Carida

[Dordjooba the Hutt]

The luxury landing pad eh? The royal treatment then. Interesting.

 

"Do it," Dordjooba said as the Dornja Kajin settled down on the indicated landing pad.

 

"All of the records sir?" Kaldena hedged as she combed over her datapad. Her tone was slightly concerned, but her lack of confidence was understandable.

 

"Yes," Dordjooba replied. "We have nothing to hide. Do we?"

 

Kaldena cocked a little half smile and rolled her eyes.

 

_____________________________________

 

Dordjooba slithered out of his luxury yacht and made his way to the first checkpoint. Trailing behind him were two of his personal retinue: a young female Zeltron and a giant sand colored Trandoshan. The female Zeltron was typing away at her Datapad and sending all of the necessary financial records to the appropriate Imperial contacts. The large sand colored Trandoshan simply stared. He stood a few inches shy of thirteen feet and his tone seemed perpetually somber. There was no anger. Though the lizard looked as if a hair trigger of aggression would set him off.

 

When the trio approached the first checkpoint, they were stopped by a couple of stormtroopers stationed there. Dordjooba accepted any inspection they wished to perform and bowed graciously to them as he approached.

 

"We are here to see the Head of State at her earliest convenience."

 

 

 

Current Financial Records:

Dordjooba the Hutt

 

(300,000,000 credits) in stocks from the following companies --->

>> Rordis City (Droids) << Stocks plummeting due to increased competition >>

>> The Galactic Gunshop [Coruscant - formerly owned by Slicer] (Guns/weapons in general)

>> Deviant Delights [Naboo] (Alcohol, Desserts, etc...)

>> Gluttonous Gratuity [Onderon] - (where Dordjooba buys his food from)

>> Thompson's Durasteel Emporium [Corellia//Karen] - (where Dordjooba orders his construction materials -> get's a discount on items because of investment)

>> Kuat Drive Yards << Seized with Imperial occupation and separation from the GA. >>

>> Charickos Pharmaceutical co.

>> Arkanians in Action [[Arkanian Sports Company]]

>> Arkanian Medical Operations incorporated [[Arkanian Medical supplies ]]

>> PARAGON INITIATIVE - - - <10,000,000 invested>

>> Loronar Corporation

>> Sienar Fleet Systems

>> SoroSuub Corporation (helped with the interior decoration of his Yacht)

 

Physical Assets:

>> Industrial interests/territory covering Hutt Space (Exception: Nar Shaddaa)

>> Territory/assets on Tatooine

 

Final Current liquid asset count - - 1,179,348,886.67 cred.

 

[Aelyn]

An official Galactic Alliance shuttle appeared out of hyperspace over the Remnant capital world of Carida. Ever since the Remnant's secession, the galaxy had been wondering how the GA would take it. Would they let them go freely? Would they attempt to remain close friends? Would they take offense and, fearing the return of the Galactic Empire that had oppressed its citizens for decades, go to war? The waiting was just about over. A lot of that would be decided by this meeting and its aftermath.

 

Aelyn Talis waited in the seating area and looked at the men and women that had come with them. Well researched, well trained, and attentive, they would put together the report that they would take back to the Senate, where the governing body would decide what happened next. She honestly felt a little bit caught up in all of this, but she trusted the Force. It was there, constant, guiding. It told her that, while much of the delegation was still dealing with lingering confusion and worry about the news they'd received about Jedi Grand Master Kirlocca's death, they all had a job to do and they knew how to do it. With her Master, Aira Cadan, and her father, the experienced Ambassador Rasil Talis who had played a critical role in the negotiations that had ended the war and ratified the constitution of the Galactic Alliance, she knew that everything was in good hands.

 

In the shuttle's cockpit, the pilot opened a transmission to the surface as they began their approach toward the capital. "Control, this is shuttle SJ-118, carrying a Galactic Alliance delegation to establish diplomatic relations with the Imperial Remnant. We are requesting permission to land and the necessary accommodations to facilitate talks with Remnant leadership."

[Raven Nasra]

As the Galactic Alliance representatives had arrived, the head of state had left the meeting him. Moff Kensing Weyler was not a proudful man, but the effect of the previous night's gala had left him fairly hung over. He pulled on his belt, which held a blaster pistol and a few odds and ends. The blaster was not a threatening peice, but high powered enough to fold a trandoshan into a quivering heap of dead flesh. Not that she was expecting that in any way. The royal guard in their grey armour showed the Hutt into the office, forbidding all but the zeltron and the Hutt master. Leaving the trandoshan in the cold. Where he belonged.

 

Moff Kensing Weyler bowed and extended his hand to the Hutt as he gestured him to take a seat...or whatever he could do, slither perhaps? He took the datspad from the zeltron and looked at the Hutt inquisitively.

 

“So where are your spice sales?”

 

He tried not to notice the zeltrons exotic allure. But he was intrigued.

 

_____________

 

The Imperial Space Command commander dispatched 12 TIE Defenders to escort the Galactic Alliance representatives to land at the Imperial Head of State's private office pad. The fighters flew in perfect precision and escorted them to the planet, through the clouds of dark smoke from the previous month's destruction. The fires had been put out with a lot of effort from the national guard, but the death toll was still rising. And would only stabilize after a few more months of counting and refugee resettlement.

 

In her repaired office, Raven pulled her hair into a high ponytail, letting the black bangs fall in locks to cover her high forehead. Her hands were covered in black gloves that reached below the firm pressed white sleeves of her tunic of rank. White, with a series of lines of rank and service above her left breast. Her black leather belt held a single lightsaber hilt and a low slung blaster pistol. She looked at her reflection in the refsteel panel and sighed. She looked like what she felt. Tired and sad.she splashed water on her face in an effort to wake up and dried off with a white towel. No makeup came off on the towel, and she grimaced. Hopefully they wouldn't care about her tired face. When the royal guard let the GA.in Raven stood and smiled slightly, her face reflecting the sorrow she felt over Kirlocca, extending her hand to her old friend, her padawan, and the rest of the delegates.

 

“Welcome to the Remnant, though it has only been a short time since you visited us, I think you can feel how much has happened here.”

 

She pointed to the table in the corner laden with delectable morsels from the Remnant worlds. They were delicious, though not as abundant as could be found in the GA.

 

“I have provided refreshment if they are needed after your long journey, though I have no doubt you would prefer to get down to business as much as I.”

[Kala Ianauria]

”There were moments with the Wild Bunch that left me humbled, proud, and terrified. My first days with them on Carida opened a window into worlds the Jedi Code too often denied its knights.”

Take for example those early days on Carida. The solution for utterly obliterating three heavily armed squads of troopers on Carida came from Spec 4th class Mackenzie Liellenhammer. I started to unravel her history while she explained how to turn the power cores of three anti-infantry spider droids into stun bombs. Something I would not have known without the aid of a beginning battle meditation or a Imperial Magistrate that decided the young woman’s bomb making talents could be made to serve the Remnant instead of rotting in prison or falling into the hands of some terrorist group.

