Rebuilding an Empire (TGE/Open)

[Beowoof]

Oh snaff! She whirled around to face the man she imagined had been the one watching her all this time. But she was always paranoid anyway. "Oh! Uh... yeah. They're real paints." She dipped her brush in a random color and painted a streak--though it was actually a bit of a zigzag as her hand shook nervously--of a bluish gray tone on her arm to demonstrate. "I know, it's a little unusual."

The Twi'lek was not sure what to make of her 'admirer'. For all she knew, he could be some spicer creep trying to get a little glitter action going with her. Some artists did indeed procure inspiration from narcotics. Cautiously setting down her easel, the Tyrian dropped her dominant hand into her coat pocket and let her fingers curl around the pistol's handle, just in case. But surely he was just an eager art lover, right? "I taught myself," she continued, keeping the talk small.

[member="Cody Weadge"]

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

[member="Akio Kahoshi"] [member="Rexus Drath"]

Everything about this affair made her uneasy. She never imagined she'd ever grasp such power, and now it was here in her hands, only waiting for Akio to announce her now. The wait painful as she glanced to the Emperor's Own surrounding her, waiting and ever so watchful of every movement among the crowd. There was safety in that, but somehow today she did not feel safe. She only felt that a large target was being placed on her from now, till the day her life ended. Anytime one gained power, one became a target. And that was the last thing she truly wanted.

Looking to the crowd, she wished greatly to just be back in the safety and privacy of her own company, within her private lab. Anything to not be in the public eye right now. But Akio had reminded her that the public needed to see her, needed to know her. After she settled into her role, she then could find time for science and medicine to fit back into her life, but for now Atrisian affairs would be her life. To what extent, she did not fully know. Glancing up to the tower, she only wished her dear cousin would hurry along with this. To get it over with so she could do her duty, to serve her people.

 

[Seigi Kan]

The crowd gathered around the so called "Imperial Tower" was expecting a show. One that Seigi Kan intended to give them. The monitors around the gathered crowd suddenly switched from a view of the stage, to a fiew in a masked figure in a long black cape. Behind him was a half dozen men and women dressed in black clothing and wearing visor masks to conceal their itendity. Every one besides the man in front was carrying a blaster.

"People of Atrisia, I... am Justice!" Seigi Kan's voice rang through the streets, as well as anywhere else the transmission was being carried to. It would be useless for anyone attempting to stop his transmission quickly, his inside man had put a very aggressive worm in the system. By the time it was removed, well, it would be over.

 

[Cody Weadge]

Cody watched the hand move, and knew when someone was reaching for a hidden weapon. Spies did not survive long in the field without knowing when their lives were in danger. In a single swift motion the Imperial agent drew a hold out blaster from his suit coat, and pointed it at the twi'lek from hip level to minimize the number of bystanders that might notice it.

"Come now, remove the weapon slowly. Thumb and index finger only. I'd rather not shoot you, much less paperwork."

As he waited for the artist to comply, the strange masked man came on the screens around the crowd. Still keeping the gun pointed to the painter, Cody called into his collar. "What's going on, how did they get into our system?"

"We don't know!" came the panicked response. "Whatever is wrecking our system did not come from outside, but we can't isolate it."

"There must be a mole, find the source of that virus and we likely will find the traitor." Silencing his comm, he turned back to the twi'lek. "Well it seems you've either dropped or risen sky high on my threat list. Interesting timing after all."

[member="Tacitanya"]

 

[Akio Kahoshi]

Akio's head jerked to the control center's screen that now showed a masked man rather than the live feeds from outside. The noise in the room had gone from the relative quiet of routine work to near panic as whatever had been dumped in their system blocked access to the controls.

"Get that man off screen, now!" Akio commanded.

"We can't Your Highness!" the captain replied not quite able to control his voice. "Both the IIB and ISB are working on rooting out the bug, but both are saying it will take time. Whatever this, this... person wants to say he's going to have that chance, Sir. I'm sorry, I have no excuse."

"Well then we better hope we like what he has to say, don't we?" Akio said turning to the hacked video stream.

