Private The Imperial Cabal: Final Part / The Sacred War

[Moff Evner Braxiatel]

NYRIAAN
NADA Headquarters

​

Some weeks after the Imperial Summit, with the help of Director Reiner Ghadi , of whom Braxiatel had established encrypted contact before, an encrypted message was sent, by his contacts within the ISB, directly from ISB headquarters. There was no possibility of tracking where the message came from, or at least they both hoped so.

High-Ranking Imperials Antipater, Domaric Mordane and Dyans Keto would receive said message in their personal comlinks, datapads or other communication devices, as long as they were personal, and had some form of encryption -as almost all imperial communication devices were encrypted, specially of such high-ranking personel, it wouldn't be a problem. A brief message followed:

The Dark Empire is in danger. Your presence is needed. In exactly three days, at 12:00 standard hour, meet me at [coordinates leading to Garqi's orbit]. Don't bring untrusted personel. Don't mention this message to anybody. Destroy this message after reading.

The Empire is in our hands. We must cling to it with both of them, or it will fall.

Some would, indubitably, note the paranoia inherently put in the message. Others will mention how meeting at a planet outside of Imperial territory would expose them too much. But the Moff was counting on the three of them to trust the message, exactly because of how much secure it was.

On the day chosen, a Caçadore-Class Corvette would be seen by any of those three imperials, waiting for all of them to be there for it to begin communications. It was not piloted by Moff Braxiatel himself -no, he was not even in the ship, in cade there were any betrayal. He had a plan B in case things went south, but he hoped dearly that it didn't. He would have to frame one of his own, otherwise. They knew exactly what they were doing, and accepted this reality, but it would be a pity nonetheless.

The ship would wait until 12:15 standard time, to finally transmit more information directly to the other ships

Jump to [Coordinates leading to Nyriaan], dock at [Coordinates leading to a Nyriaan Colonisation Alternative Directory Agency (NADA) base in the Steamfields]. Delete your Ship's logs.

Waiting for no one, the ship immediately jumped to hyperspace. It would be the first to dock at the NADA's base.

If the imperials choose to follow the commands sent to them, they would travel to a mountain bordering the steamfield, its top made of durasteel. A big passageway would be opened from the top of the mountain, leading to a base inside the natural structure. It was there where the three would meet for the first time. Since Director Reiner was explicitly involved in the scheme from the beginning, he wouldn't have to pass through the boring proccess the others had: he would be there, waiting, his ship docked.​

Reiner Ghadi Domaric Mordane Dyans Keto Antipater

 

[Dyans Keto]

Theme: Game of Survival
Equipment: Krath Holy Battle Suit | Krath blood blade(Dagger) | Krath Dire Sword | x2 Stiletto Knives | Song Steel Cybernetic left arm
Tags: Moff Evner Braxiatel | Reiner Ghadi | Antipater | Domaric Mordane

​

---

"It could be a trap to lure you in so that they can take the deep core from you, Empress." The mind slaved childer allowed to speak freely in Dyans presence. She could feel it's fear of her having a second death. The childer's words did not fall on deaf ears, The Empress and Regent of deep core knew well the risks. "Perhaps, send one of your doppelgangers in your place?"

Though that was a reasonable plan the thought of maintaining such an illusion over a long distance would prove problematic. That and if proper safeguards were put in place such a ruse would not go unnoticed. Then there was the problem if any of those going to this meeting were force dead such an illusion though near perfect would be seen through instantly. Force dead beings were a plague upon this galaxy that would need to be wiped out at some point.

"No, I must go." She said firmly. "Go prepare for takeoff." The childer bowed and left to prepare the rest of the mind slaved crew. It was a simple shell game four ships took off from Empress Teta's space port. Two of them with the royal seal emblazoned upon them, one that was a Dark Imperial ship, and the fourth and final one a simple Corellian older yt cargo ship. The first three had a doppelganger of Empress Keto enter them and disembark, while the cargo ship had the real Dyans onboard masked by an illusion to make her look like just a cargo crew member. The other three crews were unaware that they were not taking the real Empress keto somewhere.

The crew aboard the Cargo ship where all mind slaved childer incapable of betraying Dyans and would give their lives for her with a simple command of her voice or mental prodding. Only a few hours later they arrived at the first location, unimpeded by GA check points as the Cargo ship had grain for some outer rim territory and its paperwork all above board. It was sometimes how military officials and delegates moved between the dark empire and deep core territories.

