Private Yet Another Contingency Plan...

[Zeckane Harbum]

FIRST ORDER

UNKNOWN REGIONS
MIN HARBRINGER
[REDACTED]

Here we go again...​

What in the actual hell was Zebrane doing here?

Ever since the Imperial Confederation had imploded in spectacular fashion, the entire galaxy seemed like it was falling apart piece by piece and planet by planet. It was supposed to have been the deal of a lifetime for Mahporeem: near unlimited military and economic support in exchange for assisting the Confederation in policing its territories and expanding its galactic holdings. With Mahporeem having begun running out of resources and raw materials, membership into the Imperial Confederation couldn't have come at a better time, and by joining it, the Imperial Remnant had been catapulted onto the galactic stage, essentially becoming a household name from the Core Worlds all the way though the Outer Rim.

But that had been before the Confederation had fell apart, before the Warden Primus sabotaged talks between the Imperials and the Mandalorians, before Marlon Sularen made his ill advised choice to arrest an ambassador of the High Republic and nearly cause an intergalactic incident, before the Sith Covenant made their surprise attack on New Alderaan, once and for all shattering any myths of Imperial ability to protect those under its rule. All this had lead to the downfall of the Confederation, and the disappearance of one General FN-999 (restored) with it. While most were unaware of what exactly had happened to due higher ups in the Confederation trying to cover up what had occurred, the Imperial Remnant was aware of the full story, thanks to loyal crew members under the general's command maintaining contact with Mahporeem.

General FN-999 (restored) had left the Confederation to join the First Order!

It had come as a shock to all, just how quickly they had been able to build a power base in the Unknown Regions while still maintaining some level of secrecy. Given the distance between the First Order and Mahporeem, it seemed unlikely that the mysterious Imperials would interact much with the Imperial Remnant, to say nothing of them being a threat or potential allies. The Imperial Remnant might have been content to leave them be if not for the collapse of the Confederation, with Mahporeem desperately seeking as many new allies as they could find. In spite of the physical and ideological differences between them, the defection of FN-999 (restored) had presented the Imperial Remnant with an opportunity unlike any other, one that could give Mahporeem an "in" with the First Order!

...potentially, at least.

After all, the First Order was famous for its xenophobia and isolationism, and just showing up unannounced would be a surefire way to get arrested or killed. For months, Captain Ronhar Tane had been maintaining careful correspondence with the General, and FN-999 (restored) had reciprocated in return, probably still grateful to Ronhar for saving his life back during the Second Battle of Brosi. Months of back and forth had finally led to this meeting, where the Imperial Remnant would get to meet the representatives of the First Order once and for all. Naturally, Zeckbane would have assumed that the "golden boy" himself would have gone, but he was sorely mistaken in his assumption. Ronhar was apparently far to busy saving the Outer Rim or whatever it was, and the Imperial Remnant had asked Zeckane to go in his place, something Zeckane begrudgingly accepted, though he was far from happy about it. His wife was sure to leave him at this point, and even if she didn't, this assignment meant he would be away from Mahporeem for months or even years!

Of course, Zeckane understood the necessity of the situation, though it didn't make him feel any better. The Imperial Remnant had already been burned once, and before it committed to joining another Imperial faction, it had to make sure doing so would work out in the long run. Trying to infiltrate the First Order was damn near impossible, so the Imperial Remnant decided to do the exact opposite: offer their services as military advisors and trainers to see firsthand what the First Order was about and how viable it would be in the long run. Zeckane had a rather impressive resume in this regard, with decades of military service and extensive battlefield experience, which is why he had been selected for this very important undertaking.

Now, however, he had to wait for the First Order to meet with him, and for the consequences that such a meeting might just bring. The MIN Harbringer had spooled up its hyperdrive just in case something went wrong, which inevitably was likely to happen given the danger associated with this mission...

TAGS:
FN-999 (restored)
Braith
Any high ranking First Order official​

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[Braith]

YET ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
Switchblade - Chapter 1

TAG: FN-999 (restored) | Zeckane Harbum

SUCCESSION
​

MIN HARBINGER, UNKNOWN REGION

The MIN Harbinger smelled like a decision made under pressure.

Oil, recycled atmosphere, and the particular staleness of a vessel whose crew had been living aboard her long enough to stop noticing. Braith noticed. The ship's hyperdrive was spooled, if the faint vibration through the deck plating was any indication. Zeckane Harbum had come prepared to run.

