Private Loose Ends

[Melia Siari]

Mon Cala​

Far above the oceanic world of the Mon Calamari rests an impressive network of constructs which together form the planet's famous shipyards. Acquired by the Sith Empire quite a few years ago, the facility has been a rather reliable source of ship production ever since. While the Empire at large has retained a favor for classic wedge-shaped ships, the shipyards are still heavily utilized as a construction zone regardless of design. It was within this expansive ring that two figures met in what could only be described as a board room, a small space with a viewport overlooking the interior of a section of the construction yard and designs posted along the walls.

Melia Siari, Admirallis or Lord Admiral of the Sith Imperial Armada, stepped into the room as the blast door shut behind her. Her hair was short, cropped above her shoulders, and she wore the uniform of her field, marked by the stripes of her rank and position. Opposite her was another woman, Onrai . "Ah, Miss Vantai." The Zeltron said as she clasped her gloved hands together behind her back. "I understand the progress on your dreadnought is nearing its final hours before completion, and I hear that there have been rather ambitious goals in mind for its design." She noted. "While I have yet to request permission for the commission for a flagship of my own, I was hoping that there could be some insight gleaned from what you have directed Imperial Engineers to accomplish."

There were other matters to entertain, perhaps, but, like any conversation, there was a need for an ice breaker first.

 

[Onrai]

It was a rare treat to be able to speak with someone Vanessa could really appreciate - someone like Lord Admiral Siari. Someone who appreciated Vanessa's work with regards to starships. Sitting where she was, Vanessa pulled out a bottle of wine and opened it, a pair of glasses seeming to artifice themselves out of nowhere. An illusion, created by Vanessa herself, that would effectively keep any wine poured in them where they needed to be just like a normal glass. She would pour herself a cup first and sip it before responding to the Zeltron's own inquisitions.

"My goal for the design of of this dreadnought is simple." She said. "This ship is intended to be the most powerful warship ever put in service by the Sith Empire. I say this with no pride: this warship will be more powerful than the Emperor's own. It will be able to break fleets of the Sith's enemies. It will be able to effectively annihilate anything that comes across it. Devastate planets. Shatter stations." Vanessa was quite cold as she said this. "And perhaps see other alternative uses should I be forced to use it for such. The vessel contains everything from virus generators that can infect hostile warship systems to baradium cluster missiles that can put craters in the hulls of enemy warships. And of course it's built around a pair of my most powerful beam weapon designs, whose combined power output is roughly equal to the single main gun of the Emperor's own warship. Tremendous anti-fighter protection, excessive beam weaponry to cleave through lighter warships... and exceptional shielding. Even a shield leeching system, similar to that of the old Mandalorian battleships. Of course, I do have one other effective system on board that is suitable."

Vanessa thought for a bit. "Meditation chambers built into the core of the vessel. From within, the Sith among the crew can sense ships, tear ships apart, crush ordnance, redirect missiles, and do much much more. The vessel itself is a nexus of Dark Side energy and only amplifies their already formidable power. In concert with our scanning systems and their combined focus, we should even be able to cripple vital systems of enemy warships without so much as firing a single blaster bolt in their direction."

This was proving to be an interesting conversation to say the least. Perhaps it would be better when Melia was less formal - Vanessa did hope she indulged in the wine, at least.

Melia Siari

 

[Melia Siari]

Unfortunately for Miss Vantai, the Admiral did not mix together her playtime with her professional life - and wine, though she would have enjoyed savoring its taste any other time, was strictly in the former and thus forbidden in the latter. It was a rather interesting trick, this conjuring of glasses, though. What came pouring out next, the information regarding the dreadnought in commission, was the very reason that she never indulged in letting down her beskar-clad walls of restraint in the work place - it was information that, in the right, or perhaps wrong, hands could very quickly changed the power dynamic in the Empire.

In fact, that was precisely the reason she was here - though it wasn't necessarily entirely for her own benefit, nor did she intend to do anything crass for persuasion. She listened quietly, diligently, as the Sith Lord boasted on the features of her ship, paying close attention to examples that she could see being of practical use in a real-world setting. Much of the talk, and it was talk, seemed to be regarding the multi-tool potential of the dreadnought, and though the woman likely expected that giving a ship a tool for every job meant it would perform in every job excellently, the Zeltron knew better - though she was still impressed by what the ship was being expected to be able to do.

"That is rather interesting. Greater than the Emperor's own vessel? I suppose it would be difficult to put up against both his and the Shadow Hand, though I suppose that never would be a concern, now would it?" She mused aloud, cryptically, as she circled the table, running her index and middle finger across it as she stared out the viewport at their side. "I am not certain if your dreadnought will be completed in time, however I understand, from a little bird of mine, that you have been planning under the nose of our dear leader in the event of his abdication, forcible or by choice - something of a reserve force, perhaps?" Melia continued, now turning her green gaze towards Onrai with a rather piercing glare. She didn't seem angry, or even cross - rather it was as if she was sizing her up, making a decision in her mind that required concentration and perhaps evaluation. "That same little bird mentioned that you might hunger for more knowledge if I were to tell you that the time is fast approaching."

"Does this interest you?" She asked, her expression of neutrality breaking apart as her lips curled into a grin.

 

[Onrai]

Melia Siari

"I'm not sure why such would be a worry." Vanessa replied to Melia's inquisition as to whether the ship could survive against the Emperor's dreadnought and that of his most devoted subordinate. "The ship is a Sith vessel and will remain such for an indeterminate period of time. I will make sure that even should the Empire fall, it will remain useful, ready when needed for use against the Empire's enemies." She was curious, however, as to what Melia's implications were, and the woman soon elaborated. The suggestion of treason made her sigh.