Then new coordinates were given drawing them to the next location. Dyan's reflected how it would have been easier to just have the meeting on Empress Teta, she could easily secure a meeting location with her krath members and childer loyal to her crown. They pulled out hyperspace over Nyriaan a jungle world with a mountainous region. Dyans looked down at the world from a view port, as the cargo ship skirted over the jungles for the mountains.

"We have arrived at the location of the coordinates; we are preparing to dock." The voice of the childer came over the intercom. "Good." She responded to the no one around her then sent a mental call to all her childer onboard. "Have your strength at the ready in case this is a trap. I have left you dinner in bin eleven." With that as the ship landed she began to disembark alone from the cargo ship.

 

[Domaric Mordane]

Moff Evner Braxiatel | Dyans Keto | Reiner Ghadi | Antipater​

The bacta tank hummed faintly in the medbay of the Imperius, its pale blue light casting a cold glow over Allegiant General Domaric Mordane's imposing frame. Suspended in the viscous liquid, his eyes remained closed, his features betraying nothing of the searing wounds that marred his body only hours prior. The battle for Muunilinst had been hard-won, each scar a testament to his relentless resolve and unyielding service to the Empire.

A soft chime echoed within the sterile chamber, and the med-droid turned to a small console. It displayed an incoming, encrypted message flagged directly to Mordane's personal commlink. Such messages were rare, especially one bypassing all standard protocols. The droid, well-versed in its patient's preferences, initiated the message's playback through an external speaker.

"The Dark Empire is in danger. Your presence is needed..."

The voice, calm yet insistent, crackled through the chamber. Mordane's eyes snapped open at the words, his mind immediately parsing the tone and intent. He had spent decades deciphering truth from subterfuge, and though paranoia was a staple in the Imperial hierarchy, this message bore the hallmarks of genuine urgency. Still suspended in the bacta tank, he gestured curtly to the droid. Moments later, the restorative liquid began to drain, and Mordane stepped onto the platform with a precision that belied his recent injuries.

Wrapped in a medical robe, he reviewed the message on his datapad, its contents scrolling past his calculating gaze. Coordinates leading to Garqi, a rendezvous with minimal information, and the directive to avoid involving others—on its surface, it reeked of either desperation or a carefully laid trap. Yet the veil of secrecy, the calculated risks implied by the sender, piqued his interest.

Mordane moved briskly to his quarters, already formulating the logistics of his departure. Once clad in his black uniform, its crimson trim marking his authority, he activated his terminal. The Imperius would remain in orbit over Muunilinst under his adjutant's command, ready to respond to any unexpected fallout from the battle.

"Admiral Stahl," Mordane addressed the hologram of his trusted second-in-command. "I will be taking a shuttle to address a… sensitive matter. Maintain orbit over Muunilinst. Any deviations in protocol, and you will answer directly to me."

The Admiral's reply was a sharp salute. "Understood, Allegiant General."

With that, Mordane departed for the hangar. His chosen shuttle, sleek and unassuming, slipped away from the colossal shadow of the Imperius and into hyperspace.

---

Three days later, Mordane's shuttle emerged from hyperspace above Garqi. The sleek, Caçadore-Class Corvette loomed ahead, its minimalist design betraying none of its purpose. Mordane's presence filled the cabin as he surveyed the vessel from the viewport, the faint hum of his shuttle's systems the only sound. At exactly 12:15 standard time, a transmission reached his ship, redirecting him to Nyriaan. The encrypted coordinates betrayed an unconventional location, but Mordane didn't hesitate.

"Plot the course," he commanded.

The jump to Nyriaan was seamless, the destination shrouded in mist and mystery. Upon docking at the specified base within the Steamfields, Mordane stepped from his shuttle, his polished boots striking the durasteel floor with the measured cadence of authority. His battle armor, freshly repaired but still bearing the faintest scorch marks from Muunilinst, only added to his formidable presence.

Inside the mountain base, Mordane's piercing gaze swept the surroundings, taking in every detail. The steamy environment did little to temper the icy discipline radiating from him. When he finally entered the designated meeting chamber, he was the picture of Imperial might—his aura of command palpable, his expression betraying neither trust nor trepidation.

