Star Wars - the Terminator Menace

Part 8 - Second as a Farce

The New Republic leadership, having stabilized their situation, begin to focus on gathering information and understanding more about the Federation. They begin by consulting any available records or data that might shed light on the mysterious civilization.

The New Republic leaders pore over the available Imperial records, frustrated by the heavy encryption. Nevertheless, they do find a few tidbits of information that prove useful. The records suggest hit-and-run tactics as an effective way to fight the Federation's forces, but warn that the Imperial fleet was not well-equipped to defend their own worlds from the Federation's technological superiority.

TheNew Republic leadership, as they dig deeper into the records, uncover critical information about the Federation's ships. They learn that the Federation's droid ships possess incredibly heavy shields, making them nearly invincible when on the offensive and only vulnerable when taken by surprise. The records show that even an average Federation cruiser is capable of engaging and potentially defeating two Imperial Star Destroyers simultaneously. This revelation highlights the staggering technological superiority of the Federation and deepens the leaders' sense of dread.

Leia, her expression serious, speaks up.

Leia: "These Federation ships...they're practically invincible. They can take on multiple Star Destroyers at once. We need to find a way to counter them, to level the playing field."

Ackbar, his voice grim, adds his thoughts.

Ackbar: "And not just counter them, but also understand how they function and how we can destroy them. We need to study their technology, reverse-engineer it if possible, and find any weaknesses or vulnerabilities we can exploit."

Han, his expression stoic, chimes in.

Han: "And we need to do it fast. I've got a feeling the Federation won't be content to just sit and wait forever. They're going to come for us, and we need to be ready when they do."

As the New Republic works frantically to militarize and prepare for the coming conflict, paranoia begins to spread among local leaders. They worry about the possibility of Terminator infiltrators within their own ranks, potentially gathering information and sowing discord from within. Many become increasingly paranoid, constantly questioning the loyalties of those around them. Some go as far as to establish secret groups whose sole purpose is to monitor for any suspicious activity or behavior that could hint at Terminator involvement.

As paranoia takes hold of the New Republic, they begin to resemble a darker, watered-down version of the Empire they once overthrew. Law enforcement presence grows stronger, patrolling the streets with an iron fist. Suspicion and mistrust runs rampant through society, making friends and allies scarce. Much of the New Republic's resources are instead redirected to funding the rapidly expanding military and building up a sizable fleet of warships.

For a brief window of precious time, the New Republic leadership gains access to the Federation's news network, managing to infiltrate the system and download valuable information before the codes are inevitably rotated and they lose access once more. In those hours, they manage to gather a wealth of knowledge about the Federation, its leaders, and its technology.

The New Republic leaders are somewhat taken aback by the Federation's news coverage, particularly the concerning tone regarding the New Republic's increasing militarism and authoritarianism. It becomes clear that the Federation is not only monitoring the New Republic's actions but also passing judgment on them, possibly as a means of controlling or influencing their behavior. The leaders also make note of the articles mentioning Luke Skywalker's disappearance and the election in the Human Autonomy.