Private Sonder

[Spirit of Unity]

Coruscant // Galactic City // Senate District​

​

The Galaxy is changing.

What began as cautious whispers has turned to prideful shouts. Now, the drums of war echo from Nirauan for all to hear. A rebellion has begun -- a New Imperial Order.

The feudal warlords have continued to gather in size and strength, eager to take arms against the notorious Sith Empire from whence they came as word of their rise spreads across the Galaxy. From the political epicenter of the Core there has been no shortage of news on the fledgling Empire’s growth, with seemingly every HoloNet News network eager to report the uncertain happenings to the North and the possible implications of them.

As days turned to weeks and momentum failed to slow, it became clear to the Alliance’s political powers that this mounting force would need to be addressed in an official manner. The exact manner, however, has proven to be a point of division within the Senate.

The Alliance, in its current form, was born from a great many things. It is no secret that among them, for better or worse, are Imperial backgrounds. Between the reigns of the First Order and Core Imperial Confederation, to the ruthless occupation by the Sith-Imperial Bloc, the Galactic center has witnessed both prosperity and despair under the boots of Imperialism.

Although democracy holds supreme for their worlds in the modern day, those who prospered under the authority of these governments have not been keen to look upon an Imperial Order as a predetermined enemy on principle alone. Instead, they’ve argued that an Empire’s actions are more important than its ideology. These representatives hold firm that it is not the Alliance’s place to dictate what is “right” or “wrong” in the Galaxy, so long as the innocent do not suffer. Others, of course, point to history for their argument -- whether their own or the Galaxy’s -- to protest leniency toward such nations. These members suggest that atrocities are inevitable under these types of regimes, and that the countless conflicts between the Empires and Republics of old show enough of a cycle to not be ignored.

But underneath the uncertainty, reserve and contention, one fact has found common ground between both sides: for the first time in decades the tyranny of the Sith Empire is faced with a legitimate threat. An assured conflict inches closer, forcing the Alliance to reflect on its goals and the methods through which it’d be willing to achieve them. For what seems like the first time, an opportunity to envision a Galaxy without the blight of a Sith Empire has presented itself -- but is a “lesser evil” really any better?

Faced with a bipartisan dilemma, Emmen Tagge -- Chancellor of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliance -- has invited the recently declared Sovereign Imperator of the New Imperial Order to the capital to meet and state his intentions in a private discussion. With the meeting closed to the media, many hold their breath in anticipation, nervous to hear what future awaits their people.

 

[Emmen Tagge]

Irveric Tavlar .

Ex-Lord General of the Sith Empire, now the Sovereign Imperator of the New Imperial Order.

Titles aside, the man was also a guest the Tepasi-born Chancellor most certainly never expected to welcome into this office. But the Galaxy was an ever-changing entity, and the state of Core was evidence of that alone. Sitting at his desk as he waits for his guest to arrive, the circumstances surrounding him draw Emmen’s thoughts to the numerous Emperors, Imperators and warlords who had claimed this seat before him, and the actions they’d committed, good and bad.

A small part of him envied the Jedi and Sith in situations like these. Everything seemed far more black and white for them. Whether or not they were correct, their devotion to their dogmatic religions offered them a clear dichotomy between their subjective opinions of good & evil. But were things really that simple? Could any good truly come from such a simple notion of right & wrong? Sapient beings are complex entities -- the result of desires and hopes, riddled with fallacies and prone to bias. People were not black and white. So, then, why would the sociopolitical structures that kept them together be any different?

And yet, despite this, history had a certain degree of predictability. If people were so different from one-another, why then did imperial powers always seem to bring such pain and suffering? Why were the same mistakes repeated time and time again?

With enough effort could a cycle be broken, or was the Galaxy cursed to spiral in both space and mind?

Emmen’s eyes open accompanied by a soft sigh, then drift to look at the holographic chronometer on his desk. Soon he might have some insight and answers to these questions. However, whether his mind would be at ease remained uncertain.

