"We... will inevitably achieve victory." Master Windu felt indescribably miserable as he said this, because it was tantamount to placing himself on equal footing with a Sith Lord—then having to comfort and encourage him?
Master Windu took a deep breath, erecting a line of defense called "Everything for the Republic" deep within his heart before saying, "In the battle in the Delon system, we have destroyed a large number of Separatist warships. Our mobile fleets will hold an absolute advantage. This war is still far from decided."
Palpatine shook his head. "We can defeat the Separatist fleet, and then what? In truth, we both know that in the Modell Sector, Master Yoda should have been the victor."
Master Windu's expression changed. He knew what Palpatine was about to say.
"We do not have the strength to occupy those planets. Although the Military Creation Act allowed us to conscript billions of soldiers, those soldiers can only defend their own planets. They have no chance of defeating the droid armies in an offensive campaign." As expected, Palpatine steered the conversation in that direction. "The interruption in the supply of Clone Troopers is the most fatal outcome for us. I cannot imagine how else we can win."
Master Windu said, "We still have 2.4 million Clone Troopers deployed on the front lines. If properly utilized, they can still push the battle lines into the Outer Rim Territories. To preserve the unity of the Galactic Republic, refusing to recognize the Separatist regime should be our bottom line."
"In the Modell Sector, Master Yoda won every battle, yet in the end, he was forced to withdraw, suffering heavy losses." Palpatine said, "The Separatists are exploiting our kindness, and what our kindness brings is the sacrifice of soldiers at every level. This should not be so."