A New Tantorian

[Asharad Graush]

A scheduling had been made.

High Colonel of the First Order A'sharad Graush had made an appointment with the Government Official, [member="Natasi Fortan"]. She was one of the few Moffs within the First Order. An ideal person to have on his side, and there was without a doubt that the Imperial woman would agree with his views and be on his side.

But not only on his side, his company's side.

Or rather, his Father's company.

For now anyway.

Landing on Dosuun nearly an hour ago, the Sith Hybrid had a speeder appointed to him to bring him to the Government building that housed Moff Fortan's Office. Stepping out of it, the Sith straightened out his Officer's Uniform. A black uniform underneath a black coat that hung over his shoulders. Stripping himself of the overcoat, he folded it over his arm as he climbed the steps to the building.

Lightsabre hanging from his belt, A'sharad had made sure to look the appearance of a professional. Proper. His young features sharp, his goal was for Tantorian Industries. To secure his own future. To secure the future of his second home.

Striding into the Moff's Office, the golden orbs in his gaze tracked to the Secretary as he spoke.

"Moff Fortan is expecting me. A'sharad Graush."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

The secretary looked up the name in the diary and nodded. "Just a moment." She stood and let herself into Natasi's office, then a few moments emerged and held the door open. "You can go in."

Natasi was at her desk, reviewing plans for Heroes Square. As always, they had begun with her own ideas and rough sketches and were then added to by trained architects. A sketch of [member="Aram Kalast"] was uppermost on her desk, his face sketched out in broad strokes and his uniformed body beneath. His would be a primary figure in the Square -- the only figure, actually, for the foreseeable future. Perhaps General [member="Ludolf Vaas"] deserved a spot there, too, but Natasi Fortan wasn't about to suggest it. The dynamic duo was, to all intents and purposes as far as the media was concerned, as dynamic as they had ever been. The truth was that they hadn't spoken a word since the day of the inquiry clearing her name. Her eyes finally flicked up from her planning and she offered a tight smile.

"With you in a moment," she said. "There's coffee or tea or water or -- well, help yourself to anything you like," she said, gesturing to the sidebar before swept her papers into a portfolio, which she slipped into the top drawer of her desk before standing up. She went to the sideboard herself and poured herself a cup of coffee before extending a hand to the officer. "Mr. Graush," she said genially. "Or should I say Colonel."

[member="Asharad Graush"]

 

[Asharad Graush]

Ever the guise of politeness, A'sharad offered a short nod to the Secretary before he strode into the Moff's Office. Long legs bringing the Sith Hybrid to a pause, his head tilted as he looked upon the Official.

Glancing to the side at the cupboard, he walked over to lift a glass a pitcher of water. It wasn't his first choice, but it wasn't his place to be picky, even if offered. Expression remaining neutral, he poured himself a glass of water as he turned to face the approaching Moff. Surprisingly finding that his throat was dry, he lifted the glass up to his lips and took a sip, allowing the cool water to carve a path down his throat. Lowering his four fingered right hand with the glass, he extended his left hand to shake her hand.

A firm shake.

Not as hard as one would assume he'd give. Instead, he held her hand as if one might a delicate flower, or a piece of glass that if it had been grasped too roughly would shatter into hundreds of pieces.

My Lord.

"Mr. Graush was my Grandfather," he said with the best smile that he could. Unfortunately for him, it almost looked predatory, as if he knew she was the prey, and he was the predator. No fault of his own of course, it was his facial structure. Bone structure as dense as any Pureblood, and elevated cheeks, again, as any Pureblood. From a distance he appeared to be like any other Human, but in close ranges, it was clear he was a poor image of what could've been. In no ways however did he look like a monster. And if he was perceived as such, it'd be a tamed one. Or at least appear so, whilst a storm raged within.

"Refer to me as whatever you wish, Moff Fortan," he said, again inclining his head ever so slightly.

The smile disappeared though.

That was enough unsettling.

Golden orbs settled on the Moff after.

"Is it too forward to compliment your appearance?"

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi felt her hand being... cradled, almost. It was unusual, she thought, for a military man to act with such gentleness. She wondered if he thought she couldn't handle a real handshake, and was tempted to exert a little pressure of her own. Instead she simply smiled. "Yes it is, rather," Natasi said with a smirk. "But since I seldom hear it in this building, I'll pretend I heard nothing." She stirred some sugar and cream into the coffee until it was a lovely caramel color. "No names, no pack drills," she assured him before nodding over to her desk, where two visitor's chairs were sitting facing the desk. She sat on the opposite side of the desk and set her glass down. She activated a button and her computer screens retreated into the desk so she could look across at him.

