Private New Course

[Simon Meinrad]

C A V A L I E R
HYPERSPACE
EN ROUTE TO TETH
Zhea Nox

The Empire had splintered. Many with the privilege of power claiming their own territory, fighting for influence. One by one until one remained superior. It had happen while Simon ventured out on his righteous crusade, targeting systems bordering the Alliance. A mission that came to a premature conclusion with an old friend who struck a deal with him. Now there was no safe haven for the Imperial to go to. He would not return to Bastion only to be cornered by mad Warlords demanding his fealty, serving someone that was unworthy or would bring to his death.

No.

He would become his own ruler, serving to the ideals he held onto. His own Imperial fiefdom, but not to be threatened by craven narcissists.

Teth.

Right in Wild Space with loose criminals and lawless scum ruling with fear and avarice. It was a gamble, but he was certain with his resources he could achieve this goal. He made notice to his lieutenants as his fleet raced through the starts. A size enough to capture a star system. That will do for the time being.

The last one to be informed was Zhea, whom he called to meet him in the conference chambers alone.

 

[Zhea Nox]

ECLIPSE
EN ROUTE | TETH
TAG: Simon Meinrad

MANIA LE LAGI​

It had been quite the experience.

Ever since leaving Cato Neimoidia, it had taken some adjustment among the Imperials. But Zhea settled in well enough nonetheless.

The fall of the Empire hit Simon hard, however. He never said anything, but Zhea could feel it nonetheless. Especially with the gift of her people. The echoes in the Force all across the ship where he had been, told her that. She didn't say anything. She was just there, his soundboard when he needed it, extending her calming nature toward him.

But after a while, he withdrew.

The Kiffar Master let him, knowing he would talk once he was ready. She spent the majority of her days meditating and spending time in the training room on the ship instead.

That is where she was when one of the Troopers that remained loyal to Simon, appeared at the door.
"Beg your pardon, ma'am, but the Lord Meinrad is asking for you. He's in the Conference Chambers." he said.
Zhea opened her eyes and looked around.
"Thank you." she said before getting to her feet. "You should get something to eat, Corporal. I could hear your stomach across the room." she smiled as she walked past him.
"Almost lunch time, ma'am. I can hold til then." he said, matching her friendly tone.
"Be sure to eat enough. I doubt that belt can go tighter." Zhea laughed before heading to the chambers.

If you took away the warlords pulling their strings, the average Trooper was just another person with a soul and feelings. She had come to love them and their spartan ways.

Entering the chambers, she watched Simon. He seemed both hesitant and excited and for some reason, it sparked some worry within the Jedi. What was he up to now?

"You wanted to see me?"

 

[Simon Meinrad]

C A V A L I E R
HYPERSPACE
EN ROUTE TO TETH
Zhea Nox

A soft smile when Zhea entered. Truly, these times were tolerable with her presence here even if he did shut out the world until now.

“I do, yes,” before striding towards her. “Sit with me, please,” a hand gesturing a chair at the table, taking a chair adjacent to hers. “Things have been…well, things have taken a surprising turn of events. The Empire is no more than squandering Warlords and I refuse to place our fate at their feet. I’m certain we can manage our own and serve our own ideals.”

“I have a new vision to accomplish and I would like you to be a part of it. An opportunity for us to take advantage to do good and make up for the time we have lost.”

“We can build our own Empire, one that adheres to the values we hold dear. And we can start in Teth, dead center of Wild Space to challenge the tyranny of lawless scum. Create a new culture, one with the merits of order and justice. We can finally do what we’ve always aspired since we were young. To actually make a difference in the Galaxy.”

A hand reached out to place on top of Zhea’s.

“I can’t start this new chapter without you, Zhea. Won’t you try to brave this new journey with me?”

 

[Zhea Nox]

ECLIPSE
EN ROUTE | TETH
TAG: Simon Meinrad

MANIA LE LAGI​

It was still surreal to see a smile on his face once more.

