Private A Meeting Of Similar Standards

[Martin Dux]

Stars dotted the galaxy, coating everything as far as the eye could see. As Martin adjusted himself in the seat, he looked out into the great expanse. I lesser man would have felt lost, trapped, but not him. The small transport shuttle he'd received for travel was exactly what he needed to enjoy this moment. Nothing will ever change this, he thought. Besides, he was almost to the Shii-Cho, he could afford a moment like this. The light of the closet star hit him like a lukewarm beacon, covering him in its visual warmth. Slowly, the old man closed his eyes.

"you see that one?"

"Which one?"

"The little one right there, you see it?"

"Yeah, I do. What about it?"

"haha, look closer. What do you see now, trying connecting it to those three little ones."

"Hmm, It's... a box?"

"It's more than just a box, Alek. That's the hidden tomb of Darth Nerios. You see, there's the mountain it's under, the statues, and that's the door."

"ooh, I see it now. Master, what kind of sith was Darth Nerios?"

"The typically kind. He was a native of Mygeeto, though, so I know more about him than other sith lords."

"When you say typically, do you mean-"

"Evil, corrupt, that sort."

"Ya know, I'm glad you're not like typical sith"

"Neither will you."

"You don't know that, master."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you're always saying how easy it is to succumb to the dark side, you say it could happen to me too."

"Well, it could, but you've been making good progress. You're different, Alek. Come on, let's resume training."

"Incoming craft, identify yourself." The harsh, strict voice of a naval officer shot Martin from his nap, the crackling static grating on his ears.

He shook his head, rubbing his forehead. "The-" he quickly read the identification card attached to the flight controls, he couldn't make it out, "Ship-thingy. I was sent by Rex Valhoun."

There was a brief moment of silence and aimless background chatter coming from the comms. "Oh, the specialist. Very well, commence docking."

With that, Martin switched off the auto-pilot and began steering the ship into the docking bay. It was a little difficult, admittedly. Martin wasn't always the best pilot but he knew enough to get by. Honestly, he preferred public transit ships and smugglers. That way, he didn't have to lift a finger.

The small ship shook as its landing gear made touch-down on the bay's metal landing pad. An officer, middle-aged, stood a safe distance away from the ship, ready to greet whoever made their way out of the ship. Slowly, the small ramp lowered from the side of it, and the effects of depressurization escaped from the door as it slid open.

The officer stepped back, confused at the sight of the cloaked man walking down from the ramp. Martin stopped a few feet from him. "I'm here to see Burtch."

The officer cleared his voice. "Grand Admiral Burtch? Of course, right this way." he was anxious, that was the common feeling Martin gave people. Maybe if he didn't wear that robe all the time, people would have a different reaction. With his hands behind his back, the officer led the old man down the hallway, Martin not caring for the glances he was given by troopers and the like.

Martin was a little excited, he'd never met an Admiral before.

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

Burtch's office had not changed much over the years. It was situated just aft of the main command bridge and across the hall, complete with a reception desk at the entrance. The decorations were sparse, if any, and the contents of the small space were almost entirely stock items provided by the Elysium Empire.

He had been on many assignments throughout the Elysium Empire navy, but always, he returned to his precious ship, HMS Shii-Cho. He knew it, the crew knew it, and the whole Empire was beginning to take notice. For that reason, his office was never touched when he was away. Even his flag captain, Captain Treyfa, would never even entertain the idea of taking the office for herself, or repurposing it for anyone else. This tiny little space was his, and his alone. In a way, it may have been his only true possession.

He was going over reports regarding defensive fleet assignments in the empire's new territories when his desk comm chimed. He pressed the button and ordered his trandoshan secretary to speak. She announced, "Sir, de new combat specialist haz landed in the hangar. He iz already on hiz way up to you now."

"Very good, Lieutenant. Send him right in here when he arrives. As you were." He was about to key the comm back off when she spoke up again.

"Zir, I also received a report dat de new special forcez Corvette is about to drop out of hyperspace and will meet up wit uz zoon."

