Private Tutka'va (Reformation)

[Darth Carnifex]

​

Several weeks had passed since the disastrous meeting of the Sith at the Ascendant Circle Hall, and as the lines of battle were being drawn across the Empire there was a sense of urgency to deny the rebels any foothold in the Empire's vast government. Having already excised those elements proven disloyal to the Empire, the Emperor and the bureaucrats who were charged with running the Empire had met behind closed doors to discuss reforms to the Empire's existing political and military structure. Though the Emperor was loathed to admit it, some of the apostate's concerns were valid enough to warrant a reevaluation of the Empire.​

​

After several days of deliberation, they were finally ready to unveil their decision.​

​

Broadcast across the Empire on all formal frequencies, the symbol of the Empire was displayed awash in a golden light. All other broadcasts were halted in accordance with Imperial directives, and every holo station's usual images were overridden simultaneously. The voice of the Emperor, a voice that the trillions who comprised the Empire were familiar with, boomed over loudspeakers in public forums and out from the mandated holo-comms in every Imperial household. "Citizens of the Empire, hearken to my words." There was a pause, a brief one that lasted only a few seconds. "Unity is the bedrock upon which this Imperium was founded, a glorious union of Sith and Imperial that would serve as the vanguard for the conquest of the galaxy and reestablishment of Order across all known and unknown worlds. But recently, disunity has been allowed to fester, to poison that which has made us strong. I have heard the cries of those who denounce the Empire, who claim that the Sith have forgotten what it means to be Imperial, to forget what united us. I understand such sorrows, and that is why I have convened with the brightest Imperial minds and listened to their counsel."​

​

Another pause as the Emperor collected his thoughts, ​

• "Henceforth, no Sith may be allowed to hold military rank in the Empire. They will stay true to their duties as the guardians of the Empire, with every Sith Lord only being allotted a Legion of five-thousand personal warriors. ​
• The military ranks shall be reorganized and re-classified following inspiration from the ancient Atrisian Empire. The power that they wield has also been altered, and the specific details of which shall be recorded on public records so that all can familiarize themselves. ​
• Likewise, the position of Grand Moff and Moff has been expanded to not only include territorial governors but those of high-ranking agency bureaucrats and middle-ranking agency bureaucrats respectively."​

Again there was a pause, very short. "And to all of those who have been swayed by disloyalty, I offer clemency to those who surrender to the Empire and renounce their treasonous thoughts. You would fight alongside those who would destroy all you have fought and died for in service to bruised pride and egos. The Empire is greater than ego, it is greater than the individual. Remember what your fathers and their fathers fought for, and return home. The offer will not stand for long." The image of the Empire disappeared, and normal programming resumed for many. The full extent of the Empire's reforms were then distributed across the holonet so that all could educate themselves.​

​

Back on Bastion, the Emperor stepped away from the holo-communicator and swept into a large audience chamber filled with loyalist Sith, bureaucrats, military officers, and others who had remained steadfast to the Empire they swore an oath to. The Emperor regarded them passively, his face stoic and emotionless. "The message has been delivered, and now we will see what becomes of those who have broken faith."​

 

[Darth Zveris]

Intresting. The first thought that came to Tykar's mind. "Yet, I do fear they will not be swayed by your message, my Lord. They only respond to force. The New Imperial Order, as they are calling themselves have issued a ',Declaration of Defiance'. They swore an oath to dethrone you and kill us. All of us." He laughed at the last part as he turned to Darth Carnifex . The thought of yet another failed attempt to destoy the Sith was humorous. It was...impossible. There were too many, and many more being trained.

