Private The meaning of morality

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Maneuvring
Tag: Karl Von Strauss | Augustus Von Strauss | Her

Usually, it was Tertius who would be sending out invitations to senior members of the N&Z and their entourage, but perhaps both strangely and maybe even slightly concerningly, this time it was Amalia; the Chairman's assistant who sent out the invitations, with perhaps even more strangely the fact that for some reason the message bore not the usual N&Z emblem, but that of the elusive Section C, a division within the company which was merely based on rumors, with no one truly capable of explaining their job, their reach and more importantly their power within the overal structure of the overarching, ever expanding Nargath and Zanareth galactic juggernaut of a company.

The missive was simple, direct and that not only the director, but also his son was requested to pay a visit to the Deinon STS station near the Chndaar hypergate, a place which symbolically should have been important for The exarch, for it was there that the first steps had been made for the director and the chairman to build up a relation of mutual trust and respect.

To the honored Exarch of The Imperial Confederation, Director of the N&Z Umbrella Corporation Karl Von Strauss and his honored son; Sir Admiral Augustus Von Strauss,
We, the representative of the majority shareholder and assistant to the Chairman of the N&Z Umbrella Corporation; Amalia Visconti request your presence in a meeting of vital importance and diplomatic urgency.

You are to be invited aboard the Deinon STS Station located in the Chandaar system, near the Chandaar Hypergate, where we will discuss matters of corporate and stately matter in regards to the future, the further continuation of our cooperation and to deepen the trust and respect held between the parties responsible for upholding the company's motto, strength and resilience. There will also be a discussion in regards to the recent revelations about the Fifth Wing conspiracy and the logistics entailing this current state within the ISA and the reverberances of these actions throughout the system of the Imperial Confederation.

With high regard,

Amalia Visconti,
Secretary-general of the N&Z​

Ofcourse, Amalia would be awaiting her guests, having arrived at the station several days prior to having sent out these missives, intending to be properly prepared and adequately informed on how these missives would reach their intended targets and their reactions to them. It was after all an important discussion that had to be held in a somewhat private sphere, reducing any outside knowledge to the absolute minimum. There were some strange things though, as the fact that Amalia apparently had access to a proper legendary creation of the company in the form of the insanely powerful KRONOS AAII, not even Tertius had ever shown to be using this AI and its reputation within the N&Z was unmistakable, as it was the basis for practically all other AI and droid brains the company had produced so far: copied and watered down, never matched.

It was this AI that had meticulously beefed up the station's defenses, by having installed a large batallion of enforcer droids in order to replace the standard Interior security division aboard the station during the subsequent meeting, not to mention the fact that all ships entering the station's vicinity would feel a slight pressure, as if they entered the gravity of a massive planet, an anomaly which could only imply the use of a gravity well projector... However, despite all this, there seemed to be no hostility and the being which would be greeting the guests, despite being an extremely tall and sizeable beast, was well mannered and kind with their words, guiding the guests to a very nostalgic conference room, yet this time with it fully built, decorated and fashioned to the likings of the Chairman of the N&Z, a tasteful mix of the old and the new...

 

[Her]

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Chandaar, Chandaar system, Cronese Mandate, Outer Rim Territories;
The former territories of The Empire of the Lost;
Deinon Station.
Tags: Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Karl Von Strauss | Augustus Von Strauss

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"If what you say is true then you will make arrangements with the Exarch discreetly on my behalf."
-- Her to The Lord of Hunger in Her wish, His will.

---

The seeds of conspiracy had given birth to Deinon Station.

A marvel of engineering, constructed by N&Z Umbrella Corporation at the turn of the ninth century (when the Cronese Mandate had been occupied by The Empire of the Lost) in order to create a bridge which connected the Outer Rim Territories to The Core Worlds had been a marvellous invention made with ulterior motives. In the months before Alicia Drey had been murdered, DREY INCORPORATED had had dialogue with the N&Z to arrange a method of trade and transportation of goods between Chandaar to Velusia in order to bypass the trade embargo placed upon The Empire by The Trade Federation of Planets by connecting these two worlds.

Situated along Shawken Spur, an ancient branch to the Hydian Way, Velusia brought with it access to many worlds whose goods and services would have been a boom to Chandaar and the other Imperial occupied star systems that it had been connected to at the time. So, work had began in earnest, and by 902 ABY a new, almost esoteric method of transportation-- not between star systems-- but entire sectors had been established with the creation of Deinon Station which helped stabilize The Empire's economy hit by the double-whammy of the Trade Federation's embargo and the catastrophic Siege of Tion, which had put the Imperial occupation into a state of decline, and crisis before the formation of The Tingel Arm Coalition and the Rim Wars of 902 ABY which had led to a temporary rejuvenation of the faction.

Quietly the ulterior motives of both companies concealed the actual reasons for the station's construction. Back then, when the conspiracy which would later go on to engineer an economic collapse of The Empire of the Lost was still in it's infancy sought to establish a trade caravan to supply food, weapons and technology to The Dark Empire from the star systems, and realms occupied by their Imperial cousins on the other side of our galaxy. A continuation of the catastrophic CORE WARS was advantageous to the then Director of the NISB and His Majesty of All Imperial Kind as The Galactic Alliance were preoccupied by the insurgency that saw to the fall of Tython and Empress Teta to the Dark-Imperial bloc which had formed on Carlac at the beginning of the century while Velran Kilran planned to carve out of his legacy along the Outer Rim Territories; an Empire which would stretch from the lands of the Liann to the mines of Kessel to the Stygian Caldera itself undisturbed, and unthwarted by the decadent Alliance and their Jedi protectors.

Before the Rim Wars, before The Sartinaynian Crisis, before the economic collapse of the Lost.

Work had gone into the reorganisation of the Keganites and acquisition of Doonium and Cortosis mines on Lothal and Obredaan respectively by The Director and her company in preparation for the trade caravan, which in theory, would bolster the Dark-Imperials march upon the Alliance. Meanwhile, The Lord of Hunger -- the hidden, mysterious majority shareholder of N&Z, whom Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory would represent today-- sought the means of learning more about the conspiracy brewing on Lianna that would later go onto engineer the economic collapse of the Imperial occupation of The Tion Hegemony through the disguised veil that was N&Z: a mechanism of great of intelligence and design which could carry forth His paradigm to create influence among the great powers throughout the known cosmos.

