Private Keep Me Hanging On

[Ivalyn Yvarro]

PREVIOUSLY ON STAR WARS CHAOS...

Lady Taeli Raaf of the Sith offered rare clarity, advocating not for war, but for structure, policy, and actual governance. Her voice stood apart, calling for a future built on more than carnage and opportunism. She was, notably, one of the few to speak with reason.

Gerwald Lechner, on the other hand, opted to support the Imperator, championing the cause of the Sith Order. His speech was clear but heavy with implication, a fervent endorsement of dominance, devoid of diplomacy.

Ivalyn Yvarro, Grand Vizier of the Imperial Commonwealth of Dosuun, observed in silence at first.
When she finally rose to speak, it was with calm, deliberate precision. She thanked Lady Raaf, acknowledged Gerwald's commitment.

[ Taeli Raaf | Gerwald Lechner ]​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: This
WEAPONS: Ferrum Solus | Blodmåne | Strømafbryder
SHIP: Vigfjall
TAG: Ivalyn Yvarro | Taeli Raaf

Gerwald entered the smaller conference room with measured steps. The space was enclosed, quieter than the chamber, but no less charged. Lady Taeli Raaf waited, composed, her posture suggesting readiness to begin. Every angle of her gaze carried the clarity he had observed earlier. She had already spoken with reason, delineating authority and the necessity of centralized control. Here, the implications were immediate.

Ivalyn Yvarro had taken her seat opposite him. The Commonwealth’s edifice of calm and civility remained intact, but Gerwald wanted to know what was behind it. Her acknowledgment of the prior discussion struck him as filtered through desire rather than comprehension. She had heard what she wished, not what was spoken. The correction of her title lingered longer in his assessment than her words. It was a signal of something he was certain the Grand Vizier had not intended to convey. The Dread Wolf believed those who insisted on formal recognition of something as basic as a title lacked the strength to keep it. It was why he rarely enforced the formality of his own titles. He grew accustomed to using them out of necessity. It was his bias, and the Dark Councilor would acknowledge it openly.

Gerwald’s mind cataloged the situation. The Commonwealth was formally independent. That independence would remain. Autonomy, however, did not excuse actions that threatened the Sadow Campaign or the wishes of the Empress. Should Ivalyn act unilaterally she would risk feeding the chaos Taeli had warned the council against, the very chaos Ivalyn argued against. Gerwald recognized the potential in her cooperation, and the necessity of framing it carefully. If she aligned with him and Taeli, she maintained influence. If she acted against the campaign, she risked marginalization. Abstaining from it entirely and the Commonwealth would remain intact but risk political and financial costs to compensate for its lack of contribution. What would cost the Commonwealth more, playing a role in the campaign, or an increase in the taxes such endeavors inevitably created?

He considered the duality of the council’s voices. Some advocated oversight and order. Others sought to exploit chaos and indulgence. Both carried risk if left unchecked. The Sadow Campaign required precision with alignment and enforcement. Without a singular authority to direct the action, independent ambitions would collide, and the opportunity before all of them would be squandered.

Taeli’s warning echoed in his mind: “Not even out of the gate, and the squabbling between our disparate factions within the Empire has begun because no rules and no structure have been established.”

He had accepted command of the campaign. Its success no longer depended on persuasion alone. Yet the Commonwealth’s participation, or lack thereof, would shape the political and material landscape. Did Ivalyn not understand that her decisions would impact her government and citizens on a larger scale.

The room held a quiet tension. The Dread Wolf waited as he catalogued presence and expression. He measured reactions without needing words. This meeting was not to debate command. It was to clarify the Lord Commander’s plan, and to illuminate the strategic reasoning that cooperation served her as much as the campaign. Gerwald Lechner wanted the Commonwealth as an ally in this endeavor.

The balance between opportunity and risk hung taut, and he held it there, steady, waiting for Taeli to speak. She would be able to help them understand each other.

At least that was what Gerwald hoped.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Ivalyn Yvarro Gerwald Lechner
Following the events of On the Precipice and concurrent to End of the High Treasurer announcement
​

While she was projecting an image of calm and poise as this smaller meeting began, if one could view her through the Force, they would find a boiling cauldron of irritation and anger. The War Council had gone slightly to plan, with at least Gerwald taking on the Supreme Commander role for the campaign, although even that had brought forth contradictions between Order and Fear. Ivalyn had made her position quite clear where she fell, and the Commonwealth was already actively working towards their own goals. Half of the potential advance north lay within what had once been former FO territory, worlds that the Commonwealth felt they had a right to reabsorb, and without structure it was likely infighting between factions as they raced north would erupt.

They had already erupted in fact, although not between vassal and suzerain, but between another two factions.

It had been all the more reason to begin bringing some structure to the Empire and the campaign, and then the news had reached her that Darth Strosius had actually killed Elane II of Kuat . The Wonosa Prophet, likely out of ignorance of what his actions might do or sheer contempt for the Empire and its structure, had killed the leader of the Sith-Imperial Banking Clan and had thrown the entire economy into utter chaos. Without Elane as the linchpin, apparently, to facilitate transactions, the entire banking system had ground to a halt and now millions if not billions of their subjects couldn't access what little credits their economy allowed them.

