Private Mind's Eye

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Taeli Raaf

He should have known her better. Taeli Raaf was not a stranger to the galaxy. She had been part of the Sith delegation which had reached out to Srina Talon to negotiate the purchase of droids from the CIS in an effort to reduce The Sith Empire’s reliance on slaves. Gerwald had not been the Lord Commander of the Knights Obsidian by then, but he had been placed in command of Metus’ personal guard. It was a role he served in until his promotion to Deputy Commander. By the time he assumed his role as Lord Commander the Sith Empire had fallen.

The Wolf knew she had Srina’s friendship. As he had done with Carnifex, Gerwald wanted to evaluate the necessity of it himself. They served on the Dark Council together which meant a meeting would be politically expedient, but was that the only reason? Her family had been taken by Alisteri as well, and Gerwald was convinced the proposed Kaggath was nothing but a political maneuver so that Marr could find a way to make the situation about him.

It had been the concern he voiced when the three met in the Council chambers about the event.

Today, they would not meet in the formal room designed for them to converse and make decisions. This was not a meeting which required the formality and grace of showmanship which often accompanied political meetings. Gerwald simply wanted to determine if Taeli Raaf was an ally to keep close or an enemy to keep closer. While he did not long for the day when Empyrean would no longer be the emperor he knew it was inevitable. The Wolf had his preferred outcome in mind, but he also wished to be prepared for the chance it became less than ideal.

There was another matter to consider, the Second Legion. While they had been tasked with choosing the Imperator, Gerwald was curious as to where the Raven’s mind leaned in that regard. By nature the Dark Council required at least two of them to be in agreement about anything, and Gerwald had yet to discern who he seemed to agree with more. Taeli seemed pragmatic. Malum had an agenda. Gerwald felt as though he were the one between them forced to choose one over the other.

Perhaps, he could direct.

Gerwald invited the woman to join him in the penthouse which Empyrean had gifted him. It was not often the Wolf and Naedira Darcrath entertained in their personal home, but for this meeting he would make an exception. His mate had expressed her caution about the path Gerwald was on, and in this case he would value her opinion on the Raven herself. She would always be welcome to join them, interrupt them, and whatever else she fancied. This place was theirs, and today Taeli was simply a guest.

An assortment of refreshments were laid out in the coffee table which was positioned in front of the large and roomy furniture of the seating area. The door would open for the ebony haired woman to the sight of Gerwald standing at his full height. He motioned for her to join him.

“Welcome, Lady Raaf. This meeting has been a long time coming I believe. I am happy to see we are delaying it no longer.”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

She should have known him better. Gerwald Lechner had been a significant figure within the old Confederacy of Independent Systems, and yet they had never met even when she had been leading the Tenth Sith Empire's diplomatic efforts. Perhaps that had been due to his previous positions, but even when the CIS had aided the Sith Empire during the Third Imperial Civil War, their paths had not crossed. He was of extreme importance to the Empress Srina Talon and as Taeli was looking to further the relationship with the Empress, it had created yet one of many reasons to meet with him. He had been named to the Dark Council, ostensibly to represent the Eternalists, but he seemed to have a desire to carve out his own positions and power among the Sith.

He had struck her as both a cautious and pragmatic individual during the Dark Council meeting to discuss the Kaggath and the events surrounding Darth Strosius' assault on her family. He had skeptical of Malum's intentions for declaring the challenge as much as she had been, suggesting to her that he had a mind for politics or at least seeing through the double speak and motives of others. He had been empathetic to her own... efforts in regard to handling that situation, and with it mainly concluded and the war with the Jedi and the Alliance sparking into existence the debate on who would lead the Empire's Second Legion, it was all the more reason to accept the invitation for a meeting that had been offered.

In truth, she had not given the matter of who would be the new Imperator much thought. After the battles of Echnos and Sluis Van, it had become painfully obvious that the Emperor had little concern for a stable domestic front to support the war effort into the Core. Where others might be vying for the glory of battle, she was looking more to streamline and stabilize the Empire itself, to create a state that could actually support a war and not one that might be burdened by nihilism of its leader.

