Show Me Good Lovin'

[Jairus Starvald]

Tython​

On the site of Anil Kesh​

Carach’s Fortress​

Communications were running haywire, fleets and suppression squads were readied and yet? Yet, the Voice of the Dark Lord did not find himself very concerned with the events that were unfolding right before their eyes, a lesser man would have, a smaller man would have doubted and pondered which would have influenced the ability to think and reason. But Carach held trust in the simple logics of the Galaxy, reason and rationale was behind them, in such a light… what did the words of a single dead man mean?

The truth was that this Tefraxis Obauldi was a liar and a schemer, a man whose stories were as amusing as they were false, Carach was not sure why any of them would have assassinated Alric Kuhn. The man was almost had been or was almost as devious as any other Sith Lord, the claim that he did not wish to help with some kind of experimentation? Anyone who had truly seen what Titan Industries had created for the Sith Warmachine would know that the CEO of Titan held little and less concerns when it came to simple moral quandaries.

A message had been sent to the Wrath of the Dark Lord, [member="Reverance"], because even if they hadn’t done anything and the threat this presented was minimal, it would still be a wise idea to touch base with the other half of the leadership, and make sure there thoughts were aligned for what the future would hold.

The facilities would be resecured, the ships would be created, the weapons made, but under what name and would the Dark Lord ever trust a privatized company to push the warmachine of the Sith? Carach thought not, but there were always alternatives.

 

[Reverance]

Tython, the establishment of something far beyond himself or anything he had ever known. The steeping of the darkside, it's sensible taint, was obvious to the Warmaster and Wrath as he descended from the Teleute. Despite his renewed faith and vigor in the ways of the Legion, in the Yuuzhan Vong of old, Gabriel had decided against wearing his Vonduun Skerr Ygdris. He and [member="Darth Carach"], despite their lack of connection and direct ties, were allies for the same cause. He could feel that, descending upon the planet and finding rocky outcropping as suitable landing position. Here, on the bastion of the darkside, two members of the hiearchy had much to discuss.

Recently, the Sith Lord had been taxed with the invasive and petulant presence of the Tsavong Kraal, false prophet to some vong community that was far less than what he may have imagined it. And now, with the strain of knowing that Titan Industries was moving away from the One Sith, Gabriel could do nothing but pinch the center line of his brow as he stepped off the vessel and into the windswept terrain of Tython. With a crimson gaze towards Carach's fortress, he gave a tick of his teeth in recognition to the construction of it and it's decor, before approaching. The gusts of the planet knocked his armorweave cloak about, as he recalled the last time these two had met. The locale was far different, the purpose even more so.

It's not that he was bothered by the intrusions into the One Sith. The war machine was too well oiled to be clogged up by a bit of debris, no matter how inconsequential. The One Sith was not one to sit idle, their stores of weapons and ships overwhelming, not to mention the production rights that could be transferred to newly acquired shipyards. The vong tech was but a ding in the armor, easily replicated by the more than capable shapers of Legion Yun'Do. So why did he care about this...menial thing? Perhaps it was the insult, the twisting of the truth towards an audience that already believed the One Sith as villain. Was it the expectation that the One Sith depended on Titan? It might be, something that couldn't be further from the truth. The Wrath had no time for useless things and this Tefraxis felt like the epitome of it.

The Wrath approached the door, his face concealed beneath cowl. With a knock on the door, he spoke against frame. "I'm here to see Darth Carach, Voice of the Dark Lord."

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Of course [member="Reverance"] had been expected already, and considering that not a lot of men and women dared to disturb the Voice’s sanctum on his world, the people who would knock at this exact time and date were numbering in the single digits and could probably be counted on one hand too.

He would be led into the fortress and without wasting anytime guided into a spacious library annex study room, and it would be there that the Wrath would meet with the Voice. Roaring fire, surrounded by the knowledge of ancient civilizations and more, they would need to come to a solution for this peculiar issue presented to them.

‘Reverance.’ the Sith Lord addressed without bothering to look over his shoulder, the One Sith claimed unity in the face of hostility, Carach knew the reality of those words and he knew the pragmatism that most higher-ups held these days. ‘Quite a mess we are presented with, no?’

A chuckle would escape the lips, such a mess.

 

[Reverance]

Fingers moved abrasively against antiquity, the light of the fire casting a warm glow in what would otherwise be assumed a cold place. Book bindings, embossed edges, all led to the recognition of information much older than himself. Far be it for him to the deny the sincerity of such thoughts, as he looked towards the back of the Voice of the Dark Lord.