"Very good, then. What is it I can do for you, Colonel?" She studied him briefly over the rim of her coffee cup; he looked awfully young to be a colonel, let alone a High Colonel, but she had long since given up questioning the peculiar methods employed by the Ministry of Defense. She took a drink of her coffee and then set it down on the desk, pulling her portfolio from a side drawer and laying it flat on the desk. "Do I need to have a representative from the Ministry of Defense over? I'm sure General Vaas can spare... someone."

 

[Asharad Graush]

"Shame," he opened with. "I would've expected it to have become redundant to do so." He said as he lowered his hand to his side, both of them as he followed her towards the desk, taking a pause to watch the monitors disappear into the table. I should get myself stuff like that, he thought to himself before the golden orbs in his skull settled on Natasi's own brown ones. Folding his hands neatly in his lap after he had taken a seat, the young Sith Hybrid sat with a straight back, which was quite unlike him.

Born in a house of Sith, he had been taught the proper way of doing things. Not that he could particularly understand how his Father learned that, considering his grandparents had been merchants. Or whatever the Pureblood equivalent of that was.

Her studying of him didn't go unnoticed, that focused gaze of his almost never did, not in such close quarters anyway, and he in turn appraised her before answering.

"No," he said. "We need not bother him with this."

How to put it quick and simply?

"I don't come here as a member of the First Order. I come in the name of my Father's company. We believe it would be beneficial to provide weapons and other sorts of technology for the First Order's military might." He cleared his throat. "Simply put, there are gaps in the First Order's Navy that can be filled by my Father's company." By my company. "I also assure you that we are quite capable in providing, should you accept the proposition, Moff Fortan."

He maintained the vagueness for a reason. He was steering this conversation. That, was how one took charge.

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi reclined in her seat, the back going back about three degrees as she crossed her legs. A high heeled shoe hung off her toes as she studied [member="Asharad Graush"] coolly for a few moments, her dark eyes piercing until she finally raised her eyebrows and looked up at the ceiling of her office, as if thinking of what to do and say next. Finally, after a few long moments, the Moff cleared her throat. "Let me make sure I have this down right. Correct me if I'm wrong. You, a High Colonel in the Supreme Leader's armed forces, have noticed some sort of... deficiency ...in the Supreme Leader's arsenal." She looked back down at him and smiled. "Have I got it right so far?"

She didn't wait for a response, and went on.

"So. A purportedly loyal member of the First Order military, sworn to the faithful service of the Supreme Leader, recognizing such a deficiency, you decided not to report your views to General Vaas or your commanding officer, but to come to me as a member of the business community looking to make a credit or two off the situation." She lifted her teacup to her lips, but didn't yet take a drink. "I think that's about the size of it, don't you agree?"

 

[Asharad Graush]

A'sharad's amused, or rather, pleasant features had nearly shattered. She had gotten him, hadn't she? The Sith Hybrid himself had stated that he hadn't made the General aware of these proceedings. He didn't think it beyond her to have somehow sent a covert message to him. Imperials and their secrets. Slowly, he shook his head back and forth as he looked at a place behind her as she spoke. He didn't need the Force to tell him that she was going to continue over him, whether she had given him a chance or not. His Father, Darth Acarus had enjoyed doing so. Belittling him. Knowing his child couldn't stop him.

Always watching him as if he were nothing.

For his... mixed blood? That was the fault of his Father, but that was likely because he couldn't figure out a way to marry a Yuuzhan Vong... Female?

Did they even have females? Probably, even if they were ugly as feth.

From beyond her view of his lower body, his fists clenched as he imagined his Father's face also leering at him from behind [member="Natasi Fortan"]. His jaw set, tightening as if he were preparing to catapult himself through the table at... Nothing? If she were to look in the spot on the wall, or the window behind her, she'd likely find it blank, save for whatever decorations were there. Crazy? Certainly not, but as any person who had an upbringing as a Sith, who could say any of them were normal?

But when she was done, his gaze swept back around to her and he appeared to be completely composed. As any good Imperial should've been, whether noble or military. It was all the same.

"Yes."

Yes.

"I bypassed my superior officer. An oversight on my part," he decided to admit. "Though a quick credit is not what I want." He said. "Forgive me, my justification will take longer than I had expected." He leaned in over the desk to her and he says, "You don't mind if I stand do you?" His face scrunching up questioningly before he nods his head, whether she answered or didn't, and he rose to his feet, coat and all before he placed it on the back of his chair.

It was getting annoying to hold it.

