Allegiance to the Empire (Dominion of Gravlex Med)

[Soeht]

When @[member="Sven Talith"] spoke up about the plan, Kirk silently approved of the man's words. He wanted other Moffs to appear as if they wanted the change of plans and for @[member="Tirdarius"] and other Sith to say otherwise. When @[member="Valik"] spoke of his opposition to Sven's suggestions, things seemed to align well for the Chiss.

However, @[member="Viera Kisep"]'s actions were unexpected for Kirk and were a leap beyond what he thought any Force-insensitive would take.

Before the conference could continue for long, Kirk got word of Kesip's order to jump into Hyperspace and attack Gravlex Med. Pressing a button on his console, Kirk gave the signal to follow the Grand Admiral and for his ship to prepare for the jump. It would take several minutes, giving enough time for an order to cancel the jump and for those that do not wish to be on his ship to leave.

Standing up and facing Tirdarius's holographic form, Kirk told the Sith Lord, "My Lord, I apologize for the action without asking for your direction. Yet, I believe it would be best for the Empire to follow Kisep and hail her before she can begin her attack. Perhaps Gravlex Med will quickly surrender to our will without us firing anything if they see the might of the Empire."

Turning to the projection of Valik, who managed to speak to the group before, Kirk addressed the Sith's concern by stating, "The remainder of the operation can be spent securing the planet to fulfill the Empire's interests."

Finally, Kirk faced his fellow Moffs and Rhace and informed them, "Gentlemen, I suggest that we close this meeting and return to our respective ships."

 

[Sven Talith]

Sven watched the exchange for a few seconds, only raising an eyebrow in surprise when the Grand Admiral decided to go all Leeroy and charge in ahead of everyone else. The Dreadlord's son didn't react in any other way, but instead just watched. Kirk was ready in about five second and spoke up, immediately ordering the fleets to jump and entirely ignoring the Sith Lords plans. The former Emperor's son couldn't help but grin slightly as the Chiss expertly maneuvered around this.

If he didn't know any better Sven would have guessed that the Chiss planned this from the start. The young Moff nodded to Kirk and shot him a slight smirk, then he turned to the holograms and did a short bow. Before he left the room entirely he turned back to Kirk.

“I will speak with you at a later date Moff Kirk.” With that Sven turned about and left the conference room. The faster he returned back to his flagship the faster they could get on with this. His own capital ship was actually an ancient one. It was an old Imperius class Star Destroyer restored back to full working condition. It was dubbed Decaying Corruption a personal title Sven had given the ship. After only a minute he reached his shuttle, and then headed back towards his flagship.

 

[Rhace Tarrin]

Well that was completely unexpected. Rhace should have known that was going to happen, really. As the people around him typically succumbed to the will of politics, Rhace proved that he was no political animal and had zero taste for the crap that was going on around him. He couldn't take it. He could take being manipulated by higher Sith. He'd handled that. He could take fighting battles he couldn't win. He could not take idiots thinking they were better than they actually were, which had been his experience with the Empire so far.

Fortunately, Rhace's team was right here. Snapping a salute, he went back to the ready room, where his commanding officer was waiting.

"How'd it go, LT?" asked the Captain, folding his arms. He looked amean sight in his officer's armour.

"The usual. Moffs arguing. Some lady storming off and taking her force to go on ahead when it shouldn't. Apparently some kind of Supreme Moff."

"Damn women..." grumbled the captain, who clearly was a misogynist nerf herder and probably needed to be punched. "Shouldn't be on the battlefield when it's her time of the month. Whatever. Suit up, boys. Load up the shuttles and let's get down to business."

Salutes and a chorus of "Aye aye, sir" followed. They all began to file out, and Rhace was the last one to the door, stopped only by the Captain raising his voice.

"Lieutenant Tarrin. One moment."

"Yessir?"

"I know you've been on secondment to the Sith," he said, waiting until all of them were gone and it was just the two of them. "You planning to use your fancy powers while you're down there?"

"I am, sir." Why not? Every force multiplier was critical and after his training under Master Velok, he was a huge battlefield multiplier.

"Good. Inspire the troops. Kill as many enemies as you can. Make them work for it. Use that lightsaber of yours, too. Looks good."

"Aye aye, sir."

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

@[member="Rhace Tarrin"] @[member="Sven Talith"] @[member="Rytek'irk'intrano"] @Val'Ryss Zankarrhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/499-valryss-zankarr/ @Valik @[member="Sergio Hammerstein"] @[member="Viera Kisep"]

As the Remnant ships jumped into Hyperspace, a short burst of light against the darkness of the space beyond before they vanished entirely, Tirdarius could only watch with an expression colder than a winter on Hoth, his grey eyes and the tightness of his jaw alone serving to express the rage that had welled up at such a...casual dismissal of a convoluted plan. Weeks of preparation, gone...and all because the Empress did not know what she risked in allowing that one to join us. The Sith would have to expose the 'Grand Admiral' for the tactical incompetant that she was proving herself to be: able to envisage only short-term gain, with no consideration of a grand plan.

