A New Directorate - Monarchs Follys

[ADM. Reshmar]

Time has a way of blurring the truth, The days stretched out as we navigate the uncharted waters of this galaxy and the life it holds for each of us. Much like time, the waters of Hasts southern ocean was unpredictable on good days. Today as the winds from the north and warm air from the south slammed into one another in a cacophony of rain and gale force winds the ocean waves beat on the shores of the small island which was the home of the Directorates corporate headquarters.

Today like most days the corporate entity of the Directorate went about their normal day to day operations. managing the massive organization had become maddening for the original group of members and the expansion brought with it a staff of millions and holdings through out the galaxy. Normal day to day had become the work of a multitude of or organizations, companies, and other corporate holdings each with representatives here at the center of the Directorates. Unlike most days today saw the arrival of two of the three founders of the Directorate and the new head of the Directorate Defense Corps. The new militant arm of the Directorate.

"Good morning Mister Newman, I trust you slept well, you will need it," said Reshmar as he walked up and stood beside the young human captain. The human nodded as he stood at rest watching the small shuttle move into the hanger. Out beyond it, space loomed cold and infinite as a back drop to the blue and gray world of Hast. "Have we heard from mister mosses on that matter I sent him to investigate? asked Reshmar as he joined captain Newman watching the shuttle set down in the hanger of the Riptide.

"No sir, Mister Mosses has not contacted us nor anyone in the chain. He has been unusually quiet as of late. What ever you sent him after must be more difficult to find than your normal indulgences." said Newman as a smile cracked his lips. "I imagine he got side tracked by his indulgences." said the young captain with a chuckle. Reshmar eyed the young officer and joined in the laugh, Raymond indeed was prone to distraction but this time it had been much to long since he had checked in.

"Sir its time," said Newman as he turned to face The Mon Calamari. It had been so long since he had been back to Hast. The sale of MCS and his estate on Mon Cala had been more time consuming than he could have ever imagined. The company had tendrils spread out through out the galaxy and every last one had to be accounted for. The months involved had been tedious and demoralizing in a way. His shares in the research and development side of the company would secure him for the rest of his life financially yet something was gone in him. Something he thought he would not miss yet did. For so long MCS had been who he was. More so than any military rank he had adorned or title he had been granted. The company had been his life and the one thing he had sunk everything he was into. Now he was free of the bureaucracy of all that, which he did not miss, but the part he loved, the part that fed his soul was gone now.

Reshmar nodded to the human than both talked across the busy hanger floor to the shuttle. "I guess it is indeed time" said Reshmar looking around the hanger of the Riptide one last time. The ship had been his home since the sale of his estate on Mon Cala. It had been the flagship of his fleet before that. A fleet not belonging to MCS. The ship and her crew would leave after he departed. Heading back to Mon Cala. Newman would take care of her, he knew that. But a vessel can grow on you. even if she has flaws. This one was flawed but she had stood up to Pirate Kings and demented dark side cultists and survived every engagement. Now she would serve Newman and MCS well and continue her life there.

Reshmar was sad to see the old girl go but knew he had a new home and she was much more formidable, not that it mattered. The Mon Orishma would be completed soon and be the crowning achievement of the Directorates design and engineering team. Of course, it had weeks until launch but as he looked out the hangers opening in the distance to slip seventeen he could make out her blue hull through the gantry work and she was a sight to behold.

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir strode the paths around the Directorate headquarters, reveling in the salty breeze that caressed his skin. It had been a long time since he had been on the island. Journeys in space, time in spent in Hast's underwater cities, and even his own private estate on Fairwind Island had kept him from the Directorate's hub. Nor did he really have any reason to visit: anything for which he could needed to be present could be dealt with through a holo-call. Yet the island had finally offered him a lure that he could not refuse: the launching of the Mon Orishma. A unique mon calamari cruiser which Admiral [member="Reshmar"]'s teams had been working on said to include some of the galaxy's most advanced technology. If his mon calamari friend intended for it to be his own personal flagship, he knew that it must truly be something. He glanced at his wrist chrono, checking the time as he debated if he should enter the facility sooner rather than later. The charms of the outdoors also appealed to him, as much as his work frequently detained him inside artificial environments. Yet he had not seen Reshmar in quite some time, and he doubted that he would have much of a chance to talk to him privately after the launch ceremony.

The blonde man quickened his pace and shot straight towards the facility's main entrance. After passing through the security checks, Gir found himself being escorted by a pair of Directorate marines through the winding corridors of the headquarters. They passed a familiar bank of turbolifts, which caused Gir to spare a glance at the trooper walking beside him. He normally took the lifts to the Directorate's command suites and their private offices.

"Where is Admiral Reshmar?" questioned Gir.

"In one of the hangars."

Probably meeting someone then or doing something with a starship. Both of those thoughts piqued his interest, and Gir found himself generating possible scenarios in line with both trains of thoughts as they walked to the hangar bay.

 

[ADM. Reshmar]

Reshmar Stood at the end of the hanger looking out over the water below. It seemed like years since he had truly been free to swim in the oceans of any world without fear of assassination attempt or pirate attack. The rim was worse now than it ever has been in Reshmars lifetime. WIth the current regimes and factions in the rim very little if nothing was being done to deter the illegal and criminal activities in and around Hutt space and the outer rim. Reshmar knew other groups were there trying to patrol and enforce law but most days it seemed the Directorate was the only real force against the corruption in the outer rim.

Behind him, he heard a door open and a familiar voice. Reshmar turned to see [member="Gir Quee"] walking into the hanger with two marines. He had asked the two to escort Gir here rather than to the main meeting chamber so Reshmar to speak with his old friend before they went forward. Reshmar rolled his eyes in a pleasant greeting and extended his webbed hand to the admiral now approaching him across the hanger floor.

