Private Admiral and Nobility

[Reinhold Katzbalger]

Objective: Meeting with the Silver Concord Admiral
Location: Katzbalger Family Estate ; 12 Miles North West of Iziz
Tags: Chaussidier

​

The Katzbalger Family Estate was a mildly large complex of buildings constructed 12 Miles Northwest of the Capital City of Iziz. Walls surrounded the main courtyard which served a dual purpose as a landing platform for approaching guests. A large gatehouse protected the entrance into this courtyard, covered by a ray shield generator and actual stone doors which closed behind the shield itself. The sound of a storm approaching from the south would quickly be upon the estate as a small drizzle of rain touched down on the ancient but effective battlements.

The Estate itself certainly wasn't a military building nor could it be defended with much success. It was more a sign of status and wealth than anything senseable which made it adequate to the Viscount Reinhold Katzbalger who was waiting on the steps into the inner courtyard between the second gatehouse and the main house itself. Retainers and Servants of various species moved around the estate with vigor, while a small detachment of household guardsman patrolled the battlements and other important structures.

Reinhold himself was waiting for a very important guest to arrive, the Silver Jedi Concord Admiral Chaussider whom he had invited to have a little chat regarding various topics. Clutching his brown long cane topped with a golden ornamental ball within his jeweled right hand. His hair and beard were groomed for perfection as befitting his status as a nobleman. A green hat topped with white feathers sat upon his luxury white hair, a green noble suit was worn on his form and a brown furred robe sat on top of it.

"Our Guest should be arriving any day now."

Viscount Katzbalger said to his butler whom only bowed as the rain drizzled on and on across the landscape.

 

[Chaussidier]

Admiral and Nobility​

Once upon a time, a young Durant had the idea of making annual trips back home to Onderon. Wherever life took him, during the entirety of a year, there should always be at least a couple days that he could spare. Right? Chaussidier had not set foot on his home planet for numerous years. Momentarily, he glanced down the viewport as the shuttle descended down from his flagship, the Nima II. In the end, it was just a planet, not all that different from all the others.

The invitation to the Katzbalger Family Estate was well timed. It was only recently that the Admiral had returned to Concord space after a long covert operation in what used to be Sith space. Work consumed much of his time but entrepreneurship and investment had always been something which piqued his interests. Managing a portfolio while orbiting Rhen Var, Felucia or Korriban was not a real possibility. The recent lull in activity was his chance to make up for lost time.

As the shuttle finally set down by the main courtyard, the elderly Admiral rose to his feet. He was clad in his usual uniform, white, well ironed and decorated with marks of service and rank. A slight smile spread across his lips as the ramp lowered and allowed for fresh air to flush into the vessel. The pilot's voice could be heard from the cockpit, announcing that they had arrived.

It would only be a few moments before Chaussidier walked down the ramp with a datapad in hand and flanked by his communications officer. While he trusted the Katzbalger's to tend to his safety while hosting him, keeping a link to the Nima II and by extension his fleet was absolutely necessary.

Custom dictated that he wait for his host to greet him. While he would have preferred to speed things along by going to meet the Viscount half-way, he remained in place. Just like the Jedi, nobility tended to have their own way of doing things and while he had difficulties understanding them, he knew the importance of respecting them when possible.

Reinhold Katzbalger

 

[Reinhold Katzbalger]

Objective: Meeting with the Silver Concord Admiral
Location: Katzbalger Family Estate ; 12 Miles Northwest of Iziz
Tags: Chaussidier

​

The rain drizzled on and on across the landscape until the sudden break of a shuttle bursting through the clouds came to his attention. Reinhold watched as the shuttle touched down within the dockyard located within the first courtyard. With grace and dignity the viscount of onderon made his approach towards the Elderly Admiral of the Silver Jedi Concord. His choice of attire amused the noble but he understood that military officials liked to dress in such a fashion to appear formal on the battlefield.