That was an oversight he would correct. He could not trust the lives of Sith forces to a woman who only thought but a single step ahead. She may answer only to the Empress in theory, but she'll answer to me for this, he thought, seething.

"Moff Kirk, kindly order your forces to align for hyperspace to Gravlex Med and follow the Remnant ships at your best speed," he instructed, whirling away from the observation ports that lined the room and once more facing the holographic connection to the other ship. "On arrival, interdict their vessels and blockade the planet. If any Remnant ship fires on the surface, destroy it. They must understand the folly of disobedience to the Empire. Keep all other ships away from the planet, but use force only as you must. Good hunting," he concluded, waving a hand at the holoprojector to shut it off, severing the connection between them. They have their orders.

He could feel the sense of slight shock that was shared by every Sith in the room, a touch of indignation at having been disobeyed by a mere mundane, insensitive to the Force and unable to understand the nuances of a plan that had long been in the works. To think our sole intention was merely to capture the planet, not giving consideration to what might come after... Valik had been correct in his thinking: to simply ride roughshod over the planetary population was to risk later resistance - and would open the door for the Republic or some other rival faction to gain a subtle influence. That could not be tolerated, at any cost.

No doubt the Empress will think I should simply bow to the will of this 'Grand Admiral', and let her choices play out as they will, he mused, the anger refusing to fade even now. Other Sith would have killed the woman for less of an insult than this: ally or not, the Sith Empire was about cohesion and order. None opposed it and lived: that was how order was maintained. But to allow that would be to capture Gravlex Med yet to achieve no true victory there. All those carefully-laid plans for the domination of the entire Braxant Sector would crumble into dust simply because of one impetuous woman who liked her uniform. Not on my watch, not while I have command.

"Val'ryss, Valik, our ship will join the fleet on it's way to Gravlex Med. Board the Grand Admiral's flagship and take command there. The Remnant fleet will stand down and submit to my command," he instructed them, knowing that they fully understood the need for a clear hierarchy on a mission such as this. The Remnant was here to observe and participate at my invitation, per our alliance, Tirdarius mused. They have gone too far with their 'initiative'. They needed to understand that more was at stake than one minor planet. "She will object, but remind her that the Remnant is best served by co-operating with the Empire, not by acts of disobedience. Do not harm her, however. She answers only to the Empress."

The Sith Lord turned away from the others for a moment, striding over to the desk that sat at the far end of the conference room, keying in his command code to unlock it for his use. The ship needed to prepare to join the rest of the fleet, and that required preparation. Each department answered to it's officers, all of whom answered to the Captain, that woman naturally being answerable herself to the Sith Lord himself. The intercomm activated next at his instruction, and he modulated his tone to a more serious, less angry tone, allowing only a touch of it to penetrate his careful control.

"Captain, prepare the ship to follow the fleet in Hyperspace. All personnel are to stand to their combat stations," Tirdarius ordered, signalling to his naval subordinate on the Bridge, so that she might relay the same to her officers. "We will proceed to Gravlex Med in good order and join the planetary blockade to protect the population down there. Target any Remnant vessel on station as we arrive, but order your gunners to hold their fire unless I give the word." He clicked off the intercomm, his expression darkening with apparent anger, expressing a little of what he had felt as the abortive briefing turned from a formality into a farce.

"She's gone too far this time," he said, his tone dark with unspoken threat. "If our plans are compromised by our 'allies'," Tirdarius said coldly, a hint of sarcasm apparent, "you can be assured that they'll observe the durasteel fist concealed behind the velvet glove." He turned back to the other Sith within the room, his expression full of cold fury. "Carry out your orders. We will capture Gravlex Med no matter what the cost, even if we must sacrifice those fools to do it."

 

[Darth Hauntruss]

"Val'ryss, Valik, our ship will join the fleet on it's way to Gravlex Med. Board the Grand Admiral's flagship and take command there. The Remnant fleet will stand down and submit to my command,"

Nodding her head she replied to the master, "As you wish my lord" She turned her gaze to Valik gestured for him to follow her. She stood up from her position and bowed to the other generals-moffs, her serpentine voice echoed, "If the generals shall excuse this one. It seems the discussion has lost its meaning with the present...situation..." turning her back to them she spoke once more adding a laugh at the end, "Perhaps, we shall see how events unfold...hiss, hiss, hissssss" With that her dark figure exited the room, mechanical shrieks of the doors opening and closing announcing her departure.

