A Fleet's Fire

[Catalys Maijora]

Every nation is backed by industry, and the Primeval were no exception to this rule.

Yet their industry in particular was unique among the many powers. Unlike most, which had dedicated companies utilizing many planetside facilities; the Primeval relied on one massive, mobile fleet of factory ships. These starships were immense in size and capable of manufacturing an abundance of products ranging from weapons and armour, to vehicles and even small capital ships.

If desirable, several of these vessels also had the unique ability of forming a makeshift shipyard capable of manufacturing vessels up to several thousand meters in size.

This industry had a very simple name... The Primeval Fleet; the fleet was the core of everything in the Primeval. Their armies, navies, temples, exemplars, and witches all relied on the fleet to provide them with what they needed. That lifeline was soon to be found unavailable. Alas, the Warlord of the Rift has foolishly decided to declare war upon the Host Lord and assert claim over the many territories within Wild Space.

Ensuring that Wild Space's greatest industry did not fall into the hands of the mad Hutt, Catalys Maijora had begun preparations to secure the company's assets and move them elsewhere, away from those who'd threaten everything the Host Lord had achieved.

He wasn't alone, however, as the agent recruited the aid of a familiar ally...



[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6667px]The tenacity of the zealotry should never be underestimated. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]With the demise of the Host Lord, the one thing that held them all together, the various factions, cults and personalities folded into each other - now, with no neutral force to hold them in line, they took for the sword and the fire. Clashing, ship against ship, worlds against worlds, sword to sword.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6667px]It was madness and it was exactly what Khal had foreseen. That was the problem with a single entity holding everything in balance… the moment it was gone? The real troubles started. Without a successor or heir to rally behind there was little loyalist forces could do.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Except not play the game at all.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Catalys.” for once he didn’t use the nickname. This was a serious situation. There wasn’t anything to joke about with hundreds of thousands being put to the flame because of a madness.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]But at the very least… they could do some good today.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Or at least minimize some of the damage. Without the fully functional industrial might of the Primeval Fleet behind them they would run out of steam soon, perhaps they would turn to stones and rocks to do the fighting, but that could not be helped.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Barbarians.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

Catalys stared out the viewport aboard Citadel Station, looking outward at the massive fleet assembled. Although large in size, it still wasn't enough to stem the tide just yet.

In fact, he wasn't entirely certain himself if that was what he'd do or not anyway.

Turning his head only slightly, "Khaleel," he responded in kind before once more turning his attention to the stars. "To think that all this was made in half a decade, I wonder how far we could've gone in better circumstances." Catalys wondered, still trying to understand what had happened and why. It was all so sudden... His last order, Anja's death, and the gathering of what remained. If only he had more time, greater resources.

Alas, the Exemplar had met his match in the insanity of a mad Warlord. With the resources of the Chiloon Rift tightly secured, Zambrano the Hutt's war could very well be a long and bloody one. Yet he still needed the Primeval Fleet for support. Without it many of his warships could not be repaired, all weapons in his arsenal ran on the fleet's munitions, too. Whether or not the warlord understood, he was about to lose a lifeline.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Half a decade.[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]But the problem wasn’t the expansions. It was the inherent nature of instability when it came to building an empire in such a rapid way with such methods - zealotry, fire and blood, they all caused a fragile sense of peace. Only the danger of more violence occurring would stop anyone from rebelling out right, and now with Anja gone and all her Warlords fighting against each other… too busy with trying to become the [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]newest[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] Lord of the Host, all their attention was shifted away from those they had been suppressing.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]It always hinged on Aj’Rou, Catalys[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px].” the Underlord replied, taking a look himself at the fleet the Exemplar was gathering right now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]He himself had forged a criminal [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]empire[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] in a decade. But the Exchange was stable, it was profitable and even if he’d pass it would still move on to its predetermined path; of that he made sure.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]More time wouldn’t have solved the inherent fragility of peace and the imbalance[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px].”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Khal scratched his chin, before looking away and to his ally. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]What’s our game plan?[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"I've already established a theatre of war, but first we need to pull away his industry, communications, and infrastructure. If we force him to retreat into the Rift then we can destroy all of his forces in one attack."