Yes, they could decimate thier numbers but not to this extent. But that didn't really matter for the Legions and the Armada would surely protect them. "My lord, you do understand all of our hierarchy will have to be replaced. Many Lord Admirals in the Armada are Sith Lords and Ladies. I would like to ask to help...oversee the new Armada not as an officer but rather as a mentor. I'm sure the former Supreme Admiral would enjoy my insight as we completely reorganize our forces into a more effective war machine"

 

[Hont Atellies]

“Not all of the hierarchy” Hont exclaimed. He turned to face Darth Zveris “From my perspective, which is why I am here, we are facing a rebellion, and this rebellion is fighting a war against the Sith, not the empire. The hierarchy, unless they truely believe in the nonsense of a couple of Sith or they are that traitorous, shouldn’t defect or be killed.” Hont turned to face Darth Carnifex “Though I am surrounded by people, all of which are above me, I know how to fight, and this one doesn’t require that much fighting. This rebellion is purely motivated to get rid of the Sith currently in power. I believe that was the intent of that “Declaration” because if they were to kill all of us, then there would be nothing to rule, nothing to fight for in the first place. Though we are talking about these Sith, the soldiers have no qualms about fighting the NIO.”

“This war is purely religious, so there are four approaches we can take, and I think that the Emperor knows of them. We can let them go, and let them be chewed up by the reality of governance, we can have a duel to determine what happens, or a battle only involving the Sith which is the best course of action considering there reason for all that is going on, we can fight it like a war, which will result in casualties that could of been avoided, then there is the fourth option.”

“We, and I hate to say this, use our diplomatic power to court other powers into taking down this rebellion. We could potentially win this without wasting a single life.”

“Now, that’s what I was ordered to say on behalf of the men on the ground, the ones who’s lives are really at stake. As much as nearly all of the ground men are willing to support you, if you throw away our lives in this conflict that is between the Sith, not us, then next time you throw us into battle, expect reduced performance and, maybe even desertion, if we are treated horribly. We have lives outside of this war, and especially in a conflict that doesn’t affect the empire as much as outside forces invading us, we feel as if we have had to make our statement regarding our position regarding the recent events and potentially the future”

Hont breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that the men on the ground have had there voices heard, and starts to walk out of the chamber.

 

[Lord Venari]

And by the Emperor's word the reformation had begun. Once more change was in the air. The old ways of the Sith'ariqo would die and be replaced by something newer, stronger, and more capable of bringing order to the galaxy. The heretics and their paradoxical allies in the New Imperial Order would face the mighty Imperial war machine and perish, their memory little more than a note within the archives. The board had been set and the opening moves made. In the weeks since the convocation, a few rogue skirmishes had taken place but now the people had been addressed and the enemy drawn out from the shadows. The traitors were not negligible in number but fell well within Intelligence projections. Not only would the Imperium survive, but the separation of wheat and chaff would see it thrive.

Still, there was much work to be done, and so, many loyalists had been gathered to discuss the reformation. The machine need be well oiled before it was unleashed on their enemies. Venari kept to his seat as others aired their concerns, grievances and thoughts on the matter but as one of the legionaries made for the exit, Venari stood.

"My lord-Emperor, in part I agree with the young legionnaire. A complete overhaul of the upper echelons amidst our many war efforts would impractical, especially when the renegades have revealed themselves. Such paranoid thinking, while useful to certain extents, would have us at each other’s throats before long. We cannot make the same mistakes as our predecessors" the Sith Lord allowed silence to take the room for a moment before continuing, "that said, the implementation of your changes should abate any further dissidence. Ours is not an imitation of the Empires past, even those not touched by the force may find the strength to break their chains."

Venari shifted his gaze from the Emperor to the departing trooper then back, "In regards to Voyance's Keepers, I'd like to speak to the courses our young legionnaires have in mind," the Sith Lord paced in thought, "that is, regulating the coming battles to Sith Loyalists against her Keepers would be folly. The entirety of the Apostate seeks to end our Imperial way of life. They are enemies to us all. Voyance's forces wish to diminish the Imperial structure - adhering only to her interpretation of the code, which is hardly a system of governance. I believe this to be the reason she's allied with the former Lord-General. The two foolishly think themselves a compliment to one another despite their ideological differences. Should they live long enough, infighting is inevitable, for how seriously could either take themselves if they allowed the other to exist?"

