Private When the moon rises

[Adron Malvern]

ILLYRIA​

Tags: Luna Terrik ​

Illyria ~ Dragonne Palace
​

The Court of Summer.

In ancient times the Illyrians never had a name for their unified military, because one had not existed before Adron Malvern took control of the world and set it upon a solidary path. In the first few years of his rule, the King demanded that a standing Royal Army be raised to protect the planet and all those that inhabit it. The Court of Summer was made up of a number of components including the Royal Navy, Royal Army, The Armed Knighthood, and the Auxiliary Corp. Service within His Majesty's Armed Forces was something that the Monarchy wanted to be viewed as the highest honor.

The King sat upon his throne as the early morning sun began to shine through the windows that were suspended high above the lower floor. His amethyst eyes were fastened on a datapad within his hands. It displayed a number of things including a recently taken census of the armed forces and the status of the many projects being undertaken to progress the military. Although the King had made this his personal focus, the High Court had been directed to do otherwise. He could not evenly divide their attention between the economy and the military so he ordered his Chancellor's to focus on bringing the economy's technological standing to the Galactic Standard. Of course, the King had been able to call on a specialist, Cali Ziiva to aid in their progress. As his Chief Consultant for manufacturing and technology she would oversee most of the innovations to come.

That left Adron mind space to deal with the planet's fledgling military.

Luckily his time in the Galactic Empire and serving as The Confederacy's Minister of War had made him an educated man in the topic of the armed forces. However there was one unifying factor that he could not ignore.

He let out an exasperated sigh, deactivating the datapad as he brought a single hand over his mouth in consideration.

Just then a voice called out to him. "Tea, your majesty?" Jean held out a silver tray with a single tea cup set in the center of it. The King took notice of how the teacup was clear of any stray droplets and centered flawlessly. The Chamberlain leaded ever so slightly with a single arm held behind his back. His platinum hair was hemmed into a neat ponytail while he presented the piping hot drink. Adron nodded, taking the cup from the tray and taking a deep sip from the warm cup. After clearing his throat, Jean arched a brow in curiosity. "Something troubles you, sire?" He suggested, before taking a step back from the throne.

"Jean, what does every military need?" The King asked reclining back in his throne as he crossed one leg over another. That was when Jean's own military training answered before he considered the question, raising a finger with each words spoken. "Fuel, communication, ammunition, water,-" The King raised a hand to cut him off, chuckling softly at his direct answer.

"It needs leadership, proper guidance." He explained.

That was when Jean nodded understandably. "I see, majesty. The Court of Summer has had little guidance outside of your own direct policies, is that it?" The King nodded in response, causing Jean to place a hand upon his chin. "That is a pickle. Most of the Nobility of this world are no strangers to war, however..."

"They would seek to use the Court for self-serving purposes." He completed the Chamberlain's thoughts.

"How do you propose to solve this problem, your majesty?" The flaxen haired man asked.

That was when the King's lips curled into an all too familiar smile that told Jean all he needed to know. Whatever the problem, the King was already on the path to solving it.

And he planned to solve it with Luna Terrik .​

 

[Luna Terrik]

HO N O R

Location: Illyria, Dragonne Palace
Time: - - - - Hours
Equipment: Officers Uniform
Objective: Speak.
Tag: | Adron Malvern |

She was…surprised when the holo-invitation came to her office on Scarif.

Life had been interesting to say the very least for the Grand Marshal in the past few weeks. Being passed over for the Minister position in favor of a much…younger commander had left her feeling jaded and hurt. There was nothing but good will toward the young man, as he would make a wonderful addition to the team, more so toward the fact her time with the Confederacy had seemingly continually been plagued by one singular intel job. One single one, sending her men to a planet they had no business being on, attacking a group of knights they had no business fighting…and yet left them ostracized and allowing a feeling of a wedge to grow between herself, alongside the armed forces, and those within the knights. Did she feel as though this was the only reason her accomplishments and leadership had been overlooked? No, but there was no denying just how influential those few hours had been.

