Cracking the Establishment

[Zef Halo]

Griggs Malone.

The perfect man for the job, Vitor had concluded. Even June had agreed, the Pantoran aide that always seemed to criticise everything he did.

A middle aged man, rough background, small time hustler, backstabber but the most charismatic men among the people of the lower levels of Vorzyd V.

He’d reached a position of leadership among the neighborhoods due to his cunning nature and way of attracting people. Not a natural born leader per se but certainly the right man for this grand goal of Vitor Avendahl.

You ask what grand goal ?

Governor of Vorzyd V.

That’s right. Vitor was going all in. Ambition stirred through his vein as he planned day and night with various advisors and utilizing his contacts on the planet and within the Helix Syndicate that was led by @Maleagant.

Griggs Malone, who was serving as district manager of Corondex Arms’ factories on Vorzyd IV, was introduced to the idea and it was safe to say that he eagerly accepted.

Well, he couldn’t reject now couldn’t he ? Fame and power was all he had wanted his whole life.

 

[Zef Halo]

When Griggs Malone announced his desire to become Vorzyd Conservative Party’s candidate for the position of government, all hell broke loose. That was because Malone had substantial support from the residents of the lower levels and those belonging to the middle and lower class.

The same people that were selling their votes before as they knew their condition could never change were know the most loyal and fierce supporters of Griggs Malone. Vitor and Corondex Arms investments and actions along with Wraithguard had made that happen.

The Commonality, the ruling government of the sector, had not seen that. Busy swimming in their money but now they were afraid.

Immediately the establishment retaliated by declaring that this man is a joke and could not be taken seriously. He reeked of populism and that was true. What Griggs promised was what everyone longed to hear for ages. Independent Vorzyd, free of the Commonality, investment and support to the hardworking people of Vorzyd IV.
He spoke of what people thought impossible - Vorexit.

No longer under the yoke of the Commonality and their governance. It was all about Free Vorzyd and bringing the Vorzyd system back to the people.

Pressure and rejection piled up in the party, so Vitor had no other choice than to contact his associate in the Helix Syndicate.

“I have a job for you. Meet me in my office tonight.” Vitor hung up his comlink and exhaled with frustration.

 

[Zef Halo]

Helix did their job perfectly once again.

Within weeks the VCP’s most vocal party members began changing their rhetoric and were instead beginning to support Malone. The other candidate from the party, who was considered the absolute favorite, was vocal in his frustration and injustice of what was happening. Nonetheless, his cries fell on deaf ears.

There’s a lot blackmailing could do.

Vitor expected that even the other candidate - Javen Hart - would voice his support when the Helix Syndicate found out his weakness. Everybody had one, even the establishment’s favorite Javen Hart.

Avendahl’s information source were speaking of great anger within the establishment’s circle but still the main atmosphere was that the Commonality did not take this candidate serious. Even if he became a candidate from VCP, the other party’s (Union of Democratic Forces) candidate would certainly win with an extensive gap.

Good, let them think their victory was sealed.

Meanwhile, Vitor still had a political campaign to win.

 

[Zef Halo]

It didn’t take long before the ambitious opportunities turned up at the door. Smaller casino owners, rookie new players on Vorzyd and others that were always in the shade of the ‘establishment’ and its complete dominion of most profitable areas in the Vorzyd System.

They were all welcome of course.

Malone’s campaign suddenly began gaining much more traction with the large sums injected into his campaign. This helped Vitor compensate for the large investments that Corondex had already been doing in the Vorzyd system. Emre, the other co-founder of Corondex, would certainly be very happy to hear that.

The campaign leaders made great progress with the new finances and available budget. Ratings kept going up and up and Vitor wondered when those in power would stop laughing and realize the threat Vitor’s former district manager was to their plans.

 

[Zef Halo]

You should expect a man such as Malone to make stupid and costly mistakes. You should prepare for some contingency but sometimes you miss out on a detail, you forget due to the large amount of information you are handling.

That’s what happened on holoTV at eight PM today when everyone was watching.

On a political talk show with Malone and H’ras Gudel - a vocal and highly critical political expert - as guests, the latter was intensely criticising and even humiliating Griggs Malone. Calling him a common thief and con artist, and all other shameful rhetorics along with the fact that he did not believe Malone would become the VCP’s candidate.

Malone did not handle it too well and his patience fuse finally ran off triggering an explosion in his mind that obliterated all sense of rationality. The fool physically assaulted the critic resulting in Gudel being quickly transported to a hospital and subsequently filing a lawsuit.

Vitor, at that time, was bringing his face to the palm repeatedly as his comlink would not stop ringing. June and Saigo were intensely laughing beside him. The Sith jumped from the coach in frustration and picked up his comlink.

“Vitor speaking.” He replied, anger in his voice.