 Ianauria, Kala. Wild Knights of the Imperial Remnant, Bastion City, Ravendark Publishing, 3285, ebook.

 

One of their Nemesis gunships called in a sighting of heavily armed troopers moving into a blocking position directly in front of their line of advance. The Troopers assigned to overwatch quickly confirmed the sighting and a very daring scout scrabbled close enough to count eyebrows.

 

When presented with the intelligence, Kala, the Captain, and 1st Sergeant all swore. The three squads had selected a beautiful defensive position that threatened to derail their entire mission. The Knights drew back to a temporary holding position, with just a couple of Troopers left to watch the enemy.

 

As they gathered themselves, Kala felt a disturbance in the Force that seemed to hover directly over Specialist 4th class Mackenzie “Boomhammer’ Liellenhammer. Kala looked over to the young woman, doubt crossing her features as she looked over the young trooper. She shook her head, understanding that once again the Wild Bunch held a welcome surprise for her.

 

“What do you think, Specialist?” The Captain and 1st Sergeant all looked at her like she’d lost her mind. Both shook their heads, understanding that their Knight once again knew something due to the Force.

 

Kala smiled, knowing that the surprises would slow as they became closer knit because of something the 1st Sergeant had told her during the initial search for the Troopers.

 

The specialist came over and knelt to examine the data they leadership had displayed in front of them. The 1st Sergeant quickly and brusquely brought her up to speed.

 

“Easy. We take the power cores from those droids we disabled earlier to set up a wide field stun and concussion bomb and shove it down their throats.”

 

“Because it’s not possible under field conditions,” grunted the Captain.

 

“I can rig all three for you in under 20 minutes,” said the specialist with a great deal of confidence. “In fact, give me half of an hour and couple of repulsor packs and I can make things really interesting.”

 

Kala’s Captain turned towards the Specialist and said, “You got 10. Take three others and get it done. If you’re not back, we’ll find another way.”

 

Kala felt hope the specialist could fulfill her promise, because that meant being able to hold their three supporting craft in reserve for the extraction. She expected that to present some kind of major problem and wanted all the firepower she could get. Or at least that’s how the Captain had explained it too her.

 

The Captain strode away from the all towards the remained of the Troops and began speaking to some of them individually.

 

The 1st Sergeant tapped her gently on the shoulder. Kala turned back towards him as he motioned her to follow. “Captains going to order some probing attacks to keep those in their holes until we get those bombs or we find a way around those troopers. Gonna be a long wait, ma’am.”

 

As promised, those ten minutes, two probing attacks, and sniper’s duel left the enemy with 4 wounded and one dead to Kala’s one wounded seemed to last far too long.

A woman whose embarrassement of the wound outstripped the in pain.

 

The only both sides lost was time. The Wild Bunch lost time in getting to their target, the enemy Troopers lost time before the Wild Bunch struck, and the hostage lost time.

 

Specialist Mackenzie arrived with her floating bombs after thirteen minutes. She arrived just in time to prevent a rather difficult attack on the positions held by the enemy. As promised, she brought the three cores from the droids. They floated on repulsor packs, tied into s triangular formation, with one forward and two back.

 

Relief flooded Kala and something else. Suddenly, she wanted to see the contraption detonate, to see if it was effective. She also knew that the unshielded cores would need defended until they got to the target and that their equipment was not suitable or recharged sufficiently for the task.

 

Before she might let her doubts stop her, she jumped on top of the front core, looked over to the Captain and said, “Cover me.”

 

A Force Push quickly sent the young Imperial Knight and the floating bombs towards to the enemy. A second and third Push accelerated her towards an almost nightmarish speed. She steadied her emotions, letting the fear and terror be replaced by the song of the Force even as the first enemy bolts went past her.

 

She found her focus, and quickly began deflecting bolts back towards the enemy troops. More than a few made it past her defenses to impact on the trio of bombs. A subtle hum crept up through her boots, increasing in strength every time a bolt hit.

 

When she was about 5 meters from the enemy, she realized that she needed to get clear. A convenient doorway presented itself to her relief, an she jumped into its minimal cover.

A fourth Force Push helped the trio of bombs close the distance to the enemy in the barest fraction of time. Kala hoped she left herself enough physical distance, felt her breath catching in her lungs from her exertions, and felt her emotions slowly catching up to what she’d just done.

 

She felt an infinite sadness about the necessity of all of this.

 

As her sense of the Force shifted from pure defense to something else, Kala felt the general health of her troops and a shadowed sense of their emotions. Kala became aware of the enemy through the Force while a few stray bolts splashed around her.

 

The hum from the bombs suddenly cut off. She resisted the urge to look, felt the infinite microsecond of utter peace just prior to the detonation of the lead sphere. Both of the rear ones exploded sympathetically mere seconds after the first.

 

She felt the awareness of each of the enemy troops as they faded but did not merge with the Force. A half dozen stubbornly remained conscious. Yelling, Kala jumped from the doorway with her lightsaber ignited and leaped into their midst before any could react.

 

Seconds later, the enemy lay scattered around her, either dying or stunned.

 

Her troopers caught up with her, looking around at the destruction wrought by the bombs a mere second before scattering to the soldiers. They bound those merely unconscious and gathered the dead into neat rows and began immediately searching them for actionable intelligence.

 

She heard her Captain ask their medic, “How long will they be out?”

 

“A very long time. Specialips knows her business.”

 

Kala stared at them for a moment just before one of her troopers presented the Captain with a datapad.

 

“Hey folks, they left us a nice easy map. Seems the troopers keep springing their own traps. And this group was initially assigned to defend the hostage.”

“Too easy,” said the 1st Sergeant.

 

“Agreed. That’s why when you take a second look at the map and combine it with Lady Kala’s senses, look what we got.”

 

“Well,” said the 1st sergeant, clearly beginning to get a grasp faster than the Captain and Kala about what kind of troops the Wild Bunch would be, we have a location and a whole bunch of enemy armor to help us get there.”

 

“And our resident Jedi?” asked the Captain.

 

Kala held out her hands in front of her with her wrists close together. “Just leave me enough room to cut them off with my saber when the time comes.”

 

The Troopers, grinning maliciously, stood guard over each other as they changed into the enemy armor. Each carried their own armor, planning to tell anyone they met about their spoils of war as they made their way to the where the hostage and her captors waited.

 

The air about them took on the grim resolution of their task.

[Aira Cadan]

We were escorted directly to the Head of State with pure, efficient Imperial pomp and circumstance. I had dressed in my new pantsuit, and tamed my normally wild hair into a more professional style. The Imperials made no demands about surrendering weapons, which was to their credit, but my team had already decided to set the tone of the negotiations off right with a show of good faith; none of my retinue was armed. Even Aelyn and I had left our lightsabers aboard the shuttle, although I was sure Raven wouldn't have objected to their presence.

