Assassins [First Order - Memorial for Kalast]

[Natasi Fortan]

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atUKT_P5qpE

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ONE WEEK AFTER THE LOSS​

OF THE FIV PREVAIL​

Avalonia - Dosuun - 0900​

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Natasi Fortan stood in a room just off the grand lobby of the Imperial Palace in Avalonia, alone with her thoughts and the coffin draped with the First Order flag -- the coffin that represented the earthly remains of Supreme Commander [member="Aram Kalast"]. Of course, because his earthly remains had never been recovered from the destroyed Prevail, Natasi was quite alone indeed. The Grand Moff and interim Supreme Commander wore a traditional black dress and coat, a black hat trimmed with a long veil, black shoes and carrying black gloves and a black handbag. Everything had to be black, because the First Order was in a state of mourning, officially. Avalonia itself had had its colorful banners taken down, replaced with black. Its recruiting posters had been replaced with calls for men and women to sign up to fight -- Vengeance for Kalast! they declared. Recruitment was up 11%. Silver linings.

We've all gone crazy, mourning all day and mourning all night​

Falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right​

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Nobody did mourning quite like fascists, Natasi thought as she listened to the dull murmur of the crowd, audible even inside the palace. They were waiting to pay their respects to Kalast, whose 'body' would be paraded through the streets of Avalonia to the Victory & Memorial Park and the visitor's center there, where he would lie in state. Citizens would have a few days to file past the coffin, sign condolence books -- though, to whom, Natasi didn't know. She wasn't aware of any family that Kalast might have had; she had always viewed him, rightly or wrongly, like herself and [member="Ludolf Vaas"]: married to their jobs. She had been wrong about Vaas; it was just as likely she was wrong about Kalast. Still, that was for Kalast's office to deal with. Natasi had only to be sure that the First Order was giving its citizens appropriate outlets for their grief, to harness it for the benefit of the state. Recruitment and propaganda were chief among their concerns.

It's quite a sunset, and good for the country in a roundabout way​

We've made the front page of all the world's papers today​

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Natasi had grieved and would continue to grieve for her colleague and friend, but for now she had a stoic, stony look on her face. She had to keep it together. The public expected it. They wanted her to be sad, but not weepy -- remorseful, but not paralyzed by grief. They wanted to allow themselves to go to pieces, and for Natasi Fortan and her cabinet, and the First Order's military and government establishment to hold themselves -- to hold the nation together. Bread and circuses didn't stop just because the Supreme Commander was dead. There was a sound and Natasi turned to the door to see a dozen men enter -- some in suits, some in Stormtrooper armor.

"It's time," said General Schuyler. "The rest of the followers are gathering on the steps of the palace, if you'd like to make your way."

"Stay with me, General," said Natasi quietly as she worked her fingers into her gloves.

"All the way, ma'am," replied Schuyler gently. Natasi gave one last look at the coffin and then left the room, strolling out onto the wide front porch of the Palace, then began taking the steps down to where the rest of the dignitaries waited. Those who would, like Natasi, follow the coffin, had already assembled. They represented all branches of the First Order -- a few of her cabinet colleagues were present, including Petyr Calinda, the Minister of Culture. General Schuyler represented the Army, a well-liked figure, among others from other branches. They all stood under the protective awning erected for that purpose, and would walk within an area behind the casket secured with an energy shield mounted clandestinely on the cortege.

But that's all gone now. As soon as the smoke from the funeral clears​

We're all gonna see -- and how -- he did nothing for years!​

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The cortege would be pulled not by horses or other beasts of burden, but by three hundred of the First Order's finest: a hundred Stormtroopers, a hundred Navy men, and a hundred Starfighter Corps members, from varying ranks. Of course, this was largely symbolic, since the gun carriage onto which the casket was loaded was on repulsorlifts, but it was the optics of the matter that counted here. The steady footsteps pulling the gun carriage along the front of the palace from where the casket had been loaded in of the men men began as a murmur, but by the time they reached the front of the Palace, it was nearly a roar. They stopped, giving Natasi and the others time to line up behind the coffin, with Natasi directly behind, and when they took up again, it was with the Grand Moff, General Schuyler, Petyr Calinda and others marching along behind.