“Hello, Vitor. I have a solution to your problem.” Avendahl felt his blood run cold.

“How-”

“I will be at your location in an hour. See you then.” The other line hung up and Vitor stood gazing the wall.

Akash Guul was here.

 

[Zef Halo]

You could always, always trust Akash Guul to have a solution to a problem. That is why he was Lord Fa’s spymaster. The Givin had arrived an hour later at Vitor’s location that day when Malone dug his own grave and his popularity went down to the depths of hell.

Those he had silenced were now vocal opposition again and they were back to where they first started.

Until Guul’s plan came into action.

Vitor observed with macrobinoculars from the high floor of a building in the lower levels of Vorzyd V as Malone had rallied the people on one of the largest plazas on Vorzyd V. His foundation of supporters were still there but many supporters who had come at his side due to their campaigning efforts had been lost.

It was time to reclaim them.

As Malone shouted his populistic rhetoric and threw raging anti-Communality and anti-establishment sentiments, a silent bang was heard from the building opposite of his and then panic ensued.

There lying on the ground, blood spurting from him, Griggs Malone considered if it was worth it.

A grim smirk formed on his face.

It sure as hell was.

 

[Zef Halo]

Take the Fourth Estate and you’ve got the minds of the masses in your hands. Akash Guul and the Helix Syndicate had been instrumental in their campaign of taking over the media of the Vorzyd system.

All part of the Givin’s plan. Much did Vitor learn these weeks from the spymaster, similar to how he learned during their operations on Humbarine serving Lord Fa.

The media explode with headlines about the attempted assassination on candidate Griggs Malone. Headlines directly pointing fingers at those he opposed - the establishment, the commonality, the ruling class. It made sense, right ? If you speak the truth and try to step on someone’s turf, they end up trying to eliminate you. Everyone knew that. It made total sense.

Rumors from the establishment, Vitor’s enemies in his campaign of taking over the Vorzyd system, were of panic and a feeling of a dead end. Some even called for militaristic action or civil war. Clearer heads prevailed, though. Heads that knew they would not be able to sustain a war on Vorzyd.

Not with the paramilitary Wraithguard defending it and Vitor’s allies.

Nonetheless, after the Wraiths had destroyed a ship in orbit that was supplying Hator Fra’s partisan actions against Corondex Arms and the Wraiths, they had become a target to the Commonality. That was because the ship had belonged to none other than the Commonality which hinted one thing - Hator Fra was their pawn. Not surprising, really.

Vitor contemplated on that last thought for a while and looked at this lightsaber hilt clipped on his belt.

Perhaps soon the time would come for him to personally deal with some of the problems and obstacles ahead.

 

[Zef Halo]

Some careers end up being ruined when you stand in the way of the grand scheme of things.

Such was the story of the honest Vorzyd native Nathe Troz.

A man with an excellent degree in journalism, numerous successes in uncovering corruption and often looked up to by those keen on bettering the society on Vorzyd. A beacon of hope for the intelligentsia.

Nathe Troz had the bad luck or call it wrong ambition of snooping through Griggs Malone’s candidacy and everything around it. The man was certainly talented in what he was doing and had the ability to begin linking up Malone with Corondex Arms and eventually even Vitor Avendahl. The journalist was able to find such detailed information of long past events that were literally the beginning of Corondex Arms’ operation on Vorzyd that Avendahl knew something had to be done before the man gathered more traction.

Bribing failed, expectantly.

Thus it was time to shut his channel. The newspaper he was writing for.

The chief editor was offered either he shuts Troz’s writings or his own career would end immediately.

It was safe to say that the chief editor priced his own career more than the greater good and Troz’s career was tossed to the trash. No mass read media outlet would have him. His career in shambles and his battle for the greater good clearly lost, Nathe Troz took his life after a few months of unemployment leaving behind a widow and two sweet children.

 

[Zef Halo]

In the coming weeks opposition continued deteriorating as the power of populism sweeped the star system. Griggs Malone’s support was becoming greater with each passing day, even a real assassination would most likely end up leading to mass riots and even civil war considering the fact that a paramilitary roamed Vorzyd V.

Rallies, charity work, hateful rhetorics aimed at the status quo were just a few of the many weapons in Malone’s arsenal. Everything was going as planned.

“Cheers, Mr. Guul.” The acolyte raised his neatly curved glass of wine at the Givin that sat beisde him.

“Cheers, Mr. Avendahl, for a job well done.” The spymaster touched the Sith’s glass with his own and both turned their attention to the lively upper levels of Vorzyd V that were full of casinos and entertainment. “We still have the biggest mine to dig, though, Mr. Avendahl. It is not called Gambler’s World with no reason.”

“All in due time, Mr. Guul. All in due time.”

 

[Zef Halo]

Breaking News:​

Griggs Malone nominated as Conservative Party’s candidate for governor.​