Burtch was pleased to hear this, "Also very good. Please have the acting captain of the new ship form up directly in front of the Shii-Cho and just above our bow. I want it to be on display outside the forward viewport when I take my guest onto the bridge at the end of our meeting. Is that all?" He asked.

"No, zir. Dat iz all."

"Very good. As you were."

Martin Dux

 

[Martin Dux]

"Quite the ship, isn't it?" The officer asked, pensively. They continued towards the office of Grand Shepherd Burtch , getting very close now.

"It's... a ship alright." Martin answered, trying to sound as impressed as possible. Truly, he didn't know the first thing about ship design. He figured that he was going to learn a whole over the next few months.

"The HMS Shii-Cho." the Officer stated, pridefully.

"Hmm." Martin hummed in response. His gaze wandered here then there, looking at the troopers as they passed them by. "So, what can you tell me about Admiral Burtch?"

"Grand Admiral Burtch? He's... kinder than most of his kin." The officer tried to sound as mild as he could. Truth was, he actually admired the Admiral quite a lot, for various reasons.

"What do you mean, kinder?" Martin raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it's exactly that. He's kinder, doesn't take himself too seriously," The officer chucked, "Some of the troops say he's the first Chiss they've met with a soul."

"Hmm." Martin considered the response.

he'd met Chiss before, he trained one too. Cultis, he called himself. They were certainly a motivated bunch. It was funny, he thought. The shards of the empire always seemed to find themselves a new Thrawn, and those ones always impressed. He wondered, what kind of Thrawn was Burtch going to be.

"We're here." The officer exclaimed. he stood in front of the door.

Martin hummed in response. "Proceed."

Touching the pad, the door slid open. Martin was led into a reception area, where a Trandoshan secretary eyed him cautiously. She waved Martin and the officer onward. With the second door opening, Martin was met with the Chiss himself.

The Officer cleared his throat. "Grand Admiral Burtch, this is the specialist. Lord..." He leaned towards Martin, "What's your last name?" he whispered.

"Dux." Martin muttered.

"Lord Dux." The officer exclaimed.

Martin rolled his eyes. lord.

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

Burtch caught the eye roll and barely kept the amusement from his face. The ensign that had escorted Martin Dux here was known for his forgetfulness, and it was a good natured running joke throughout the ship. As a Grand Admiral, Burtch was required to be removed from such shenanigans, but he was aware of them, even he wasn't officially aware.

He did, however, subtly twitch his eyebrow at the older guest in amused acknowledgement before saying to the middle aged officer, "very good, ensign. You are dismissed." With Burtch's Chiss eyes, he could see the younger man's face increase in temperature from embarrassment before he saluted and left.

Burtch brought his attention to Martin Dux, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Dux. I trust your journey went well? Please, take a seat." He gestured to the other chair in front of his desk. Burtch observed the man's form, his clothing, posture, age, and grooming. The impression that Burtch got was that Martin Dux was an aged man of efficiency. Burtch also got the sense that jumping straight to business was the best way to proceed for this meeting, "I received a memo from Rex Valhoun that I am to give you access to military resources to ensure that you have everything you need to best serve our King. I understand that you are a capable master of the mystic Force, yes? I have read your file and you seem to have a reputation for personal combat and teaching. Before I commit resources to you, I would like to know which assets would suit you best. How do you feel that your skill sets will best serve the Empire? Specifically, do your skills translate well into a leadership role, or do you work best independently?"

Burtch recognized that his inquiry was leading and compounded, but service in the Elysium Empire Military was multifaceted and tricky. He needed to see how Martin Dux composed himself.

 

[Martin Dux]

It was a relief to see that the officer was not wrong. This was no ordinary Chiss, not at all. With a slight, one-sided smile that only an aged man like himself could manage, Martin walked towards the chair. With one smooth motion, he removed his robe and draped it over the chair. With that, he took his seat, laying one leg over the other.

"master of the mystic force," Martin repeated, grabbing his chin, lightly, "You know, that's the first time in a long time someone hasn't called me a space wizard." His face portrayed a serious tone but he hoped the Admiral could pick up on the joke.