Standing at his full height, he addressed the room, his deep voice resonating with the weight of command:

"You summoned me. I trust you understand what that entails."

It was not a question but a statement—a reminder of the stakes involved and the authority he brought to the table. Mordane's presence was as much a warning as it was an invitation to proceed. The Dark Empire, in all its fractured glory, would find in him a guardian—and a reckoning.

 

[Antipater]

Moff Evner Braxiatel | Dyans Keto | Domaric Mordane | Reiner Ghadi

Antipater arrived. Alone, of course, and aboard a nondescript and antiquated personal freighter. There were no other lifeforms aboard. The little intrigue game he had been made to play to get here had piqued his interest. It could only mean that something drastic was in the works. Either that or it was a trap - in which case this unit could self-disintegrate, and Antipater would deny all involvement... And if that failed, he would simply defect to the Diarchy.

Not optimal, but continuance could often require non-optimal actions be taken.

The droid-moff paused for precisely three seconds at the edge of the boarding ramp to adjust his rank insignia plaque. He then proceeded rigidly to the meeting space, side-stepping a still-standing Mordane to take his seat at the table. It was hardly a large space. Ghadi and Keto were already present as well. A formidable enough triumvirate on their own, particularly if Keto was to be appointed warden of the core.

Who else were they waiting on?

 

[Moff Evner Braxiatel]

NYRIAAN
NADA Headquarters

​

The three imperials would be escorted by NADA commandos, the most secretive and tested soldiers in Nyriaan, to the conference room. For the meeting to be as secure as possible, all comlinks and other devices were to be confiscated before entering the room. The door opened automaticaly, revealing the grandiose office, made cold by the climatizers. The darkened, robust walls of the base gave way to ones covered by holoscreens, projecting live transmission of the Steamfields: a collective of shining funguses bellow dark clouds and thunders, blocking the passage of the sun. It was a mix of blue and orange lights surrounding a calm river. In the office, exactly five chairs around a rectangular black desk, a holoprojector in the middle. Moff Braxiatel was on the most distant chair, his dark armour reflecting the light of the projections. He would gesture the commandos to leave the room, and so they did. The automatic door was shut and locked, sealing the room completely. "Good day. This room is fully isolated from the outside. All the devices here are kept offline, and none has a microphone. Make yourself comfortable."

"We all saw how the Imperial Summit went. There was a lot of chaos, and specially bickering. The Empire Reborn is not united, specially after the sudden disappearance of the disgraceful Solipsis. Among all the Imperial Staff in that meeting, I've selected those who I've seen as truly loyal to the Empire. Not to their own agendas, nor to the Sith ideology, which has historicaly harmed -and still harms- our great Empire. All of the people here would kill and die a thousand times to save the Empire."

" On that summit, Warlord Sularen has been elected our Regent, by almost unanimous vote. Some of you, I know, voted for him. During the meeting itself, though, he tried to mediate between us -the beacons of Imperialism- and the old, coward and rotten Solipsis cultists. He even defended a Diarchy for the Empire. Yes, a DIARCHY, not a Dyad. For someone trying to make a new path, none of his ideas were new. They were all copied, or a position of conciliation. This may be a good strategy for a Chancellor, a Senator, even the Diarch clowns, but not for a REGENT. Not for an EMPEROR. Not for the EMPIRE. It does not conciliate, it forces its will upon the weak."

The Holoprojector started showing old images of Sularen, but before his time in the Empire. In fact, he was a Galactic Alliance officer in the image.

"I've searched a lot about Sularen, the weak. He was a Galactic Alliance officer -and deserted his post. Now, there is no problem with deserting if you wholeheartedly embrace one ideology..."

The image changed, to a Sularen now using the NIO's uniform.

"...But the same thing happened when he was a New Imperial Order officer -he deserted again! I suspected he was just an opportunist in seek of power, not of furthering the Empire's hegemony upon all the galaxy."

The Holoprojector image changed. It was now a video of Sularen's ship arriving at Nyriaan's headquarters. Sularen gets out the ship, and is escorted by five Nyriaanian Imperial Commandos.