Waiting for Valik to approach her, Val'Ryss' tone became dark and sinister, "Such unimaginative people. But, then again 'opaques' are not the greatest of practitioners in subtlety are they?" Reaching her destination which was the hanger of the great ship near the docking bay where the ship that would carry them to board Kisep's vessel was stationed. Turning to Valik she addressed him, "Send a message to the 'Grand Admiral'...let the admiral be aware of our...concerns...have it clear that this one and you shall be boarding her vessel soon." Finishing she let out one last slithering phrase, "The Remnant may be descendants of the Galactic Empire, but their birth comes from the blood of the Sith and such disrespect for one's ancestors only warrants impending doom."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

ELSEWHERE

"So he's ordered them to board her ship? Pity. He had the legal high ground in my eyes, right up until he interfered with the personal demesne of someone who answers only to me. He's taken too much upon himself."

Ashin's pale blue eyes locked on her temporary advisor, a rough-hewn man with long dark hair. A friend, once, in another life. A man who owed her no allegiance, but who helped keep the back channels open.

A man who had stood alongside Emberli Garett and eight thousand Mandos, surrounding the citadel in Kaas City. A man who had helped with her coup.

"Proceed to Gravlex Med," she told the mercenary. "Your orders will come through me. I have eyes there; I need hands."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

ELSEWHERE

"Just make sure the retainer is paid in full before I hit lightspeed," he said. He might only be average for a Master, or less than average, but he still spoke to Ashin as an equal. As best he could, anyway. The years had given her gravitas, and a cold edge. Rach Kol-Rekali sketched a bow and slipped on the helmet of his gray Mandalorian armor.

He turned and left.

 

[Viera Kisep]

@[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Rhace Tarrinhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/851-rhace-tarrin/ @[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Sven Talith @[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Rytek'irk'intrano @[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Val'Ryss Zankarr @[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Valik @[member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""][member=""]Sergio Hammersteinhttp://starwarsrp.net/user/833-sergio-hammerstein/ @[member="Tirdarius"]
Viera smiled as she left hyperspace, She would let it sink, she was sure Tidarius was furious with her. She had a plan, but she had to be around long enough to do so.
She already had plans in motion, " All men in battle stations! prepare to invade. "
As the ships left hyperspace, she moved into an attack formation moving to the far side of the planet knowing her 'friends' might want to do things to her. When she got the message, she replied. to the sith " Yes, Knight Val'ryss, My Imperial Knights will be sure to greet you at the door and ensure you bring no weapons on board with you, so please prepare to remove all your sith toys. " She wasn't stupid, Tidarius sent them to intimidate her into line, Well lets see what his apprentices thought of her Imperial knight Master Magnus, and her personal guards provided by him from the Imperial Knights.

Viera's ships inched towards the opposite side of the planet as other Sith ships began to emerge. She was intrigued how this went, as she began to move her men into place, as if an attack was in order. She would see if the man called her bluff. The ships neared the planet, and prepared to bombard it. The gunships were being loaded, and everything, She would attack if it suited her, but for now she would wait and see what developed.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Sanctuary made her way through the ship's corridors she was sent to watch for the Empress. It was part of her duty to the woman and in turn she received the tutoring she desired. It didn’t take long for her to make it to the bridge, doors sliding open she made her way towards the woman in charge.
"Seems you're quite determined to make progress Ms. Kisep"

A dark clock slowly shrugged off the woman’s slender shoulders; she wore her usual leather tunic that was rather shapely to her figure. The front like corset bound with a single long cord of leather. Upon the woman’s face was a mask, adorned with small crystals. The mask only covering half the woman’s face, she kept her identity hidden. Fingers pressed against it making sure it was in place, the last thing she needed was the Sith to find out who she was especially if some of them had met her as a Jedi.

“This has become quite the situation we should carry on – I’m not a big fan of being on a ship…please complete this mission quickly”

 

[Soeht]

Before @[member="Sven Talith"] departed from the room, Kirk can a nod to acknowledge what the Moff said.

"Will do, My Lord," answered Kirk just before the hologram of @[member="Tirdarius"] disappeared.

The orders of the Sith were simple, yet Kirk inferred that he wished to steer things closer to the original plan. The order to fire upon allied ships under certain conditions, which he was told were essentially the Empire's ships and thus the Empress's, gave Kirk enough of a reason to make his guess. However, Kirk did not voice the fact that he would not go through with the order to attack allied ships - believing that this was one such Sith machination that he knew would endanger those such as himself.