Martin then considered the question set forth by the Admiral. "Leadership," he hummed, "I'll be honest with you, Admiral, I'm not a strategic genius. When it comes to large-scale warfare, commanding an army, fleet, and what have you, I'm not your man." He said, solemnly.

"However," he continued, "I do have a little experience in war. You've surely heard of the Bryn'adul conflict."

"That said, I've led a few strike teams and small platoons. My tactics, if you can call them that, are unorthodox," he scratched his chin, "Let me think of an example."

His eyes lit up, something hit him. "One time, early in the war, me a group of ten or so soldiers had been surrounded. Luckily for us, we were in a mining camp on this jungle world. Now, in this camp, they used rhydonium as... blasting usage. Along with the rhydonium were these extremely flame-resistant suits." Martin smiled, fondly to himself. That was one of the few fond memories he had of that war. "I think you can see where this is going."

He chuckled. "What did those creatures call us again? Fire spirits of Crona'Tas? I can't remember."

Grand Shepherd Burtch

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

Burtch listened to the old man carefully, considering the way he talked and presented himself. An informal posture was noted, but specialists in the Navy were known for deviant behaviour and were given a bit of leeway. Sometimes it was even preferred, given that a certain specific personality was often needed to perform special missions

Martin Dux also outlined his command experience in an earnest way, while providing examples that were short and to-the-point. Burtch had deduced as much from the reports he had received from the commanding officer of the Bryn Expeditionary Force that the Elysium Empire kept in that region of space. The man was in fact a capable leader, even if he seemed to prefer small unit tactics.

With the screen turned away from Martin, Burtch's computer provided live fact-checking on the old man's stories, confirming that none of it was a fabrication. Whenever the man joked, Burtch blinked in false amusement and let a small smile hit the corners of his mouth. Having worked with humans long enough, he could usually tell when one was attempting humour. On occasions when Chiss didn't laugh or get the humour, humans could sometimes perceive that as an intimidation attempt, so Burtch would often let himself seem amused by the efforts whenever appropriate. Besides that, he liked what he was seeing here.

"Very good," Burtch said thoughtfully, "I see that you are clearly comfortable with small command assignments. Having read your file, I had deduced as much, but I wanted to see how you presented yourself in person. I'm not at all disappointed at all by what I see. But I want to present a new possible role for you; how do you feel about public appearances?"

 

[Martin Dux]

Martin made a quick shift in his posture at that last question, barely visible to the untrained. Given the admiral's position and race, there was no doubt that he noticed it. Martin furrowed his brow, clenching and unclenching his fist.

"Now, Admiral, I don't know much about history," that was a lie, "What I do know is that force-users, Sith or not, don't mix well with empires in the public eye." It was an honest response, one he'd seen in history and firsthand.

"Now," He continued, "What many people don't think about is propaganda." That was a subject of war Martin knew quite well. "With all that, It would hardly be a challenge for someone to build an effective campaign against this empire, vilifying it with my presence. Something tells me that this isn't one of those types of empires."

He grabbed his chin, he habit of it. "Of course, you don't have to present me as a force-user. But... seeing how it is on that machine, something else tells me that wouldn't be a secret for long." He mentioned his knowledge of the computer's systems casually, like he was supposed to know it.

He sighed, shaking his head. "No, that wouldn't work. I think my existence should remain unannounced to the public."

He sighed again, deeper this time. He rubbed his forehead, deep in thought. "Pardon me, Admiral, but I must ask, are there any others... like me? I should've asked that in the first place, forgive me." He grinned an honest grin.

When it came to 'killing them with kindness', Martin was a full-blown murderer.

Grand Shepherd Burtch

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

So he's not confident that he would be good in the spotlight. Blast.

Burtch listened to Master Dux as he outlined his own perceptions on how a force user would be viewed in the galactic scene. How he viewed his own standing in the galaxy would affect how well he fit in a public role as a Force user. There was no way else to cut it. So that was a shame. But Burtch was flexible as it were.