Before The Director could realise her plans, she was murdered by someone connected to The Fifth Wing: a seditious, conspiratorial, treasonous organisation founded by Alicia Drey ; and now, two years after it's formation it was the reason for the secret meeting that was set to be held above Chandaar. The Dark Empire would never collect the bountiful fruits of their double-agent and provocateur that they had sent to Lianna, and by today, Deinon Station, the company who had constructed it, and the Imperial Sector Authority (remnants of The Empire of the Lost) continued to be unaware of the many schemes that The Director had been putting into motion before her untimely death as they were concealed and obfuscated by Her powers in the dark-side.

Still they enjoyed the labour of Her fruits. The connection between Chandaar and Velusia-- bringing forth commerce, trade and goods-- had been a major contributor for The Empire and it's capability to sustain itself (in spite of the Trade Federation's embargo) up until it's collapse earlier this year. Now, as The Cronese Mandate and it's star systems recovered from the revolts and riots inspired by the end of the Imperial occupation, The Rule of Two seeks to obfuscate it's involvement in The Fifth Wing through the meeting arranged by their new co-conspirator, while Deinon Station continues to operate today; it's manned crew blissfully ignorant, and unaware of the true reasons for it's creation as they litigated, and operated trade coming or going from one side of the galaxy to another.

The Exarch-- Karl Von Strauss -- was closer to the truth than even he knew. The capture of Sieliel Dimegor had turned myth into fact; a substantiated claim of conspiracy and sedition that had etched it's way into the heart of the late Empire, and which now threatened the confederation that he was building up with other likened minds from the various Imperial remnants located throughout the galaxy. The Fifth Wing had to be destroyed-- eradicated, and purged-- before it could wreak havoc again. Yet it's members were still at large and their leadership still undiscovered. Strauss, and the other leaders of the confederation, had learned so much in the wake of The Sartinaynian Crisis, and yet were no closer to discovering the truth. It was elusive; a presence that they knew was there, and yet could not be snatched to snuff out it's life.

The path forward was uncertain. Murky, and convoluted; seemingly connected by people, a series of incidents, corporations and superpowers that on the surface shouldn't have anything to do with one another, and yet mysteriously they somehow were. The Fifth Wing-- whoever was behind it-- was a grave threat to The Imperial Confederation. They had to be found, and destroyed, before it would be too late to stop them again. So, it must have been terrifying, exciting, daunting when Amalia's invitation had been delivered to The Exarch and his prodigal son as the N&Z reached out to discuss the conspiracy with new information they had acquired.

What could they possibly know about the plot? Did they have information that could lead to the whereabouts of the Fifth Wing organisation, and it's people? Could they explain what the hell happened? In the shadows, the same elusive presence-- a woman known to Strauss as TK-73-- sat concealed aboard Deinon Station to listen in and to monitor this meeting. She would not leave this to chance; her preservation was not to be left left in the hands of a man who had recruited her into his service to join in on a plot that had yet to be revealed to Her. She was here to ensure The Exarch would be stopped today, through one way, or another.

It was an odd feeling to be left to chance and circumstance after so many years of leaving others to the whims and machinations of her own devices. Maldor Sancetti would have enjoyed it if he were here for if his comrade-in-arms could not be persuaded to kill the investigation into the mysterious LAETOR and their association to The Fifth Wing then it would spell doom for Her and the many plots that she had brewing among The Diarchy, The Imperial Confederation, The Royal Naboo Republic and even beyond the BLACKWALL of the Sith Order.

Today was an opportunity for silence, and to see the full scope of N&Z's influence in the galaxy; to test the claims made by The Lord of Hunger in the Ghost Nebulae. Karl Strauss knew her, and he was a cunning, calculative, intelligent man able to connect pieces that others had not. If he saw that TK-73 was near this meeting, as The Fifth Wing were discussed and deliberated, then suspicion would be placed squarely on her shoulders by the mere discovering of her presence. While aboard Deinon Station, Her would not be in the meeting room in-person. She sat elsewhere-- someplace quieter-- to monitor the contents of this meeting through a monitor, surveillance and listening devices. Close enough to step in, if necessary, but far away enough to let Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory do her work.

---

 

[Karl Von Strauss]

Location: New Alderaan, Interim COMECI Chambers -> Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Meetings
Equipment: Relby k-23 mod. E, NZ PEG, Uniform
Ship: Celestia
Tags: Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Her | Augustus Von Strauss (I'll just have him be on my posts)

Karl was once again surrounded by stacks of datapads and holorecorders. Though his new position as Exarch was prestigious, it came with even more paperwork than when he held the mantle of Moff during the days of the Empire of the Lost. Fortunately, he now had more than a few capable Prefects to help carry the weight.

He was reading an approval request for a Quaestor-General to be dispatched to Dac City—apparently, an entire fund had been misappropriated, and several members of the city's council had ample evidence implicating one of their own. Then why do you need a Quaestor? he thought, pressing deny without a second thought.

The door to his office slid open, and his N&Z assistant, Milton Flight, stepped in.

"Sir, you've received a message," he said, placing the sealed missive on Karl's desk before turning and exiting without another word.

Karl glanced down at the emblem. It wasn't Tertius' standard insignia. Perhaps it belonged to a new division recently formed. With a flick of his thumb, he broke the seal and began to read.

To the honored Exarch of The Imperial Confederation, Director of the N&Z Umbrella Corporation Karl Von Strauss and his honored son; Sir Admiral Augustus Von Strauss,
We, the representative of the majority shareholder and assistant to the Chairman of the N&Z Umbrella Corporation; Amalia Visconti request your presence in a meeting of vital importance and diplomatic urgency.

You are to be invited aboard the Deinon STS Station located in the Chandaar system, near the Chandaar Hypergate, where we will discuss matters of corporate and stately matter in regards to the future, the further continuation of our cooperation and to deepen the trust and respect held between the parties responsible for upholding the company's motto, strength and resilience. There will also be a discussion in regards to the recent revelations about the Fifth Wing conspiracy and the logistics entailing this current state within the ISA and the reverberances of these actions throughout the system of the Imperial Confederation.

With high regard,

Amalia Visconti,
Secretary-general of the N&Z

As his eyes scanned the final lines, the faint smile he had been wearing flattened into a calculating frown, not of anger or sadness, but cold contemplation. He had expected talk of business. He had not expected the Fifth Wing. That name, that shadow, never seemed to loosen its grip. And now, it was coming from someone he had assumed, until recently, knew nothing about the organization.

He reached for the comlink and pressed a button. "Moira, cancel my meetings for the rest of the day and reschedule them for later in the week. Contact my son—have him meet me in the hangar. Tell the pilots to prepare for departure to Deinon Station."

He lifted his finger from the panel and stood, straightening the tunic of his uniform.

"C1RC3, let's go."