Briefly glancing back toward @[member="XoChitl"] when all else have left the room, Kirk could not help when he quipped, "Sometimes I miss the simplicity of working with you."

Then, he left the conference room. With a brisk stride, Kirk made his way to the bridge. The officers and commanders were quick to turn their heads to their alien commander - expecting either confirmation of @[member="Viera Kisep"]'s orders or a change of plans.

"Lord Tirdarius has made his orders clear," Kirk stated, "The Eighth Fleet shall follow Kisep's fleet to Gravlex Med and blockade the planet - holding fire until my command."

Nothing was mentioned of the mandate to fire upon Kisep's ships should she begin her attack.

Shortly after those that wished to depart from Kirk's vessel did so, all of the Eighth Fleet jumped into Hyperspace. Their journey was very short due to the close proximity of Gravlex Med to Bimmiel. After dropping into realspace, Kirk kept his ships in formation as they approached Gravlex Med. With ease, the Chiss spotted Kisep's fleet and could tell that it was preparing for an assault on the planet.

Hailing Kisep's ship from his own, Kirk sent a message to the woman saying, "Grand Admiral, this is Moff Kirk. With respect, I would suggest against an assault. A blockade then demand of the planet's surrender could spare infrastructure the Empire needn't rebuild."

For now, Kirk spoke in a manner to urge Kisep to stand down willingly and without orders. Due to Tirdarius being a Sith Lord and given the authority, by the Empress, to lead this operation, Kirk surmised that Kisep should have followed the Sith Lord's directive. Yet, her actions - which he was not certain if they had some deeper meaning to or not - made it clear that such authority would not bind her.

Though, an interesting thing about the concern over infrastructure on the planet was that Kirk knew Gravlex Med did not have adequate assets for the Empire. Regardless of the planet's condition after its conquest, the Empire would have to build the facilities necessary to properly use it from the ground-up. Thus, the concern Kirk presented was completely insignificant, yet he hoped it would have given the Grand Admiral some pause.

Concluding his message, Kirk then told Kisep, "Also, Lord Tirdarius has ordered your ships to be attacked should you assault the planet. I would regret seeing your career come to a short end on a Sith Lord's whim."

Several of the officers on the bridge turned their heads at that statement - Kirk never mentioned it, after all. Their reactions would have been something Kisep was unaware of, as only Kirk would have appeared to her in the message in holographic form.

 

[Sven Talith]

Sven now stood on the bridge of his Imperius, he watched carefully as his fleet and those of the other Moffs and the Sith landed within the space around their target. The Dreadlord's son watched calmly as comm-static began to be broadcast over his star destroyers bridge. He listened to the various orders being given, and when he heard Kirks message sent to the Admiral he couldn't help but smirk. The young Moff motioned to the Captain of his ship, begging the officer to join him.

This entire situation was developing into quite an interesting state. If the Grand Admiral chose to attack the world below against Lord Tirdarius' orders then the Sith fleet would fire on her ship. They would have a variable Civil War going on above this world with the planet below being none the wiser.

Sven thought for a few minutes, he disliked Sith and technically speaking Viera was in the right here...or at least within her authority as the Grand Admiral. She didn't need to follow Tirdaius' orders, nor did she need to follow his plan. Unlike the Moff's Viera was technically an independent agent answerable only to the Empress. This was Tirdarius' operation of course but the Grand Admiral was well within her right to...interfere. The Young Moff thought, and then looked to his captain with and inquisitive look.

“Do we side with the Grand Admiral, or do we support Lord Tirdarius in his...civil action?” Sven asked quietly. It was a half rhetorical question Sven had already made up his mind on what to do here, but he wanted to hear the opinion of his Captain.

For now the 12th Sector fleet positioned itself alongside Kirks fleet, blockading the planet and forming a wall against the Grand Admirals fleet.

 

[Korran Halcyon]

The Nautolan captain over at the Moff he was attached to. In any other sector he would not be a captain of a ship, he might even be dead, but most of all no Moff would have asked him for his opinion on a matter. Yet, this Moff was an oddity among the others. Due to this, Uhl Yaghdra saw service to this man as essential to his own ascension within the Empire. However high Moff Talith rose was going to be as high as Yaghdra did. And he intended to ride out his career to the farthest reaches. The actions that were before them were interesting ones indeed.

On one hand, they could stand the line with the primary commander of this attack force. A Sith Lord, clearly put in place by the direct orders of the Empress herself. The Moffs also appeared to be standing beside this Lord as well. The other side was to deal with this Grand Admiral. A member of the Imperial Remnant who likely held her rank as a gift and a kind gesture by the Empress. At least, that was how he estimated it. Coax the Remnant in with offers of continued standing. Made sense enough. However, the slow elimination of those that were not worthy of trust or were wild was likely to happen. Uhl imagined within a year much of the Remnant's leading officers would find themselves replaced.