"Some time after we've freed Sularen from his prison, he visited me. He wanted to know about my allegiance with the New Imperial Order, and the Dark Empire after that. During the conversation, I've pressured him into revealing what happened to our Despot Korvan during the Battle of Tython. I've heard rumours, you see, of betrayal of Korvan by the Pro-Sollipsis imperials. He admited he was ordered BY DARTH SOLLIPSIS, during the battle, to COWARDLY ATTACK Korvan's warship. He even admited MOST OF THE DAMAGE was made by his own capital ship. Without questioning, without even thinking about the effects of his actions, he killed the beacon of Imperialism to appease his TRUE master, Sollipsis. THIS is the reason I didn't vote for him in the summit. I was disgusted by him and his weakness."

"The truth is, the Regent is a weak pawn at the hand of more strong, more resilient people who are afraid of the burden that the title entails. Most of all, he is an opportunist, that will do anything to remain in power. Our enemies, ladies and gentlemen, are very well organised and have achieved almost unlimited power without being kept in check. The disappearance of Sollipsis, and the summit itself, has opened a great era for our Empire, of which we need to capitalise. We need to rise, keep the old in check, and make way for the new. The Empire Reborn. The Empire which will conuer the galaxy, and make men gods of their own destiny."

"This is why I need you, and all of you, to join me. As I said, our enemies are organised and rooted in the Empire. Shouldn't we?"

Reiner Ghadi Domaric Mordane Dyans Keto Antipater ​

 

[Domaric Mordane]

Moff Evner Braxiatel | Antipater | Reiner Ghadi​

Allegiant General Mordane had maintained an air of calculated intrigue since receiving Braxiatel's message. While his initial instinct was skepticism—why would anyone think it prudent to summon him, the second most powerful military officer in the Empire, and now, with Sularen's rise, likely the most powerful—Mordane's curiosity outweighed his doubt.

The rendezvous on Garqi had only deepened the mystery, but as the steps unfolded—the layers of secrecy, the relocation to Nyriaan, the confiscation of devices—it became evident that Braxiatel had either stumbled into something of monumental significance or was playing a very dangerous game. Mordane, pragmatic as ever, had opted to see it through, both out of professional caution and a growing personal interest.

As Braxiatel's speech concluded, Mordane allowed the heavy silence to linger for a moment, his presence as commanding as the darkened room. His expression remained impassive, though the calculated narrowing of his eyes betrayed the wheels turning in his mind. He understood the stakes—and the implicit challenge—of being brought into such a bold scheme.

He straightened in his seat, his dark armor catching the dim light, and finally spoke, his voice low but imbued with a weight that demanded attention.

" Moff Evner Braxiatel ," Mordane began, his tone always as sharp as a vibroblade, "I find myself compelled to ask what you hoped to accomplish by involving me in this... endeavor. I am no schemer, no backroom manipulator—my arena is the battlefield, and my allegiance is, as it has always been, to the Empire in its entirety. You address me as if I am but one of your pawns. I assure you, I am not."

His piercing gaze swept the room, taking stock of the others present. Dyans Keto and Director Reiner Ghadi were as much part of this tangled web as Braxiatel, and Mordane would take note of how they responded—or didn't—to the claims being laid before them.

"I appreciate your candor and your willingness to question Imperial leadership. Criticism—measured criticism—is a hallmark of strength, and I, too, find myself disturbed by the revelations you have shared today. The idea that Regent Sularen, whether out of opportunism or blind loyalty to Solipsis, played a role in Korvan's death is abhorrent if true. Korvan was a symbol of Imperial resolve, and his loss, in the heat of battle, left a void we have yet to fill."

His words were delivered with surgical precision, his gaze locking on Braxiatel. "But let us not forget, as you disparage the Regent for being an opportunist, the man you deride as weak and unfit was placed in that position by the Imperial Summit—a body you and I both attended. While I voted for him, it was not out of loyalty to Sularen as a man. It was loyalty to the Empire as an institution. My concerns about his character, I will admit, are no less pressing now than they were then. Yet, I ask you: What separates your vision from his, besides the language you choose to cloak it in?"

The Allegiant General leaned forward slightly, his presence dominating the room now as he turned his attention to the holoprojector's damning imagery. "You claim Sularen betrayed Korvan under Solipsis' orders. If this is true—and I must stress if, because claims such as these demand evidence to be treated as anything but hearsay—then Sularen is indeed unworthy of his post. But let us not forget that Solipsis was, for all his faults, Emperor. And the Empire, Braxiatel, does not simply wash away the decisions of its rulers because they displease us. It learns, adapts, and grows stronger."