Burtch had his own views on this matter of course. The Elysium Empire had very few prominent Force users and that was an outstanding weakness that their empire had in the larger galactic political scene. The Galactic Alliance had their own Jedi, the Eternal Empire had their own order. And factions like the Silver Jedi Concord and the Brotherhood Of The Maw were practically defined by their force users. The Elysium Empire was growing in its galactic presence and a Force agency was becoming a concern on the political scene.

First, Burtch decided to answer the man's question regarding other mystics within the empire, "In the Elysium Empire there are very few like you, and we are in short supply, unfortunately. We have a man by the name of Galen Paven who is a Jedi from a different time, but he is often busy handling personal matters and is a poor fit for a public role at this time." Burtch tilted his head and spread his hands in a sort of apology before continuing, "He claims that he can build a new Jedi order within the empire, but there's no telling when that will happen." Burtch realized that he was about to "monologue", so he stood up and started pacing to emphasize that this was going to be long winded.

"We have Jeshi Chade who is of the 'dark side persuasion' - whatever that means - but he is… well, I can't really say what he is because I'm not sure. But I can say that he gives people the creeps and is too wild for our leaders to work with. Rex's reports of the man are… interesting to say the least, and he is helpful, but he's not fitting for publicity.

"Next up, we have Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . I've never seen her abilities in action before, but she is our queen and her powers are reportedly underdeveloped. Being a queen of our Empire, I don't see her taking up formal training for such an intense discipline, but you never know. But I wouldn't hold my breath though.

"I myself am beginning to recognize that I am connected to… something," Burtch shrugged sheepishly, "But I can't see what I have as being of any use. I seem to be able to bond with whatever ship I'm on, but I have yet to see how that could be even remotely useful. My brother Keatoch is probably similar, but his other capabilities have always outshone such mystical anomalies in his life and I'm not even sure he knows about them.

"There are others, but in summary, we don't really have an established organization as of yet. But we do need one in order to maintain political standing with the rest of the galaxy. Historically, every faction that has ever existed has an order or group that symbolizes their value in the galaxy. The Old Republic was defined by it's Jedi. The old Galactic Empire was represented by its Sith and its Moffs. The ancient Rebel alliance of 800 years ago was notable for its fighter pilots. The list goes on, but the Elysium Empire is of a nomadic origin and we have often revered Naval Officers as our greatest symbol. But to the rest of the galaxy, with current times, that is not enough. We need mystics to contend with other current factions that are in power, as that is the modern trend, so the Admiralty was hopeful that we could combine your powers with the might of our navy. I understand if you are unwilling to take on that role, but if so, then my counter offer is this; Are you willing to help us find that symbol?"

Martin Dux

 

[Martin Dux]

Martin put his hands together, adjusting them, tightening them. He could see where the admiral was coming from. The force was powerful, extremely so, people like Sidious, Yoda, and Luke Skywalker were examples of that. He shivered, Nihilus firmly in his mind.

If there was going to be a mystic side to this at all, it couldn't be Jedi and definitely couldn't be Sith. For all the good Jedi did, they had a way of becoming corrupted, especially when put in the spotlight. Sith were just plain power-hungry, too many of them in the empire, and they'd eat it from the inside. No, the Elysium needed something different. A symbol, as Admiral Burtch put it. He was right, fleets and troopers be damned. With a cohesive web, a symbol, to hold everything under the empire, it was sure to fall apart. He didn't doubt their strength or leadership, he'd read enough about Heath to know that firmly. Burtch was a good leader, that was obvious, but he was one man.

Martin flexed his brain, thinking deep into how this could work. he narrowed his eyes, something hovering over his thoughts like a black cloud. Then he remembered it, the Fel Empire.

Another shard of the empire, far more archaic than this one. They had a symbol, one that arguably shined brighter than Jedi or Sith. Knights, not held down by the view of dark or light, simply the force and its uses. They wielded white sabers, much like Martin's, and protected the empire. They were a strong unfaltering symbol. Martin's lips drew up, a quaint smile planted on his face. They have a teacher, all they need to do next is round up the force-worthy.

