Populate When The Stars Go Dark [THR Populate of Surron]

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: Conference Room
Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Dominique Vexx | Rhys Gorne | Cassian Abrantes

Aurelian watched Sibylla intently. Her words, precise and firm, resonated in the quiet room. As she spoke, his own determination molded with hers.

When she finished, Aurelian exhaled slowly. "You're right," he said, his voice low and certain. "Every word."

He turned to the holoarray, where a galaxy map shimmered in cold blue light. "The Empire's closest territories," he began, "near Loronar, Antar, Reytha. They'll use these lanes to push into Republic space."

"Denon can help hold the north, the Confederacy will secure the southern rim, and local planetary garrisons will cover the gaps while we build our Navy. We'll count on their independence to prevent smaller conflicts from escalating."

Aurelian paused, hands clasped behind his back. "Meanwhile, we reinforce the Mid-Rim and keep core shipping lanes open. The Black Sun will strike the moment we look fractured, so we won't give them that chance."

His amber eyes met Admiral Gorne's. "Admiral, you've witnessed the worst of this, walked the decks of burning fleets. Tell me, how much time do we have before it reaches us?"

Before the Admiral could answer, the doors hissed open.

"Your Majesty," a young aide stammered, his voice wavering. "General Cassian Abrantes requests an audience. He says it's urgent."

Aurelian's head snapped up. "Absolutely not," he cut in, his voice sharp. "Now is not the time for him."

Tona immediately stood. Her gaze wasn't defiant; it was something worse: deep, wordless disappointment. It was the same look she used to give him as a boy, growing up together. Aurelian huffed, matching her stare with stubbornness honed over years. For a long moment, neither of them moved.

Then the holoarray flickered. The image above the table changed, showing Project Stardust. The Death Star rotated in stunning detail, its massive dish slowly turning to face the SSD Mon Mothma.

Six green beams shot out, merging into a single, blinding light, like a star igniting. Radiation shimmered across the projection, and for a heartbeat, the whole room seemed to pulse.

Then came the flash. The Mon Mothma vanished in a single, silent detonation.

No one spoke. The air in the chamber felt thinner, colder.

Aurelian's gaze hardened, the explosion still burning in his eyes. "Grant Cassian access," he said quietly. "Now isn't the time for personal vendettas."

​

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Dominique looked over at Sibylla with a warm smile as she acknowledged Denon's willingness to contribute. Aurelian had done so as well earlier, which solicited a nod of acknowledgement as well. It was true such contribution did not amount to the creation of credits, but there were things in life worth more than raw credits. The Republic might be unlikely to shed the involvement of companies on her world, but that too was not nearly the same as being appreciated. Some asked for a demonstration of Denon's capabilities and its commitment... well, here it was. Not that other factions would be as grateful for it, but they should at least see Dominique was more than just a pretty face with a forked tongue.

Aurelian then carried on Sibylla's concerns to point out the one that had been on Dominique's mind for some time now. Since the Galactic Empire reappeared, in fact. She always hoped they could all get along, but if that hope ever collapsed and they thought to invade the Republic... Loronar and Antar were all that separated Denon from Imperial territory. They needed to be prepared for that eventuality. If nothing else it might at least deter a military assault on Denon as a colossal waste when there were other options. In turn, hopefully it would deter an incursion along the North altogether.

The region around Kor Vett was the biggest concern. North and North East were relatively easy to secure. The further out they reached, however, the less responsive the fleet, which is why the Republic was so unprepared to deal with the assault on Wielu. Dominique didn't plan on repeating such a mistake personally. Aurelian's thought of the planetary garrisons covering the gap... well, hopefully he went the Republic would be taking an active role with them merely as support. Few worlds could spend credits to rapidly construct a defense force, and fewer still saw any value in doing so. Fleets required skilled people and upkeep all their own. Perhaps between the Confederacy and Denon, however, they could shore up the center.

Another -- Cassian -- sought an audience with those in this impromptu emergency session, and wasting no time the Chancellor pro tempore sharply cut off the very idea. Even Dominique took a moment to stare at the man. The two hadn't gotten along, but apparently some more recent events had escalated matters? The response was a little more emotional than expected.