 

[Ludolf Vaas]

By all accounts, Field Marshal Vaas shouldn't have been at the funeral service today. He should have been home recovering from his own serious injury that he had sustained aboard the Kleve - a freak accident that had managed to nearly cost him his life. He still sported the bandage on the back of his head where the doctors had performed emergency surgery on his brain hemorrhage. But the details of his injury still remained top secret, and had never been leaked to the public. As far as the greater populace of the First Order knew, Ludolf Vaas had not suffered any injuries during the same time that Aram Kalast had been killed. Thus it was only natural that he appear today at Kalast's funeral.

Not like he would let the injury stop him anyway. Vaas gripped the railing of the stairs leading down to the courtyard of Victory Park. He still wasn't one-hundred percent on his feet yet, but he wouldn't show it. His anger had made him too determined in the face of his adversity to let his physical troubles hinder him. Today, the First Order was burying its first Supreme Commander. But today Ludolf Vaas was also burying a friend.

He had been the first, along with Aram and [member="Natasi Fortan"], to set the grand dream of the First Order in motion. Together they had created a society like none other, and even though Ludolf and Aram didn't always see eye to eye, their vision for the First Order, and for the galaxy at large, remained the same. Kalast had inspired the utmost loyalty in Ludolf, a feeling which had never died in him. Vaas was a fanatic for the cause, and now his enemies had stripped him of one of his closest confidants. They had taken one of the few people he could perhaps call a friend in the galaxy.

They would pay. Ludolf would see to that. He, Natasi and the rest of the entourage would get through today, they would bury Kalast with all the pomp and polite circumstance and full military honors that afforded his position... and then Field Marshal Vaas would make worlds burn. He would exact vengeance upon the perpetrators like had never been seen before. The scum responsible for Kalast's death would not just be defeated - they would be tortured and humiliated before the end. They and their families would be liquidated from the face of the galaxy as though they had never existed. Ludolf's hate fueled every step he took as he got into position to observe Aram's funeral. Even [member="Marzena Choi"] would see that the passionate rage which burned in Ludolf's eyes had made him a changed man. His hate gave him something to live for.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Natasi was pleased to be wearing a hat, as the sun would otherwise be shining in her eyes as the cortege stopped outside the Ministry of Defense. As Supreme Commander, [member="Aram Kalast"] had been its de facto Minister, and so the processional route had been planned to pause there for a full minute before moving on. Natasi remained stock still, turning neither head nor body, though she was painfully aware of the presence of [member="Ludolf Vaas"] to her right. She was pleased -- surprised, but pleased -- that he was able to be up and walking around, and his insistence for doing so in order to avoid letting on that he had been seriously injured was admirable. She was doubly pleased that he would soon be taking the reins of Supreme Commander from her hands and she would be able to focus on other matters.

Still, she did not speak to him as she did occasionally to Calinda or Schuyler, murmured observations and asides. Just as his injuries lingered, so did hers, and she wasn't ready to pretend anything different.

After a minute had passed, the gun carriage moved into motion, finally leaving the plaza of the Palace and emerging onto the broad, tree-lined avenues of Avalonia. Natasi had to be impressed by the First Order military's precision. Without anyone shouting orders, the men and women of the services moved as one, marched as one, stopped as one, resumed as one. Natasi hoped they were as polished for her own funeral, a thought which made her fists clench with anxiety. At any rate, they emerged from the palace complex, and the men and women lining the streets removed their caps, some bowing as the cortege passed. Natasi was touched at the genuine emotion on their faces.

It was a testament to everything they had build together -- Sieger Ren and his trio of trusted lieutenants. Natasi spared herself a thought for the future; would the First Order be able to operate as well without Kalast? Would she be able to work with Vaas in the same way? She wanted to think so, but deep down she had her doubts. But, this was something to worry about when the empty casket had been buried in the ground -- besides, she realized as she felt her feet blister in her black high heels, she had more immediate complaints.