 

As we were brought before her, I was immediately struck by how tired she looked. In the Force she radiated weariness and sorrow. I immediately took her outstretched hand, giving it an extra squeeze before I let go. "If now is not a good time, just say so, Head of State," I said gracefully. It was more a formality; the fact that Raven had let us in and not turned us away showed that she was ready to meet with our delegation. The sorrow she was feeling was strong, though, and I was extremely tempted to ask about it. Not now, I told myself firmly. Right now you're an ambassador, not just her friend. There will hopefully be time later to ask her what's wrong. And if it affects the negotiations, she'll bring it up.

 

I introduced the rest of my delegation. "Head of State Zinthos, you've met my padawan Aelyn Talis. This is Ambassador Rasil Talis of Coruscant, Chief Aide Zek Ral'dis of Iridonia, Junior Ambassador P'lwek of Mon Calamari, and our GA Legal Analyst Eleain Antilles of Corellia." The Senate had hoped that sending a diverse group that represented a variety of the species in the GA would send a message of unity, and while I knew Raven wasn't speciest, I hadn't been convinced it was the best idea. I knew Raven was still fighting the old Empire mindset. But what was done was done, and during the journey here, I had gotten to know each member of the retinue, and knew they were level-headed and wanted these negotiations to succeed as much as I did.

 

I wasn't sure if Raven had any opening remarks, or if she wanted to dive right in, so instead of continuing on, I took a honey cake that I recognized as being from Ryloth.

[DoctorOblivious]

Sophia bit the inside of her lip and frowned. The historian had no love for the Empire, and the history of its prejudice against other non-Human species suggested that she would always be in some small amount of danger while in its territory--although the same could be said of the Galactic Alliance’s inability to regulate a number of galactic-spanning corporations that ran roughshod over worlds where the Alliance had little presence. But truth be told, had no specific reason to fear the resurgent Empire, especially if it had made itself an enemy of the Sith Order in such a dramatic fashion.

 

“Well, assuming that some idiot doesn’t decide to start something that forces the Empire to begin deporting Alliance citizens, I might be here for quite a while. They were so generous as to put me in touch with some folks who can get me access to the Imperial military archives.” Granted, access to the archive buildings didn’t necessarily entail access to the archives, and even the documents that the historian was allowed to peruse were likely to be heavily redacted, but one learned to read between the black bars.

 

Her left hand scratched at her dark eyebrows. Her work didn’t actually require her to be physically present to meet with her publishers very often. It also wasn’t very often that one was privileged to be present to witness history in the making. Surviving history, of course, was a completely different matter.

 

“I know that Misal and her friends are searching for your mother, but until I hear anything…” Or if she heard anything, was probably a better. “It looks like I’ll be staying here indefinitely. The work is wherever I find anything interesting. I’ll just need to find a way to make my presence to the Empire useful in the meantime. Or at least tolerable.”

[Aelyn]

Raven looked five years older than she had when Aelyn had last seen her just a few weeks prior. In the Force it was clear that she was grieving. It seemed that there was no shortage of things to grieve about in the galaxy today. Her willingness to appear in this way would no doubt be controversial among the Moffs, but to Aelyn it meant that she took her duty very seriously and didn't want anything to come in the way of these talks.

 

For her part, Aelyn smiled when introduced. Rasil shook Raven's hand. "So pleased to see you again, Head of State Zinthos," he said. "Ambassador Cadan is correct. We'd be happy to delay the beginning of negotiations until morning so that we can all enter them well rested."

 

Aelyn, meanwhile, was touching the Force again, trying to get a fresh read on Carida. Things seemed very different today. Everyone was a little bit on edge. Last time they had been here, the Remnant had been full of hope as they examined their bright future. Since then, there had been a significant attack by the Sith that had scarred the landscape as they'd seen on their way down, perhaps as retribution to the destruction of their Temple which had in itself begun a plague that she and Aira had helped clear from one man during their last visit. While the attack had been terrible and just thinking about how many people had died made Aelyn feel sick, it had been long enough now that it was not likely the cause of Raven's current grief, nor the tension that characterized the other sentients in the area. No, something else had happened here.

 

She honestly hoped Raven would be willing to talk about it, but knew it wouldn't necessarily be appropriate in this context. But it almost certainly would affect negotiations, and her father's suggestion to postpone the talks a day seemed like a good one.

[Raven Nasra]

Raven smiled wistfully at her old friend whom she had signed a treaty that led them here so many years before. At least it had stopped the fighting for a few years. “I am afraid that there will never be a better time than this my friend, thank you for offering however.” She shook the hand of the spike headed iridonian and the web fingered Mon Calamari and smiled softly to herself. The presence of ‘aliens’ on Carida would have assuredly given the old Moffs of half a century before a heart attack. She didn’t personally feel any ill regard to aliens. She wasn’t fully human herself, but she knew their presence at the negotiations was likely a calculated effort by the GA to put the Imperial delegation on the back foot. Luckily, it was just her, and there were no xenophobic Moffs to interrupt the proceedings. One advantage of totalitarian fascism, I get to negotiate on behalf of an entire state. She shook the hand of Rasil next. Remembering him from the old treaty signing many years before. It was good to see him in good health.

 

She cleared her throat and sat down in the long backed seat of a star destroyer commander that was behind the new black table. She was no premier diplomat, but she would try her best. Even in the presence of the ‘A-Team’ of diplomats sent by the Galactic Alliance. “I know I may look tired and defeated, I am not defeated, though I am grieving, for my people and a close friend. Thank you all for seeing me, as I know, there have been tensions building in the Galactic Senate as towards my intentions with the Remnant. I will first like to let you know that I have no intentions of going to war with the GA or even expanding our borders into the GA territory. Though I may be building for a war, it is not with you. Though I do wonder what happened to Mazzari, who was arrested on orders from your Senate.” She looked at Rasil, the Iridonian,the Mon Cal, then finally to the two Jedi. Leaving the last statement unfinished.

“To clear the air and stop any ideas of me in their tracks, I do not intend to establish a Galactic Empire to rule the galaxy with a durasteel fist. This has been tried before with little success and much suffering.” She accented the sentence by moving the fingers on her replacement arm so that they made a tiny whirring sound of motors. “My goal is merely to defeat the threat of the Sith Lords that have held this galaxy under their sway from the days of Barohm Zar to the current threat of Faust and the Cult of Morthos.” She swept a hand across her brow. “This threat cannot be more clearly seen than here on Carida. Though we defeated their fleet, the death toll was catastrophic. We haven’t seen a civilian death count like that since Kuat.” She flicked her fingers, causing an anxious whir of micromotors. “This leads me to another tragic bit of news, which the Jedi likely already know. Grandmaster Kirlocca was here visiting Carida to hopefully establish a Jedi outpost when he was killed.” She let the sentence linger for a moment before barging on, “He told me he had sensed a powerful dark side threat, he pursued it, and the men I sent with him were likely killed along with him. Though I am weak with the force, I felt him die. We have not yet recovered his body, though the body of one of my ISB agents was recovered. I can only assume, some remnant of the Sith is still here, hunting.” She did not emphasize the relationship that she had begun to build with the now departed grandmaster, but she did not hide the emotions that were conflicting within her in the force. It was a great deal to heap upon the negotiation table right off the bat, but she felt that honesty was likely the right call here. The threat of the Sith was great enough to hopefully overcome the broken relationship with the GA and the Remnant.