The feelings of jade had left a cloud hanging over the Grand Marshal’s head that only added to the continuing pain felt deeply within her soul over the events of Dantooine. The amount of men and women lost that day haunting her, fouling her around like the ghosts from another time. She could..hear them in her sleep, when she managed to fall asleep that was. Even her eyesight, focusing on the sting of fractured bones behind her right eye, was truly beginning to fail her. Tyrias Aran had asked her many a time to think about implants. But if she was growing this much older..and her accomplishments wearing her crest was not enough to pull her away from the ghosts of the past, then Luna truly began to wonder what the point of it all was.

Spending the morning working with the newer members of Omega squad had been a slight relief, but now, back in her cold, dark office, the thoughts began to cling to her once again, digging their dark claws deeply into the recesses of her mind. Nights on Gholondreine filled with memories of joy banished, instead the names and faces of those that she had lead to their doom at the forefront, and the constant thoughts of being..inadequate at the back.

This was, of course, until the letter arrived.

It was a name she did not recognize, and, frankly, a place she barely recognized either. The place was familiar, but she had never been nor met anyone that had gone before. Illyria. The home and kingdom of the former Exarch, Adron Malvern. Why she would be invited to such a place was baffling to her. Why anyone these days, outside of those within the Dauntless she could call her comrades, would want to meet with her was beyond her.

The marshal spent the morning reading the letter over and over again, trying to decipher a hidden meeting by the simple phrase that had been sent to her.


Grand Marshall Terrik,

The King of Illyira, Adron Malvern, requests you for an audience at your earliest possible convenience. There are many things he wishes to discuss with you. Please, before you start your journey, reach out to myself, so that I may make sure the necessary arrangements are made for your stay. If you are in need of transport, such things can be arranged as well.

In the King’s majesty,

Jean de'Luo, Keeper of the House.


So many questions lingered at the edges of her thoughts, but the train within her mind continued to come back to one, singular station. She needed to go. It didn’t matter if she did not know for what purpose she was going, nor did it matter what might be going on. This was a man she respected, and he asked for her to hear him out, specifically by name. There was little matter with how she currently felt in the moment. What did matter was that she followed through on the duty…no, honor, she had gained, and met to see what this King had to say.

Duty was apparently not a currency that everyone in the galaxy held dear anymore, nor was loyalty. But honor..honor would never change. Those who held it would continue to reap it’s benefits for years to come. Luna was not about to break her own.

The arrangements were made, and a message was sent back to the keeper. The grand marshal would be there within a day, and she was very eager to hear what the King had to say.

And to please be ready to provide Corellian whiskey for the continued migraines from her skull cracking at the seams.

 

[Adron Malvern]

ILLYRIA​

Tags: Luna Terrik ​

​

When it came time for Luna Terrik to arrive on Illyria all necessary arrangements had been prepared. Where most had to spend several days at the in-processing station on L'enfer, the Grand Marshal was granted access almost immediately. She would spend barely thirty minutes on the station before a specialized shuttle was prepped to bring her to the city of Azurine. During her journey from L'enfer to the planet she was treated to a delicious lunch, a number of Illyrian appetizers had been prepared, most of them with a curious spice to their flavor. However it was not long before the shuttle landed on one of the Royal Palace's auxiliary landing platforms.

There was a small procession gathered to meet the Grand Marshal, however they seemed to be a gathering of the servant class who worked within the palace. At the peak of their group was a single man dressed in fine threads with long flowing flaxen hair and pristine pearl gloves. As Luna Terrik descended the ramp to her ship, Jean de'Luo bowed deep at the waist to welcome her. "Welcome to Illyria, Grand Marshal. I am Jean de'Luo and it would be my honor to escort you to your quarters." After recovering from the bow, two of the servants would step forward to collect any luggage that the Grand Marshal may have brought with her. From there, the Chamberlain turned on his heel to lead the guest into Dragonne Palace.

Large and imposing, Dragonne Palace sat in the very center of Azurine city. Surrounding by crystal waters and crafted with the finest of Illyrian architecture it was nothing short of a wonder to behold. The interior of the palace was also beautifully inspire. A number of vibrant, peacock colors dominated the halls from blues, purples, and teals to stunning streaks of silver and black. As they walked down the hall, Jean kept his eyes fastened forward, speaking in his usual rehearsed tone. "His Majesty has invited you to dinner. It will be in three hours, promptly. I will come and retrieve you twenty minutes prior. There should be plenty of time for you to enjoy a fine bath, prepare yourself, and even have a few moments of rest."