It had been so long since the last time she had seen it before she offered herself in order to get her Padawan out of Imperial hands. It had taken so much to finally reach this point where they can both find some happiness in one another's company instead of trying to kill one another.

So she returned his smile with her own.

Taking a seat, she let him speak. She had known he would, eventually. It did warm her heart to know that he would not gamble with the Warlords. It was another step in the right direction. She knew he would likely never return to the Order, but he was already moving away from the dark road that he had been on.

He presented the objective to her - Teth. A hole of villainy that had crept back years ago in the vacuum that the initial fall of the Enclave had created. It would be a momentous undertaking to bring order back to such a world. But he was always the one with the plans - she just kept him grounded. She wondered if she still could. How much good could she do in her limited role?

But then...

“I can’t start this new chapter without you, Zhea. Won’t you try to brave this new journey with me?”

Looking down at his hand over hers. She could feel the sincerity of everything he had said through her gift. There was so much she had to think about - how to get back to the Order, did she still want to, could she do more good on a world with free reign? But the assurance that spoke through the Force and their clasped hands removed the majority of the doubt except one...

Zhea looked up at him.
"You won't expect me to do things that go against my nature? I may not be in the Order anymore, but that doesn't change who and what I am, Simon. I need that guarantee. Innocent civilians are not to be harmed." she said.

She wanted to trust him, but knew that Imperial doctrine was hard to let go of.

 

[Simon Meinrad]

C A V A L I E R
HYPERSPACE
EN ROUTE TO TETH
Zhea Nox

She would accept, but under the condition she provided. A reasonable condition he could accommodate with. His nature was complex, but he was no butcher. He took life when necessary, though not to sate his anger or needless emotions that the Sith or other dark entities subscribed to.

“Of course, Zhea. My intentions are not to harm the innocents. I only want to create a new environment that reflects my vision which truly serves the people.”

Of course, flaws would present themselves time to time; however, he hoped to correct them with his wisdom he acquired over years of experience in his life.

“This will be a great opportunity. The other Imperials tear each other apart; the Alliance and the Mandalorians come closer to the brink of war; the Sith are irrelevant as they try to repeat their cycle after the riddance of the Maw. The only thing we will have to worry about are the Hutts and other syndicates that oppose us.”

“So now that you have my promise, will you rule by my side?”

 

[Zhea Nox]

ECLIPSE
EN ROUTE | TETH
TAG: Simon Meinrad

MANIA LE LAGI​

His response set her mind at ease for the moment.

However, what followed battered at her conscience. If the Alliance and the Enclave were at one another's throats for some reason, that meant the Jedi would be in the thick of it as well, which would be a shock. For so long, the Order and the Mandalorians got along well. They were even friends. Family. How could things take such a drastic change?

She would have to ask him about it.

Afterward.

“So now that you have my promise, will you rule by my side?”

Zhea sighed before nodding.
"Rule, no. But I will serve the people at your side. You have my word." she said. It was a weighted decision to make. By agreeing to being at his side in this endeavour, she effectively rescinded her allegiance to the Order.

For the longest time, she wasn't fond of how the Order operated. So she had just focused on what she was good at - teaching the young ones in the ways of the Light side of the Force. But especially with her most recent Padawan, it became harder and harder to keep her personal feelings about Council decisions out of her teaching.

Come to think of it, that might have influenced her decision to go with him back on Cato Neimoidia along with securing the safety of her Padawan.

She looked back at Simon.
"Can you answer me one thing truthfully, please? What is the Order's stance in this growing conflict between the Alliance and the Mandalorians? Do you know?" she asked. The Sage wasn't sure if it was to make her feel better from being so far away from it all or if it was a last piece of hope that the Council made one right decision to rather stay out of it.

But know, she had to.

 

[Simon Meinrad]

C A V A L I E R
HYPERSPACE
EN ROUTE TO TETH
Zhea Nox

"Rule, no. But I will serve the people at your side. You have my word."

