In the endless pain and chaos, what Count Dooku was experiencing at the moment could be summed up in two words: headache and madness. He stood on the podium in the center of the auditorium, facing the representatives and senators of the Separatist Parliament. They were having so-called "in-depth discussions", but it was just a competition of voices, with all parties trying their best to vent their dissatisfaction and arguments.

"Attack again!" someone shouted, his voice full of impulse and impatience.

"Are you crazy? After the consecutive failures in Jabimu and Kamino?" someone exclaimed.

"I can't believe we're still alive!" another voice said with disbelief and surprise.

"We must sue for peace!" another voice suggested.

"But the Republic rejects our autonomy, and they will never agree to talk to us!"

"Are we going to launch another immature attack on that crucial Republic world?" questioning voices continued to ring out.

However, the Umbarans offered a breath of fresh air, promising a swift victory. "They assured us that our technology would be the greatest threat to the Republic."

But Count Dooku coldly interrupted all the noise.

Count Dooku's voice echoed off the walls of the Senate Chamber, instantly silencing everyone.

“Here we stand, arguing, but achieving nothing,” the secret Sith Lord said emphatically. “I claim full responsibility for our disastrous campaign on Kamino, but we cannot dwell on it. The bulk of our fleet is still intact, let us be thankful that the Republic has not retaliated.”

"They may have won a decisive victory on Kamino, but that does not mean they have not suffered losses of their own," the Umbaran representative announced. "While our losses have been heavy, combat reports indicate that it was Umbaran technology that caused the most damage to the Republic."

"We still lost." Wo Atel said with an unmoved look.

“Why didn’t they?” a nervous senator asked. “Wouldn’t it be a good time to strike back at us?”

"What have you contributed during this time, besides the endless fighting?" He looked directly at the bald, green-skinned senator, his eyes calm.

"Enough!" Dooku suddenly roared, and slammed his fist heavily on the podium. The loud noise was like thunder, and the whole auditorium was instantly silent. He stared at Atel with wide eyes, and his gaze seemed to penetrate people's hearts. Atel was suppressed by this strong gaze, unable to look at him, and could only turn away.

"We are not puppets of the Republic." Dooku said calmly, "We will never be appendages of that broken system again. However, if I see meaningless quarrels and conflicts in this small space again, I will leave without hesitation."

When these words were spoken, everyone was shocked and felt a slight fear.

"We will not follow the path of our predecessors to self-destruction." The Count's voice was almost a roar, "But we cannot be so foolish as not to admit our mistakes. Although this was decided by consensus vote, I accept full responsibility for the attack on Kamino."

At this moment, everyone's eyes were focused on Count Dooku, their eyes widened.

“Remember,” he turned to those who disagreed with him, “I am still our leader, whether we have a democracy or not. Our actions reflect my leadership, and I failed this time. What we need to do now is to make sure we don’t make the same mistake again.”

"But Count Dooku..." someone wanted to interrupt.

"Now is not the time to discuss this," Count Dooku quickly interrupted the senator. "We have more pressing issues to address. We have lost a large number of troops in the attack on Kamino. Although our fleet can still resist, we have lost a lot of ships. If the Republic retaliates, we must be prepared, strengthen our defenses, and develop countermeasures."

"What about peace talks?" Mina Bontry asked. Her voice was clear and firm. "We can't just focus on the battle and ignore the possibility of peace. We need to find a peaceful solution, not just pursue war."

These words made the whole auditorium fall into deep thought. People began to think seriously about how to move forward, how to avoid repeating the same mistakes, and how to find a real solution.

At this moment, the entire auditorium seemed to be shrouded in a new force. In the noisy air, whispers rose and fell, and Count Dooku's eyes revealed deep fatigue.

He gazed at the Onderon representative, his tone full of sympathy, "I can only pray that there are still people in the Republic who value peace as much as you do, Bontry."

These words hit Mina's heart like a heavy hammer. She couldn't help but frown and felt an indescribable frustration.

She knew that the possibility of peace was like an unlit fire, hidden in the smoke of war, but there was still a chance to ignite. Although Ultron's attack brought tension and chaos, it also provided a brief window of truce for both sides. Perhaps this was an opportunity to reach some form of peace. However, after the attack on Kamino, Mina felt a little uneasy about the Republic's response, a kind of indescribable tension.

She had left the old corrupt government behind, and she knew the need for change, but she was never naive enough to think that everything was black and white. Even in her eyes, if retaliation came, it would not be the fault of just one side. Yes, the Separatists had attacked first, the dark forces that sought to destroy a world as important as Kamino. Their defeat was terrible, but Mina was surprised that they had not responded more strongly.

This does not mean that peace is imminent, but rather a strategic gamble.

The defeat of the separatists was disastrous, and there was no doubt that from this moment on, the war would only intensify. What frightened Mina even more was the gradually lit fuse. How long was this fuse? When would it explode in them or their opponents?

She leaned against the podium and sighed deeply. At this moment, her only hope is that the fuse can be cut in time before it reaches the end. This requires wisdom, courage and determination, but Mina firmly believes that as long as there is a glimmer of hope, it is worth working hard for it. Because in this war, the only certainty is that the future is full of uncertainty.

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