Just ahead of his seat, Venari's pacing came to a stop, "we have the resources to entertain their little war. Word has it the NIO is gathering around Nirauan and Tavlar must feel confident after his little stunt at Velmor. Let us play their game, at least at the start. In time the two forces will see how incompatible they are. Add that to the weight of governance and the cracks in their systems will grow into fissures. That will make for the most ideal time to strike," Venari finished with a grin, taking his seat in wait of his peers' input.

 

[Garmac Bloodscale]

Objective: Collect Bounty on Hont Atellies
Equipment: Grenades, Ysalamiri /w Pack, Gravitational field disruptor, Rail charges, Rifle, Rest in sig

Loyalist credits
The dawn burns wholesomely well
Single target marked

This Hont Atellies
A name for my scorekeeper
Points to be earned now!

Atop a building
You conniving scum sucker
Eat Voidstone Grenade!!!

!Thump Thump Thump Thump!
Four times the rifle sounded. And so four Grenades fell apon Hont Atellies and those in the immediate area.
Let the Hunt begin.



​

 

[Hont Atellies]

NotBossk

The first instinct of a soldier who hears the iconic sounds of a grenade launcher is to roll. The grenades blew just as he rolled, Hont alive and well. Hont, being the carry everything for battle everywhere type, easily resisted the shrapnel.

“If it’s about the bounty, bounty hunter, two things. The sith are down there, and if you read the fine print, I am not a target.” So, leave now or I call everyone to your presence.”

After talking about soldiers without getting sentimental, He could talk this out. He isn’t part of some enemy nation or something, so Hont doesn’t feel like anyone should die.

 

[AMCO]

Nodding to those who had already spoken before bowing to the Emperor, the newly-appointed Triumvir of Power moved to speak, his words uttered with the exacting precision of the aristocracy. "I find myself agreeing with the young Legionnaire and Lord Venari, at least to some extent. The traitors do seem like they would naturally be at odds with each other - theocrats and stratocratic secularists. I feel confident leaving the details of how to resolve this situation to the military, however, for strategy is not my forte."

Pausing for emphasis, he turned to matters closer to his heart. "Regarding the military - and the reforms in general - I feel it might be a mistake to exclude Sith from holding such positions as an absolute rule; that being said, I fully support further emphasising the meritocratic nature of our state by stating clearly that mastery of the Force is no qualification for leadership and that Sith who do pursue such paths should be held to the exact same standard as any of our capable officers and administrators."

Even as he stepped back to let others take the word, Adrian was astonished to hear what sounded like an explosion from right outside the audience chamber. "Do we not have security? Someone deal with that."

And with that, he planted his butt firmly back in its seat, for no mere explosion would keep him from a good debate.

Darth Carnifex | Hont Atellies | Lord Venari​

 

[Garmac Bloodscale]

Objective: Collect Bounty on Hont Atellies
Equipment: See first post

Explosions erupt
What! Hont barrel rolls aside?!
Such reflex. Worthy!

" Make no Misssstaake, I NotBosssk am here for you. Sssssiitthh alliesss or not. You are coming with me dead or alive." He hissed giving the air a reptilian growl while changing out ammunition clips for his rifle. He would need something that had much more kick.

Rail Charges.

Thump Foomp Boomp sounded
Sonic speed, three soared true now
Enough to engulf!



​

 

[Hont Atellies]

Hont, as he hears the voice of AMCO calling for security, quickly searches for the entrance into the room, finding it, only as he heard the grenade launcher fire again. He into the room, being blasted over near the centre of the room.

“BOUNTY HUNTER!”

Because of his distance from the explosions, he managed to save his armour, and most importantly himself, from death. He got up and pointed at the door.

“BOUNTY HUNTER!”

 

[Garmac Bloodscale]

Objective: Collect Bounty on Hont Atellies
Equipment: See first post.


Is Target destroyed?
Vision obscured. Blocked from view
The Bounty hunter!

Feth! A nerf calling out for help amidst being hunted by THE predator of the galaxy.
Who could stop NotBossk? Who could stop me?

Scaly hands let the rifle poised to fire drop to hang from the sling around the torso of his yellow heavy flightsuit. Target Lost. " If I am going to be loud withh explosssivessss why not go all the way." The Trandoshan clipping a hand-held remote from his belt, attached said object adjacent to the barrel of his rifle.