As he descended the ramp of the Celestia, Karl drew in a long breath of recycled station air, sterile, metallic, and oddly nostalgic. After all this station is where he joined the Corporation. The weight of the upcoming meeting settled across his shoulders like a cloak, but his posture remained firm. Just behind him stood Augustus, straight-backed and poised in a freshly starched uniform that gleamed with the sharpness of Imperial discipline. Hidden in plain sight, thanks to her advanced cloaking systems, C1RC3 followed silently, ever present, ever watchful.

Approaching from the docking corridor was a towering figure waiting for them. The man was massive, an imposing wall of muscle wrapped in a sharp overcoat and topped with a wide-brimmed fedora that somehow made him more enigmatic rather than less. He carried himself with a calm, deliberate grace, mysterious, well-mannered, and unmistakably dangerous. A perfect bodyguard, Karl thought.

They exchanged brief, courteous pleasantries while making their way through the pristine halls of Deinon Station.

Upon arrival at the meeting suite, Karl took his place at the table with practiced ease. Augustus remained standing just behind him, a silent sentinel clad in ersteel and loyalty.

 

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Maneuvring
Tag: Karl Von Strauss | Augustus Von Strauss | Her

As soon as the massive Mr. Pollux had led the two guests to the conference room, he calmly excused himself and left Karl Von Strauss and Augustus Von Strauss on their own, though not before motioning towards a tray at the center of the table which held a decent array of snacks and beverages, with the choice of flat and sparkling water in small bottles, a set of small cups and two containers which clearly held freshly brewed coffee and some sort of herbal tea within them.

For about five to ten minutes, they'd be left alone to simmer on their own, after all, they must have had quite a few questions. Why were they summoned, why wasn't it the Chairman himself who had contacted Director Von Strauss and perhaps something CiRC3 might've been more preoccupied with: what the hell was that insanely powerful cybernetic presence in the station?

The doors to the Conference room suddenly slammed open, revealing Amalia in a tight, form fitting dark gray three-piece suit, a thin black tie and black gloves completed her attire. In her hand, she held a thin, large, modern-looking datapad, from which she only barely managed to pull away her attention, smiling somewhat faintly towards her guests as she moved towards the end of the table, not in front of her guests, but to the side, as if she did not think herself of adequate rank and status to be sitting directly in front of the Exarch and his entourage.

"Gentlemen, I am delighted you were so quick in responding to the missive," Nodding towards the pair, seemingly not noticing CiRC3, the visually rather attractive, yet also somewhat...odd assistant to the Chairman of the N&Z sat down and tilted her head to the side a bit, seemingly quite enamored by what she was looking at upon her datapad, yet not for long, as she was keenly aware of the presence of her guests. "Right...right...I suppose you are wondering why I had even called you here, after all you both are not just valued members of the Imperial Confederation, but also persons of interest when it comes to the N&Z, one being a Director of the company and the other probably one of the most famous testers when it comes to their father's products."

Tapping a few times on her datapad, a piece at the center of the table slid open, a solid holographic video revealing the court martial which had been inducted by the Imperial Confederation into the workings and cooperatives of the Fifth Wing, most importantly was Sieliel Dimegor who was deemed to be the important connection between the ones in charge of the dubiously secretive organization and the lower operatives, the central figure, the middle man as it were.

"The fact that such a organization was capable of steering the Empire of the Lost to such a degree, with impunity... gave the CORE of the N&Z Umbrella Corporation a reason to start an investigation into possible associates to this woman without being bound by the bureaucracy which inevitably would put The Imperial Confederation in a sticky situation."

Another image was revealed, that of Alicia Drey , who though declared dead and clearly no longer under full suspicion of the confederation, was still part of the entirety of the investigation, as she after all seemed to be linked through some strange connections to the Fifth Wing as well, but the fact she was also linked to the N&Z might have been a bit of a problem.

"Let's see...Alicia Drey, Former NISB director, former contact to Tertius Nargath in regards to the creation of this station and the one near Velusia... Her death, while mysterious was I believe attributed to rogue elements of the... Tsis'Kaar?" Blinking a few times, a soft grin seemed to form upon the woman's face, her expressions seemed somewhat wicked, yet quickly reverted to the usual neutral and dull expression she had been wearing almost the entire time. "Karl Von Strauss officially replaced Alicia Drey as Imperial contact and has been part of the N&Z's periferal ever since. So... ofcourse it is a matter of security and efficiency that we have had a good run-through of your own affairs and dealings with Alicia Drey and this Sieliel Dimegor , which leads my investigation to the disastrous negotiations on Bastion... if any of you were aware of the existence of the Fifth Wing beforehand, I reckon you'd have been rather anxious to have so many important people in one place, no?"

Tapping on the datapad again, the woman allowed a final image to appear on the screen, being the captured Sieliel Dimegor again, but this time as she was presented during the Court Martial.

"After concluding our investigation and having reviewed the footage that we obtained from the trial...our apologies, we did need to get our hands on those private transcripts for the sake of our own personal connection to the entire issue," Amalia tilted her head to the left again, giving a short nod. "have you on your end finished your investigation in regards to this Fifth Wing organization? It would be good if we could compare our notes for a bit in order to understand the full scope of the dissention which has affected us both."

 

[Karl Von Strauss]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Meetings
Equipment: Relby k-23 mod. E, NZ PEG, Uniform
Ship: Celestia
Tags: Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Her |

Karl watched as Amalia slid the holopad across the table, revealing the image of Sieliel Dimegor 's visage, and more importantly, the recording of the court-martial meant to be Imperial Eyes Only. He listened to Amalia's words and found himself partially in agreement. Even before the collapse of the Empire of the Lost, his investigation into the Fifth Wing had already been shackled by layers of bureaucracy. He hadn't dared speak of it outside of closed-door sessions with like-minded Moffs.

Little did he know, it was meant to be that way from the beginning. Velran had been involved all along—as Sieliel's court-martial testimony made abundantly clear.

If N&Z had launched their own investigation, they wouldn't have faced the same restrictions. With an entire corporate empire behind them, red tape wouldn't have been an issue. After Amalia paused, Karl finally spoke.

"As you should. If an organization like the Fifth Wing could topple an empire, imagine what it could do to a corporation. Although I am hurt that you didn't make me aware of your investigation," his tone was calm, not accusing, "That is neither here nor there at this point."

Then came the hologram of the long-dead Director Drey, accompanied by a summary of her prior position, contract details, and dealings with the Tsis'Kaar. Karl's eye twitched subtly when Amalia mentioned that they had researched his connections to both. It wasn't the act itself that bothered him, but the fact that he hadn't even realized they had. That lack of awareness unsettled him more than the intrusion itself.

