A Privy Council

Posted on Thu May 27th, 2021 @ 10:16pm by Thane & Bomoor Thort & Valavai Tarses

2,464 words; about a 12 minute read

Chapter: Chapter VI: The Last Bastion
Location: Disra Palace, Palatial District, Ravelin, Bastion
Timeline: Late Evening (Day Two, Week Four)

OLD

The gold glint in Thane's eyes had grown brighter as he spoke, yet his expression was earnest and oddly youthful, his pale skin stark in the limited light of Tarses' chamber. "We did not come to Bastion seeking an ally, Grand Moff, but, as they say; the best laid schemes of womps and men..."

"Often go awry," Bomoor completed the saying with a similar glint in his eye.

Tarses allowed his gaze to sink to the Caanan Sith Lord's offered hand. "Not this time," he said as he accepted the gesture, but did not take the hand as most men would. Rather, he gripped Thane's forearm and shook it firmly, one warrior to another. "I don't intend for us to lose ever again. If you can help me sway the majority of the Council, I will do all that is in my power to commit the full allegiance of Bastion behind you. We will crush GalactaWerks and anyone that dares stand in our way. For the Empire!"

NEW

Only a short time had passed since Thane and Bomoor made their fateful revelation to the leader of the last scion of the Old Galactic Empire, and of Mentis' dramatic conflict with the Bastionite agent known as Palidor. The two former Jedi had yet to be reunited with their companions, but efforts had been made to restore their usual clothing and equipment to them, the Raptor having been berthed at a secure location at Grand Moff Tarses' discretion.

During their reprieve, Thane and Bomoor had been escorted to a separate wing within the palace, allowing them to change and recuperate without fear of recriminations, now that they were existing, at least for now, at the pleasure of the currently-recognised leader of the Bastion Moff Empire. Their new friend, attending to a great many matters, had left them in this suite for a time without him, but they had had little chance to discuss the new developments before their host returned to them.

Thane attached his lightsaber to his hip, having elected to wear his all-black ensemble and noble cape, which left it in place sight for whomever saw him, as Tarses stepped into the room, still resplendent in his own dark, crisp uniform.

There was much still to discuss between them; not only were there things for Tarses to hear from the Raptor crew, such as their quest against Axion, the vault aboard their vessel, the Kaiburr shards and even their own personal histories, but there was a great deal that needed addressing from the elder Human himself. Chiefly, the original reason for their excursion into this prohibited realm of the galaxy.

For his part, Thane had suppressed the mild sense of incredulity that had been plucking at his mind, at the remarkable series of events that had now culminated in a Imperial sponsor for their schemes, which now had far wider-reaching implications than ever before. The halls of power were no longer something to be plucked at from the far corners, as he had done through the likes of Hesk Scivo thus far, but something that could be more directly attained.

"Your Council is divided on GalactaWerks," the Caanan said, instead of any sort of polite greeting, feeling much more the Sith Lord he viewed himself as, now that he was dressed in his preferred, if also practical, finery. The comment was made more as a statement, and was a reflection on the brief conversation he had had with Bomoor both before and after their initial meeting with Tarses. "That dreadnought being constructed in your atmosphere - their project?"

Tarses nodded and replied, "Their labour and materials, but our design. Not the war machine I originally wanted, but when the first blueprints were drafted, I saw the wisdom in reviving at least one aspect of the old Tarkin Doctrine."

"Constructed within the atmosphere of your home world, at great expense not only energy-wise but in the pollution to your world," Bomoor shuffled slightly in his seat next to Thane, who could tell he was still somewhat uncomfortable in his surroundings, but this was outweighed by his curiosity, "I wonder: who does that truly serve? Is this technological terror truly just to wage war on your Mandalorian foes or is such an immense and secretive project intended to take on the wider Galaxy?"

"The Praetor is far more than just the greatest 'terror' built in over a millennium," Tarses replied. "It is both a symbol of our resurgence, and the most powerful representation of centuries of lessons learned. Every triumph achieved, every failure addressed all resides within its hull. And more than just that. We have taken into account that war does not merely come from within the galaxy, but from without. Surely your Jedi instructors taught you about the history of the Yuuzhan Vong? We must be prepared on all fronts."