 

[Beowoof]

Tacitanya's eyes widened as the man readily pulled out his own concealed firearm and kept her movements in check. As she was about to remove the hand-constructed gun from her pocket, the collective gasp of the hundred thousand assembled reverberated through the streets, followed by an eerie greeting from a masked man identifying himself as 'Justice'.

We're doomed.

Taci hurriedly but delicately set her Whistleflute on the ground in the manner her detainer had ordered, looking up at him and taking in his comm chatter. "It wasn't me. I swear," she insisted as she stood back up to her short, full height with hands in the air.

[member="Cody Weadge"]

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Madeline looked up to the screens as the strange masked man came on, speaking of justice. Fear, it couldn't be helped but she forced it aside as, as she was to be a leader here not a sheep. Feeling the hand of one of the Emperor's own, pulling at her. A glance to him and she pushed the hand off, not willing to be drug away to some hiding place again. In no way would she do that now. "No." She said firmly, as protest began amongst those guarding the heir,

She personally stepped to the microphone, "People of Atrisia, now is the time for courage, be brave. As with all threats, and those speaking of justice but do not know the term, we will find the source and this will be over as soon as it started. They will come to our justice." She said with a confidence she had never known. Never had she stepped bravely before such a large crowd, and her own personal fears set aside.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]


Reaching out she took the folder and neatly tucked it under her arm. "Very interesting, indeed. I'm sure it will more than suit my needs. Thank you for your work, once more. It's much appreciated." She said as she looked upon the crowd. Then all the fun begin, with the masked man taking over the screens around the area, making mighty claims of justice.

"Well ... it appears that talk of business will have to wait as my afternoon just got a whole lot more interesting." She said with a grim frown. This was just supposed to be a normal day. Not one where everything went to hell, but Madeline, surprising enough seemed to be stepping into her role as leader quite well.

She reached to her collar activating a comlink, "The hell is going on?" She demanded, but chaos only seemed the response. No one knew exactly what was going on, "Have my team spread out, search the area. Find them, he has to nearby!"

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]

"An interesting development," Moira commented impassively as the dramatics began and a masked fellow assumed control over the screens along with his compatriots, saying something about 'justice'. It was so like organics to cloak their acts in claims of righteousness and nobility, when in the end they were all the same.

Various possibilities flashed through her mind. Rogue forcer protesting 'his people's oppression'? Atrisian nationalist disgruntled with his nation's absorption into Fringe? General anarchist on a 'crusade against oppression wherever it may lurk'? If caught it should make an interesting interrogation for the ISB.

Along with punishment for whoever had done sloppy work at security. Either way Madeline Kahoshi seemed to be rising to the occasion. What words she spoke did not matter much, they were the phrases that were expected. The fact that she did step up instead of cowering and letting her guards pull her away was what was relevant.

 

[Seigi Kan]

"You are wrong Grand Vizir," Seigi said over the broadcast. "You will not find me, because justice is everywhere even in the darkest places. It might not always be visible, but when it strikes no one will question that it was justice at work."

A single hand appeared from under the cape, open and palm up. "We are the Chosen Heroes Against Other's Sins. Wherever justice is crushed by those who should be upholding it, C.H.A.O.S. shall consume the sinners. C.H.A.O.S. is everything!"

The other arm flourished out, sweeping his cape to the side. In his hand was a remote detonation device. His thumb pressed the button, setting off the explosives hidden throughout the Imperial Tower. Most had been placed as close to the control rooms of the various departments as possible, though his people had been unable to smuggle any into the underground bunkers.

As explosions racked the tall structure, massive pieces of building material began to fall. The largest was at least five stories tall and fell to the side narrowly missing the gathered crowd, but undoubtably injuring countless from the shock and fragments. A second series of explosions began along the Imperial Tower's other side, though this one cause much less significant destruction. Once the explosions finished, the tower was a smoking shell of its previous self.