He looked at the admiral, resolve in his eyes. "I have an idea, one that could solve the public appearance problem and add mysticality to the empire. Tell me, have you heard of the knights of the Fel Empire? They were force-users that didn't submit to one side or the other, a little like gray Jedi. They weren't zealous or upheld to any concrete belief, they were just soldiers that happened to be force-sensitive. That said, if we gathered the force-sensitive soldiers of this empire..." He nodded, liking the idea even more now.

"I could teach them, it wouldn't be on the level skill of a fully trained Sith or Jedi but there would be many of them. Of course, those who showed much promise I could isolate, focus down on them, and teach them far more. It would take time, yes, but you'd get your symbol."

Martin then felt something, like there was more to this meeting, more the admiral needed to say. "Is there something on your mind, Admiral?"

Grand Shepherd Burtch

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

"Oh, I have many thoughts on this, but we can get into details later." Burtch decided to sit back down, now that his monologue was finished and Master Dux had offered his own observations. Burtch was quite pleased, "when I talked to my brother about you, we had outlined many scenarios where you could serve the empire well. The option you just outlined regarding a whole new order was actually at the top of our list of options, and Admiral Keatoch will be pleased to know that he was right about you once again" Burtch smirked in amusement. Keatoch was almost always right. It was sometimes infuriating for Burtch, being his brother, but it also filled Burtch with a sense of pride. Keatoch was a famous genius after all.

"Right now," Burtch continued, "I'd like you to outline a few things for our logisticians and leadership to start working on. One; how will you be able to identify these special individuals for recruitment in the first place? Two; how will you be able to control these individuals once they are trained? Historically speaking, uncontrollable Force Mystics are problematic, to say the least. Three; what resources will you need to establish and maintain your organization? And finally" Burtch held up a fourth finger, as he had been counting with his hand while he was speaking, "When can you begin?"

Martin Dux

 

[Martin Dux]

Martin took in a deep breath, leaning back in his seat. Well, it's good to know they're thinking about me, the thought serving as a bit of amusement.

He fondled the hilt clipped to his belt, looking past the Admiral, in deep concentration. "It's easy to identify people with these gifts, or curses," he muttered that last bit, "I can't explain it, but people who are well trained to commune with the force can... sense it. You were right to say that you're not normal, you yourself are force-sensitive." He hoped that wouldn't worry the admiral, upon finding out their predicament, people can have vastly different reactions.

"Moving forward, controlling them is also quite easy. You see, what makes it so hard to control a Sith or Jedi is their respective ideology. A sith is taught to strive only for self-benefit and Jedi are taught to go out of their way to uphold peace. You can teach people the way of the force without having to instill either of these mindsets, in short, all you have to do is teach them like soldiers. If they do go out on their own or fall, then I have no doubt that the troopers and perhaps even a few of the other knights can take care of it. Anyone can hold a lightsaber but that doesn't mean they're invincible."

Stroking his chin, Martin's brow went to that of deep thinking. "As for the things I need, that's more complicated. I'll need a building to train them, a temple maybe. I'd need kyber crystals and the parts to make sabers, we can go into the details of that later. I won't need many crystals or parts, I think we should start out with around twenty people, nothing too crazy. Lastly, I'll need someone to gather soldiers, pilots, officers too, anyone in the empire who seems to be top class," he leaned close, "When I say top class, I mean really top class, too good at their job, that sort."

Leaning back again, he continued. "As for when I can begin," he grinned, "whenever the temple is built and the soldiers are gathered."

He hoped that satisfied the Admiral. In truth, he was a little on the fence about this, he worried. The thought of Alek was fresh on his mind, despite how long ago that was.

Grand Shepherd Burtch

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

Burtch did his best to hide his grimace as Martin Dux reaffirmed his suspicions about his own connection to the Force. It wasn't… really new information to him by now, but it still disturbed him to think about it. He didn't like the idea of having something so strange inside of himself that he knew nothing about. But perhaps, someday, by building this mystic organization, he could maybe learn more about it in the future. For now, Burtch chose to treat it as a non-issue.