The projected image began to shift and her golden eyes lifted to regard the scene that played out before them. Her lips thinned as the Death Star's weapon activated.

Dominique consciously made sure not to move her hands or adjust her posture as the Mon Mothma was destroyed. Rulers had to remain calm even when something as massive, filled with thousands with snapped from existence in the blink of an eye. Everyone else had the luxury of panick, but not them. That did nothing to calm the flutter in her belly, however.

"There are experimental designs," Dominique announced without preamble, "to discourage that thing from visiting our systems." Weapons capable of blasting a hole right through the Death Star. Though much like the Imperial's weapon it took time to arm and required a supporting fleeting to defend it. To say nothing of the cost. Well, perhaps they would need to hasten the construction of the first of its kind. Just in case.

Aurelian Veruna | Sibylla Abrantes | Rhys Gorne | Cassian Abrantes​

 

[Rhys Gorne]

The blast washed over them in silence, that was probably the part that made it hurt the most.
Even though it was only light and data, the entire room seemed to lurch with the impact. The Mon Mothma; pride of the Alliance Fleet, was reduced to particles on a holofeed in mere moments.

Rhys stood perfectly still. Only his hands betrayed him, one tightening on the back of a chair, knuckles white, the other slowly unclenching at his side. He had watched ships die before, but not like that. Not this helplessly. Not so…emptily.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than the hum of the holoprojector.
“We knew this day might come. But I never thought I’d live to see it…”

He turned toward Aurelian and Sibylla, the authority creeping back into his posture like armour being refastened piece by piece.
“Majesty, you’re Excellency… you’re correct about the borders. The re-established military bill came too late, in my professional opinion we are still vastly under prepared. That’s why this cannot remain a military problem alone.”

He stepped to the holoarray, expanding the projection. The galaxy unfolded before them — lines of hyperspace lanes, fleet dispositions, and coded Republic assets. He pointed to a cluster of faint red markers along the edge of High Republic Space.

“These are confirmed Black Sun operations,” he said, answering Sibylla directly. “They’re circling weakened worlds, either ones that have their own civil matters or have recently joined the Republic. Kenari, Belassa, even as far in as Druckenwell. I wouldn’t underestimate their intelligence and information, it is like they’ve been waiting for this kind of panic. If we pull our assets too tight, they’ll carve through the outer lanes before we can react.”

A flick of his wrist shifted the view again, zooming to the Atrisian system. Dozens of blips danced against the sphere of the Death Star. The coded callsigns for his team burned faintly on the battle map.

“We need to prepare for the worst,” Rhys said, his voice low. “The fall or even destruction of Atrisia, perhaps even the complete collapse of the Alliance to the Imperial Warmachine. The Alliance won’t be able to stop them, nothing short of a miracle will, but as unfortunate as it is, the Galactic Alliance is buying us time...” His gaze was hard as he gestured to the holograph again.

“The truth is, even with them buying us time, we just don’t have the time we need. If that weapon moves into the Mid-Rim, every hour of hesitation costs millions of lives. But as a counter point if we throw everything at it and leave our flanks open, we risk losing the High Republic piecemeal.” He looked between the three of them before him. “Right now we might have to stop thinking like politicians and instead start acting like a Republic that intends to live.”

He activated another layer of the map; a crescent-shaped defensive grid forming around Naboo’s sector, linking Denon, Balmorra, and Malastare. “This is our defensive holding as it is” he continued, “but we can integrate Denon’s fleets in as a deterrent. I know a few of the captain’s and they’re as good as Senator Vexx claims, they’ll give the Empire reason to think twice before entering our territories. We will of course need the Balmorran Senator to agree to having additional corporate ships in the system and the Malastare seat I believe is currently under voting.”

He glanced at Dominique, a faint nod of respect acknowledging her composure in the aftermath of the blast. “I have been asked by the Director General to offer full cooperation on whatever data and personnel you need from aspects of Republic Intelligence, in order to receive any relevant information from your own services. ”

Then his attention returned to Aurelian.
“I also think we can have a conversation about the other side of the coin. The sector fleets are purely defensive in design, but there is an option where we instead go for the head while the Empire continues its attack against the Alliance. I will need authorization to begin preparation for it but there are…ideas that a special operation originating at New Plympto could allow us to reach Coruscant before the main warfront has time to turn its attention from the Alliance and force a surrender of the Emperor. It’s a long shot but one worthy of consideration.”