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

​

He never asked for this. He'd never asked to be anything more than the squalor he was raised up in on Dantooine. Even so, what he asked for didn't matter. He'd spent his entire life confined to the borders of the Sith Empire and the mid to outer rim. Coruscant had been little more than glimmering star far out of reach. Even the most isolated had heard tales of awesome scale and splendor, of the perilous underworlds and breathtaking upper city. And even so, out of place as he always had been, Irveric found himself at the seat of the newly declared Galactic Alliance.

It might've been a foreboding sight to see the characteristic 'wedge' shape of the Invictus-class Star Destroyer as it emerged from hyperspace and loomed in orbit over the ecumenopolis. Such sights had been herald to pain and despair for generations at a time. It wasn't lightly that he dared rip such a vessel from the ever growing front of the Order's expansion but even still as the Galactic Alliance would do nothing but help their enemy in detaining the Sovereign Imperator he was still a man with a docket of atrocities committed against the Silver Jedi Order and its people as well as Jedi and auxiliaries who'd now sworn themselves to the very same government he came to meet.

Yet that was all done in service of the throne he sought to rip from its foundations in this treason he embarked upon. Even still - the only interactions he'd had with any established pillar of Galactic Government was one he lived in anguish under for his entire life, reluctance to be so quick to trust diplomatic etiquette might not have been so alien.

As soon as Irveric had entered the dome of the senate he was certainly quick to gather attention. Flanked by two troopers fitted with the characteristic Storm Mk. IV which had been the prominent image of the New Imperial Order's military force clad in gold and black. In the Senate district occupied almost uniformly by men and women of high esteem, Tavlar certainly only served to look the part of a warlord. In his armored uniform the Imperator looked half fit to fight on the field of battle and half fit to represent them here in the political arena as the Order's head of state, as a block of two rows of six silver squares fixed to the left breast of the chest plate marked him as the Sovereign Imperator.

Past the floating holocameras and media gathered around the front of the Senate building, Tavlar seemed to disregard them in placid ignorance - the rapid volleys of flashes and clicks already serving to agitate his head from the sensory overload. It was only appropriate. The civil war had begun and word had set across the entirety of the Galaxy relating to it. Whether any of it was true or false might be proven in the coming meeting but even still it might've been a worth while opportunity to the various tabloids to try and capture the first glimpse at a newly declared head of state, and one so brazen enough to go to war with the very Empire who threatened to annihilate the Galaxy at a time. He could only imagine he was polarizing here.

The characteristic thud of jackboots along the pristine floors announced his presence with each step through the building's corridors as he was led along by an escort of the Senate Guard in tow before soon enough they took position flanking the doorway before it hissed open in its metallic slide.

Finally, the two were face to face. Upon first glance neither of them seemed to be strangers to the fires of war, with the Sovereign Imperator's face marred from blaster burns, old lacerations and shrapnel wounds it all paled in comparison to the beskar steel horn which protruded from his right temple set above the black eyepatch which concealed the side grieviously injured on Mandalore. There was no hiding his martial capability in this, he was a soldier far before he was a statesman.

"Chancellor." He said with a characteristic and expected Imperial inflection upon his voice, stepping toward the man's desk before he would reach a visibly cybernetic hand out to shake his regardless if the man offered his initially or not. From this gesture alone it was apparent the Sith Empire bared little responsibility in properly repairing the man aesthetically from the injuries he sustained in service to the Empire.

Sit down only if he was offered, the Sovereign Imperator would remain standing otherwise.

"I must say I am grateful for this invitation. Sith or former Sith, I can't imagine the people were all too kind to you over it." Tavlar said, well aware of the risk Emmen might've taken in reaching out to the New Imperial Order willingly and that gesture would not go unnoticed.

 

[Emmen Tagge]

​

At the quiet announcement of the Imperial's arrival the old Chancellor dismisses the turmoil in his mind, rising from his seat to navigate around the desk to greet him face-to-face. Their first impression could be key to the success of the entire meeting, and despite his age the Tepasi still held the fighting spirit of his youth. He would not be one to meet an ex-Sith warlord from the comfort of a cushioned seat. Despite the discomforts and difficulties that came with his movements, these men would meet each other eye-to-eye. Shifting his walking cane to his left hand, Tagge grasps the artificial hand presented to him.

