Private An Empire Denied

[Irveric Tavlar]

// LOCATION // In orbit over Xo
// TIMELINE // Following the Congregation At Xo
// THEMATIC // Thrawn's True Face
// FOCUS // Remus Kelbor

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And so it was done. Alliance between Sith and Imperial to over throw a Sith Empire. Near surreal in its foundation even if it made complete sense within the full scope of the ambitions shared between Tavlar and Darth Voyance . The Sith had no place in Empire - they were warriors bent on perfecting their own power and adhering to dogmatic codes. Even still, facing down the resolute monolith that was the Sith Empire mean't that siphoning each and every asset from the beast unto their own alliance was everything. While Voyance convened with the Sith who sought to return to the code of old, Irveric sought to sew bonds with his peers and subordinates among the Sith-Imperial legions.

Though for now the loose coalition that made up the Apostate rebellion was starkly outnumbered, there were still allies to be found within the annuls of the Empire. Kelbor was a Major General who Tavlar had yet to encounter face to face but had heard whispers of his exploits if only from an appraisal by his subordinate Kolson Vrask who spoke highly of Kelbor's command on Tammar. And Wirm was not a man quick to praise anyone, being the consummate brutally honest skeptic at almost every turn.

It was the Chiss himself who sought to broker a line of communication between the two, summoning Kelbor's host to Xo not long after the Sith Keepers had left the system. Though they might've drawn alarms already, the presence of the combined forces of Tavlar and Darth Bellum was more than enough to stave off any Sith-Imperial ambitions at prematurely snuffing out the rebellion before it ever saw fruition.

In the shadow of Vexen's flagship, the Epitaph suspended freely over the crimson planes of Xo to welcome the Major General. As was the nature of these meetings, fanfare was subsided for pragmatic urgency.

The metallic doors hissed open to reveal the Lord General at head of his command deck. At least - he had not been officially stripped of his rank as of yet. Turning on a heel after dismissing one of the helmsmen back to their post he faced Kelbor, offering a salute with his organic arm before lowering it down to ease the stance of attention.

"Major General...wise of the Lord Colonel to reach out to you. Even as quickly as things are moving I'm sure you know very well of the implications of meeting with us here. Few moves have been made even in the most clandestine arenas but even still, I am a rebel to the throne. I'm sure you know well what I told the Sith at their gathering, yes?" He asked, arching a brow. Irveric was an imposing man not so much in stature than he was baring the sheer marks of his toil as a commander among the Legions of the Sith Empire. The beskar horn that dug into his skull among the dozens of smaller flechette and shrapnel scares were still raw and fresh from Mandalore. Beneath the visage marred and burned, compounded over the course of a legacy of hard fought battles his left arm had been replaced with a crimson cybernetic machination in its place. A Lord General but a lord in appearance hardly.

 

[Remus Kelbor]

Remus had spent a majority of the day conducting operational planning with Captain Sair and the leadership of the 23rd when he was summoned to his private quarters for an urgent message. Remus sighed as he made his way to his chambers but was well aware that every holocall that arrived in his private chambers could be his last or his first, in some ways. Remus handed off a dataslate to several subordinates and was flanked by members of a security squad, all 10 of them forming a cadre of bodyguards around the Major General. Was he concerned about someone trying to assassinate him? No. He was concerned about officers or soldiers whose loyalty was to a throne that would expend them for wanton destruction versus actual gain. Politics and military life went hand in hand and it was no secret that Remus was dismayed at the way that the Sith Empire had conducted itself, notably in the campaign on Mandalore but that was a story for another day.

Remus approached his private quarters and the Sith-Imperial Legionaries that stood outside were armored in black and a curious gold-yellow stripes. They were hallmarks of the old Imperial Novatroopers, an elite branch of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps that were dedicated to VIP protection, guarding important locations and more importantly a dedicated fighting force zealously loyal to whomever. All security assets within the 23rd that had been equipped with the Sith-Imperial Legionary armor now sported the gold-yellow markings and were training as a new series of Novatroopers. Criton's Point yielded gains from the Old Empire that had often thought been lost; such as the Novatrooper training regime that would be enhanced to create a new edition for security units throughout the 23rd and the Vengeance Squadron.