[Aira Cadan]

We all took our seats, and I thought I was prepared for these negotiations. But then Raven started speaking, and I realized I certainly was not.

 

As she spoke, I broke down her points. She didn't intend on expanding her empire. I was glad to hear that was still the case. I had told the GA Senate that, and it was good to hear it directly from her again. Secondly, her stated goal was to build up her fleets to take on the Sith. She had the evidence of the destruction of Carida all around us to give her ample justification for attacking them, as if she needed more beyond what the Sith had already proved. Her alliance with the Jedi Order was proof that the Jedi believed her motives to be what she said they were.

 

But my thought train was derailed once she brought up Kirlocca. "Master Kirlocca was killed here?" I groaned. That was a huge wrinkle in our negotiations. I bit my lip. "I hate to say it, but that will cause major problems. Unfortunately, we only have your word that that was why the Grandmaster was here, and only your word that you were not involved. Many of our Senators may well think that your government saw the chance to take him out and did so." I sighed. "Of course, I'm sure the Jedi Council will be launching a full investigation. But until the results come up, the prejudice the GA feels against you will only be amplified if this gets out."

[Aelyn]

Aelyn was pleased that Raven addressed so many of the concerns she knew the galaxy had right off the bat. She knew from her previous talk with Raven that the woman was interested in doing this the right way and she was practically capable of forcing the Remnant to go along with it, even if she had to drag the Moffs through with it kicking and screaming. The Sith gave them a very different enemy to focus on that should hopefully keep direct conflict between the GA and Remnant out of the question. Aelyn still didn't like the idea of war of any sort, but the Sith were still just some kind of cult, and since becoming a Jedi she'd started to realize that there were some enemies that had to be fought. The destruction here on Carida was evidence of the destruction the Sith were capable of causing. They weren't a government and they didn't have citizens, so it wasn't a war that civilians would get caught up in any more than if the Remnant just sat and waited for the Sith to attack them.

 

The news that Kirlocca had been killed here was also a shock to her, and for a moment she wondered what it said about the Remnant's actual ability to combat the Sith. She pushed that thought off, however. She knew what some Sith were capable of, if the stories had any truth to them. "The Senate should at least listen to reason," she said. "This doesn't exactly make the Remnant look good, so being transparent about it and the investigation might be construed as an act of good faith. Especially if the investigation turns up concrete proof of the Sith's involvement. With your permission, Head of State Zinthos, perhaps Ambassador Cadan and I can lend our assistance in it before we return to Coruscant?" It was possible that their use of pyschometry could turn up something the Imperial investigation could not. Even if it didn't, collaborating on the case might help calm any concerns the Senate might have.

 

After a brief pause, Rasil Talis spoke up. "Earlier, Madam Chief of State, you mentioned that the Remnant is not interested in GA territory," he said. "I'm very glad to hear you say that, and I'm certain the Senate will also be, but I have to admit I'm curious if you have any comment on what recently transpired on Nubia. As near as we can tell, the planetary government there was suddenly replaced by a pro-Remnant one outside of their usual democratic process and immediately seceded from the Alliance. I am aware that in some cases legitimate criminal charges were mustered against the parliament, but the suddenness of the situation and its proximity to Commissioner Mazzari's proud self-identification as a Remnant citizen, along with the recent split in CoreSec which carried out the Nubian arrests, has raised some eyebrows on Coruscant. I'm certain it would do all of us a lot of good to hear what you have to say about the incident."

[Dordjooba the Hutt]

The Trandoshan – partially spliced with a Krayt Dragon – stared daggers at the guards as they forbade his passage. His lethal amber eyes glittered with indifference at their crude barrier but respected it nonetheless. It was not his job to cause conflict. It was his job to end it; permanently.

 

As an affirmation to this revelation, Dordjooba nodded to Vlahjik and saluted to him as Kaldena and the Hutt were escorted further into the building.

 

In the meantime, Kaldena sized up the Imperial. An officer? Likely. A man of importance? Possibly?

 

What’s that smell? With her flexible button nose, Kaldena edged a little closer to the Moff, taking a careful sniff. Ugh, alcohol. The bouquet isn’t specific enough to pick out – probably something cheap. Or, if it was expensive, it was likely a variety of different drinks.

 

From top to bottom, the Zeltron was one of Dordjooba’s most dangerous assets. Her heels, carefully selected, were black three-inch heels sharpened to a point and artistically designed. She wore a black pencil skirt above that that ended just above her knees with slits at the sides and darker hosiery underneath. A deep burgundy blouse with black trim accented the dark theme. A few of the top buttons on her blouse were undone; just enough to be provocative, but not enough to be overly suggestive. And, to complete the image, Kaldena wore a pair of cosmetic glasses and wore her long black-blue mane in a tightly fastened bun.

 

All of that said, Dordjooba wasn’t here to ‘make friends’ in that sense. This was a business meeting. And, like most business meetings, pleasure was not a priority.

 

When offered a position, Dordjooba did his best to accommodate the officer’s request and made himself comfortable. Kaldena did likewise and offered a winning smile to the Moff as she watched him digest the financial records.

 

Of course, his question was expected.

 

Kaldena’s smile widened, glittering in the low light of the room. The Zeltron leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, briefly interrupting the natural hem of her skirt.

 

“You see Mr. Weyler, Dordjooba has not worked in spice for the last four years. If you look at the financial history listed on that datapad you will see that, although Dordjooba did profit from spices up to a year or so after his Senate hearing, the Hutt has not dealt in spice since.” Kaldena looked a little full of herself but decided to let any feelings of arrogance fly away.

 

“Instead, Dordjooba finds profit from pharmaceutical companies and companies that help rehabilitate spice junkies. It can sometimes be a bit unethical to profit from your own crimes, but Dordjooba believes that, by helping to end the problem in his own way, he is not doing a crime. Yes, profit is had, but it isn’t nefarious. He doesn’t skim any of the facilities of needed funds or push them for protection money. He simply offers his investment in return for a share of the profit. The Hutt helps to deliver medication to Outer Rim colonies and is helping to reach galactic citizens that don’t get the same protection that Galactic Alliance citizens do.” Kaldena’s smile turned a little sympathetic and oddly, lascivious. “You see, Outer Rim planets are hit pretty hard because the Galactic Alliance cannot reach them. They suffer from basic maladies and sometimes it just takes a benevolent gesture to help when the rest of the Galaxy turns their back. And who better to do that than a Hutt? Their kind knows of and spends a lot of their lives on the fringe of the galaxy.”

 

Dordjooba nodded slowly, his smile genial. His booming voice was a little loud up close, but it was easy to understand. He went through pains to speak basic with as many people as he could. It was the language of commerce, which meant it was invaluable to learn and master.