 

[Asharad Graush]

A'sharad stood with other members of the First Order Army that were paying their respects. There were hundreds of them, the stormtroopers standing towards the front as if the white, uniform faces of the Corps was holding back the ebony tides of grief that almost overwhelmed his senses, even as he focused on pushing the emotions to the side. The Sith High Colonel stood close to the front, as befit his rank, and as the procession started around the bend, he was surprised, however masked, to see that [member="Ludolf Vaas"] was marching along with [member="Natasi Fortan"], seeing as he had been recently injured on the... Kleve, was it? Truly, he couldn't remember, other things dragged at this memory on the daily, though, the First Order Army's work had been relatively lax, surprisingly.

The citizens of the First Order mourned well, if that were possible.

Televised, wasn't it? A'sharad could only imagine how silent so many households across Imperial Space were, for whatever reason. Doubtful, was he, that many, if any even knew the Supreme Commander [member="Aram Kalast"] personally. But still, they mourned. Genuine sadness he could feel in the Force.

His left hand held the four fingers of his right hand, clasping the deformed hand tightly as the procession slowly went on its way.

If only that door could hit me now.

 

[Sara Lee Jones]

She stood

She stood with one sleeve moving in the wind, left arm to be exact, she watched with a sad tired eye, she sat with the other rp I lots, though the numbers were a lot less now....the fight at omega had took many friends and let them meet the space them embraced....only to permanent be a residence of it

The Supreme commander she had signed up to fly under the navy he commanded....she joined to protect the people she loved and honor them, and now she stood, bolt flight was around her, she looked up as the carriage passed, she took her cap off as she placed it to her heart, tears welled up as she fought them back, ot was getting to her now...all that had happened

She let her head bowed and a tear fall...a single ine...for the supreme commander, another for this lost in the battle of that horrid machine, and then another for the troops lost

[member="Asharad Graush"] [member="Natasi Fortan"] [member="Ludolf Vaas"]

 

[Jaron Lesan]

Aram was dead.

There connection had never been an intimate one, nor had they spent much time together, but Jaron had shadowed Belis Ren long enough to have worked with the man. His direction had been me paramount in the early days of the faction. He had been the one to guide them when disagreements threatened the unity they now experienced. His conquests, strategic prowess, and vision for what could be had led them to where they were. As was with all things this chapter had come to an end.

There weremothers who felt the loss deeper than Jaron. For the most part he was stoic, his expressionless face looking on to the crowd which had gathered. As was usual the Knight was given to shadow. His modus operandi to be unseen by most, and only seen by the few he favored. Jaron did nothing to mask his presence however. This was a moment of solidarity for the First Order. Something which could tear them down would only serve to make them stronger.

Aram was dead. The First Order was not.

The First Order would live on. This was a lesson to them all. The First Order was built to outlast them all. Their lives would be given for the First Order, their energy spent on its expansion. This was a movement which was beyond them all, and something that would cast a shadow farther than any one man could. This was not the end, but a continuation of everything the First Order stood. It was larger than one man, larger than them all.

Aram was dead.

[member="Sara Lee Jones"] [member="Asharad Graush"] [member="Natasi Fortan"] [member="Ludolf Vaas"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena Choi stood on the grass, just under the shade of a tall tree at Victory & Memorial Park. It was, oddly enough, the same exact vantage point where she had watched [member="Ludolf Vaas"] be promoted to Field Marshal. However, things were different today. A crowd had already gathered here, most of them congregating around the visitor’s center, where the public would soon mourn the loss of Supreme Commander Kalast. Many faces were already stained with tears, the sight alone caused her to dab her own eyes with a tissue.

She had never met Kalast in person, but she understood what he meant to Ludolf, and what he had meant to the First Order. Marzena would pay her respects alongside the other citizens.

Her eyes shifted up towards the sky, she was worried. Ludolf was still recovering, even if the public was not aware of his current state. No matter how anxious she was about him being out and about, she would not have attempted to keep him away today. Marzena knew that this was a most important event, and she had seen affect that Kalast’s death had had on Ludolf. It made her heart ache to know that he was suffering. Perhaps closure would be good for him, but deep down, she knew it would not be enough... it frightened her.

