Star Wars Rise of Black Sun [No Longer Accepting New Players]

I am still in contact with him, and he says he is more than willing to help bring down the organization that ruined his childhood and almost his life. His friends say they are also willing to help.

 

Shadow Trooper, Darth Master Titus, s_heffley: Very well. The team will then consist of Cradossk's bounty hunters, Errai's mercenaries and Ram Ordo's Mandalorians. Let them depart for Geonosis at once. We cannot let Ralquesh escape once again, so we must act right now! Please, keep me updated on the team's progress.

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Geonosis

<< After spending several days in a bacta tank, Salic Ralquesh decides to leave the medical section. He makes his way to Count Dooku's private chambers. >>

Dooku: Ralquesh, what are you doing here? The doctors did not give you permission to go.

Ralquesh: I have more important matters at hand, Count. Black Sun is destroying my bounty hunter guild which I cannot allow to happen. Their Underlord will pay for what he has done to me! I will request all my remaining bounty hunters to return immediately!

Dooku: I am afraid that is no longer a possibility, my friend. All your bounty hunters have been deployed all across the Galaxy, serving my cause. Soon, some important events will occur, Ralquesh. Event that will forever change the Galaxy. Your vendetta will have to be put on hold untill everything has settled down. Do you understand?

<< Angrily, Ralquesh storms out of Dooku's office. Like many others, he has no clue what is going on. After Ralquesh has left, Dooku opens a communication line with the Geonosian guard. >>

Dooku: Do not permit Ralquesh to leave Geonosis. If he does, shoot him down.

 

General Immodet Aurra Sing tells me that she has been contracted by the Seperatist movement, headed by the former Jedi Dooku. Apparently, he is in negotiations with several organizations such as the Techno Union, the Intergalactic Banking Clan and our old nemesis the Trade Federation. The talks are being held in the
Outer Rim, on a planet called Geonosis. Sing also tells us that several leading mercenaries were invited. In addition to herself, she also mentions the Bounty Hunters Jango Fett and Saliq Ralqesh. If she is telling it true, it may be very difficult for our mercs to get at him right now. With all those note worthies, Geonosis is probably one of the most fortified places in the galaxy.

 

Count Dooku does not want to attract too much unwanted attention. That is probably why he chose Geonosis as a location for the meeting. Still, I do not think any of his allies would risk causing another incident like the Battle of Naboo or the Battle of Excarga. So, their forces would probably not be displayed in open view.

What do you think, Vigos? Should the mission be aborted? Shadow Trooper Darth Master Titus s_heffley aalagartassle Thuro
At least now we are certain of Salic Ralquesh's location. If we wait for too long, he may yet escape us once again.

 

The mission shall not be aborted. Where would Ralquesh go? He would not be foolish enough to leave, as Shadow Trooper says "one of the most fortified places in the galaxy". We know his position, and he will probably not go anywhere until he is sure he can get away safely. We need to hit him with all we got before he figures out a way to get away.

 

I agree with Vigo s_heffley that we can not abort this mission; however, I would advise patience. Attacking him outright would be foolish. There are far too many soldiers there to make such an operation successful. Still such a huge build up of forces suggests that Dooku and his allies plan to formerly leave the Republic very soon. Once the inevitable Republic response comes, perhaps we could signal our hunters to take out Ralquesh during the chaos.

 

Shadow Trooper, Darth Master Titus, s_heffley: May I suggest we use some recon droid? The intelligence gathered by those droids could help us determine the right moment to strike. Our mercenary team could wait nearby untill we give them the go ahead.

 

Eh, I lost all equipment in the razing of my base of operations on Mygeeto. Therefore I cannot be of assistance regarding the reconnaissance droid. However, Errai most likely has some droids he can spare.

As I thought, Errai gladly donated his reconnaissance droid to the Black Sun. It is ready to be deployed.

 

Errai's recon drone shows the Vigo Council the interior of an arena on Geonosis. In the central fighting area, the two Jedi, Skywalker and Kenobi, as well as Senator Amidala can be seen fending off some vicious beasts. There is a brief pause in the action, when suddenly the whole arena lights up with the colors of Jedi Lightsabers. Before long there is a full fledged battle occurring in the arena. The Drone catches sight of the Chistori bounty hunter, Saliq Ralquesh as he cuts through both the hostile Jedi, as well as his allies combat droids and geonosians, in his haste to escape the slaughter in the arena.
"@Darth Master Titus, s_heffley It appears the Jedi have crashed Dooku's little party. It appears that the Jedi will be diverting the Separatist's attention for a little while. We should strike at our enemy while his allies are still occupied. Tell your mercenaries to attack as soon as he exits the arena. We can't let him escape again."

