Private Of Politics and Power

[Julius Haskler]

Objective: Hear the prisoner out
Tag: Ingrid L'lerim

Julius had requested something particular, which the Galactic Alliance had surprisingly agreed to concede. The Imperial-Anaxsi wouldn't have believed anyone in this filthy, rotting state could show sympathy to people vowing to free their planet from the Alliance. Yet he could speak to the fallen Eternal Empress and he would not throw that opportunity away. Maybe it could lead to interesting developments, and the diplomat would not miss any.

He knew very little of Ingrid L'lerim-Vandiir. She had fought alongside the Sith for long enough for Julius to consider her a darksider, but his recent talks with the Rim-Guard High Imperator had opened his mind to something else.

Maybe she wasn't a darksider after all

Julius was not quick to throw away his preconceived ideas about people he loosely knew, but he was determined to uncover the truth here. In the next steps of his grand scheme, the Eternal Empire and its leader would play an important part: he could not allow anyone to get in the way he had drawn for the galaxy at large, certainly not a powerful person like her.

Whether she stubbornly refused to see the truth or she was bonded by some mystical power, the diplomat had had enough of her pro-Sith positions. The Eternal Empire must change his attitude or the New Imperial Order would find ways to submit it to the Iron Sun's will. A great part of what would be decided was resting on Ingrid's shoulders. Julius knew she was aware of that.

When the door opened in a soft hiss, the old diplomat wasted no time and entered quickly. Someone had made sure the two of them could sit comfortably, and he took the first chair he could. With a wave of the hand, he authorised Ingrid to sit next to him - but did she need an authorisation? No doubt she could manage herself. She was not a whimsy kid, after all.

It took him several seconds to study her composure, her attitude. Was she broken by her captivity? Was her will fighting against the Alliance's? So many questions he had to get an answer to. It was these answers that would shape their discussion. And all he needed to start that exchange, was a platitude of some sorts that could get her comfortable.

"Tell me, Empress... How do you see the future of the relations between the Eternal Empire and the Sith Empire?"

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group​

Location: Top Secret High-Security Prison, Level 4999 of Coruscant
Equipment: Military uniform || Empyrean gland
Tag: Julius Haskler

[ Never meant to Belong ] ​

Ingrid was not in an ordinary prison cell, but in a spacious and comfortable suite, the Alliance treated her well because of her rank. Although the woman was good with the first tiny cell she first received too. So Haskler was escorted here to the suite. The living room had a holoto TV, sofa, armchairs, table. All in excellent quality, a noble or just a diplomatic suite. There were only no windows and it could be found on the 4999th floor, in a prison.

The Empress did her daily routine and was listening to one of Adrian's new theories in her mind when her guest arrived. The woman, as usual, was in uniform, her hair perfectly made, with a stiff posture, her hands behind her back, standing in a small straddle. Her radiance and appearance reflect strength, if the NIO and the Alliance broke her, there was no outward sign of it. Her gaze was stern, as were her blue eyes, there was no weakness in them. And there was no emotion in her.

She watched wordlessly as the man sat down, the woman not moving after the hand gesture. When she answered the question, her voice was cold, emotionless, and military, with no mockery or anything like that in her. She spoke with the same emphasis all along, not even trying to disguise what was well known about her, the red-haired woman didn’t like someone not following decency. The woman adhered to decency and etiquette throughout the COMPNOR’s tortures.

"When will COMPNOR get tired of this? So far I have not answered such questions because that is not why I am here, nor will I answer them later because they are not relevant to the in this situation. And with torture, they are just wasting their own time because it is useless. Are you among the agents Mr... who wear their noses so high that they don't want to follow the slightest courtesy of etiquette and they are not able to introduce themselves either?"

 

[Julius Haskler]

Objective: Hear the prisoner out
Tag: Ingrid L'lerim

He was extremely surprised by the Empress's tone. He was wrong from the beginning. She was not broken, she was not fighting. No wonder why COMPNOR hadn't gotten anything from her. This woman was made of iron.

And her tone surprised Julius as well. Pride was flowing through her words, and natural authority was radiating from her. The diplomat instantly regretted his first words. Now he felt like he owed her respect, courtesy and elegance. He chuckled silently. This wasn't going to be easy at all to negotiate with her, at all.