 

“Yes, Moff Weyler,” Dordjooba said. The Hutt’s smile widened a little and he began to talk with his hands as he took up the explanation where Kaldena left off. “Fortunately, a lot of my contacts were willing to change their delivery schedules, patterns, and parcels. The change wasn’t without friction. But, in order to move forward, sometimes you have to go back a little to make sure the path ahead is clear.”

Edited August 16, 2017 by Guest

[Aidan Darkfire]

Aidan nodded, acknowledging her decision to stay. After a pause, he reached for his comlink, sending a short message to Kyrie explaining the situation, as well as explaining how this was the excuse why he hadn't met with his team yet. He also requested instructions on how to meet up with her, so as to introduce Sophia and arrange accommodations.

[Raven Nasra]

Moff Wyler’s eyes narrowed at the Zeltron as she addressed him. Her pink skin was intriguing enough, and her dress was certainly intended to be proactive, but that was likely something her masters forced her to do. No one would willingly work for a Hutt. The pool of slime that was already dripping onto the white tile made him want to retch.

 

“My title is Moff Wyler, not mister.”

 

He turned to the Hutt and continued.

 

“I see that you are accordingly no longer running spice, and now helping the poor and desolate outer rim. How….generous of you to provide for colonies of non aligned factions. So what is your business with the Remnant?”

 

 

_______________________________

 

 

Raven extended both her hands palm up to indicate her agreeance with her old friend Cadan. The servos whirred incessantly and she let the sadness show on her face.

 

“I agree, if the senate had any love for the Jedi they would be concerned and might even declare war. That’s why I am telling you now, where he was, what he was doing, and what got him killed. I welcome any Jedi and neutral inspectors into the investigation. My records on Master Kirlocca’s actions here are yours should you want them. If your senators believe that the only galactic government that is actively fighting the Sith went out of their way to kill the Jedi Grandmaster, then I do not know what to say. I have no words.” She buried her head in her hands before she straightened her back and looked back up to the GA representatives.

 

“The Nubian uprising, which occurred within the the Nubian Sector Senate, was orchestrated by the Imperium party, with the assistance of the then Lieutenant Governor Quaylle. This was no hostile takeover by Imperial ground troops. I am not interested in seizing any worlds from the GA, that has never been my intention, if worlds decide to join the Imperial Remnant, I will not stop them, other than to ensure that they are not mistreating their alien populations, or breaking laws such as the anti-slavery act. If you would like, I am sure a democratic vote from the populace can be conducted while under neutral observation by the Jedi or other approved neutral parties both the Galactic Senate and the Remnant can agree on.”

 

She paused and looked at the delegation inquisitively. “Speaking of Mazzari, where is he? I had received reports that your senate had arrested him on false charges. I would like him returned unharmed.”

[Aelyn]

Rasil gave a pleasant smile. "Of course, I would expect Nubia's new government to handle everything above-board and democratically," he said. "The Galactic Alliance has no interest in forcing members to remain so, but we must also address the fears of the populace that this was a coup conducted against the will of the world's inhabitants. I for one am happy to take your word on the matter and I will inform the Senate of such."

 

His smile faded a bit at the mention of Mazzari's whereabouts. "Unfortunately I have bad news about former Commissioner Mazzari. It seemed that, regardless of whether he would have been convicted of anything he was charged with in the Senate, he was unwilling to wait for due process to run its course. Several criminals wearing CoreSec uniforms broke him out of where he was being held and fled in a shuttle, which was subsequently shot down after refusing to surrender," he explained. "Regrettably, word is that Mazzari was killed in the resulting crash."

 

Aelyn listened to her father carefully. He was clearly showing his experience by phrasing things in a way she didn't think she'd ever be able to imitate. Raven clearly had an opinion about the charges that had been brought against the Chiss officer, but he'd made it clear that what had happened really wasn't about the charges, so regardless of if they agreed on whether they were bogus or not became immaterial. It was something they could agree upon. "CoreSec ended up in a kind of bad place with all of this," she reflected. "Its members came from a variety of backgrounds and whereas their funding has always come from a united Galactic Alliance, so when the Remnant split off, there was bound to be some conflicting loyalties. I think that, by encouraging a good relationship between our two governments, we can do our part to soothe any tensions and make them realize that, even as two organizations, they are still on the same side."

 

Rasil nodded and spread his arms. "So far I don't see any irreconcilable differences between us, as long as you hold the course, Head of State Zinthos," he said. "In fact, I am certain that we share several things in common, including certain enemies such as the Sith. On our way here, Ambassador Cadan received a report from another Jedi that either Vladimir Faust or someone posing as him was spotted creating a localized disturbance on Onderon. I'm certain that I don't have to convince you that this could be serious. Perhaps it is an opportunity for the Remnant and the Alliance to work together to hunt down a man who is in both our opinions a very dangerous terrorist, as a precursor to further combined action against the Sith."

[Aira Cadan]

Raven's words were what I had been hoping to hear, overall. She was committed to maintaining the Remnant's sovereignty, but she was equally committed to giving planets the right to choose. "I'd also like to hear your analysis of your moffs," I added quietly. "While I am heartened to hear that you yourself are dedicated to these ideals, I know you mentioned last time I was here that you were afraid they would give you difficulty. Has controlling them been successful? The last thing I'm sure any of us want is for one of them to go rogue and draw on the imperial sympathizers in your government to form their own faction."

 

I knew that was one of the Senate's major concerns. Raven was young for a galactic leader, and being a woman, it was possible she would be overruled or undermined by her Moff Council. I didn't think she would put up with it--she had the backbone necessary for her role--but I knew the senators would ask.

 

I tried to think if there was anything else we needed to discuss with her while we were face to face. It was difficult predicting what the Senate would ask, and what it would take for them to be persuaded. Prejudice still existed within both of our factions, but I had hope that clear heads would prevail. There was no need for us to fight each other.

[Kyrie Eleison]

IC-426 watched the datascreen’s output, readings on the progress of the wild bunch. Beside him, the Jedi General Kyrie Eleison stripped down an E-11 blaster rifle, memorizing the pieces, and their arrangement. The songs in the force moved about her in a quiet storm, her determination and concern roiling under the surface. The General was proud of her apprentice and how she was doing with the challenge so far, the delays were typical in the movements of tactical squads. The Knight watched over the commando’s shoulder with a strange apprehension, signaled by quick glances through the distraction of the weapon.

 

“She’s doing well, General. You apprentice is showing some great ingenuity... Not the usual Jedi softheadedness. She is actually leading, not sending men into battle from the back.”

 

Kyrie smirked, the nervousness being eaten away by the feeling of pride at her apprentice’s accomplishments. Kala was utilizing telekenis in a grand way, and using her connection to the Force to propel her to victory. She had taken it upon herself to put herself at danger instead of wasting the lives of her men. The Imperial Knight reached out with the force to touch Kala through the song, a rising tide of peace and happiness. Kyrie did not prescribe to the ideals that all emotions could be happy.