Whether such efforts would run counter to the Emperor's own goals, it could create a potential a rift between Gerwald and herself if he was aligned with those thought processes, or if he was opposed to such and wanted something firmly built, he could be a great ally to have. Any major decisions she might want to make or influence would be easier if two Councilors agreed and she didn't trust Malum to not try and impose his own agenda into it such as he tried in the negotiations with the Commonwealth worlds.

But arriving at the penthouse that the Wolf called home on Jutrand, the Raven was curious what might pass and what the Wolf's own agenda was. He had to have some sort of goal or desires within the Sith, something he wanted to control or influence. She hoped, as the door opened and her host invited her inside at his imposing full height, that she would learn something of that today.

"I quite agree, Lord Lechner," she replied, offering him a small smile as she flowed over the threshold in her dress and robes. "I thank you for the invitation and the chance to actually get to know each other properly."

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Taeli Raaf

His head canted toward his fellow council member as she crossed the threshold of his penthouse. He motioned to the seating area and took his own place once they had exchanged their formalities. She had been on Sulis Van and Gerwald had been on Echnos City. Malum had been sent elsewhere. The Dark Council had been divided in the offensive with the Galactic Alliance. They had attempted to make them defend three positions, and failed. There was much discuss, but before they all gathered together, the Wolf wanted to know where he stood with the Raven haired woman.

“Your family is well?”

Gerwald wanted to gauge her reaction. The Wolf had heard rumors she had seen to retrieving those dear to her on her own. It was her right and prerogative. He would not have stopped her, and backed any personal claim she had on the matter. Gerwald would have done the same had it been his. His decade long promise to Naedira Darcrath had been something he had carried with him without wavering. The Dread Beast the value of family. Had the matter not spilled over into threatening other Sith holdings, Gerwald would have rather the matter be left to Taeli alone to deal with.

It had not.

That did not mean Gerwald had thought the Kaggath was the correct action. It was only supported to give Malum a chance to show the Wolf what he was made of. In his mind, it was a test.

“Have you seen them since Sulis Van?”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Gerwald Lechner

She would offer the Wolf a smile as he inquired into her family, replying, "Yes, they are very well. And alas, not yet as I've been attending to business here on Jutrand first since the battle at Sluis Van. I'll be returning home after this meeting."

While that was said, her connection to Fiolette was never far away and if she so needed to or desired, she could always contact her wife through their bond. She had even manifested herself while she had sat at her sister's memorial within the palace here, offering her support and comfort as she remembered her youngest sister. Her statement would also suggest she and her family did not maintain their home on the Empire's capital, and that was both a strategic choice to avoid any issue that could occur there and offered her a place to step away for privacy.

Still the mention of Sluis Van would bring a frown to her face for a moment. The conduct of that battle had... irritated her would be a mild understatement. It was one subject that she would likely broach in their meeting today, whether the Wolf condoned the indiscriminate tactics of the Emperor and the Sepulchral or if he was in favor of a more sustainable sort of campaign. She suspected, given his background, he would be inclined to the later, but that remained to be seen.

"I understand you also have someone incredibly close to you, have you seen them since the battle on Echnos?"

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Taeli Raaf

Gerwald saw the look on her face when Sulis Van was mentioned. It had been an intentional comment, all of it had been. He needed to gauge the woman to see where she was at and what she felt. The Wolf was wading into unknown waters. Malum had proven mostly predictable to this point, but Gerwald did not know Taeli well. This was his chance to assess her, as she was looking into him. They were posturing, trying to discover if the other would be friend or foe. In this endeavor, Gerwald needed an ally. He specifically needed the raven.

He nodded his head.

“Just barely. I have the fortune of having Naedira Darcrath with me on Jutrand. My service to Empyrean and the Order keeps me here when I am not required to travel. I am sorry to hear you have not been able to see your family yet.”