As she refused to sit, Julius got up, and gazed upon her, trying to understand what the Empress's attitude conveyed. The rigid, militaristic stance was all too common among the prisoners he had met. But she... felt different. And so he had to be different.

"Please forgive me, Empress. I am in such impatience to discuss with you I forgot everything about etiquette. I am Moff Julius Haskler, heir to House Haskler of Anaxes. You can rest assured, I do not belong to COMPNOR even though I share similar views of the Empire's policies with Commissioner Jaeger Harrsk. No, I am representative of the Imperial Diplomatic Corps, and as my... rude introduction suggested, I wish to speak with you about the future of the Eternal Empire's diplomatic relationships in the Galaxy. If you do not wish to speak now, we can agree on a postponed meeting, or something similar."

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group​

Location: Top Secret High-Security Prison, Level 4999 of Coruscant
Equipment: Military uniform || Empyrean gland
Tag: Julius Haskler

[ Never meant to Belong ] ​

In fact, Ingrid was broken because of her husband’s death and because the Force-bond between the two of them no longer existed. But the woman learned from an early age that she could not show weakness because that is, it could cost her life. So she did not afford this luxury here either. She hadn't cried in weeks or maybe months, though she wanted to. She didn’t think of herself as strong, but maybe she really was that she was still alive and ready to do what was her duty.

Without any complaints or words. It was her duty and… never show weakness!

From Ingrid this military behaviour was really different, or it could be strange or different, she came from a warrior society as soon as she learned to walk, she got a sword and a weapon in her hands. From the woman’s point of view, this behaviour was not played, not acting, but it was natural behaviour, as much as taking a breath.

"Welcome Lord Haskler!" she nodded at the man. "Then I will also tell you what your superiors and leaders within the GA and NIO,have known for a long time, that the Eternal Empire will do everything in its power to end the war, if possible, to unite all nations against the threats of Bryn’adûl. If this means that we must do all we can to protect the Sith Empire so that one of the last lines of defence remains before the Core Worlds, then we will do so."

She paused for a few moments and then continued, still in a cold, military and emotionless voice.

"Since you asked about this, I assume you have no idea that since Dantooine, I have been working hard to finally put the parties at a negotiating table to end the war… I don’t care who has what view, I’m interested in the billions who can’t defend themselves against the threat of the Bryn’adûl, but your leaders still only see in blood red that the Sith and they should perish and they have to destroy them. They don’t care about civilian victims, how many die, only to get their revenge, which has now devoured their souls. That is why I am fighting for those who cannot defend themselves."

She looked determinedly into the man's eyes.

"And if I have to become a martyr in order to save the galaxy, I'm ready to make that sacrifice! I am a soldier, raised and trained to protect civilians. And I will do that as long as I can."

 

[Julius Haskler]

Objective: Hear the prisoner out
Tag: Ingrid L'lerim

And there they were. The Empress had the same arguments as Laertia Io, the rogue Jedi who had taken such a heavy toll on the New Imperial Order. For these allies of the Sith Empire, the best way to unite the galaxy against the Bryn'adûl was to prolongate the war between the Sith and the New Imperial Order. Eventually, the two parties would convene a treaty and turn against the extra-galactic.

Julius thought this strategy was gravely flawed, but he hadn't been able to argue against this as he acknowledged the inactivity of the New Imperials in the war against the Bryn'adûl. But things had changed since Dantooine. Their advance against the Sith had stalled, and with the rise of new threats, the New Imperials had turned their gaze from the Sith Empire. But no one had understood this.

"A few months ago, I would have argued that encouraging and prolonging the war by siding with one faction was the best way to ensure mutual destruction. I would have agreed with your call to peace if the Sith Empire had agreed to relinquish swathes of territory. But now...

Since Serenno, things have changed. As you may have understood, the Sith Empire crumbles, yet the New Imperial Order has more difficulties conquering its territory. And as such, we have decided to turn our gaze from the Sith. We will let them be destroyed by their own splinter factions, and we will focus on other, more dangerous threats. The Brotherhood of the Maw. The Bryn'adûl. Yes, Empress: we fight against the Bryn'adûl. The Bastion Accords were not just an anti-Sith pact. It was also a way to ally ourselves formally with the Silver Jedi Concord. Troops have been sent, help is en route. As long as our Imperial Knights breathe, Ruusan will not fall.