 

On the readout display for the Wild Bunch, a lifesign began to blink, two blocks to the west, deeper into the slum. The hostage was alive, and scans indicated two heavy squads guarding the facility in which she was held. It was a tattered building of scrap metal that loomed above the corrugated slums. There was an exterior wall twenty meters tall, which boxed in a patrol grounds forty meters in width surrounding the central tower. The walls were manned with typical rabble, but in the parade grounds patrolled two AT-PTs upgraded with heavy armour. One had heavy ordnance, such as a thermal detonator launcher and rocket supply, while the other was for personnel control, with flame and sonic weaponry. The hostage was in the central holding, guarded by three Mandalorian mercenaries. The Imperial Knight spoke softly,

 

“She is doing well in the simulation…”

 

The Imperial Commando turned slowly, giving her a small smile.

 

“This isn’t a simulation, The Wild Bunch are solving Imperial Problems, and solving a real-world issue without knowing it.”

 

Kyrie blanched, and sent a word of warning towards her apprentice. She picked up her comlink to send in backup, but something stopped her. Kala was handling well, and she was doing fantastically. A message displayed the news of The Grand Master’s death, and the Imperial Knight felt nothing. She had briefed him of her actions on Cardia, asked for support and had received nothing. The Wookiee hadn’t cared enough to deal with a person only wanting to be his friend. Sith were active in the galaxy, and this was the Cassus Beli for war and the purifiaction of their evil. A secondary message displayed from Aiden, and she considered its contents for a second.

 

“IC-426, never send my people on missions without briefing me. That is your last warning. Imperial Command will deal with me directly. Make things in here unclassified, we will be having visitors…”

 

The commando nodded his grizzled head and deactivated a few screens and readouts as the Jedi General sent a message to Aiden, inviting him to command center A-342, and to bring his friend with him. Kyrie Eleison adjusted her armour, and prepared for the meeting.

[Dordjooba the Hutt]

Oooh fiery

Kaldena’s eyes glittered with excitement. “Moff it is then. I did not wish to assume or bring rank into this discussion. But, if you wish. Moff Weyler, we are here to discuss Dordjooba’s investments in the Kuat Drive Yards. When the Remnant started to take steps away from the Galactic Alliance, a few valuable investments were lost in the bureaucratic jumble. We are here to re-establish those investments, or come to some understanding as to why we can’t.” Kaldena switched how her legs were crossed with casual indifference. The language of provocation was like breathing to her. Some would say it wasn’t her fault. They would say that racial cravings pushed her to do what she did. But she didn’t care. It was who she was, why hate it? Passion had a great way of equalizing things in its own way.

 

Dordjooba smiled and nodded at each point Kaldena made. He preferred to let her handle the more diplomatic sides of his operation. It wasn’t that Dordjooba didn’t appreciate diplomacy, but he trusted and respected Kaldena’s ability to deliberate on his behalf. She was a trusted and loyal employee. It was her prerogative to determine when that exchange ended. If it did.

 

For the moment, the Hutt looked around, scanning the office as the Moff and Kaldena talked. He sprayed a little scent in the air to mask some of his odor and pushed a small button at his wrist. If the Moff showed caution, Dordjooba offered a genial smile. He would respond by pointing at the small droid as it came in, cleaning up Dordjooba’s slime trail.

 

“I take 0014-T with me wherever I go. Some dignitaries don’t appreciate a Hutt sliming up their workspace. And I understand that. My race has the natural proclivity to shed excess mucus and an awful scent. So, through years of careful attention, I have shifted my natural scent to something more palatable. Unfortunately, at times, it still needs attention.” Dordjooba remarked as he sprayed a little more sweet scent into the air. The droid spent the better part of a few minutes cleaning up the trail that Dordjooba left until it settled right beside Kaldena and stopped.

 

“So, Moff Weyler,” Dordjooba said, a deep smile covering his charcoal colored face. “Do you think you can help us?”

[Raven Nasra]

Raven smiled at Aira, her white teeth shining in the harsh light of the holodisplays. “I have an advantage over the Moffs, they elected me in order to control me, thinking I was a little girl with no real ambition. So they gave me the Head of State’s office. An Emperor in all but name. After I had the power, I cleaned house of Moffs, generals, and officers who wished to return the Remnant to a Galactic Empire.” At the raised eyebrows around the room this response likely forced heavenswards Raven laughed. “Cleaned house is likely a too harsh a phrase, they were forcibly retired, most have a great many credits to play with, but no real power. No one was lined up against a wall and executed, I assure you that.” She shrugged dramaticaly. “I have no doubt that some semblance of desire to see a new Galactic Empire rise is still in the military and can never be fully rooted out. That is why we have turned the eye of the Remnant on the Sith and other criminals, never I hope on the Galactic Alliance.”

Raven let the bit about Mazzari slide for now, the ISB would be investigating such rumours, as well as the Faust incident. Blood had been spilled on both sides, enough was enough. “If CoreSec or the Galactic Alliance needs our help we will respond, if you wish me to send a task force to Onderon alongside your fleet I will do so. I have no qualms with such a response, I have a fleet assembling at this moment if the need is dire.”

 

As the negotiations began to wrap up, she wondered if any of the other dignitaries would speak, certainly the Mon Calamari had something to spitefully jab out about the Remnant’s past. When nothing was forthcoming, Raven was glad that the ambassadors were more constrained than her own Moffs. Who usually left tact behind in negotiations. She turned to Aira and grabbed her hand in a firm but friendly shake.

 

“I hope all goes well and safely on your return trip, please let me know of any further developments I can head off from my end. If things go badly in the senate or in the future, you and your order always have a place here in the Remnant. If for your own protection or my own. The Imperial Knights would be happy to train any jedi in troop tactics if it comes to that against the Sith. They are sworn to the light side and the Remnant both, and though a completely separate order than yours, I believe they would work well together.”

 

She did not go into the minute details about the Knights, about their oath to uphold the light and dethrone the Head of State if the darkside took hold of her. They were balance to her power, the one thing alongside the Jedi that would keep the remnant from slipping into the darkside. She hoped.

 

___________________________________

 

 

Ah KDY. The focus of so much ire and death over the decades, and a place where billions of credits funneled in and out per fiscal year. A place a Hutt could easily wash money gained illegally. Wyler let his eyebrows raise a little and he pulled up his large datapad.

 

“What exact investments did you loose? I will need a full accounting of how they were lost before I can assist in their recovery, but I can assure you that you will get some degree of compensation.”

[Aidan Darkfire]

((In the interest of moving things along briskly))

 

Aidan received the comm, sending a quick affirmative before turning back to Sophia and filling her in. They were expected soon, and Aidan preferred they move quickly so as to not keep the general waiting. The transport was long and quiet, and Aidan mostly just collected his thoughts.

 

After they arrived at the command center and were shuffled through the building to the room the General was waiting in, Aryian approached Kyrie with a bit of trepidation, but began presenting his case without delay.