"Should you find yourself in need of anything than please utilize the terminal beside your door. It can notify a servant to bring you whatever you could possibly need at once." He explained before bringing her to a single wooden door, well crafted in a thick, dark oak. He gestured to the room with a subtle wave of his hand before smiling to the woman. "Welcome to Illyria, madam." The room within was no less imposing than the castle itself. Alone the room could easily fit a family of five if it wanted to. It had a private office, a personal gym, a very large bathtub which was already filled with perfectly hot water, and the bed could fit four without hesitation. In the closet were a number of beautiful dresses and adornments, all mysteriously fitted to the Grand Marshal's exact measurements.

It was soon realized that Illyrian hospitality was unrivaled. Sitting in the corner of the room on a small podium was the terminal that Jean had spoken of, which would provide the Marshal with any needs she may have.​

 

[Luna Terrik]

A N T H E M

Location: Illyria, Dragonne Palace
Time: - - - - Hours
Equipment: At the request.
Objective: Speak.
Tag: | Adron Malvern |

Society was quite a bit different on this planet than how she had been expecting. Spending the majority of her time between Naboo and Scarif, it felt as though Illyria was almost…from another time, another place in the galaxy all together. Seemingly, Luna had stepped through a portal in time. Not that she minded horribly having her bags taken to the her room or the interesting architecture that surrounded the landing pad. Nor did she mind the…fascinating figure that lead her to her room. The first sight of him was enough for Luna to work it out that this man was almost certainly the penman of the letter she had received.

The majesty of the castle did not end at the landing pad, and Luna allowed her eyes to gaze around the hallways as she was lead forth by keeper of the house. Purples adorned practically every corner that she could find, not that she expected anything less than such in the house of royalty. Her boots had never fallen in a place like this. Out of her element was more than suitable for her current predicament. Better to just..go with the flow and enjoy what the night might bring, after all.

Just as she was being left by the man in her quarters for the night, she stepped forward, attempting to catch his attention. “I appreciate what you have done. I shall be ready to meet with the…King at the appointed time.” Luna gave Jean a small nod before shutting the door behind him, turning to regard the quarters she had been given.

No time like the present to see what kind of wear would be accepted that night, thinking that perhaps her officer’s would be plenty for the night ahead. From jean’s tone, she doubted it, and such ideas were only confirmed by selection of dresses that were thrown into the wardrobe. Almost single one was most decidedly..not her style. Any flowy, seductive, immediately pushed to the side in an attempt to find anything that caught her eye.

That was…until she saw the white and gold of the jacket pushed nearest to the back.

Her selection was made, and the rest of the time was spent getting ready to enter into a lion’s den for a purpose that she did not know. Thankfully, the time came quickly enough, and she was not able to put it off any longer.

True to his word, Jean returned soon enough to escort her to the dinner’s location. As they passed through the hallways once again, Luna gritted her teeth as the feeling of yet another migraine began to wrack through her mind. Each step sent another string of pain, and by the time herself and Jean had entered into the dining room, it was obvious that Luna was beginning to feel the effects. Standing in the empty room, aside from the keeper of the house, she was able to muster out a soft thank of appreciation before finding the nearest glass of water, using it to wash down a pair of pills down her throat. As fast acting as they were, she doubted that the migraine would completely subside during their meeting, so Luna steeled herself for whatever the King was about to throw at her.

 

[Adron Malvern]

ILLYRIA​

Tags: Luna Terrik ​

​

Wearing

The doors to the dining hall were thrown open as Jean, who stood silently against the windowed wall called out clearly. "His majesty, the King of Illyria." There were a few servants within the room who immediately straightened at the presence of the Master of the castle.

He strode in with his usual gait, paced and certain. The attire he wore was a favorite of his, an ebony tailcoat with a floral design printed down the torso. The moment the King of Illyria found the Grand Marshal he closed the distance between them, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. "Grand Marshal." His hand came out to receive the Lady's so that he may bow his head in proper Illyrian tradition. "Welcome to Dragonne Palace and Illyria." Following the greeting the man would gesture to the woman's seat. "Please." He said. The King began to round the able to his own seat, speaking plainly as he did.

