Sith sat in silence, brooding over this turn of events. The ministers of Shouzhaun openly defied him, defied the Brotherhood. Shouzhaun had been deemed a location of strategic importance and Sith had been given the task of establishing diplomatic ties with the council of ministers, of attempting to bring this world under control of the Emperor's Hammer and the Brotherhood. So far, it was not working out. The New Republic's ambassador had arrived a few days ahead of him.
"The Empire is dead. It no longer has any influence on the free worlds of the galaxy. The New Republic has assured us autonomy and protection from the likes of you." The head minister slapped his hand down on the great table before him to emphasize his statement.
"He speaks the truth," another minister began. "No longer will we tremble in fear as the shadow of oppression falls over us. No longer will your kind hold us in thrall."
Sith sat silent, pondering how to respond as minister after minister spoke out against the Emperor's Hammer. Sith shook his head in disbelief at the ill luck he had. It seemed as if only the Grand Master Himself could convince these people that defiance brought death. Death... Sith smirked darkly as a sudden thought dawned upon him. The council of ministers saw nothing, Sith's face lost in the shadows of his hood.
Sith stood up suddenly, turned, and began walking out of the room, leaving the council of ministers to wonder where he was going. More than one minister smiled, thinking they had won a diplomatic victory against the Empire.* * * * *
The council of ministers started in alarm as the doors to their council chambers suddenly exploded, sending shards of debris and smoke into the chamber. The ministers coughed and choked violently, waved their hands about, tried to do what they could to clear the smoke. As the room cleared enough for all to see, a body was thrown through the hole in the wall where the doors had previously been. The council looked down in horror, each easily recognizing the robes of the New Republic ambassador who had been to visit them just days earlier. Now, the ambassador's body lie dead on the floor, the head missing from the rest of the corpse.
Sith Bloodfyre stepped through the opening in the chamber, past the flaming wreckage where the door had been, a black bag in his laft hand, a heavy blaster pistol in his right. A guardsman ran towards Sith while trying to remove a blaster from its holster. Sith raised his own blaster, fired a single shot at the guard. The guard fell dead at Sith's feet, shot directly between the eyes. Sith turned towards the council, threw the black bag at them. The bag, which held something near the size of a small melon, landed on the council's table with a dull thud.
"A gift from my superiors. Think of it as a 'peace offering', if you will. Join us, and you will enjoy a relatively quiet life. Stand against us, you will all endure torments that only my mind can envision. And keep this in mind. If your ambassador from the New Republic, one of the famed Jedi Knights, could not protect himself from death, how can the New Republic protect you?" Sith grinned slightly, enjoyed watching the ministers squirm in discomfort. "I can offer you protection. I can offer you safety. Surely, you must see that I only wish to see your worlds safely within the folds of the Empire."
The head minister looked down at the black bag, untied the knots that bound it. As the cloth over the object dropped, the gathered ministers started in alarm. The head of the New Republic ambassador, a Jedi Knight, sat upon the table before the council.
"You are mad! How dare you come before us making threats. Your actions only serve as proof that you represent tyranny. We will never bow to your-"
Sith raised his blaster, fired a shot that blasted a smoking hole in the chest of the speaker. The other ministers cried out in fear and alarm.
"It appears you have an opening for a new minister of defense. Perhaps I can help you examine the candidates, help find a suitable replacement." Sith moved his head slowly, looked each minister directly in the eyes.
"It would appear," the head minister began, "that I may have been mistaken. I believe we may have been mistaken in our earlier arguments against your offer. Perhaps you would be willing to explain your proposals again, perhaps renegotiate some of your sanctions."
Sith smiled slightly, the corner of his mouth curled in derision.