That was either caution or fear. Braith would determine which before the hour was out.

He stepped through the airlock without breaking stride, his black suit perfectly pressed despite the transit, a deliberate show of cold precision. Behind him, the formation was assembled with the same intentionality; Two Sovereign Protectors, flanking. FN-999 (restored) , the thread that had made this meeting possible, and whose presence here carried its own quiet conundrum. And Atum.

The Grave Hand said nothing. He never did. But a Sovereign Hand standing at a Director's shoulder communicated something that no rank insignia could; that the First Order had not merely sent an olive branch.

The party moves with the unhurried certainty, led by a man who understood that every second of silence he allowed to stretch was a second in which the other party was reassessing the situation.

When he did speak, his voice was level, calibrated for the ears of those immediately around him rather than the room at large.

"The TIC's collapse left a vacuum," he said, his red eyes tracking the geometry of the ship's interior; entry points, sightlines, the positioning of Zeckane's armed guards as they materialized in the passageway ahead.

He did not slow.

"Vacuums attract opportunists. What separates the opportunist from the asset is whether they understand the difference between desperation and leverage."

He let that sit for exactly one beat.

"Harbum understands the difference. That is why we are here instead of simply waiting for him to make the mistake of approaching us through less controlled channels."

The Bureau had not arrived blind. Agent Eight had been inside the Imperial Remnant's correspondence for three months before this meeting was ever formally proposed. Braith already knew the name of Zeckane's superior and the precise nature of the resource crisis driving Mahporeem toward this table.

The armed guards formed their gauntlet at the threshold of the primary command deck. Braith counted them without looking directly at any of them; eight, possibly ten if the corridor bent as he suspected. Standard intimidation architecture. He had walked into rooms considerably more hostile than this one and come out having restructured the power dynamic entirely.

He stopped just short of the threshold.

Not out of hesitation. Out of choice; the small, deliberate kind that reminded everyone present that the pace of this meeting was his to set.

Then he stepped through.

The Harbinger's command deck opened before him, and Braith's gaze moved across it with the unhurried sweep of a man reading a room he had already partially mapped from the outside. He would find Zeckane Harbum in it somewhere. When he did, he would not speak immediately.

He would simply look at him; red eyes settling with the quiet, absolute patience of a man who had already decided how this conversation would end, and was merely waiting for the other party to arrive at the same conclusion.
​

 

[Zeckane Harbum]

FIRST ORDER

UNKNOWN REGIONS
MIN HARBRINGER
[REDACTED]

Here we go again...​

At the very least, the First Order hadn't tried to vaporize Zeckane and his ship on sight, which meant that the meeting was already off to a better start that Zeckane thought it would.

Still, he couldn't help but be worried. He was sure that Director Braith would have demanded that Zeckane move to his ship for the meeting, or even worse, disable his ship and forcibly pull it inside of his far larger vessel. Neither of those things had happened, and the First Order delegation had strolled onto his ship as if they hadn't a care in the world. Either they were especially stupid...or especially confident, and Zeckane had to assume the latter. Whoever had com with the Director must have some incredible power, and Zeckane wasn't willing to find out for himself firsthand.

That's why he had sent the Chrome Guardians in first, flanking the First Order on either side as they made their way through Zeckane's ship and into the meeting room itself. With Director Braith was, of course, General FN-999 (restored) , two rather intimidating looking Sovereign Protectors and a quite unnerving feeling Atum, who's mere presence was making Zeckane sick to his stomach with anxiety. That one was especially dangerous, and most likely Force Sensitive. Zeckane fiddled with his "Kitetsu" Force Energy Cycler as the men entered the room, and he marched forward to greet them. In addition to the Chrome Guardians in the hallway, Zeckane had with him a pair of ARC Troopers and a single Junkyard Knight, though their was no telling if they would be enough to protect him should things go south. Again, Zeckane didn't intend to find out.

"General FN-999 (restored) , good to see you", Zeckane said curtly, not meaning a single word of what he said. Though the good General had made this meeting possible, there were many who saw the man as little better than a traitor, and he was undoubtedly worth quite a bit of credits to the right kind of Imperials. "And I presume you must be Director Braith ", Zeckane continued as he extended his hand forward in a gesture of goodwill, hoping the Chiss make shake his hand in return. "Please, take a seat. Have you any need of refreshment?", he asked as everyone sat down.