"Jean, what is on the menu for tonight?" The King asked, turning his eyes towards the Chamberlain. "Beef Wellington with a wonderful carrot glaze, a fine spiced salad with lunar berries, and for dessert a blueberry cobbler, sire." The King nodded at the man before taking his seat and settling in. He placed his hands upon the table, clasping them together as he turned his full attention to the Grand Marshal. "Now I am sure you wish to know why I asked you to come here. During my time as Exarch within The Confederacy you were one of the soldiers most pivotal to the Confederate War effort. As discussed during the promotion board no one could ever doubt your devotion to The Confederacy or to your fellow soldiers." He said.

"Free of my former station I may tell you that it was you I selected for Minister of War but that did not come to pass, did it?" He asked, sparing no words as he spoke to the woman. "A shame. You would have served in the position well. Perhaps even greater than I did." The King snapped his fingers and two servants moved from the corner of the room, each one bringing about a bottle of wine for the two. Crystal glasses were set before them and Adron watched as they poured the dry red liquid into the glasses.

"The Vicelord overlooked your talents. I do not intend to make the same mistake." He said, lifting his eyes to the woman across from him. He took the glass from the table, taking a measured sip of the red wine and enjoying the bitter flavor that flowed from the glass.

After clearing his palate he exhaled in pleasure. "I served The Confederacy for years and that time has come to an end. However with my withdrawal from the charter comes a withdrawal of its support columns." He explained.

"Have you noticed the sigil of my planet?" He said, turning his eyes to one of the many banners displaying the Illyrian Star of Prosperity. "The star of prosperity has six points, these six points are meant to designate the six pillars of stability. The pillars are The Monarchy, The Knighthood, The Courts, The People, The Law, and The Military."

"For our world to have prosperity all six pillars must be keenly focused towards that end. There is one single pillar in dire need of augmentation and that is the military." He explained.

"To see my vision to fruition I must have the strongest and most organized military of any planet in the galaxy."

"Only you can do this, Grand Marshal." ​

 

[Luna Terrik]

A N T H E M

Location: Illyria, Dragonne Palace
Time: - - - - Hours
Equipment: At the request.
Objective: Speak.
Tag: | Adron Malvern |

It was an odd sight, the man entering into the room to meet with her. Her mind immediately went to his former station, and the urge she had to salute him practically overwhelming. Yet, the pain in her head, though subsiding, and the title of king kept her from doing so, instead offering the raven haired man a bow of the head in respect. Perhaps he would have rathered the salute, but in her position, it would’ve been more than likely excused.

Taking the seat offered to her, the marshal’s back stayed straight as she leaned lightly back into her chair, eyeing the King with a curious gaze. The gaze stayed purely on Adron, even as he made mention of the meeting space they had both shared. She remembered well what he had said, and how he had regarded her. There was little chance she would be in this place had it not been for the seemingly mutual respect shared between them. A respect not so mutual it seemed with many of her comrades.

Still, the sting of the words being said allowed of her passing over did prickle at her skin, earning the King a slow nod in response. She held his gaze, however, not pulling away even as he brought forth wine for the pair to share. It as a solace to know the former exarch would’ve voted her way, or at least, not in the direction of the man that had currently taken the position.

Eventually, her gaze would move to the servant who brought for her glass, smiling softly their direction while taking her drink. Tipping it back, the cool, dry liquid burned her throat as it went down, providing an ample distraction from the throbbing pain at the back of her head. Her voice broke through the first time as she set the drink aside, looking from the deep red drink to Adron with a dark gaze. “Shadow Point was an operation..that followed both of us for much too long. Changed our paths too much. I feel as though the Vicelord was never able to look around such an attack, and even in my time with the Confederacy, it followed me around like a dark ghost.”

There was more to be said about the subject, maybe for another time. For now, she leaned back into her seat, absentmindedly sipping the wine while the King continued to speak. It seemed as though his feelings on the matter were pointed in the same direction as her own. They were both burned, broken off from the life that they had made from themselves and the direction such a life afforded.

It wasn’t until he pointed it out did her emerald gaze look to the star embroidered on the banners around the hall. Six points, six pillars holding up an entire society. Luna was no economist, nor was she some sort of government researcher, but she knew how society worked. The command, knighthood, judicial system, the people making up the society, the law governing them, and the military protecting them. When one failed, the others were forced into taking on a heavier load. When two failed, it became nearly impossible for the others to succeed. The moment the rest failed, so did the society they were upholding.