Not the answer he was hoping to hear. A small frustration to him which he made sure would not sour his face. With time, however, he hoped her view would change and would start to discard the narrow teachings of the Jedi.

Still it was enough she would be with him.

"Can you answer me one thing truthfully, please? What is the Order's stance in this growing conflict between the Alliance and the Mandalorians? Do you know?"

Even being isolated from the rest of the major powers, he’d made sure to be well informed of the dynamics happening across the stars. It wasn’t hard to find information revolving this issue and neither was there any secrets to it to the shame of information brokers hoping to uncover plots to ruin a Senator’s career in the Galactic Senate.

“From what I understand,” while reaching for a holopad in the center of the table, “there are mixed opinions on this matter. Many Senators want to punish the Jedi and limit their autonomy as a Padawan acted alone and tried to spy on the Mandalorians.” He gave the holopad to Zhea so she could read it for herself. “There was an Assembly with a representative of the Jedi defending the actions of the Order and ignoring the concerns the Senate has of what consequences could bring to the Alliance. Even going as far to confront the Mandalorians on one of their operations without notifying the Senate.”

Even Simon couldn’t decide what group he supported. Both he deeply resented with their hypocrisy.

He stood from his chair to walk around the round table.

“If the Order is so brash with their arrogance to sate their ego, why not overthrow the Senate to avoid conflicts of agendas between them and rule the Alliance in their own manner?”

Looking at Zhea after airing his rhetorical question.

“The chaos of democracy does not benefit the people, Zhea. It only benefits those with power, and leeches on the masses to grow that power. The Jedi, the Senate, and other third parties are no better than the other on their scramble to power and influence.”

 

[Zhea Nox]

ECLIPSE
EN ROUTE | TETH
TAG: Simon Meinrad

MANIA LE LAGI​

She was watching his face.

It didn't show anything that her words brought him any frustration, but the Sage couldn't shake the feeling that it did. There was no knowing for sure aside from reading him with her gift, and she never abused it before, she sure wouldn't now. He just had to be content that she would be with him.

But when he started speaking on the political situation within the Alliance, her hope fell deep into the ground. Zhea's face was pale when she took the holopad from him. The words on it, confirmed her feelings - she had made the right choice for herself to walk away from it. But how many would suffer under this turmoil.

All the while, Simon was speaking, confirming what she was reading. He was clearly worked up about this as well. The injustice and inactivity of it all.

And then, another truth from his lips.

“The chaos of democracy does not benefit the people, Zhea. It only benefits those with power, and leeches on the masses to grow that power. The Jedi, the Senate, and other third parties are no better than the other on their scramble to power and influence.”

She put down the holopad before dropping her head into her hands with a sigh.
"We've always known that's how it is." she said into her hands before dragging her fingers through her hair as she looked up at him with her piercing eyes. "We suffered under it as well. You left because of it. But no system is perfect. The Empire had its own flaws, or it wouldn't have shattered." she went on, getting to her feet. "How do you plan to do better? To not turn into one of those power chasers?" she asked him, her face pale, but her eyes steadfast in their question.

She couldn't do anything on her own with the Order, but she could do something about this endeavour.

 

[Simon Meinrad]

C A V A L I E R
HYPERSPACE
EN ROUTE TO TETH
Zhea Nox

"We suffered under it as well. You left because of it. But no system is perfect. The Empire had its own flaws, or it wouldn't have shattered." she went on, getting to her feet. "How do you plan to do better? To not turn into one of those power chasers?"

“With time I will know how to make the necessary corrections to any flaw within my system. With practice, perfection can be achieved,” easing whatever worries she with the question she raised. Despite how unified the Empire was during Tavlar and Fel’s reign, personalities clashed within the hierarchy. Everyone had different doctrines under the Empire, yet there was always a strong central authority to reel in everyone.

“The people underneath the the tyranny of these crime lords will finally have opportunities to enrich their lives. Have something worth living for and not have to be coerced into a life of degeneracy.”

An Imperial regime to provide peace and order that could expand within Wild Space and, perhaps, beyond it.