Dominion &nbsp; Foundations of a new empire | Ashlan Crusade | Hex above Koboth

Cedric had taken his seat, prompting the next speaker to take to the main podium. Pietro had almost lost himself for a moment within the uproar of the cheering crowd, causing him to take a moment before proceeding to the center of the stage. He had given many a speech, whether it be a sermon or a political statement, but not in years had he seen such a vast gathering of the faithful. Every single one had a genuine investment in their cause, whether spiritual or not, but whatever their reasons, Ashla had brought them together for a singular purpose. It was a truly magnificent sight to behold.

Pietro gathered himself, approaching the podium with the usual commanding posture he often held. Taking a moment to offer thanks to Ashla, he began.

"Brothers and sisters, in recent days I have often pondered the nature of light; the way it warms... illuminates... it protects us from the darkness, just as a fire protects one from both predators and the cold. I see this fire in every one of you. I see the Light as it emanates from every inch of this room, filling it with the warm embrace of Ashla. I know that not all of you walk the path of the faith, but you are here because you have that Light. We have all come together with one purpose; to protect the galaxy from the cold hands of death itself. We have heard a higher calling, and where others have faltered, we have persevered. We looked into the abyss, and when the abyss looked back, rearing its hellish head, we refused to blink."

His mind wandered for a brief moment, thinking back on the events that had lead him to this moment. His story was, in many ways, a reflection of the others in the room. They had all lived to see the tyranny of those that followed in the footsteps of darkness, and they had all found a way to survive its never-ending pull. Pietro took a deep breath, continuing his speech as he brought himself back to the present.

"I am thankful to Ashla for this incredible time that we see laid out before us now. I am also thankful to Lord Grayson for being the champion of Light that we have needed for so long. Beyond these, however... I am thankful for all of you, for without you this Crusade would have never gotten so far. Without the dedication of every individual brave enough to stand up to the darkness, we would have never seen victory. Any single person can be a beacon of the light, if they have the will, but together, we burn with the light of a thousand suns. The holy fire of retribution burns within us, and together our light shall pierce even the darkest corners of the galaxy!"

The crowd began cheering, and Pietro allowed it to continue for a moment. Though there were many long, hard days ahead, the Crusade deserved this moment of celebration, even if it were only to be a temporary moment of reprieve from the battles to come. finally, he held his hands up, signalling for the roar of the crowd to dissipate. The volume of his voice picked up, his tone becoming more fiery as each word left his mouth.

"Lord Grayson has not only declared a new path for our movement, but a new path for the entire galaxy. We stand on the precipice of greatness, not for ourselves, but for Ashla and her holy Light. Together, we will usher in a new age of peace, faith, and unity for all that seek to be saved from the dark. Together, we will bring the rotting presence of the Bogan to its knees, and when it cowers in its final failing moments and asks for mercy, we shall look upon it, and with all of the truth and justice of Ashla, we shall strike it down, and it shall be no more!"

The previous cheer seemed to be a whisper compared to the roaring of the crowd that followed. With those final words, Pietro left the podium, giving a nod of acknowledgment to the others that sat next to him on the stage.

Tristan Evore · Jun 17, 2021

Tags:

Isla Draellix-Kobitana , E Eric Vales ,

Pietro Demici

"Perhaps" He offered a toothy grin in return. "My stay here is...indefinite. The Sith have been allowed to run amok in this region for nearly two decades, it is imperative that this atrocity be corrected"

The Crusade- or rather the Kaisreich had caught the Empire 'in the perfect position'. With the New Imperial Order and Galactic Alliance pushing deeper and deeper into Sith territory, Kaisereich Fleets would have near total free reign in the area. "I must however, express my concerns with our new Empire"

"There must be safeguards to prevent the same coup that saw the Core transcend to...anarchy. The right of democracy must not be enroached, but...it's a slippery slope"

He paused. "Unjust Impeachment is my concern. Coup is my concern. Dismantlement of your legacy." It had happened before. Tagge, in his old wisdom had been the stooge of the discontent, not the founder of the great Core Alliance. "In my opinion, here lies an opportunity for you to secure your legacy for posterity"

Isla Draellix-Kobitana · Jun 18, 2021

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Pietro Demici

Tristan Evore E Eric Vales

Isla raised an eyebrow at Tristan's implication to Cedric, sure, she could see where he was coming from, after all, running a warship like a democracy would be a mess, but this was people's freedoms, why fight only to replace the sith with another dictatorship.

