Private Making Trouble

[Darth Ophidia]

Grand Minister of the Frumentarii -

Darth Ophidia could recall being a sphere, a pyramid, a Lord, a queen but grand minister was a new title to her. In ways it seemed too grand for its purpose; a bold declaration to work in the shadows for the good of the Sith. Then again, such were the ways of this new administration. While the titles changed, the work remained the same and Darth Ophidia would have to draw on all her experience to turn this remnant back into a power to be reckoned with.

First one had to take stock of one's enemies, and they were plentiful: From the New Imperial Order to the Silver Jedi Concord; From Ashlan Crusaders to the raging hordes of the Brotherhood of the Maw; From the Bryn'adul and the Eternal Empire to the Galactic Alliance, enemies and foes-to-be waited around every corner. And that was without even mentioning the many splinter factions that sat waiting for a chance to avenge themselves on the Sith. She cursed past mistakes and acts of pride before practicality.

Then one had to take stock of one's allies: Many were scattered to the winds, hiding and building power-bases of their own so that they may claim power. Others hid in factions already large and powerful, and while she did not count the Confederacy as an ally, some of the Sith with seats of power had showed interest and willingness to invest. Some had even been appointed to hold positions within the Worm's Dark Council.

A subtle hand needed to be placed around the galaxy's neck and, in time, throttle it into submission.

Darth Ophidia could supply the spies, the assassins, the smugglers and the systems they needed to nudge the galaxy on the right path, but she needed targets and bribe money to finance her endeavours. To that end, she had arranged a meeting with the recently appointed leader of the Board of Economics, Darth Empyrean .

He was a busy man, but she had found a way to squeeze her way into his schedule.

Earlier that very day, three individuals found themselves whisked away under mysterious circumstances during their lunch, only to find themselves back in their homes with little to no recollection of what had transpired. All they could remember were black hoods and being tossed in a speeder.

Now, Darth Ophidia sat comfortably in the guest chair of Darth Maliphant's office, awaiting the arrival of the Master of Credits and Economy. In front of her, two empty cups were waiting for tea to be served. A finely crafted metal teapot sat by them, vapour dancing from its spout. She sat in complete silence, with her eyes closed and a neutral tone on her face. Her hood was cast back, letting the crown of her bald head gleam in the overhead lighting of the office.

She would admit, he had a nice desk.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

With his first appointment to any Dark Council, Maliphant had taken some liberties and pride in his decor and demeanor. Half the battle between Sith was impressions, and while some chose the dark and brooding - Maliphant preferred grandeur when given the chance. Opulence mixed with his Sithy architecture made for a nice impression of who he was afterall; one of the richest people in the galaxy, who had stake in the largest companies, and equally one of the largest repositories of Sith knowledge through the holocron he had created and shared with trusted individuals.​

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A small glimpse into the life of the Darth known as Maliphant.​

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Today, however, he didn't get to enjoy study or pushing the limits of his powers in the force. Instead, he had a multiple meetings, back to back to discuss the planned economy of the Empire. Forge worlds were ramping up production on his command and the military was in need of more ships. Additionally, he had already secured funding to export a rather large amount of weapons to local crime syndicates; but those who wanted to speak to him today were demanding more subsidies to their own regions and factories.​

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He dreaded the inevitable platitudes of their begging, the endless droning they'd insist upon - switching between how great of a sith he was, to how worthy they were to recieve said attention. Pointless, boring, and repetitive.​

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Yet, as he entered his office to once again begin the endless droning of barons - he noticed the sharp change in the air. Rather, the Force upon which the air moved; and he simply stopped just after the doorway. Maliphant's gaze fell on the guest, who he had recognized passing to and from the Worm's own throne room - and the original meeting which they were all called too. However, something he was more familiar with took his attention -

"Alchemic tea set. Once, when I was a beginning alchemist, I looked upon them for knowledge and inspiration. A good creation.", he said as he folded his datapad into the pit of his arm and moved to find a seat on the other side of the table.

He'd spend a few seconds fixing the desk, putting things back where they were supposed to be - and of course, doing a passive check looking for any missing or tampered with items. Not that he expected it, but he certainly had to do his due diligence. When he was done, he'd lean back and speak;​

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"I understand you're the newly appointed Grand Minister of the Frumentarii. I worked under that title under Qual'Al-Selim. She was rather remarkable, until we found where she hid herself and ended her web weaving.", he said with a slight smile.

"Don't take that as a threat, rather I simply hope you're more effective than she was. The position of spymaster makes you a threat to everyone else in the Empire - and we both know how Sith react to threats when they don't fear them."​

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"So what have you come to speak to me about today? I pray not subsidies and zoning laws."​

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Darth Ophidia​

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Save for the alchemical tea-set's position on the table, the two cups that followed it, and the due dilligence to place a coaster under each, there were no apparent signs of tampering on the desk. The drawers were unopened, every datapad untouched, even the chair was in exactly the same position it had been in when he had left.