The holoarray flickered again, the Death Star and the nearly invisible wreckage of the Mon Mothma. For a long moment, no one spoke.

Aurelian Veruna Sibylla Abrantes Dominique Vexx​

 

[Fatine von Ascania]

Fatine didn't notice Cassian, not at first. Like a typical teenager, the entirety of her focus was glued to the screen of her datapad.

When he spoke, however, even the softness of his approach startled her.

"Oh!" She squeaked, jumping slightly in her seat as she was pulled from her reprieve. "N-no, I just…"

With her datapad now resting in her lap, Fatine blinked up at gentleman who'd asked after her. All of a sudden, it was as if the tension drained from her body and she was floating.

That chiseled jawline, those kind, green eyes…Stars, he was handsome! Were all men on Naboo this enchanting? A quick flicker of her eyes down to his hand found no wedding band.

Fatine's anxieties were momentary displaced by a dreamy smile. Oh, he'd asked a question, hadn't he? She should probably think about answering.

"Oh, no. No, I'm absolutely free right now," she insisted. The girl leaned forward, the corners of her painted lips curling into a mischievous smile. A finger slowly twined into one of her dark curls while she offered her free hand to him.

"Fatine von Ascania of Ukatis. Charmed, I'm certain-"

"My Lady!" A maid clad in traditional Ukatian garb hurried into the room. "You shouldn't linger here, My Lady. We-"

Upon noticing Cassian, the maid straightened her posture, then dipped into a bow. "Apologies, My Lord. I've only come to collect My Lady."

"Oh, boo," Fatine pouted.

Cassian Abrantes

 

[Cassian Abrantes]

Fatine von Ascania Sibylla Abrantes Aurelian Veruna Rhys Gorne ​

Cassian couldn't help the small, amused smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth when Fatine jumped the startled kind of reaction he'd long since learned to soften his voice to avoid. He'd meant to be discreet, perhaps only offer a polite word before continuing through the corridor, but the girl's flustered response disarmed him.

"You've no reason to apologize." he said with that even Naboo lilt, his voice calm, deep, and touched with warmth. "I only meant to ask if you were waiting for someone."

"Cassian Abrantes." he replied, taking her offered hand with a gentleman's precision. "A pleasure, My Lady."

He might have said more, but the sound of hurried footsteps and the familiar tone of a retainer's scolding cut through the air. Cassian straightened, letting go of her hand just as the maid entered. He responded with a small, respectful bow of his own.

"There's no need to apologize." he assured the maid. "Your Lady was simply enjoying the view."

Then, turning back to Fatine, his tone softened with a trace of humor. "I'd say she has perfect timing, My Lady von Ascania. Though I suspect you'd disagree."

His eyes gleamed a hint of playfulness restrained behind his diplomatic composure before he stepped back to give them space, hands clasped behind his back in that calm, soldierly stance that never quite left him.

"Perhaps we'll cross paths again,." Cassian said with a polite nod. "Naboo has a way of arranging such things."

And with that Cassian turned around and left their presence, making his way back past those in the hall and that was when he heard more hushed and hurried voices. When he finally found the root cause, he gave no immediate response, he was just simply there. A weapon with that much power, should not belong to anyone. It should be destroyed and buried somewhere no one could find it.

The General strode past them as he moved to his destination. As the doors opened before him he could see the group standing there. He moved forward with practiced ease as he gave respectful bow before them.

"Your Grace." Cassian nodded towards Sibylla and then Aurelian. "Chancellor." He looked over to Dominique and and Rhys, giving them a small smile and a simple nod. No doubt they had just seen what had transpired above Atrisia.

Dangerous times lay ahead, for them all.