"Imperator," he answers simply and with a polite dip of his head, silently hoping the cold handshake was not be a cruel metaphor of their futures. Returning to his own chair, he motions for his guest to sit opposite of him before finally resting himself. And so it would begin.

"In case you are unaware, it was not long ago that an Imperator of our own held this office," Emmen states, nodding to Tavlar's comments. "You are correct. This meeting has not come without complications. I am sure you can understand that, with history considered, there will always be reservations toward those who embrace strong Imperial traditions. However," he looks away from the augmented soldier before him to the numerous flags of the Alliance's worlds that line the room "there is no denying that many within our very own government share similar roots. We have had no shortage of Empires here in the Core Worlds. While some have brought us their promised security, most have brought great pain and suffering."

Emmen's eyes return to Irveric Tavlar , observing him more thoroughly now that they were seated. He was certainly a soldier through and through. While the Chancellor dressed in a formal suit of traditional Tepasi design, the Sovereign Imperator wore a utilitarian outfit suited for the field of battle. But perhaps, in truth, this was the very first battle between their people. A battle of words; of ideology. Or perhaps they themselves were just pawns in the never ending struggle between Republics and Empires.

The cycle.

Closing his hands together, Emmen continues "I have chosen, with some praise and protest, to look beyond the banner you fly. I will not ignore the history of our own people to paint the picture that we are two opposite sides of a coin. I will admit this to you upfront, Imperator: I do believe that Imperialism can easily breed corruption and promote the darker ambitions of Man. But I deny the prospect of an innate evil existing within its foundations. Instead of dwelling on this, Imperator, I seek to understand what has driven you and your people from the ranks of the despicable Sith Empire, and to be shown the lines you've drawn between yourselves and them. Perhaps it is there that we can find common ground."

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

Tavlar offered a nod in line with the man's words. Though Irveric had originated from the political apparatuses of the Sith Empire where raw, primal power and nepotistic connections ruled the day. There was little room for men to truly pontificate of the environment around them else this schism and uprising might've happened far before Tavlar ever rose from Leftenant in the Sith Imperial legions.

The inquiry of Irveric's motive and aim in this treason he set out on was a reassuring initial line of questioning.

"You'd be right to believe that. Afterall we've seen, or at least I certainly have, the atrocities committed in the name of the Sith Empire and the lineage of Zambrano." Tavlar said, peering out toward the skyline of Coruscant, crossing his arms over his chest. He'd never been privy to a sight similar. Dromund Kaas was certainly sprawling and he'd only looked upon the Imperial seat on Bastion from orbit. It had always been treated as the forbidden capital, at least in Tavlar's eyes. Though he was never barred from it in any official capacity he'd always felt a wretched aura in the prospect in walking in the shadow of the Imperial palace, only ever having 'been' there when he denounced the Emperor and the Dark Council to their faces via holoprojection.

"I was in the service of the Sith in one form or another for over twenty years, Chancellor. In that time...I had bared witness to and taken part in enacting true and terrible pain unto its subjects. I'm sure you're well aware of the offensive deep into the territory governed by the Silver Jedi, on the planet Kintan. I was commander of one of the main components to the Sith Imperial offensive on this world. I fought in the trenches myself and nearly died to secure my objective." He said, raising his artificial hand up, gesturing that it was the very event within which he'd lost the limb.

"The Dark Council and the Emperor himself arrived in force to Kintan...and we retreated in defeat. Hundreds of my soldiers...dead on the field of battle and we walked away with nothing but suffering in our wake. Not a week or so after I returned to the field and was granted temporary military governance of Mandalore. They feared of a terrorist uprising in the world and I was charged with consolidating the defenses in the capital of Sundari. The 'terrorists' attacked and we repelled them. Me, my men...we defended the people we were ordered to defend. I felt the cold clasp of death there, Chancellor." He says, gesturing a hand to the 'horn' of beskar steel which protruded crudely from his skull.

