Those That Will Rise

[Subject 37]

Inner Rim
[member="Tytos Ardik"]

Tyrian stood motionless on the edge of the landing platform, his face covered by the mask he'd worn since the day Lord Nashar had taken him from the front lines.

A grimace pulled across his features as she spotted the small speck of a starcraft traveling through the atmosphere. The HUD in his mask zoomed in on the ship for a brief moment, identifying it as the vessel he was waiting for. He frowned for just a moment more, sliding both of his arms behind his back.

In truth he hadn't intended for this meeting to take place for quite some time, but after his engagement on Serenno and Lord Yidhra's Reclamation of Raekkar things had begun to move a bit faster than he'd anticipated. The Sith Empire was in full swing, the influx of soldiers, materials, and further Force Users from the Fall of the Resurgent Empire were having a notable effect on the fledgling faction. That speed was something Tyrian now had to contend with.

Unfortunately, he could not do so alone.

Though the Empire was ruled at it's head by Sith, it like every other government was supported by a backbone of regular people, people like Tyrian. The Sith were ultimately in command of course, but they still relied on their soldiers and bureaucrats to do most of the actual work. It was no different from how the Resurgent Empire functioned, no different then how any Empire functioned.

That meant it could be exploited in exactly the same way.

Tyrian knew this, he just needed the means to carry out his plan.

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Tyrian"]

Tytos Ardik flew in style. Anything less than a star yacht he would have considered an indignity. The room to his suite slid open for his attendant droid, who found the Umbaran standing in front of a mirror, straightening his tie. He was starting to prefer his governor's uniform to these suits. It looked sharper; efficient and authoritarian. But this was not the business of Bakura's Governor, this was the business of an intergalactic Syndicate. "We'll be landing shortly, sir."

The Umbaran nodded. The droid left without any further input, merely awaiting its master near the main hold. Once landing procedures had finished and the loading ramp descended, Tytos and company exited the ship. His was not a large retinue - just the droid. The service droid in question looked almost unnecessarily sinister given its role, but such was the design choice. If necessary there were others aboard the ship, but then Tytos doubted it would come to that. When did it ever? The individual waiting for him wore a hood and mask, bu her was no Sith. He could not truly be of that cult of psychopaths. For starters, it was just the mask that made him uneasy. Not an intrinsic aura.

Call him old-fashioned, but he liked to see faces when making deals. He did not move very far away from the loading ramp once disembarking. "Lieutenant Allara," he said by way of greeting. "You wished to speak with me?"

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Tytos Ardik"]

"I do." Tyrion said with a short bow of his head.

In truth he wasn't entirely sure what the protocol was with a man like Ardik. He was well versed in dealing with Sith, acting differential and in general agreeing with everything that was said even if it included committing suicide. He presumed that it wasn't quite the same with Tytos, but he could only guess that the man demanded a great deal of respect. Either way Tyrian wasn't about to try and insult the man, thus why he had invited him here in the first place.

"Please." Tyrian began. "Follow me."

Without another word Tyrian turned and headed inside, walking down the ramp and leading Tytos towards a large set of double doors. Once they were inside Tyrian reached up and slowly undid the straps of his mask.The thing was mostly worn during combat anyway, it wasn't as though he were attempting to hide his identity.

Once they stood inside he turned towards the man, his almost ghostly face more than obvious as he pulled down his hood. "I don't mean to keep you here all day, Mr. Ardik, so I'll keep this simple."

No need to drag it all out.

"I intend to Ascend to great heights within the Sith Empire." The difficulty of that could not be understated. "To do so I require allies."

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Tyrian"]

Tytos followed Tyrian, droid trailing after them silently. There must have been sound dampeners installed on it; the thing barely made a sound. Tyrian only removed his mask once they were indoors. He was certainly pale enough to be an Umbaran. Ghastly pale, grimly determined, Ty- first name. Maybe they were related. That would have made rendering assistance more obligatory than optional for most people. Fortunately he knew better than that. Tyrian's file said he was an Icarii... Among other things.

In any event, Tytos listened carefully. A common soldier ascending to great heights within a Sith Empire? Unheard of. Unless that soldier suddenly developed overt Force Powers. Then they'd just make him a Sith, but at least he stood a fighting chance that way. Other than that, Tyrian could probably snag a position as some Lord's lapdog. Maybe a trusted adviser of the Dark Lord. "A commendable goal, if vague," Tytos replied. If Tyrian had expected a warmer response, he came to the wrong Umbaran. "Do you envision an ascent through the military ranks? Become a general?"