When she brought up the disastrous meeting and the subsequent Battle of Bastion.

"My, quite resourceful," he said dryly. "I don't believe I ever dealt with the Director personally before her death. I hadn't been cherry-picked into Moffdom at that point. And Sieliel, the first time I met her, was after the battles of Garn and Maldra Four. Right after I'd lost my leg."

He poured himself a small glass of sparkling water, took a sip, and continued. "Going into that meeting, I fully expected the Wing to try something. I just never imagined that firing turbolasers at the conference was on their agenda. Up until that point, most of their attacks were subtler—subterfuge, sabotage, things that slipped under the radar."

The hologram of Sieliel flickered back into view. Karl noted silently that she'd clearly acquired the court-martial transcripts herself. He would have provided them had she asked, but evidently, she hadn't needed to. N&Z was powerful enough to do as it pleased.

Still, she wasn't here to posture. She wanted to compare notes.

"have you on your end finished your investigation in regards to this Fifth Wing organization? It would be good if we could compare our notes for a bit in order to understand the full scope of the dissention which has affected us both."

"No, we are nowhere near finishing our investigation. In fact, we've had more insights fall into our lap since the trial. It's going to take us quite some time to sift through it all. I've recently secured access to a piece of technology that was previously off-limits to us. Took some doing to get the password, but I cracked it." He leaned back slightly. "Unfortunately, that's all I can say about that. But, based on what you already know from the transcript, we've gained access to the Direct Surveillance of Domestic Threats database."

He motioned for his son to take the seat beside him. Something told him this meeting would last far longer than expected.

 

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Maneuvring
Tag: Karl Von Strauss | Augustus Von Strauss | Her

"As you should. If an organization like the Fifth Wing could topple an empire, imagine what it could do to a corporation. Although I am hurt that you didn't make me aware of your investigation," his tone was calm, not accusing, "That is neither here nor there at this point."

These words were harsh, but not entirely without foundation, after all... while the N&Z could boast about having finances that could make a major faction blush, it did not possess the absolute firepower and strength an empire or any other large governmental body within the galxy would possess, at least not anymore. The days of the Zweihander Union have long since passed, but where the company lost a majority of its true power in terms of soldiers and fleets, it had replaced these with backdoor policies, active intelligence, and last, but absolutely not least: political weight.

"My, quite resourceful," he said dryly. "I don't believe I ever dealt with the Director personally before her death. I hadn't been cherry-picked into Moffdom at that point. And Sieliel, the first time I met her, was after the battles of Garn and Maldra Four. Right after I'd lost my leg."

"She was instrumental for the creation of the Chandaar and Velusia stations, as she did manage to put through most of the bureaucratic paperwork," A faint smile seemed to creep upon Amalia's otherwise rather neutral face, livening up that dull expression a bit for even a brief moment. Though it was probably quite easy to understand why she nearly smiled, as not having to have gone through the whole bureaucratic mess of the Empire of the Lost probably had saved the company millions of credits and lots of hours, days and weeks of filling forms, getting the right people, the right documents, etc. A burden the known assistant to the Chairman was glad not to have. "Hmm, that would indicate that she hadn't been around during the death of Director Drey, or she had been and needed to switch her approach due to the changes in the plans or schedules the Fifth Wing had set up... let's just file most of this under 'highly suspicious coincidences'."

"No, we are nowhere near finishing our investigation. In fact, we've had more insights fall into our lap since the trial. It's going to take us quite some time to sift through it all. I've recently secured access to a piece of technology that was previously off-limits to us. Took some doing to get the password, but I cracked it." He leaned back slightly. "Unfortunately, that's all I can say about that. But, based on what you already know from the transcript, we've gained access to the Direct Surveillance of Domestic Threats database."

Looking up, Amalia glanced towards the Director, wondering if he ment he had managed to crack the code which had been plaguing her for a while now, while she had managed to decipher and decode most of the documents and ledgers she'd gotten her hands on, Amalia had some trouble decoding one file, which meant whatever code had been calculated into the files was still inaccessible to her. It was a bit annoying to have to admit that Karl Von Strauss was even craftier than he let people believe he was, and probably mentally stronger than she had anticipated. He was after all an old veteran, a man who had seen and experienced most of what military life had to offer, and clearly one who in his advancing age managed to thrive in the dangerous game of politics as well.

There was one upside though, while the Exarch had to sift through the files, had to unlock the code and now had to once more sift through a database with files, Amalia had access to something equally valuable: the mind of the key to it all, the sly shadow that managed to evade all the debris from the collapsing empire and almoist all the heat of the rebound the Fifth Wing's fallout brought with it.

"If possible, it would be interesting to gain access to these files," Feigning her interest and tilting her head a bit to the left, Amalia showed a gentle smile, a plastered facsimili of one at least. "There are apparently a few files pertaining older locations the N&Z used to operate, divulging old programs into the open might hurt the N&Z in its current form. And let us not forget that while the database may be considered your key focal point, without the context Alicia Drey could have provided, we must avoid making any brazen assumptions without clear contemplation."

Momentarily, the woman turned silent, letting out a sigh as she sat down and nodded calmly. "Context is exactly what we are missing. There has been little to no direct evidence of any collussion or connection between the late Alicia Drey and this Fifth Wing, on the other hand...there have actually been more discrepancies pointing out towards a more subtle interjection from the Sith Order. Despite our headquarters being located within Sith Order Territory, our freedom is limited and the access to internal information extremely limited or heavily redacted. However, what I believe not to be coincidence is this: The Empire of the Lost was struggling politically with the Sith Order, besieged by known associates of the Sith Order and having resisted bullying tactics, embargos and sanctions...would it not make sense that sabotage, hybrid warfare and sedition are the weapons of choice?"

Tapping with the tips of her perfectly manicured nails unto the table, the room began to be filled by this rhytmic sound. "Too many coincidences, lack of context, and too many holes in a court martial of someone who clearly was not the top rung of this 'conspiracy'. The Fifth Wing has been broken, their actions have ceased as far as we all can tell and I believe you have been monitoring their communication network discovered with the capture of Sieliel Dimegor , have you not?"

"In that case," Standing up again, The woman showed that same strange and somewhat unnatural smile again. "The Sith have been quite active, the order suddenly and 'coincidentally' erecting the Blackwall not too long after the Collapse of the Empire, as if to safeguard from prying eyes...or maybe to prevent to fall prey to a counterattack. One has to admit it has been rather dubious, especially considering the timing. While the N&Z will do its utmost to safeguard its own assets and its image, as a standing partner not only to the former Empire of the Lost, but also to the Imperial Confederation, we wish to avoid following a trail that could set us on the wrong path... would you agree to this sentiment, Director Von Strauss?