 

Geonosis

<< During the arena battle, Salic Ralquesh narrowly evades both enemy and ally combatants. He manages to reach the exit, but he is awaited by two Geonosian guards. >>

Geonosian (in Geonosian language): You are not permitted to leave. Please, return to the arena!

<< Suddenly, Ralquesh grabs the sonic blaster of the guard nearest to him. He used the weapon to launch an energy beam which obliterated both Geonosians in a single strike. >>

Ralquesh: Time to get out of here! Dooku will no longer keep me hostage!

 

Ram waited at the secret base they had managed to set up on Geonosis. They had it set up so it could be taken down within a minute, that being so they could erase all evidence of the Black Suns involvement on Geonosis. Ram watched the footage from the recon droid, waiting for the opportune time to strike. Ralquesh was seen exiting the arena, and Ram knew this was the best time to strike. Him and most of the elite team, including his friends Leo and Jason, and some of Cradossk's bounty hunters, would be on the mission. 8 men in total. The rest, including Errai and his men, would pack up camp and come in with a ship for air support or escape if things got to ugly. The base was on the opposite side of the arena that Ralquesh exited, and with their stolen speeders, they would be able to catch up to Ralquesh within minutes. The team entered their speeders and began the pursuit. Minutes later the caught up with Ralquesh. Ralquesh turned as he heard the speeders, and quickly hid behind a rock to avoid being run over. The field was littered with rocks, great places for cover, making killing Ralquesh a challenge. The team left their speeders and approached the rock, only to be distracted by the hundreds of ships coming down from space. Ram, and probably everyone on the team, had no idea what they were. The distraction was brief, but Ralquesh used it to fire with amazing accuracy and kill Jason and one of Cradossk's bounty hunters. The team grabbed their rifles, suddenly aware of the strength of their enemy. They surrounded the rock Ralquesh was using for cover, only to discover he was no longer there. Ralquesh has somehow managed to get behind a different rock, and two more men fell to his blaster fire, including Leo. Ram's rage was now huge, for the team they had brought was now reduced to 4 men, and his frineds were dead. The 4 remaining men searched around different rocks, trying to locate Ralquesh. Behind one rock, a shot was fired toward another bounty hunter and he fell. The remaining 3 men surrounded Ralquesh's now known position, fired at him, and killed him. Only 3 men survived. Ram, Cradossk himself, and his son Bossk. The battle was hard, and they were tired. They heard a ship coming down from above, and they were glad their escape had come, but instead of Errai and the rest of the team in was a Republic dropship. Ram, and probably the others, filled with fear as troopers in white armor filed out and surrounded them.

 

Errai and his band of mercs were collecting their recon droid, waiting patiently for Ram Ordo and Cradossk so they can depart the dry, barren wasteland of Geonosis. They had landed their light cruiser behind a mountain of rocks 3 kilometers from the arena. Close enough to pick up their fellow mercenaries quickly but far enough to be out of sight. One of the scouts ran to Errai, "Ram and his team are in sight. They are surrounding Raelquesh." Errai: "Good, time to fire up this ship and pick them up,"

Suddenly Republic ships start hailing from the sky, right into the atmosphere. Republic gunships transporting these troopers. Troopers never seen before, clad in shiny white armor with an imposing, startling white helmet. Errai knew they were trouble and everybody within the cruiser stopped in panic. "Easy now, we don't have to fight them, just need to sneak past them."

They headed for Ram's position. Errai and his men let out a series words they would've been ashamed to say in front of their mothers.."Bantha fodder! You've got to be kriffing me!" These white clad troopers were surrounding Ram, Cradossk and Bossk. Only 3 of them remained. "We do not want to kill any of these guys. The Republic would put a hit on us so fast! Set ship's turrets to stun," There were 15 of these troops closing in on the mercs. "Blast!" A series of stun blasts went hurdling towards the Republic soldiers, incapacitating all 15.

