Faction Never the Twain [OPA/EE]

[Abaigeal E'ron]

Abridon

​

Halfway between Outer Planets Alliance and The Eternal Empire, is a planet called Abridon. Like most planet’s in the galaxy, Abridon is no except in holding a history interesting to those that like to continue a tradition of knowledge. It is a beautiful day on the planet, a gentle wind swept across the grassy fields in the countryside, and a warm life giving sun bathed those that stood in the open.

For it was among the grasses that the two factions of the galaxy would meet.

Regardless of the whispers on the wind for plans to create new hyperlanes to circumvent the isolation by the CIS and subsequent restrictions, the leadership of the OPA had decided to not ignore the blaringly obvious black spot on the galactic map and instead invite them to talk here on Abridon. The grassy fields a neutral ground on which both parties meet and discuss the possibility of a bypass.

The OPA is neutral, leaning toward the purpose to do some good in the galaxy however, like most factions their primary and paramount ideals are towards giving the people that live within their borders, a better life style, a future and freedom of choice. The leadership of the OPA are under no illusion of what the EE represent with their Imperial Regime, who their ‘bed fellows’ are. Equally, the leadership of the OPA are under no illusion that the EE does not have its own (hidden) agenda to receive them here, nor in the possible aid they will lend to the hyperlane. Their way of life, their governing system run counter to OPA. In fact, they could not be further apart. No doubt the leadership of the EE will be thinking the same of the OPA.

And they would be right. Never the twain shall meet on these terms, however, sometimes it is a necessary ‘evil’ to stand on common ground. OPA’s philosophies are different to those of other factions who hold a more restrict and stringent view of life, with no room for compromise, the same could be said for the EE. But OPA is not going into this meeting with open arms, or closed eyes. OPA has its own (hidden) agenda.

The ways of wild space are a way of life for OPA people, and they can smell a con from parsecs away, simply because it is usually OPA doing the conning. Take one to know one as they say.

~oOo~​

A faded red A-Wing, The Crossfire Hurricane formed part of the small fleet that travelled to Abridon. Abaigeal had flown along the Lipsec Run from Anoat to join the fleet. Dropping out of hyperspace, select ships moved slowly to the rendezvous point and began descent to the co-ordinates of the meeting with the EE. Abaigeal snapped away from breathing mask from her face and flew down to the surface. She formed part of the representative group of the OPA.

From the cockpit, she could see that she would be among the first to arrive, although she was a little early. The Jedi Master landed and stood on the wing of her ship stripping out of her flight suit, to reveal her Jedi robes which she had not worn in years and was amazed they still fit, and her lightsabre clipped to her belt.

She held a sense of trepidation about this meeting, when asked to come for OPA, she was hesitant to say the least, but after speaking with the leadership, she was assured it was necessary and they wanted her there among the representatives. Abaigeal couldn’t say no.

Looking around the grassy field, it was a pleasant day for it, she just hoped it would remain that way by the end of it.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attire: Uniform | Sword
Attn: Vyra Silara || Malicar || OPEN

'Struggle is the father of all things.' - Imperial proverb​

The inky void above the planet twisted and heaved, as if some cosmic beast was clawing its way out of the very fabric of reality. Finally, under a great strain, it gave way and spat out ships, a small fleet reverting from hyperspace. Just a handful of star destroyers and frigates, escorts for the much larger battlecruiser in their midst.

At nearly five kilometers long, its triangular, dagger-like hull cast a baleful shadow upon the planet below, visible from the ground with the naked eye, even in broad daylight. It was the Invictus, the infamous flagship of the Eternal Emperor, a ship who's very name sowed terror into the hearts of many naval commanders. Commanded by Tacitus personally, it had unleashed utter devastation all over the galaxy, in the many battles it had fought.