"And they annihilated them. On the same grounds which my men and I bled on the field of battle, they wiped Mandalore clean of its people. No sane man could ever live with themselves doing this...at least I certainly can not... when I congregated and formed the New Imperial Order I declared defiance against the Sith Empire. So long as I am living I am taking it as my duty to rid of this horrid machine. In its wake, ideally establish an Empire of order and security in the face of needless annihilation and inhuman governance by the House Zambrano." Irveric states outright, a man intent in his convictions.

---

Emmen Tagge

 

[Emmen Tagge]

​

Emmen considers the Imperator's tales carefully. While difficult to hear at times, their unapologetic nature suggested they were genuine. The man before him was well aware of the heinous acts he had committed in the name of his previous Emperor. There was no doubt in the Chancellor's mind that Irveric Tavlar, as Emmen knew him, was a despicable man -- but it remained to be seen whether this was by his own design, or that of the Sith he obeyed. The latter wouldn't redeem the man outright, but it at least offered them a chance to prevent needless war.

After clearing his throat, Emmen speaks up once the Imperator finishes his words. "While I will not sit here and pretend to admire the cause for which you fought, as a man of honour and service myself, I will admit my respect for your sacrifices in duty," his words carry a hint of reluctance to them. The offered flattery, no matter how small, was bitter. The Chancellor found himself momentarily displeased with himself for finding a semblance of respect in such terrible stories, but he would not deny the man his honest opinion when given what felt like an honest answer.

"There is no question of the need for an end to the tyranny of the Zambrano Dynasty and their abominable Sith Empire," he continues, "but I must ask you this outright, Imperator: what makes your New Order any different? What lengths will your amassing armies in the North go to in order to see this to its end? Forgive my ignorance and pardon any offense, but how am I to trust that an Empire of warlords will not inevitably follow the same path of annihilation? Your cause was born from hatred in fire and flames. In fact, if our intelligence reports are accurate, you even have Sith among your numbers."

Emmen's posture straightens in his chair, becoming poised for the possibility of his comments striking a nerve "If Bastion falls, what then for your ships and soldiers? It is the well being of the citizens of the Galaxy that concern me, Imperator. I stand with you in believing that the Sith Empire is a villain that must be stopped. But, when the dust settles, what will you be?"

Irveric Tavlar

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

Irveric might've been a leader of men, but he was no politician. Tyrell Paxxus would've been better fit here. His origins were scrubbed clean of the same muddiness which soured Tavlar's name and he was far more tactful in diplomatic matters than the Sovereign Imperator who fashioned himself to be a headstrong man of forthright and unyielding convictions.

Hailing from the Sith Empire, those who might've defected with him, risking all that they held dear in the process viewed him as a figure in far better light than the Alliance would see him. At the end of the day, he was still the Sith Imperial Lord General who'd butchered New Kalandra and made sure Mandalore was secured for the industrial slaughter wrought upon them after he nearly died defending it. These crimes would never be forgiven in the eyes of the Republic, Alliance nor Silver Jedi. If his treason did not come to full fruition in the destruction of the Sith Empire, providing he did not die in the process...Tavlar could make extreme measures of himself.

"Your concerns are just, its in the interest of your people to have them. Especially when you weigh a war, as horrid as the Sith Empire might prove...it is still sequestered to the outer rim. Here in the core...should time and fate be in our favor you may never see the crimson saber fly anywhere close to the Alliance. I do not live in the same reality. I know the alliance with the Sith might seem to be...contradictory at best and I will not say that the Sith who'd joined the Order are any more innocent than I am and I am well aware that I am a man who has committed great atrocities unto innocents just as they have. " Irveric says, letting off a low breath from his nose.

"Life is valued far more here, in the Alliance than it is in the Sith Empire, in the end that is why I rebel. I will not tolerate the same inhuman perspective in this New Imperial Order. Order and security is valued above all else in this, the men and women who have had their mettle tested are the ones who I trust to lead. This New Order is not dictated by anyone adherent to any dark creed nor aristocratic lineage. Warlords or whatever you may think, the people most fit to the lead, are the leaders of the New Imperial Order. " Tavlar stresses, he was forged from war and it broke and remade him into what he is today.

