Private Laying the Groundworks

[Julius Loghain]

A week after the Kuati Coup D'Etat...

Lord Admiral's Office,
Humbarine, Humbarine Admiralty

The star touching skyscrapers of Humbarine had grown exponentially in quantity since his last time here, Julius observed. The endless lines of traffic, the tide and sharp uniforms of public servants and the focused, hurried faces of the common citizen had not changed one bit even since his time here as a student at the Humbarine Naval Academy. Yet, at the same time, everything had changed; gone were the days of youth behind and in the sunset lining up on the horizon, he found himself.

Leaving his retinue behind at the transport with which the Kuati delegation had arrived, the Lord Regent of Kuat was led to the office of the Lord Admiral - Arage Bao. An old acquaintance, perhaps a friend if one existed in the cutthroat world of politics, who had facilitated this personal meeting behind closed doors between herself, the Chancellor of the Galactic Alliance and himself. The doors slid open to reveal the sitting figures of the admiral and the chancellor.

Stepping inside, right foot limping and supported by his wooden stick, Julius Loghain greeted the two, "Chancellor, Lord Admiral." his usual tone was gruff, often mistaken for hostile but the meager smile on his face tried to paint a different picture. "Hope I have not kept you waiting for long." he approached the tray with an intricately designed crystal bottle and poured the amber liquid in an equally intricately designed crystal glass before taking a well-deserved sip and sitting carefully on the cushioned seat in front of the other two representatives. The stick was relieved of service, left alone to lean on the chair. "Well, then, I am all ears."

Arage Bao Emmen Tagge

 

[Arage Bao]

Julius Loghain | Emmen Tagge

It was a good thing that Loghain arrived when he did.

The mastery of the small talk had never been hers. Oh, the weather here, the smooth execution of the Coruscant Festival there, it was all rather tedious as far as Arage was concerned. In front of her was a glass of water. Half empty, which presumably said something about her perspective on things. The arrival of Loghain was the first smile she cracked in quite some time.

Even then it was small.

Barely a blip from most people, but then again? Lord Admiral Arage Bao was not most.

"Lord Regent Loghain, nice of you to join us." Arage responded dryly and crisp. She remained seated, only offering a shallow nod, before taking a sip from her water once more. "I'd like to congratulate you with your swift actions to squash the corruption on Kuat. By all accounts you have handled it rather efficiently." That was one way to describe this military coup d'etat.

To a degree this was a charade, of course.

All three figures in this room knew a handful of facts. The Humbarine Reach had been very invested in Loghain's rise. His ascension to his current title had marked a shift in the direct regional political power currents. And right now there was the matter of the Kuat Sector's proximity to the newly budding Alliance.

She did not say more however.

Instead letting the Chancellor add some of his own platitudes, if he wished. All of this was already irregular. It would (apparently) be wise if she didn't give Tagge even more grey hair.

 

[Emmen Tagge]

Humbarine // Humbarine Admiralty
Lord Admiral's Office
Arage Bao Julius Loghain

This was the first time Emmen had made his way to the Humbarine system, though he'd heard much about it. When conflict had arisen between it and the Republic, he'd been a mere governor on his homeworld of Tepasi, entirely uninvolved with regional politics. As Chancellor, however, it was his responsibility to ensure order and peace across the new Galactic Alliance's systems. So, when an invitation arrived at his office from the infamous Lord Admiral herself, he thought it best to oblige.

With appropriate notice, a Scythe-class Battlecruiser and modest compliment of escorts had been dispatched to the system to deliver the Head of State. With the starship hanging in the upper atmosphere of the capitol, Emmen conceded to bringing a single fire team of four Alliance Marines aboard his shuttle -- a formality to appease the Federal Assembly more than anything else. However, feeling no threat to his safety and wishing to establish some semblance of trust, he'd elected to leave them positioned on the launch pad.

----------​

The door opening prompts the Tepasi to rise from his seat, turning to raise his glass to the presence of the Regent of which he had recently been made aware of.

"Lord-Regent," the Chancellor echoes, "I should have you know that your actions are duly-noted and your efforts well appreciated back on Coruscant. My administration had been investigating the corruption brewing on Kuat in our earliest days in office. Unfortunately, urgent matters in the Bormea sector warranted our full and immediate attention."

His eyes glance between the Regent & Admiral as he takes a short sip of the liquor he'd been offered upon arrival. He rests back in his seat as the Kuati joins them, clearing his throat, "Well, I understand there is business to be discussed?"

 

[Julius Loghain]

Small-talk was something he could never grasp, nor wanted to - a characteristic shared by both himself and the Lord Admiral of the Humbarine. Nonetheless, over the course of years sitting on a desk job Julius could not help but learn just a bit from the everyday useless chatter of his colleagues. Granted, he never understood how it became to be an art in politicking but here they were - indulging in it.

"Internal affairs are best left dealt with...internally." he waved a hand at the Chancellor then, "I am certain, given recent history and the turbulent galactic affairs, that the Alliance's plate is full." the self-proclaimed Vice Admiral crossed his legs and continued into the matter at hand. "Nonetheless, the matter of which Admiral Bao has facilitated this meeting in regards to Kuati-Alliance relations." a topic Loghain would not dare to delegate to discussion between his and the Alliance's cronies. Especially when he was still seeding out the opposition. He sought the validation and credibility of his rule from a major galactic power; something those surviving from the opposition would surely do their best to put a wrench in.

"Your family, Chancellor - the House of Tagge?" it was a rhetoric question. "A founding member of the Galactic Republic similarly to the House of Kuat--" to which Julius belonged as an illegitimate bastard, an information perhaps not completely public but accessible enough for the capacities that the intelligence agency of the Alliance certainly possessed."--who have unfortunately strayed away from that path for too long without repercussion...until recently." his posture static and perfect as the admiral long coat he wore. Some habits never changed. "The time is nigh for Kuat to reclaim its rightful position on the galactic scene." he paused and then added, "a notion that, in the name of good neighborliness, the Humbarine Admiralty has also supported."

Even Julius was surprised at the plethora of words he had just used. Perhaps it was the Chancellor's gravitas affecting him.

Arage Bao Emmen Tagge