"A while ago," whether it was a year, or years, the writer had no idea how fluid the timeline was, or if it was at all. "I was viewing the news, and I saw you. Of course, it's expected to see you on the First Order channels, no?" He walked slowly back and forth in front of the desk, as if his slow steps were the tempo that he was taking this... Waste of time. "Naturally, it wasn't when you were apart of this amazing superpower we're apart of, on this side of the Galaxy. It was dated back when you were working for the One Sith," for the briefest of moments it almost looked like he was going to turn his back on her, but he didn't, instead he came back around and said...

"Were you also a purportedly loyal member of the One Sith's government? I imagine so, truly." He clears his throat. This is where he should be treading on ice, but threw caution to the wind, and stomped. "I was inspired by you, and General Vaas," he said pleasantly enough, his lips curving just enough as he spoke to leave the illusion that it was true. "You left the failing One Sith for this magnificent Order. Smart. One that I wished my Father had seen then, he used to act like he did, or at least... Should've." He wasn't doing much acting anymore. "The One Sith has a directive to hunt and kill traitors," he says, breaking eye contact for the first time as he straightens out his clothes. "But the One Sith may as well be dead, no? That's the reason why you left, and the reason I am here today," he explains.

"The First Order is the only place to help make things write in the Galaxy. No doubt the same reason why you are here, no?"

"I did not come here today to petition you for a quick credit, Moff Fortan. I came here as a person following in your own steps, albeit tripping on occasion, to help bring law and order to this Galaxy. To bring a true government to the Galaxy and the Core. The One Sith failed at that, that was what my Father was apart of. What he tried to make me apart of. I want the First Order to be the thing that I am apart of."

A pause.

"But what I mean to say Moff Fortan is, my company will work for the First Order, in the same way that it did for the One Sith. Defense fleets, facilities to expedite One Sith missions. I only wish to do the same for the First Order. The credits are a secondary, rather, a tertiary concern to me."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi raised an eyebrow. This one had a bloody cheek. "I did not leave the One Sith because they were on the way down. I left the One Sith because they were corrupt. Decadent. Foolish. All the things that I cannot abide in an organization. I left the One Sith because I believed that I could achieve something better -- for the people, for posterity, for the galaxy -- elsewhere. And I was right. Look at what we have built here, in only a few short years. A few short years and what was once a swamp is a magnificent city, providing livelihood and work and homes for millions of people, and why? Because of my sheer force of will? No, of course not. Anyone can build a city. But this city will stand for centuries, unless it is destroyed by attack. This, I know, because I did not take the easy way of corruption and corners cut. We do things the right way here, Colonel, because we have more than just ourselves to think about, but every person that falls under the jurisdiction of the First Order."

She turned her attention back to [member="Asharad Graush"].

"I have the authority to enter the First Order into contracts, but I'm not particularly interested in writing a blank check to a company I know very little about, and I am not conversant enough about the needs of the Fleet and Stormtrooper Corps to determine what they need in terms of equipment. Is there some reason you are against having a representative from the Ministry of Defense in this conversation?" She unscrewed her pencap and began to make notes, tilting the bottom of the notepad onto her lap so that her notes would be obscured from view. "We'll need to conduct an audit of your financials. And I might add that any contract would need to go through a very transparent, public bid process, otherwise you and I might see the inside of a cell for money laundering."

She looked up over her notepad. "Any questions so far?"

 

[Asharad Graush]

He was going to put it simply to show that he understood what she was saying. He listened to those words she spoke. The One Sith were foolish... Now? Most definitely, but when she had fled? It had been at the height of its power, however, A'sharad wasn't integrated into the One Sith's military affairs or government affairs beyond what he was needed to learn and those that he had met on journeys.

"Of course, Moff Fortan." He said as he returned to his chair and took a seat within it.

She's in love with this First Order...

Suppose they all are.

He cleared his throat when her next question was asked.

"I can provide you with a resume of my company," he started. "I did not believe it was necessary to involve the Ministry of Defense, however, if you deem it necessary, I will follow through." Pauses for a moment as he thought of a question. The only possible question he could ask.

"The location of the production services is not necessary, is it? I will supply the information necessary for the audit, however, I do not believe it's necessary for the First Order to know the location of the factory." Naturally, he expected an explanation was in line. May as well expedite the process. "Should the First Order be attacked, I believe it best to protect the location of where they are being produced. It is a hidden planet... Its inhabitants... May be a shock to the Galaxy."

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi raised an eyebrow at him then raised a delicate hand to wave away his explanations. "Please -- you may redact any information related to the location of the factory, and the less I know about its inhabitants the better. I trust you will be able to certify with the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health Administration that your factory meets or exceeds minimum safety standards for operation within First Order space, or that it operates outside of First Order space. How you'll manage to prove that without revealing its location I'll leave up to you."