"Admiral Evore, if I may, what you are suggesting, while I imagine it is well thought out, and certainly not without its merits, would be a short term benefit at the expense of long term stability. I agree that a repeat of the Grayson Imperium situation would be a disaster, allowing it to push us toward authoritarianism would be little better."

Truth be told, she didn't know a great deal about the Imperium, but what she did know made for a messy story.

Pietro finished speaking and Isla joined the applause, it was good to hear him speak with courage and conviction. Ge could galvanise the faithful and convert those on the fence. As finished his speech she closed her eyes and made her own private prayer to Ashla.

Two armed marines on a loose patrol approached E Eric Vales and his companions, fairly bemused at all the ceremony goes on amongst the higher echelons of power.

"How the other half lives hey," he said to Vales, offering him a smoke and nodding toward the speaking priest.

"I hope he is paying you well" he said to the wookie in Shyriiwook.

"We could have done with a few of these guys on the Pillar over Ninn" he said back to Eric, rubbing the wrist joint on a prosthetic arm that couldn't have had more than 2 weeks of wear on it.

Isla Draellix-Kobitana · Jun 18, 2021

Tags: E Eric Vales

The marines quickly interrupted Vales as he approached the admiral, he had clearly misinterpreted their friendliness as a summons by their commander.

"Sorry, sir, the admiral is not to be interrupted. We can pass the information on to the captain of her ship though. We can't have pirates causing problems here, the Purpose should find any cloaked ships nearby. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

He held out his had for the mercenary to hand him the data, he would pass it straight to the marine commander, who would have the ear of the battlecruiser captain. The marines didnt know the specifics but there was rumours that the battlecruiser had tech that could easily detect any nearby cloaked vessels.

Isla briefly glanced over at the marines, and satisfied with their actions, went back to the conference at hand.

Heinrich Faust · Jun 21, 2021

Location: The pilgrim's path

Tags:

Geiseric ,

Vyrien Paskal

As he finally left his meditative state, Heinrich opened his, looking upon the others that knelt in prayer. Heinrich had not felt this level of joy, comfort, and clarity in many years. Being in this place, with such devout individuals, brought him to a much brighter place. He rose from his knees while the others prayed, walking to the center of the circle and staring into the night sky. He knew that they would eventually be pushing toward those same stars, fighting to bring peace back to the galaxy. He felt a renewed sense of purpose as the prayers and chanting continued around him. Heinrich closed his eyes as he drew his lightsaber, holding it in his hands as if it were an offering to Ashla.

My lady Ashla... thank you. Thank you for these precious moments before the oncoming storm. Thank you for these individuals that you have so graciously surrounded me with. I don't commune with you as often as I should, and have been rather sidetracked as of late. For that, I ask for your forgiveness. You have given me another chance to make things right, and to bring our people home. It feels so close... I swear, this blade will forever shed your light on those that wish to snuff it out. I will forever be your soldier, your knight of Ashla, the blade of Ession...

A single tear of joy and reverence fell from his face as he sent his silent prayer into the stars above.

Pietro Demici · Jun 21, 2021

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Pietro joined the others just in time to hear Tristan's concerns for the new Ashlan movement. They were fair concerns, in the end. The ousting of the Grayson family was a crime that went largely unpunished, and it burned a hole of frustration in the cardinal's heart. He couldn't imagine anyone wanting to deviate away from Cedric's plan. There were few that could truly be the beacon of Ashla that Cedric had become, and there would likely not be another of his kind in their lifetime. Pietro shot a glance to Isla as she voiced her own concerns, which had merit as well. After all, as much as Pietro was unopposed to more authoritative ideals within the chaotic galaxy that they all called home, he did not wish for the people to be forgotten. After all, it was their blood and sweat that formed the very backbone of the movement, and should be recognized for their efforts.