He listened intently as Master Dux answered each of Burtch's questions with short, efficient answers. Burtch was mostly pleased. He wasn't necessarily so concerned with the exact strategies that would be implemented to handle the challenges that Burtch had brought into question. He was only interested in seeing if Martin was prepared to deal with those things at all. It seemed that he was already mindful of the situation in a way that was sufficient for the task. That pleased Burtch enough to make him feel comfortable moving forward with this plan.

"Then I will see to it that you are given everything you need and more. As far as I'm concerned, this project is starting as of right now. I will have my secretary assemble a list of specialists, experts, and other professionals and she will give you their contact information before you leave my ship. In turn, she will give your contact information to them and you will be able to start correspondence with them immediately after this meeting. You will have a lot of work ahead of you, but you won't be alone.

"That being said, I have a gift for you." Burtch pulled open a drawer and pulled out a fairly large package, opened it, and started pulling out some of the contents, "first, this is your new rank plaque. Given your special status, I deem it appropriate that you should hold a military commission, which gives you some formal options. You are now a Force Commander of the Navy. That should hold some weight when you need it. I'm also giving you a Navy standard datapad. Amongst other standard programs and data, there is a special commendation from me personally that you can use to keep higher ranking officers from pulling rank on you when you are on Mystic business. It doesn't hurt to help fellow officers whenever appropriate, but if you need the option, it's here. Don't abuse it.

"You also have some standard gear here. There's an officers uniform if you want, but you might honestly prefer whatever uniforms your new mystic order will be wearing once you have them. But it is nice for formal navy occasions and it has special features that could
be useful. There's a skintight underarmor uniform here too, which you can wear under any robes or armor of your choosing. It offers limited protection, but it also offers safety features that are appropriate for space travel. You should read up on those if you're interested. And there's a blaster pistol, if you're not keen on your lightsaber at the time." Burtch shrugged, "it's all just standard Navy stuff, so you might as well have it. As a specialist, there is more leniency granted to you so that you are not always required to wear any of it like a standard officer."

He loosely placed the items back in the box and slid it across the desk towards Martin. He then stood up, "and now I'll show you your real gift. Please follow me to the bridge." He gestured towards his office door, and then strode out into the hall. He crossed the hall, entered a door on the other side that was in between two turbolifts and walked through it to enter the command bridge. On the other side of the command bridge was a massive viewport that offered a generous view of the stars beyond. Right in the middle of the view was a shiny new Special Forces Val Khaar-Class Corvette, turned sideways so that the details could be better seen from the bridge.

Burtch pointed to the ship, "that, my friend, is all yours. Top notch crew, fully loaded and fresh out of the yards on Damascus Station. She doesn't even have a name yet."

 

[Martin Dux]

Sesie.

That was the name that sprung into Martin's mind as soon as the Admiral said those words. Holding the box in his hands, he let go of it. It slowly drifted down to the ground with the aid of the force. Martin walked a bit closer, wanting to get a better look at the ship.

It was Corvette, that much was obvious. Martin didn't know too much about ships but he could usually assess what kind he was looking at based on the size. It did seem a little much, but he supposed it paid to be in Rex's good graces. He turned to the Admiral, not sure if he should be impressed by the gift or how generous all this was.

"Huh, never did I think of the day I'd be in charge of a ship." he muttered.

Turning his eyes back to the ship he examined it further. Lots of lasers, more than he'd probably ever seen on a ship. He wasn't complaining, but it did serve as some minor amusement at the excessiveness of it all. The second thing he noticed was the versatility of it. Well, the term noticed can be used lightly... sense is a better word.

The hangar bay did seem a bit tiny but he didn't mind. Something told him that he wouldn't have to use it much anyway. Nodding, Martin turned towards the Admiral once more.

"Well, I have to say, I'm thoroughly impressed. You've certainly blown this old man's socks off." He grinned.

"About the project," he continued, "I'll be starting work as soon as I leave. Something tells me this won't take too long, a few months at most. If you require me then I'm at your disposal."

Martin didn't realize it but he was smiling, wider than he usually did. He was happy, this felt... natural. "All in all, I guess it'll be good. I look forward to working with you, Grand Admiral Burtch."

Grand Shepherd Burtch