"I should make clear, the aim of this war and by extension, this Order is to replace the Zambrano regime with one far more sensible. Myself and many others declared to defy to the Sith Empire because we would not see more worlds brought under the forces of armageddon to which the Sith Empire commands. The policies of genocide and needless atrocity will not carry under my reign, it will not be endorsed by the New Imperial Order and I will see to it that the Sith Empire is undone. This is not not any demented grab for power...this is as much a means of reclaiming the identity of the Imperial from those who'd perverted it as much as it is an existential war to scrape the tyranny of the Sith free from the galaxy." Irveric stated intently.

"I know you might not trust me, I know your people have every reason to revile me and everyone at my side. Your people don't deserve war, they don't. You and I both know the horrors of it and I wish it unto no one...but my choice now is to either upturn the Sith Empire or die trying. Regardless of what comes of this meeting, me and my men march." Tavlar states outright.

---

Emmen Tagge

 

[Emmen Tagge]

​

Once more Emmen listens carefully with his hands folded on his desk and eyes locked firmly forward on the battle-scarred warlord of the Outer Rim. There were moments of agreement and of misunderstanding, but the Chancellor thought it best to allow the Sovereign Imperator the respect of concluding his thoughts before digging in to the meat of what had been said. Throughout the Imperator's speech one realization proved more significant than the rest -- it all boiled down to a matter of perspective. Both sides had their biases of the other, and if Emmen could catch the Imperial being wrong in theirs, he should not ignore the fact that he might be wrong in his own.

"While I certainly hope to never again see a Sith banner descend upon the Core Worlds, I'm afraid there is one thing you've misjudge. I do believe that war with the Sith Empire is a necessity. You're right, I too know the horrors -- not to the same extent as yourself, but I do. Do the Core Worlds deserve another war at their doorstep? Absolutely not. We have suffered for decades, Imperator. Centuries, even. You have seen pain and suffering that I pray I never have to, but I have witnessed the shattered spirit of a once strong and proud people who have long abandoned hope." Emmen takes a moment to rest his voice, raising a hand to signal for a servant droid parked close by. The humanoid, uni-wheeled automaton rushes to a position next to the table carrying a tray with two crystal tumblers and a bottle of 18 year aged Corellian whiskey.

Emmen quietly takes a glass from the droid, the existence of a second glass an implied offer to his guest as well. As the servant unit opens the bottle to fill the drinks, the Chancellor continues "I say again: do we deserve war? No. But our people -- and the people of the Galaxy -- deserve justice for the atrocities committed in the name of Zambrano. I am tired of watching their Empire go unchecked -- of watching strong nations who claim pure hearts bend to caution. We do not have a pure heart, Imperator. I don't believe in such a thing. The Galactic Alliance cares about order and security much like yourselves, but within the lines of freedom and democracy. If we do not stand up against such injustices, how can we pretend to hold the moral high ground?"

He takes a small sip, savoring the smooth burn of the liquid before swallowing it. "So, despite our differences, I do share your desire to see an end. But that does not stop with the Sith Empire. I wish to see an end to tyranny."

Another pause, "And therein lies my concern, Imperator: what will you be in the end?"

Irveric Tavlar

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

Tavlar nodded once before taking the glass into his organic hand, sitting himself in the seat before the desk as the air about the conversation seemed to ease around the first point of common ground. War with the Sith Empire was necessary. Though the New Imperial Order had no choice, for the Galactic Alliance it was a question of when. In this moment, Irveric still expected the rest of the galaxy to watch in waiting as countless men and women threw their lives into the coming of armageddon that would be war with the Sith Empire, be they apathetic to the Imperial infighting or crossing their fingers in waiting. They'd been alone all to this point, and while the machinations of rebellion had yet to take root he expected they'd be alone through the entirety of the coming war.

The very weight of this thought drew the Sovereign Imperator to down a long draw of the liquor, setting the glass unto the arm of the seat before his gaze shifted toward the Chancellor once more.

What would he be? In all truth he didn't think about himself all too often, especially not what he would be after this war. He fully expected to die fighting it. His brush with death on Mandalore made him fully accepting of that reality. To make a certain assumption of this would be what any leader would call a short sight however, the alternative had to be considered all the same.