Do you see a point in helping the Sith Empire any longer? This Empire belongs to the past. Let it disappear and be destroyed by its nefarious rulers. We sought to accelerate the process but we acknowledge the many other dangers the galaxy harbours.

But we, Empress, have a place together in the future if you accept sharing our views and joining us. Doubtlessly, you know why I came. I am here to convince you, Empress. Abandon the Sith, let them die. Join the Bastion Accords. With the Galactic Alliance, the First Order, the Silver Jedi Concord, we can build a new future. Without the Bryn'adûl, and without the Sith. The fate of the Eternal Empire is yet to be written, Empress. You can join us and be remembered as a benevolent leader seeking peace and stability, or you can stay allied with the Sith and be assimilated to them.

The choice, as always, is entirely yours."

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group​

Location: Top Secret High-Security Prison, Level 4999 of Coruscant
Equipment: Military uniform || Empyrean gland
Tag: Julius Haskler

[ Never meant to Belong ] ​

"Didn’t you think that this method didn’t work because NIO demanded it in a Sith way? I told the Imperator that with Sith methods he would not achieve anything, he did not listen to me. I defeated them at the negotiating table, extorted peace on my own terms, and earned their respect and preserved the sovereignty of the Eternal Empire and became equal to them. I went there as the leader of a treacherous empire and it was possible I would never leave Dromund Kaas because of the actions of my Emperor. I offered my help to your leaders finish the war."

She told the whole truth in an emotionless voice, not changing her tone. For the time being, she listened to the following wordlessly and motionlessly. She had had enough time in the spy / agent profession to recognize when they were lying to her or trying to lie and when they wanted to manipulate her. Now both statements stand true. If there had been any such thing, it would probably have been Tavlar, Fel, or Harrsk here. One of the leaders of the state and not an anonymous little nobleman who probably came here using connections. Who apparently had no idea what a woman was.

"The Maw is our enemy, just as all other Sith states are not our friends and we have no connection with them. We do not support the Sith Empire because they are Sith, I don’t care about religious war, I don’t care who stands in the Dark Side or the Light Side, the whole religious war is nonsense childish behaviour where both sides are the same bad. Children with power. And you are simply lying. If it were true, as you say, it would not be an insignificant nobleman present here, but one of the leaders of the NIO. And they know the reasons, probably COMPNOR has collected quite a few reports about this, because none of our efforts were secret."

She would have liked to have laughed bitterly at the next, but she could not afford this luxury.

"It also shows that you are lying and have nothing to do with your leaders or do not know them. Even if I betrayed the Sith Empire, they would not make an alliance with us. The Lord Executor does not forgive anyone who has ever supported the Sith. Or… if that were true, the Imperator or Mr. Harssk would try to convince me, and not you would be here. Your words have no weight, you may believe your words, but then I don’t know how you became a politician. We are small and insignificant, we have not been involved in any attack before and since Byss, we are just helping in defence."

Now she was prepared to say something that might have seemed a betrayal, but she knew it would never happen, so it had no significance. But if so, she would be ready to do so, for the sake of the end of the war.

"If the NIO and GA promise that they will end the war bloodless and will guarantee this, I am ready to help them and convince the Sith Empire of this. All this if the integrity of the eastern regions remains intact and sufficiently stable. The purpose of the Eternal Empire is to end the war and concentrate on Bryn'adûl's threat. But I guess you don’t know high-ranking officials who could make a credible promise, aren't you?"

 

[Julius Haskler]

Objective: Hear the prisoner out
Tag: Ingrid L'lerim

The erupting fury surprised Julius but did not unsettle him. It infuriated him. He was looked upon as a lackey, a mere pawn of the New Imperial Order's policies. But this was not true. And while the Empress might have had some arguments, she was wrong, wrong. She was far from right on whatever subject he heard of. To him, it seemed like he was just spitting random, outdated facts about a geopolitical situation that had evolved quickly in the last months.
But what was clouding the diplomat's mind was that he was considered inferior to warmongers like Rurik Fel, fanatics like Harrsk. He was important in the New Imperial structure, he had attained a position, he had a rank. He was not here through connections, he was here because he had demanded Tavlar to be here. And he would teach this insolent prisoner what respect was.

He slammed his fist on the table, his face taking a more reddish tint by each second. He was ready to shout, but he also knew he had to keep composure. He was, after all, a nobleman.

