul.

Shouting, of course, had drawn the attention of the inhabitants. Four B1 Battle Droids, painted with the red of the security detachment, hurried into the hall, and let out an alarmed screech at the sight of a light saber, causing the 6 C-B3 Ultra Battle Droids that made up Gulch's bodyguard to hurry into the hall, and roughly seize the intruder, confiscating his weapon.

The unfortunate Padawan was dragged into the huge room, to be deposited at the feet of Consul Gulch himself, studying him quietly. Dressed in his Confederate uniform - designed in a style to suit the Harch of course - consisting of a dark blue coat reaching down past the middle of his legs, and dark grey trousers. Stroking one of his chelicerae, Gulch clicks contemplatively, and finally speaks.

"You do not look like a spy, or an assassin, but then a good spy or assassin do not appear to be what they are. Tell me, boy, why you are in a restricted area?"

The Harch watched him thoughtfully, then ordered the droids to release him with a gesture.

"You are far too you to be a Jedi Knight, so who and where is your master?"

If Gulch was curious as to how a boy seeming so stupid as this one could get past layers of security, he gave no notice, and simply waited for the Padawan to speak."[/color]

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The Geonosian sun turned red as it slowly lowered in the sky, giving the War Room of the Military Consul an odd, orange glow. The Harch Military Consul sat, very still, as he watched the panicked Civil Consul pace backwards and forwards across the floor.

The Geonosian Archduke, Pagger, wore his ceremonial breastplate, along with the chain of the First Consul’s office, and every sinew in him screamed fear.

”Krennel, they want an audit! An audit! How can you sit there and be so calm, the whole government will collapse once they start looking through misspending, corruption and broken election laws!”

He spoke in the clicks of the Geonosians, but it seemed the Harch had no trouble understanding him. He gave a series of gurgling clicks himself, and a single hand rose to scratch his hideous face.

”The affairs of the Military Government are in order. Clearly I have better accountants than you.”

The voice was deep, and seemingly uncaring, though one eye have a tiny twitch. He knew they would demand his resignation as well, but he had no intention of giving it. The Geonosian opened his mouth to object, but the cold glare from the Harch's six eyes silenced him.

”You are a fool, Pagger. You had to do nothing but receive your pay. You were on the perfect spot, and I had full governance while you were there. But then you got greedy, and look where we are now! The Civil Government is on the brink of collapse and we're set to lose the Civil Election to the Nationalists by a mile once this breaks.”

He shook his head, and gestured to the door. ”I have better things to do than to speak to you. You are finished, Pagger, and now I must ensure you haven't finished me with you. Now get out.”

Perhaps it was Krennel Gulch's eyes, or his tone, that convinced Pagger to exit the room swiftly, but one thing was sure, he couldn't get out fast enough.

"I see. And what kind of a mentor allows his student to wander at will? What is it he does, exactly, that is so much more important than tutoring his charge?"

The Harch showed no signs of losing patience, though he did click a few times in an almost hungry sounding fashion.

The Harch looked at the Padawan very intently, and spent a very long minute staring silently, obviously thinking. "Sit." He said at last. He glanced to a protocol droid in the corner. "Bring him some refreshments."

The Harch settled himself at the opposite end of the table, and clicked thoughtfully, stroking the flesh of his chelicerae. "I wish to speak with him. I have a proposition for him. I wish him to build my Great Library of Geonosis."

The Harch simply gestured at the communications unit along the wall, and a droid quickly set the frequency for the young Jedi.