His words were genuine. Family was something important to Gerwald, and it seemed it would be the universal language between them. This was the first commonality they found at least, something Gerwald was certain they could agree on. It was not his intent to push her buttons, but to pull back enough layers to know what she was about. Family was something she cherished, and it was one layer peeled back.

Her question sent his mind back to the battle on Echnos, and brought them to a more fixed point on why they needed to meet. It was a way to push the business they had together to the front of the conversation in the way his question about Sulis Van had been as well. Gerwald inclined his head.

“The Galactic Alliance thought they could impede our efforts to finish the Second Legion, or stop us entirely by hitting Sulis Van. I can only speculate as to why they came after the City on Echnos. Our tactics were drastic. They forced our hand. We prevailed, but at great cost. I would like to ensure we never need to employ such tactics again.”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Gerwald Lechner

She saw the way he studied her reaction to the mention of Sluis Van, gauging her display to what he might know about her and what he was hoping to see. His further statements on the subject could be viewed in two ways; either he was sincere in his desire to avoid using such drastic tactics as a Phobis Device or Nether ritual to defeat their enemies or it was a test to see if she agreed or not with the Emperor and Empress' actions and then report her answer to those two. If it was the former, then it was an indication to her that he was one step closer to being a potential ally in mitigating the excesses within the Empire and bringing stability. If it was the later...

"The assaults on Sluis Van and Echnos, if viewed as an attempt by the Alliance to impede the formation of our second battle group, then was a partial success," she replied quietly. "Over a third of our forces present in both theaters were killed or otherwise incapacitated, not to mention civilian fatalities and casualties, in exchange for roughly half the attacking Alliance forces although those numbers are debatable. A few more victories such as that would tear both nations apart from both depletion of battle-ready soldiers and discontent on the homefront regardless of propaganda introduced."

It was a blunt statement, although framed somewhat diplomatically and rooted in data. Still, it would indicate to Gerwald that she was not in favor of such tactics herself if not merely from the point of view of someone who had waged several wars and favored analytical data points in determining strategy.

"The destruction pushed back our own plans to invade Alliance space and hampered the formation of the Second Legion so we can replenish the First. Not exactly a desirable outcome, and one that I agree should be avoided in the future with a more cohesive battle plan and backed by a significant investiture in resources and production. At present, the economic and production front of this Empire isn't prepared to sustain a prolonged campaign, and it would appear the current plans of the Emperor would not take that into account before rushing into further conquests and campaigns against our enemies. It would seem to me that he intends to prop up our Empire with more conquests in a cycle that couldn't sustain itself at present, but perhaps I am mistaken. What do you see in regard to the plans regarding our expansion and the Second Legion?"

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Taeli Raaf

“There are always civilian casualties in this kind of way,” he suggested in response to Taeli’s assessment of the invasion.

A sigh escaped Gerwald’s lips. If anyone knew that lesson, it was her. She had seen what past emperors had done. Taeli had been on the Dark Council before and had been forced to make decisions which saw what others would call innocents die. It was the burden of leadership. Whether she knew her actions had led to it or not, it had.

“Besides, you would have glassed an entire planet to get your family back. I do not say this to make a jab or insult you in anyway. I just happen to think that both of us are smart enough to admit that war gives no one any kind of moral supremacy over the other. It does us no good to posture privately.”

Gerwald motioned around the room.

“Malum is not here.”

Was it a jab at their other counterpart? It was an observation. Gerwald was aware the young Sith was still naive enough to believe that there was a certain morality to war, at least his behavior on Echnos after the fact seemed to indicate it. If they were going to push conflict with the Galactic Alliance they did not need to spend time painting the enemy as an ally or behaving in a humane way after war. Gerwald had ordered no prisoners on Echnos City for a reason.

It had been a distraction. Sulis Van had been the primary target all along.

“Sulis Van was tragic, but the worst of it is not the loss of ships or lives. Had we been on the offensive we would have lost both as well. What makes this worse is that it delayed the capture of much needed shipyards and worlds which are mineral rich. I will take Seswenna and Eriadu, and we will complete the Second Legion. Then we will tear into the worlds once held by the Rimward Trade League and the Confederacy of Independent Systems to fuel our economy and our war.”