"A mess is an understatement...unraveling at the seams." The seams of a pair of clothes covered in dust, lingering unused in the closet. For all the impacts that such recent revelations would cause, Gabriel failed to truly accept the gravity of it. Perhaps it was pride that guided his mind. For the actions upon Selvaris, the Vong rebellion ended as quickly as it had began, though it was quite clear the dissenter would continue to thrive and his presence would always be a nuisance. A pebble in the boot, he would grind it beneath heel. As for Titan Industries, that was a bit more irritating, the reflection of a certain necessity in material goods would develop as obstacle. One that the One Sith would need to get over - the Dark Lord demanded it.

"We are not so nearly crippled as some would like to believe. That being said, this mess needs tending. And the sooner of the better." It wasn't a demand or anything of the like. Merely a simple statement, one to highlight the Wrath's vague goals. He would hope that the Voice would have something a bit more concrete in mind.

[member="Darth Carach"]​

 

[Jairus Starvald]

There weren’t really crippled at all, the facilities in the Sith territory were still theirs to do with as they pleased. One did not simply destroy years of work in a single day, Carach had always been weary about Titan and that weariness had paid off during this day. Intervention had been needed and it had been successful.

Minor damage sustained, but most facilities had been either captured with minor damage or could be salvaged with minimal work. Such was the way of preparing for the worst, even when all others were against your qualms.

Yes, Carach did have something specific in mind. It hurt the capitalistic soul that beated deep in his heart, but there were fights that one could not win, even… when he had been the one to warn them in the past before.

“I have an idea, yes.” answering the question that [member="Reverance"] did not voice. “The creation of a state-run entity which would house all the assets which are needed for the war-effort.”

Bilbringi would be one of them, but there were more.

 

[Reverance]

Gabriel was hardly an individual associated with commerce. Granted, having taken control of Selvaris, Sarapin, and Khomm; he had grown accustomed to the luxury that taxation and revenue could produce. On Selvaris, that planet had been taken back by the land, in a manner of speaking. And Sarapin: Home to the most of the core sectors production in energy, the One Sith benefited from the restoration of the geothermal pumps and energy production. But beyond his endorsement of the Coruscant Flower and Funeral Company, he had avoided the actions of commerce and businesses and shipyards, leaving that for the minds that were capable of keeping up with the books. So when Carach suggested a state-run entity, the Wrath merely nodded, in total agreement.

The fact of the matter was that as soon as Titan Industries framed the One Sith for actions that may have never occurred in the first place, the One Sith immediately took actions to seize assets from the corporation - that made sense. One couldn't move buildings from planets deep in the One Sith territory and the One Sith would hardly allow a mutineer company run amok in their lands, destroying profitable investments. After all, it was but the unwritten word between Alric and Gabriel that One Sith would not be involved in Titan Industries. The moment he was out of the picture, The Dark Lord, and by proxy Gabriel, had no reason to honor the agreement. Only a fool would allow his enemy to sit idle in his home.

"A state-run entity..." He lifted his hand, brushing the salt and pepper on his face that had formed recently in the absence of time for shaving. "We depend far too highly on private commerce. It's unbecoming of the war machine to bank on something so fickle as the whims of disloyal CEO's with their own self-righteous agenda." He could only assume what sort of path that would lead someone to turning their back on an entity that had been nothing but a valuable friend. "We have the shipyards, we have the assets currently being seized now." He placed his hands behind his back. "What is the next step?"

[member="Darth Carach"]

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Reverance"]

It would have been strange for the One Sith to sit idly by after Tefraxis’ message.

Had he simply and quietly started to move away the assets from Sith Space to other regions and locations? The Sith might not even have noticed until it was entirely too late, but instead the new CEO had decided to show his hand early. Broadcast his betrayal to the world and throw around baseless accusations for no specific purpose.

Perhaps the Republic would have reacted in a different fashion, perhaps the Republic wouldn’t have reacted to mass-hysteria and destructions of property which held significance to its warmachine and the war-effort in general.

But the Sith were a different beast. Their PR machine did not seem to have had any result outside their borders, no matter that there was no proof of any wrongdoing to their citizens, no matter that the borders were closely regulated… it seemed that the Galaxy would always consider them as the villains in this story.