He took aim. Not at the target, there was no singular target to see.
He took aim at the roof-top of the building Hont resided in. Calibrated the device briefly to adjust to the total surface area of the building below. How heavy wasss it already. The roof. He could only wonder.

Not heavy enough.

Increase beam. All mass.
Significant total rate.
Weight to tenth power.

Reinforced. It screams.
The Roof and ceiling collapse.
No lives, only points.

Sscorekeepers smile.
Ssso many Jagannath points.
Sssith crushed beneath weight.

" Sssucchh poor architecture and dessignn."
NotBossk grinned wide and hissed watching the roof of such a structure begin to fall inward on itself at a alarming rate. No could only wait now and let his device recharge.

Hont Atellies. Come out.



​

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

Consul Tithe - that was going to take some getting used to - sat in audience chamber amid loyal members of the Sith Empire. Well, not physically, but rather a holographical broadcast; he was attending to business elsewhere. As a member of the working groups who had devised the new bureaucratic and Armada titles, Aerarii had been afforded a position of somewhat significance in the gathering, and was seated toward the front of the room.

From all accounts, and he had not been privy all details beyond second hand accounts, the last convocation had been quickly derailed and seized by the Apostates, who had declared their wishes to sever their ties and form their own fiefdoms. The inclusion of non-Sith in this gathering, from the highest ranked bureaucrat to the lowest ranked legionnaire, allowed for a greater variety of voice and viewpoints. In short order a number of attendees, including Sith Lords and a Legionnaire, expressed concerns about how the coming conflict with the Apostates would be handled.

There was some sort of commotion outside as a freshman bounty hunter attempted to capture a young Legionnaire. How the criminal had managed to infiltrate Ravelin, the Great Imperial Ruling City, would be a matter no doubt investigated and dealt with by harsh punishments against the responsible party. As for the bounty hunter, in a few moments there would not be enough of them to punish. Imperial Crownguards moved to protect the Emperor and his family, while the close protection officers from the various Sith Legions present moved to defend their respective Sith Lords and Ladies. The elite Gelian Sentinels and Imperial Sentinels, charged with securing key sites on Bastion, poured from hidden doorways and flooded outside, quickly closing with and engaging the bounty hunter. Scourge-class War Droids, Titan-class Heavy War Droids and Akguza-class Guard Droids would be on the scene shortly.

“If I may,” Aerarii said, his holographical form raising to his feet. “The reforms do not preclude Sith involvement in the war against the heretics. Sith Lords, armed with their, err, their devastating powers and their loyal Legions, with be instrumental to putting down these enemies to the throne. In fact, they'll operate outside of the usual rigmarole that can slow the march of military might.”

“Military commanders recognise the, ahhh, how can I put this, the unique skills that the Sith bring to battle. I can see no reasonable why a request to be embedded with a unit during a dangerous mission would be turned down.”

He smiled and looked around as some of the Sith seated in attendance. “You just may to, ha, you just may have to ask nicely.”

No one laughed. The silly grin disappeared from the bureaucrats face and he quickly returned to his seat, avoiding eye contact.

The ceiling overhead groaned as an external force acted upon it. The hologram of Aerarii visibly gulped as he looked up. While he was not physically in danger, the immediate risk to the Empire remained. He looked around to the Sith sitting nearby, waiting for them to spring into action. What was gravity compared to the sum of the Emperor’s most loyal supporters?

---

Darth Carnifex | AMCO | Darth Zveris | Lord Venari | Hont Atellies​

 

[Garmac Bloodscale]

Objective: Collect Bounty on Hont Atellies and eavesdrop. Gather intel.​

An entire world seen.
Cast among news and tele.
Scorekeeper see's it.

" I dont have much time."
Alarmed as NotBossk was now.
Failed observation.

" Blasssstted device. Recharge!"
Jagannath never ended.
Twenty five percent.