They picked up the 3 men and set for hyperspace. Errai: "They are trying to contact us," Clone Commander: "This is Republic Clone Commander 78, state who you are immediately or be shot down from the sky"

One of Errai's men: "...did he just say, "clone"....everybody stared at each other dumbfounded. Errai: "Let's not stick around. Hyperspace coordinates ready..launch!"

 

Rise of Black Sun​

The galactic criminal organization known as Black Sun was caught in a conspiracy, resulting in the death of its leadership. Underlord Alexi Garyn and all nine Vigos were brutally murdered by an assassin in their fortress on Ralltiir. Ever since, Black Sun has been trying to rebuild itself from the ashes. A new council of Vigos was chosen to lead the criminal organization through the dark days ahead. After a while, Black Sun learnt the true identity of the mysterious enemy who executed Alexi Garyn. Apparently, a Zabrak Sith Lord had been conspiring with the Trade Federation to have the criminal organization destroyed. All those events eventually led to the Battle of Naboo in which the Zabrak assassin was killed by the Jedi. Although the Trade Federation no longer seemed to pose a threat, there still were other enemies at large. A Republic task force led by Trillian Banjeer hunted down criminals throughout the Galaxy, resulting in Black Sun’s members having to be more careful than ever. At first the Hutts profited from Black Sun’s instability, but ultimately they made an alliance with the criminal organization through the help of Durga the Hutt. After some renewed tensions with the Trade Federation, Black Sun’s members witnessed first-hand the beginning of the Clone Wars.


Black Sun:

•Alexi Garyn: Former Underlord of Black Sun. He was slain by a Zabrak Sith Lord in his fortress on Ralltiir.

•Master Selkath (PLAYER): Black Sun operative on Ando. He went missing during his reign as Underlord.

•Mr. Blue/Thuro (PLAYER): Associate of Alexi Garyn. Ever since a mysterious species called the Far Outsiders attacked his homeplanet, he kept the coordinates of Eclipse a secret. After the disappearance of Master Selkath, he was elected Underlord.

•Oolth: Advisor of Alexi Garyn. He wanted to defect to the Republic, but he died before he could do so.

•Immodet (PLAYER): After the death of Oolth, Immodet became the new advisor to the Black Sun Underlord. He uses the Ffib religion as a cover for his criminal operations. Often he manipulates others into doing his dirty work, so his hands can stay clean.

•Shadow Trooper (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of all Black Sun's smuggling operations. He is stationed on Corellia. Shadow Trooper is pretty much your stereotypical Corellian criminal, a career smuggler with an independent and brash personality. He started his career as a low level operative with Black Sun's Corellian chapter, eventually taking over smuggling operations on Corellia for Alexi Garyn. As a founding member and Vigo of the new Black Sun, he has risen from his humble beginnings as a simple courier into one of the most powerful beings in the criminal underworld.

•Shadowmancer (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of infiltration and assassination. In the past, she provided Alexi Garyn with a Nightsister bodyguard called Mighella. Since she was born on Dathomir, she is Black Sun's main information source when it comes to Force-using organizations. She presumably was killed when Trillian Banjeer’s task force invaded her base on Nar Shaddaa.

•Darth Master Titus (PLAYER): Hand of Black Sun’s Underlord Mr. Blue. He is stationed on Mygeeto. He gained the nickname 'Hutt slayer' because he was involved in the death of both Gargonn the Hutt and Zorilla the Hutt. Titus, originally from Coruscant, was a wealthy contract killer of sorts for much of his life. Titus traveled the galaxy carrying out deeds for other wealthy beings looking to eliminate rivals, and carrying out his own personal vendettas. After years of this grueling work, Titus wanted a new experience, hence joining the Black Sun as a Vigo, being an enforcer to their will throughout the galaxy. Titus set up his operation in Mygeeto because Mygeeto is known for their wealthy banking clans. What better way to launder your wealth and stay under the radar. Titus was forced to abandon his base on Mygeeto after an incident with the InterGalactic Banking Clan and the Ralquesh Guild.

•s_heffley (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of slavery. s_heffley quickly filled the vacuum left after Trillian Banjeer’s crackdown on crime in the Kashyyyk system. He mainly sells Wookiee slaves to interested buyers.

•The Star Wars Archivist (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of Black Sun’s military forces. He is stationed on Sullust.