Now it was here, ironically, on a mission of peace. Perhaps even more surprisingly, it was here for a negotiation between two very unlikely governments, for the Eternal Empire could not be more different than the Outer Planets Alliance. Like the OPA, the Empire was built on an idealistic foundation, but its ideals were vastly different from those of its neighbor. Whereas the Outer Planets Alliance was built on a foundation of individual rights and freedoms, the Empire was a military dictatorship, one which sought to improve the lives of its citizens by establishing a strict, meritocratic order, a militaristic nation known for its highly disciplined, fanatical soldiers and the brutality with which it suppressed anything deemed contrary to its beliefs.

Within the Empire, individual rights and freedoms were secondary to the wellbeing of the community. It was a culture which upheld notions of discipline, duty, self-control and moderation. Laziness, impulsiveness and whatever else Imperial culture perceived as self-indulgent hedonism and degeneracy, were actively suppressed on all levels of society. In the Eternal Empire, doing one's duty to society, to the State, was not optional. The pursuit of comfort as a primary goal in life was deeply frowned upon within the Empire. Theirs was a culture born from war and tragedy and hammered on the anvil of the most hostile environments in the galaxy.

------
​

The dropship slammed into the planet's atmosphere at a steep angle, its nose raised at a ninety-degree angle, perpendicular to the surface, to allow the small vessel's 'belly' to generate as much friction as possible. It was a difficult and dangerous, high-G maneuver known as a combat drop, one which required extreme precision due to the stresses exerted upon the dropship's hull as it decelerated from orbital velocity to subsonic in under a minute, its trajectory changing from a shallow approach to a nearly vertical descent and one wrong move could have disastrous consequences. Imperial dropship pilots executed this maneuver on a regular basis.

Flanked on either side by black, triangular starfighters, it descended upon the landing coordinates remarkably gracefully, for its hull had all the aerodynamic qualities and elegance of a brick. A rugged, weathered and utilitarian vessel, quite unlike what other monarchs would typically use, just a plain military ship devoid of any civilian comforts. The higher-ups of the Eternal Empire did not put much stock in luxury, it had a tendency to make people soft and weak.

It came to a halt with a thud, its escorts breaking off and climbing away with a deafening roar, their engines revved up to maximum as the dropship's hatches slid open to reveal a spartan interior. The first to exit, were ten soldiers marching with silent, deadly precision, forming up in two lines flanking the small vessel, a corridor of sorts. Soldiers wearing ragged cloaks, with wolf pelts slung across their shoulders, wolves' heads forming a sort of hood over their helmets. Wolfguards, deadly, elite killers every one of them. Amongst the Empire's famously disciplined military, theirs was a disciplined which even the Imperials held in awe. As one, they saluted, slamming fists against chestplates in perfect synchronicity, like a thunderclap shattering the serenity of the warm, sunny day.

The man who commanded them wore a white military uniform, simple and devoid of adornments aside from a red sash and three chains draped over one shoulder. A brown cloak with fur padding on the shoulders and upper back, hung from his shoulders, the hem dancing in the light breeze as he stepped out of the dropship, a taloned hand resting casually on the hilt of a longsword which oozed with Dark power. The hair which framed his weathered and scarred face, was silver and his eyes shone with the color of molten gold. They were slitted, like a cat's and gazed upon the Jedi Master with a cold, calculated intelligence.

He nodded and stepped forward confidently, walking with an air of casual authority, like a man grown used to rule, yet there was no snobbishness or greed in his eyes, only a hard, unbreakable will. He had come to his planet because his Empire's ships had discovered the same hyperlane that the OPA had been exploring, the two nations' survey vessels running into eachother along the way. And weighing all the options, he decided his Empire stood to gain more from cooperation, than conflict. This time.

"I am Darth Tacitus," he introduced himself in Basic, rather than the High Nelvaanian that was the official language of his nation, speaking in a gravelly voice. "As Emperor, I lead my government's delegation and speak in the Eternal Empire's name."