"Admiral Quee, It is good to see you my friend. I hope your trip in was pleasant."

 

[Gir Quee]

A smile grew across Gir's face as he spied Admiral [member="Reshmar"]. Perhaps it was his time growing up with his mon calamari family, or simply spending time with Reshmar in the past, but Gir felt like something was different about his fellow Directorate admiral. Of course there is. Between leaving MCS and launching a new starship, he must have a lot on his mind. Those thoughts slightly subdued his smile. But we must all look forward and swim with the currents of time. He stretched out a hand to greet his old friend.

"My trip was pleasant enough," answered Gir, "it took only a short shuttle flight from Fairwind to get here...though I'll admit that I have not stayed there as often as I would have liked. The galaxy is in turmoil, as it always seems to be. How was your journey here?"

 

[ADM. Reshmar]

Reshmar shook his old friend's hand the released it eyeing the two men with Gir, He put his hand on Gir's shoulder and pulled him close. Reshmar did not want anyone to hear what he was about to say. He turned back to the two marines and nodded "your dismissed gentlemen." he said as he turned back to Gir and spoke.

"Gir, we are in trouble. Do you remember our last mission with Taeli, the last time all three of us were in one battle? " Reshmar ask as he pulled Gir closer to the shuttle sitting at the end of the hanger deck. Reshmar looked over his shoulder to make sure the Marines were walking towards the hanger entrance. "The pirates with the cloaking technology. After that battle, I did some poking around and put out some feelers to try to get information about them. That is the real reason I left MCS. Since then I have been hunting these criminals through the outer rim."

Reshmar stopped at the foot on the shuttle ramp and took his hand of Girs shoulder. "Since then I have been playing a cat and mouse game with these criminals and on more times than I care to mention I was the mouse. This group has unbelievable backing from somewhere. They have tech far beyond what such a group should have and they are not afraid of anything." Reshmar paused a moment and look back to make sure the Marines were gone.

"Like I said, old friend, we are in trouble."

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir nodded at [member="Reshmar"]'s commentary and stared at the ground as he considered that relevation. He had himself conducted an operation chasing a suspected link at Tesfedsi IV. But Operation Torch, despite its success, had left him with more questions than answers. Troubles on Hast and in the galaxy at large had taken his time away from that pursuit, however, and he was thankful that the mon calamari admiral had been more steady in his pursuit. He briefly pondered that last action, recalling that Master Raaf had spent more time in the Core with the constant warring between the Galactic Alliance and the First Order. Doubtlessly she would be better suited for exploring certain elements of this investigation, but he knew that he couldn't likely take her away from the war. He turned his eyes back up to Reshmar.

"I conducted a brief operation in conjunction with the Republic..."

Back when it still existed...

"...that saw us capture a crime lord that had some links to the group. I knew there was more too them that met the eye, though I did not imagine it would be so big."

But then who would? But that's the problem with murky enemies...

"What's our next move?" said Gir, briefly pausing, "or should I say their's?"

 

[ADM. Reshmar]

Reshmar knew of the operation Gir had mentioned but had not followed it during its undertaking. He had been busy with his own investigation. The chase from Minntooine to the outer rim had taken Reshmar and his crew three weeks before running the pirate Slov Brim to ground. That too only left Reshmar with more questions than answers. The interrogation of the pirates captured had turned up no information. All had committed suicide by some time released drug. Any questions they did get answered before the mass suicide only lead to dead ends. Reshmar looked around then handed Gir a small data pad and spoke.

This is our deep space yard near Baros, or whats left of it. Seventy two hours ago a group of cloaked ships devistated the security force and a light cruiser on station and took one of our Elint ships. It had been sent to the yard for repairs. Survivors say a destroyer of some type uncloaked and launched an assault force to capture the vessel. So now these criminals have access to our network and all of our secure lines. I have acquired assistance from outside the Directorate to set up a makeshift communications network but it will take time" said Reshmar as he watched Gir look over the information and images on the pad.

"I suspect a large cell inside our organization has been helping them. That is the only way they could have pulled off what they did at the Yard. I have made Taeli aware of the network and comm issue. I did not give her details just told her it would be down for a while for repairs. I assume everything we send out now is being intercepted by the ELINT ship. Until we find it and either recapture or destroy it we will have no real secure communications network in the area." said Reshmar as he looked out at the water in the distance. How he wished for this to be over. He turned to Girand let him finish looking over the datapad.

[member="Gir Quee"]

 

[Gir Quee]

Gir stood by silently as he considered this revelation from [member="Reshmar"]. The Directorate had grown leaps and bounds since their first meeting. It seemed highly possible that during this area of rapid growth, that some individuals managed to sneak past their screening efforts. Or alternatively, some members in the group had been corrupted whether through bribes, blackmail, seduction, or any other methods. They again had only more questions, only knowing enough to realize that they were in danger. In some respects, ignorance of their situation might have proven to be more advantageous if it would prevent a panic from breaking out. Gir considered the situation from several different angles before opening his mouth.

“We are left with more questions,” started Gir, “but it seems like they have questions of their own, otherwise, why bother to capture the ELINT ship? Whoever their infiltrators are don't likely have access to our high secure lines then normally. They may be in a similar boat, only knowing just enough about us to make their moves...”

But how does that help us? Another thought occurred to Gir's mind.

“I'm guessing that there is an already an effort underway to retake the vessel...” said the blonde man, “but have you considered that they might be after the Mon Orishma as well? They may be looking to acquire working examples of our most advanced technologies...”