 

[Akio Kahoshi]

Akio watched his cousin with pride as she rallied their people. He had no doubt that she was going to be every bit as good a leader as he had hoped. Unfortunately, given how much trouble the Imperials were having with the virus he doubted their ability to catch the mysterious masked man. Whatever is was that he wanted to say, they were probably going to have to witness.

"Chaos is every--?" one of the technicians started before the explosions started.

There was very little time to even react as the building shook violently. There was the fleeting moment of Akio recognizing the phrase, he knew well Cora and her activities after all. He had even had her in custody once. But the thought was fleeting, as seconds separated the explosions. Briefly Akio was blinded by the bright light of an explosion, then there was darkness.

The control room was filled with rubble, and by the time it was dug out all that remained were charred remains and barely enough DNA left in the room to determine that the Emperor had been present.

 

[Cora Passek]

After watching the Chaos unfold on the news, Cara knew now was the time to leave. Quickly she was packing her apartment, knowing that certain statements would lead back to her and that was the last thing she needed. So with great care she took the most important things to her, packed them into two suitcases and headed out the door with one last glance to her cushy mansion provided by the Atrisian Government. "So this ends my safe home, comfortable life. Guess it's time to go back to the way things used to be." After today, she had a feeling that she would no longer be welcome in her former home. Her former safe haven for it was anything but that now.

Racing quickly through chaotic streets she got to the spaceport, and quickly got her clearance to leave. In her personal ship, it wasn't long before she had left the atmosphere and shot off to a safe house far from here. For she had business to attend to very shortly on Corellia. Though few would find any way to trace her as she took several side jumps, to mislead any followers, ditched one beacon and replaced it with another before she headed for her final destination.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

"Find the Emperor!" Madeline shouted above the fray, knowing he had been in the tower only moments before. She feared the worst but could show nothing but strength in this moment. "Get medical crews here, now!" She commanded into a comlink in her ear, "People are injured, and need help." Now the elegantly dressed woman, stepped down from the stage and into the fray, guards urging in her ears to retreat, that there could be more threats but right now she was not concerned with that.

People were in distress, and she a medical doctor, oath bound to help those in need. "Find who did this! Now!" She demanded once more into her comlink. For now, for all they knew she was now Empress, or at least soon would be when the charred remains were found. Right now she was the voice of Atrisia and all those around here were listening to her commands with ease as if she had always been their ruler. Now she knelt down alongside one of the wounded, badly bleeding, and she was quick to tear strips from her fine gown to help slow the flow of blood. "All will be fine. You're going to be alright. I promise." She said with a soft smile, trying to be as comforting as possible in a most dire hour for the man laying before it.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

Pure pandemonium reigned as the explosion tore through the Imperial Tower before the eyes of thousands. In the blink of an eye it was left a shell of its former self. The Emperor had been in the tower only moments ago before explosions racked it, massive pieces of the immense structure plummeting down from above, burying those who had been too close to the spectacle.

Moira, standing further away from the tower, beyond the vicinity of the blast, remained calm amidst the storm. As sirens howled, the agonised screams of the wounded cried out to the heavens, fear, Imperial guards and medics rushing to the scene of the crime. Already speeders and ambulances were en route, descending upon ground zero like a swarm.

CHAOS...Chaos Is Everything...Moira was very familiar with the network. Likewise she was strongly acquainted with Cora Passek, its leader and idol. Who had been using Atrisia as a safe haven. Perhaps she had grown disgruntled with the Atrisians for their submission to the Fringe Confederacy, seeing it as Sithian, though they had little choice in the matter. Or maybe it was a terrorist claiming to act in the name of the network, to impress her, to usurp her, or simply because a terrorist network such as this one was not centralised.

Regardless, they would have a talk...soon. Doubtless Cora had already absconded from the planet, laying out enough false trails to throw any pursuers off balance so that she could make her getaway. After all, she was good, otherwise Moira would not bother with her. If the Emperor was out of the picture the succession would pass to...Madeline. In the absence of a clear perpetrator someone would have to take the fall for this attack. The people would be crying for blood. The hatred would be all-consuming. Atrisia had already endured war and then the detonation of an anti-matter bomb that had taken out a good portion of its capital city by a terrorist.