Remus sat in his desk chair and flicked the communicator, it was Colonel Wirm'nael'armiir. The conversation was precisely as Remus had imagined, it invited him to a meeting with the "Apostate" Lord General Irveric Tavlar . Remus agreed, it was only a matter of time before the network that Remus had laid out would be put to use. Following the conversation and the location of the "Apostates", Captain Sair was informed and the location of Xo was set for Vengeance Squadron. Vengeance Squadron had formed following Tammar and was placed underneath the command of the Major General; something that he understood was not quiet rare. Vengeance Squadron included the Tyrant, a Ferrata-class Planetary Assault Cruiser, an Eradiactor-class Heavy Cruiser, a Harrow-class Battle Cruiser and an Audax-class Cruiser to serve as another location for the 23rd.

Vengeance Squadron made the leap into hyperspace from above Criton's Point and returned to realspace in orbit above Xo. Remus was informed briefly by the Captain and the intelligence unit about Xo and its unique history but he disregarded that. The Tyrant had dispatched its shuttles and the same cadre of soldiers that had protected Remus had arrived with Remus aboard the Epitaph, the flagship of Lord General Tavlar. Pomp, ceremony and all the other trappings that were often custom to visit had been dispensed and Remus appreciated this, there was a time for tradition and time for business; this was a time for business.

The escort lead the Major General to the command deck of the flagship and as he entered he was greeted with the Lord General's salute. Remus motioned his right hand and the Novatroopers had dispersed, two of them remained on Remus' flanks and the rest simply took up positions around the command deck. Remus was confident he wouldnt need them but you never knew in this galaxy who was going to leap into hyperspace and some Ensign was going to feel as if he could take a lucky shot. Remus returned the salute and folded his hands in front of him as he listened to the Lord General. Remus smirked. "I was made aware of your comments at the Dark Council meeting. I cannot say that I disagree with your statements." Remus nodded his head towards the assembly of other vessels, not his own. "I can see that some others are either in agreement or have their own grievances that they wish to air in a more...open manner." Remus returned his gaze to the Lord General.

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

"It only takes one to ring the bell to summon the flock." Tavlar said, offering a narrow glance to the accompanying image of 'Novatroopers' at Kelbor's flank. It was a peculiar sight but one that reminded Tavlar of his own time at the same station, forming an identity all his own from the army beneath him. What began as black and crimson clad legionnaires didn't take long to turn into soldiers draped in camouflage and the characteristic fearsome symbol Tavlar had taken as his martial identity within the Sith Imperial legions.

Seeing Kelbor paint his retinue in his own colors was reassuring of his appraisal of the man's willingness to betray his Empire the very same Tavlar did. Though betrayal was hardly the term for what was far more a reclamation. Taking what was unjustly stolen as the fruits of Imperial glory in favor of the Eye Of Soloman.

"Even so- you answered the summon. We fight with the fruits of our labour denied if spill any more lifeblood in the name of the Sith Emperors...I will not see this injustice go on any longer. Let it be known now, Major General. I will die for this. My fate is either dying for my countrymen or dying in the shadow of the Eye Of Soloman. I do not fear the powers which we destined to face." Irveric Tavlar said outright. Remus seemed to be a man of ambition who'd had his mettle tested if only meagerly in the field as far as Tavlar could appraise. It was then Kelbor had to determine if an even handed career of progression among the Sith only to be hampered by the cultists of the Dark Creed the entirety of the way, or risk everything for the Imperial identity in itself.

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Remus Kelbor

 

[Remus Kelbor]

Remus took a deep breath, not quite a sigh but almost a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The Lord General spoke the truth, the Sith were a blockade at best, they did not provide the same level of availability to those who swore the uniform and adopted the Imperial creed as soldiers. No, they were dogmatic and believed only in power; something Remus believed in but he believed in the pillar of his men, the New Order and more importantly, he believed that those who earn it, should take it. That is what Remus believed an "Empire" should be, idealistic and perhaps fanciful, but one could strive to cure the ills of the Old Empire with a new way of thinking. Remus was under no impression that this nascent rebellion didn't have its own motivations and ordains for power or politics but that was not the issue at the forefront.

Remus had noticed a brief moment where the Lord General glanced at the black and yellowed armored Stormtroopers behind him and Remus grew a faint smile on his lips. Remus' gaze never left the Lord General as he was speaking but he knew his answer before he even finished. Remus understood that "betraying" the Sith Empire meant a permanent mark on him and more importantly, the start of something that they are not sure what was going to happen. The Old Empire was dead but it does not mean that we cannot adopt some tradition and ceremony when it comes to the Old Empire but this would be a New Empire, a New Empire to replace the Old Empire and not a Sith Empire; that is what is most important.