"Enough! You will talk to me with due respect, Empress. You may lead an Empire, but don't forget where you are. You can keep your delusions for yourself. You are gravely mistaken on many subjects. My petty, opportunistic position in the Order? Error. My inability to make decisions for the Order? Error. My repeated lies about the current geopolitical situation? Error again. I will tell you what's true, Empress.

While Fel and Harrsk are the lead duos on the battlefield, rest assured these foolish warmongers are nothing compared to the people who hold true political power. Look after people like Enlil or myself, if you want to find decision-makers. I am no petty nobleman, talking with you through connections and favours. I demanded this interview to Tavlar. I am leading the Imperial Diplomatic Corps, and if Enlil doesn't interfere - which I assure you he doesn't want to, at all, I am the one deciding whether the Eternal Empire must be added to the list of states we will raze one day. "

Julius took a second to calm down and breathe. The wrath was still shining in his eyes, but the rage that had possessed him for a few seconds seemed gone. His cold, calculating nature was back again. When he spoke up again, his tone was low, dangerously guttural, menacing.

"And I assure you, Empress, I do not wish to declare war to half the Galaxy. There are existential threats down there, and I'm not sure if you are one or not. Generally, the Force creates these threats, and I'm not sure what your connection to it is. The Imperial culture is one of order, through power. Order for peace. I know you seek peace. Who cannot? I will tell you who. The Bryn'adûl, the Brotherhood of the Maw, the Sith. They thrive through war, whilst we try and bring order to planets we free of their oppression.

You have forced our leaders to the negotiation table. Very well, congratulations. Then, quit. Desist. The war is over for you. The Eternal Empire has nothing to do with a war where we have stopped being aggressors. I will tell you why your vision is flawed. Listen. We freed Serenno at the request of many of its citizen, while the Sith were trying to vitrify the world. And then we stopped fighting. The war had broken our momentum. Dantooine, Generis... Bloody battlefields where nothing was obtained. We retreated to our trenches, we fortified and our gaze turned southwards.

We intervened to root out the Graug menace of the Mandalorian worlds and secure them to end lawlessness there. And then we went southwards again. We allied formally with the Silver Jedi Concord, against the Sith and the Bryn'adûl. And while we were determined to let the Sith die from their warlordism, we intervened on Ruusan. Imperial Knights were deployed, blood was offered to solidify the bond against the invaders. And what do the Sith plan during this respite we gave them? I'll let you tell me. And you may tell me also why you defend them time and again when we have expressed our desire to let them die of their own misgivings."

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group​

Location: Top Secret High-Security Prison, Level 4999 of Coruscant
Equipment: Military uniform || Empyrean gland
Tag: Julius Haskler

[ Never meant to Belong ] ​

It seemed to the woman that the man was having a hard time with the criticism because, to put it mildly, she reacted in a rather extreme way to what Ingrid had told her. She didn't even move when he slammed down on the table. Through the Force, she could already feel the outburst of rage, it did not get her unexpectedly. The woman had not received any information in recent months, so if the man had risen during this period, it was no wonder that the woman had never heard of it before.

"Thank you for finally taking the time to introduce yourself properly, Lord Haskler. And you're wrong, if I had insulted you, it would have looked different. I calculated the possibilities based solely on your behaviour, your words, and the information in my possession, and came to this conclusion. If I have offended you, I apologize, I did not intend to, and I do not underestimate your merits either."

Again, she just told the truth, honestly. Although her voice was still cold and military, she was emotionless, but respectfully. She knew Enlil, allied with the rebels, but he was by no means as skilful and sophisticated as he was told, at least to her. During the first invasion of Ziost, he did not appear to be an explicitly competent person, but rather an arrogant person with great power. Of course, she didn't underestimate him, maybe he was just playing shadow games, just as she didn't underestimate Lord Haskler. She never underestimate anyone, such an act was a fatal mistake.

"I am glad to hear that you want to end the war. My relationship with the Force is neutral. I am neither a light nor a dark side Force User. I find the Jedi and Sith views equally blind and bad. Like I said, I don't care about their religious war either. Are you saying “through power”? Do you know that this is one of the lines in the Sith Code? No, peace cannot be extorted or achieved by force. As a diplomat, you should know that finer methods are more effective. Total repression and aggression causes another conflict. "

Ingrid paused for a moment before continuing. Dantooine… She lost everything there.