Something told Tytos there was a greater goal than that in mind. Judging from his record, all Tyrian needed to do for his next promotion was kill two Jedi instead of one. Not something he needed an outsider's help with.

"Maybe you have a more administrative objective in mind. Sector Governor, perhaps."

Oh, imagine that, having the Imperial Governor of the Pentastar Alignment owe him favors. Tytos could surely dream.

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Tytos Ardik"]

Administration had never truly been within his bag of tricks, he had not the mind for it. He was brutal and effective, but usually only on the field of battle or behind the scenes. Bureaucratic work wasn't something he was used to, though that was why he relied on others. The Lieutenant gave Tytos a brief smile, shifting his weight for a moment before addressing him.

"The Empire is a fledgling state." Everyone could see that. "It is still new to the galaxy, and with that comes opportunity."

He surely wasn't the only one who had noticed that. There were thousands now flocking to the Tingel arm in anticipation of the coming shift of power. The Resurgent Empire had fallen, The Dominion was slowly toppling, and in all likelihood the Silver Jedi weren't long for this galaxy either. Now was the time to capitalize on all of this, to build ones base of power.

"The Sith, whether they admit it or not rely on people like myself, like yourself." He began to walk towards a large conference room at the end of the hall.

"They either think themselves above simple tasks or the thought never occurs to them." Tyrian shrugged. "I intend to seize a portion of power within the Empire both through Military and Civil means."

Raekkar was already his, or rather Yidhra's, but it's resources were at his disposal. "The Sith are focused upon one another, vying among themselves for whatever scrap of power they can find."

He smiled.

"That is what I intend to exploit." Tyrian explained. "I will play the good little soldier, until I have what I need to make my move."

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Tyrian"]

Tyrian sounded like he knew what he wanted. But it was only sound. Noise. Content wise, there seemed to be a lot missing. Maybe he was waiting to get to the point. Tytos was not much for waiting, especially when he suspected something was about to be asked of him. Military and civil means. What doggerel. Vague, vague doggerel and a non-answer to his questions. "Yes, most Sith would consider you beneath their notice, I imagine. A helpful advantage." He replied.

Most, if not all, come to think of it. Frankly Tytos was beginning to wonder why he had taken notice himself. He had a Morgukai on his staff, killing one Jedi wasn't exactly a big deal in light of that. Well, he was already here. No sense leaving when it could still possibly get good, however slim those odds were. Being beneath the notice of a bunch of cretinous sorcerers was not a grand selling point. Some details on the objective and endgame, however...

"And what precisely does the end result of 'your move' look like? What is the expected state of affairs once your... Goals are achieved?" Civil and military means were all well and good, but it didn't answer his question. Was Tyrian angling to become some sort of independent warlord, if not a lofty position in the military or an authoritative one in the bureaucracy? Anoint himself king of some random planet?

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Tytos Ardik"]

"A seat at the proverbial table." Tyrian stated simply. "I intend to hold enough power economically, militarily, and industrially to form policy within the Empire."

His goal wasn't some unreachable tangent that could never come to him, quite the opposite. The Empire was built on the foundations and beliefs of the Sith. The core of those beliefs? 'Might makes right'. Perhaps the Sith within The Empire thought such things applied to only themselves, but they were sorely mistaken. Another small smile touched his lips, though why was difficult to say.

The Soldier remained silent for a moment, then continued on. "I understand your misgivings, you have no idea who I am or what I am capable of."

Simple fact, to the galaxy at large Tyrian was a nobody.

"I served the Empire under Lord Nashar, a failure true, but he taught me much." He walked around the table in the conference room, keying in a quick code before activating a small holo-projector in the center. A bright orb sprang to life, easily identifiable as a planet. "Through a bargain with a Pureblood Sith I've gained partial control of a world known as Raekkar. Along with this before the fall of the Resurgent Empire I formed a small contingent of soldiers."

He glanced up at the Hologram. "I intend to parlay these two advantages into greater favor over the next few months, gaining notoriety within The Empire."

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Tyrian"]

Tytos and his droid remained on the opposite end of the conference table. A hologram flickered to life, displaying a planet, but not one Tytos could immediately recognize.