 

"General, this woman is someone who has been researching my family line, and would like to tag along with our unit as a war correspondent for the time being. I believe you have the authority to assign her as a civilian liaison to the unit. I'm, uh...I'm also willing to be responsible for her safety."

[Aira Cadan]

I returned Raven's bright smile as she informed us about how she had consolidated power over the moffs. "Hopefully directing their efforts at a very visible threat like the Sith will indeed keep their attention," I agreed. "Thank you for your time, Head of State. I look forward to bringing your report back to the Galactic Alliance. I am sure that our favorable report to them will be well-received."

 

I rose and shook the offered hand. "And thank you for your personal assurances as well. I will remember them," I promised. "And..." I dropped my voice. "I'm sorry for your loss," I added. I wasn't sure what the connection was, but I could tell Raven was hurting, and I hurt for her.

 

Our negotiations seemed to be wrapped up, and they seemed to have gone well. Everyone shook Raven's hand. Junior Ambassador P'lwek lingered for a moment, and I overheard him tell Raven that he was glad to have been able to visit Carida, and how pleased he had been at the treatment he had received since being on-world. I smiled again. Raven's Empire certainly seemed a different place than the one I had known, and it was showing.

 

Our farewells said, we made our way back to our shuttle.

[Aelyn]

Aelyn smiled at Raven when she shook her hand. "Thank you for seeing us on such short notice," she said. "And do let us know if there's anything we can do to help with the investigation."

 

Honestly she'd expected the talks to go on longer, and she thought some of the rest of the delegation had as well, but truth be told this was so preliminary and they'd hit their talking points fast enough that there wasn't that much more to be said. Perhaps the Senate would open up some more extensive talks once they'd heard this report, especially if a formal agreement to assist the other government in hunting the Sith was to be drafted. She was tempted to call such an arrangement an "alliance", but, well, maybe people didn't want to hear that word with the Remnant's departure from the GA. It almost begged the question as to why they split in the first place.

 

The idea of this "war" against the Sith would still take some getting used to for her, especially since she didn't know how to feel about it yet. CoreSec had for a while done a pretty good job of locking Sith Lords up, and she kind of hoped that it could remain like that, where they were localized individual threats that could be taken into custody and maybe reformed. But CoreSec wasn't even close to being equipped to handle something like had happened on Carida. If that's how the SIth were going to fight, the military had to get involved. It was kind of scary to think that the Sith could be building a fleet somewhere that capture a whole planet.

 

Starting to head back to the shuttle, Aelyn gave a slight sigh. Everything was complicated on a stage this big. She was against war and for earnest negotiation, but an organization of terrorists and mass murderers that could build capital ships was a threat to public safety that couldn't go unanswered. Maybe there was an ethical way to carry out a conflict against them. Maybe, as long as they at least tried to find another way, a fight was the best thing they could do.

 

All those thoughts and more swirled through her head as the shuttle departed the Remnant capital and headed back towards the GA one.

[Dordjooba the Hutt]

Dordjooba nodded quietly with a pleasant smile. He watched the little cleaning droid shut down at Kaldena’s feet and made a mental note to empty out its tank later. “To be frank, my dear Moff, we lost a ship and several hundred thousand credits worth of stocks. We held stock in the company for years, because the KDY is and was a beacon of Starcraft engineering brilliance. Yes, I’m blowing smoke up their ass, but I love their work. Why else would I invest in their company?”

 

Dordjooba let his question hang for a moment, before running right back to his dialogue.

 

“Now, while I am interested in getting those stocks back, I am also interested in the ship. It was a cargo ship carrying quite a bit of trade goods. Food, medical supplies, power cells, spare parts, etc. In fact, you’ll find the shipping manifest on the datapad we gave you.”

 

Dordjooba’s tone was serious. There was concern laden in the jowls of his face. And his blue eyes glint with the weight of his financial woe.

 

“The ship was called, ‘The Silver Carrow,’ and it was lost somewhere in the Outer Rim we believe. It was a decent sized cargo vessel. And we’d assumed it was pirates, but none of our contacts confirmed it. As for how we lost the stocks, our guess is that it was an accounting mix-up. That, when assets changed hands, a few numbers and listed items got jumbled up in the mess. Otherwise, we are unsure how the items in question were lost. We have documents confirming that the stocks were there and documents confirming that they were lost, but we don’t know what happened in between; not definitively at least. Financial compensation would be excellent, but the restoration of the stocks and reimbursement for the ship or a reacquisition of the ship would be preferred.”

 

Dordjooba gesticulated as he spoke with appropriate emphasis. His baritone voice carried authority and finesse. And although Kaldena was silent, she watched his oration and listened intently.

[Beck Pilon]

The spiral of white and blue that was suddenly turned into a colorful projectile vomit as the Hand of Valour, a Shockwave Class Assault Frigate came out of hyperspace above the planet of Carida. Beck Pilon stood on the bridge and watched as the all too familiar planet grew larger within the viewport. Turning towards the crew, he gave his orders.

 

"Send word to Head of State Zinthos that the first of her ships are ready. Also, have the Calloused Pride detach and await me to be picked up. There is no doubt that we will need to make a quick turn around to pick up the two Corona-Class Frigates that will undoubtedly be done by now."

 

Beck turned his attention back to the planet and watched as his own ship detached from the Hand of Valour and began to use some exercise patterns. The flight from Kuat Shipyards was longer then it should have been, and by now, most of the crew were becoming desperate to have real food as opposed to the synthesized disgusting crap that came standard straight off the product line of any shipyard.

[Raven Nasra]

Wyler shrugged his thin shoulders, his white Moff’s uniform crinkling with the starch used to keep it pristine. “Your stock interest shall remain in KDY, they still maintain a large civilian shipbuilding firm in the orbital construction ring. Their profits should not likely spiral into the depths of the galactic markets. When investing in KDY you knew the implications if the shipbuilders were nationalized again which was always in the cards. I do not see a problem with your investment being transferred to the civilian markets. As for you ship you will need to be more specific as to what you want the Imperial Remnant to do about your lost ship, we have no power in the outer rim, you know that.”

 

_______________________________

 

 

In the executive offices Raven began to plan a large military operation to end the slave trade in the outer rim, focused around the planet Curst. Though not having seen large scale anti-slavery operations in some time, She felt that the use of the Imperial military and Knights to free slaves held for centuries against their will would set the stage for the Remnant to turn its image around. Stormtroopers freeing slaves instead of taking them, the Holonet would eat it up. She issued orders for the Fleet commanders, Stormtrooper commanders, the ISB, and the Ubiqtorate to begin preparations for a quick and seamless operation against the slave trade. She dialed the number for commander Beck into her desk holocomm and left him a message.

 

“Please report to my office immediately upon the return of the Imperial fleet to full fighting capacity. I have a mission for us.”

 

She had been a slave herself once, so long ago...