The sound of his wooden staff rang out on the pavement as he made his approach towards him per custom dictated. It was honorable for one's host to approach them first because first impressions were everything when it came to the Royal Court of Onderon. He arrived nearest to the admiral after a short walk ; standing before him within the drizzle of the rain.

"Honorable Admiral Chaussider, I welcome you to the Katzbalger Family Estate."

He said in a formal sounding tone towards him. He paused for just a moment to allow him to respond before carrying on with his speech.

"If you'd follow me, we shall have our conversation within the day lounge."

He further added, briefly turning around and walking back from whence he came. His gaze followed around the estate until finally settling upon his personal retainer amongst the crowd of servants. Snapping his fingers as the retainer proceeded to open up the main house with a specialized set of keys. Viscount Reinhold would make his way through the lobby of the main estate building, dropping his brown furred robe on a hanging rack to dry from the rain that turned from drizzle to a downpour as the clouds settled over the estate.

Weather that was a sign of bad luck ; was anyone's guess.

 

[Chaussidier]

Admiral and Nobility​

As the Vicount of Onderon came to greet him, Chaussidier quickly scanned the man from top to toe. During his upbringing in Iziz, Chaussidier had watched nobles from afar and this one looked like an amalgamation of them all. His clothes appeared to be of a rather fine quality materials. While perhaps not carrying too much of a contemporary touch, they sure seemed to abide by whatever traditions it was that the nobles followed. Not only that, he was also well-groomed and carried himself with authority. If any of those factors would have faltered, the overall appearance would have to. It was clear that this one had been around for some time. While Onderonian politics may not have been as cutthroat as those of Serenno - at least to the Admiral's knowledge - it did take a degree of skill to remain relevant throughout one's lifetime when involved in the affairs of the Royal Court.

Greeting the Vicount similarly to how he greeted Jedi, Chaussidier offered a sharp and curt bow of his head. "Viscount Katzbalger. Thank you for the invitation." Perhaps there was custom for more or other words to be uttered - if so, the Admiral was unaware of it. Aware of his lack of knowledge in the field, he had instead opted to say less in these phase where formalities mattered.

With a simple "Of course" Chaussidier walked with the Vicount, followed by his communications officer and the entourage of the nobleman. Having spent far more time on the bridge than outside, rain was not something which he was accustomed to. Still, the umbrella did its job and kept him dry as they walked to the lounge.

Although he may not have let it show aside from a subtle twitch of his lips, the elderly Admiral found both amusement and pleasure in seeing how well coordinated the Estate staff was. They worked with the discipline and routines that could be seen on some military vessels and without much of the unnecessary symbolic measures which some nobles enjoyed.

Once arrived, Chaussidier left the umbrella by the lobby before gesturing to the communications officer who produced a fist-sized metallic container from her case. Taking it, the Admiral offered the container to the Viscount "A gift. We picked it up in our travels. It is powder from the Pommwomm plant. We processed it in accordance with local customs." Not being one to smile much, the Admiral offered the must pleasant expression that he could muster.

Reinhold Katzbalger

 

[Reinhold Katzbalger]

Objective: Meet with the Silver Concord Admiral
Location: Katzbalger Family Estate ; 12 Miles Northwest of Iziz
Tags: Chaussidier

​

Viscount Reinhold turned around now once his furred robe was being dried. Putting his ornamental cane on a hook as well to become much more comfortable. His gaze followed the silver admiral towards a metallic container that the admiral had within his hands. Reinhold didn't expect such a gift from the admiral but would take it nonetheless to showcase his appreciation. Returning a smile as he accepted this gift with grace and dignity.

"I appreciate the gift, Admiral Chaussider."

He said, reaching over and grabbing the container from the admiral without much difficulty. Raising his hand for just a minute as another butler arrived towards the group and the viscount deposited the gift into his awaiting hands. With a single bow and a hand wave, the butler was gone again as such as he came. The Viscount liked to keep everything organized within his estate. Having developed a complex language system that relied on hand movements to convey his desires without having to speak them.