 

[Sibylla Abrantes]

​

Naboo
Conference Room
Aurelian Veruna Rhys Gorne Dominique Vexx Cassian Abrantes

Tona's sudden rise drew every eye, but it was Aurelian's blunt refusal that set Sibylla's teeth on edge. She held her composure, though the way her hazel eyes shone at him carried equal parts astonishment and dismay. Cassian was once again a General of the High Republic, commanding planetary garrisons when such forces mattered most. The reminder sat poised on her tongue, but Tona's disappointed glance said enough for both of them.

Then the holoarray shifted, and with it, the world seemed to tilt.

The image of the Death Star III filled the feed, its light arcing across the void before the Mon Mothma bloomed in fire and vanished. Sibylla's breath hitched, the color draining faintly from her face. The silence that followed spoke for everyone; no one needed to name what had just changed.

When Aurelian relented and allowed Cassian in, Sibylla let out a slow, quiet exhale through her nose, then gave Dominique a brief, knowing nod. They would need every hand, every mind, every soldier they could muster now.

As the briefings continued, she leaned forward slightly, the light from the holoarray catching the faint gold in her eyes.

"Along with what has been proposed," she continued, adding to what came up that could assist in the matter, "the chaos at Atrisia makes ground intelligence invaluable. We need to cast the widest net possible."

Her hands steadied against the table's edge as she continued, "I advise we post bounties for information on the Death Star itself; schematics, manifests, any data that can be verified and cross-referenced with our networks. Money talks, and the right amount will make someone talk back. Credits can turn loyalty faster than fear ever could."

Another moment and her eyes swept the map again, scanning the red blips Rhys had shown.

"And while we buy time with the Alliance and Denon, we must shore the flanks," she added. "Black Sun will not wait for our hesitations. Place priority tags on suspected Black Sun nodes. The most important worlds get reinforced communications and emergency logistics. If money tempts one turncoat, a steady line of supplies and safe havens will tempt a dozen more to stand with us."

When the doors finally opened and Cassian Abrantes entered, Sibylla straightened and greeted him with a regal nod of greeting as that of Naboo's Voice, and now interim Queen of Naboo rather than his sister. They could talk about their concerns and fears as brother and sister elsewhere.

 

[Aurelian Veruna]

Location: Conference Room
Tags: Sibylla Abrantes | Dominique Vexx | Rhys Gorne | Cassian Abrantes

Aurelian's gaze lingered on Dominique. "Experimental designs," he repeated, the words deliberate, measured. "I want to hear more about those. Anything that can make that... thing hesitate before crossing into our space."

Before she could elaborate, Admiral Gorne spoke. He was precise, relentless, flooding the room with strategies, numbers, and fleet compositions. Aurelian struggled to follow, though he knew he must. As the holoarray shifted, his mind felt like it was fracturing under the sheer weight of the data.

The galaxy, once the simple map he'd learned as a boy, now looked foreign. It was an endless, terrifying sprawl of obligations and crises. Denon fleets, Confederacy alignments, Black Sun nodes, Stone Wall protocols. Every name was a responsibility. Every system meant another life depending on him to make the right choice.

He wasn't built for this. He was meant to protect Naboo. His world. Their people. The peaceful dawn, the marble palaces, the blue waters. That was his oath. He was not meant to hold together a Republic of desperation and fire. He wasn't elected or chosen. Yet every voice in the room looked to him as if he were the only person holding the galaxy together.

His chest felt tight. The room was too small. He blinked hard, forcing himself back into the moment. The Admiral was still speaking: something about operations at New Plympto, cutting off the head of the Empire.

"Going for the head?" Aurelian repeated, his voice quiet, almost lost beneath the hum of the holoarray. "What does that look like, Admiral? A strike on Coruscant? On the Emperor himself?"

He wasn't sure he wanted the answer.

Then Sibylla's voice steadied the room, sharp with clarity. She spoke of bounties, of buying secrets faster than fear could silence them. He turned toward her, grounding himself in the rhythm of her words.

"Agreed," he said softly, nodding. "Bounties, warrants. Use whatever leverage we can. If the Empire wants to rule by terror, we'll answer with incentive."

He lowered himself into his chair, elbows on his knees, pressing his fingers against his temples. His head throbbed with the weight of it all: the loss of Mon Mothma, the creeping dread that they were already too late. He knew that no matter what they decided here, blood would follow. This wasn't how the day was supposed to go.

