Chapter 75
Raxus Secundus, Raxus System
Caluula Sector
Loyalist propagandists often painted the Outer Rim as a lawless, untamed expanse, far removed from the stability and order of the Republic. In their crafted narrative, it was a region where the light of Coruscant barely reached, a frontier on the edge of civilization. The populations of the Outer Rim were depicted as backward, unsophisticated–alien species and outliers who, with their limited grasp of the Republic's enlightened values, had been all too easily swayed by the treasonous promises of Count Dooku. To the Core Worlds, they were seen as gullible and primitive, ripe for manipulation by the self-proclaimed leader of the Separatist Alliance.
Even Count Dooku had to acknowledge that the Loyalist propagandists had been remarkably effective. Humanocentrism was reaching unprecedented heights in the Core, with many convinced they embarked on a righteous crusade to deliver civilization to the rebellious spirals of the galaxy. This fervour had only been amplified by a series of prolific Separatist atrocities; the Attack on Coruscant, the so-called Emancipation of Eriadu, and, most notably, Operation Starlance. Such… barbarism could have only been cast from the hands of aliens–if they even had hands–as it was painted. It was all too impressive.
But not exactly true.
For the stronghold of the Separatist Alliance was found in the Tion Hegemony, the gleaming beacon of human civilization in the Outer Rim, rivalled only by the Core Worlds themselves. Human kingdoms and empires ruled here for centuries long before the idea of a unified Republic even took root in the Core, and the Tionese themselves consider this space the very birthplace of human civilization as the galaxy knows it. It was this deep-seated pride that made the Tionese particularly receptive to Separatism. The prospect of reclaiming their ancient glory as the galaxy's centre of power was simply too irresistible to turn away from.
Raxus Secundus, the beating heart of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, stood as a defiant contrast to the grey monoliths of Coruscant, with its New Architecture spires and domes. Its cities, sprawling across verdant hills and vast prairies, were a mixture of ancient gothic elegance and brutalist simplicity. The capital, Raxulon, was a jewel in this tapestry, a circular city rising towards the centre like a ziggurat, towards the mighty palace in which the Confederate Parliament took its seat.
Count Dooku loved the place, despite the reasons for which he now paid the world a visit. It reminded him of his homeworld Serenno, and for the man who spent years campaigning and preaching the merits of Separatism on this very world, it felt like a second home.
As his interstellar sloop rested on its landing gear in the House of Parliament’s vast private docking space, Dooku ordered the Punworcca 116’s FA-4 pilot droid to remain in the ball cockpit as he departed the craft to walk some of the stiffness of the long voyage out of his legs. His black trousers were neatly tucked into polished dress boots, and a broad belt of fine leather cinched his similarly black tunic at the waist. Draped over his shoulders, his cape–lined with Serenno armorweave–shimmered with a subtle elegance. He made no attempt to hide his identity on these visits to Raxus, for he had no reason to. The silver hair, carefully styled moustache, beard, and flared eyebrows gave him the unmistakable air of a dignified noble, all meticulously groomed as always.