The reality was though, as it stood the Grand Admiral did have power. A significant amount of it. A sizeable fleet, those still loyal to her from the Imperial Remnant, and her elimination could be problematic to the very new annexation of Remnant territories. Other forces not directly under her command could rally behind that action. Truly, siding with either side had reasonable upsides. Weighing the options, his reply was simple, "It depends on where your ambitions lie, Sven."

 

[Sven Talith]

Sven looked at his alien captain, and then back to the read outs across the entire bridge. This was turning into an interesting situation. He wouldn't make a move until Tirdarius spoke, or until Viera made her move. The Grand Admiral was more than a little dangerous at this point and time and the situation could go...badly.

At the end of the day today things would go either very badly, or very well for either side. Sven had already decided where he would go, though it depended on the next few minutes. He looked at his Captain again, a slight smirk on his face. He knew how the Sith Lord would most likely respond, the powerful overlords of the Empire weren't known for their...tact in these situations and he was more than willing to bet that Tirdarus would call Viera's bluff. If he had to guess one of the Sith underlings was heading towards the Admirals ship, once there the underling would try to take control...a folly.

This situation called for a bit of tact, and brute force likely wouldn't help. Sven knew this, but he also knew what Viera was doing was insane. Perhaps the Admiral was attempting to show some sort of force. A kind of “We will not be forgotten” for the Imperial Remnant, he didn't know.

“You know very well were my ambitions will lead us.” Sven finally answered his captain with a slight smirk. He said us because he meant it. The Alien had proven loyal so far, and not only that he had proven to be an exceptional Officer, he would be coming with Sven when the Moff made his move. “Lets let this play out, I want to see what Lord Tirdarus does.”

 

[Valik]

Valik followed @[member="Val'Ryss Zankarr"] and sent the message at her behest. The Grand Admiral replied requesting that the Val'Ryss and Valik remove their weaponry. What weakness she showed in that move.

"If the Grand Admiral requires allies to come onto her capital ship unarmed she is not fit to rule." Valik sneered in disapproval. "It is no wonder her Empire is saving face by allows us to absorb them." Valik commented. If the woman needed a squad of imperial knights to detain two weaponless Sith Knights then she had practically no martial might in her ship to speak of. Not to mention the fact that a Sith didn't need weapons in order to wreak havoc. Her actions spoke of fear and not trusting one's forces. Valik began to wonder why the Sith needed align themselves with the Remnant at all. Then again, politics was more of his master's business.

The Imperial Knights came, and demanded their weapons. Valik held his saber up with the Force, then threw it backwards behind him. "You may stop me from bringing my saber, but you'll not possess ownership of it." Valik stated to the Force-wielding Imperials than marched out of the docking bay.

"Take me to the Grand Admiral @[member="Viera Kisep"]. We have business to discuss."

 

[Ashin Varanin]

A battered old Y-Wing, one of the ubiquitous clones and remakes, emerged from hyperspace just shy of Gravlex Med's invaders. In his Mandalorian armor, Rach examined the tactical situation with the naked eye and touched the recorder toggle on his coat's lapel. Subtle electronics had been woven into the collar - just a recorder and a comm puncher, a powerful burst transmitter. For now, the transmitter was dormant.

"Looks like the Moffs are going with Tirdarius's orders," he said quietly. "They're in a position to deter Kisep from attacking Gravlex Med. I'm betting she could still fire past them - planet's a pretty big target - but who knows what'll happen. Your fething Majesty, you trusted the wrong people. There's all sorts of bad about to happen."

He stayed off the comms.

 

[Teynara Jeralyr]

Command Bridge, ISS Retribution
In the space above Gravlex Med

The Retribution came out of hyperspace just behind the main fleet, yanked out of lightspeed near the planet by the very edge of the interdiction sphere now being projected by overlapping Interdiction Generators aboard the Sith fleet's other two Captivitas-class vessels, exact in design to the one that Tirdarius himself was aboard. The Star Destroyer proceeded at sublight speeds to enter the inner core of the interdiction sphere, then began initiating the start-up procedure that would add it's own mass gravity shadow to those of it's two sister ships, essentially wholly blockading the planet of Gravlex Med. Any ship wanting to leave will have to move away from our overlapping bubbles to reach Hyperspace, Tirdarius noted with a certain amount of satisfaction.