"They are common items for novice alchemists to hone their skills on. That provides some of the sets with considerable historical value"

The history of this piece was implied, but its flavour was swiftly proven. Ophidia lifted the teapot and carefully poured a stream of tea. The motions were practiced, sharp yet smooth. First, the tea cascaded into one cup, then another. The fragrance of the fresh, green liquid made its mark: Green tea, for new beginnings; an Atrisian tradition.

She lifted her cup with both hands as she made herself again comfortable in the chair.

"Trust that I shall not confine myself in some desolate hole to knit webs."

Ophidia had been trapped in a hole like that before, when she was a young acolyte. Malif Cove had been a dear lesson indeed and its warning was one she heeded ever since.

The cup raised up to her purple lips with an ashen hand, then tipped into a gentle sip. With eyes closed she took a moment to savour the taste before letting it back down to rest between her hands. Her irises of molten iron settled back on Maliphant, breaking the appearance of peace in an instance.

"No, I do not intend to bore you to death." "I am here to discuss a business venture for political influence within traditionally imperial systems in the core region." "And, naturally, the destabilisation of the opposition."

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

As any Sith would, Maliphant took the cup but smelled at the tea briefly. It was very earthy, full bodied, high quality - something he could appreciate, but his exceptional sense of smell couldn't pick up any poison. He didn't have a reason to think Ophidia would want to kill him, but he still had to prepare himself for the unexpected - Sith had a tendency to think 'Chaos' and 'Insanity' no matter how forced were admirable traits. One of a number of reasons he didn't respect the Sith of the Maw.​

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He sipped it slowly, tasted it, then let it wash itself down his throat. If it were poisioned, he imagined he could purge it before it did any real harm - so long as Ophidia didn't try and attack him at the same time. That would complicate matters. A plan to kill everyone in the room and all that.​

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"Business propositions are better than zoning laws.", he offered back, idly setting the cup back down.​

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"Then so be it. What would you propose? I have a number of assets within the core as is, a few more certainly couldn't hurt - especially with a focus on manipulation."​

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Darth Ophidia​

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"I can only imagine."

Darth Ophidia had employed persons who knew such things well, and if pressed she could recognise elements of what Maliphant did for their empire, but she did not waste her time becoming proficient in it. There were too many disciplines for one mind to truly master, so she made sure she knew enough to get by and focused all her attention on what she did best: Shadow games.

It was good that Maliphant did not want to waste any time, for time was precious.

"Anaxes and Empress Teta are under the control of the Galactic Alliance." "As you likely know, these are planets with strong imperialistic ideals and an even greater military industrial complex."

She knew that he knew this, but found that putting all basic information out first lead to fewer miscommunications. This was not the time when she needed things to remain too vague.

"My friends there tell me there are pockets of malcontents, some of whom served the One Sith." "If these systems were destabilised, it might cripple the Alliance's supply of arms."

Her hand tipped one way to emphasise the point, then turned and tipped the other way to lead to a 'but'.

"One would have to be careful not to lead them into the arms of another enemy."

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"So they would.", Maliphant considered.​

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It was true that both Anaxes and Empress Teta had imperialistic ideals, they were some of the most influential planets in the galaxy - most notably when it was united under Sidious's Empire. To say they may have had some hidden sentiments for their large influence under the One Sith would be amiss - royal families rarely forgot the power invested into them during those times, though no doubt the people themselves were no friends of theirs now. Without populism, the general population rarely sided with the government - something the Sith often lacked in.​

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"I've had prior deals with some of Empress Teta's royalty - but it may be fitting to seek them out again. More notably, with Taeli Raaf 's and I's efforts in senatorial manipulation, it may be worth while to stop in to check on their representatives. Money, power, promises - many are willing to sway to more simple corporatist ideas that just so happenly align with our own."​

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He tapped his finger on his chin for a moment before leaning back and considering further.​

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"And if by chance the Eternal Cult found itself a stronger presence on the planet - perhaps they may even be willing to represent more open Sith affiliation publically. Not with us, of course, but the division may help us regardless."​

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Leaning forward once more, Maliphant pressed on a few seemingly empty places around the wooden desk - forcing a display to come out of seemingly nowhere above it. Where exactly the projectors for this screen were was not exactly obvious - a small hint at just how expensive it likely was - but the saving grace was that it was an open secret that Maliphant spent much of his own money on adornments. Made for a better reputation if everyone knew you were able to do such things on your own.​

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After a few clicks on the holographic display, a new screen appeared. Dossiers on numerous Galactic Alliance individuals.​

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"Empress Teta is currently represented by a one Seto du Couteau . Previous voting and political records show an inclination towards corporatist policy - so not entirely imperial, persay, but certainly easier for me to speak with. Anaxes is currently unrepresented - but I'm sure the political players of the planet will not let it be so for long."​

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He glanced to her now -​

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"Do you have any experience playing a persona, Darth Ophidia - or are your skills more of the cloak and dagger sort?"​

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Ophidia had seen many fancy displays as she had visited many powerful figures in her time. The hidden projectors for the holographic map was certainly an interesting inclusion. However, the only response she gave to such displays of wealth was a twitch in her hairless eyebrow.