He moved towards another section of the house, with his company no doubt behind him. As the large oak doors opened up to reveal a large day lounge to have their discussion in. Within this lounge was several retainers and tables and chairs littered around the place with a single large desk in front of the grand window as the small amount of sunlight broke through the clouds into the room.

Reinhold wanted to repay the gift from the admiral with a gift of his own. Bending down and unlocking a little glass case with a small key, opening up a container with his unoccupied hand and putting three objects on the silver tray. Although he didn't want to ruin the surprise so he kept his hand covering the objects.

"I believe a gift should be returned with one don't you, Admiral. Three Nova Crystals from my personal collection should be enough compensation."

He walked back over to them, setting the tray down on the table before taking a seat on a nearby couch. Snapping his fingers some as a large bottle of 80 year old wine was deposited along with glasses. Slowly pouring the liquid into the glasses for them to try. Although making sure that it was non alcoholic.

 

[Chaussidier]

Admiral and Nobility​

Chaussidier continued to observer the way in which the Viscount interacted with his staff. Bowing his head once more, he offered a simple "Of course" - he was, after all, visiting the nobleman's home. With a quick glance to the next end of the lounge, the Admiral indicated his interest in moving on. In truth, he cared very little for formalities and customs that did not have an utility. Thus, he was looking forward to when they could finally talk. In some ways, the Viscount seemed to be of a similar mind - for it would not be long before the two were once more on the move further into the estate and now, the noble appeared to be more relaxed.

It would not be long before the two of them were seated, Chaussidier on the couch opposite to the Viscount. The communications officer remained outside the lounge. His gazed followed as the noble temporarily left to produce something which was kept hidden behind his hand. While a gift exchange was not expected, it was hardly unexpected either. Chaussidier's brows rose when Katzbalger revealed his gift. Three Nova Crystals. Their monetary value had to be way greater than that of the Pommwomm powder and the fact that it was from the noble's personal collection made its perceived value rise tremendously. Still, there did not appear to be any reasonable response other than accepting. Quickly rising to his feet, the Admiral offered a slight bow as he accepted the stones with both hands "Thank you kindly."

Chaussidier set the stones down on the table next to the glass which he in turn picked up. The Admiral gave the wine an idle swirl before smelling it. Instead of continuing onto taking a sip, however, he lowered the glass and looked to his host. "Viscount Katzbalger. It has been some time since I have been able to study the effects of the Sith Empire's fall and the rise of the Maw. Tell me, how have the Onderonian market been doing."

Reinhold Katzbalger

 

[Reinhold Katzbalger]

Objective: Meet with the Silver Concord Admiral
Location: Katzbalger Family Estate ; 12 Miles Northwest of Iziz
Tags: Chaussidier

​

The Viscount of Onderon relaxed himself on the couch, as Admiral Chaussider thanked him for the nova crystals. He didn't worry about the value of the crystals as long as his guest was pleased and his reputation was intact than that was all that mattered in the end.

"You are very welcome; Admiral"

He said in response, picking up the glass of wine on his side of the table and bringing it to his lips. The cool purple liquid flowed down his throat like a roaring river into his stomach. It seemed the admiral was here for business first instead of pleasure as he had not touched his wine merely smelled it. His thoughts wandered for a minute before regaining focus on Chaussider's question as to how the Onderon Markets had been doing.

"According to local projections, the market had grown about 12% in the past year although confidence in currency has fallen by 8% due to the maw. Some of the Royal Court have been making exchanges with Tambor's Trade Federation using the IMP5000 Stock Exchange. Although they currently have more influence than I and I'd rather not challenge them as of yet."

He said to the Admiral, swirling the half empty glass within his hand. A butler entered into the room after knocking; walking over to the viscount and whispering something within his ear before finally handing him a datapad with some vital information on it. His gaze turned sour for just a brief minute, as his eyes scanned the information in front of himself.