•Scholomancer (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of piracy. He is stationed on Ord Mantell. Scholomancer is an ex-mercenary from nearby Mandalore, who nevertheless has pretensions of being high-culture. He is ambitious, and with standard Mandalorian morals, has propelled himself from then ranks to a Vigo of Black Sun. He is the head of the 'Lone Star Minerals', which hosts a variety of shipping and ground-based fronts. He is usually defined by his hands-on leadership, his viciousness during his operations, and his fairness amongst his slaves and crews.

•Aalagartassle (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of financial affairs. He is stationed on Muunilinst.

•DarthW33zy (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of foreign affairs. He is stationed on Taris.

•Vader’sGoodHand (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of recruitment. He was killed when his base on Allyuen was overrun by Zorilla the Hutt’s forces.

•KrazAgtlei (PLAYER): Vigo who was killed by Trade Federation forces during the Battle of Naboo.

•Master Mini 907 (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of propaganda. He is stationed on Utapau.

•Orman Tagge (PLAYER): Vigo in charge of information gathering. After the Trade Federation’s defeat during the Battle of Excarga, bounty hunter Salic Ralquesh retaliated by killing Tagge.

•Ben: The aide of Vigo s_heffley.



Bounty hunters, pirates and assassins:

•Salic Ralquesh: Bounty hunter. After his father died by the hands of Alexi Garyn, Salic Ralquesh became the new leader of the Ralquesh Guild. Years later, the Christori sought revenge against Black Sun by accepting a Trade Federation bounty. He also provided Count Dooku’s Separatist Movement with bounty hunters and assassins. He was ultimately killed by an elite team of Black Sun mercenaries during the Battle of Geonosis.

•Aurra Sing: Force-using bounty hunter. Black Sun hired her to track down a Jedi ship transporting the Lance. Later on, she was contacted by the criminal organization again to assassinate Salic Ralquesh.

•Errai: A mercenary frequently hired by Vigo Darth Master Titus.

•Ram Ordo: A Mandalorian bounty hunter frequently hired by Vigo s_heffley.

•Cradossk: Trandoshan leader of the Bounty Hunter Guild.

•Bossk: Son of Cradossk.

•The Twins: Two highly dangerous Anzati assassins used by Shadowmancer. Soon after their capture by Gargonn the Hutt, they were fed to a very hungry Akk dog.

•Lorn Pavan: Information broker. He managed to obtain a holocron which contained information on the Trade Federation’s upcoming plans. He went missing on Coruscant.

•Riggs: Pirate captain. He commanded Black Sun’s attack on Zorilla the Hutt’s fleet. After the Battle of Excarga, Briggs was killed by members of the Ralquesh Guild who used his identity to lure Vigo Shadow Trooper into a trap.

•The ‘Instructor’: An Iktotchi bounty hunter allied to the Ralquesh Guild who used his mental abilities to manipulate others. Aurra Sing killed him during a showdown on Socorro.

•Mahwi Lihnn: A member of the Ralquesh Guild who was hired by the Trade Federation to track down Hath Monchar. Unfortunately, she did not return alive.



Trade Federation:

•Nute Gunray: Viceroy of the Trade Federation. He is a pawn of the Sith.

•Lott Dod: Senator of the Trade Federation. While Nute Gunray was being trialed by the Republic, Dod’s position within the Trade Federation became more important.

•Hath Monchar: High-ranking member of the Trade Federation. He decided to sell secrets about the Trade Federation’s plans on the black market. Ultimately, he was hunted down by a Zabrak Sith Lord.

•Zabrak assassin: Member of the Sith Order. The Zabrak Sith Lord brutally murdered Alexi Garyn and several Vigos during a gathering on Ralltiir. He presumably has been killed himself by Jedi during the Battle of Naboo.



Republic:

•Palpatine: Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. He created a special task force led by Trillian Banjeer to hunt down criminals.

•Trillian Banjeer: Commander of an anti-crime task force. He is tasked with hunting down important figures in the criminal underworld. Kuat Drive Yards gave him the opportunity to use a prototype, named The Justifier, as flagship. Since he was born into an influential family, he has friends among the most prominent members of the Republic.

•Padmé Amidala: Queen of Naboo. Her planet was invaded by the Trade Federation.