Ah, now he could see. Control, influence. These were the things Tyrian wanted. Not in any one area, but in all of them. But this wasn't power for the sake of power, Tyrian seemed to have a vested interest in shaping the fate of the Empire. Essentially just a Warlord until he got himself an official position. Tytos could only guess as to his motivations. Perhaps there was some deep philosophical reason; like to show the Sith that one did not necessarily need magic to make their fortunes. Maybe he was being directed by Vrak Nashar still and just didn't want to admit it. Maybe he just wanted to see if he could. Unless Tytos strapped the Icarii into a chair and broke out the interrogator droids, his motives would probably remain a mystery. Not that this would happen, because Tyrian's reasoning for doing things were not especially relevant.

So long as Tyrian was willing to play ball, working in good faith for the mutual benefit of both parties, he could be doing this because the Great Juju atop the Mountain was directing him with its Divine Will.

Not that he would. Or if he did, not for very long. This was a man mentored by Sith playing the same games as Sith. Tytos would not curse his sudden and inevitable betrayal, but there would still be opportunities to glean profit from his ascent. If not, the Syndicate was big enough to shrug the cost. "And what do you imagine the Syndicate can do to help in this endeavor?"

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Tytos Ardik"]

Good, now they were getting somewhere at the very least. Tyrian couldn't stand this for much longer. Though discussion and pleasantry were all well and good, he much preferred actually doing things. It wasn't enough to just talk about it, he preferred to get it all over with.

"Raekkar has shipyards, mines, and fledgling industry." Factories were slowly being built, mines were being dug deeper, and things were moving quick enough to be noted even off-world, but it wasn't enough. They needed trade, they needed certain goods, and most importantly they needed inroads to form bonds throughout the galaxy. Tyrian needed to form a dependency, tie others to himself so that when the time came he could use them.

"I need them all to grow." He stated simply. "The Syndicate has information on Bankers, Governors, people of note."

He waved his hand. "I need that information."

Forcing someone into business was much easier if you had a little bit of dirt on them.

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Tyrian"]

Tytos raised an eyebrow. "Indeed we do."

The Syndicate's people were implanted deep in the Alignment. At this point, anyone of even a remote category of wealth couldn't so much as jaywalk without someone finding out and demanding money to keep quiet. That was the sort of soul-crushing monopoly that was as difficult to maintain as it was lucrative. And for that reason it was not very often that they parted with usable intelligence. If someone contracted them to, say, find out of their husband was cheating on them, then the Syndicate would reveal that information as per their contract. Even criminals had to abide by written agreements every now and again. Kept things moving.

But if the Syndicate happened upon knowledge of an affair without a prior request, then they sat on that information. Then they used it for their own devices, strictly for themselves. It would take a lot of money on the suspicious wife's part to free up that information. Have to make up for money lost on blackmail, after all. What Tyrian wanted was far more valuable than knowledge of an unfaithful spouse. If the bankers, investors, and politicians the Syndicate had on file were suddenly being blackmailed by two different people - one for hush money and the other for investment - then they would be more likely to fold and kill themselves than keep paying up.

Tytos could hardly believe how common the suicides among blackmail targets were when he first assumed office. You know things are getting out of hand when you have to send the blackmailers to sensitivity training.

But no, information like that could not be sold away. The Syndicate would lose its edge. Fortunately, there was a different way. "I am not able to sell information we have acquired. Company policy, you understand," he sounded somewhat apologetic, even if in a matter-of-fact way. "If you would like such individuals to consider assisting the development of Raekkar, we would be able to incentivize them to do so. For a modest fee, of course."

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Tytos Ardik"]

He perked an eyebrow.

The compromise was clearly not a suggestion, rather more an authoritative claim. Tyrian couldn't really blame the man of course, he was trying to hold up a commodity, one that only he had control of. For a second the soldier mused, turning away from Tytos and glancing out of the massive window behind him.

"Very well." He said, turning towards Tytos.

The unfortunate truth was that Tyrian needed that information. Raekkar would grow, but it couldn't do it alone. Support from the surrounding planets would have to be garnered and such a thing was much easier to acquire when you had the proper leverage. Once that leverage was gained things would change of course, planetary contracts would be maintained and Tyrian would be able to handle his own business, but starting up was different.

Especially since to much of the galaxy he was still a no one.