As far as game plans go, it was pretty standard on a strategic front, but sound nonetheless. If the Warlords were granted opportunities to strike without fear of their resources being cut off, then the war wouldn't end until there was nothing left. However; if they no longer had that luxury they'd be forced to defend what territory they have, and hope for an opportunity to strike a mighty blow.

The Chiloon Rift, however, posed a unique challenge. It was nigh impossible to navigate, and much of it remains unexplored.

There is no advantage in attacking the Rift. Which means they'd need to somehow force him on the offensive when the time came, before hunting down the Time Foundry and destroying it.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Actually. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]There were a few people he knew who could make attacking the Chiloon Rift a lot easier, people who had spent most of their lives traversing it and knew the lay of the land. People who had particular [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]skills[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] and experience in exploring tough environments, returning with glory written over their faces (and a lot of grime, but that was besides the point). Because nobody controlled the Chiloon Rift, nobody really could, it was too big, too chaotic, you needed a whole empire just dedicated towards the Rift to even aspire to it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]But that was also besides the point, because Khal was not interested in fighting lost and losing battles.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“I propose another option.” this would probably be a tough one to sell, but inherently Khal knew that this was the only option truly left to them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]The only one that mattered, at the least.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“We leave. Let ‘em burn each other to the ground. They will do our work for us.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

Catalys didn't say a word, instead he remained fixed on what transpired in the silent depths of space, only a small frame separating him and certain death.

It wasn't as if the Exemplar had been particularly loyal to one cause or another, in fact he tended to be the most reasonable 'higher up' within the Primeval's leadership. As Anja's enforcer it was often his job to do things that he himself didn't believe was the right course of action, but instead of carrying them out anyway he often changed that course to one more suitable to his liking. It worked, often, and allowed him to rise in power.

Yet in the end, that power was limited. He wasn't widely known or recognized outside of the fleet, and thus had no chances on being the next Host Lord should someone have placed his name in a ballot of sorts.

"I'm not you, Khal. I was born out there, and I grew up in that environment... It was... Odd. When I left the homeworld behind and joined Anja's Host, I never thought I'd be standing here. I had always assumed I'd die well before she did, but it seems that was not to be the case. I can't say much for faith, but if the Gods are real perhaps this is an elaborate scheme to achieve something that we simply cannot comprehend." He finally spoke.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Then let’s be smart about it.” the Underlord had made his entire business by being smart. His empire was made by cutting deals, smoothing things over, cutting people in. Direct confrontation and all-out war prevented by simply being able to [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px]share[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6667px] things, instead of giving into the greed and trying to keep everything for himself. Khal wasn’t an idiot though. It was pretty clear that they couldn’t really cut a deal with the likes of Zambrano.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Nobody can control the Chiloon Rift. Better, bigger entities have tried and they failed. Ain’t no different with Zambrano. He might control some space, but that will be his undoing. I got people in my organization who have lived most of their lives there… if you wanna stop him, that’s how we should do it.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“Hit him in his home. Cripple the Time Foundry and remove his ability to keep churning out war material. Take away the Primeval Fleet, hide it somewhere so nobody can use it against us.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]Khal looked him in the eye.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px]“With the Host Lord dead our allies ain’t numerous. We won’t win a straight fight, but we can win it by sheer virtue of attrition.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6667px][member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"Many will die," Catalys wasn't necessarily the kind of guy who'd worry about the lives of others; after all he had been responsible for such destruction himself once upon a time.

Yet maybe Khal was right, though. Winning by conventional means? It would be difficult, but it could be done in time. The one thing Zambrano lacked the most was competency within his leadership, with the directorate dead he hadn't the strategic senses to outwit or outfight by conventional means. Certainly he could win against civilians through terror, but any truly battle-tested army or fleet would be superior to the Warlord of the Rift whom relied heavily on numbers over quality troops.

Even still, destroying his holdings in the Chiloon Rift was essential to halting the production of warships within the Hutt's territory. Without the Time Foundry, he wouldn't have any destroyers, without the mines he'd have no production, and without the beacons they'd be unable to navigate through the Bubble of the Lost. It was a sound--if not bold--plan.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

“They already are.” Khal replied.