 

[Malicar]

If there was one bridge that could be mended more than any other by Malicar, it was trade. Interstellar Shipping boasted contracts across the known galaxy, to private companies such as Lucerne Arms all the way to gigantic sovereignties, such as the Sith Empire. But Interstellar Shipping knew no allegiance, political cause, or grand scheme—it knew and understood credits and upholding contracts. It was simply very good at what it did: logistics. It was for this reason that Darth Tactitus thought that Malicar might could be of benefit with this meeting with the OPA. The Chiss shipping mogul was not an Eternal Empire zealot or a brainwashed subject—he was a voice from the outside and one of a more “galaxy friendly” approach to trade and negotiations. But there was something in it for Interstellar Shipping—with trade came logistics…

Breaking through the atmosphere, the Shadow Hammer had just left the hanger bay of the Dark Remnant in orbit. One of the dignitaries from the OPA and Darth Tacitus from the EE had both arrived before him.

At what point is fashionably late no longer fashionable…

Spinning around a respectable distance from the representatives’ ships, the Shadow Hammer touched down and the cargo bay door lowered. Malicar strode out and made his way to where Darth Tacitus and Abaigeal E'ron were standing. As they looked over, he gave his most charming grin, “Forgive my tardiness Emperor Tacitus and Representative E’ron. I am Malicar Raith, Owner of Interstellar Shipping. I was asked to attend as a third party to address any issues of logistics and details should these conversations produce fruit between these two esteemed sovereignties. Certainly, it is not my place to speak on political or relations between the Eternal Empire and the Outer Planets Alliance, so I will hold my tongue during those parts of this meeting. In short, I am here as a resource as it applies to the hyperlanes and trade. Again, forgive the interruption."

Kainan Wolfe
Vyra Silara
Abaigeal E'ron

 

[Eliza Steele]

Eliza was no trained diplomat (though the full-blooded Corellian smuggler did favor aggressive negotiation tactics to get her diplomatic point across with her customer relations and the like when things didn't add up right.) nor was she an official representative of the OPA hierarchy per se, but Captain Steele was a member of the Outer Rim Spacer Guild who had personally been working on carving out a new hyperspace route coreward to bypass CIS territory and their closed borders. So her being there just felt right. After all, the transportation specialist had skin in the game so they better get this right!

The skilled freighter pilot flew the Corellian Dawn around for one quick flyover of the designated location on Abridon before bringing the heavily modified YT-1930 down on its repulsorlifts with well-practiced ease until the landing struts of the light freighter settled onto the grassy field next to a faded red A-wing with two other ships in view across the way; one a military dropship and the other... a hammerhead shark look-a-like?

"Okay, buddy... Stay sharp. Never know how this whole thing might go down, hmm?" the Corellisi said mindfully while sliding out of the standard pilot chair before heading through the cockpit hatch to the aft of the ship. The smuggler's Wookiee co-pilot and partner in the family business let out a rowdy growl, but it wasn't the response she was listening for... Rahl was ogling the female Jedi Master as he peered out at her through the cockpit viewport from his oversized seat. Eliza just shook her dark head with a chuckle uttered under her breath and hit the wall panel to lower the starboard boarding ramp.

Heavy-boot heels clicked down the durasteel ramp, then they carried Eliza with a feminine swagger over the grassy ground to where Abaigeal E'ron was making introductions with apparently the Eternal Emperor himself, and beside him a rather handsome male Chiss figure with an air of exaggerated charisma if ever she saw it. She of course was dressed in her usual spacer attire with a pair of trousers sporting the yellow piping of awarded second-class Corellian Bloodstripes down the sides and a leather gun belt that was slung low off her shapely hips.

"Master E'ron. Sorry for the late arrival and all," the petite smuggler greeted the woman with a nod of due respect, then she turned her dark chocolate drop orbs upon Kainan Wolfe and Malicar , offering the same to them. "Gentlemen... Eliza Steele, charmed I'm sure. Please continue."

Oh yeah, this is going to be interesting, the Corellian spitfire smirked to herself cautiously amused at the situation.

 

[Enlil]

It seemed odd for a hodgepodge group of anarchists to walk into a group of Imperials with anything but blasters in hand. In fact, most might think if a story began this way, a punch line and violence would soon follow. Yet here they were, and they were all ready to talk business.