She had dispatched her daughter to gather up the leaders of the economy, authorizing her to bring them there by force, if necessary, but they would answer to the Lady of Secrets soon enough. Until then though, she would continue to seethe internally.

Her tongue clicked as she began, displaying a small hint at her annoyance at events, saying, "Thirty minutes. It took all of thirty minutes since we adjourned the war council to show why my words were prophetic. I'll be heading back to Jutrand once we're done here to handle that particular issue as it threatens to completely derail the campaign and the Empire in general."

Always cleaning up the mess of the others, she thought, always.

"That being said, we have some tensions to iron out here between the strategy for Sith and Commonwealth forces. I believe we can accomplish both agendas without trampling over toes and cooperating, but I would like to hear your thoughts on it. Ivalyn, I know that the Valiant and its task force are already operating in the region under Galeway but perhaps you could shed some further detail on what its mission is? Gerwald, per your point in the Council, you and Lirka are sending your legions forth. I want to know your plan on which worlds are going to be opened for raiding, and which will be captured intact in the initial stages of the campaign. If we have any overlaps, let us address them now so we can make this a successful campaign for everyone."

 

[Ivalyn Yvarro]

Ivalyn acknowledged Lady Taeli Raaf with a nod.

"The Commonwealth's operations on Chalcedon have secured the world's full cooperation," Ivalyn began, her tone even, polished, and precise as ever. "It remains under our guidance and governance. Historically, Chalcedon served the First Order faithfully, crime and disorder were well contained under Sieger Ren and the Grand Moff's firm hand. The Galactic Alliance, in its tenure, may have compromised that structure in the absence of enduring Imperial discipline." She allowed the weight of the implication to linger before continuing, voice cool and measured.

"That said, whatever course the Sith Empire chooses to take regarding Chalcedon's population falls under Her Majesty's prerogative. Given the planet's reputation, it would not be difficult, publicly or politically, to justify the removal of so-called 'criminal elements.' The historical narrative all but writes itself." She shifted the conversation seamlessly.

"Our broader strategy is clear. We intend to retain control of former First Imperial worlds, to remind them of the legacy they inherited, order, purpose, unity. Galeway's task force will continue its movement along the Mid Rim corridor, with our focus turning toward Batuu. In doing so, we also aim to bring Bakura, ancestral home of the late Grand Moff, firmly back into the fold."

She shifted her gaze between Dark Councilor Gerwald Lechner and back to Lady Raaf.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: This
WEAPONS: Ferrum Solus | Blodmåne | Strømafbryder
SHIP: Vigfjall
TAG: Taeli Raaf | Ivalyn Yvarro

“I will be precise, so there is no room for interpretation. The campaign will employ controlled disruption where stability does not already exist. That decision has been made. It is not ideological, and it is not negotiable. I have chosen to walk the center of both options that were laid out in that room.”

He did not linger on the point.

“My concern is not whether you approve of that approach. My concern is whether the Commonwealth intends to act in conjunction with the Sith Order, or in parallel to it without regard for established command.”

The room felt smaller as he spoke.

“You are independent. That remains unchanged. What I cannot allow to be tolerated is independent action that intersects operational lanes without coordination. That benefits neither of us.”

His tone remained calm, but the question was unmistakable.

Gerwald looked to Taeli Raaf .

“This was not a prophecy on your part. It was just familiarity. Anyone who has dealt with Darth Strosius knew he would act alone."

His attention shifted immediately to Ivalyn Yvarro.

“And this is why independent action cannot be indulged during this campaign."

Gerwald acknowledged Ivalyn's claim with a slight inclination of his head, neither approving nor contesting it.

"Your interest in former First Order worlds is not something I intend to dispute, nor will I challenge your claim on them."

 

[Ivalyn Yvarro]

Taeli Raaf | Gerwald Lechner​

Ivalyn did not immediately answer.

Councilor Lechner's concession of First Imperial worlds was surprising and thus made the Commonwealth's and therefore Ivalyn's compliance with their suzerain all the smoother. Where the Sith would need the might of the First Order's descendants, they would have it.

She allowed the pause to exist, long enough to acknowledge the weight of what had been said, but not so long as to suggest hesitation. When she spoke, her tone was even, unhurried, and utterly devoid of defensiveness.

"Then we are aligned."

Her gaze remained steady, her posture unchanged.

"The Commonwealth has never operated under the illusion that autonomy and coordination are mutually exclusive. Our independence has always existed within structure, within obligation. That remains unchanged."

She inclined her head slightly, the gesture measured rather than deferential.

"We do not intend to interfere with the Sith Order's campaign, nor to complicate it through parallel action undertaken for its own sake. Where our operational lanes intersect, they will do so transparently. Where they do not, we will not force the matter."

A breath, quiet, deliberate.

"The Commonwealth recognizes its position within the greater framework. As suzerain, the Sith Order's strategic direction is neither something we contest nor something we obstruct. Where assistance is required, it will be rendered. Where coordination is necessary, it will be observed. As it always has been." She recalled Brosi quite well.

Her eyes sharpened, not with challenge, but with clarity.

"And where restraint is the wiser course, we are equally capable of exercising it."

She did not smile.

"That has always been our value."

A moment of silence between the three, Ivalyn looked toward Lady Raaf for further information or strategy. "That being said, what would you require of the Commonwealth, Councilor Lechner, Lady Raaf."