 

[Karl Von Strauss]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Meetings
Equipment: Relby k-23 mod. E, NZ PEG, Uniform
Ship: Celestia
Tags: Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Her |

He let the questions hang in the air for a moment, sipped his water, and set it gently back onto the coaster provided. He refocused his gaze back onto Amalia,

"Context is always missing. And yet, we are expected to make decisions with incomplete data and act as if certainty were something real. A luxury, not a requirement." He tapped his hand on the desk, then laid it flat. "You are correct about Drey. Whether she was acting alone or playing a part in something vastly elaborate; her death removed one of the few minds that could confirm anything, which makes assumptions dangerous, and silence even more so."

He listened as Amalia outlined the inconsistencies surrounding Alicia Drey's supposed involvement with the Fifth Wing, subtly shifting the narrative toward the Sith as the true orchestrators behind the chaos. That they were the hidden hand pulling strings from the shadows. In part, she wasn't wrong, but Karl could sense a deliberate redirection in her tone, a quiet attempt to shift the weight of culpability. Yet the record was clear: during her confession, Sieliel Dimegor had stated that it was Director Drey who had personally recruited her into the NISB, and into the Fifth Wing. Had Amalia overlooked that detail in her investigation? Or had she dismissed Sieliel's account as unreliable? He made a mental note and moved on.

"As for the Sith. Yes, the Blackwall was raised with suspicious convenience. Yes, we've seen signs of hybrid warfare, economic sabotage, and asymmetric influence campaigns. I didn't even need to run the calculations." His voice took on a colder edge, "The chaos that consumed the Empire was not random. It was orchestrated. The timing, the actors, the disinformation, all too precise to be the work of an organization like the Fifth Wing alone."

He leaned back in his chair, exhaling softly. "Regarding the database, you'll have access to it. But only the portions I've already gon through. Not because I distrust you, Amalia, but because I know how deep this rabbit hole goes." And how many names are still buried in it, he thought, but did not say.

He followed it with a small, honest nod. "You are right to be cautious. The N&Z must be pragmatic if we want to be continually on top. I do agree to your sentiment; I do not wish for the Confederation to follow the path that the EOTL did. I am not trying to provoke the Sith nor chase ghosts. My goal is to make sure we are prepared if something similar were to arise again. After all, whoever took on the handle 'LAETOR' is still out there."

 

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Maneuvring
Tag: Karl Von Strauss | Augustus Von Strauss | Her

"Regarding the database, you'll have access to it. But only the portions I've already gon through. Not because I distrust you, Amalia, but because I know how deep this rabbit hole goes."

"Hmm, that is somewhat of a double edged sword after all," It almost seemed as if the clear disappointment in her tone indicated something more pressing in the matter regarding the possibility of certain N&Z secrets having been found out and having been stored within the documents and transcriptions made by those who had initially built up the whole database to begin with. Under her breath, the woman cursed Her for adding so much to her already extensive workload. If this had been known to her, she'd have advised her master to kill the stranger on the spot rather than promise her aid and secrecy. Than again, if the master already knew...was there an ulterior motive?

"It must be said that some documentation regarding the N&Z would most likely pertain pre-hyperspace war sentiment and regulation ," a nervous look appeared on Amalia's face, a rare expression from someone so usually calm, collected and utterly devoid of any sort of expressiveness to begin with. "Let's just say that as long as the N&Z is not being incriminated within the scope of the investigation's purpose, it would be moreso in the best interest of the parties present to make sure that any information on the N&Z is kept under the wraps. It has already cost me considerable time and effort to try and stomp out any corporate espionage and political interference within the company through secure channels, official and... less official means."

"You are right to be cautious. The N&Z must be pragmatic if we want to be continually on top. I do agree to your sentiment; I do not wish for the Confederation to follow the path that the EOTL did. I am not trying to provoke the Sith nor chase ghosts. My goal is to make sure we are prepared if something similar were to arise again. After all, whoever took on the handle 'LAETOR' is still out there."

Nodding ever so slightly, the woman's calm and dull expression returned, tapping with her fingers on the table, her nails making a rather hypnothic, rhytmic sound. "Leator...Leader, phonetically quite easy to understand and rather strange to state that the one using that handle is still outside of your grasp. After all, did not this Sieliel woman orchestrate most of the issues you had to deal with? Could it be that this LEATOR is just a ruse to drop you on the wrong foot, send you on an endless goosechase? Alicia Drey is dead, Sieliel Dimegor is in your custody, the Fifth Wing has given not a peep since their chaotic attempt at Bastion..."

Walking away from her chair, the woman moved until she was right behind the Director, allowing her hands to gently lean upon the man's shoulders, as she simply let out a sigh. "Director...Exarch... Karl, you are one of our most valuable members, a pragmatic man through and through... Perhaps rather than having to guess at every turn, rather than having to run behind the shadows of a figure that for now seems to mainly belong to the imagination of those unsatisfied with the relative ease of countering the disruption of the Bastion meeting...would you not just like to be able to close this file, close this case and focus on the things that truly matter..."

Her gaze calmly turned towards Augustus Von Strauss for a mere moment. "The security of the future we leave behind?"

 

[Her]

---

---

"For the present, the more covert we remain, the more influence we can have."
-- Darth Tenebrous.

---

Chandaar, Chandaar system, Cronese Mandate, Outer Rim Territories;
The former territories of The Empire of the Lost;
Deinon Station.
Tags: Karl Von Strauss | Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory

---

The quiet hum of nearby electrical equipment and the static of a holographic transmitter was the Dark Lord's only company as she listened into this most secret of meetings between a face from SECTION C of the N&Z Umbrella Corporation and the EXARC from COMECI. She was relaxed in her seat, with one leg folded over the other, and a pair of hands interlaced together upon her lap as she studied both of these people and their conversation.

Her pouted their lips thoughtfully at the revelation that Karl Von Strauss had cracked the Direct Surveillance of Domestic Threats Initiative. He was as clever as she had predicted. With access to the program he (and presumably the other members of The Imperial Ruling Council such as Selrik Lorcas and Marlon Sularen ) now knew of the SITH influence that was behind the demise of the Empire of the Lost. The initiative verified the testimony of Sieliel Dimegor exposing layers of espionage, subterfuge and spy craft that had gone on within Imperial space between the years of 900 to 902 ABY which coincided with the immediate appointment of Alicia Drey as the head of the NISB.