•Mace Windu: Grand Master of the Jedi Order.

•Obi-Wan Kenobi: Knight of the Jedi Order.

•Anakin Skywalker: Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Jedi Padawan.

•Darsha Assant: Jedi Padawan who joined forces with Lorn Pavan. She was killed on Coruscant.



Hutts:

•Durga the Hutt: Heir of the Besadii clan. He is an important ally of Black Sun.

•Zorilla the Hutt: Leader of a minor Hutt clan. The Hutt council asked her to take down Black Sun. Although she gained some victories initially, she ultimately was match for the criminal organization. After the loss of two fleets, the Hutt council withdrew their support from Zorilla causing her to become unstable. She was killed by Vigo Darth Master Titus when she attacked a meeting between Black Sun and the Hutt cartels.

•Oruk the Hutt: Ally of Zorilla the Hutt. The Hutt council made him oversee all of their dealings on the planet Klatooine. When Black Sun attacked Klatooine, Oruk was forced to hand over control to Durga the Hutt.

•Gargonn the Hutt: A very important black market dealer on Nar Shaddaa. When Trillian Banjeer threatened to prosecute him, Gargonn betrayed Black Sun in exchange for immunity. He was killed by Darth Master Titus for his disloyalty.

•Yanth the Hutt: An associate of Black Sun on Coruscant. He was brutally slaughtered by a Zabrak Sith Lord.

 

Vigos, where did this Clone army come from? Although Black Sun was aware of the army buildup of conglomerates such as the Trade Federation and the Techno Union, the arrival of those white-armored soldiers comes as a suprise to all of us. How did the Republic secretly create a whole army without Black Sun knowing about it? Shadow Trooper Thuro

Still, I am glad the mission was a success. The death of Salic Ralquesh will serve as an example to others.
Darth Master Titus, s_heffley: Maybe Black Sun should consider hiring Errai and Ordo as permanant employees. What do you think? Would they be willing to accept such an offer?

Apart from all this, I would like all Vigos to report about their homeworld's situation. The Republic and the Separatists are at war with each other. This creates many new troubles, but also many new possibilities. How has your homeworld been affected by the change of events?

 

As far as I know, nothing has happened here on Kashyyyk, but considering it's importance I would not be surprised if the Separatists were planning an invasion.

I asked Ram Ordo if he would like to be hired permanently, but he said sitting around on Kashyyyk isn't his thing. Not enough action, he says. I can hire him if he is needed, but he want's action, so he will be taking other jobs until he is needed again.

 

General Immodet I am worried by this development too. Our agents were easily able to discover Trade Federation arms buildup, but we didn't even hear a rumor of any Clone army. From the looks of things, the Trade Federation didn't know about the Clones either. Instead of the quick and easy succession they were hoping for, it looks like the Seppies got a real war on their hands. With both Republic and Separatist forces tied up fighting each other, there is going to be a lot less law enforcement attacking us. The ongoing war also presents some unique opportunities for our less legal enterprises. My analysts expect that the demand for Smuggling will continue to rise while this conflict escalates.

 

Shadow Trooper: Has Corellia been involved in the war yet?
Darth Master Titus: Has Errai accepted Black Sun's proposition? Have you already an idea on which planet you will install your new headquarters?
s_heffley: Some of my contacts tell me the Trandoshans are helping the Separatists. Does this development have an impact on your dealings?

No doubt, our enterprises will benefit from a galactic war. Black Sun needs to find a way to profit from this situation as much as possible.
The demand for weaponary, medicine, slavery, transportation, etc. will most certainly increase in the near future. We must be prepared to meet those demands!
May I suggest we all come up with a plan how to expand our businesses?

I propose Black Sun tries to control the market of medicine. If we can gain a foothold on planets which produce substances such Bacta, Bota or Kolto, our organization could make a lot of money while at the same time determining the war's outcome.

 

General Immodet An excellent proposition my friend. I have heard of a planet called Drognar which supposedly has a miraculous healing plant called Bota. Perhaps I we should send an operative or two to investigate. As for the status of Corellia, it seems like most of the effects of the Separatist movement has occurred in the Outer Rim. There have been some minor changes: Cor Sec has not been as active in law enforcement lately and the Corellian Shipyards have been working overtime to create ships for the Republic's standard non-clone forces. Aside from these small things, business continues as usual in the Core Worlds. I would imagine that things may change if the Seperatists manage to launch a couple of strikes at the Core, but for now, the Core has hardly changed since the declaration of war.