It had been a long time since the Underlord really… cared for things like the lives of other people. His own crew, friends, men and women that worked for him - those were a different story, he was responsible for them and that meant he would make sure they were always taken care of.

But he couldn’t let himself care for the lives of people he never met. People that didn’t have any connection to him. That was a slippery slope in his opinion, you started out with good intentions but at the end of the day it would destroy you.

That wasn’t something he really wanted to happen.

Khaleel stepped away from the viewport, returning his attention to the galactic map that was hovering above the frame. It had a rough interpretation of Zambrano’s movements and a red, pulsating node that represented the heart of his operations.

The Chiloon Rift.

“First, we move the Primeval Fleet out of his reach.” Khal gestured with his hand, and the map zoomed out even more… until the empty void outside the galactic disk was shown.

“How much did Anja tell you about what I was doing?”

[member="Catalys Maijora"]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

Catalys never truly stopped to think what Khaleel's purpose was; in regards to the Primeval, anyway.

"You assume that she and I spoke much at all, Khal. I'm afraid I wasn't one to ask many questions, it wasn't my place to ask many questions." He was lying, there were reasons why she trusted Catalys and those reasons were never made aware to anyone--not anyone except the two of them. Whatever she had trusted him with, and for whatever reasons he decided to keep that secret too, would not be something so readily revealed.

Nonetheless, in response to his question it did at least offer Khaleel with a less than straight-forward, 'No."

As for moving the fleet out of reach, that was something already underway. If the fleet remained at Citadel Station for too long it wouldn't take much time at all for the Hutt to find it. The Telos System was one of the few ways into the Chiloon Rift, which meant it was likely for Zambrano the Hutt to target it eventually, if not sooner than later. "The fleet will be moved. I imagine you already have a location in mind," Catalys replied.

Khaleel was always too enigmatic in times like these.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Khal didn't argue against it. His entire purpose within the ranks of the Primeval was to act as the eyes and ears as the Host Lord. Her own personal spymaster -- the one man she could trust to do exactly what he always did. That was what their trust had been based of, the knowledge that Anja had figured out Khaleel and Khaleel had figured out Anja. Both of them had goals, some of which overlapped each other and a partnership had been born. He didn't know what Catalys' specific bond with Anja was, but he knew it was more than a simple Executor of her will.

At the end of her life there were only a few people close to Anja. Catalys was one of them, Loxa another and Khaleel himself... well, even he had played his role to perfection at the end.

He inserted the chip which contained the data gathered by Anja and him. Suddenly the map filled itself up with little, pulsating red nodes.

Some of which were outside the Galaxy within the empty void of the extragalactic reach.

"I have created safe havens outside the Galaxy for exactly these situations. One of the nodes is nearby an ExGal location. A little star cluster without any sentient life... but it contains a plethora of resources, which the Primeval Fleet can utilize."

Not even to speak about the extensive shipyards this Shadowport has.

[member="Catalys Maijora"]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"And what would be the catch, then?" Catalys crossed his arms, knowing that Khaleel--even in their shared goal--must've had some intention of profiting from the remnant's power. An entire fleet of factory ships, and warships, all of which now made available to Khaleel should he choose to pull such favours from Catalys after assisting in the salvation of the fleet in the first place.

That wasn't to say he saw Khal as a mindless, greedy tycoon hellbent on achieving his various ambitions. Only that he was too smart to have the Primeval fleet hide out in the fringes of the galaxy, threatening to expose his caches and depots, with nothing to offer in return. Everything was a calculated risk, not a gamble. Or so the Exemplar assumed as much.

Still; the only other options would be to either confront the mad Hutt directly or join the Sith. The former option sounds much more attractive...

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

"Simple." and it really was.

The fact of the matter was that the Exemplars needed a framework to operate. Before the Host Lord died they had the resources and manpower of the Primeval supporting their structure, but with her death this was becoming increasingly more complicated. True, they could sell their services to the various Warlords and yet... considering they were each fighting against one another, that would eventually mean having the Exemplars fight against each other, or go back on their contracts.

