Private A Matter of Strategy

[Sergan Vanori]

Aboard the Star Destroyer Oppressor
​

Watching fighter drills is often not entertaining, but to a career navy man, seeing perfect formations and the execution of carefully planned flybys has a charm that never quite diminishes. Sergan stood aboard a new ship with a crew entirely unfamiliar with his command style, but the Admiral wasn’t one to waste time. He’d abandoned a ship and crew he had come to see as home and family when he fled from one Empire to another, he knew that the loss would forever be bitter in his heart. But now he was in command of a fresh Star Destroyer, a ship so modern that he wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself when he walked its halls. Everything from his uniform to the blaster at his side felt as if it was fresh off the assembly line, but it wasn’t the place of an officer to question the equipment if it did its job just fine.

Despite lingering mistrust among other Imperials, Sergan had made an impression when he spoke before the ruling council, many of its members seeing at least a tiny bit of soundness to the strategy he proposed. While he awaited the start of a fresh campaign and orders, he had performed a thorough inspection of his new flagship and personally went to each of the sections of the ship to interact with the crew. While he could never know every single crew member by heart, he thought it best they all knew his face.

“Admiral, we have an incoming craft. They request board permission.”

“Granted. Have a detachment of troopers awaiting our guest in the hanger bay, I want them in proper formation.”

“Yes Sir, I’ll see to it personally.”

Sith. Sergan had never seen a Sith in person before, he’d only heard of their abilities and of course, the Sith Empire that now ripped into the Mid-Rim. He was unaware of how those Sith and the Sith in the true Empire differed, but he knew better than to question otherwise. The ideals of the Empire he served were born from a Sith Lord in days long past, and the Emperor he served now was among their rank. The particular Sith he was to meet with today had spoken in favor of his proposal at the council and seemed eager to expand the war against the Alliance, a goal they both shared. While he was no politician, he knew the value of having strong allies and he was in no position to pass up an ally such as this. For a moment he looked at his reflection in one of the bridge viewpoints, he carefully straightened his uniform and began the walk to the main hanger. He would personally greet his guest, no matter how much she disturbed him in his mind.

Tags: Onrai ​

 

[Onrai]

Sergan Vanori

The last meeting of the Imperial Ruling Council had proven to be an interesting one, with various points raised for rationale why the Empire had failed to successfully take Coruscant. Though certain goals and objectives had yet been achieved, the world was still under the control of the Galactic Alliance, an intolerable situation. A number of variables had been put forth in order to develop a solution to this. Onrai's preferred course of action had been to go after the Jedi and figure out a way to dismantle their influence, to turn the Alliance against them and perhaps to cause internal strife and division.

The shuttle arriving carried the same blonde-haired woman in simple black robes that had made herself known at the council meeting in question, Vanessa Vantai. Though the general sense of unease yet remained, she looked for all intents and purposes like a near-human, no trace of the fell and chthonic abomination that yet lurked beneath the respective visage. As she emerged from the ramp of the shuttle, she gave a surprisingly pleasant smile to the admiral in question.

"Admiral Vanori. A pleasure. Vanessa Vantai, onetime Sith Lord and present governor of Ord Mantell."

 

[Sergan Vanori]

“Welcome aboard Lady Vantai, it is an honor to have you aboard.”

Sergan offered a polite bow, before stepping to one side so that he might walk alongside his guest. Even as they stood together, the main hanger was loud, and naval technicians and pilots were working on the compliment of fighter craft, Sergan had wasted little time in putting our feelers to acquire more advanced fighter craft to make up for his new flagships rather meager complement of escort craft. To his surprise, he wasn’t stonewalled, and a few advanced craft and pilots were brought aboard and were being tested as they spoke.

“I apologize for the chaos, I am rather rigorous in testing my crew and the equipment they use. The Navy has been very generous, but it will take me some time to adjust to all of it. But let us adjourn to the conference room, we can discuss more there.”

Two of the troopers in the lineup broke away from their positions to fall in behind Sergan and Vanessa, the pair traveling alongside each other as they made their way down the long, busy hallways of the Oppressor, but Sergan did find himself asking a rather important question of his new-found ally.

“I do not wish to speak out of turn, but… you say you were once a Sith but no longer? You’ll have to forgive me, I am not familiar with the complexities of the Force, but I came to understand that one could not break from their chosen path so easily.”

The Force was indeed an unknown quantity to a man so obsessed with the simplicity of durasteel and power of turbolasers. But to use an unseen power to manipulate reality itself? That was hard to understand, let alone the distinction between Sith, Jedi, and the countless other groups who seek their own perfect path to the proper use of the force. Part of him wishes he had the abilities others wielded so easily, but the more rational side of his mind won out, he’d seen what that kind of power in the wrong hands could lead to if improperly used. But the Emperor was wise, his power was turned to the restoration of galactic unity under a strong and orderly government. That’s all Sergan truly needed to know.

While appreciating the conversation they had already had, Sergan did not have his guest come all this way simply to discuss her abilities. Instead, they were to work out the Empire’s next moves as it massed for another great assault. Lady Vantai had supported him and his proposal and Sergan found he very much agreed with what she had put forward as well. It was time they came together and solidified their plans moving forward, hopefully finding support in each other. The pair of troopers that had been following them took posts outside the conference room, leaving the pair alone when they stepped in.

“Please, take a seat. I can have refreshments provided should you wish, but I do not wish to waste your time. Tell me, have you put any more thought into your strategy for the Empire's next move?”