Mordane sat back once more, his tone softening, though his words remained firm. "You've called us here to organize against those who would weaken the Empire from within. Very well. I am here. But let me make one thing abundantly clear—this is no cabal of sycophants. I am here to defend the Empire, not your ambitions or your vendettas. If you wish my cooperation, you will need to convince me of your strategy, your intentions, and most importantly, your loyalty—to the Empire, not merely to your vision of it."

 

[Antipater]

These meatbags talked as if they were unimpeded by the capacities of their lungs. So much talk and at such length it was a miracle of nature that they had time to do anything else. Just as well - it gave Antipater the time he needed to calculate the veracity of Braxiatel's claims. It was well within Sularen's character parameters to do what the Moff described. At the advent of this new Empire, Sularen had already been politically homeless for some time. He would have been especially eager to ingratiate himself with the regime.

Promise Sularen his toy soldiers, his model fleets... Oh, Antipater could imagine that specimen would have done far, far worse if Solipsis had only asked him to. And yet it was irrelevant. Korvan was dead. Whether the instrument of his demise was Solipsis, Sularen, or a strike team of murderous Ewoks, it all had proved the same thing: he was unfit to govern. He lacked the cunning to contend with the Sith and now the Empire was worse for it. Anyone who mourned him in particular was a fool.

Down to business.

"Unless you intend to furnish evidence of this 'confession,' you should retire the accusation," Antipater spoke in his usual harsh, mechanical monotone. "I am otherwise in agreement with the Allegiant General. What precisely do you wish to be done? Shall we replace him with that occultist scum, Zuraxin, as you suggested at the summit? If you despise Solipsis then I do not know what you stand to gain by elevating that crippled soothsayer."

 

[Dyans Keto]

Theme: Game of Survival
Equipment: Krath Holy Battle Suit | Krath blood blade(Dagger) | Krath Dire Sword | x2 Stiletto Knives | Song Steel Cybernetic left arm
Tags: Moff Evner Braxiatel | Reiner Ghadi | Antipater | Domaric Mordane

​

---

The silver queen listened to the banter between Moff Braxiatel and Domaric Mordane in stoic silence. Though there was no proof presented of the claim that Regent Sularen had put down this Korvan a man Dyans wasn't sure if she knew or not, it wasn't outside Sularen's character. The man was indeed an opportunist, she knew this too well she. He was a man who was out for his own glory and power. The claim of him being a Solipsis bootlicker was also true from Dyans own firsthand experience.

As for the man's military turncoat record, that was also something she was well aware of, though his betrayal of Alliance had never bothered her. His turning away from the New Imperials was again an opportunistic move and why she never trusted him while the Krath was allied with Maw. Then again, just about everyone who had formed up with the Maw back in the day had done it out of opportunity, even the Krath, they saw it as an army that could be molded and manipulated to get what they wanted.

"Regent Sularen, is indeed a man out for his own glory. He would also be the first to kneel and turn over the Empire if Solipsis came back from the dead a third time." She spoke in a regal tone not raising her voice despite the fact she was in the room with at least one person she would like to rip the throat out of. "That said out of the two main choices that were given at the summit they were both weak. Both are stewards of Solipsis's will, that said Sularen at least in the past has been in agreement with me that sith element needs to be reduced or fully removed like the cancer it is."

Dyans was a Naddist sith herself but their belief was more that the sith element need to be a guiding hand in the shadows of the empire not the defining paragon of it. Solipsis believed it to be the core, the driving force of empires' strength. He believed it needed to be there to bring fear to the Galaxy, but Dyans didn't believe that. She believed the people of the Empire, those that believed in the vision were the true driving force they just sometimes need to be steered in a certain direction.

"What I am saying is that we can use Sularen for the time being. We just need to convince him that the cults of Solipsis are a threat to the stability of the Empire or rather what he probably now perceives as his Empire." The guiding hand method of the darkside pull on the puppets strings and get them to do what you want. "We get him to remove the cults Influence and all the other threats within the empire. Then and only then should we talk about how disgrace him from his position."