“Of course, and I can sense that you mean that,” Bomoor nodded, “But, as Thane suggested, your fellow Moffs are not so unified in their vision. Some fall in line with GalactaWerks vision for Bastion’s future. I wonder, are any of their intendants present on Bastion right now?”

"Yes, I thought you might inquire about that," Tarses said as he handed his datapad to Bomoor with the full-body picture and basic intelligence data of a number of well-dressed individuals.

At the centre was a Zygerrian woman garbed in green felts that had golden accents and gaudy jewellery. Her felinoid features were more subdued than some of more narrow-faced kin, giving her a more distinctive 'Human' appearance - which no doubt served her well when dealing with members of the opposite sex. The image quickly cycled to show more still frames of the Zygerrian woman engaged in a number of activities, ranging from meetings with uniform-clad Bastion dignitaries to inspections of the 'Supreme Star Destroyer' being constructed on the planet, to even lounging in lavish residential quarters.

It was plain that Tarses had kept a close eye on this woman, in both her official and unofficial business, as a number of details were also displayed for both to plainly read. The name above her image clearly identified her as Executive Wutali Morthart, a junior member of the enigmatic Board of the GalactaWerks Corporation, who had risen to infamy in corporate circles for her part in branching the corporation's legal (and supposedly moral) interests on the Cartel-dominated world of Zygerria, as she enjoyed disturbingly close relations with the Hutts.

Apparently, it was a large reason as to why she was chosen to be the executive representing and managing GalactaWerks' discreet interests in the Bastion Moff Empire, beyond the lazy un-watching eyes of the Third Galactic Republic.

Tarses aptly described the difficult relationship he had maintained with the Zygerrian since they formed their uneasy corporate alliance, of how it had been perceived to benefit both groups' interests in both securing Bastion and furthering GalactaWerks' own war-making capacities. It had been perceived as a way to develop a naval strength that far outstrips anything seen in any navy in recent centuries, whilst also permitting a modernisation for the Company, and (from Bastion's point of view) keeping both the Republic and the Mandalorians on the back-foot.

Clearly, things had changed and developed. Tarses was not the only mind that managed the rump Palpatinian state. His vision for the future had been somewhat subsumed by his cynical and inward-looking colleagues, as well as by his own age and creeping weariness, and the underhanded nature of this Executive Morthart. Galactic views were offset by the desires of others to strengthen Bastion's own borders and conquer their Mandalorian neighbours, whilst GalactaWerks focused on broader affairs that did not, on the face of it, mean anything to the Moffist nation, all whilst Morthart lapped up court life and the frivolous distractions afforded to her position.

If there were mysteries surrounding beskar and Imperial equipment beyond the borders of Bastion, it would be because of Morthart and her contingent, Tarses confirmed. With the Sith, the Grand Moff now hoped to end their meddlesome presence in his country and bring to fruition the vision he had already expressed to Thane and Bomoor. Of course, worth had to be proven, and the matter of GalactaWerks, and the web they had spun throughout the halls of power on Bastion, was not so easily detangled.

Thane nodded, almost sagely, as he listened carefully to their new ally's descriptions of the GalactaWerks presence in Bastion's hierarchy and its implications, as well as his hopes for this arrangement with the wayward former Jedi.

"As we mentioned," Thane began finally, "Bomoor and I have had dealings with the Company in the past, but nothing on such a scale as this. Some years ago, we were heavily-involved in an event that came to be known as the Avalan Crisis on Onderon, where we uncovered a conspiracy orchestrated by GalactaWerks to destabilise the planet, a civil war almost sparked in an effort to seize control of the native fauna and flora. They were stopped, after a great loss of life and damage to the city, but it was impossible to prove the Company's complicity."

The Sith Lord had now stepped away from the two other men, and was now examining the structure of the room and the artistic choices of decoration surrounding them. "We were never able to identify any involvement from anyone above their 'intendent' ranks, and even since then, despite their insidious stench infesting so many of the conflicts and troubles plaguing the galaxy... they take great pains to cover their tracks, using proxies and fools to run their errands and manage their schemes."