"Kaine - excuse me, the Emperor himself has come to Nathema and I have explained to him what I have been preparing for. I... feel it fair to presume that you were not alive during the last Sith Empire, which I was as well a part of. Emperor Zambrano was also the leader of that galactic power as well - one of several who seized the position in succession. Eventually, he succumbed to another, Krag, who ended up tearing that Sith Empire to pieces and leaving it free to the predations of the then-powerful Galactic Alliance. I attempted to keep a remnant alive in the form of the New Order for a time, but eventually realized such was useless. All that you need to know is that somewhere out there" - she motioned to the vastness of space - "is an Empire's worth of starships, starfighters, weapons, droids, and vehicles, along with enough resources to fuel them for a period of time that would ensure any schismatic elements within the Empire to be crushed and forced to reunify under a leader. Schismatics weaken us and leave us prey to the predations of the Jedi, and I refuse to allow them to gain an advantage over the Empire due to the self-inflicted wound of warlordism."

Her last comments intrigued Vanessa. "Said little bird evidently did not know about the Emperor already having knowledge of my course of action. That said, however, if there is a risk of internal schismatics that could lead to the necessitation of my having to act against them, the more information you can tell me would help decrease the chance of their lasting longer than necessary." Vanessa steepled her fingers.

"In short, tell me everything, please."

 

[Melia Siari]

She nodded her head slowly as the refusals set in - the same tale, one she had heard countless times repeated by her own benefactor as the prime motivation to do exactly what so many Sith had feared to allow to come to pass. Melia was intimately familiar with short-lived birth of the New Order, she had been but a child but had experienced a short period of concern in her household by those who were not accepting of a new Sith rule so soon after the old Sith Empire had fallen. There had been two routes that the Zeltron had been informed that Onrai might take in her response to Melia's invitation to treason.

She had to admit, the loyalty to the state of the Empire was admirable, even if misplaced.

"I was hoping you would be just a little more open-minded, Miss Vantai. I am so very disappointed that you would throw your lot in with the status quo, with complacency, rather than move towards progress." She said with a crestfallen sigh. "My little bird hoped for a reliable shoulder to lean on in the Sith Brotherhood, but it appears that was a mistake."

"The winds of change blow upon the shores of the Empire, and as inevitable as the first rains on Dromund Kas so to is the coming storm. It comes from within, but is not ignorant to the wild waves cresting from without and indeed seeks to make use of that chaos to land true." She explained cryptically, and perhaps rather ambiguously at that. "Factionalism is a threat, however, and you are not wrong to be concerned over the implication of what you, I suppose, interpreted as an approaching schism. There will be no split from the Empire, dear Miss Vantai, only progress." Melia continued, only to leave off anything specific - implying more still, and yet providing no details.

"For what it is worth, your Emperor and the Shadow Hand will be paralyzed by its source, it would be.. ill-advised.. to side with the past when the future is clear on the horizon."

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa raised an eyebrow as the Admiral further spun her intriguing tale of queries and vagaries. "Oh, make no mistake. Open-minded, I am, but I did give the Emperor assurance of my loyalty, were someone to attempt to directly overthrow him. That said, my assets are intended for what comes next, after his abdication, death, or disappearance. History dictates that warlordism will occur, and when it does, I will be prepared to ensure a new leader will be appropriately determined." She thought for a bit. "See, such isn't treason when there isn't someone to betray. I presume you have made this approach to others." She said.

As the Zeltron continued, Vanessa drank some more of her wine. "Out with it, admiral. You're being unnecessarily cryptic for someone who's essentially telling me that one or more individuals whom have acquired your favor seek to push some form of power play. Change coming from within suggests someone close to the Emperor, likely family, which raises the question of which of his many sons and daughters you're working with. Not Ara - she's been missing for a while. Kahlil's a traitor, Elani's too unstable to do something like this... Joycelyn? She would probably have already challenged her father to a fight by now, so no. Not Constantinius either - he's a good boy. That clone of Evelyn Dorn is also not likely to have the favor to muster any sort of change." Unable to think of any more of Darth Carnifex 's prodigious number of offspring, she shrugged and took another sip, enjoying the slight buzz she could feel in her body. The last one she had was unable to savor the pleasures of alcoholic beverages.

"So, which of his children is looking to make a move?" She said, inquiring curiously. If there was a potential schism in the form of a military conflict being planned by one of Kaine's wayward offspring, perhaps she could offer an alternative solution to their plight that would not result in unnecessary bloodshed and leave the Empire vulnerable to the predations of the Light Side. "Perhaps there are other ways they can accomplish their goal that don't require any form of conflict."

Melia Siari

 

[Melia Siari]

She shrugged, stepping backwards towards the door. "I don't quite think it matters whether it is, or who it is, among the Emperor's children." She answered dully, starting to frown. "I am starting to understand why they were so adamant not to press the issue if you weren't willing to consider." Melia added. She left out some choice words regarding the rather ruled-by-paranoia-and-fear decision making that seemed to plague even the most power hungry of the Sith, it was decidedly not safe to speak on in company with someone that could kill her with their mind, but still couldn't refrain from some modicum of displeasure. "Power is not forever, and neither is strength - both are just as fleeting as normal human life."

She waved a hand dismissively, silencing whatever other words she might have had the urge to add, and turned towards the door. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Vantai, but I am afraid that I am needed elsewhere. Perhaps, in time, you will come to understand the gravity of the choice you are making now. Nothing stands in the way of change, and progress waits for no one." With that she headed towards the door, which slid open. She cast a glance back and hesitated, perhaps expecting something else out of the Sith lord. If there was nothing else to add, leaving was a clear avenue she would take.

Onrai