Military. Her life, and apparently, something was in desperate need of her expertise on this world. That’s why she had been brought here. To…revitalize an entire planet’s security.

Luna was silent for a few moments, gaze stuck on the pillars on the star as she contemplated her next words. It wasn’t long until her voice was heard again, speaking with a curt determination that the marshal had become known for. “Your offer is..intriguing, to say the very least. To be passed over like a common grunt for a position I had earned, to now being offered the position of breathing into a military that sorely needs it.” It was almost as though she was speaking to herself, rolling the offer in her mind over and over again.

A pause, allowing time for her to look over to the king with an interested, upturned eyebrow. “If you have more information on..what is it you want me to do, how this would effect my current station, and the situation you currently hold, I would be appreciative. Though I do doubt you would have brought me here just to..tease an offer such as that one.” For the first time, the marshal allowed the smallest of smiles to cross over her face, soon hidden once again by the rim of her glass.

 

[Adron Malvern]

ILLYRIA​

Tags: Luna Terrik ​

When Luna spoke of Shadow Point, the Exarch's eyes grew narrow and cold at the thought of one of the largest deceptions to ever work against The Confederacy. He could not help but exhale in frustration at the mere memory of the operation. He regarded his glass of wine as he considered that day carefully, he recalled having to end the battles on several fronts that day alongside the Vicelord. "Shadow Point..." He breathed a sigh of agitation at the very name that held such a horrid stigma. "Was one of The Confederacy's greatest defeats. We allowed ourselves to be used to strike at our own worlds. When the smoke was cleared many wished to turn their blame somewhere and that blame landed on those who had committed themselves to the operation. However, the operation was just that, an operation and your men executed what they believed were their orders." He could not help but shake his head at the memory.

When the Grand Marshal asked about the requirements of the position the King nodded, leaning back into his chair. "If it were not for your responsibilities within The Confederacy I would have brought you on to serve the Crown in leading the full restructure of our armies, however I am understanding to your duties away from here and would like to offer you this." He gestured to a servant who brought up a holodevice, setting it on the table and tapping the button without saying a word. The holoemitter projected an image of Illyria, slowly rotating for the Marshal to see.

"Illyria is an incredibly large planet. This means it has a massive yield of resources which can be very tempting to others. Planetary defenses have been set up but as a whole the planet is not prepared to defend itself from invasion. I'll explain to you why. For thousands of years, provinces ranging from ten miles to ten thousand miles have been warring for land and territory. When I took command of the world, I ended that. Now, based on size, every province must contribute so many personnel to the Royal Army and Navy. At current our military has decent equipment supplied by Dynetech industries...but they are horribly in need of training and organization. Military Forts need to be constructed for their housing and defense of provinces and your keen eye could better ascertain a location for them than any of my leading officers."

"No Illyrian has commanded the amount of forces that you have and we need your ability to look at things from a larger picture." He explained to the woman with a direct tone. "Also all of my lead officers are prideful and have historic methods of warfare. They need to be educated on more modern tactics and innovative approaches. What I ask of you is to oversee and direct my Lead Officers and help them organize the military. This can theoretically be done remotely whenever you are not capable of being on-world." He explained to her as the hologram began to fade away. "If Illyria is to become one of the most powerful planets in the galaxy it will need a military force to match that height." ​

 

[Luna Terrik]

A N T H E M

Location: Illyria, Dragonne Palace
Time: - - - - Hours
Equipment: At the request.
Objective: Speak.
Tag: | Adron Malvern |

There was a calming moment that washed through Luna as the King detailed how she would not need to leave her post to help out or take the position. For the time being, her trust in the top of the chain had been shaken greatly, yet she was not one to just completely abandon herself and the work she had done only because she had been passed for a promotion. If she did have the honor she claimed to wish the others had, then she could not just up and abandon everything. At least, not until she saw how the new command would regard the structure she had worked for years to put into place.

