Private What Is Left

[Thorus Valerian]

Nimian Totan​

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Outer Rim Territories | Cholganna | High Command Center
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Valerian was on Cholganna and in old Confederation space for the first time. The ISS Adamant Resolve had exited hyperspace a few hours earlier and its speartip shape had glided through the void while hailing, sending and receiving security codes and clearances, even going through a intensive scan to prove they did not hold any surprises. They harbored none. The majority of the Shattered Legions was on board the ship, together with its equipment and supplies - as few as they had.

A gunship had transported him and his staff to the surface of the lush, green world. Though the view of far reaching forests disappeared quickly, replaced by ferrocrete and banners. Imperial standards high and bright, brutalist architecture made practical, the Imperial headquarters was neither unique nor mistakeable for anything but a show of imperial military dominance. Valerian's heart felt heavy at the sight, both cheerful and melancholic.

He walked through the clean corridors with calm and confident steps, his helmet held firmly in his armpit with the grey eyes scan the soldiers around with a watchful gaze.

They were early. Apparently, too early for their meeting would only start in an hour. Therefore Valerian nodded his staff off to take a moment of respite and calm before walking off himself, eventually in a gallery overlooking vast outside hangars for vehicles and depots of equipment. He stood there, silently, in deep thoughts, just staring outside at imperial warmachine and troops.

 

[Nimian Totan]

Location: Imperial Command Spire, Cholganna
Objective: Making Contact
Tags: Thorus Valerian

Nimian was no diplomat, he had no great gift of gab to sway foreign powers. His ability to lead and command was sufficient, he just had no patients for these matters. However, in the times of Imperial recession, many men were called to do things outside of their scope. Just as a soldier would charge headlong into the unknown, this commander took it upon himself to move out of his comfort zone.

Boots clacked against the stony floor of the spire, it was a clatter that was all to familiar to military men. Leather jackboots and plastoid armor creating an odd rhythm that heralded the arrival of the Lieutenant Colonel. It was the kind of clatter that usually meant another day of drudgery.

With a mechanical whirr, the large doors of the meeting room slowly opened. There was a scent of synthetic cleaners permeating the room, everything was a white or gray color, and the faux wood of the desk was polished to a nearly mirror sheen. Perfect, unnaturally so...

Nothing about this space felt lived in, nothing was out of place at all. It created this facade of normalcy that was almost toxic. One thing dared ruin this symbolic purity. Nimian sneered as he ran a single black gloved finger over the slightest mote of dust on the table. One would think the dustmites had personally offended him with their mere existence. He would make sure to put in a note to ensure a thorough dusting of the table before his next meeting.

Out of respect, Nimian saluted Thorus, acknowledging his experience and rank. "Salutations to you General, I do hope you've found out facilities to be sufficient."

Nim wasn't the kindest of souls, but he knew rank. Rank begot respect, period. Whether that person earned their badges in blood, coin, or cold bureaucracy didn't matter. Those patches and insignias were signs that shouldn't be ignored. This old man had no doubt seen some of the worst things in the galaxy, or committed them.

"With our greetings out of the way, I look forward to coming to an understanding with you. There is much that our people have to gain from one another." Nim smirked, adjusting his cap as he waited for a rebuttal.​

 

[Thorus Valerian]

Nimian Totan​

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Outer Rim Territories | Cholganna | High Command Center
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Valerian returned the salute, crisp and accurate as expected of an imperial officer. He did not know the figure, but observed the officer with some curiosity, grey eyes looking at the man and recognised another son of war. He wore the insignia of a Lieutenant Colonel with some pride and natural confidence that it was obvious he was an imperial soldier by profession.

"Lieutenant Colonel, thank you. And I find them . . . reassuring. What is your name?"

His hand rested on his back, clenching and releasing in a tick he had developed over many years of idleness and waiting. It was as much a method of expressing mental relaxation as well as the displeasure of not moving. His form of meditation, essentially.

Though now he perked a brow in confusion. The officer intended to speak for the Final Dawn apparently, though he had expected someone more senior. Neither a matter of ego nor of offence, Valerian had conversed with Sularen before already. It mattered little.

"The Imperial cause never lacks the need for cooperation and coordination. Our paths have always ended up in either disaster, isolation or petty pride hurt. Or all of them. Something tells me that the time for such plays is dangerously close to being at its end."

"Have you been serving under the Supreme Commander for a long time?"

 

[Nimian Totan]

Location: Imperial Command Spire, Cholganna
Objective: Making Contact
Tags: Thorus Valerian

Nimian watched the man as he spoke, taking a silent measure of him as he spoke. He was a serious man, as many commanders of men were. It was interesting to meet someone so evenly yolked, refreshing even. The way he spoke was cool, collected, not a breath wasted on platitudes or empty praise.

"Not long at all actually, only a few months now. Myself and my men have been through the wringer as it were." There was a short pause, one that gave Nim time to think on his next words. "Before then we were based out of Mon Cala and were upholding the banner of The Empire Of The Lost, for what little that matters now."