As Thane looked at a piece of metalwork before him, clearly centuries-old, he elected to not yet mention Hesk Scivo and his recent acquisition of Undervos Holdings through his own proxy - or the synthspice factory that was now under Sith control on Sleheyron, halting GalactaWerks' own ambitions in that quarter. Such minutiae was not yet even fully known to Bomoor either, after all.

"With your support of this Executive Morthart now subsided and plain to her, who is her next most-senior ally in the Council?" He turned back to the Grand Moff, curious gold-blue eyes examining their host.

A yet-wearier expression dawned on the elder man's features at the query, and he directed Bomoor to access further functions on the data slate he had given the Ithorian. Before long, the image of another Human appeared, albeit one closer to his middle-ages than either Tarses or Thane. A well-groomed beard and carefully-shaped mid-length hair provided his chiselled features a distinctive, smug expression. Based on the description from Tarses that soon followed, it was quite apparent that his image was not as deceptive as the man - Moff Edwoff Anthark, the Moff of the planet Bastion itself - perhaps hoped.

Since the arrival of GalactaWerks, this ambitious man, a former protégé and friend of the Grand Moff, had made inroads to developing a firm relationship with Morthart, and had already managed to turn much of the Council towards his isolationist mindset. Where some of Tarses' fancies towards the Imperial ages of yesteryear were well-known, Anthark had turned this into a form of a smear campaign, undermining his reputation and authority as a fanciful and aged leader, given to odd dreams and failed projects, whilst Anthark presented himself as a modern and pragmatic figure, electing to ignore the ignoble and corrupt Republic in favour of an enemy they could fell and conquer to secure a more immediate and profitable future, all the while fostering a powerful ally in GalactaWerks. The realism had appealed to a number of now-dissenting figures and left Tarses' hold on power more tenuous than before.

The exposition gave shape to the loose suspicious Thane and Bomoor had held prior to this more personal meeting, as the political battleground they had stepped into became clearer to see, even if still difficult to traverse. Although they were not new to intrigue or political strife, this sort of scale was not as familiar to the two young men. The explanation, followed by some further frank commentary from Tarses, established that now was not the perfect climate to announce an alliance with 'maybe-Sith' before such figures had proven themselves - especially with the fractured nature of the Council of Moffs.

The crux of the whole discussion was clear, and Thane and Bomoor had listened politely to the man's explanations. "Then it is in all of our interests for us to investigate the concerns of our Rift Jedi friend," Thane concluded, having been passed the device by Bomoor and once again inspecting the still visage of Executive Morthart. As he deactivated it, he looked back up to Tarses again. "If we exposed the profiteering of this executive and your friend Edwoff, do you believe the other moffs will be aligned to your vision once more?" He glanced briefly back to Bomoor, not caring for either of them to put their longevity in doubt for a fruitless endeavour, although he certainly did not perceive this Tarses as a soldier prepared to turn in his blaster.

Tarses gave a curt nod, "Yes, I would say it is very likely they will fold back into my grasp. The other Moffs tend to bend towards the man playing the strongest hand at the table. I trust you are both up to the task. You will, of course, have my full support."

"I believe our allies are also uniquely-talented to assist in these endeavours," Thane added as a final comment.

Continuing the thought, Bomoor added, "If you are agreeable to securing their release from their current holding cells, we can ensure that they also aid you whatever projects you believe will be fruitful in rooting out the GalactaWerks influence on your world."

"I can certainly agree to that," Tarses affirmed, "but only on the condition that you both share equal responsibility for their behavior. I am willing to overlook their actions at the research labs, but now that you are within the heart of our inner sanctum, it will be virtually impossible to cover up any further irrational actions for the short-term. Please make certain your companions recognize that we must maintain discretion for the time being if we are to succeed in restoring Bastion's sovereignty."

"Your Excellency," Thane said, with a growing level of confidence having entered his carefully-enunciated voice, "if we succeed, it is my vision that it is not merely Bastion's sovereignty that we restore." He looked to his Ithorian friend and offered him a satisfied nod, before looking back to their newfound ally once more. "We will do our part. GalactaWerks will be excised and this empire will be whole once more."

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