She nodded in agreement with Maliphant's relfections.

Credits and corporate approaches were often effective, and she had no doubt that Taeli Raaf and Darth Empyrean were more than able to sway the opinions of the representatives of Empress Teta in a direction favourable to the Empire in Exile. And he had now confirmed what her spies had reported and what the Sith themselves had admitted in conversation, but not discussed in detail. She had some insight into the infiltration efforts, but these actors were skilled and she was reluctant to dig too deep, lest she expose them.

She would leave Empress Teta to the skilled work of Maliphant and Raaf, but Anaxes was ripe for the taking.

Cloak and dagger had always been her speciality, but Darth Ophidia was not unfamiliar with playing a role. Then again, she also found that her work with the Frumentarii consumed much of her time. Fortunately, she had found a way to manage such constraints.

"It has been some time since I adopted a persona." She recalled her work on Mindabaal. "These days I prefer to work with a more indirect approach." "I will find a suitable host for our agenda. A name with some recognition but a malleable mind."

Something small and metallic flashed between her fingers as she rolled it from one knuckle to the next. The gold tint and caligraphic inscriptions made it a unique sort.

"I suppose a sudden tragedy would be a suitable catalyst for a change in politics."

Tragedy had changed the face of system politics many a time, and she found it was an easy way to sway the people to accept ultimatums that would otherwise have seemed outlandish and absurd. Emotions were far more easily swayed than minds.

"Loss is a powerful motivator for change."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant smiled as he knew his hint wasn't lost on her - a sure sign of some competency outside of assassination work, he hoped. It wasn't that he doubted the Pale Assassin, only that he had met numerous high ranking Sith who had less than a mind for words; Darth Vulcanus chief among them, he imagined. The large brute wouldn't take a hint even if you managed to slap him with it.​

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"Loss is indeed a powerful motivator.", he agreed.​

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"My office has a number of shell companies within the galaxy; more than a few could make relatively minor donations to your hopeful campaign to become senator. Moving around money is, afterall, one of my specialities - and politics is nothing but money made into motivation.", he mused.​

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"More importantly, as our influence grows inside the Senate; we must find more allies. Policies and plans in place to help soften the Alliance for what is to come. Of course, use your own skills and that of the Frumentarii to leverage ourselves well - would you have any ideas on where to push our great weight first?"​

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Darth Ophidia​

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Ophidia observed the map with palpable interest. In her mind, she overlaid it with intel from her own sources. There were connections, secret alliances and dormant allegiance scattered throughout the core.

"If some rogue force, perhaps Sith, were to strike Anaxes and murder some of their representatives, then this would be a powerful tool."

She took a sip from her cup, still warm albeit less so than when it was poured.

"Given the Maw's recent attack on Coruscant, there will likely be a series of inquiries about sith influence in the senate. By taking a hard line against corruption, we may get ahead of accusations."

This was a cycle often repeated: Betrayal caused betrayal. And strikes from foreign agents caused nations to gather and close ranks. Sometimes, they would end up closing ranks around the true betrayer.

"It is also an opportunity to purge other unwanted influences." She touched her chin lightly, feeling the smooth patch where a sabre had once come too close. "A few well-placed leaks from the Frumentarii. Some true, some false."

She looked at Maliphant again.

"The first shift is to instill a false sense of security." To lose something, they needed to feel like they had something to lose in the first place. The higher their hopes, the greater their dive to doom. They had recently been betrayed, so trust had to be rebuilt and their minds disarmed before they were lead again to the slaughter.

"They must think they are beyond corruption, yet surrounded by enemies."

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"Indeed...", he repeated quietly.​

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Considering for a moment, that the political machinations of Ophidia seemed well thought out - he applied his own knowledge to the dynamic. There were factions within the Galactic Alliance that could be turned upon one another - and with the growing boogeyman of Sith infiltration on their doorstep, it was only a matter of time before someone would begin using it as a slur to undermine political opponents. In times of fear, the populations often found drama and theatrics more important than facts or truth.​

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A narrative meant more to the people than anything else.​

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"An anti corruption league would be a good point to make - but it must be watered down with the more genuine or else we'd be marked for having palpable intent. This does bring to concern something else -"​

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He readjusted once more as he continued.​

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"- The Galactic Alliance's intelligence bureau, will likely be expanding its ranks and internal directives. No doubt it is the responsible choice, but were they to catch on to the Maw's signatures they might find it easy to distinguish their manipulations from our own. I don't believe it is worth explaining why that is bad to one such as yourself - so instead I propose something else..."​

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"What contacts do we have within the New Sith Order? Were it possible, could we collect some? Solipsis has dogs at his beck and call - but were we to feed one, would they bark to a new tune?"​

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Darth Ophidia​