There would be...consequences. As it happened, the Atrisians did have a barely trusted minority that they feared and only barely tolerated. They were also all registered in government databases...Moira spoke no word to 'Novar' yet. In the blink of an eye the human replica droid sent a purely electronic transmission out to a few of her...people. Purely electronic, in compressed machine code that would mean nothing to an organic anyway even if they could intercept it. "Code Nightingale. Proceed to ground zero immediately. Evac the heavily wounded, those who would not survive for long, and take them to the ship."

A nondescript ambulance that in no way differed from any of those used by the medical services that would be rushing to the scene, would soon be on spot. Countless civilians and soldiers, high-ranking officers and aristos, would be buried under the piles of rubble, clouds of smoke billowing up into the air from the explosion, the tower a smouldering shell. Moira would have...use of those close to death. They made excellent candidates for processing. In the chaos a few missing would not be noticed. After all, in all likelihood it would take days to plough for all the rubble.

 

[Mirien Valdier]

[member="Moira Skaldi"]

Mirien soon had disappeared from sight, knowing there was a plan in mind. Knowing that likely if the masked man could not be found her people would very likely become targets, and even her name was on the massive registration list. In a darkened corner of the charred hot building, she made a com call to her fellow Inquisitors. "The snowflakes are falling. The blizzard coming." A simple code. It stating flatly that all Inquisitors were to return to the citadel, grab anything of importance and leave in the ships they had in their hangers. The Inquisitors, all of them would disappear like shadows into the night. All to be gone, elsewhere until a time that she was certain it was safe for them to return to their rightful home, and one day it would be.

But for now, she knew too well how things like this went someone would have to take the blame, take that fall. and with the growing dissent among the Atrisians at any force user, more and more getting hurt by mobs if found... Well it wasn't hard to imagine who would take the fall when it seemed all of Atrisian's best could not seem to work out the virus and locate the monster responsible. Force users were going to catch the short end of the stick. And maybe, maybe Mirien was being paranoid, but they were her family. The only family she knew, so she'd rather them all retreat, and seek their safe haven far from Atrisian Space. If she was just paranoid, they could just as easily return with their Grand Inquisitor laying claim that they were all out on a broad secret mission.

 

[Madeline Kahoshi]

Madeline had been working through the crowds of wounded being triaged and helping in whatever ways she could. Her pristine gown long covered in ash and blood. The Emperor's Own stayed closed to her ever so vigilant as she stepped from person to person, kneeling beside the injured and doing what she could with what supplies had been brought for her and other medical staff that had come as well. This a tragedy she had never personally known for she had been hidden when the last terrorist attack had struck the city. All for her own safety Akio had claimed after the battle with the Protectorate. Even in the war with the Fringe, she had been whisked away to safety to be protected at all costs. Akio the warrior, she the healer and protector. Such a different contrast between the close cousins.

So many panicked words were spoken to the comlink in her ear, the hunt for the Emperor on going, or any sign of him at all. Everyone in the Emperor's Own had known he'd been in the tower. Everyone in the governments knew as well. But she knew something the rest did not. For things were not going to turn out the way they expected. This the reason she hated the plan to elevate her to Grand Vizier in this manner, to thrust her into politics by throwing her in the deep end of the pool, all praying she would swim not sink.

After hours had passed, confirmation came as a man in an ISB uniform with a most grave expression came to her side, with permission of the guards he laid a hand upon her shoulder, and helped to lift her from her feet, from helping the woman she had been. Her hands covered in blood that she was quick to wipe away upon the grayish white cloth that had once been such a beautiful white. Her hair a mess having fallen from it's regal state, her eyes slowly searched him. But even he seemed hesitant to tell the heir the news he had.

"Ma'am ... er ... G-G-Grand Vizier K-Kahoshi..." Seeming unsure what to call her at this point at all, using only the title she was most recently given in the end. Despite full knowledge of her being the heir to the Atrisian Throne.

Madeline only seemed more concerned with his hesitations, his stutters to get the words out to her. "Out with it!" Urgently she pressed him, "There are many wounded to get to, and I do not have time to waste."