She leaned back in her seat and folded her hands together over her lap.

"Now, let's talk brass tacks. What kind of materiel are we talking about here? Ships? Equipment? What exactly did you have in mind?"

[member="Asharad Graush"]

 

[Asharad Graush]

There was a bowing of his head as she stopped him from explaining. That would've been difficult to do.

In response to her inquiry however, he says, "Anything. Everything. War ships, civilian ships, anything necessary. Technology, planetary shields, weapons, speeders, and droids even." He cleared his throat as he continued, "We also plan to be expanding within the month to construct infrastructure within First Order Space immediately." Would Tantorian Industries become a powerful corporation within First Order Space? Perhaps, but it all rested on how he performed here. Of course, it'd be necessary for it to be renamed pronto.

"Our expansion will consist of taking part in other products. Pharmaceuticals, textiles perhaps."

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi turned her chair halfway, turning towards the window, her dark eyes thoughtful as they scanned the horizon. She was silent for several long moments, clutching her chin with one hand as she considered what [member="Asharad Graush"] was telling her. "Colonel, you're trying to sell your corporation to me as a supplier for the First Order, and I'm certainly not against the idea. But you came in here noting certain deficiencies in the First Order's readiness. We can certainly discuss war ships, civilian ships, technology, planetary shields, weapons, speeders, and droids even, pharmaceuticals and textiles perhaps -- after we've discussed where you think the First Order's Armed Services are lacking."

The woman turned her chair back to face him, somehow managing to look as if she had exerted no effort at all to do so.

"What, specifically, do you think we need? What gaps do we need to fill in our preparedness standards, and how do you plan to fill them?"

 

[Asharad Graush]

Was this a test?

The thought of the Moff using this as a test to determine whether there was dissent from the Sith Hybrid had crossed his mind, but he spoke regardless. Already he had admitted to noting the flaws, and so he would fix them as best he could.

A'sharad could've been cheeky and drawn out a datapad with a list, but he already knew what the Navy boasted.

"Plenty of Destroyer Class ships. Few support vessels. Ships to protect the Destroyers from fighters and other, smaller class ships. There is no existing Anti-Starfighter ships. There is also a single carrier, and that is strictly for Stormtroopers. None for Starfighters. A hybrid ship that carries both legions and a fighter wing would be preferable, no?" Naturally, he didn't expect [member="Natasi Fortan"] to even see the significance of what he was saying. And that was because she didn't look like she was a fighter. Not a commander. Had she even handled anything military focused beyond her security force?

I doubt it.

"Shall I continue?"

His words were void of much of anything other than the faint guttural characteristics of his vocal cords.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi cocked her head to one side. "This is -- strictly speaking -- not entirely accurate, but I do take your point. We could use more specialized roles. Luckily, we haven't been in a position to test these deficiencies," she said thoughtfully. "But I think it best to prepare now -- better safe than sorry." She took out her datapad and reviewed the fleet readiness. "We'll need to adjust battlegroup sizes to keep things manageable, but I'll leave the exact details to the Grand Admirals and the Supreme Commander. Talking of which, we will need to bring them into the discussion -- once we've reviewed your financials and all that -- to get a feel for their needs. You'll leave me your contact information so I can set it up."

It wasn't a question.

"Go on. Have you got any schematics or specs?"

[member="Asharad Graush"]

 

[Asharad Graush]

She wanted him to leave her his contact information, as if he wasn't apart of the First Order's Military.

He suppressed the amused look that threatened to break his serious facade.

"Plenty of schematics." he said. "Ideas, concepts, all of them for furthering the cause of the First Order," he continued. The golden eyes in his skull glowed as he finished with, "Will the First Order sanction the construction of my company's infrastructure in it's Space?"

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi studied [member="Asharad Graush"] for a few moments, but her reverie was interrupted when there was a rap at the door, and Sioux poked her head in. "Ma'am, it's, uh -- time o'clock."

"Thank you, Sioux." Sioux retreated back outside the office. "We'll have to leave it there, I'm afraid." She stood and smoothed her suit, moving over towards the door. "Yes, very well," she answered. "You're approved to submit bids on First Order projects. We'll be in touch." She opened the door and looked out at Petyr Calinda, Minister of Culture and Heritage. "Just finishing up here, Petyr." She turned back towards Graush. "Thank you for your interest in this matter, Colonel. Sioux will reach out to schedule a meeting when the rest of the brass can be available to discuss logistics. Good day, Colonel."

She waved Petyr in and shut the door.