Alea Iacta Est | The Die is Cast

[Progflaw99]

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Location: Imperial Palace, Dosuun​

Threat Level: High​

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We are the Dead. Short days ago​

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,​

Loved and were loved, and now we lie​

In Flanders fields.​

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-Excerpt of "In Flander's Fields" by John McCrae​

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The sound of heels against the polished marble of the Imperial Palace filled the halls, government officials and members of the military alike bustling through its halls. Pages squirmed their way around the moving masses, delivering the bulletin to any who might have missed the memo: An emergency summit. First Order forces had been engaged in the Expansion Region between the Arc d'Stot sector and the Andirma sector on a planet called Kaeshana. Initial reports had listed the world as an insignificant mass of rock, the victim of an asteroid impact which had ravaged the planet. Even now the inhabitants were minimal - and those that remained? Adjusted to the somewhat toxic atmosphere and ecology of the planet. What had started as a government sanctioned foreign aid mission had quickly devolved into all out war on the planet's surface - the cause? More likely than not it had been multiple factors though to remain objective in the face of such utter savagery was near impossible. It was in fact why this emergency summit had been called.

Sounds from outside the Moff Council chambers were muted, a bated silence filling the large room, only interrupted by muffled whispers and the gentle squeak of seats as those in attendance grew restless. They'd seen the reports, the holo-networks had been broadcasting since shortly after civilian telemetry stations had picked up mass ship movements en route to the border of First Order space. All it had taken was a call to a news network and a leaked telemetry image and the news had gone wild. Few facts were known and many of those were surrounded with inaccuracies - and so it came to pass that the Supreme Leader himself had declared a state of emergency across the First Order. The military had been mobilized, thousands of vessels tasked with interdicting the main hyperspace lanes into First Order Space, inspections multiplying tenfold and a halt of all vessels hailing from Galactic Alliance space. The Alliance had taken a roll of the die initiating open conflict during a humanitarian aid effort sponsored by the First Order.

For months, the tensions along the border of the Galactic Alliance and the First Order had been escalating, diplomacy all but failed. Time and time again the diplomatic efforts of the First Order had been shunted, their attempts to maintain a relationship with the Alliance, even at arm's length, had crumbled. Then the assault at Kaeshana... The die had been cast.

Breaking the silence, a sharp single knock sounded on the doors before they opened, a pair of armor clad stormtroopers taking up station on either side. A silent hush fell over the room, those in attendance watching as a myriad of officers and official entered, taking their seats in an almost procession-like manner. Once seated, the doors were shut, the troopers remaining outside. One of their number, an older officer, stood and cleared his throat.

"Ladies, Gentlemen. You all know why you're here - what you may not know are the details. That is the main purpose of this emergency summit."​

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Behind the half ellipse of desk and chairs, a silvery projection screen had begun to descend. Splayed out across the screen were casualty counts, images of the carnage on the ground. Finally an image of the FIV Wrath, or what was left of its shattered hull. Looking around the room the senior officer could read the anger, the sadness, the anxiety on the faces of those before him, how real that horror must have felt to be present when the Wrath thundered into the ground - even now they were waiting on the final body count. Another image panned across the shattered earth around what had been the Citadel of Dawn, bodies and battlefield debris scattered far and wide. Clenching his fist he stepped forward.

"I'm Lieutenant Meerkins, and I'll spare you the safety brief. Firstly we want to cover the facts. Just the facts."​

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"What we know for certain is that the First Order sanctioned a humanitarian mission, in fact the Grand Moff herself was in attendance."​

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Motioning to where she sat, he raised an eyebrow, an inquiring look creasing his features.

"Would the Grand Moff care to address the attendance your Excellency?"​

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[member="Rolf Amsel"] | [member="Samka Derith"] | [member="Cyrus Tregessar"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"]​

[member="Asharad Graush"] | [member="Fiolette Yvarro"] | [member="Aran Piett"] | [member="Nathaniel Barrett"]​

[member="Lydia Finn-Camden"] | [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"]​

@First Order Command​

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[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi sat at the center of the panel of Moffs, her hands folded on the table in front of her as she listened to the Lieutenant. Her dark eyes tracked the images on the small displays in front of the Moff Council and Joint Chiefs who sat at the high table, only looking up when the Lieutenant offered her the floor. She inclined her head and brushed her chestnut locks behind her hair, then reached forward and switched her microphone on, so that when she spoke, her voice filled the auditorium-type hearing room. "Thank you, Lieutenant Meerkins, and thank you all for coming, I appreciate it very much." She paused and swallowed. "Kaeshana was a turning point for us; it represented the moment that the Galactic Alliance turned from a mere annoyance to a mortal threat to justice and order in the galaxy, and specifically here."