"Assuming the 'end' is an end to the Sith Empire and a victory for the New Imperial Order...I would not see myself be Emperor. The very throne from which Carnifex had reaped terror on the Galaxy should be uprooted, ripped asunder. It was my protectiveness of the men and women under my command as an officer in the Sith Imperial Legions that I ever remained past my conscription. None of this is self serving, this is an obligation to them, to the Imperial. I've never wanted power, Chancellor. I was born in poverty on Dantooine, a shipwright on Ord Thoden before the Sith conscripted me...I was never groomed to be in this position. I can only promise that I will do what is in the best interest of the Imperial and compounding on this, the death of innocents, needless slaughter is in the interest of no one. My fight is against the Sith Empire's rulers. The rest of them were once my countrymen, my comrade...I bare no hatred toward them." Irveric iterates as he leans himself back into the seat, letting off a breath from his nose as he continues to contemplate.

---

Emmen Tagge

 

[Emmen Tagge]

​

Drawing another sip from the sparkling crystal glass, Emmen gives a series of nods throughout the Imperator's spiel. As much as he hated to admit it, the fiery passion of Tavlar's Imperial rebellion seemed to offered the best hope of vanquishing the Sith Empire that the Galaxy had seen in quite some time. The Tepasi was tired of watching those capable of making change stand idly as their wrath went unchecked. Alone, the Alliance stood no chance against such a threat -- it was still far too young.

Unlike the New Imperial Order, whose basis for existing was the very call to war being discussed, the Alliance was built on the desire to bring security and prosperity to a region ravaged by poverty and corruption. There was still far too much work to be done for him to raise the banners in a full-scale war across the Galaxy. The conflict was an inevitable one, but not one he had expected to consider so soon -- and certainly not under the given circumstances.

Yet, Emmen would not be able to sit by in good faith as a hypocrite. If he chose to ridicule the willful ignorance of those before him, yet conceded when asked to change words into actions, it would represent a failure for both himself and his government. If this Galactic Alliance were to be different, if his words had any substance, he'd have to be willing to prove it.

"I see," he answers, swirling what remains of the caramel liquid in his glass with a circular motion of his hand. He watches it spiral for a moment, then sets the tumbler to the side on his desk. The two men came from drastically different backgrounds, and now stood as the heads of dramatically different nations. But they had, in fact, found a common goal -- something to agree on, for now.

Carefully considering the words that follow, the Chancellor speaks again "I maintain my reservations and do not surrender my concerns toward the ideology to which you rally behind. I do not trust you, Imperator Tavlar. Not yet. But do not expect you to trust me, either. However, you have willingly and nobly chosen to come here, to Coruscant, to state your business and justify your cause. Because of this, Imperator, I choose to give you and your Empire the benefit of the doubt as to whether you will, in fact, be different than your predecessors."

The old man leans forward, resting his elbows on the metal surface of the table while interweaving his fingers. He taps his thumbs together twice, stalling to find exactly what he means to say. "In this moment, as we are, we do not find ourselves at odds. As men of battle and office, I have no shame in admitting that I hope the day does not come when this must be reconsidered. The Sith Empire must fall. If the war to make it so has finally come, I will not have my men watch from the high towers of the Core."

He pauses, then nods to his own internalized conclusion as he adds a final statement "We may not be able to join in full force, but the Galactic Alliance will send men & ships to fight alongside you against this shared enemy."

Irveric Tavlar

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

"You have ever right not to trust me, Chancellor. I am a man who betrayed the very nation to which he swore to serve but this was not before committing atrocities in its name. I am not a good man...you might've consider this rebellion my act of penance in order to undo the injustices I have, hence I will muster every fiber of my being to this cause. I will not compromise in this crusade, Chancellor." The Sovereign Imperator stated.

In truth, by now the man was nigh suicidal. Physically broken several times over with his mind filled with visions of death and despair as he'd all but worked to chip away at any already fading personal relationships he'd constructed. Mandalore changed him in this way, prior being at least a man of some semblance of humor and nuance. The beskar horn that protruded from his skull seemed to be a persistent reminder of his burden, if it didn't also serve to alter his behavior entirely. Even keeled and calculating, if only singularly focused on this goal. In any other arena of his life that had nothing to do with the war to come, Tavlar had been horribly negligent. Fully expecting his mortality to be fleeting from him.