"No, I think everyone has a place at the negotiating table. The future of my people, like that of the galaxy, will be decided there. It is not in your interest to put an end to the fighting? Why not accept the help of someone they trust and be able to speak to them? If they hear an offer from someone they know, anyone will accept it more than from a foreign, conquering state. As a diplomat, you know that."

Here she tilted her head slightly to the side, just for a few moments. The wording was very familiar to her.

"Do you know that you speak exactly like the Worm Emperor? He used almost the same words when he asked me to betray the Sith Empire. However…"

Now she let her face look tired for a moment. When she spoke, she was still completely honest, though she hadn't spoken to many before about it, only those who really knew her.

"I am sure everyone knows me through my history as an assassin and intelligence agent, as this is public information, but I can assure you, Lord Haskler, I am a soldier too. What do you think, why did the Eternal Empire not attack civilian territory at Byss? In my view, war is fought by soldiers, not civilians, who kill civilians, committing cowardly actions and war crimes. In your war, I tried to protect civilians from all three sides. And while the NIO and GA are killing millions of civilians in the same way as the Sith… Lord Haskler, my place is still on the battlefield to try to protect the civilian population from all sides. Because the real victims of this war are the vulnerable. Because they’re just collateral damage in the eyes of both NIO, GA, and the Sith, but not in mine. I was raised to protect civilians. If you want, call me naive and stupid, but I stick to my principles and I never change it in light of who the stronger power is on the map, I’m not a turncoat person and I don’t intend to impress anyone."

 

[Julius Haskler]

Objective: Hear the prisoner out
Tag: Ingrid L'lerim

Julius was relieved to hear the Empress's last words. It meant a lot to him, seeing his interlocutor come to reason. The whole point of his presence was to probe the Empress to see if she could be cast aside or turned against the Sith. It seemed the second option was unlikely to occur, but it could be still worked out in a way or another. The point concerning the civilians was interesting because it gave leverage to accentuate pressure on the prisoner. He would sure use it. At the same time, he could also begin working on his other, personal project. The grand idea of an all-encompassing galaxy living peacefully under the revised tenets of the New Order had lived inside him for quite some time, and he was determined to make it happen. For the greater good of the galaxy, he had to work for this to come, by every mean possible. Politically, he had worked to ally the New Imperial Order with the Chiss Ascendancy, though the first approaches had been rebuffed. He had also tried to eliminate the Warlords of the Core, the Sith, the Mawites and so on... The Eternal Empire had always been a mystery. To what extent could the idea of a unified galaxy reach the Empress?

"I don't care what "side" of the Force you are on. The Force is something that is bound to be destroyed as quickly as possible. But I don't think it's the point of our discussion, is it? We are speaking of your presence on battlefields where the Sith and Imperials fight. It is a grave violation of every rule of war to see you fight, be it to protect civilians or trade blows with Imperial Knights. And it has to stop, or the New Imperial Order will have to consider the Eternal Empire as a belligerent, which, obviously, works against us. In short, an enemy. If you don't want your state to be considered an enemy of mine, I advise you to stay outside this conflict once and for all.

But don't be mistaken. I care about civilian lives, and about the threat of the Bryn'adûl. And we might have somewhere to work on together, what do you think? You are all focused on fighting this threat, and I want you out of the war between the Sith and Imperials. So here's what I could offer you: I am ready to consider the Eternal Empire as an ally for the duration of the war against the Bryn'adûl, on the condition you are never seen again on Imperial or Sith worlds. And we would consider your other sidekicks such as Laertia Io as allies at the same condition. I am ready to forgive anyone that fought on the Sith's side if they accept to retire from the Third Imperial Civil War and don't commit again. We did it with the Silver Jedi Concord, we can do it with anyone.

If you accept these conditions, then my job here is done. I have helped peace to strengthen and thrive between our forces."

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group​

Location: Top Secret High-Security Prison, Level 4999 of Coruscant
Equipment: Military uniform || Empyrean gland
Tag: Julius Haskler

[ Never meant to Belong ] ​

The woman stared at the man in shock for a moment as he openly stated the Force should be destroyed. In fact, the shock only appeared in her eyes for only a moment. Honest surprise. Did the man turn off all the cameras and bugs in this place for saying so openly? Was this his personal opinion or of the NIO's? If it belonged to the NIO, did GA know about it? If so, why were they still supporting them? Too many questions.