The other Sith ships had arrayed themselves out before the planet with all the brutal military efficiency that he had come to expect of the Imperial Fleet, loyal to his orders in a way that he fully appreciated. Though the officers aboard those ships had to know that they had effectively been pinned between the Remnant Fleet and the planet below, they had taken up positions between the two so as to serve as an effective barrier, first to take fire. And if the Remnant fires on my ships to make their attack on the planet, they'll regret it very, very quickly. It would not come to that, though, he was certain of it. Our ships are here as a precautionary measure only. If the Grand Admiral of the Remnant Fleet was foolish enough to fire on Imperial ships, she'd put their alliance in considerable jeopardy. As though she has not done so already, by provoking us. Most people didn't live to make that same mistake twice - frankly, she was lucky that Tirdarius was the one in command. She'd be dead otherwise.

"Captain, initiate our interdiction as soon as the grav-well generators are powered and operational," Tirdarius instructed the woman who had nominal command over the ship. "No ships may leave the area until we've captured this planet for the Empire and established control over the system," he informed her, knowing fully well that she probably understood this already - she would hardly be in command of his current flagship if she needed to be told every little detail. "And put me through to the Remnant's command ship. I would speak with Grand Admiral Kisep," he finished, turning away from the officer.

The communications between vessels hadn't yet been cut off or jammed - thus far, though one fleet was very carefully watching the other, hostilities hadn't yet broken out, so there seemed little need. And nobody but our two fleets exist to come to the assistance of the planet below, so there's no need to cut off planetary communications either. He did have to wonder what was going on down there on the surface, but even from here, he could feel confusion, anxiety and tension, both from the fleet and the planet below. Time to put aside this uncertainty once and for all.

"Admiral Kisep, this is Lord Tirdarius," he observed, the comm channel between the two flagships now active. The Grand Admiral was aboard a far larger ship than the one Tirdarius was currently aboard - there was little doubt that she would be able to blast him to scrap if she felt so inclined, but the sole response from the rest of the fleet would be to do the same to the Imperial Remnant. And the murder of a member of the Dark Council by an outsider is something no Sith could tolerate, even if they secretly approved. "Order your ships to stand down and cease any preparations to attack the planet of Gravlex Med," he instructed, his voice curt and lacking any warmth. "I would hate for any unpleasantries to happen between us, so kindly comply."

He'd been rather tempted to broadcast that on an open channel - the authorities on Gravlex Med would pick it up and understand that the Sith were intervening in an Imperial attack on the planet, but such a thing could have easily been staged, so it was doubtful they would believe that alone. Besides, this may not simply be a matter of ultimatums, he thought. This is a very fragile moment. He wondered if his counterpart on the other flagship would have a true appreciation of that.

"Be warned that my fleet will fire on any ship that engages the planet," he observed, continuing to speak over the comm channel. "I abhor waste, both of men and resources, but I cannot allow you to harm the inhabitants of this planet without good cause, and they have done nothing to harm you," the Sith Lord remarked. He sat back in his command chair, resting his arms upon it as he contemplated their next move. "Consider the lives of the people under your command. You might be able to overwhelm our forces, and I stress 'might', but you'd experience plenty of your own losses. Can you have that on your conscience, I wonder?"

 

[Sal Katarn]

Seth Shorn stood at the bridge of the Star Destroyer Adjudicator. Unwavering brown eyes stared through the viewport, watching as events unfolded. It seemed relations with the Sith Empire were deteriorating, as expected. The Sith were mercurial and devious. Not a combination one sought in an ally. The tenuous relations between the two Imperial powers came despite similarities in government. For the most part, the Sith Order was to blame. They were capricious and vindictive; full of unchained emotions. Restraint, conservation of resources, and rule of law meant nothing to them. They killed on impulse and whim. Mostly, they killed their own. And that was why the Remnant and the Sith would never work. Not unless the Sith government reigned in the psychotics of the Order and established some real laws with actual consequences.

Law and Order. It was the basis of the Remnant and why it continued to exist. The Moffs polluted it with their greed, but Shorn would remove their scum in time. The Imperial Remnant would shine once more as a crystal pool of justice, equality, and stability.

Seth had yet to see Mikhail since the alliance. It was purposeful. He feared their meeting. He knew not what to expect. Much had changed. Allegiances, ideals, and... bodies - at least in Seth’s case.

Forced loyalty, ensured by his genetic structure, still troubled him. He could not compromise it. He would not. For it was programmed into his nature. Yet, where the Moffs sought to use it to their own benefit they did not understand. Seth was loyal to the Imperial Remnant and the Remnant only. Yet, execution of that loyalty was open to interpretation. Seth chose to fight for ideals. In a way, the cloning and genetic restructuring of the former Republic starfighter pilot Seth Shorn had backfired on the Moffs. He had developed his ideals, his objective, and now his power. He stood tall as the new Praetor of the Royal Guards. Few stood taller.