"Admiral Draellix does pose a point. Eventually we will have to maintain some level of democratic involvement, even if it is more restrictive than what we see in other parts of the galaxy. I do understand your point though, admiral Evore. The needs of the people must be balanced with the needs of the cause."

He turned to Isla as he continued.

"The reality of the matter, however, is that as long as we have yet to accomplish our goals, we will have to maintain order. We are moving in on several worlds that have suffered under the Sith yoke for many years. We will likely see insurgency, rebellion, and other such internal threats until we have fully cleansed those worlds of Sith influence. In order to maintain the security of our people, those same people who's rights you wish to preserve, we will inevitably have to take more extreme measures, at least for a time."

They weren't likely the words that she would want to hear, but they were his true thoughts. Pietro believed in their people; in those that walked in the Light. Despite this, the presence of the Bogan was to be found scattered across the whole of the galaxy, and they would have to take steps to ensure that it didn't spread further.

Isla Draellix-Kobitana · Jun 21, 2021

The two marines looked at E Eric Vales , slightly confused by his dismissive attitude, "thank you for this information Mr Vales, we will make sure it is actioned appropriately" The information was communicated to the awaiting fleet who began searching for the missing pirate vessels. Theoretically the should be easy to find, but it was their experience that pirates could be very slippery customers when it suited them.

Isla looked at Pietro, it was not for her to doubt the words of a man with so much experience in these things, and she was pleased that her concerns were being acknowledged. The constitution that had been put forward seemed quite clear that the intention was democracy.

Isla had another concern, and this one is one that had troubled her before, it was the best chance to ask this, but she risked alienating herself, but who was she if she wasnt bold.

"I look around me at the other senior faces here and I see one specific thing in common, force users. Correct me if I am mistaken, but I am the only person on what has become something of an inner council who is not force sensitive, and my own space is probably largely attributed to my genetically enhanced intelligence and abilities." She looked around her to gauge the response of the other people around her before continuing.

"The Sith are centred around their force users, the Jedi order of old collapsed because it became so wrapped up in the force it forgot the bigger picture, I feel that the general populace who are predominantly non-sensitives, need representation. This would prevent this turning into a two tiered society based upon the lines of the force." She nearly added an apology to the end of her speech as she was well aware of the importance of the force to those gathered here but an apology would only dilute the argument, she had earned the right to speak her mind here. She looked a Cedric, hoping to see an understanding in his eyes.

Pietro Demici

Cedric Grayson · Jun 25, 2021

They each made valuable points. Cedric retained his silence for a time, listening in earnest to what his comrades had to say. He'd truthfully not expected to see

Tristan Evore again, but the youth's presence was not unwelcome, nor were his words. Long had Cedric attempted to balance governorship with liberty, and rarely had he succeeded in the endeavor. One always seemed to trump the other: lordship of democracy, autocracy or liberalism. For his part, Cedric was uncertain as to what he identified more with. Ideally democracy was the fairest function, but experience had shown it to be flawed and extremely fragile.

The Imperium might not have slipped through his fingers had he held it tighter in his grasp.

"To leave the people entirely unrepresented is tyranny," the exile mumbled, arms folding behind the small of his back after he clipped his helmet to his belt. "To give them too much representation leads to anarchy. We must walk upon the edge of the cliff, and we must mind the gap." He continued, gaze drifting from one individual to the next.

"I propose a similar structure to the Imperium, though I will be retaining powers otherwise reserved for the House of Lords. The clause we created in case of my death was abused by capitalists and oligarchs to secure their power over the core. This new House shall have no such powers. The position of the Kaiser is one ordained by the Ashla, and only she may take it from me." It might have sounded selfish, perhaps power hungry, but Cedric was callous to naivety.

He was doing this to save lives, not for glory.