"Admiral, It would seem that the maw has found their way here to Onderon"

He said making quite a bold claim; but his words were truth. Sliding the datapad over to him with the video and information upon it.

A video feed outside the Warehouse District of Iziz showcased rather oddly dressed individuals as they broke into the district looking for something unknown. Known to intelligence agencies as The Arcane Spellcasters working for the Renegade Mawite Tribe of the Techno Magorum. What they could be looking for was anyone's guess.


"I can't possibly perceive what they want on Onderon. But if they are here than they are bad news.'

Is all he could say at this minute in time, it was clear that he had some rather unpleasant experiences with the mawite tribe.

 

[Chaussidier]

Admiral and Nobility​

Listening to the Viscount, Chaussidier leaned back against the couch's backrest. In itself, the action may have resembled disinterest but on the other hand, he had still not consumed any of the wine and his gaze still lingered on the host. "I expected a more pronounced surge. Instability by the core worlds, a system collapse to the east and with the opportunities that presented themselves with the fall of the Bryn." The Admiral raised a finger to address the failing confidence in the currency - despite the impressive growth, the market appeared to be underappreciated and a weakening currency would be good for exports - but before he could speak, one of the staff knocked on the door.

Chaussidier retracted his finger and waited for the Viscount to complete his interaction with the servant. Momentarily letting his attention shift, the elderly Admiral gave the wine another swirl, sniffed once more and took a first sip. Soon, the Viscount turned back to him and offered a surprising piece of information. It was enough to cause the Admiral to immediately sit back up straight and put his glass away. With a swift move, he took the datapad that was offered to him and watched the holovid that was on display. With furrowed brows, he watched what was still unknown figures to him.

"Lourdes." While calm, he spoke with a high enough tone for her to hear through the now open doors. The officer soon stepped into the room as Chaussidier stood up.

"Yes, Admirall"

Chaussidier quickly glanced to the noble "I apologise for this." he spoke curtly, clearly having entered his professional role. He then returned his attention to the officer "There is a report of Maw activity on Onderon. Put Mathieu Brion in touch with the local authorities. He shall bring a squad to investigate this in person. Prepare a second shuttle and two squads for immediate insertion."

"Yes, Admiral" She immediately started tapping on her datapad.

"That will be all. Keep me informed of any critical developments."

"Yes, Admiral" The officer made a sharp turn on her heel and quickly marched out of the room to execute his orders.

For a few moments, the elder remained still as his mind processed the situation. Then, his attention returned to the Viscount. "Once more. Apologies for this." he said, extending his arm to return the datapad to its owner. Chaussidier was well aware of how he may have stepped on the noble's toes by immediately acting on the information. Still, he did not waver in his judgement. For Mawite presence far within the Silver Sphere was not something which could be taken lightly.

Sitting back down, it quickly became clear how the Admiral's attention was different from before. While still looking to the Viscount and talking to him, Chaussidier also had the ongoing situation in mind. "Mathieu will be discrete until it is no longer possible" he said, hoping to put any worries of an undesirable scene to rest. The Admiral shook his head "The Maw. What are they doing here?" he asked, more rhetorically than anything else.

Reinhold Katzbalger

 

[Reinhold Katzbalger]

Objective: Meet with the Silver Concord Admiral
Location: Katzbalger Family Estate ; 12 Miles Northwest of Iziz
Tags: Chaussidier

​

Viscount Katzbalger took an interest in the admiral's words before he gave him the information about the mawite tribe. Onderon had the possibility to become a major trade hub within Silver Space that could rival even Coruscant in terms of buying power and capital generation. The Current King of Onderon had shown himself bogged down by the nobility in terms of his decision making and recently the idea of replacing him came into his mind. To sit on the Onderon Throne would allow him to enact reforms which would benefit the populace in the long run. However helping the populace was just a means to an end to secure his powerbase on the planet.