"Ma'am ... we've found remains. There was very little left at all to identify anyone who was in the operations room of the tower, but enough of the Emperor's DNA was found ... He's ..."

She took a heavy breath, placing a hand upon her chest scarcely able to breathe as she took a seat upon a piece of what had once been the tower. "Dead." She whispered, finishing the sentence the ISB agent didn't seem to wish to tell her. She cried out in agony doubling over as she finished the harsh word. The one she never wanted to hear nor speak today. Everything hit her at once like a ton of bricks, she was the heir. The only heir. Now in a matter of seconds in the attack she had gone from Grand Vizier to Empress. Her closely family member, most trusted friend and ally, gone just like that.

After her pained cry, she tried her best to settle herself, calm herself. But even still knowing the truth now, she could barely breathe, near to panic herself but the public could not see her this way. One of her guards handed her a tablet, knowing what she was going through and why he'd been asked to carry them. Madeline's anxiety had to be controlled for the sake of the public. Quickly she took it in hand swallowing it. It would take time, but eventually it would calm her trembling hands, and her ragged breath. Despite her best efforts to keep the matter of what happened hidden it seemed those near her, those watching had gotten the news just by her few simple actions alone. The Emperor was dead. The air swirling with the news. The best thing to do right now was to get her out of sight, and to another and much safer location.

One of the Emperor's Own reached down to take her hand, helping her to her feet as tears fell. Her head bowed, as she whispered to him, "Just get me away from here. Now." She commanded ever so quietly.

"That was already the plan, M'lady." Her Guardian answered her quickly. Soon surrounded by a dozen guards, shielded from public view she was escorted away from the brutal scene and taken to a side street. Her guards leading her to a set of street cars, heavily armored and highly guarded for too many knew she was all that Atrisia had left now.

Never had she wanted any of this, and certainly not this way. Never had she wanted to sit on the throne, but always knew there was that chance. Her valiant efforts helping to save lives in the hours after the tragedy would endear her to her people. Something they would regard highly for she had not shied away from the tragedy in the least. Not even when her own life was possibly in jeopardy. Madeline could hardly care about her own life in a moment like that, not wasting a single minute of her time, doing all she could to aide the injured. Even as she was placed into the car, a guard on each side of her, and a few more in the front seats. The lead and following car filled with the Emperor's Own, now escorting Madeline Kahoshi to a safe undisclosed location. All in the name of letting her grieve privately for her loss, a much bigger one to her than the Atrisian people as well as to protect her from threats both known and unknown.

The loss, she was taking hard, sobbing once the doors were finally shut. She finally let all the pain, the pressure and agony she felt for the loss of her cousin as well as the loss of so many good people that day. It only made matters worse knowing that soon enough she'd have to address the nation as a whole, and explain the cruel actions of what should have been a joyous day. The words would be written for her, knowing that any in her state would be unlikely to concentrate, to think enough to adequately express all that had taken place. Even further to tell the world that after his remains were buried, she, herself the only heir would be crowned. It was too painful to be expected of her, so already writers were working on the words she would speak in the evening.

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Mirien Valdier"]

'Novar' had vanished from the scene. Moira had her ideas about why. The force-using operatives of the Empire would be the logical target of the purge that she knew would come. It was what she would do. Clearly the magi made ideal scapegoats and would have to be hunted down and exterminated. Kahoshi could be made a martyr for the cause, while at the same time the cleansing could be heralded as a return to the old ways. Clearly the Emperor, for all his gallantry and love for his people, had possessed the fatal flaw of being too lenient and merciful.

After all, even Emperor Palpatine had in the end been murdered by the Lord Vader. Of course, Palpatine had been a Sith Lord and the Empire had been created as a tool to enforce the Sith's rule upon the Galaxy, but the public was obviously not told that story. It would only confuse their innocent minds.

Empress Madeline, ruling over a planet-sized laboratory...