"Our worlds may govern themselves however they wish, so long as our laws are followed. Democracy amongst the representatives shall be the norm: ministerial positions will be chosen by me. I will hold the power of veto over the burgeoning parliament. That aside, those granted titles of nobility will have a place in the diet as well, though their votes will carry for half of that of the elected representatives."

He paused, curious to what his compatriots might have thought of his dictates.

Pietro Demici ,

Isla Draellix-Kobitana · Jun 25, 2021

She had a small clap in response to Cedric, she was heartened to hear that he intends to allow a level of controlled self determination of planets. She strictly enforced a culture in the fleet that sailors should feel looked after and that they had agency, so when asked to put their lives on the line, they were protecting their lives and not some nameless overlord. The same would be true of a planet, if the population were allowed to feel a semblance of control and freedom, they would have something worth fighting to keep. A lord billions of miles away that could easily be exchanged for another lord without them noticing, would never give them real reason to feel they had a dog in the fight.

"My lord, I have read you constitution and feel that it is fair and just, I would be honoured to be part of the founding signatories" Well, there it was, she had been clear and open about her support from early on, but this was an official endorsement amongst great men. Her parents would be sobbing if they saw the great things their daughter was accomplishing here.

Isla looked around at the other faces in the crowd and at the podiums in front of her, trying to take in a remember every little details as this moment would be something she would hold on to for years to come.

"I would also like to put myself forward officially as head of the Navy of the new state, I am aware that I have been fulfilling this role for the crusade until now, but I feel I have shown my worth and would be a valuable addition to your administration." She added after a few moments, the power she wielded was far beyond what any other non-force sensitive in the crusade had and she was not willing to give this position up any time soon.

Pietro Demici E Eric Vales ]

Geiseric · Jun 26, 2021

Objective: Pilgrimage

Heinrich Faust |

Vyrien Paskal | OPEN

As they all prayed, sending their words up to heaven in hopes of gracing the divine, an image began to form behind their eyes. What each crusader saw was different, as vivid and unique as their many expressions of faith. But one thing was certain and they all knew it: Ashla was with them. They had believed it to be in the realm of possibility, but now they knew it was in fact real: this ancient place held deep power in the Light Side of the Force, and together they had channeled it into mass vision.

"Can you feel it, brothers and sisters? We are surrounded by divine energy. Focus deeply inwards, let it draw from you while you draw from it. Let it heal your wounds, and let it steel your mind, body, and soul."

They were as blessed as the very first Je'daii to feel the Light's embrace. Though all outside of the Crusade might challenge their divine sanction, the faithful knew that those outsiders simply did not understand, and would not until the righteous blades of Ashla showed them...

Heinrich Faust · Jun 28, 2021

Location: The pilgrim's path

Tags: 

Geiseric ,

Vyrien Paskal

The meditation had given Heinrich clarity, and his prayers had given him comfort. What came next was something... more; an indescribable feeling as bold and mysterious as Ashla herself. His body felt as if it were filled with a burning fire, and his hands began to tremble. As Heinrich continued to stare into the stars, he could hear the voice of Geiseric among the prayers of the crowd. His mind once again gave way to the ever-present flow of the Force, and suddenly, all he saw was light. Blinding, searing, holy light. He dropped back to his knees, continuing to hold his lightsaber out in offering to Ashla.

The vision was intangible, and yet, so incredibly real. The light itself was accompanied by a sense of warmth and security. A feeling of home...

A smile produced itself on Heinrich's face, and grew with each passing moment as he fully embraced Ashla's light. Eventually, as the light seemed to grow even brighter than imaginable, Heinrich saw a faint image. It was a wonder that he could see anything within the blinding light, and yet, despite this, there it was...

"Can you see, brethren? Can you see?"

His words drifted as he stood in utter awe of the vision before him. Through the burning light of the cosmos appeared a single hand, reaching out for him and touching its palm to his forehead.

"Lady Ashla..."

A glowing, golden light burst from his eyes as he uttered her name, and he couldn't help but to repeat her name, his voice growing more loud as he spoke.

"Ashla! Ashla is with us!!!"