But there was a third option. There always was when the Underlord was involved.

"The Primeval Fleet and the Exemplars cannot operate on their own." at least not right away. It would take time to resettle into a role that was more... independent.

"I propose a cooperation between the two of us. The Primeval Fleet and the Exemplars will be supported by the Exchange, and in exchange they will support me."

Very simple, really.

[member="Catalys Maijora"]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

Catalys didn't need to think too hard on that, he already had a hunch, and it was something his mind had constructed on its own several days ago.

"So, you provide us with the means to survive and we serve as your private enforcers?" In layman's terms.

It wasn't as bad as Catalys made it sound, but that was the only way the Exemplar could fathom the arrangement. Even after assisting each other countless times, there was a bitterness to that relationship now that Anja had died. Yet it wasn't that she held it all together, or that she had brought them together; more so it was that Catalys no longer had a purpose.

"I'll accept those terms."

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

And there it was.

Khal let it hang for a moment, before extending his hand for a shake on it.

This was going to change everything - probably an overstatement of the Exemplars worth, but they were not trivial troops. Highly skilled, experienced, capable of stealth and execution, no moral scruples against doing what needed to be done. It would bolster his own troops and ability to project power across the Galaxy. Together with his information network, the Vahla providing him with intel... yes, this would work out flawlessly.

Not even speaking of the factory ships who would be bolstered by an ExGal dwarf galaxy. Silently... churning out war material and other things.

This was going to get interesting.

[member="Catalys Maijora"]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

Catalys shook on it, although he really didn't want to.

"What's next?" It was always time to think ahead, and moving on and getting this event out of the way was well on the Umbaran's agenda.

Somehow he couldn't help by wonder if Khaleel would just let the Exemplar's do whatever they wished for the most part, distracted by his other more pressing affairs. That in itself was the burden of being the leader of anything. Even if you put the day-to-day management into the hands of others, the amount of distractions readily available were all too abundantly clear.

In that, Catalys did not envy him. If he himself were to try and lead the Exemplar's without Khal's support, he too might find himself in such situations; ones which he hasn't the resources to properly address.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Catalys Maijora"]

"It will take time to make all the proper arrangements." there was a reason why extragalactic travel wasn't exactly done by everyone and anyone. It took preperation, a grounded knowledge in your routes and a healthy dosis of luck. There was a... they could call it a 'barrier' hanging around this Galaxy, a disturbance that made it impossible to simple key in a destination outside and jump to hyperspace - at least not without crashing and burning really hard.

No, they would need to take the secrets routes. Probably would have to pull in a few good instinctive astrogation experts too, to help with locating big enough breaches in the disturbance, so the larger ships can get through. They gotta be there: otherwise it wouldn't have made sense for the InterGalactic Banking Clan to refit some of their stations with shipyards.

So there had to be ways to get through with larger ships. Not even talking about the Yuuzhan Vong invasion so many years ago. Some of their ships were grotesquely big. They just had to find 'em, that was all.

"I have been looking into the proper routes to move larger ships. Got some leads, but it might take a few more days. You organize things on your end, and I will on mine."

 

[Catalys Maijora]

"Unfortunately my 'organizing' means winning a few battles so that we may survive another day," it was true that the Hutt's forces have begun an assault on Dromund Kaas. Why anyone would want to attack that more-or-less dead world was only the first question; the second is why the Republic and Silver Sanctum decided to involve themselves. No matter. Catalys was done asking questions.

With all the thoughts flowing through his brain, the agent seemed totally ignorant of Khaleel's presence; as if the crime lord had already left the room.

Dealing with all the things he had to deal with made for a mighty distraction, one that remained such a pain in his ass that he couldn't think straight without feeling a migraine coming along. He couldn't even fathom how Anja ever managed to lead the Primeval throughout her life, of all happenings in the witch's daily affairs, the Primeval always seemed to be the last of her worries; if she ever worried.

Perhaps there was something to learn in all that, a greater lesson that still eludes the Exemplar. She too was once in his position, only her father was a very powerful man, and his a nameless nobody.

If only she hadn't died... Then all this death, all this needless destruction may never have happened.

[member="Khaleel Malvern"]