The
Frontrunner went to hyperspace as quickly as was feasible, as its mistress, Moff Natasi Fortan, wanted nothing to do with the Dead Nebula once the First Order had established its control over it. It had been a long and stressful day, and her arm still throbbed painfully where she had been inoculated against the virus she had been ordered to set loose on the
Vindicator. Natasi had checked in with the officers on the deck before retiring to her suite with instructions that she be alerted with any problems -- not that any were expected, and asked Sioux to please come with her.
"I'll change into something to relax in," Natasi told her maid, who murmured a
very good, milady before going to the wardrobe to find something to suit. She returned with a pair of black pajamas. Natasi sat on the small stool in front of her dressing table and held out her feet so the maid could pull her shoes off, then stood to be undressed. "Sioux," she called. "Take a memo. To the Supreme Leader's office. Copy [member="Aram Kalast"] and General [member="Ludolf Vaas"] -- he hasn't had any of my correspondence to toss in the circular file lately -- obviously we'll redline later...."
MEMORANDUM
TO: SUPREME LEADER SIEGER REN
CC: SUPREME COMMANDER ARAM KALAST
CC: GENERAL LUDOLF VAAS
FR: MOFF NATASI FORTAN
RE: NAVAL READINESS TESTING - VINDICATOR BATTLEGROUP - DEAD NEBULA EXERCISE
Supreme Leader,
Pursuant to your directions, I have personally seen to the completion of the readiness testing on your fleet's battlegroups. Would you please see these earrings get back into my bag? They're heirlooms, you know. Of course that will be redlined, Sioux. You have no doubt received my previous reports regarding the satisfactory rankings of the other battlegroups. Unfortunately, I cannot report the same stellar results for the testing of the Vindicator readiness status. Please see the attached report as well as a medical file on Captain [member="Carlyle Rausgeber"]. Be careful -- you're pulling my hair. Ouch! After having discussed the Captain's medical situation with the medic aboard the ship, I am prepared to make the following recommendations, may it please you, Supreme Leader:
- Relieve Captain Rausgeber from command of the Vindicator forthwith -- temporarily
- Remove the Vindicator from active service -- again, temporarily -- and provide intensive retraining of all crew
- See that this gets dry-cleaned in Avalonia. The last time one of the Navy stewards took a garment it came back in tatters.
- Request a review of Captain Rausgeber's service file to determine if disciplinary actions are advisable
I am comfortable considering this failure of the Vindicator to be an isolated incident and not indicative of a failure of the First Order Armed Services or Naval Command. This being said, I would like to launch a full-scale investigation into the matter by the Security Bureau to determine what about the Vindicator's crew made them susceptible to a breakdown of this magnitude. Please advise on your thoughts on this matter, and as always I welcome the input of my leadership colleagues. They know I don't mean it, Sioux. Keep it in.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I will be back in the Capital by tomorrow midday, local time, should you require my presence.
For the Order,
Natasi Josephine Fortan
Grand Moff - Home Territories
As Natasi settled into an armchair next to the media center, with the score to
The White Queen playing softly, she cracked a book with one hand and cradled a gin and tonic in the other. "Sioux, see that that memo gets encrypted and sent ASAP. Drop us out of hyperspace if we have to. Thank you, that will be all for now."