[Kyrie Eleison]

IC-426 watched the pair enter the Imperial Command Center, and began to put forward streaming data into the videofeeds around them. Tactical maneuvers were obscured with visuals of the ongoing battle between the Wild Bunch and the OpFor. He watched his General closely, the way she absentmindedly pushed a few braided locks from her eyes and placed them behind her ear, her unnatural nervousness with diplomatic talk. She was far more suited to a Commando’s role, than that of a diplomat. Very much different then most Jedi he’d seen. The religious orders were odd in that way, his own general teaching a student older than her, but not seeing age or ability as a true measure of power.

 

As for herself, Kyrie was minorly flustered by her apprentice’s arrival, alongside a reporter no less. She passed her armoured hand before her emerald gaze, looking at them both for a moment before she ground out the words in basic. Her speech was slow, her concentration focusing on eliminating her normative stutter. She reached out in greating with a hand, alongside the force

 

“Greetings, friend of Aidan. My name is Kyrie Eleison, Commander of the Imperial Knights.”

 

She gave the woman a smile, which twisted in the scar tissue on her face, and turned to Aidan

 

“She has my clearance, although I don’t trust reporters. I trust you with her safety, and with the insurance she will not leak anything classified.”

 

She motioned to a small table where a steaming carafe of tea sat alongside three simple glasses of spartan design. There was a pile of ration cubes alongside them, wrapped in Imperial White with their nutritional information displayed. Kyrie’s idea of a welcoming feast, was a bit warped.

 

“Let us drink together, unless you prefer something stronger.”

 

She sat awkwardly at the edge of her seat, the kama about her waist revealing the armoured leggings and weaponry she carried. The symbols of the Empire were emblazoned in a green similar to the forests of Endor upon a background of bone.

 

“Tell me of this famous family of yours, Aidan.”

[Beck Pilon]

Beck helped get the Hand of Valour turned over to Commander Ansfelt Liu and he himself rejoined his commandos on his own shuttle, Calloused Pride. Upon arriving on his ship, he received word that Head of State Zinthos had left him a message. Upon hearing that he needed to bring back the fleet asap, Beck had his shuttle make the immediate jump back to Kuat. They would have the fleet over Carida within days now.

[Aidan Darkfire]

Aidan actually melted a bit from his stiff uncertainty at Kyrie's offer, not being a stranger to good preprep food since he was a teenager or so. That is, until she mentioned his parents. Everyone with his gorram parents these days...so, tactfully and appreciatively he sat and poured a drink, taking a sip before starting.

 

"My, uh, parents...they were both Jedi. Apparently big names back in the day as well, though truthfully I dont remember much, just what I was told. My mother, Armiena Draygo, was even Grandmaster of the Order for a while, and my father, Aryian Darkfire, led the Jedi special operations division under her."

 

Aidan paused, taking a swallow this time, embracing the strong but hearty flavors of the tea, the earthy tones subtly belying the hidden bitter notes.

 

"I think that's why I never really saw much of them. I was mostly raised by my grandmother, Misal Draygo, and Kirlocca, a Wookiee Jedi. I saw bits and pieces of them until I was fourteen, when I snuck away and joined a spacing crew. They taught me the basics of the Jedi ways, but...well, I've seen what the Jedi do for the galaxy."

 

Aidan practically spat the last statement, not bothering to hide his derision for the Order that practically allowed the greater evils of the galaxy to actively thrive. He'd come here because he felt the Knights would actually do something instead of sit in meditation chambers and idly watch events until the galaxy had burned to ash around them.

[Dordjooba the Hutt]

Dordjooba’s teeth clenched a little and his smile sagged. His thoughts were conflicted, but anger never touched the folds of his features. He looked at the Moff, his big blue eyes shining with silent intensity, and solemnly shook his head. “You see my dear Moff, had my stocks changed to civilian registries, I would be fine. However, my stocks vanished. We don’t understand how it happened. If you cannot help us, that is disappointing but understandable. You are a large and burgeoning empire, so a Hutt’s whims are a little out of your purview. The Silver Carrow’s loss is similarly disappointing, but it was a false notion to think you would be able to help me there. I understand your influence – heck, even the Galactic Alliance’s influence – does not stretch that far. If you can compensate me for the stocks, I would be grateful, but I would not expect you to do something for nothing.” Dordjooba’s smile returned and a glint shone in the corner of his bright eyes.

 

“Perhaps there is something me and mine can do for you that might earn that compensation?”

 

Kaldena remained quiet, but leaned in a little further, taking note of the Moff’s prejudice and ironically disarming its crude effects by identifying it as stereotypical Imperial xenophobia.

[DoctorOblivious]

With only one disdainful glance from the Imperial Commander, Sophia suspected that she and this child soldier were not going to get along. Clearly, Eleison had an overelevated reverence for the value of operational security, whereas Moriarty… while she wasn’t a journalist by training, it was her trade to stick her aquiline nose where it didn’t belong, to irritate overly secretive sorts in the name of the pursuit of truth and the next month’s paystub. That understanding of historical context probably made her even more dangerous than a gumshoe reporter. She returned Eleison’s grasp, feeling surprisingly strong muscles under the calloused skin of her fingers; the Imperial commander would have felt long, thin fingers belonging to a woman whose idea of physical activity was climbing several flights of stairs and whose concept of a battlefield injury was a repetitive stress injury from too much time spent datapadding.

 

“Doctor Sophia Moriarty, historian… of the University of Coruscant…”

 

Nope, they were not going to get along whatsoever. Nor was she going to agree with the soldier's apparently spartan tastes. Her stomach wasn't going to object to a free meal after several hours of neglecting her ravenous metabolism, but even her pragmatic tastes tended to prefer a meal that wasn't scientifically designed and industrially manufactured to produce a meal that delivered sufficient nutrition in efficient packaging as cheaply as possible.

 

Sophia grabbed a pair of the processed ration cubes and took a taste nibble after taking a seat. The flavor was… vaguely tolerable, if not identifiable and only marginally tolerable, tasting not completely unlike chicken. It wasn't completely objectionable; in fact, she suspected that she could grow to develop a taste for the rations with enough practice, as horrifying that prospect of subsisting on these products might seem. She took a test sip of the tea; again, heavily processed but not unpalatable.

 

“Your parents were fighters, Aidan. They might have been with the Jedi, but your mother joined as an adult. There's only so much that Jedi training can do to supplant a previously-formed identity. As for their contributions to the galaxy…. well,” Sophia buried her nose in the cup of tea, letting the herbal steam waft over her face. Only her eyes and forehead visible behind the inexpensive ceramic mug, she continued on. “Wait twenty years. There are going to be some amazing disagreements amongst the historians.”

[Beck Pilon]

Like darts hitting their mark, Beck stood upon the bridge of the Glory of Carida as they emerged from hyperspace over Carida. Along with the sister ship, Admiral Andripov and his own ship, Calloused Pride, the three made their presence known, broadcasting immediately to High Command of their arrival. The two Corona-Class Frigates began to drift away from each other, but took up a standard navy maneuver of planetary control. Beck gave out a few order to make sure that the ships began to prepare to have the Head of State and the upper Moffs and admirals board the ships. He also sent word to his own shuttle to land on the surface and to await orders from him.