Marzena took a few steps towards the shady tree, and she let her back rest against the sturdy trunk.She bowed her head and exhaled slowly. For now, she would remain a respectful distance from the Memorial Center and watch the flow of mourners. Her dark eyes would search the crowd for Ludolf, and she would wait patiently until she could take her place at his side.

 

[Garett Van]

Meanwhile a good distance away from the burial site for the fallen Commander, Lieutenant Van was tasked by his Battalion HQ to setup a twenty-one gun salute to honor the former Supreme Commander. With him was a new member of the 242nd Lieutenant [member="Kresh Vanukar"]. Garett wasn't sure about this new lieutenant but he hopes that his crew on the SPHA-T would follow orders and the order of the guns. Since Lt. Van was the Battery Commander for this event, he wasn't in charge of any walker, which made him a tad uncomfortable, but Lt. Vanukar was the only other officer assigned to this detail, and since he was fresh out of training, it fell to Van to be the Commander of this.​

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Sadly Garett never met the man they were honoring today, but he heard some thing about him while he was in basic. He had heard that he was a great leader and was very charismatic as well. Anyway he couldn't dwell on someone he could never meet, so he chose to go assign the new Lieutenant to his post.​

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"Lieutenant Vanukar, I'm Lieutenant Van. I will be the Battery Commander for this detail, I know it will be weird for you since you are from Besh Company, but I hope it will work out. Anyway I would like to assign you to the second gun, in our seven gun battery today. Also when I give the word, each gun will fire in succession. Understood?"​

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Garett hoped he didn't come off to harsh on the new member of Sandstorm Battalion, and hope he wouldn't make an enemy of a future Company Command or even higher one day. After Lieutenant Vanukar replied to Garett, he then returned to making the final checks on all the guns and the gun crews making sure everything was in perfect order. I was hard since Garett had to bring these walkers out of mothball, most of this variant hasn't seen action since the Clone Wars, and that was a very long time ago.​

 

[Kresh Vanukar]

"Understood, I will not disappoint."

Kresh Vanukar checked and double checked that his gun was in working order. He did not want to appear incompetent in this serious event. He hadn't seen this variant of Walker before, he hoped that it would still be of working standard.

Lt. Vanukar turned to looked at his squad mates once more "Private Sandrus, adjust your uniform please. Many will be watching this event, it suits us to look professional."

Kresh was eager to impress his superiors. He never met the man the seven gun salute was dedicated for. He had only just recently graduated and assigned to the 2nd Besh Platoon. Kresh saw this as an opportunity to show his willingness and aptitude for command.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

The procession to Victory and Memorial Park took almost two hours, with massive crowds lining every part of the route. When they reached the memorial center, Natasi found her way up the large ramp to stand near the podium while General Schuyler took to the podium, from which both could overlook the entire park. There were white folding chairs by the hundreds, and crowds gathered to stand respectfully behind the chairs. Meanwhile, the proceedings were being broadcast across the empire, in plazas and squares, parks and avenues, on massive screens and holoprojectors. Natasi was, by this point, used to being the public face of the FIrst Order, called on to speak during moments of national importance, so she didn't feel nervous, exactly.

Mostly, she felt dejected. Why did this have to happen? It was just such a waste.

Natasi waited for the crowd to settle into their seats, and then General Schuyler gave introductory remarks, then introduced Natasi, for whom there was polite applause. She pushed the veil back off her face, pinned it in place with a jet pin into her hat. Once there was silence, Natasi addressed the crowd: "Good morning. Friends, colleagues, countrymen -- citizens viewing from across the empire -- we gather today in a spirit of deep mourning and grief, for the passing of a friend and colleague, a leader of men and military, and a loyal servant of the Supreme Leader." She leaned forward, placing her hands on either side of the podium so that her voice rang across the the park, echoing off the buildings in the distance. "But as deep as our grief for [member="Aram Kalast"]'s loss, as consuming our anger at the murder of one of our own, we are also left as determined and thankful as we have ever been."