For now. "In return?"

There was always a price, particularly with Criminal Syndicates. Tyrian didn't mind paying of course, he had money, but he doubted Tytos was really all that interested in a simple mound of credits. It seemed far too...simple for the man.

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Tyrian"]

"These are investors," Tytos explained. "Treat them as they are. Keep them abreast of the improvements they are funding. When you begin to see returns, send them their dividends. The Syndicate will take its cut from there. We will also appoint a liaison to work with you; assist in tracking progress. If there are some things being funded that would induce panic should the investors be made aware of them, you will make sure the liaison is informed instead."

Arm-twisting or not, blackmail or not, if some of these people found out they were funding some sort of death camp, they would try to run. Or, again, kill themselves. Running was more of a nuisance, they never got very far before the Syndicate wrangled them back in these days. But dead people were of no use, even if they did have next of kin. As for what Tytos wanted, it appeared the simple mound of credits was enough. Then again, if payments fell short and money was being lost, that was the Syndicate began seizing property. Calling in favors.

If Tyrian's operation succeeded, then the Helix Syndicate made money and a reasonable ally. If it failed, Tyrian and whatever he had managed to build up would be shackled to them forever. A slave to their substantial debts. When a company that specializes in acquiring leverage over people gets this big, it no longer matters if its investments had returns. There were always the casinos. There were always the mines. There were always the prisons. The only thing left to achieve was more influence, more manpower, more collateral. More pawns.

"Provided you find that agreeable, we'll start at once."

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Tytos Ardik"]

How unequivocally boring.

He supposed that to some men Money made the galaxy go around, but it just seemed so...ordinary. Amusement played across his feature for a few seconds, but he said nothing. The deal wasn't really all that terrible, and investment would be quickly and swiftly repaid anyway and no one really ever had to know what was going on. The idea of a 'liason' did not sit well with him, but if any such person got in the way...Tyrian had no issue with making them disappear.

Raekkar was a dangerous place after all. "Very well."

He wondered for a brief moment what Yidhra might say about all of this. No doubt she wouldn't understand why they needed outside help, but then again Sith were always so very full of themselves. Raekkar would grow, it would prosper, and with it Tyrian's fortunes would rise.

"I will give you a list." Tyrian stated simply. "Men and women who need to be convinced."

Trade was the most important thing for now, and with the Empire's increased militarization it would be easy enough to win over more than a few planets even without the Syndicates help.

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Tyrian"]

"Splendid." Such an odd word to hear from someone who sounded as far removed from being pleased as possible.

Not that he was displeased. His expectations had been met, to say the least. If they hadn't, he probably would have said some rude things and then left. Fortunately everything seemed to be moving towards a more productive outcome. Since Tyrian had a list already in mind, this would be a much faster process. Especially if they already had these people on something else, as Tytos already expected.

"You'll be hearing from them shortly," Tytos replied. Relatively shortly. But faster than if he had been dealing with some random small-time Syndicates, that was for sure. "We'll be sending you the requisite forms to fill out in the meantime. A formality, you understand."

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Tytos Ardik"]

Tyrian perked an eyebrow.

Paperwork? What was this a governing bureaucracy? He waved his hand dismissively. "Sure."

There were a dozen underlings in the Legion that could handle such things, not that it mattered much in the long run. Tyrian intended to ascend above such things in short order, though he'd suspect Yidhra would disagree with just how he was going about these sorts of things.

Not that it mattered all that much.

"You'll hear from me soon." Tyrian told the man. "There is much still to do."

His words were rather poignant, clearly urging the man to leave.

There was other business to attend to.

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

[member="Tyrian"]

Clearly Tyrian was not a man to be bothered with such trivialities as proper documentation. Definitely a sure sign that he was not, in fact, some sort of secret Ardik. Still, there were others in the Helix Syndicate who would need to be informed of the arrangement brokered here today. The easiest way to do that and show them what they needed to be doing was to show them a file, rather than have Tytos deliver everything by word of mouth.

Besides, there needed to be proof Tyrian was actually involved in these dealings and that this wasn't some obscure attempt to launder money from the Syndicate.

Tytos detected he was being dismissed. Fine by him. "It has been a pleasure, Lieutenant." He said, nodding politely. Mostly true. At the least it hadn't been a disaster.

His business concluded, Tytos and his droid departed.