Many wouldn't understand what transpired on this holiest of days, but they didn't need to. Heinrich could say without a single moment of doubt that Ashla was watching over them, with a hand on their shoulder and a whisper in their ear. They were the chosen hand of the Light, meant to spread it's presence to every dark corner of the galaxy.

Pietro Demici · Jun 28, 2021

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Pietro attentively listened to the others as they spoke, taking in each idea and opinion. The point that caught the bulk of his focus, however, was the one mentioned by Isla. If Pietro were to be honest with himself, he hadn't given much thought to the inclusion of those that weren't actively studying the Force. He always saw their representation as a given, due to the large number of them that were present within their movement. That being said, he had been so focused on securing their place in the Tingel Arm, that he hadn't even begun to address how to incorporate them into the greater governing body.

He looked to Isla, a reassuring smile upon his face.

"If those not practicing the Force continue to prove themselves as you have, then I see no reason to not include them. After all, each individual is an important part of our movement. Every single individual guided by Ashla has a place."

The Cardinal turned toward Cedric, providing him with a resounding nod.

"It is indeed a fine line that we must walk, in not just one, but many ways. Vigilance will be required of us in great amounts in the coming days. As for Isla's request, I wholeheartedly endorse her as the head of our navy, and as a central figure within the new regime. There are few that have shown such levels of competence, devotion, and skill. To have someone of her caliber within the upper echelons of the Kaiserreich would be a great boon to both us and the people."

This would be a day of establishing many new facets of the growing Ashlan movement, and would frame the purpose of the Crusade going forward. Pietro would maintain focus on the things that mattered, no matter how small such things seemed when placed next to their main goal. Today's decisions would echo in history, and Pietro would ensure that they remained on the right side of it.

Hei Sogecki · Jun 30, 2021

Hei Sogecki had been tracking the creature for a week, its large footprints clear on the muddy ground in front of him, how such a large creature was roaming the jungle intruiged him. The creature had a stride of just over two metres and seemed to be keeping a steady and methodical pace, indicating that it was either domesticated or led. It was likely avian in nature looking at the shape of the tracks, with three large toes ending in points and a fourth toe behind.

He heard a crack from ahead of him.

From the warm urine on the floor it was clear that he was getting close, so he unclipped his stun rifle, hoping to capture a new sample and return it to the menagerie, it was his first new specimen in months so he was excited or as excited as a jedi that mostly now a robot could be. Quietly he advanced to the edge of the undergrowth that he was in an peered through, his advanced optics scanning the area ahead of him, there it was, a magnificent creature.

It was a large bird like creature that stood on two bare legs, black feathers covered it bulbous body that then extended up a long thin neck that ended in a small crested head and large beak. The beak, it had a riding tool in it, so where was the rider? Hei quickly scanned the surrounding area, switching to different spectrums to aid detection when he heard the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber ignition behind him.

"Hoo ar yoo an why yoo on ashluuna land?" Came the broken language of the heavily muscled and tattooed native standing behind Hei, how had he allowed himself to be ambushed? And why is a primitive carrying a lightsaber, this must be a trick. He asked himself.

Hei turned, using the force to try and quell any heated emotions in the air and reduce the risk of a flare up, if thei warrior was skilled, then Hei could easily find himself out matched here.

"Talk ootlunder, yoo defile Ashluuna!"

"I am Hei, I am here to explore, not to fight" he replied, unshouldering and placing his weapon on the ground l, the man in front of him did not seem to be making any aggressive moves but stood strongly with his yellow saber. Hei looked and judging by the construction it was an old saber, bulky and with an external power pack, such things hadn't been carried widely for centuries.

"yoo come Ashluuna, goo, leave Ashluuna or yoo die"

Ashluuna? Hei thought, what was that, he tried something, trying to remember his history he researched before coming to this sacred place. He moved his hands calmly and mimicked the shape of an old Ashlan salute. The man flinched briefly wondering what Hei was doing, but then a note of understanding passed his face.

"Yoo know Ashluuna?" He steeled his grip on the saber, feeling slightly rattled by the actions of the unknown Jedi. "Yoo come to Ashluuna.. yoo hunt? Who yoo?"