She paused and surveyed the room. "The conflict at Kaeshana has already begun taking on a life of its own in the galactic popular press. The Alliance, in their usual light-fingered contempt of truth, has framed their defeat as a failed attempt to rebuke our imperialist aggression. It is a silver lining, perhaps, in the face of the brutality we saw on Kaeshana, that all we must do to discredit these lies is: tell the truth. There is no need for any kind of propaganda campaign, no disinformation, only the truth. And that is what we come here to discuss."

She bowed her head slightly. "All that being said -- yes, I was present aboard the FIV Concordia and visited the planet following it being secured, and I'm sure I will have much to say on the topic, but first I'd like to hear from all of you. Lieutenant Meerkins -- please?" she gestured towards the center of the room, symbolically giving up the floor, then touched the control to silence her microphone.

 

[Asharad Graush]

Lieutenant Meerkins showcased pictures of the battlefield. The places where he action was heaviest had been at the Citadel of Dawn and within the Ruins of Santaissa. A'sharad had himself had ventured out to Santaissa where he had been ambushed by a host of guerilla forces and some unknown assailant, that is, before the Supreme Commander had came upon the scene. Sabercat AT-AT and all. From there he had been transported to the Citadel of Dawn upon request by the now deceased Major Bissell, a man who died holding the line at the Citadel while stalling out against the artillery that was shattering whatever was left of the ruins.

But A'sharad Graush and the White Wolves weren't the only thing that came from Yalara and had been on Kaeshana, or rather, in close proximity of it. Maurice Dalton, Commissioner of the nearby city known as New Vaiken was present, however, he had gone to Chalcedon to prepare to stir the population against the Galactic Alliance. After going through the recorded information, audio transmissions and flight telemetry, Maurice and his pilot had encountered an Alliance fleet already in orbit blockading the planet. It was them who had contacted the Commissioner first with the threat of being destroyed.

A'sharad's amber orbs burned brightly as he activated his microphone soon after the Grand Moff [member="Natasi Fortan"] had silenced herself.

"The Galactic Alliance and her allies not only threaten our people. But the people of surrounding systems." The Sith Lord straightened in his chair. "Commissioner Maurice Dalton faced certain death to make sure the people of Chalcedon were kept safe from the Galactic Alliance, only to find that there was already an Alliance Fleet holding the planet hostage." From A'sharad's Officer's Overcoat, he produced a datakey and beckoned Lieutenant Meerkat over to take it.

"The Commissioner may have put his days of fighting as a soldier behind him, but his bravery knows no bounds in the face of annihilation. Although his actions were small once he got planet side, he had calmed the people enough so as to not further incite violence - his actions are even more impressive considering he risked his life to save those that do not live under the banner of the First Order," the Sith Lord said. He took a moment to straighten out his uniform.

His brow crinkled slightly as he said, "I was the one who gave the order to execute the pirates originally." The sound of the servos in his cybernetic were barely audible, working his hand as he clenched his fist. "They were hostiles. I had decided that bringing in so many that so clearly resented the First Order would be pointless and a waste of time." The Sith Lord claimed. "I, however, had no knowledge of the crucifixion until recently."

He didn't care, not that much, but if he were to lead the Army, he wanted to know everything.

"Who did it?"

 

[RIP Carlyle Rausgeber]

Carlyle watched the pictures displayed on projector, his jaw clenched. He felt a wave of emotions wash over him. He hadn't had time to mourn. No time to say goodbye to the hundreds of officers who had served valiantly till the last. He felt an overwhelming sense of anger. Carlyle had arrived on the system, planning to help, planning to assist logistically rebuilding a shattered people. And now, the cowardice of the Alliance had been unveiled. It frankly disgusted Carlyle. Biting back tears, and trying to remain stoic, Carlyle raised his voice, after the Sith general spoke.
"The Galactic Alliance must be held accountable for their actions." Carlyle began, his voice boomed as he activated his microphone. "They repeatedly ignored hails for communication upon their arrival, and opened fire upon our humanitarian and military assets with no warning what so ever." He paused, and tried to compose himself.

"On Kaeshana, the Galactic Alliance proved themselves worthless opportunists. Cowards and terrorists who hide behind notions of democracy and the tenants of their supposed Jedi." Carlyle's face grew red as he blustered. This was his call to action. "We should press the attack unto them. Strike while the iron is hot. The enemy retreated, tail between its legs. We know their tactics, we know their weaknesses!" He paused, and he looked out across each and every delegate there. Eyeing them all. "We owe it to those who bled and died on Kaeshana to do so."

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Rolf Amsel"] | @Asharard Graush

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Preliat kept his armored arms folded in the meeting. In his armor, he was a menacing, powerful sight. He stood heads and shoulders taller than most, and with the heavy boots on, he stood taller than most of the First Order members in the room. He shifted the cloak around his armor, revealing the armor that he wore. It was a faded gold and black scheme, a color scheme that was recognizable to many enemies of the Mando'ade- and for many, the last thing they saw. He reached up and placed his helmet on the briefing room's table, staring down at [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"] as he spoke. He spoke of war as if it were a simple walk into the enemy. The Sith had such an advantage once- they soon lost their homeworld under the fury of an asteroid and the might of the Mando'ade. Preliat stood next to Gilamar when he destroyed the throne himself.