Did Tacitus know about this when he betrayed the TSE? If so, why didn’t you leave any information on this or what he was up to? If the woman knew that then, she would have chosen the NIO then. But she didn't know. Why Aidus, Why didn't you tell it? The woman, meanwhile, found it ironic that the NIO behaved and negotiated much more like the Sith than most Sith. This was learned from them when they were still part of the Sith Empire. There were things that never changed.

"I insist on humanitarian assistance, even under the conditions before we're arriving on a given planet, the NIO checks what troops and supplies the Eternal Empire sends there and we only take down what you allow. However, the NIO cannot violate fundamental human rights and cannot arbitrarily withhold humanitarian aid, supplies, and can't deny them to civilians under enemy rule. The units sent by us cannot be soldiers or retired soldiers, only civilian volunteers. Here, civilians do not receive military training and do not have weapons. And the assistance is for both parties, not just TSE but NIO civilians as well."

She added her own terms for what the man had said. Ingrid didn’t trust the man to go in, but the woman wasn’t like to accept something she didn’t feel equal and fair. She did not deliberately react to the destruction of the Force, this was too sensitive information in this situation, although the lack of reaction may have been eloquent.

"My sidekicks? I only met Miss. Io once. When I talked to her and Thurion Heavenshield about Midwinter’s support. I have no other connection with the lady, Lord Haskler. I never talked to her again. Not to mention our previous awkward relationships, I would need assurances before I actually accept your offer. The NIO has already broken one of our contracts, with impunity and we didn't do any steps after that against you, we have not changed anything, we have not sent a declaration of war, we still consider the NIO as a neutral party. What is the guarantee, Lord Haskler, this will not happen again due any of the Imperator's hounds? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming the Imperator for what happened, just the Lord Executor. But you will certainly understand if I am distrustful in this matter."

 

[Julius Haskler]

Objective: Hear the prisoner out
Tag: Ingrid L'lerim

The old diplomat had been waiting for a reaction, something that showed him he was not speaking to an automaton, a dead person. The lack of emotions in the eyes of the Empress impressed him and frightened the part of him genuinely caring for any living being. That small part of his mind had wondered what horrors she had encountered. Or maybe it was part of her training? Julius could not tell. But he had not missed the faint shock that had been painted on her face for a moment. He could have missed it if he hadn't been sharp and hadn't tried to see at least the bare minimum of a human reaction in his interlocutor.

"Don't look so surprised, Empress. I believe the New Imperial Order has stated its Force Iconoclasm more than often. And if it has not reached your ears, then I may very well be the voice of Operation Kyber Dark. The Force is to be destroyed. We don't need it and its very existence is the justification of unending wars and mayhem. And while you might argue we are partaking in this war by trying to bring the Sith down, I'm going to tell you something. The Sith were only the beginning because they embody the foulest aspect of Mankind. But when they are brought back to a rampant nature, forced to go into hiding, when the Imperials are strong enough, the Jedi will follow. Never again will someone rise to these levels of power through natural enhancements. Using the Force will be banned. The Chiss are going to teach us how they suppress their Force-sensitives. Their medications are quite effective, in fact."

He listened to the rest of her explanation. Her fears of betrayal were justified, of course, by Rurik's actions, though what he was hearing was only one side of the story. He could not bias his whole decision on Rurik Fel with only a partial interpretation of what had happened. He disliked the Lord Executor, of course, but he was a useful tool. One could not contempt its abilities if one wanted to retain usefulness too. As long as the Lord Executor did not interfere with the politics and stayed out of his way, Julius would have no qualm to ignore him.

"Rurik Fel is a bloodthirsty dog the Imperator sometimes allows to wander. But a dog, no matter how loyal, is always leashed tightly. And so should Rurik stay. I don't believe this man is doing any good to our Order, and I don't think he will stay useful longer. If necessary, he will be taken care of. But you are right to have suspicions, Empress. As any other war-hound, the Lord Executor is prompt to kill first and ask questions then. This is why I can't engage the New Imperial Order at large in an alliance with you. I don't trust Harrsk or Fel at all on political matters. In their ways, their actions are dooming the diplomatic facade of the Empire.