“We have two options.” Carach finally spoke, pondering out loud. “We can create a whole new entity that would house the old assets of Titan Industries’ holdings within our territories, but we will quickly run into restrictions. It would take time to properly get everything streamlined again, make it work and resume production.”

A scratch of the chin.

“I have had some business dealings with a prominent CEO of the Techno Union, he holds many companies in his grip… I am reasonably certain we can buy one of his more established holdings for a reasonable price. That way we will have a working foundation and framework.”

He turned around, eyes holding Rev’s and the Sith Lord shrugged.

“One of the few ideas where we wouldn’t have to start from scratch.”

 

[Reverance]

"Options are good..." He pressed his finger against a book binding, pulling the item half way from the shelf to eye the cover art. There were none to be spoken of, a classically stylized artifact from a time period no longer appreciated. Seems Carach was indeed one for collecting things. Options be damned, Gabriel was never a fan of starting from scratch if they could overcome these restrictive obstacles with the stroke of a pen. But the Techno Union, he was mentally weary of the group for the implied support and negligence given to this Tefraxis. However, how he had seen the dealings as of late, he wasn't one to give credence to the values of rumors spawned by an obviously mentally inept individual.

And with that, he thought towards the actions on Selvaris and the disappearance of Tsavong. While he couldn't mentally connect the two, he felt it oddly convenient the arrival of two separate entities attempting to eat away at the One Sith from within. An odd thing indeed, but he gave it no future thought, instead relating it to the notion of 'when it rains, it pours.'

"The warmachine can't stop. That train has long departed and the momentum is far too great..." He placed his hand beneath his chin, symbolizing an ounce of consideration. "The Dark Lord is displeased towards the notions of late, though he has hardly paid it any mind beyond the notion of insult..." He lifted his head and cracked his neck. "And nothing opens the coffers like the promise of making something, self assumed to be significant, entirely inconsequential. Tell me, this friend of yours, what would be his price for the acquiring of his assets towards a contending nationalized One Sith manufacturer?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Reverance"]

It was almost as if Carach sensed the apprehension of Reverance when it came to the Techno Union, or perhaps it was simply the connection a man of logic would name- right after seeing a conference of the traitor on Roon and proclaiming a fragile allegiance with the former-named entity.

So it wasn’t strange when Carach nodded. “The Techno Union supports us in this question, I have already been in contact with their Foreman.”

A frown.

“Of course, this new CEO is not aware of my connection to the Foreman. He only knows that we have helped each other out on other occasions, but suffice to say that whilst the Techno Union might seem welcoming of this man and his rogue company… things won’t go as smoothly as he thinks.”

Another nod, pondering about the price that might be asked.

“Credits, of course. Money never stinks for businessmen, but other than that? It would have to be discussed, but I presume he would be interested in buy back-option, if the war ever ends and stability was established.”

 

[Reverance]

He nodded, expecting nothing less and much more. He gestured towards Carach, approvingly of the notion. "Credits are no issue and should the warmachine ever stutter, considerations can be preemptively made."

He had not doubt in regards to the Techno Union. Specifically, they seemed entirely opposed to the concepts of the Vong, no matter how forward looking and heretical the entities may seem. In for a penny, in for a pound. You let a serpent into your bed and assume it's cuddling when really, it's just sizing you up before consumption. But the One Sith had already turned towards shoring up their own holdings, specifically on planets that were held in high regard and value.

Coruscant was the first meal on the ticket. Desalination facilities on Coruscant, because of the expanse of minerals and value, were quickly ascertained as the corporation was pushed out from the core world. Given the connection of the military that Titan Industries and One Sith once shared, securing the facility was a matter of national security and for the safety of the occupants of the planet in general. Albeit how low and scummy they may be, the One Sith moved with ease through an asset they already controlled given governmental constraints on property. This went hand in hand with the naval shipyards, health science facilities, and terraforming research facilities. As mistakes were made by the public entity of the Titan Industries, they were rectified through action by the military of the One Sith. On Khomm, the planet ascertained by the Wrath for his own planetary accumulation, effectively pulled all property rights from the terraforming facilities with ease of governance. With that, the terrafoming installation was seized. Overall, the asset obtainment was completed with relatively little destruction, though there was some property dismantling completed before the arrival of the OS forces.

The pieces were already moving and if the Titan Industries CEO had any mind towards strategy, he would have destroyed assets before announcing departure from the folds of OS.

[member="Darth Carach"]