Still…the idea of helping here was tempting to say the very least. And as the servant placed the hologram on the table, her emerald gaze regarded the small planet with a keen eye while Adron detailed why the military here was so incredibly fractured. Civil wars were horrendous things, and it sounded as though the planet had not had a moment’s rest until very recently. Men vs men, brother vs brother, for hundreds of years. Horrible business, as war was, but Luna had never been able to stomach the horrific realities that were civil wars.

Even then, it sounded as though the planet still had not recovered from the fracturing that had wracked it. “I have..quite a few thoughts, but I shall leave them for the end.” She spoke, in regards to the actual structuring of the military, and allowed Adron to continue to speak. The more he gave the backstory of what she would be walking into, the more the mountainous task revealed itself.

The galaxy was in a time of brand new war. No longer were long and strenuous battles waged. Battles were won within mere moments, even if the actual time was quite the bit longer. Objectives were harder to press into. Spy networks and forward intel made sieges unreliable. Planets could be built up to hold up for years with the proper resources. Illyria being stuck in the dark ages of war and tactics meant that everything would have to be reset, from the foundation all the way to the very top.

As the King finished, Luna slowly began to lean back into her chair, eyes still glued to the rotating hologram. There were plenty of thoughts that flooded her mind, yet she needed to start somewhere. The foundation seemed like a solid place to start. “As I said, I have quite a few thoughts. Chief among being how exactly to reform your foundation to begin to build a better army, navy, starfighter corps, everything, from the ground up.” She leaned back forward, hands clasped together. Now her eyes fell upon the King, a glimmer within them speaking to how the marshal had fully bought into this conversation.

“Do you have an..academy system of some kind? Where we can instill a curriculum conducive to making officers that follow the military doctrine you are looking for?” Her head tilted the side, looking back over to the planet for a moment. “It’s something I pushed for in the Confederacy for a while. I received one in the small scale sense in Camp Phoenix for the dauntless. However, with how big the Confederacy has gotten, it’s…..difficult to implement an idea on such a large scale. However, I believe royal academies for each branch would serve admirably for both you and your people.” Her eyes found the King’s once more. It was obvious enough the woman was interested in his offer, yet there was a slight hesitancy behind her voice, most likely stemming from all of the unknowns swimming in her brain.

 

[Adron Malvern]

ILLYRIA​

Tags: Luna Terrik ​

As the Marshal spoke, the King nodded in response to her question. The planet had not had an official Royal Academy before the subjugation as there was not a singular unified army, however in the first year of his reign Adron dedicated numerous recourses to the construction of a proper academy, one that had completed construction only two years ago. "Azurine City is host to the Royal Officer's Academy for Military Excellence. It will be the primary academy for all officers serving in the military. Field soldiers will be trained in muster-camps all over the world but our officers will do their schooling on war in this city, until more can be built." He explained to her.

"When I conquered Illyria I did so by conquering the worlds philosophies and traditions. You do not change the minds of people, merely their perspective and in return you gain their hearts and with that their loyalty, and finally their obedience."

"The military is one such place I have done this. The Illyrian people pride themselves in being excellent combatants, which they are however years of fighting only yourselves creates a very shrewd understanding of warfare. You have fought hundreds of different combatants and succeeded over most of them, that is what must be bred into my armies and navies." He explained.

When Luna described a Royal Academy for every branch, the man nodded. "Army, Navy, and Starfighter Corp. Three academies. However for you to understand how the military works here you too must understand the philosophy that even I dare not break." He said, holding up two hands at even height. "Upon Illyria all men are not born equal. Some are born with title and an expectation of skill through breeding, the nobility. While others are born with nothing and due to that they yearn for all that they do not have, the commoners."

"The balance is a delicate one, yet it keeps the world in a never ending shift, a competition to prove just who is the greatest and who have earned these cloth banners you see so commonly on this world." The King pointed to the banner displaying the Illyrian star with a small smirk, as if he found the concept more amusing than anything. "It is the duty of the commoner to strive to reach the ranks of the nobility, while it is the duty of the nobility to maintain their superiority over those below. These are the aspects of life that guide every Illyrian, boy, woman, child, and adult. The strong and intelligent will always rise over the inept." His hands shifted, for one to rise over the other.

"In the Illyrian military, rank is above all, even class. However those of noble status are more often the ones capable of achieving a position in the royal academies. The reason is because the nobility are rich and hold influence while the commoners do not. It takes the common man twice as much effort to achieve that of the noble, however the noble must be three times as great or else people will begin to question his right to his title."

