Faction Enter the Bureaucrats

[Aerarii Tithe]

The Petitioner's Hold, Imperial Palace of Bastion

---

War was coming.

Senior Sith-Imperial bureaucrats and governors filed into the central conference room of the Petitioner’s Hold. While the administrative complex had overseen innumerous important issues, today’s meeting would cover what was likely the most serious threat to Sith Empire in recent memory.

A heptagonal table dominated the middle of the room, around which sat key government officials in-person or via holoprojection. Each of the five Oversector contingents, consisting of a Grand Moff dressed in white and several Moffs dressed in teal, took their place at the table and occupied five of the seven sides. The Grand Vizier and his retinue, responsible for overseeing the Sith-Imperial governors, seated themselves at the sixth side of the table. The seventh side of the table was reserved for invited guests - key advisers for all across the Empire, on hand to lend their advice and guidance. Calling a full sitting of the council spoke to the seriousness of the issues at hand - not since the Apopostate Heresies had they met en masse.

Aerarii Tithe sat with the Oversector One contingent. He had been elevated to interim governor following the capture of Madelyn Lowe , though had chosen to not adopt the customary white uniform as a mark of respect. Once considered the safest Oversector, his territory was now scattered and in chaos. The New Imperial march toward Bastion had driven a divide through the region. Holdouts on Prefsbelt IV and Orinackra were in the midst of strategic withdraws after their supplies line had been severed. The remaining Oversector military assets were either propping up the western front or en route to reinforce Bastion. Chaos reigned throughout the area.

The Grand Vizier, appearing via holoprojection for an unknown location, called the meeting to order and requested an update on efforts to secure Bastion.

“While most units are at half-strength or less given the ongoing campaign, forces from Sector Groups I and II have been unified into a single Combined Fleet and stationed at Bastion,” Tithe explained. “Materiel from evacuated worlds is being offloaded as we speak.” In their withdraw, the Sith-Imperials had taken as much equipment as they could loads onto transports, both for use at Bastion and to deny it to the New Imperials.

Whether it would be enough, only time would tell.

---

Grand Moff Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Alejandro Chadian | Moff TV-771 "Bishop"
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[Lirka Ka]

Whilst so many clad themselves in pristine uniforms of teal and white, there was Lirka, her dark metal plate seemed to have an extra shine to it: it's runic inscriptions shining in the light of the meeting, her horns stood high to the ceiling: radiating the anger that pulsated from the savage Moff's being. She was furious. Disappointed. So many emotions bubbling forth, she had so many plans, so many things unfinished: and the Empire was failing to play their part already?

A clawed gauntlet grasped the arm of her chair, digging through the material. A barely audible gurgle of distortion came from the woman, some sort of growl maybe?

"I forsake the borderlands, for what!? Incompetents and fools to squander my resources against the apostates!?"

Finally it seem the Sephi had lost her temper proper, slamming her gauntlet down against her armrest. Eyes scanning over the crowd.

"Pathetic. How many heads must roll for this to be corrected? We are the Empire's bastion! And it seems to many of us are little more than indulgent tumors, letting the apostates rampage and destroy that which has been built? Children, little more than disappointing children."

Few were sparred the Sephi's scornful vitriol, had she not been wearing a helmet she would've spat at their feet. Now was not the time for her to play politics, too much was at stake, it was time to let her frustrations loose: all pent up and burning inside her like a volcano ready to erupt. And oh did it decide to erupt.

Grand Moff Aut-X Alejandro Chadian Moff TV-771 "Bishop" Aerarii Tithe

 

[Decimus]

"Patience, Lady Ka. All is not yet lost.", Aut-X said confidently to the angered Sith Lady, arising from his seat to address the gathered moffs. "While this New Imperial offensive is unprecadented in the swiftness of it's advance into Sith Imperial territories, I calculate the situation can be salvaged and this incursion nipped in the bud before it can spread further. While the fleets of Oversector One and Two are gathered at Bastion, my own droid navy stands ready to knock our foe off balance. The New Imperials will likely commit a majority of their military strength to an assault on the capital, and I intend to capitalize on their commitment.", Aut-X said, bringing up a holographic representation of Bastion and the fleet gathered in orbit.

"When they have engaged the Sith Armada above Bastion and have been whittled down, my admirals will bring a fleet in from behind and catch the enemy between their ships and those of the Sith armada. With the usage of interdictors, we will prevent their escape and annihilate a major portion of the New Imperial fleet in the process. Should this strategem fail, I have prepared and am presently preparing multiple contingencies to enact should the capital be lost. A new capital world will need to be established in that eventuality, and I would gladly offer the usage of Serenno if such occurs."