Another breath to give a beat and a slight pause.

“If you are successful with your plans domestically, I can ensure we have other pools to pull from whether it be by conscription, draft, or free will.”

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Gerwald Lechner

She would offer him a thin smile as he brought up the point there were always civilian casualties in war, and she would not disagree, but there was something to be said when the galactic power controlling the world decided to participate in creating those casualties. She had sent so many to their deaths, had seen the devastation of several galactic spanning wars and had issued orders to further such loss, but she had always kept an eye on what could be classified as avoidable casualties. What was unleashed on Sluis Van and Echnos were avoidable, and yet they had done unleashed them all the same. Refinement of tactics and rituals is what she wanted.

"The matter of Formos could have been avoided completely if Strosius had simply returned the members of my family he took," she remarked. "He had ample opportunity to turn away from his path, and yet he chose not to and signed the death warrants of many of his followers and the civilians they were supposed to protect and rule."

She would settle back into her seat. She would note his comment that Malum wasn't here. Perhaps then he wanted more direct conversation than what would be needed around the youngest member of the Dark Council.

"I don't claim for moral superiority, nor do I have particular care when it comes ethics, or the moralities espoused by enlightened society. Such niceties get in the way of progress, and as Sith, we can forge our own codes of conduct as we see fit. What I disagree with are how such strategies and tactics as we used at Sluis Van or Echnos impede our own progress and force adaptations of plans that should have been solidified beforehand or could have been refined to avoid affecting our own forces and populations for an even more powerful stroke against our enemies."

Her fingers would tap on the arm of her chair rhythmically as she thought about his immediate plans of expanding to the east. Taking Seswenna and Eriadu should have been accomplished earlier, in her opinion, as it would accelerated their military preparations with fortified worlds and militaristic societies. To then continue that expansion into former CIS and Trade League worlds would offer the Councilor across from her a solid base of power where he was familiar to the residents and leaderships of those worlds. It could be quite similar to her own plans with the western territories.

"If my efforts to galvanize our domestic economy and production play out, we won't need to rely upon constant expansion to fuel our war efforts. Such acquisitions, as long as we take them mostly intact, will merely augment our capabilities," she would say. "How far west do you intend for this new campaign to go before we turn our attentions back to our enemies?"

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Taeli Raaf

“I do not disagree with you. It was my directive when I learned of it.”

They agreed on the material point of how the matter with Darth Strosius could have been avoided. It had become something it never had to be. The Sith had allowed it to strike at the heart of the Order. Where it could have, and should have, been something settled between the two, it had involved the Sith Order in a way that showed the youthful among them were nothing but fools parading about like all powerful gods among the weak.

Gerwald refused to suffer it, yet for the sake of the Order he stomached it for now.

He nodded.

“As I have said the events were tragic, however much of the tactics used there were not of our making as much as that of the Galactic Alliance itself. I will not condone the ritual, though I do not have the first hand insight as you. The Phobis device was my idea, and the only person which suffered greatly to any degree was our Empress. It was of her own accord. The citizens of Echnos City will recover, and the day will come when it will be nothing more than a forgotten nightmare.”

The Dread Wolf leaned forward as Taeli detailed how her plans would make the Order’s need for expansion obsolete. He shrugged, not sure whether it would prove correct or not. It depended on the war and how far reaching the Emperor planned for it to be. Gerwald left the economy to those who knew better than him on such things. His merit was won in battle, and his expertise was war.

She was right to be curious about his expansion. Taeli was not a fool, and Gerwald refused to treat her as such. What she wanted to know was how large of a power base he intended to build for himself. He smiled.

“I intend to reach Stewjon and fortify it.”

He leaned back.

“I hope your venture works. For one the worlds I intend to bring into the fold would benefit from it. I intend to take command of the Second Legion myself. We do not need the debate, and they need to be battle ready as quickly as possible. I will support you where I can.”