Corellia's Open Orbit

"I'm glad, I just did what I must. My first duty is towards people, that's why I keep fighting"

Said the admiral, chain raised.

"Such a level of commitment is unheard of, mostly, they throw refugees into concrete barracks. Cold and sterile. The life conditions aren't too good for some species. I'm thankful for such a dedication, doctor, and I trust your word on the settlements, worry not"

He puts both hands on belt.

"I have many MonCal and Quarren who have offered themselves to serve in the fleet, many were previously officers, either in their planetary forces or for the Republic. Many of them have families, families that you're in charge of relocating: they will fight better and find peace of mind if they're properly taken care of. I hope these settlements are well supplied as well, I often seen the inadequacy of such newly-made populations"

The admiral looks at the doctor again.

"We also have data on most the refugees' professions and skills, they will seriously bolster the manpower of the Coallition: you got engineers, astrophysics, comercial pilots, mechanics... but also, something invaluable, historians, poets, musicians, writers... Try to make the proper contacts so they find a job according to their trajectories, we don't want a senior researcher in galactic History working as a waiter in a greasy bar"

"That's a relief, usually one of the roles eclipses the others, as they can be obstrusive; a politician might not be a good doctor. But you're seemingly handling it pretty well"

Said the admiral.

"Me and my crew receive your compliments very and truly gladly, doctor. By the way, we do have a medical frigate, which is being retrofitted with schematics provided by Corellian technicians. But, we could probably have use for your own, as well, shall the need arises, because two of such ships could be invaluable and your expertise in combat medicine would come in handy, specially with liberated planets"

"Good. I will gladly fight by your side, doctor"

Said the admiral, stern.

"I don't wish to entertain and steal more time from you, Lynne Jameroo. I also have to make a new ship to be ready for combat and that will take time. I wish we can meet up soon and we will stay in contact over the refugees"

There was a sudden fuss in the docks when an armed escort appeared. Guards wearing newly-issued CC military uniforms, navy troopers. Of them four, one was a MonCal, while another was a Bith and the other two were Humans. They were likely acting as bodyguards of a solemn-faced, stern duros, a lanky one wearing the badge of admiral. He stood in the way of Linuy Findos.

"I am sorry for the lack of a proper welcome, senator. Let me introduce myself, I am Renzo Ostrenis, admiral of the Corelian Coalition. You might have seen my flagship, the Oathkeeper, on your way to the docks"

Indeed, the Star Destroyer had been on duty guarding the capital system of the Coalition. The Duro eyed his Neimodian cousin emotionlessly, hands clasped behind his back. He wore the standard military uniform befiting an admiral, but compared to the guardsmen's it looked slightly older. An expert eye could guess it was actually a Galactic Alliance one, not one issued by the Corellians. Ostrenis was a stubborn one.

"I have long devoted my strenght to that cause, senator"

His red-mirrored eyes stared at the young senator.

"I think you might have known my own son, senator Voon, he was an outspoken adherent of... inherent rights and personal freedom"

The said admiral's son had been part of what had been known as the Populists or the Federalists, alternatively, by their enemies and supporters.

"You both seem to be of... similar age"

Though age was hard to ascertain in members of their species.

"However, that doesn't concern us, senator. Tell me, you wish to join the Coalition, I presume?"

"They were, indeed, lost in the time of our greatest grief"

Said the Duros, his eyes hardened.

"I fought for months, all on my own, after the Sacking, with an increasingly weakened fleet... hard times"

He looks at one ship being built at the shipyard, there in the horizon. The admiral looked pensive for a moment.

"...You are right, we have to gather, we have to rally. Or else, hope is dead. I'm afraid I can only forward you to our Prime Minister or Baron Gorgano, I cannot give you myself a place in our hierarchy"

He taps the badge of admiral over his chest.

"I got to keep this, so I'm sure you'll still have a role to play. If you so want, I will send technicians to review the Lucrehulk and check which systems need upgrading or repairs"

"The most tragic, the loss of the Galactic Center is a sad affair, one we will have a hard time recovering from"

Ostrenis allowed himself a slight smile.

"I think you will soon be counted among our ranks, senator. You soon shall sit in the Senate as representative of your people"

He claps hands behind his back.

"I will send my people to help you in your efforts to retrofit this ship"

"We belong to sister species, senator. Both Duro and Neimodia must stand united in support of this government. Albeit my son, who used to represent our system in the Galactic Senate before and during the war is, alas, absent from the system and unwilling to join us for the time being"

Said Ostrenis, with a hint of anger.

"Many like you must remain, linger in the fringes of the Galaxy, probably more than a few on the run and hiding. If hope is to be restored we must restore our democracy and extend our control over more systems, which are doubtful, on the bringe"

He thought about Bothawui, which allegiance could tip the scales.

"Anyway, I do understand your stance, senator Findos, I understand it too well"

---

Another time. The Corelian security forces were warned beforehand. The Oathkeeper group fleet appeared over the planet, coming from a known spacelane, the destroyer looked scarred, with part of its inmense belly torn appart and a damaged core, but the rest of the ships looked intact, save for a Corellian corvette that had to be towed to the system. But, more ships had arrived: a Dreadnought, an Inmobilizer cruiser and an Imperial frigate class II, among the military ones, and a significant numbers of transports, all of them military-grade vessels, with First Order crests emblazoned on their grey hulls, enormous bulwarks that were led to the Corellian spaceports like cattle. Ostrenis handed the captured ships to the delegated from High Command, for them to handle the procedures, while the prisoners of war were processed by the CorSec. Once the initial procedures were undertaken, he requested allowance into drydock for his ship, the Oathkeeper, that had received significant damage during battle, and also sent word to the surface to deliver his report.