“Lieutenant DeShev, do we have targeting solutions on Gravlex Med?” Shorn asked.

A short man with blonde hair nodded, green eyes bright. “Yes, sir. Turbolasers are ready to fire on your order.”

“Good, but you’ll need to change it. The starboard batteries have a new target: I.S.S. Retribution. If Lord Tirdarius fires on Moff Kisep we will be forced to return fire. I will not have us exposed. If he falls, they fall. Target their bridge.”

“Aye, aye, Praetor,” the combat systems officer replied.

“Inform me when it is done.”

Seth still watched the planet through the viewport, with pursed lips. He stood at parade rest, with hands clasped behind his back. He wore traditional Royal Guard armor, with the red cloak and armor, but he did not carry the helmet. He believed the troops under his command needed a face. Not a mask. Love of a leader motivated men to great deeds. Fear could crush the will to fight. And Seth would not have his soldiers fear him. Respect was enough. There was already too much in the galaxy to fear and what would happen if something came along more terrifying than him? Love would always be more powerful.

“Foolish Sith. We will break their bones and suck the marrow from it,” said a rumbling voice.

Shorn shook his head. “It would be costly for both sides, Dirk. And pointless. What we would have gained from the Grand Admiral’s bargaining would be lost in a moment’s stupidity. I’m just preparing for the worst.”

The powerfully built Yuzzem, Dirk, grunted in response. Over two meters tall, he gloried in battle and blood, making him an interesting executive officer for Seth. His aggressiveness often balanced out Seth’s own pacifistic tendencies. Seth was glad of that. He understood his unwillingness to shed blood could often lead to worse consequences. He had learned the lesson before, but he would rather err on the side of lives conserved. Always. Even now it pained him that they were about to subjugate an essentially peaceful planet. The Anx were a species on the edge of extinction. They had been persecuted time and again. Now, Seth feared they were here to finish the job. He would not participate in a genocide, but he would do what was necessary for the Empire. Duty above all else. Fate was cruel.

 

[Sven Talith]

Sven could feel the pressure within the air as the tension built all around them. They were on the very edge of a Civil War, the very edge of a massive battle that could perhaps restructure the Empire. The Dreadlords son stood on the bridge, watching screens, listening to radio call outs, and peering at the officers on the bridge. Most of them were Aliens much like his captains. Zeltrons, Rataki, more Nautolons, there were dozens of them. Every single inch of Svens ship was covered in aliens.

Even the stormtroopers in his squadrons were aliens, an odd thing but one that was actually incredibly handy. Because they were all aliens they trusted Sven explicitly, they knew that within his fleet they had a chance whereas elsewhere in the Empire they were nothing but trash. This also made his crew extremely loyal. This was important since Sven's next step would be rather...dangerous if he got out, The young Moff turned to his Captain and then walked over to him. He spoke with a slight hint of amusement in his tone. “Open a secure line to Ozlyn Gox. I wanted it hidden among the com-chatter of the fleet.”

Sven grinned, and the communications officer that heard him grinned as well. The Moff was taking action into his own hands. Seconds later a creature appeared on the view screen before him. The thing spoke to him in a foreign language and was dressed in fine liveries Sven guessed he was the Prime Minister of the world, one that he did not understand. A protocol droid waddled over to the Moff and began to translate.

“Why have you contacted me? Is this not an invasion? Are you not here to take our world?”

“No Mister Prime Minister I have come to save it.” Sven said quite simply as he looked at the dinosaur creature. The protocol droid happily chirped away, informing the strange alien of his words. The creature looked shocked, but then let Sven continue. “At this moment all that stand between you and a fleet controlled by the Imperial Remnant is me and my fleet. Now we are strong enough to hold them, but we aren't strong enough to beat them. If you add your planetary defense forces to my own, we will easily overpower anything the Remnant can throw at us.”

The Strange dinosaur creature looked at him strangely, obviously not trusting Sven or the Imperial fleet. Of course the alien did notice that Sven was in fact telling the truth, there were two fleets one poised to attack and the other poised to defend. The Alien also noticed the plethora of other Aliens aboard Svens ship, marking him as a kinder Moff rather than the usual heartless Sith.

The strange Dinosaur creature argued back with Sven, asking what it would cost him and how they could do this. Sven responded simply, he gave straightforward answers. He told the Prime Minister that if they fought together now, an alliance could be forged between them. Gravlex Med could be brought into the Empire and would flourish under control.

In the end it took nearly 10 minutes of constant arguing, but finally the Prime Minister of the world below relented. “Very well Moff Talith, you have our fleet.”