But even if I can't throw the Order in an alliance with its former prisoner, I can accept to align my own forces with yours. House Haskler could fight with you, as long as you remain outside the battlefields of the Stygian Caldera, outside any encounter between the New Imperials and the Sith. If you accept to do this, I will obtain a humanitarian clearance for Eternal Empire relief sent to the civilians in the warzones. And my forces will fight with yours against the Bryn'adûl, as long as notorious anti-New Imperials such as Ms Io we were talking about a few moments ago do not appear along with your troops.

I will make my position clear once and for all: I, as an individual, an Imperial leader and a member of the New Imperial Order, am concerned by the threat of the Bryn'adûl. This is why I have obtained the Order stalls its war effort against the Sith until they decide to strike again. I am obviously unable to persuade my fellow warmongers that we shouldn't strike back if the Sith decide to rise again. This concern of the Bryn'adûl has been expressed through the Imperial Knight task force we sent to fight on Ruusan alongside the Silver Jedi, whilst we could have used these Knights to spearhead a renewed attack on Sith worlds.
But I'm ready to take this a step further. The Silver Jedi lack a clear leader, a popular figure around whom they could gather. Their forces are in disarray, unable to fight correctly and oppose anything other than a symbolic resistance. I am ready to help you create that figure around which people would gather. Be it you, or anyone else. I am ready to do so and throw in my troops and political support. But I won't do it if you decide to appear again on an NIO-TSE battlefield, or if you align with other anti-NIO figures to try and push the Bryn'adûl back. If you agree to those conditions: never come back in NIO or TSE space to partake in the war whatsoever; never ally with an enemy of the NIO; limit your fight to the Bryn'adûl and not wasting your energies and our soldiers in a powerless effort to unite the galaxy, then I will have your humanitarian missions an NIO clearance and House Haskler will be counted as your ally.

Under these terms, do you accept my offer of an alliance?"

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group​

Location: Top Secret High-Security Prison, Level 4999 of Coruscant
Equipment: Military uniform || Empyrean gland
Tag: Julius Haskler

[ Never meant to Belong ] ​

The man didn't know, but both were true. It was part of the woman’s training to be able to control her emotions and her body so masterfully, and she saw a lot of terrible things as well. She grew up as a non-Force User, but was taught and trained at this age, from an early age, to control and suppress her emotions. She was four years old when she first killed someone in her life, it was a blizzard at night when assassins attacked their home. One of the assassins just laughs at the startled little girl who clutched a knife. They wanted to kill her slowly. Ingrid stabbed her knife in their throat when the assassin tried to catch her. Her first actual murder was at the age of fifteen, twenty years earlier from the present. She had to kill her first love because their enemies used him against the Clan L'lerim. By this time, under her assassin training she cut his throat. Hundreds, or rather thousands of targets, soldiers, murderers followed them. Yes, she saw a lot so she wouldn't have any reactions to that.

"I was present at Bastion when the Kyber Dark command was issued, but I knew it only applied to Dark Side power users. But if this is true, why do GA and NJO support you?"

She asked, still without emotion, militarily. By now, the surprise was gone and she was talking about it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and she was now in control of her body again. Did Tacitus know? Did the emperor know this and that's why he did what he did? That question was still on her mind. If so, why didn't he tell her? She will probably never get an answer to that.

"They, you can never give meds to the entire galaxy or forbid anyone from using the Force. No one has such power…"

She didn’t say she didn’t agree with the idea or she did not support it. Of course, she could not say it out loud and could not refer to it, it seemed to the woman that the destruction of the Force was still a more viable path, a waste of all other resources. Although they may find out and they may find a method. Who knows, anyway, this was very useful information. And they seemed to be on their way to negotiations. Maybe it's because of the common goal. However, all this is futile if…

"On these and other issues, I think it would be appropriate to return later, Lord Haskler. Now we’re talking in vain about anything if the Triumvirate will execute or imprison me forever, possibly exile, and I can never get in touch with anyone again. You also agree to continue this conversation, with the exact details, if ever I have a chance to return to the Eternal Empire? Now I may accept it, but who knows how the new emperor will decide if I can’t return home. Lord Tubrok is not specifically famous for his forgiveness."

Ingrid was able to imagine that her husband would start a war against the NIO or continue fighting GA if the woman disappeared or died and he became the new Emperor. Although the man was unaware of her efforts against the Force, he was a warlord and conqueror. However, she realized that everything that the man told her could be useful information later on.

"I hope you similarly think we should have this conversation later, not now."