For the matters of the day to mean anything, they had to be presided over by people that they pertained to. Eliza Steele represented the more active Outer Planets fine transportation specialists, while the enigmatic woman dressed in the manner of the Jedi, Abaigeal E'ron had lived among the people of the Outer Rim and understood their way of life better than most could attest.

To round them out, the King stepped into the sunlight clad in finery that neither proclaimed his station, nor dismissed him entirely. In truth, he recently sought to join the Outer Rim Judges, and needed to prove his worth to them before they bothered sending someone to recruit him. Seeing an agreement forged with an external government that actually benefitted the OPA might just do the trick.

"Charming aesthetic," he noted absently. The Eternal Emperor wore a blade on his hip, perhaps symbolic, perhaps as an insurance policy. They were all here for the same reason, so Enlil doubted it would be drawn.

He still wore his gauntlet, just to be safe.

Kainan Wolfe | Vyra Silara | Malicar

 

[Abaigeal E'ron]

It was not long before Abaigeal heard the engines of other ships approaching. With interested, she watched them land, and tension in her body built up. This was a meeting of opposites, the Eternal Empire so ridged against the open narrative of the OPA. Not to mention, they are Sith or if not, similar but enough to make Abaigeal be vigilant. The lightside is her alley today and forever after and in that she trusted.

The first to arrive was none other than the Emperor himself. A very impressive man walked out of the ship lined with guards and approached her. At face value, he was striking even in his emotionless gaze, and less decked out in finery than one would expect of an emperor. Yet, around him the darkside pulled, he wore it like a shroud, and one could say he was destined within it. The power of the darkside is strong she knew that, having tasted it herself, but she had to wonder if the man before her, knew that the lightside was it’s equal. There was intelligence behind those cold eyes, she gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Remember your manners, her mother would always drum into her as a child. Yet, she would not bow to him, he was not her leader and Jedi never bow to the darkside.

“I am Jedi Master Abaigeal E’ron”, she greeted equally, “I form part of the representatives of the Outer Planets Alliance”, said introduced herself with authority and calmness, the pleasantries were stiff to say the least.

Next to join the party of delegates was a charismatic Chiss, flashing charm and good graces. He informed her that he was operating as third party to this meeting. Abaigeal flashed a glance toward the Emperor, she had not been informed of this, but a grin pulled at her lips in return. “Welcome Representative Raith, I am sure you will be able to provide much valuable information to these proceedings”, she remained diplomatic, however she did not doubt this man was under instruction from the Emperor and very bias.

The representatives from the OPA arrived to join her. By comparison, they were a mixed bag, a smuggler, a judge and a Jedi. Their arrival heralded the start of the meeting. “Eliza, Enlil, good to see you”, she greeted them as she returned the respect to them both a nod.

“Shall we begin?”, she prompted the talks as she turned to address the Emperor once more. Abaigeal would allow him to commence, lets see what the Eternal Empire has planned for this venture between the two factions.


Kainan Wolfe | Malicar | Eliza Steele | Enlil

 

[Kahne Porte]

Abridon was an elite in its own way. This was the Jedi's first venture here and it was actually quite nice. He couldn't exactly get over how peaceful it looked. It reminded him somewhat of Naboo on the plains just before the waterfalls. That was the sort of peace that was offered to the Jedi Master and what he compared it to. However he wasn't here for the fairness of the planet. His business for the day was with the Outer Alliance and their soon to be dealings with the Eternal Empire. It wasn't until today that Kahne had heard of the Emperors name and who he was. It range a bell with the Jedi Master as he was present during their withdrawal from Lothal, when the Confederacy aided what was the remnants of the old Galactic Alliance. He remembered that day all to well. The forces of the Sith and First order had fallen upon Lothal and they were unable to hold the planet as many others fell to their combined power.

"Your not the only one." Kahne voiced softly as he came up behind Eliza and stood at her side. "Eliza,Enlil, Master E'ron." Kahne smiled at the trio. "It's good to see you again."

The Jedi then glanced towards the the Emperor and Malicar and nodded his head towards the group. "Greetings, I am Kahne Porte. I trust you all had a pleasant trip."