A smirk crossed over Sven's face, and he gave a signal to his Captain Uhl. As he did so the view screen behind him cut out and all communications with the world were gone. Sven immediately spoke to his captain and communications officer giving them strict orders.

“Uhl, contact every ship that you believe is on the side of the Sith, not the Remnant and tell them that the Planetary Defense Forces are on OUR side. Then Immediately scramble all comms going planetside. Officer Trast, open a line of communications line with the Admiral of the Planetary Defense Fleet, same deal as the Prime Minister.” As Sven ordered them the two officers immediately went to work, and seconds later another line of communication was opened between Sven and the Admiral of the PDF.

“Admiral Ilen. As I understand it your fleet is currently located behind the moon, I ask you to move it behind the Remnant Fleet and immediately open fire. I will then fire with my fleet and we shall crush them between us. You are the Anvil, I am the Hammer.” The Admiral nodded, trusting in the words of the Moff. What Sven didn't mention of course was that he was in fact, not in charge here. He had no control over what the Sith fleet did or what they didn't do. When the Planetary Defense Forces attacked the Imperial Remnant Fleet two things could happen. One the Imperial Remnant would bite them to bits using their superior fire power and tactics, or the Sith Fleet would engage the Remnant and entirely decimate the Remnants remaining fleet.

Either option suited Sven just fine, none of this could be traced back to him and in the case of his loss his tracks were covered. His comm lines were secure, the Admiral would likely die and the Prime Minister would more than likely end up dead by Sith hands anyway. This was perfect, Sven was starting a war without anyone being the wiser, and if everything went according to plan the young Moff would gain all the credit for taking Gravlex Med.

 

[Viera Kisep]

Bridge Razor's Kiss
Viera looked to the first apprentice and smiled " I will try, but no promises.. as you can see, this is anyone's game" She watched the ships blockade the planet. They were the interesting part, they would either fire or not fire on her. But then she got the most peculier response from the moff, @[member="Rytek'irk'intrano"] was his name.. he said that they were ordered to fire but that seemed to reference there was more to it than that. She smirked, perhaps she could fire. " Let the sith, come on bridge... play nice" she said to her imperial Guards. Viera held her hand to her chin, in debate, about to send in her troops anyways when she was interrupted. But then Tidirus's flagship entered, she had been waiting for it.
Viera opened up the comms to the ISS Retribution
" I see you hold up to your words, but don't fear, I plan to force them into your plans. In about 10 minutes, please hail the planet's leader and do what we both know will needed to be done, I fire a few shots.. you pretend to engage me and I give up my pursuit on the planet.. afraid of the Sith Empire. I rather not see either of us dead on this day. "
She waited was just about to open up comms with the planet when sensors screamed, the bridge was alive with alerts and calls as the PDF began firing towards her fleet, Viera couldn't believe it. She opened up comms to the ISS Retribution, " They seem to have decided to attack us I do hope you will put aside any hard feelings" The transmission was cut there, as her ship shook Damn them but this seemed futile.. there was no way they could win.. unless the Sith was betraying her. " Save every log from the last 20 minutes of comms, I want every log.. we scanned and I want them saved in tripilcate.. we need to figure out who is on our side" She cursed as her fighters deployed and her ships deployed, if the Sith were to betray her, the only hope she had was to over whelm the PDF so hard and fast that she limited her time fighting two enemies.
" All Ships engage the PDF, Hard and fast, Watch your flanks, The sith may attack us " Viera knew her life rided on this. She threw her entire fleet at the PDF every ship was out and deployed, Every Gun was fireing. The fact was that the PDF was no match for the might of their fleet, and it was only two obvious.. their wouldn't be much left of them soon. She decided to open a comm again.. things had cleared near her ship for the moment, it was a losing battle for the PDF. She yet again Hailed the ISS Retribution " Repeat, I have been attacked by enemy forces, did you betray me... we both know they aren't stupid enough to attack me like this alone" But then comms cut again as her ship shook, She had to hurry, if the Sith were betraying her, the only chance she had was to punch through the PDF>

Green is orders to my men
Blue is to other people

 

[Allyson Locke]

"You've got to be kidding me."

Sanctuary stood there as the ship shook. She should have known something like this would be happening. The Sith were unpredictable and at times unstable. Everyone out for themselves. Fingers pressed against her mask, as she sighed. The girl tried to focus her thoughts searching for some ill intent. There was...nothing. cursing under her breath she was in disbelief that she couldnt find anything.

Moving from the bridge she looked towards the Grand Admiral. She could try and bend fate like Ashin showed her, but it would be too much on her.

"Take care of the planetary defense forces, also look for a way out of this! "