Amidala ran her fingers through Anakin's hair, his head resting in her lap. After becoming a Knight, he'd gotten rid of his odd braid and started growing his hair, which, by the way, was very beautiful and pleasant to the touch.
Little moments of happiness that they could afford -Are you flying away already?
Anakin sneezed funny
"We've already been delayed on Coruscant for almost a week... We're beina sent to Bestine- according to intelligence, the Separatists are preparing sabotage at the orbital shipyard, which could be followed by a naval attack."
- And Obi-Wan?
"The Master is busy investigating Valorum's murder. He's being assisted by several other Jedi It seems Jedi Master Siri Tachi and.."
- Are any details known?
"Obi-Wan didn't say anything, which means he knows nothing. If it were different, he woulc have told me."
Padmé smiled. "Still as naive and trusting.'" Meanwhile, Anakin stood and left.
Jasmill Celanno left Senator Gidean Danu's reception room and made her way toward the Senate building's exterior landing pad. However, it wasn't politics or intrigue that had brought her to the Republic's political forge today—far more practical matters demanded her attention. Certain sensitive information regarding Kuat's corporate secrets was best transmitted—and received—through secure, trusted channels.
As she turned into a connecting corridor, she suddenly spotted someone she hadn't expected to see.
Dagon Marek.
He was moving toward her from the opposite direction. The moment he noticed her, the young Jedi smiled and raised a hand in greeting.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Dagon said as they approached one another. "I must admit, I didn't recognize you right away."
Jasmill instinctively adjusted the hem of her cream-colored jacket.
"The higher you climb the corporate ladder," she replied coolly, "the stricter the standards become. Even for appearance."
Without breaking stride, they fell into step together, heading toward the landing pad.
"To be honest," Jasmill continued, "since my promotion, I've been stuck on Coruscant—meetings, negotiations… endless. But I've heard quite a bit about your work in the Twelfth Sector. People from Kuat are already asking for your help with new ship designs."
Dagon raised an eyebrow.
"New ships? You mean the Resurgent-class battlecruiser?"
Dagon gave a small nod.
"A hybrid design. Some… older influences. Let's just say I had access to unusual archives. But right now, I need more than designs—I need production. Shipyards. Capacity. I'm willing to pay, and Sienar is open to forming an advanced trade agreement with Lyra's division."
"Really?" Jasmill glanced at him sideways. "Kuat and Sienar cooperating? That's… unexpected."
"And yet necessary," Dagon replied. "Kuat alone can't meet Republic demand anymore. Even with production improvements."
She exhaled slightly, conceding the point.
"Assembly times for Venator-class Star Destroyers have dropped significantly. We're down to eighty-seven days per unit now. Still, that's only possible because of distributed manufacturing. Kuat supplies about sixty percent—four other shipyards are either assisting or preparing to begin production within six months."
"Impressive," Dagon said. "And Rotana?"
"Focused entirely on ground forces," she answered. "They're barely keeping up with demand. Though, to their credit, they've managed incremental upgrades—and even expanded the lineup."
Dagon smirked faintly. "The SPHA?"
She nodded.
"Exactly."
They reached the landing pad. Jasmill noticed—without missing it—the way Dagon's gaze lingered briefly on her airspeeder. It was a sleek two-seater, expensive and unmistakably high-end.
"Not a bad ride," he commented as he settled into the passenger seat.
Jasmill activated the autopilot and guided them into traffic before turning slightly toward him.
"As you know," she began, "the standard SPHA-V—formerly just SPHA—has exceptional power, capable of engaging targets up to 130 kilometers. But it has limitations. So Rotana diversified the platform."
She counted them off methodically.
"The SPHA-T uses a heavy turbolaser—less powerful, but extended range, up to 200 kilometers. The SPHA-I carries an ion cannon. The SPHA-C is missile-based, with a range of 500 kilometers."
"And kinetic?" Dagon asked.
Jasmill gave a small, satisfied smile.
"Covered. The SPHA-M uses a 280-millimeter chemical mass driver. Fifty-kilometer range, muzzle velocity around one kilometer per second. Two hundred units of each variant arrived on Coruscant this month."
"Not bad," Dagon admitted.
"Not bad at all," she echoed. "Cross-corporate collaboration is producing results. Take the Arquitens-class light cruiser—Corellian engines, Sienar reactor and missile systems, Kuat hull and weapons integration."
Dagon leaned back slightly, thoughtful.
"We've got a lot of work ahead," Jasmill continued. "I've been reassigned to coordinate the Victor Initiative between Kuat and Rendili."
Dagon's eyes sharpened immediately.
"Victor… ah. Victory-class Star Destroyer. Valex Blissex."
Jasmill sighed.
"Yes. And I'm not even going to ask how you know that."
"What stage?"
"Still in design."
Dagon tilted his head.
"Why Valex? Why not Lyra Blissex?"
She shrugged.
"That decision came from above. The team is extensive—Blissex, Dyson, Lemelisk, Oneiji, Lee…"
The airspeeder slowed as they reached their destination. Conversation paused as they disembarked and entered an upscale restaurant, the doors opened by a formally dressed attendant.
They took a table. Moments later, their order was placed.
Jasmill leaned forward slightly.
"Why are you so interested in Lyra Blissex?" she asked. "The Venator-class project is solid, but her father is far more experienced."
Dagon smiled faintly.
"Give it a couple of years," he said. "Lyra Blissex will redefine shipbuilding. And not just for a decade—for half a century."
Jasmill studied him carefully.
Then he added:
"I have a proposal. What if we form a second design group—parallel to the Victor Initiative? Two competing approaches. We evaluate both… and select the superior design."
Jasmill's eyes narrowed slightly—not in suspicion, but in calculation.
Now that… was interesting.