His thoughts returned from practically treason against the monarchy to the Silver Concord Admiral who took the datapad that was offered and looked over the video feed his agents had managed to capture. He watched with some hidden amusement as the admiral called forth his own servant and offered an apology for his rude display in front of him. They talked for a minute and then mentioned someone by the name of Mathieu Brion.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Admiral. You no doubt swore an oath to protect the Concord and are just fulfilling such. It is not my place to intervene in such commitment."

Reinhold said, swirling the glass within his hand that was now full again as they spoke.

"Discretion is advised certainly; the other nobles within the Royal Court would no doubt see this as a power move by the Concord to limit onderon's self governance and ability to handle their own problems."

He said with some certainty the royal court was filled with those that wanted the concord to remain and those that wanted them to leave. Each of them only acted within their own self interest and he could exactly blame him because he currently was doing the same. The Mawite Tribe was lucky to attack the Warehouse District because that fell underneath the influence of the De Vargo Family. House Katzbalger and De Vargo had been adversities since he could remember. Stopping the maw was important but getting rid of his rivals was more to his own benefit.

He heard the admiral ask a simple question "What are they doing here?" and although he didn't expect an answer from the viscount. He would provide nonetheless to nudge the admiral in the right direction of removing his rivals from power.

"There are rumors within the Nobility; Admiral. That Countess Lilith De Vargo is in league with the Brotherhood. Although such things are not confirmed nor is there any actual evidence. However I do suspect she is involved somehow and has been concealing such loyalty to the maw."

He said as more of an off-hand comment than anything of note. However he would count on the admiral's sense of duty to investigate such claims regardless to be 100% sure. If the investigation didn't find anything than that was good for him either way; as such a scandal would propel his standing amongst the royal court. Overall a win win situation handed to him on a silver platter.

 

[Chaussidier]

Admiral and Nobility​

Chaussidier perked an eyebrow upon hearing what the Viscount had to say about the value of discretion. It seemed as if the noble spoke of concern for the Concord and Chaussidier himself rather than out of concerns for the wellbeing of his House or personal status. Still, the Admiral shook his head, annoyed. "I engaged the Bryn when they went on the warpath. I engaged the Sith before and after their downfall. I've helped secure our outer territories from pirates and raiders. Local politics, however - I have not had to concern myself with that for some time." He let out a silent sigh "If it comes to it, I will personally reach out and smooth things over. Or have someone capable of politicking do it on my behalf"

While not expecteed, it was not all that unexpected for the Viscount to answer the rhetorical question. Chaussidier looked to him with interest before lowering his gaze to the datapad. There, he wrote down the name of the countess. "Judging by the sensitivities of the locals, this might not be something the navy should rush to investigate." He added a warning to his notes and forwarded them to Mathieu "Perhaps it is something for the Jedi to look into - or even better, the Royals. Onderon tends to its sovereignty, I understand that, but if there is a threat to the Silver Sphere, we have to act."

It seemed like all there was for them to do now was to wait. At least in regards to the situation with the Mawites. In a way, it was fortunate that he was meeting with the Viscount - for when it came to the happenings of Onderon, the noble seemed to have a far superior intelligence network than that of Chaussidier. Now, with their resources pooled, it was safe to assume that threats could be picked up and responded to appropriately and quickly.

With another sip of wine, Chaussidier returned to their original topic of discussion. "Onderon looks like a promising planet to invest in." He was considering directing Firaxan Industries to open an R&D office on the planet - if lucky, it would develop into something more. The conditions for further growth looked promising and with the high architectural competence that could be found on the planet, it was likely that some could be converted to aid in the design of spacecraft. But he also had other plans in mind "But I also see potential in high-end computer development." There were multiple advantages to him - the market for it looked good but importantly, it was something which the fleet could make use of.

Reinhold Katzbalger

 

[Reinhold Katzbalger]

Objective: Meet with the Silver Concord Admiral
Location: Katzbalger Family Estate ; 12 Miles Northwest of Iziz
Tags: Chaussidier

​

His servants had arrived just before the admiral could respond; setting down a tray of chocolate and other exotic imported deserts. The Viscount paid attention to the admiral has he responded about his warning about being discreet. He himself didn't care about the concord but without its protection over onderon than invaders might take away his chance of being crowned King of Onderon when the time came. Such an event couldn't happen nor would he let it.