Hei introduced himself properly, the language barrier was difficult but eventually the tribesman lowered his saber and the two began to understand each other. Many centuries ago, the knowledge of the primitive was limited but piecing it together with his own history learning, it appears that this tribe at least was a direct descendants of the original guardians of Salar's temple, the proto-saber passing down from chief to chief.

This was very interesting information and Hei encouraged the man to return to his tribe and convince them to view the Ashlan's as lost brothers and not invaders. This was the first step at least on a potentially wonderful relationship.

Cedric Grayson · Jun 30, 2021

In times past, Cedric might have thought Isla's forwardness to be treacherous. Politics within the core demanded a certain amount of deception, and if was not uncommon for headstrong officers to claim themselves positions of importance if the opportunity arose. Cedric supposed that even if Isla acted solely out of ambition, she had proven herself capable in the station. She had, after all, taken full control of the fleets in the battles the Ashlans had taken to the Sith thus far.

If she fit the job, he supposed the intentions were irrelevant.

"I would agree with your appointment to the head of the navy," he offered the woman a slight nod. "You will continue in your duties as you have been, and you will answer only to myself. Your official title shall be Minister of Defense, you will help to organize both our navy and our standing armies alongside me, both of which shall herein be known as the Raumflott and the Keeserlech Arméi to honor the old Essonian military traditions." The position provided oversight over not only the navy, but the entirety of the Ashlan military as a whole. Cedric intended to continue his work on better organizing their land armies, but the position overall needed to be filled and Isla's advice would be welcome in the days to come.

His gaze would then drift to

Pietro Demici . "Upon you, Cardinal, I bestow the title of Minister of Faith. You will continue in your duties same as Draellix, though now you carry the legal authority to do whatever is deemed necessary to help spread the teachings of the faith. The church needs a leader, and so long as I am the state's head and its representative in the mortal realm, so too must you be our representative in the spiritual."

Pietro Demici ,

Tristan Evore · Jun 30, 2021

"My intention is not to suppress democracy"

He stated outright. The unnatural deepness of voice would have been felt by the gathered dignitaries before him. With a perked eyebrow, he replied to the Cardinal. "I agree that suppression of the non-force sensitive people of our nation should never occur"

He stayed silent through the rest of the endeavor, perking up only ever once a while to appear to be intently listening. The matters of state rarely interested him, even if his input was valuable. He had witnessed the collapse of the Galactic Empire, Core Imperial Confederation, Grayson Imperium, and the Directorate, and lastly, the Zweihander Union.

In the Union his voice had been worthy of attention yet, as many looked to him for leadership following the pseudo-abdication of the Chancellor Credius Nagarth, he remained but a simple Grand Admiral and had whipped the military into shape following the seizure of power by

Ben Craig . Here, he would do the same, albeit under the direction of whoever Cedric appointed over him.

Isla Draellix-Kobitana |

Pietro Demici |

Isla Draellix-Kobitana · Jun 30, 2021

Isla smiled, this was a role she could really sink her teeth into, and it cemented her position in the crusade.

"I will hold the office you bestow on me with dignity" She replied to her lord and bowed politely. She had great plans for the military of the crusade and wanted it to be a force that their enemies feared.

She listened to

Tristan Evore and was very pleased to hear him support her words on force users, he was a fine admiral himself and she hoped he would happily serve with her.

There was still much to discuss regarding the finer points of the constitution and how the crusade would affect the world around them, improving the lives of those people that were oppressed by the Sith, but she felt that this was the day that her nation started, and here she was laying the building blocks with her own hands.

"I look forward to seeing you all take up your offices in the capital when we finally take Ession, word has it that the Sith Empire is crumbling, it is only a matter of time until we raise the gold and blue pennants of our crusade above that world." She meant this whole heartedly, the Ashlan space was small but growing, and to return the the ancestral home of the founders of the crusade would be quite an achievement.

Pietro Demici E Eric Vales

Pietro Demici · Jul 1, 2021

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