"Thank you, Chancellor. While you might see war with the Sith Empire as necessary, you and I both know it is no easy task to send men and women to fight it. Whoever you'll offer - I will see to it that they're use in an effect both vital in our fight but in a means that does not bring such great risk to them. Though I'm sure they're well aware of the weight of what they embark upon...I will do my everything in my ability to return as many as I can alive and unharmed." Irveric stated intently. Galactic Alliance or not, they would be as much his responsibility as the New Imperial host would be under his command. Whatever differences there might be, the Galactic Alliance rode in force with the New Imperial Order with a common enemy in mind.

"I do hope its the difference...but we both know this is a fight with the deck stacked against us." Tavlar says outright, if anyone knew the sheer numbers and chances of this treason, it was him.

---

Emmen Tagge

 

[Emmen Tagge]

​

Emmen closes his eyes for a moment, accepting the weight of the situation at hand and what is to come. Irveric was right. It was not an easy decision to send countrymen into battle. The choice was a heavy one, but sometimes necessary for the perceived greater good. The Chancellor knew that with such a choice men and women of the Alliance would die on battlefields far away from their homes, on planets they'd never even heard of. The only saving grace, he considers, is that they might die for something meaningful. That the sacrifices of a few might bring hope for the masses.

That it would all be worth it in the end.

He opens his eyes and nods again, "We can send some warships, and likely a few Marine detachments with them for planetary assaults. I'm sure some infantry companies can be spared for the cause if you have the transport capacity to accommodate them. I will see that the Ministry of Defense organizes a special task force, as well. Some elite units to deploy to show the Sith Empire what the Alliance is capable of."

Emmen reaches out to clasp his glass once more, eyeing the last bit of whiskey within. "No, it will not be easy. War never is. But someone has to be willing to do what is necessary to rid this Galaxy of villainy. Would I have ever expected you to be an ally in this cause?" the old man chuckles, "No, certainly not. But should we find victory, may we celebrate a new era of prosperity." He raises the tumbler to offer a cheers with the final mouthful "or should we die trying; let our last sparks ignite a fire, and rally the people of the Galaxy to continue fighting for what is right."

Imperator Tavlar. A warlord. A Sith-Imperial war criminal. A lesser evil. Was Emmen proud to call him an ally? Not at all. But the Chancellor's pride was second to the well being of his citizens. Their conversation had been insightful, but the future was never set in stone. As he drinks the last of the smooth Corellian liquor and savors the burning trail it leaves down his throat, Emmen ponders the many paths that might await the two.

Irveric Tavlar

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

Tavlar raised his glass the same moment Tagge did the same before he drank down the last sip of the liquor, setting the glass aside before leaning forward in his seat, resting his elbows atop his knees as he linked one organic hand with another cold and machine like. Seemingly in contemplation before he nodded once, shifting his singular gaze toward the Chancellor once more.

"I appreciate your hospitality, Chancellor. I was expecting a far more scathing atmosphere on Coruscant than I received." Tavlar said, he knew well the media outlets would likely broil him alive from this gathering with the Chancellor faring little better. Afterall, the only occasion with which Tavlar 'visited' Bastion, he was exiled as a traitor to the realm.

"Its surreal..." He said nodding once in consideration before he slowly stood up from his seat. A remarkably brief talk for what was accomplished during it.

"So an alliance it is then...at least against the Sith Empire, I'd not fear us calling on the aid of you and your people should we involve ourselves in another fight...something I'd hope to avoid, certainly while we live in the shadow of the Empire. Regardless, I will receive any further inquiries in the coming days leading up to our first offensive against the Sith Empire, prior to which I will summon whatever forces the Galactic Alliance can offer to plan the first attack. Aside from this..." He says, before eventually offering his cold cybernetic hand toward the Chancellor once more.

"I'm grateful that you saw fit to meet me in person and of course, I am grateful for the Alliance's support in the coming war...it will not be put to waste I assure you." Tavlar offered.

---

Emmen Tagge