"Your predecessors-"He stood up, speaking directly to Admiral Rausgeber."Have made it very difficult for them to believe that the First Order was there for anything other than conquer."He looked at the delegates in the room. He measured them as mostly weak bureaucrats and strategists, few actual soldiers who didn't hide in ships made of metal."The fact that the Galactic Alliance opened fire on you all should not be surprising. It however, should be welcome."He looked at the Admiral, and spoke to him in somewhat of a mocking tone. He dropped his voice for a moment, to only let the Admiral hear him.

"You may have awoken a sleeping giant, Admiral. I would be very wary of your next few moves against the Alliance and all it possesses."

He turned to address the rest of the delegation. He did not need a microphone- his voice was powerful, brought on by years of screaming and addressing the troops he led. Better than the ones he found himself staring down in the room.

"Respectfully, Admiral- we do not know their capabilities. In fact, we may now have showed our hand too much. A lot can be measured in a victory. However, I would agree that we should carry the momentum. If the Alliance has time to rebuild, plan, and examine the battle- it may prove disastrous for whatever our next move may be. But I would propose a total war scenario. We do not give the Alliance an inch. Propaganda campaigns can be swept aside- disinformation is a thing that is easy to accomplish."He leaned forward, glancing to each and every one of them in the room.

"I would like to propose the reaction to the events at Kaeshana to be entirely militarily. Diplomacy no longer works with them. And we should show that we are not the ones to be trifled with."
[member="Asharad Graush"] [member="Natasi Fortan"] [member="Rolf Amsel"]


Edit:

I edited this to be less disrespectful to the higher-ups in the room. Preliat wouldn't say that to a group of superiors.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi furrowed her brows at the mention of crucifixions, her eyes narrowing slightly. "An excellent question, High Marshall. Excellent, however obvious. Obvious enough that I find myself struggling not to look at the Minister of Security. I believe I set that as one of the highest priorities at our last cabinet meeting. Would you care to provide a status update, Moff Laderis?"

Daveed Laderis was a distinguished gentleman and a loyalist from the beginning of the First Order. He had been Natasi's first choice for Minister of Security, but a decade or so ago he had been eager to stay in the field, earn his stripes. Upon the leaves of absence of Corvo Santagar and [member="Sentiri"], Natasi had pressed him into service -- a decade older, a decade wiser -- to advise her on intelligence. He hadn't protested too much since he had sustained an injury to take him out of the field, but the timing could have been better: he had picked up the brief in the hours leading up to Kaeshana.

"Thank you, Grand Moff," said Laderis after switching on his microphone. "As the Grand Moff mentioned this has been among our top intelligence priorities, in addition to finding out what we can about the Firemane terrorists that were involved. As far as the crucifixions, we do have a suspect in mind. I'm not prepared to publicly identify the suspect without corroboration, but I can tell you that the Security Bureau is coordinating and collaborating with the Knights of Ren to positively identify the suspect, and to provide a comprehensive report on the crucifixions and their victims -- if we can use that term, when extensive analysis indicates that they were actually raiders, pirates, and terrorists themselves."

 

[Asharad Graush]

A'sharad offered a short inclination of his head to [member="Natasi Fortan"]'s acknowledgement of his question. Switching off the microphone before him, the Military Officer huffed, low grumbling from the Sith Lord as he muttered some inaudible nonsense as Moff Laderis spoke. Minister of Security? His jaw clenched as he suppressed the urge to speak out, but it'd only last for only a few more moments, long enough for the man to finish his statements.

"It hardly matters what they were, when they were alive," the Sith Lord said as he turned on his microphone again. "They're dead now," he said, allowing his dry tone and uninterested look in his eyes showcase how much he truly cared about the entire situation. "The helmet cameras of the troops that were present there showcase my units being fired upon." Not that it had been that consequential, the White Wolves had been supreme, effective in clearing the surface of much of their more... Hostile inhabitants in such short time.

"The present issue, is not the crucifixions." Did anyone in this room truly care about those refugees? Sure, the First Order had gone to help them, but that was merely another statement to justify expanding the First Order's borders. Even if the Army hadn't moved in, in the first place, it would've been done at a later point. The only thing the Galactic Alliance had done was hurried up the process of the entire thing, and, not to mention reducing the amount of people they needed to help. "It is the fact that the public outside of our borders will likely believe the stories of the Galactic Alliance and rally behind them." He paused, "The one who ordered the crucifixions must be brought in," he said. "And then, given a trial."

He looked about the room.

It wasn't often that a Sith would counsel law to lead the way, he imagined.

"One that ends in execution."

Again, he looked around the room, likely searching for support in that statement before he continued on to say.

"Well, Moff Laderis? This is hardly a public venue." His facade broke into a reassuring smile that was undoubtedly false. "A name, if you will?"