"Do you understand, Grand Marshal?"​

 

[Luna Terrik]

A N T H E M

Location: Illyria, Dragonne Palace
Time: - - - - Hours
Equipment: At the request.
Objective: Speak.
Tag: | Adron Malvern |

Oh good…politics.

They were never good for anything it seemed, especially when mixed into the military of a planet. It made things complicated. There was far too many people to please, and they all had their different enjoyments and buttons to press. It seemed as though Illyria was no different, and in fact, because of their interesting structuring, everything felt as though it would be much more complicated to navigate and keep under control. No doubt the convoluted nature of this all attributed somewhat to why the military of the planet was in the state that it was in. Adron probably knew this, and Luna reasoned the main reason he stuck to it was because it made it easier for him to control the group as a whole.

“Unfortunately, I do understand my king.” Luna slowly stood, holding the glass of wine clasped tightly between her fingers. She started to pace on their side of the table, face twisted into a deep level of thought about the whole situation. “Status has always had it’s place in the officer order. You served as the minister, you understand such things. No matter what, if you have money or power, you are much more likely to end up a better position. This is how the galaxy works, and how it will always work. If you are more boisterous about your accomplishments..you will find yourself put into the spotlight more often.” Her last sentence dripped with poison, yet she knocked it back with a sip of the red drink between her fingers. Perhaps the wound had struck her deeper than she had let on.

The marshal paused, turning to look to where the king sat, her eyes filled with a determinate fire that licked at the edges of her iris. “On this planet it seems to be..inflated, however. Though the effort you speak of can be used to our advantage, as long as those placed in charge of finding those to serve are ones we can control. Starting from the very top, essentially.” Luna stopped her pacing long enough to swirl the drink within her glass, contemplating the next few words that she would speak. She did not want to insinuate anything, but there was a deeply held need within her to set the military on a straight path from the beginning.

Her auburn hair, tinged with a few strings of grey, framed her face as she moved to sit back down at the table, setting her drink aside so that her hands could motion along with her words. “You want to sit me at the top of your military, essentially. After that, we need to put men at the tops of our army, navy, starfighter corps, marines, and medical corps that you and I can trust will hold to the doctrines we want. Further down, you want headmasters of the main academies on the planet to for sure teach the ways of war that fall in line. Then you get to the field generals, field officers, petty officers..everything is a trickle down effect.” The marshal leaned back into her seat, placing one leg over her knee, awaiting to see how the King would respond to what had been said so far. If Luna had been mistaken, or overstepped, she hoped that he would make sure to tell her.

The last thing Luna wished for was to be lead blindly forward again.

 

[Adron Malvern]

D E P L O Y​

Tags: Luna Terrik ​

The King used this occasion as a means to learn more and more about the Grand Marshal. He could not help but sense the emotions that came from the woman as she spoke. He could sense her resentment, the bitter truth of the new Minister of War was a hard pill to swallow it seemed, perhaps the man could use this to his advantage? Perhaps not, it would be for the day to decide.

As she completed her words, the King spoke truth. "You implemented a standard of excellence within Dauntless. You made them one of the most ferocious fighting forces in the galaxy. I want you to do this to my men." He declared, before clasping his hands together. "My advisors did tell me it would be wise to choose someone with more prominence in the Confederate military, like the new Minister of War. However what I need, he cannot provide, only you can. A standard of structure and discipline unlike no other."

"My selection of Generals has been made, although you do well to speak to them by their true titles. Lord-Generals and Lord-Captains, one and all. They will respect you because you are a soldier, tried and true, and you must respect them because they will seek to prove themselves better than you." He said with a rather amused look on his face. "Illyrians are prideful. So placing a woman such as yourself above them? It will infuriate them and that passion will burn through my army's, creating a great rebirth."

"It will take time, years in fact. We do not have the vast resources of The Confederacy but we have all we need to create a firm start. As of this moment we command a number of trained legions for your review. Most are engaged in training exercises, though a few have been deployed to our moon to solve a small problem with a local arachnid species."

"You should venture there and see the Royal Army in action. Lord-Captain Khar Malraux holds command there and he would be delighted to meet you, I am sure."