Natasi looked across the crowd, her gaze lingering on the dignitaries in the front row before she continued: "Determined, because we know that the death of the Supreme Commander is not the end of this story, but the beginning. We will discover the truth behind the death of the Supreme Commander -- and when we do, it is my pledge -- my solemn vow -- that we will bring them the Supreme Leader's justice, as swift as it is righteous, and as harsh at it is just. We will not rest, we will not falter, and with the Supreme Leader's wisdom and guidance, we cannot fail." She paused to allow her voice to cease echoing off the neighboring buildings.

"And while we are determined, I believe I speak for each one of us when I describe the sense of gratitude I feel -- gratitude for the life of the Supreme Commander. His tireless work on behalf of the Supreme Leader's vision, on behalf of all of us, means that though he is gone, he leaves the empire stronger than ever. We have lost a great man, but we have not lost ourselves, our purpose. [member="Aram Kalast"] has dropped our flag, it is true. Let each one of us -- united in grief, united in determination, united in gratitude -- pick up the banner where it fell. Let each one of us strive to continue the work of the Supreme Commander in everything we do. Join with me in recommitting yourself to the cause that the Supreme Commander sacrificed himself for, and that each of us strive for every day. Honor this man -- my colleague, my leader, and my friend. Work. Enlist. Serve."

"Thank you, friends, for the opportunity to speak." She inclined her head, looking out over the crowd. "Now, I ask you to rise to recite our national anthem." As the music played, Natasi left the podium, took the ramp back down to the ground level and took her seat next to [member="Darell Irani"]. One hand fumbled in her pocket for a handkerchief to dab at her eyes, while the other groped for Irani's hand, seeking the comfort only he could bring. She was mourning -- not necessarily the loss of Aram Kalast, but rather the change that was coming, the pressure she was under, and the fact that things in the First Order -- in the world she had tried so hard to create, to order, to make perfect -- would never, ever be the same again. Perhaps that wouldn't be clear to others in their superficial observation, but she thought that at least Irani would see what was happening inside.

Schuyler resumed the podium to continue the ceremonies. Next up -- the gun salute.

[member="Kresh Vanukar"] | [member="Garett Van"]

 

[Garett Van]

Garett was relayed the order to commence the gun salute for the fallen Supreme Commander. He once again thought to himself please don't let anything go wrong with this. He didn't want to be the one responsible for botching up something of tradition. It was things like this that could make or break an officer's career, and he wanted this to be perfect to the T. Taking a deep breath and grabbing his comlink, he radioed the first SPHA-T.​

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"Fire!"​

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The first gun fired off its round as ordered. Garett then paused a moment and called out to the second gun.​

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"Fire!"​

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Nothing went wrong there either, so he proceeded to continue to call out the guns and give them their orders. It almost seemed like an eternity for Garett for the guns to finish, but they did and with out any problems. He breathed a sigh of relief and then let all the stress he built up go. It was perfect, Garett needed to note the Officers in charge of the guns so he could send up names to Battalion, not like Battalion would ever listen to him though since he was just a Lieutenant, and he was "volunteered" for this duty as well.​

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[member="Kresh Vanukar"]

 

[Kresh Vanukar]

Kresh managed to keep calm, he had rehearsed this enough that some men would think he had a problem. Fortunately, Kresh had gone through enough simulations that he was confident enough not to botch this attempt.

"Fire!" Kresh is commanded

He fired the gun. It worked, no problems. He readied the SPHA-T for a second shot and ran a quick diagnostic.

*Energy levels stable*

*Heat dispersion stable*

*Structural integrity stable*

*SPHA-T ready to fire.*

With a sigh of relief, Lt. Kresh Vanukar was ready for the second shot.

"Fire!"

*Energy levels low*

*Heat dispersion unstable*

*Structural integrity stable*

*SPHA-T ready to fire.*

He began to sweat, it could blow up on him or worse not fire in time.

"Fire!"

*Energy levels empty*

*Heat dispersion critical*

*Structural integrity damaged*

*SPHA-T can no longer fire.*