Remus starred blankly at the Lord General ( Irveric Tavlar ) "Where do we start?"

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

"A peculiar question with no easy answer." Tavlar iterated simply and flatly. They were David against Goliath -- a combined coalition of Sith and Imperial radicals in themselves meant to tangle with one of the more powerful Empires the Galaxy had ever known. Though it would be a far cry to draw parallels between this New Order and the Rebel Alliance that prevailed against all odds but regardless there was precedent, it had been done before. The very Galactic Empire to which Irveric had begun to draw his symbolism in line with the Imperial identity in itself. The harkening back to the 'Novatroopers' within Kelbor's ranks were another sign even if it was in blatant subtly. Though the Galactic Empire might've been masterminded by Sith, its true instruments of actualization to the Empire's generational rule over the Galaxy's entirety.

"We are outnumbered in every metric, on every front. What we lack in pure instruments of death we compensate for that in we have superior tact in our favor. Even the Sith Order's greatest military mind in Kor Vexen has forsaken this decrepit Empire." Irveric explains, eventually shifting his gaze toward the segmented glasteel viewport, the jarring crimson sphere of Xo shedding its light reflection from the surface through the bridge.

"A staging point needs to be established, outside of Sith space from where we can command our war effort, that is our first priority." Tavlar states, pacing toward the window before shifting his gaze back to Kelbor.

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Remus Kelbor

 

[Remus Kelbor]

Remus was not afraid by overwhelming odds; he was a dedicated military man within the Sith Empire, that was overwhelming odds enough. Remus nodded as Irveric Tavlar spoke, he spoke the truth simply put. The Sith Empire was domineering in the Outer Rim of the Galaxy, that was no secret but the Sith Empire also lacked a number of qualities that citizens of the Sith Empire often sought after, the Imperial will and the Imperial way. Remus was not blind to the fact that the "Old Empire" he quasi-worshiped was gone, a long dead relic of the past but he understood that the Old Empire could serve as an inspiration, a textbook for what to do and what not to do. Remus turned to face the Lord General as he turned towards the viewports and Remus turned his body towards him. "The Sith Empire will come for our heads, of that I have no doubt Lord General." Remus smirked. "However, we must not forget that the common citizens of the Sith Empire often looked to the "Imperials" to lead them versus the Sith that often treated them as nothing more than cattle." Remus stepped forward a couple of steps, his black boots tapping gently on the armored floors of the bridge. "We can exploit that, we can provide the sense of security and order that the Sith cannot." Remus was speaking to the fact that the Sith were often overly brutal and lacked fundamental understanding of basic governance.

"Fear and terror will only get you so far. I believe that the Sith have spent too much time reading the Tarkin Doctrine and dozen of subsequent pretenders who have claimed to inherit that legacy. Perhaps its just that in ur-Kittat it loses some of its translation." Remus jibed the Sith language that he never bored of hearing when "Sith" were around. "We have something that they do not: mercy." Remus stepped closer. "We can be merciful rulers regularly, tyrants and monster when necessary. Perpetual fear and terror does not keep people in line, the threat of fear and terror does. The threat that we can, at any moment, crush them underneath our boots but don't...but provide for security, build and offer wealth and prosperity, that is how we win versus the Sith." Remus understood that whatever this new group or government was becoming, it had to be fundamentally different from the Sith Empire, it needed to become what the Sith weren't. A developed, higher form of the Galactic Empire in which the threat of fear and terror were present but the guided hand protected and enraptured their citizenry.

"Our followers, our citizens must become wrapped in patriotic fervor, a love for this new Empire, a desire to protect and shun the Sith Empire and protect the new way of life with their life." Remus was not beyond idealistic zealotry but he understood that if they could find a middle ground between democratic government and totalitarian rule, they would succeed. An even guided hand was necessary in order to effective remove support from the Sith Empire. "That can be temporary or it can be a permanent way of life for whatever this new Empire will be."

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

Eye to eye. Kelbor seemed to be uniform with Tavlar's drive and ambition of what he sought to mold from this coalition in rebellion. The Sith Empire was a relic, one long failed. It had been attempted scores over and each time it withered into nothingness for the Sith to rot in seclusion. The Imperial was far more persistent -- its only downfalls ever being the Sith they more often than not had to align themselves with in the desire of bringing order to the Galaxy.

"Peace, prosperity, security...this what men fight for...and this is why fighting for the Sith is a fruitless endeavor." Tavlar stated flatly.