Amidst such em-some flows of desolation. The entire situation gave off a strange feeling of dread. A feeling that rocked NotBossks bones. Was he losing profit? No. Mental stimulus was ripe. A bounty he came for and a bounty he would pursue. Such was the legacy of his namesake. There was more than one target he could go after if Hont Escaped. IF.

" For the Scorekeeper..." he uttered. With the press of a button a Seeker probe droid was deployed. " Go!"​

 

[Darth Zveris]

"I agree. Holding back the potential of the Bogan can and will be dangerous. However, Legionnaire, you do realize that as a soikder of the Empire you have pledged an oath of allegiance to the Emperor who is the Dark Lord of the Sith. If this war gets out of hand, your services will be required not against the Sith that broke from the Rule of Order but rather against the mundanes that followed them."

At that point he made notice of the Bounty Hunter, not through his vision of current events but rather by sensing the presence of a soul who didn't belong. As the guards moved in he would ignore his gut feeling and allow them to take care of the problem.

"Consul, very funny. But you make a solid case but like I said before, I agree with Lord Venari, eventually the burdens of governance and lordship will cause Tavlar to rectify his mistakes. No they won't come crawling to our knees begging for mercy, no, not yet. They will attempt to conquer and sway the worlds of the unknown regions to thier cause and when Tavlar understands what it ruky means to be a leader, he'll come back to us. Not right away, he'll face tragedy, loss, suffering while we prosper. And that i s only the tip of the iceberg. When Voyance realizes that Tavlar and those who follows him have devolped a disdain for Sith, she'll regret her oath of allegiance. Eventually, tension will rise between the two entities and war will brew. Third shattered

 

[Hont Atellies]

Getting up from where he fell, Hont dusted himself off and pushed up back to where he first spoke.

“We are more than happy to fight for you, but if the leader of this group of Sith is willing to resolve the conflict without the use of us or there soldiers, than we want to stay out. You, you questioned my, and our troops loyalty to our emperor, that is something that shouldn't ever be said to us. WERE the ones who sacrifice ourselves for all in this empire. WERE the ones who give up our families, sons and daughters to protect this empire. WERE the ones who follow orders to the letter, no matter what we think of them. It is disgraceful to see that someone in this room openly questions our loyalty. YOU should’ve be the one who we question! Not us, the ones who die in these wars. We just want to minimise the amount of inexcusable bloodshed, the amount of equipment lost and the moral of the troops potentially having to face soldiers that they fought and bled for. Now if your done tarnishing the reputation of the legions of this empire, I would advise you to stay silent.”

With the internal forces dealing with the bounty hunter, Hont waits in the room, determined to get out ASAP.

 

[Lord Venari]

There was word of some rabble outside attacking the building that housed the audience chamber. Venari thought it a joke at first, as even with the outstretched touch of the force he felt nothing but the slightest of shutters. But, the return of the young Legionnaire served to confirm such an attack, however inconsequential. It would continue to mystify Venari how one managed to sneak onto one of the most secure planets in the galaxy, let alone attack a structure with so many of the upper echelons within the Empire, including the Emperor himself. One would think the task near impossible especially considering the equipment they must be carrying, but then, how successful could it have been if a targeted soldier made it back inside in time to continue the deliberation. With an arguably unwise, yet admirably bold retort at that. Venari spoke up, ever the mediator.

"Young Legionnaire, I do not believe it Lord Xer's intention to call you or your men's loyalty into question. Rather, he's emphasizing unity in his own way and the point that Apostate forces, all of them, shall not spare any among the Empire except those who defect. Left unchecked by our combined efforts, they will play threat to us all. We needn't forget what befell the Cognus legion at the hands of Tavlar's forces at Velmor. Voyance and her Keepers are his ally. Even if we chose to leave the Imperial military out of the fighting, they would not extend the same courtesy. The legion is a part of the Sith-Imperial Empire. One's plight is the plight of all. Your fervor and willingness to speak your mind is both valued here and commendable, but remember whom you stand among. All in this room, both high and low, have dedicated themselves to the Empire and are equally loyal. The real enemy is out there, apparently trying to attack us as we speak. Let them not drive a wedge between us all," the Sith lord finished.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Emperor listened, silent and contemplative. ​