The King rested a single hand on his chin, stroking the bristles as he spoke. "Do this for me Grand Marshal, from one soldier to another." ​

 

[Luna Terrik]

A N T H E M

Location: Illyria, Dragonne Palace
Time: - - - - Hours
Equipment: At the request.
Objective: Speak.
Tag: | Adron Malvern |

“My King,” She started, smirk starting to peak at the edges of her lips, one that Adron would know well, and one that he would almost certainly appreciate. A little chuckle slipped past her guard, punctuating the words that came forth. “There has never been a time where you nor I have been in a position of power and not infuriated someone, somewhere, because of how we do things. I would be more hesitant about your military prowess on this planet if it came out that pride did not exist. Pride can be twisted, molded, moved towards not themselves, but pride in their work and in their planet. It’s something I have become quite…adept at doing.”

Leaning back in her chair, smirk still playing at her lips, she retrieved the glass and finished the last of the red liquid. If all of Illyira was up to the standard of the King’s alcohol choices, then there was a good chance that Luna might stick around. She did, however, have a moment where the wine threatened to come back up her throat in surprise. Local…arachnids? Only fitting that an odd planet had odd enemies, but still…she wouldn’t have minded if they were a bit more humanoid.

There was a question lingering in the air by the time the king finished, even if it was not explicitly spelled out. Whether or not Luna would take the time to go and see the Royal army in action, during their training. If she would meet this Malraux, watch him in command. In the back of her mind, Luna already thought she had spent too much time here on the planet. The wine had been nice, as had the time to talk about times past.

That was, of course, until the king brought out the solider card.

This earned him a raised eyebrow in response, followed by a thinning of Luna’s lips. There was a bit of manipulation behind his words. It was obvious he wanted her to stay, that he respected her work with the Confederacy. All well and good, but he still had an agenda that he had to accomplish.

Still…Luna did not fault him. He was not wrong, they were both soldiers. Both tossed away time and time again by those they thought to be loyal. If he was going to play a card, this one was certainly not ineffective. “You are..still my exarch. Even if not in name anymore.” Slowly, her eyes found the Kings, nodding slowly. “I owe you this. For the times you stuck up for me. I will not say yes to your entire offer, as you have given me quite a lot to think about…but I will go see your army and offer insights where I can find them.”

Luna knew that in all reality, she almost certainly would be staying here longer than she had originally thought. She still wanted to actually see the army to make sure, and to see how much work truly existed. All that was left was to stand, bowing her head to the king as she did so.

“Will you be joining me?”

 

[Adron Malvern]

W A R​

Tags: Luna Terrik ​

"You are...still my Exarch."

There it was. The one trait in Luna Terrik that could not be outmatched or surpassed. Loyalty.

The King said nothing in response to these words. Instead he merely nodded his head in understanding. There was nothing he could say to these words, they were something beyond a mere language and he would not even begin to attempt and give it voice. Luna Terrik in a very short time had done something that few people had managed to do. She had impressed the King with nothing more than her character and sheer willpower. Even thinking about it caused the King's lips to curl into an accepting smile. This was a woman he could lay some faith in.

When the woman asked if the King would be joining he paused for a moment of consideration before shaking his head. "No, I do not believe I will. Sadly there are other matters I must see to." This was true. Originally he had planned a trip to Avius to see just how the Lord-Captain was handling the threat there, however with the knowledge that the Grand Marshal would be going, he would be able to focus his mind on more taxing things. Of course, the arachnid infestation on Avius was something that had to be handled, the moon's resources could not be properly utilized without the creatures being annihilated.

Still, that was not the entire reason the King had dispatched a Legion of his men to the planet. It was a test. The Illyrians had been in combat with themselves for so long, he could not help but wonder just how they would fare when matched against an opponent such as these?

He pulled a datapad from the table, rising to his feet so he may hand it to the Grand Marshal. "These are the listed casualties. Over ten percent of the legion was killed in the first three weeks. Reinforcements arrived last week, however from this report...the legion had made no advancements."

With that the King turned from the woman, speaking softly. "Perhaps you can turn them around, Grand Marshal?"

"However, be wary. This enemy is simple yet the tactics that are described in that report...I believe they are more intelligent than my men think."​