Winning Back Both Hearts and Minds [Open to Ailon Nova Guard and any Joiners - Dev Thread]

[GhostOfProtocol]

The paper on the desk, the small fire in the corner. All things that the new High Marshall of Ailon noted upon entering what was now going to form his office. He had no reason to take the Castle of the Ailon Guard by storm, he had bribed his way into it. Though the honest question was did he want it? It was a wreck, having fallen into disrepair along with the rest of the Nova Guard.

He felt his hands trace the mahogany desk. The little chips taken out where the old High Marshall had stabbed at the desk in annoyance, anger. He felt the chips, taken out where the old High Marshall had given up, admitted he had lost the confidence of the Ailon species and the civilians of Ailon itself. He felt the chips where the old High Marshall had dug with a screwdriver, annoyed at how the Nova Guard had become a joke.

He saw the burns of the chair. The little burns where the ash from the old High Marshall's cigarette had fallen, burning holes in the leather. He saw the burns where the ash from the fire in the corner had lept up when the old High Marshall had tossed paper and failed battle plans onto it. He noted the ash that was still on the chair.

He was, Xander was going to need to find a way to win back the hearts and minds of the Ailon citizens. That would be the first job. Win them back so they could repair the castle, win them back so they could reform the guard. Win back the hearts and minds of the Ailon citizens so they could again strike fear that came with the name Ailon Nova Guard. Win back the hearts and the minds so that they could continue mass supplying weapons for the troops.

He dropped the empty lightsaber hilt on the mahogany desk, a gift from an old friend. He felt his fingers on the cold metal, shaking his head. The lightsaber hilt would remain as a symbol of fear, because in the wrong hands it was able to cause fear, able to cause grief and pain and other nasty things one wouldn't like to feel.

One way, one way he would win back the hearts and minds.

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

He felt his breath, felt every time his heart beat. He was quiet, the soft crackle of the fire giving off the only noise in the room. He knew Drego and the rest of Scream Squad were downstairs somewhere, each one judging what was safe and what needed to be changed, fixed, rebuilt or other. Slowly he sat down in the slightly burnt leather chair, fingers crossing on the desk. He knew the best way to get the Ailon civilians on his side, a formal march. He wanted, he needed to see who was still onside before he tried anything else, before he came up with any other ideas.

His fingers wrapped around his comlink, he thought about it. He raised the comlink to his mouth, a direct line to Drego. He shook his head before speaking. "Well, we did it. I need you to head out, go out into the City. March, make a formal line. See who joins you, who still believes that we have potential" he spoke, a crackle from the other side stating full well that Drego had the message. He had understood. Xander had just one final request.

"Don't get violent, leave your guns strapped to your backs or in holsters. We come at this peaceful"

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Drego had understood when he first heard the message, using the comlink built into his armour to relay the message to the other eighty five troops around the castle. He heard a single reply and many a footstep, each soldier moving to the main gate, each soldier lining in formation. He chuckled, stepping from the door out into the sunlight. He had been in a small cabin to the side checking storage supplies. He had wondered why the supplies were being kept in a cabin, then he heard a soldier report in how ruined the basement and storage area were.

He stood in front of the troops, splitting them into three groups. Each group would march out, each one unarmed. They would follow Drego, follow his every step down the hill towards the closest city. Synchronised, every single footstep meaning something. Every single foot coming down at the same time. The city was getting close now, and Drego was prepared for how they would react. Most of them treated the Nova Guard as a failure now, but a few, just a few might be willing to step forward and join them...

 

[Nyx]

"You sure about this, boss?"​

Nyx looked behind her at the gathered members of her gang, the Street Rats. A ragtag group of orphans from Coruscant, they had been with her for over seven years, and didn't question her often. However, this appeared to be one of those times.​

Kath, her second-in-command, looked at her with concern, a blaster rifle slung over her shoulder. The young redhead was one of the founding members of the gang, and had worked her way through the ranks by proving she was one tough girl. Of the ten or so gangsters she had brought with her, Nyx trusted Kath the most. So when [member="Xander Black"] had sent the invitation to join this 'Nova Guard', Kath was the one she told first.​

​

"When have I ever not been sure about something?" She responded simply, her eyes on the office they were approaching. Nyx was always up to earn some extra credits, so this Guard seemed like the opportune place to do just that.​

Kath just sighed, and motioned for the other Rats to come with her.​

​

Nyx entered the office, and looked for a secretary or something.​

Seeing one, she walked up to them.​

"Mind telling Xander his old buddy Nyx is here to see him?"​

 

[GhostOfProtocol]

The secretary would enter the battered office slowly. She would relay the message from Nyx, making Xander nod. He would send her away slowly with the message to allow Nyx and two of her friends in. She would leave the room slowly, eyeing Nyx before allowing her in to visit the cowboy, the High Marshall of Ailon. Xander would stand while waiting, crossing his arms like a true gentleman. He trusted Nyx with his life, always had.

Once Nyx entered the secretary would show her to her seat and offer each of them a drink. Upon her leaving Xander would take his own seat, eye contact with Nyx.

"You want to know why I invited you here I assume. Well Nyx, lets think for a moment. The Hutt Cartel is dying, I honestly doubt it can be rebuilt. But the scraps of the Nova Guard? We can be rebuilt, we can become a threat. The Ailon Nova Guard used to be a massive troop, a massive force of almost a billion soldiers. As a unit the Nova Guard were unstoppable, working for whoever gave them the most money. They expanded into a syndicate, almost as big as the Hutt Cartel with plenty more ground troops. One of the old High Marshalls got to big, he tried to take too much. Over the hundreds of years since then the Ailon Nova Guard has become a laughing stock. I took over, dreams of making it bigger, better. Dreams of the true Syndicate"

[member="Nyx"]