Lirka Ka
Alejandro Chadian
Moff TV-771 "Bishop"
Aerarii Tithe

 

[Alejandro Chadian]

Moff Alejandro Chadian, Governor of Sector Group IV watched patiently as each of collegues spoke after the Grand Vizier. Acting Grand Moff Tithe was fairly optimistic about defending Bastion whilst Grand Moff Ka seemed certain doom was in store for the Empire.

"Grand Moff, with all due respect, I beg to differ. The Resources, not all the resources might I add, must be used to defend our Bastion. The New Imperial Order and Galactic Alliance shall be beat back" Unfortunately, he had to repeat that sentence in his head a few times to convince himself. What was wrong with him.

"A brilliant plan, Grand Moff Aut-X" And with that, he sulked back into his seat, content to stay quiet until something else arose that demanded he speak.

Grand Moff Aut-X Moff TV-771 "Bishop" Aerarii Tithe Lirka Ka

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

The Petitioner's Hold, Imperial Palace of Bastion

---

Arguments broke out almost immediately.

Sith-Imperial governors, by their very appointment, were self-interested. The safety and security of their domains, often where they lived and held business interests, were their responsibility. The resources of the Legion and Armada could only be stretched so far - for every planet reinforced, another had to hand over scant resources. It was a constant battle against those who sat around the table as your peers.

While the specifics of Bastion’s defence would fall to the Archdomus and the Dominarch’s and Admirallis’ of the Legion and Armada respectively, their forces were already overstretched and decimated by the costly ongoing conflict with the New Imperials. The planetary defence forces spread across the Empire, controlled by the Moffs and Grand Moffs, would be vital to holding the line.

Grand Moff Ka, whose campaign against the neighbouring Silver Jedi had been largely ignored in recent times, was infuriated at the suggestion that more resources be sent to Bastion. Moff Chandian, whose Sector Group would be next to fall, argued the importance of holding Bastion. Grand Moff Aut-X argued that droid superiority would win the day through a flanking counter-attack.

“While, ah, Oversector One has the most to lose should Bastion fall,” Tithe argued. “The ramifications will stretch much further, yes, much, much further.” While the Emperor had decreased that key administrative and bureaucratic functions be relocated to the co-capital of Dromund Kaas, the lose of Bastion would still be a crippling blow to morale and stability. With the New Imperials barring down on them, the last thing the governors needed was local uprisings spurred by a perceived weakness of the Empire.

“We must coalesce and stand steadfast - yes, steadfast - at Bastion. Historic disagreements cannot be allowed to manifest as fractures in our resolve. The enemy already perceives weakness - we cannot allow their beliefs to hold true.”

---

Grand Moff Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Alejandro Chadian | Moff TV-771 "Bishop"
TSE welcome - PM to join​

 

[Lirka Ka]

Fools. All of them. She bit her tongue from the fouler venom that wanted to surge it's way forth, the Sephi rose in her seat from. Those glowing eyes scanning across those who spoke, Grand Moff Aut-X the droid she was still shocked the traitors hadn't found some way to turn the hunk of metal against the Empire yet, Moff Alejandro Chadian she did not know the man well: but she did not need to, he oozed weakness, and there was no place for weakness in this Galaxy, in her Galaxy. And always, dear dear Aerarii Tithe , his potential squandered and wasted with each passing moment while fat politicians wasted away in the Imperial Fold.

She let out a distorted snort once they had all finished, her rage had yet to subside. It was always such a rare treat to see Lirka angry and passionate rather than just the former.

"I have the patience of a thousand lifetimes, Grand Moff." she had to bite her tongue to force herself to not say Droid, sometimes one needed to try and not break every law in the book. "And I have lived thrice the lifetimes of many gathered here! All you speak of is military, of our might, and where has our might left us? With a dozen systems thrown into chaos? The traitors baring down upon Bastion itself? I will spend whatever resources are necessary, as I have gladly done already."

She paused, letting her composure return. Her anger turned cold, and her words gained a knife's glint.

"The rot can not be allowed to fester. No matter how many warships we throw, how many legions of men we toss to the meat grinder of this was. The rot will grow, seep, destroy. There is no place for weakness. And weakness grows like a cancer, already those among us sit in position where they lack the ability to reach their true potential while their lauding overlords squander and waste away this Empire. I will gladly sacrifice a dozen more worlds, a hundred, a thousand to keep this Empire strong! And by our sworn oath, you should all feel the same."

 

[Onrai]

"That kind of thinking will lead you down an exceptionally self-destructive path, Lirka."