 

Some Trandoshans arrived a few days ago. They are hunting Wookiees to supply the Separatists. While I had no dealings with the separatists, this will make it hard for my slaves to make any profit from this war. If anything it brings down the profits I was already making, because the number of Wookiees I bring in is lowered. There is not much I can do with the men I have at this point.

 

It took some time convincing Errai to come on full time. He is now dedicated to the Black Sun's cause. Now, on to more pressing matters. With a galatic war looming in the near future, picking a planet to set up HQ is very difficult. Me and my men were scouting Cato Neimodia. Our reasoning behind this is that we would be very close to Nute Gunray and could keep eyes on the Trade Federation. Obviously, since we are not Neimoidians and cannot blend in, it would be a problem unless we set up HQ in complete stealth. But maybe that is too risky.

General Immodet Shadow Trooper: What planet would you suggest setting up base on?

 

Shadow Trooper: Very well, then we go ahead with this plan. If Black Sun wants to control the distribution of medicine, then we will have to find a way in. This can be done by using legal channels, but also by using less legal channels. I suggest each of us takes care of one specific medicine. Do you agree?

Darth Master Titus: Maybe, you could be of assistance to our little scheme. Black Sun needs someone to oversee our operations on medicine producing planets. So, maybe you could in the future install your headquarters on one of those planets. For the meanwhile, I think you should relocate to the Excarga system.

s_heffley: Earlier on, you mentioned the discovery of raw materials, such as cortosis, on Kashyyyk. Maybe your enterprises should for the moment focus on making money out of them. What do you think? Since cortosis can be used to produce lightsaber-resisting weaponary, I am quite sure both the Separatists and the Republic would like to buy it.

 

Darth Master Titus, I would advise picking a planet in the Core or the Mid Rim. It seems like the Outer Rim is where most of the battles are being fought, and it would be unfortunate if you set up a brand new base, only for it to get leveled in the crossfire between the Republic and the Separatists. We could also use your help taking over the medical supply market, like General Immodet suggested. I have already dispatched my men to key medicine producing worlds like Drognar and Thyferra.

 

Here is a short oversight of important medical substances. Black Sun must find a way to rule the market of medicine.

-) Bacta: If one would make a list of mostly used medical substances, then Bacta would come out on top of it. Bacta originated on Thyferra, a planet that still plays an important role in the medicine's development. Two large companies, the ZaltinCorporation and the Xucphra Corporation control the Bacta production. A legal approach may be advised. My own lawyers are looking for a way to gain a foothold in one of those two companies.

-) Kolto: Kolto is harvested in the Hrakert Rift on the planet Manaan. For many years, Kolto was the main medical substance used in the Galaxy. All of that changed when the Vratix began selling Bacta. Many citizens nowadays do not even know anything about Kolto. When the demand for medicine shall increase during the ongoing war, Kolto might once again come in handy. I suggest one of us, maybe Darth Master Titus, reopens the Kolto producing facilities in the Hrakert Rift.

-) Bota: Bota can only be found the planet Drongar. Although Bota has never been fully tested, it supposedly has a different effect on each species. Some people even claim Bota increases the Force power abilities of Jedi. Shadow Trooper already sent a couple of operatives to Drongar who will report about their progress.

 

Darth Master Titus If you are going to infiltrate Manaan, I can provide you with a couple leads. Our old Overlord; before Mr. Blue took over, was a Selkath. While he has been missing for several years now, Black Sun has continued doing business under his name on that planet. I would start by contacting a Selkath named Quai. Tell him that Master Selkath sent you. He should be able to get you all the information and resources you will need while on Manaan.

 

General Immodet Excellent idea. I've brought up that I have cortosis to sell to both the Republic and the Separatists. Cortosis became more rare after the last Sith war, so it will be hard for them to find other dealers. The Republic seems to want it to combat a new general of the Separatists named Grievous, who seems to be skilled in lightsaber combat. The Separatists want it to obviously combat the Jedi who the droids will be facing. The Republic surely does not want the cortosis falling into Separatist hands, so they may also buy it just for this reason. It is now just a matter of how bad they want it and how much they are willing to pay.