Regardless beneath the rubble lay countless victims, crying out for help beneath the wreckage from the tower that had fallen upon them. Many more needed urgent medical attention. A horde of ambulances and speeders had descended upon ground zero. Among them was the ambulance that, unbeknownst to all, contained human replica droids in the guise of doctors and nurses. Like angels they spared no time and no effort to help for the heavily injured, those who would otherwise have been forgotten or would have died because there were so many victims. They would be put on stretchers, giving rebreathers against the thick smoke so that they would not choke to death, painkillers. Some would end up in medical capsules, then the ambulance would drive away.

The Processing Machine was hungry. It demanded to be fed. It would not be denied.

 

[Cody Weadge]

"We'll see whether you were the cause or not later," Cody said. His gun lowered only a bit when the suspect dropped her blaster, it still remained ready for use at the first sign of a threat from anyone. There might be other members of this "C.H.A.O.S." in the area, and if the artist was one of them they might attack him in an attempt to save her. "Let's get mo-"

Any further comment was interrupted as the helmeted man pulled the detonator out. Cody's mind raced at the possibilities, and he knew exactly what was going to happen when that button was pushed.

"Get down!" he yelled to everyone around him. Then he pushed down the person closest to him, the painter, forcing the both of them to the ground just as the explosions racked the building. Small pieces flew through the air and rained down on them, but most of the large pieces had fallen away from the crowd. As soon as the explosions stopped he stood and turned on his comm.

"Where is the Emperor? Is he safe?" He listened silently to the chaotic response, a grime expression on his face. "Understood. Send agents to guard the Empress, then we'll figure out who's in charge of the Bureau now."

Looking down he considered the twi'lek. Even if she was innocent, she had heard to much to simply be let go...yet. "Come on, you're coming with me."

 

[Seigi Kan]

In silence Seigi watched the chaos unfold. Watched as they realized their precious Emperor had been killed. It was amazing how killing a single man could motivate people many times more than killing even millions of unnamed masses. It was a weakness in people that could be used to his advatnage, and already had. Today was just Seigi proving to Cora Passek that Seigi Kan was capable of doing what he said.

"Today I have judged Akio Kahoshi for his sins," he said once the death of the Emperor had been official confirmed. "He wished to bring back Palpatine's Empire, and crush any who stood in his way. For the deaths of the innocent on the worlds he conquered, he has been punished."

One arm rose into the air palm open and out. "People of the Galaxy. Those that have been oppressed, join me." The other arm rose this time in a fist. "Those that seek to dominate those weaker than themselves fear me. I, Justice, shall see that C.H.A.O.S. spreads to every corner of the Galaxy. Soon the sinners shall meet the same fate as Akio Kahoshi has. Chaos is Everything!"

And with that he cut the connection. The group standing around him disperesed from the set they stood on, moving elsewhere in the freighter. What the security forces had likely never suspected was that he had been transmitting from space, his freighter having been given permission to leave before he ever started his transmission. Now it approached the hyperspace limit, and no matter how much the new Empress or her dogs searched the planet below they would find no trace of him. Today, Seigi had been victorious.

 

[Beowoof]

The Twi'lek slowly picked herself off the ground, her lekku quivering against her shoulders. She had been hurled to the pavement in a protective maneuver by her detainer, which she found odd, considering he seemed to have her under arrest at the moment. It was a terrifying occurrence, the immense rattling of the explosion still resonating within her ear cones. Were they being invaded?

And the Emperor's sex somehow changed amidst the turmoil. Either that, or this agent was incredibly discombobulated in the turmoil.

Still, Taci had more pressing concerns to worry over at the moment regarding her present and future life. She had no idea how she would explain herself to the authorities, having been apprehended while she had her fingers wrapped around a concealed weapon. She wondered if she would be allowed to reclaim her homemade gun--if she was even allowed to roam free ever again. All the dark alley tapioca distribution she had gotten away with must finally be catching up with her.

Trembling, Tacitanya allowed herself to be dragged to whatever destination her captor had in mind. "I promise you, I don't know. I don't know..." she continually repeated, glancing over her shoulder at the abandoned easel and art supplies. She wondered if they let one paint in jail.