"That might be the best idea; Admiral. You'd need someone particularly ruthless and cunning to handle the nefarious nobility of onderon."

He said with some amusement in his voice; picturing the straight faced admiral talking with the ever shifting nobility whose opinions shifted from right to left without a second thought. Although his tone faltered for just a minute when he announced the navy would not rush to an investigation of his rival. That plan from before was quickly scrapped and reinhold went to work crafting a new operation from scratch.

"Acting is good and all but that depends on the context; but the people of onderon still recall the occupation by the Original Confederacy of Independent Systems all those years ago. I'm sure that they were acting to protect their own sphere of influence as well. And look how that turned out ; the populace rising up against them for their freedom."

He said without raising his voice, but speaking logically about this to the admiral of the silver concord. The Silver Sphere might be in danger but acting might cause a rebellion against them to those that want sovereignty and the freedom to handle their own affairs.

"I am not suggesting that the Silver Concord and the Old Confederacy are alike in any way. Just that the current method you pick might not lead to the result that all parties are happy with in the end."

He further added; reaching over to a chocolate covered strawberry and eating it. As the admiral shifted away from the side topic to the original topic that he was invited here before. His own intelligence network on onderon was strong enough to even outclass intelligence agencies. So he was well aware of the actions of the nobility but what information he knew and revealed was two different things.

"Indeed; Onderon is a fresh market compared to others outside silver space. Although there is always a chance of megacorporations like the Corporate Alliance and the Trade Federation wanting a piece of the hypothetical pie and pushing out small pop and mom stalls. Computer development is always marketable and I have no doubt the nobility would push money towards such development as it benefits them"

He said towards him. Waiting for his response as he drank from his glass.

 

[Chaussidier]

Admiral and Nobility​

An Imperial came to mind when the Viscount mentioned 'someone particularly ruthless and cunning' - Agent Zoraya Ives-Ayres - she was the worst possible choice to represent him that he could think of. Of course, it was likely that the nobleman was referring to himself. It was not how Chaussidier hoped to be described after his passing but he understood that ruthlessness and cunning were good traits for any politician. And nobles could be open about it, for they did not have to concern themselves with reelection. Regardless, he would allow the conversation to move on and spoke a simple "Let us hope that it will not come to that"

There were slight signs of concern in the old wrinkled face of the Admiral when his host spoke of the dangers of acting. It seemed like they agreed - still, Chaussidier found it frustrating how politics worked. Unlike war and economics, it was a field filled with hidden agendas, interpersonal relations, corruption and irrationality. "You are correct. It is why I find it preferable to let the politicians handle these situations" Of course, that was not always possible. The higher one climbed the ranks, the more politicking one would encounter. And Chaussidier had climbed high. Rather than delving deeper into the topic, the Admiral picked up a strawberry - one that was not completely engorged in chocolate. He ate it in one bite and took a sip of wine.

As they spoke of potential investments, the Viscount introduced the threat posed by megacorporations. It was true that they might also pick up an interest in the planet if they saw a sudden surge in investment. While the introduction of megacroporations may have positive effects for the consumers, those effects were often fleeting. "My interests do reach a bit further than your typical 'pop and mom stall'." he said, offering an amused smirk "But once again, you are correct, of course. Perhaps the most viable option is to align my interests with the nobility." A joint venture would not only allow them to make a better bid for a greater market share, it also meant a degree of protection from ill-willed policy makers.

Chaussidier took another sip of wine along with a sweet which he did not recognise. "I have prepared some funds for an investment and have acquired some good manufacturing capacities off-world" The elderly Admiral's brows furrowed before offering a gentle smile "But I could most likely not partake actively in the day-to-day management of the venture."

Reinhold Katzbalger