"When you conquer worlds only to scrape all life from them in your wake, you are no entity of order but a manifestation of malice, evil and chaos. That is the Sith Empire. I know you weren't at Mandalore...it was a hard fought battle. I was garrison commander of the planet's capital. I defended it, I felt death and sent hundreds to the slaughter to protect it, to protect its people against the 'terrorists' who sought to put it to the sword. We won...we forced them off the world. Did the Sith stand by and rebuild, reconstruct the proud Mandalore from the ruins? No...instead they only finished the job...its people, exterminated. Think what you will of the Mandalorian but this is not deserved. I care not what they've done to provoke Sith brutality, this is not the way of a just rule. All the same, no man should be sent to die purely so that his nation might inflict suffering on its citizens. It is disgusting, perverted - this New Empire will not operate like this, of that I can assure you Remus. The weight of legacy burdens our shoulders, we stand at a fulcrum in Galactic history. We can either be the instrument of great change or die in its attempt but we can not stand by and be anything else." Irveric said with his voice dipped in several shades of conviction. He mean't absolutely everything he said.

"You are fight in that for an Empire to project its power, it must possess the instruments of death to which it might play at its leisure -- but used only when necessary, a fighting force molded in the crucible, trained to the highest standards possible to protect the people at their backs. The very foundation to which Empire is built, something the Sith have let their hubris make them forget. They are the crowning ornament but they are not the bedrock beneath their feet. If every legion turned on them today, the war wouldn't last more than a standard day." Tavlar stated.

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Remus Kelbor

 

[Remus Kelbor]

Remus continued his gaze on the Lord General and nodded softly when he agreed and other times remained stoic and unflinching as the Lord General spoke. Remus had studied the after action reports and battle damage assessments from Mandalore and he was appalled at the actions of the Sith in the battle. Remus brought himself to his dinners and chats with Kavar Lok, the Mandalorian warrior who he rescued and had brought on as a training instructor to the new Novatroopers. Whatever it was worth, the Mandalorians were a culture and a people that had iron and war in their very soul, and Remus sought to extract that and use that for his Novatroopers. The dozen or so Mandalorians that had been rescued had been given sort of free reign to combine with the instructors that were plucked and made into the first cadre of instructors for the Novatroopers and the two had worked well together; Remus saw to that. Remus dispatched his thoughts and returned it solely to the Lord General.

"The Sith do not understand many principles that soldiers understand." Remus smirked and stepped closer to the transparisteel viewports that overlooked Xo. The planet's red-orange hue gave a glow that was unmistakable. "That is why soldiers and politicians should often come from similar cloth. I prefer the same cloth but that is my own opinion." Remus did not fear speaking his mind, he touted himself as honest and a man of action. The Sith had spent the last few weeks of Remus' time as a member of the Sith Empire scrambling to build a new civil structure to manage the Empire. It had existed prior but it failed to do anything of note. The governance and management of worlds were left to Sith, Sith were named Lords and Governors of worlds while Imperial citizens suffered underneath their deranged and insane leadership. Force sensitives had their place, they had their duties and roles but the wanton disregard for law, order, security and prosperity would be the undoing of the Sith Empire and whatever this New Imperial Order was or would become, would be its undoing.

Remus returned to Irveric Tavlar standing beside him. "Whatever needs to be done Lord General, I will make it so. I remember a quote from a bygone age. An Empire is never peaceably acquired or maintained. It is willed into existence. We are that will." More importantly, Remus was that will even if no one else would be.

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

"The will we are." Tavlar iterated in full agreement as he nodded once, his broken gaze peering over the crimson planes of Xo before glancing back once more toward the General.

"Pure politicians are often as much parasites as the Sith are. Arbitrary appointments and popular elections determine nothing but the disposition others have toward their glad hand behavior. They are seldom leaders, leaders are born of toil and hardship. They lead men and women to victory, they don't command them. The Sith dictate inhumanly. They hold love toward nothing but power in its absolute purest form. They do not care for the greater machinations of the galaxy for the Sith Empire would rather see it destroyed than uplifted. So long as these force cultists rule the galaxy, we will not see peace and order, Kelbor." Tavlar states sternly - rhetoric he'd repeated to the face of Jedi directly.

"This will perhaps the most improbably undertaking any group of men and women have ever faced in the wake of an evil so potent...the Galactic Empire was brought low by buying all of its stock in consolidated super weapons -- the Sith...their dominance spreads far wider and in its wake there is no worlds brought to peace by order and security...they're brought to peace by total annihilation." Tavlar states.

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Remus Kelbor