There was a time in between those two points, one where he had contact with another Imperial Remnant, but it seemed irrelevant now. That would be a secret others didn't need to know. As far as anyone knew, Nim was a ghost that just appeared one day.

"I'm sure you need no initiation, but Imperial Remnants seem to rise and fall with the tides. Dictators and the like are commonplace in the galaxy at the moment. I suppose Military Juntas are very much in fashion..."

Nimian had trailed off, letting himself get too loose with his words. Maybe he was a bit too comfortable in front of this potential new ally. Regardless, they would have to see where each other stood. And whether or not The Final Dawn would have the same finality its name suggested.

Maybe Sularen would be the one to finally raise an empire that would cross the galactic borders...​

 

[Thorus Valerian]

Nimian Totan​

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Outer Rim Territories | Cholganna | High Command Center
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Valerian listened to the man's responses, a neutral expression written on his weathered face as he followed the brief elaboration. It was not difficult to see that there were differences in them. The officer tried to be diplomatic, include some causal talk of the state of the New Order and it was not at all wrong what he said, but it was unnecessary. From where he stood and why he was here, the remnant of the Final Dawn was a mere candidate of choice of his superior to become acquainted with, a single step towards transferring Imperial resources where they were needed the most.

"I see," He was no politician at best of times. "What brought you and your men here?" Valerian pushed the conversation ahead, as he felt awkward seemingly not to be entitled to hear the name of the man he was talking to.

The Praetorian placed his crested helmet on the table nearby and sat down in one of hte present chairs, moving his tabard and sheathed sword out of the way in a manner that suggested he did that subconsciously. A slight sigh escaped him as he leaned back and kept his gaze trained on the other Imperial.

"My formation, the Shattered Legions, are a combination of various units that have banded together in the wake of the fall of the Core. We are nominally at roughly a Corps' Legion strength in manpower. Our heavy support is limited but armour and artillery is present. Operational mobility is limited. I assume such are of interest to the Supreme Commander, therefore forward the information to him." From a pouch on his belt he grabbed a datacron and placed it on the table, his hand staying on it for another moment. "Everything is on here, for him and only him."

His thundercloud-like eyes, heavy with what they have seen, looked at the nameless Lieutenant-Colonel.

 

[Nimian Totan]

Location: Imperial Command Spire, Cholganna
Objective: Make Contact
Tags: Thorus Valerian

Nimian reclined back in his chair, looking pensive as his eyes rather uncomfortably looked around. It was a valid question, but he had very few answers. What drew his men here was desperation, a fear of having to survive off marauding and raiding. He grumbled a bit before finally breaking the somewhat awkward silence.

"The 219th and I have been following the current, so to speak. We've worked for several different entities, none of which have lasted long. We have been hoping that there would be some place that we could call home. My men are loyalists to the Imperial ideology, and we will die before we lay down our banners..."

He realized he'd gotten too wrapped up in himself, something he was often want to do. He realized the atmosphere of the conversation was quickly becoming dour. He despised overly serious conversations, they were simply too dry for his liking.

"But I am being far too self absorbed in this conversation. Why, I didn't even give you my name. I can hardly have you going around calling me Lieutenant Colonel all evening," He said, holding out his hands in a disarming gesture. "I am Nimian Totan, leader of the 219th battalion, formerly Empire of the Lost."

Nimian then listened to the strength in the voice of the older man. He was quite an interesting individual as things went. It was clear the man had stories to tell. He wondered how many of the stories would be about the battlefield...

"A full Corps of troops all coming from the core? I am stunned... Why, with numbers like that, you could make an honest go of taking a planet!" Nimian seemed excited at the idea, smirking as he continued. "I wonder, what sort of armor are your forces equipped with? I only have a few sections of light repulsor craft and attack bikes. Nothing to write home about unfortunately..."​

 

[Thorus Valerian]

Nimian Totan​

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Outer Rim Territories | Cholganna | High Command Center
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Valerian felt with the man. He could relate.

After fighting for the cursed Galactic Empire, if he had not been adopted by the Moff of Nirauan, there would not have been much for him to do either, drifting and following what were his personal beliefs. But the Imperial banner stood above all and now, especially now, it stood above every Sith and Force user, forever. Valerian was not willing to bend the knee to some twisted entity anymore.

The sudden introduction caught him slightly off-guard and also melted reservations. He was a soldier. Nimian was a soldier. Breaks in social etiquette were forgivable and he took the hand with a firm grip and nod. "Thorus Valerian."

"No," He smiled, "my words might have been ill phrased there. By standards of the Stormtrooper Corps, we are nominally at Legion strength." The Praetorian corrected his own words to avoid any misunderstanding, even though the enthusiasm was somewhat amusing. "Our primary armored unit is the Gladius-repulsor. We recently got a new batch and we are very satisfied. Our All Terrain-units are severely depleted though, so is our artillery."

"Supply and production are scarce at this point. We Imperials have a habit of hoarding for ourselves - a good commander prepares and we want the troops we bleed with to be prepared and supplied as good as they can be. But I feel like we are at a stage when personal reserves need to submit to the greater needs, it may not be easy, yet necessary."