If he was going to make this work, he would have to show the men and the aliens in this room that the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant wasn't going to back down or cower at the slightest sign of intimidation. They were more than a prize to be won: they would be a valuable ally and partner, and Zeckane needed to make sure that everyone here understood that.

"Now, let me get straight to the point: I'm sure your all aware of the collapse of the Imperial Confederation. It's something that the Mahporeem Imperial Remnant has felt all too closely, and the effects continue to reverberate throughout the galaxy even as we speak", he began, glancing at General FN-999 (restored) before continuing his train of thought.

"So imagine my surprise when Captain Ronhar Tane tells me that there's an entire faction of Imperials hiding out in the unknown regions, just waiting for the right moment to pounce and make their presence known again. I am, of course, talking about the late Galactic Empire, which also imploded in spectacular fashion. All those resources, ships, men, equipment, hell even the Third Death Star, all supposed to be the terror of the galaxy and bring it to its knees...gone in a matter of weeks. Poof. As if they had never existed in the first place. That's two Imperial factions down by the count, in case you weren't keeping track.

"So tell me, Director Braith : what makes the First Order different this time? Last I checked, the original faction was defeated by a band of vagabonds, vagrants and rebels. What was it that they called their navy? Oh yes, the 'Citizen's Fleet', I believe it was. Laughable, even by Mahporeenian standards, and let me tell you, the Mahporeenian Navy is probably the least standardized fleet that any Imperial faction will ever see."

"But of course, that fleet comes with extensive knowledge and experience fighting your likely adversaries. The Sith. The Mandalorians. The High Republic. Hell, I myself have spent the last two years fighting on every galaxy forsaken planet in the Outer Rim in service to my people, and I can assure you that some of the things I've seen would make even the most hardened veteran in your armed forces wet himself like a scared little youngling. So I ask you again: what makes your faction different this time around? Why should the Imperial Remnant wish to ally itself with you, and give you access to our unorthodox but powerful military forces, forces that have spent two years fighting every conceivable enemy possible and getting valuable intelligence on them?"

TAGS:
FN-999 (restored)
Braith
Eight
Atum​

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[FN-999 (restored)]

Tags: Braith | Atum | Zeckane Harbum

The silver-clad general stood silent vigil beside the Director.
​

Chiss had been an increasingly rare sight in the galaxy since the destruction of their homeworld, an event which FN-999 had personally witnessed in his ultimately futile defense of the planet’s surface. Rarer still was for one of the surviving Chiss to achieve such a high station as the Director of the FOSB. Yet here in front of him stood Xobr’ai’thiram, more commonly known as Braith, his posture as impeccable as his outfit as the First Order delegation boarded Zeckane’s cruiser.

At his side were a pair of Sovereign Protectors, the praetorian guard of the First Order's leadership, and another FOSB representative. But it was the other being whom FN-999’s attention never truly left. The Grave Hand’s armor was not just pitch black; it seemed to consume all light that touched it, leaving only a void in his place. Even without being Force sensitive, FN-999 could tell from experience that a great darkness lurked beneath the armored shell. He made sure to keep his distance from the figure, placing himself on the opposite side of Braith.

The delegation arrived at the ship’s bridge, coming face to face with the man who awaited them. Like FN-999, Zeckane Harbum's features were concealed beneath a full suit of stormtrooper armor, concealing any revealing features about his age or emotions. He would have to rely on his many years of experience commanding stormtroopers to determine the man’s intent.

FN-999 simply nodded as Zeckane acknowledged him, careful not to reveal his hand. He shook his head again to decline the offered refreshments, remaining standing as others in the delegation sat. He trusted the Sovereign Protectors and above all the Grave Hand to secure Braith, but FN-999 could not rule out that he could be targeted. The details of his betrayal of the Imperial Confederation were now almost certainly well-established, and Malron Sularen was likely only one of many who sought vengeance.

He stood still as a statue as Zeckane spoke, his arms clasped behind his back, never far from the holster of his pistol. A retort formed on FN-999’s tongue, but he held it. His words had largely been addressed towards Director Braith, so it would only be fitting for the Chiss to deliver the first response.
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