Most of the data and subsequent intelligence found in the database was out of date in relation to the Imperial Confederation. The Dark Lord's collusion with the likes of Darth Virelia had seen to that. Systematically members of the Fifth Wing had been hunted down since they had began co-operating with one another in Northwest. Only a few surviving expats, infiltrators or saboteurs survived out there. Of course Her was one of them and here she was mere minutes away from mercy or murder.

Calis had wanted to destroy the program immediately but the Dark Lord knew better. Such was the disadvantages of keeping them in the dark. There were also advantages to revelation. The acquisition of proof of Sith collusion, and at times outright manipulation with traitors in Imperial space, was the necessary justification for war; a prelude to a new Star War. If members of the Imperial Ruling Council would not use it to declare war on the state found in the Thandon Star Cluster then there were other ways to pressure them. Things were coming together according to her designs.

Through the Force, Her felt the emotions of The Lord of Hunger 's representative in this meeting. There was a direct connection between the traitor Alicia Drey to the N&Z Corporation. They were all sitting on board it as they speak. But nothing that could indicate compliance or collusion in the conspiracy responsible for the end of the Kilran Dynasty and their occupation of the old Tion Hegemony worlds, and the truth was that they had not been any involvement in The Fifth Wing itself. Protected by the veneer of truth and benefits of the doubt they would be unencumbered by the revelations made in the DSDT Program.

As Her studied the face of Karl Von Strauss their crimson eyes averted away from his hologram to her Lightsaber blade which was laid upon the table infront of her. He was cunning, clever-- very clever-- and there was the possibility that he wasn't playing all his cards. She felt that he would have been a great player Mahaa'i Shuur. But as the conversation continued the themes and possibilities of murder began to subside in favour of new avenues of thought.

Had the Rim Wars-- which were responsible for the loss of his leg at the Battle of Maldra-- destroyed his appetite for war? Here were the presented facts, no doubt some of it a form of manipulation, but nevertheless the burden of truth that his work had been destroyed by his enemies-- the very same adversaries who had destroyed Tion and subsequently invaded Imperial space before the use of the dark arts that had brought about the demise of THE EMPIRE. Was he not going to play ball in accordance of her design? Did not he want vengeance against the SITH who had hurt Kaanni Ugaiya Kilran ?

Would the son inherit the sins of the father?

---

 

[Karl Von Strauss]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Meetings
Equipment: Relby k-23 mod. E, NZ PEG, Uniform
Ship: Celestia
Tags: Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Her |

Karl listened carefully as Amalia voiced her concerns about the potential for old skeletons, forgotten programs, and buried affiliations to resurface from the N&Z's past. Inwardly, he made a note: So, she's the one fighting the invisible war of corporate espionage. Another layer to the Secretary-General he hadn't accounted for. Not that he would fault her for it. She was a force in her own right, just as committed as he was to keeping N&Z at the forefront of the galactic stage.

Clearing his throat, he leaned forward slightly, voice measured. "Amalia, I can assure you, nothing compromising will reach the wrong hands. At present, only three individuals have access to the newly mined files from the database. I'm one of them. Every file is being combed through and cross-referenced thoroughly. Only after that do they go to the rest of the Imperial Ruling Council." His eyes narrowed with purpose. "This operation is locked down. Whatever concerns the Fifth Wing raises, those are mine to manage, and mine alone."

He sat back again, listening to the rhythmic tapping of her nails against the table. The sound was deliberate, almost meditative. He waited just long enough for silence to draw weight before continuing.

"Sieliel Dimegor, for all her intellect, didn't have the capability to dismantle an empire. She was a tool, a scalpel wielded by a surgeon we still haven't seen." His finger began to tap the armrest in unison with hers, though slower, more deliberate. "LEATOR. A phantom. That's ISS territory now. I'm not in the business of chasing ghosts."

He paused, then added, voice dropping just slightly. "What I want is the why. Why bring down an empire?"

Crossing his prosthetic leg over his remaining one, Karl folded his hands in his lap, his posture composed but quietly intense. His gaze followed Amalia as she paced, though his head remained still. When she stepped behind him, he closed his eyes, listening not just to her words but the subtle shift in the atmosphere, her presence like a cloak settling over his shoulders.

"The answer," he said softly, "is most likely buried in those files. And I'll find it. In time."

Opening his eyes again, he turned his head to see her gaze momentarily flick toward Augustus. "But for now, the question remains unanswered, and so it stays off my desk."

Abruptly, he clapped his hands together and stood with surprising energy for a man of his years. "Augustus, head to my office aboard the Celestia. In the safe, there's a datapad dock. Retrieve the third pad and bring it here. We might as well share the files that have already passed inspection. Take Circe with you."

A voice responded from nowhere, subtly modulated, just behind Amalia. "Are you certain, Karl?"

"I am. Don't make me repeat myself."

With that, he turned and began walking toward the viewport, his back straight, hands clasped behind him. "Go."

Without hesitation, Augustus rose, giving Amalia a respectful nod. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Secretary-General. I'll return shortly."

His face hovered near the glass, breath misting its surface with a soft fog. He didn't turn to face her. Instead, he watched Amalia's reflection, his eyes distant. "My position, Exarch, has pulled me far from what I was as a Moff in the EOTL. I now serve civilian interests." His tone was contemplative, yet reinforced by that same tempered ersteel... and something newer, colder. "COMECI. The Commission for the Establishment of Civilian Interests. It's a façade, a calculated mechanism to keep the populace believing we're acting in their best interest. And to its credit, we have improved commerce, tightened hyperlane security, boosted public morale… everything a well-oiled propaganda machine needs."

He turned slowly, eyes closed, head bowed as if bearing a weight invisible to others. "But the truth?" he said, voice quieter now. "Every decision passes through me. Appointments. Audits. Civil commissions. All of it. I am the Empress's left hand in all things civil."

He leaned back against the glass pane, spreading his arms along the sill to brace himself, his posture relaxed but commanding. When his eyes opened, they were sharp, glassy, and surgical. His pupils had contracted into pinpoints, drilling into Amalia with unwavering precision.
"In this role, I've dealt with governors, ministers, and every brand of bureaucrat clawing for funding or hiding a misused credit trail. And I've learned to sense when the truth is being obfuscated. I may be old, but my mind was genetically engineered to be sharper still."

He stepped forward, each click of his hard-soled boots echoing against the floor like punctuation. Reaching into his tunic, he retrieved the missive she'd sent, placing it on the table with careful intent, the emblem turned face-up.

"I've become familiar with most of Nargath and Zanareth's financial web… but this insignia eludes me. Still, tracing murmurs from the Nucleus's engineers and scientists, one name surfaces again and again, like a ghost story told in hushed tones."