Abaigeal E'ron Enlil Eliza Steele Kainan Wolfe Malicar

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

Attire: Uniform | Sword
Attn: Vyra Silara || Malicar || Abaigeal E'ron || Kahne Porte || Enlil || Eliza Steele​

The Emperor nodded to those assembled. "No apologies are necessary," he said, both to Malicar and the OPA late arrivals. So, two Jedi Masters and what seemed to be a smuggler, along with a Judge. Well, this was as close to a government as the Outer Planets Alliance got and it would make do for the current purposes, given the Empire's objectives, here.

"Masters E'ron, Porte, miss Steele and mister Enlil, I bid you greetings on behalf of the Eternal Empire. May your service to your nation be long and filled with accomplishments," the Sith Lord said, a formal greeting within the Empire, which was given as a gesture of goodwill and was as close to well-wishes as they came, in the Empire's sober and regimented culture. "My wife, the Empress, was held up by something, but she will be joining us shortly," the Emperor explained.

"But yes, we may begin," he said. "The discovery of this new hyperlane has presented an opportunity for both our nations' to benefit economically from increased trade, however a treaty will have to be signed and ratified to prevent any issues and confusion down the line. To that end, the Empire has put together a set of proposals regarding our portion of the hyperlane, in order to facilitate things."

"First of all, the Empire is willing to allow civilian traffic to utilize this hyperlane without paying any tolls, however there are some limitations that need to be put in place, where it pertains to our national sovereignty as defined in our Articles of Foundation. While foreign civilians will be allowed to transit Imperial-held space via this hyperlane, landing on any Imperial planet will still be subjected to our laws on immigration and foreign visitation and as such, will require a visa to do so. The Empire does not have an open borders policy and as such, foreign citizens may not simply go wherever they please, their access will be restricted to the hyperlane alone, unless they have the appropriate documentation."

"As this is a matter of national security and sovereignty, the Empire will also insure the security of its portion of the hyperlane through the use of its own naval assets, however in order to offset these costs, any OPA or otherwise foreign military forces transiting Imperial space, shall be subjected to heavy taxation and escorts, of course."

"Finally, while OPA civillians and other foreigners may transit our portion of the hyperlane freely, this is still Imperial territory and as such they need to comply with Imperial legislation at all times while under our jurisdiction, or be prosecuted to the fullest extent of Imperial law and punished accordingly should they be found guilty of committing crimes in Imperial territory. That means they are required to cooperate if an Imperial patrol pulls them over for a cargo scan and they are also to be mindful of the Empire's policies regarding restricted speech and political crimes," the Sith Lord explained.

The Eternal Empire was well-known for its policy of censorship and its heavy-handed crackdowns against anything deemed pro-Jedi, pacifist, or otherwise pro-democratic 'propaganda', which really meant the expression of any thoughts and opinions promoting ideas that ran contrary to state-approved dogma. Political dissidents were often detained, tortured and either executed, or disappeared into the Empire's infamous Camp 9 facility, often ranked amongst the worst, most horrific prisons in the entire galaxy. Freedom of speech, like many other individual rights and liberties, did not exist within the Empire, a nation which subscribed to other ideals, ideals of order and duty, as Tacitus decided to inform the OPA delegates, in case they were unaware of this.

He knew that those who called the Outer Rim their home tended to have problems with the concept of obeying laws, or following the rules. He knew there would inevitably be incidents, whenever some gung-ho, hotshot crew from the OPA would decide to treat Imperial laws and regulations with a middle finger, so he wanted to make it clear beforehand, that those perpetrators would suffer the consequences. In the Empire, the rule of law was absolute and though people were given fair trials, there was never any leniency. Punishment for those found guilty of crimes, was swift and brutal, usually in the form of torture for lesser crimes, or outright execution for offenses deemed more serious, typically in the form of crucifixion. Like many other things in the Empire the judiciary fervently subscribed to an axiom which defined Imperial society: Strength through unity and justice without mercy.