The door hissed open. Footsteps followed.

"General Cassian Abrantes," the attendant announced.

Aurelian didn't even look up. His patience was gone, his mind tangled in maps, probabilities, and the impossible.

"Yes, Cassian?" he said flatly, the voice raw with exhaustion. "What is it?"

​

 

[Dominique Vexx]

Aurelian seemed intrigued by the thought of a weapon to counter the Death Star, which ordinarily would have credits igniting like tiny stars in her eyes at the prospect. Present circumstances merely allowed for a subdued sense of satisfaction; knowing one could provide something of value to the effort. She made a mental note to have it field tested swiftly, and marketing material drawn up for consumption. There wasn't time to do anything else as the Admiral began to address the group.

There wasn't a chance Dominique would ever admit it aloud, but the Black Sun wasn't unknown to Denon. It wasn't that they were there that bothered her. In fact, things had appeared to be quite stable up until their incursion of Wielu. A resounding success on a neighboring world would have only encouraged them to take a world far more precious. Why settle for your share when you could control the distribution of credits? Despite those sordid affairs, however, Dominique couldn't wage a one-Director war on the Black Sun on Denon. It would have been a colossal waste of effort, personnel, and resources. Denon was simply too large. They only needed to look at Darkwire's success at evading capture. So, they settled for a 'balance,' so to speak. An 'understanding.' Perhaps the Admiral was simply more socially minded than some thought of military types, and he'd refrained from mentioning any reports he'd heard concerning all this.

It was curious that the man knew a few Captains among Denon's Fleet, but Dominique just smiled and nodded at his acknowledgement. CorpSec had been used for personal pet projects by countless Directors for ages. The fleet was hardly an exception. Problem was with Dominique's return from the abyss, she'd begun reshaping security on her world. It would take time to determine who could be relied upon, but she'd find every diamond and horde them. For Denon's sake.

Much like Aurelian she might not be the ruler her world wanted, but they were the one they needed.

Not that the majority knew much about the Board. Shadowy cabal of wealthy elites that pulled the strings of the PreX and their Cabinet.

What caught her attention the most was Rhys asserting the Director General offered full cooperation; a free exchange of intelligence data. "I'm certain something could be arranged," the Director replied mildly as though it was nothing of particular note. It was, of course, quite the opportunity. The Republic and Denon could both benefit from expanding their sphere of intelligence.

Her chin lifted and pivoted slightly as the Admiral then suggested a 'special operation' to reach Coruscant. Bold. And dangerous.

"We should endeavor to learn everything we can, and compensate enterprising persons accordingly, of course," Dominique acknowledged Sibylla and Aurelian being of a mind regarding bounties. "Though it may prove beneficial not to publicly post such incentives. They may still hear of it, regardless, but they will be denied the propaganda value of their knowledge; and there will be fewer, less discrete elements to account for." There were networks were such bounties could be discretely made known if they wished to extend offers to external parties. No denying more operatives could be useful, and the Empire was hardly going to tighten security -- Dominique expected their security was already quite substantial regarding the Death Star's schematics or construction facilities. People might die even if they didn't oversell their capabilities, but that was true even of Rhys' and her own operatives. It was a perilous job, but someone had to do it before their worlds were laid waste.

Soon enough, Cassian entered the room without incident despite Aurelian's earlier outburst. If anything it sounded as though current events were weighing particularly heavily on the King's shoulders. To be expected when thrust into responsibility you hadn't prepared yourself to receive. Why should he have? Naboo had been everything to him, much as Denon was to her. Dominique certainly didn't want to be Chancellor -- as much authority as it would grant, it curtailed its share of freedom along with it. Think of the headlines 'Republic Chancellor orders special strike force to topple corporation.' The legal tightrope would garner far too much attention.

Well, despite the pressure, at least he had started to assemble a group of capable individuals that could help him through the storm. If she'd need to drag him aside out of sight of the others later to remind him of that, Dominique would. Having been alone in her own struggles and knowing how devastating that could be, better if Aurelian rebounded sooner than late -- unlike her in the past, he didn't have the luxury of time.

Aurelian Veruna | Sibylla Abrantes | Rhys Gorne | Cassian Abrantes​