His gaze didn't waver. "What are you not telling me, Secretary-General Visconti?"

 

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Maneuvring
Tag: Karl Von Strauss | Augustus Von Strauss | Her

The woman was calm, tilting her head a bit as she continued to pace around, listening to the words the Exarch uttered, the explanations and comments. His speech was political, meassured and calculated, a sign of his intelligence and experience. She couldn't help but feel impressed that Tertius had managed to convince such a man to become a permanent and leading ficture within the N&Z, but on the other hand Amalia also recognised the fact that having allowed this man to hover so close to the core of the company... it was only a matter of time before they'd come to the conclusion that something was going on.

He clearly iterated his authority, the duty and the burden that came with the immense political power he had been given or had taken upon himself. Where he was a governor, a moff prior to the fall of the Empire of the Lost, Karl Von Strauss now had a much larger responsibility. By his own admission, his job was one normally performed by multiple people, but Amalia didn't doubt that when it came to his staff, they'd all be capable enough to support him properly, his own son was proof of this capacity and competence.

As soon as the son of the Exarch was being sent away, with the personal droid as well, Amalia looked at karl, as she too stood in front of the window, her eyes slowly sliding in their sockets and glancing towards him with a somewhat shifty smile on her face...

"What are you not telling me, Secretary-General Visconti?"

Staring out of the windows, her eyes fixated on something beyond the very emptiness of space, the woman's face, the expression she carried slowly changed, her gray eyes started to shimmer with a crimson hue. Her hair, which had been as dark as the deepest void within the galaxy started to turn a pale, silvery white.

"What has not been told to you...is that nothing you think to know so far is what it seems," A somewhat unabashedly wicked smile appeared on the woman's face. The tone of her voice was different, her demeanor and even her stance displayed a certain level of arrogance and superiority. "We are all but pawns dancing in the hands of those who truly know how to pull the strings within this wretched galaxy. be it out of their own selfpreservation, their ideology for a better future, their desire to fundamentally change the galaxy... know that it is not those who are seen and who are visible for all that truly wield power, but those who can effectively make the galaxy believe they do not exist, that they are but rumors and figments of imagination."

It was a clever hint made by Amalia, or rather Rhory, the other side of the coin that had been the duplicitous identity of Amalia Visconti. She made it clear that the Fifth Wing, albeit in a minor capacity had shown the strength, the power and the capacity one could have if all people had to work with were rumors.

"Tell me...how much do you truly know about the N&Z, Exarch Von Strauss?" Slowly reaching for a pin in one of her lapels, the emblem upon it the same as the one which made Karl worry. "We are the shadow of the old N&Z, those who maintain the order and the connections the company has made in the past. We are the ones who safeguard its secrets and tie up loose ends. I must warn you though, Exarch Von Strauss... While I do not wish to hold this information from you, it is your choice whether or not you truly want to know how deep this rabbit hole goes."

 

[Karl Von Strauss]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Meetings
Equipment: Relby k-23 mod. E, NZ PEG, Uniform
Ship: Celestia
Tags: Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Her |

The change was subtle at first, but not subtle enough for Karl not to notice. He had made a career, a life out of noticing what others had ignored. The first thing that caught his eye was the flicker of crimson as it overtook her irises. Then he noticed the pale sheen that overtook her hair like frost crawling across the Ersteel of warships. Even the cadence of her breath changed, like a predator inhaling before a pounce. And with it, the mask she had been wearing melted away; it was replaced by something else. Something colder.

"We are all but pawns dancing in the hands of those who truly know how to pull the strings within this wretched galaxy..."

Those words echoed far louder in his mind than in the sterile chamber around him. It was confirmation. Confirmation of a suspicion he hadn't dared fully voice, even within the most private corners of his mind. Everything, everything that he has witness thus far, wasn't random. It never had been.

He watched her as she pulled a pin from her lapel, one bearing the same sigil that he had just placed upon the table. He voice was steady, it carried weight like a proton torpedo does speed. Smooth, purposeful, and devastating once it lands.

"Tell me...how much do you truly know about the N&Z, Exarch Von Strauss?"

He didn't blink at the question, his posture held firm, but something in his mind coiled ever so tightly. Thousands of thoughts raced through his mind, ordered, sequenced, and then evaluated. He thought of the files he had found buried in obsolete directories that he had gone through on a whim when he was hired on as Division Chief. The 'Zweihander Union.' A name that had surfaced like driftwood from a forgotten wreck. Redacted. Redacted. Redacted. Everything he found had all but the name itself struck through in black. Even the metadata had been scrubbed.

Finally, Karl spoke. Measured and surgical. "Very little." He admitted with mechanical honesty. "I once went through some very old directories and found fragments... files that referenced something called the Zweihander Union. Although the files I found were nothing but skeletons, hollow and stripped. No context. No dates. No authorship. Whoever cleaned them," His eyes focused on the changed visage of Amalia even more."...knew what they were doing. I chose not to dig any further at the time."

He watched as she presented the last question, his eyes narrowing to an impossibly small standard, his eyes were like pinpricks, watching every move with surgical precision.

"It is your choice whether or not you truly want to know how deep this rabbit hole goes."

The faintest twitch pulled at the corner of his mouth. A smile? Perhaps. Or the final ratcheting of a mental bolt locking into place.

"That's the issue, Secretary-General," he said, his voice dropping back into that cold, sharp depth. "All I ever find are rabbit holes. And as much as it has damned me more than once, I am compelled through my very existence, to learn everything. Tell me."

There was no bravado in his tone. No curiosity for curiosity's sake. This was a statement of function. Of design. Karl was a man engineered to know.

Even if the knowing kills me.

 

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Maneuvring
Tag: Karl Von Strauss | Her

"Very little." He admitted with mechanical honesty. "I once went through some very old directories and found fragments... files that referenced something called the Zweihander Union. Although the files I found were nothing but skeletons, hollow and stripped. No context. No dates. No authorship. Whoever cleaned them," His eyes focused on the changed visage of Amalia even more."...knew what they were doing. I chose not to dig any further at the time."

"The Zweihander Union, hmm," A shudder ran through the woman's expression, a smile, but also a memory. She knew the darkness back then as well, the hidden shadows, even when she was but a child. A government portrayed as just, as strong willed and righteous in nature and character. Yet from within it was rotten, devoured by the ambition and the desires of a few. Still, even when she hated what happened to her at the time, even when she hated the choices she had made, He had lifted her up from the pit, his desires had given her purpose. "I was but a child when they were around, but when they lost their driving force, they...just like the company which controlled their assets, plunged into obsoletion, yet unlike the Zweihander Union... the N&Z was more adaptable, more malleable and despite some temporary setbacks, managed to survive and thrive."