​

He listened to the concerns of the soldiery and to those of the Sith in equal measure, absorbing all information that was laid out before him. He did not interject or disrupt, but he merely lent them his time and his attention without compromise. In truth, he was pleased by them all. Each one fought for the Empire for a different reason, but ultimately the thread that bound those reasons together were one and the same.​

​

It was something that the rebels had failed to grasp, failed to comprehend. ​

​

The Empire was greater than the individual, greater than ego. He nodded and then finally spoke when there was a suitable air of silence, "All of you speak passionately and truly, and that pleases me greatly. I understand the concerns of the military, a facet of this growing unrest is ecclesiastic in nature. But you must remember, those who have broken away from the Empire for secular disputes have lain in bed with those who have turned their backs for religious disagreements. They are one and the same, and we must face them with equal measure. We are not just Sith, nor are we just Imperial. We are Sith-Imperial, two that are one. Our strength is derived from our unity of purpose, a strength they seek to undermine by sowing the seeds of chaos. They seek nothing more than the dissolution of order in the galaxy." ​

​

He breathed in deeply, "Before this Empire was established, this entire swath of space was chaotic and lawless. Deranged cultists ran rampant, pirates plundered without restrain, and the Jedi held sway over the sacred places while smothering Imperialist sentiment in the cradle. We brought order to this space, we cannot afford to let it be broken again. These rebels will damn themselves just as much as they will damn us, the Jedi will reclaim what we had taken from them and all we have built will be unmade. There can be no room for disagreements here, there can be no room for hesitation... Either we all fight together, or we will all be destroyed."​

​

Darth Zveris | Hont Atellies | Lord Venari | AMCO | Aerarii Tithe ​

 

[Darth Zveris]

He rraised his eyes at the young legionarie. "Watch what you say to me, other than that you speak like a warrior and for that I must commend you. You have no fear of what I can do. No fear of the consequences that could infer from your uncareful choice of words. Because of this, you have both earned my trust and gained my support. You and the loyal troopers of the Legions have fought blindly for us but you see you don't serve us you serve the greater good of the Empire and for that we are greatful" he replyed to the Hont Atellies .

When the Emperor spike, he shuddered. "It couldn't have been said better. We must stand together to meet this threat, hand in hand, military and Sith regardless of current policy. Yes, I must admit I preferred to remain member of the Armada thus retaining my position but...in the name of cooperation I will do what is required of ms"

Darth Carnifex | Lord Venari | Hont Atellies | Aerarii Tithe | AMCO ​

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

Aerarii listened as the young Legionnaire made an impassioned speech about valuing the lives and sacrifices of his brothers and sisters in arms. While he wore the armour of a soldier, he spoke with an ease and intelligence that was rarely valued in his profession. Glory, victories and kill tallies were the usual means by which one ascended the hierarchy of the Legion. Tithe made note of Hont’s name on his datapad. The young man could go far in the bureaucracy if he was willing to throw down his blaster and commit himself to a less barbaric way of serving the Empire.

That the Sith Lords and Ladies present were listening and engaging in debate with the Legionnaire was significant. It had not been that long ago that any major decision about the Empire had taken place behind doors sealed to those who did not wield the Force. The Sith Empire had lived up to its name by giving the space wizards commanding positions across all aspects of the Empire, military and bureaucracy. That they were willing to relinquish some of their power to others struck Aerarii as a sign that things were changing, even if only temporarily. Maybe the Apostate threat was larger than he had considered, and that the Empire was being held together rather than standing strong?

“Against a unified Empire, these heretics stand little chance,“ he mused. “Our borders cover hubs of galactic commerce, resource rich worlds, and some of the finest manufacturers of arms and vessels. War with these Apostates will bring purpose and motivation to millions.” It would also allow Aerarii and his colleagues at the Sith-Imperial Banking Clan to enact emergency taxation measures to help top up the Imperial treasuries. Wars could be a profitable venture, even if you found yourself on the losing side.

---

Darth Carnifex | Darth Zveris | Lord Venari | Hont Atellies​