The wraithlike form of Vanessa Vantai manifested within the meeting and soon solidified into what appeared to be for all intents and purposes her normal form. She was elsewhere, of course, but had received notice about the meeting in question and had chosen to listen in to see what the conversation was going on about. It was the last comment of Lirka Ka , stating she would gladly sacrifice practically all the worlds in the Empire if it meant the Empire could remain strong, that had encouraged Vanessa to manifest in a less peeping and more physical sort of way.

"I know how cliche it may sound, but all of this has happened before and all of this has happened again. I feel it fair to presume no one in this room recalls the last Sith Empire, do they? Well, I'll tell you what happened: infighting resulted in the fragmentation of the Empire and its gasp of survival that was the New Order, which fell in time due to warlordism. This sort of outcome was logically going to reoccur once more."

She eyed the moffs: Aerarii Tithe , Grand Moff Aut-X, Alejandro Chadian , and Moff TV-771 "Bishop", none of whom she had personally interacted with at any given point in time. "Dromund Kaas shall, as it once did before, serve as the capitol of the Sith Empire in the event Bastion has fallen. While there is a possibility of successfully driving away the Imperial fleet with such a pincer gambit, as Aut-X has described, the worst case scenario must be presumed: that Bastion will fall to a ground invasion. Infrastructure removal is already underway, as was previously mentioned, but anything that cannot be removed needs to be sabotaged or booby trapped. Proximity-located nuclear weapons. Landmines and tripwires at the entry to every building. Structures rendered capable of collapsing at the push of a button. Defoliants on crops. Freighters with reactors set to detonate at every starport. You have but one hope, and that is to make this planet so costly to the rebels that they abandon it."

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

The Petitioner's Hold, Imperial Palace of Bastion

---

Aerarii watched as Grand Moff Ka did what she was most renowned for - after killing Mandalorians - which was to argue passionately. When he’d first crossed paths with her, the Moff had wondered how her unfiltered approach to administering her worlds had allowed her to climb the Sith-Imperial bureaucracy rather than end up on a dungeon world. He had since come to see that the Sith Order, likewise built on passion, was the ideal domain for her to prosper.

Lady Vanati, who Tithe had not worked with before, appeared as a shadowy phantasm. The Grand Vizier had opened the usually-closed meeting to high ranking members of the Sith, military and intelligence communities to seek their counsel. Lady Vantai recounted the collapse of the last Sith Empire and provided an update on the transfer of the capital to Dromund Kaas.

Tithe leaned forward in his chair. “The Banking Clan is likewise making arrangements to safeguards assets and credits,” the interim Grand Moff explained. “The, ah, the loses of Mygeeto and Muunilinst laid bare the folly of hoarding our wealth on especial worlds.” While the SIBC had gotten the majority of the credits and valuables out before the New Imperials conquerer the banking strongholds, some wealth was still unaccounted for. It was predicted that there would be further loses in the chaos of the evacuation of Bastion. Without time to establish proper accounting protocols, the SIBC couldn’t even say with certain how many credits were currently on the planet.

He tapped a key on his datapad projected a holo above the centre of the table. “The SIBC is relocating the contents of the Bastion vaults across a number of strategic worlds. If something were to happen to one of these worlds - yes, oh, just imagine - the financial loss would be greatly lessened compared to losing another central banking world.” While the specifics worlds were not identified - they would be kept a secret to all but a select few high-ranking SIBC executives - the holo did show credits moving to all corners of the Empire. “When treasury ships transit through domains, I would greatly appreciate your assistance in facilitating their swift conveyance.”

---

Grand Moff Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Alejandro Chadian | Moff TV-771 "Bishop" | Onrai
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[Lirka Ka]

Lirka finally retreated, realizing she would not be gaining traction on her desires today. Simply putting it to a mental note to seek out some of the higher ranking assets of the Empire in private and discuss her misgivings with much of the current powers and the Sephi's various grim plans to fix it. Letting out a low breath that seemed some mixture of a sigh and a huff she returned to the matter at hand: Bastion. These deluded little children, only able to look to the present.

"Through pain there is knowledge, through suffering there is enlightenment."

Whatever the hell that meant. Using that as her final send-off of the matter and as a response to Onrai declaring Lirka's self-destructive intents.

"Despite my gross disappointment, I am not opposed to what has been presented here today. So as long as we make the battle at Bastion as costly as possible to the Traitors we will see an end to this war. Either by their weakened state, or forcing peace to focus on the true enemy."

The emotionless head now turned to Aerarii Tithe , vaguely she toyed with the notion of robbing one of the mentioned vessels for her personal projects in the Borderlands. But brushed the thought aside for now.

"I can assure you, you shall find no issues in the Borderlands."

And just like that, her mood had entirely flipped.

Grand Moff Aut-X Alejandro Chadian