Just like I did

A chill began to become noticeable within the conference room, a feeling of unease spreading, like something gnawing at the back of one's mind. despite the lights within the room being as bright as they had been, the room seemed to be more confining, more restrictive. The windows in the conference room seemed to shudder, warping like liquid as a wave seemed to roll throughout the reinforced transparisteel.

"The Child of C project, the Alpha and Omega Directive, the Superbia and the Mobius program...so many operations had occured under the auspices of the Zweihander Union and within the full oversight of the N&Z," The white-haired woman's facial features seemed to blur within her own reflection, her eyes seemed to burn with an unnatural fire within that reflection, hues of gold and crimson, slit pupils revealed within a mass of shadows and blurs. "People died, vanished without a trace. Children taken from their families, from orphanages, from the streets... so many served the state, so many served the Chancellor of the Left and so many eventually became freed by the collapse of the Union, children returning to their parents in high society, to the orphanages which would send those who'd become of age to military academies. So many well-placed pawns, so many unaware of their link to the shadow which still maintains itself within and without the N&Z."

My children, my legacy, my keys

"You are a smart man, Karl Von Strauss , you have a good intuition and you know where to put your chips when it all comes down to the final bet," The woman let out a sigh as she turned her attention towards the Exarch, her blurred and unnatural reflection clearly moving a few moments slower, the eyes first turning towards Karl before the reflection actually synchronised with Rhory again. "Do you not feel the weight of age, the coming end of your life? Would you not wish to see the future successes of your son, the growth of this confederation? Devote yourself to the shadow within the N&Z and such dreams may no longer be distant desires."

 

[Karl Von Strauss]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Meetings
Equipment: Relby k-23 mod. E, NZ PEG, Uniform
Ship: Celestia
Tags: Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory | Her |

For a long moment, Karl said nothing as the offer lingered in the air. His gaze did not waver, nor did it soften. His eyes remained sharp and surgical. But behind them, a storm churned.

"Do you not feel the weight of age, the coming end of your life?" she had asked.

Of course he did. No von Strausshad ever outrun the weight of legacy. Aurtorius was bound to it; his son, Darian, was crushed by it. Selene, driven mad by it. Cassia, killed by it; her son, Cassian, no, Victus, dragged and tortured back into it. And numerous other members of the Von Strauss genetic line were tethered to it by design and genetic engineering. As weapons. As architects. As followers.

Erastes was the first to break his own conditioning, the first to break free from the leash of legacy. And every von Strauss who followed served no master but the one they chose. Freedom, though fragile as it was, had been hard earned.

And yet, here it was again. The whisper of a collar dressed as an invitation. Another being in the shadows, daring him to trade autonomy for something as cheap as longevity. But Karl was no fool. Nor was he prideful enough to mistake negotiation for surrender. Power was power, he thought. Whether it showed its face or not.

He leaned forward, pressing his palms onto the table. His voice, when it came, was low and measured. "Make no mistake, I feel the weight of legacy. But it is not a burden, I fear. It is a blueprint."

He briefly paused, just enough for it to settle. "I am a man of calculation, but I do not play the game to wager small. I play to win. If this shadow you represent truly claims to wield power beyond the reach of the visible order, then it must understand the law of equivalent exchange. Power is not taken. It is traded. Leveraged."

"I have no intention of kneeling." His tone didn't shift but grew colder, like seigurium beneath velvet. "But I would consider a seat at the table. As an equal, not as a servant, nor as a tool, but as a peer."

He tapped his finger on he table once. "My name, the Von Strauss name, does not go in the footnote of someone else's story. Not in this century. Not ever again. If that is unacceptable, then we part ways now. Cordially. Quietly. With no resentment."

He shifted his posture, leaving the desk, and placing his hands onto the back of a chair, standing upright. "But, if like me, you understand that the old models of control are decaying, and that the future belongs to those who build rather than just merely consume, then perhaps..."

He breathed in, "Perhaps we begin negotiating the terms of something... unprecedented."

There was a glint in his eye. A glint of certainty, of a man who knew precisely his worth. And had no intention of selling it for less than everything.

 

[Amalia Visconti | Mira Rhory]

Location: Deinon Station, Chandaar
Objective: Political Maneuvring
Tag: Karl Von Strauss | Her

THEME

"To kneel is not a sin, it is a choice," Amalia's retort to how Karl clearly saw the act of serving another seemed to slightly irk her, as her more expressive face revealed a scowl before it turned into a rather wicked grin. "I choose to serve, and what I have gained in return...is freedom. Had He not taken me into his fold, had He not taken notice of me, I would have been dead, arguably burried, more likely rotting in some unmarked hole in the Galactic Alliance. His blood courses through my veins, his will gives me strength and longevity."

The words uttered by the Director were to be expected from someone with a long lineage and a clear mind and goals to aspire to. No single syllable leaving past his lips managed to surprise Rhory, who simply took in a deep breath after hearing him, she could feel the shift in the air, and as soon as she knelt to the ground, head held low, a massive shadow suddenly appeared all over the windows, as a massive customised Dictator III class battlecruiser revealed itself out of nowhere.

Within the conference room, the lights flickered, with a black miasma seemingly coming out of nowhere, swirling in a single place...

 

[The Lord of Hunger]

LOCATION: Deinon Station, Chandaar
OBJECTIVE: Meet Karl
IMPORTANT LINKS: Sword | Armor | Jewel | Ring | Necklace | DIII Gluttoneria | The guards | The Enforcer
TAG: Her | Karl Von Strauss

"Playing to win would have been enough if this was a game of chess, Director," From out of the swirling black miasma, a figure appeared, one who seemed familiar, with a familiar air, a familiar scent, a familiar face. The resemblance, was uncanny, this was without question a Nargath, with that same build, that same air of authority. However, this one was also different, darker, clearly more dangerous, something made all the more apparent by the blade starpped to his hip, the fact he seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and perhaps even moreso the submissive nature displayed by Rhory in this man(?)'s presence. "Life is a game of chance. No matter how many times you have played sabbac, no matter how many times you have rolled the dice, it is all just luck."

Staring down at the older gentleman, the eyes behind the shades became visible a mere moment before the man removed his shades, revealing vibrantly golden and crimson hued eyes with an animalistic slit pupil, slightly sharper canines visible when a smirk became clear on this godless being's face. "That is...until you learn how to cheat."

Taking a few steps closer, an aura of unease and cold would spread into the room, this man...this thing, seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit, as he continued to smile.

"Think about it...Director, allow that brilliant mind of yours to work...who...am...I?"