Opportunity Presents Itself

[Matt the Radar Tech]

CHISS SPACE​

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Undisclosed Location; Space.​

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A warrior's path will intersect the paths of other warriors, allies and enemies alike. ​

A single Ticsuti-Class Chiss Star Destroyer floated in the void of space.

Standing alone at the bridge viewports, dressed in his military uniform of a pristine black-and-burgundy color, Mitth'orn'eruod stared at the stars. The deck was silent, save for the humming of holographs and whispers between crew, as the newly appointed Rear Admiral simply observed space, gloved hands at the small of his back. There was now another meeting with the First Order in process, with the delegates expected to arrive any moment from hyperspace. Unfortunate timing had resulted in past negotiations to form alliances with the faction to be paused, as it were, until certain things were taken care of for the Chiss. Now, though, was the time for the Ascendancy and First Order to again meet and this time there was nothing hindering the proceedings, nor pressing matters to attend to.

Not for the first time, Mitth'orn'eruod pondered the First Order. Their military power was respectable, their focus on technological advancement of some interest to the Chiss, especially within the CEDF. Information was power as the saying went, and it was quite true, especially when you considered the arms race constantly churning in the galaxy. Every group wanted to hold the threat of the biggest and most wondrous toys, but without the military training, precision and leadership that pursuit and claim was all for naught. A blaster in the hands of a child was certainly dangerous, but only by circumstance; a blaster in the hands of a soldier was most definitely dangerous, especially when being told what to point it at by an individual with foresight and strategy in mind. Today, Mitth'orn'eruod suspected he would be meeting one of the directors of the First Order, one of the humanoids that pointed the guns... and it would prove an interesting meeting.

"Commander, sensors indicate vessels approaching from hyperspace," The crewman said from behind, eyes studying a panel of computer screens. "Communications preparing to contact and direct our guests to the appropriate hangar."

"Thank you, Ensign," Mitth'orn'eruod responded. "This time, I will meet the delegates personally when their shuttle arrives. Alert the hangar guard to remain at a distance but alert."

The Ensign nodded, speaking lowly into the communications unit at his desk. He relayed the orders crisply and quickly.

"We will be arriving in conference room three in exactly thirty minutes, ensure it is doubly prepared."

Mitth'orn'eruod let out a low exhale, red eyes bright, as he watched a moment longer. The distant flash of ships exiting hyperspace was his cue, and without another word the Rear Admiral walked from the bridge and toward the hangar, ready to meet the First Order delegation. It took Mitth'orn'eruod little time to make the trip and no sooner had he stopped to straighten his uniform than the shuttle appeared with his guests.

"Greetings, I am Rear Admiral Mitth'orn'eruod, and I will be your liaison for these talks," Mitth'orn'eruod said simply, his voice even, his face passive. "To avoid mispronunciation of my name, you are welcome to address me by my core name Thorne. It is a pleasure to meet you..."

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[member="Lucius Draugh"]​

 

[Lucius Draugh]

CHISS SPACE​

IDLE OF VENGEANCE​

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A single vessel slipped out of hyperspace and out came the Daisya Infiltrator. The Imperial Order's Supreme Commander's very own flagship meeting the representative for the Chiss? It was advertised as such to the Ascendancy, but last minute changes rarely brought notifications.

A'sharad Graush, Sith Lord and Supreme Commander wasn't present, not on the Infiltrator at the very least, and within minutes, the vessel was landing in a Chiss vessel's hangar.

Prepare for disappointment, Luci.

Raising a hand, it was pushed through his hair and the ramp descended. Before him went a duo of troopers in white armour with designs of crimson painting their armour, close to the typical stormtrooper in appearance, but their appearance hailed back to the Republic of old.

Rear Admiral? Yeah... That's right.

Neutral face upon his exceedingly young features broke out into a pleased smile as he stepped past his escort. "Lucius Draugh," he says, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. This was no logistics meeting, but his Master had faith in him. This was a test, Lucius deduced on the journey to the meeting. And pass he would.

"I'd like to apologize for the Supreme Commander's absence," his voice carried expertly. Young, but he was well trained, or practiced. Who would know? "I'm sure you can understanding guarding the Order's borders is paramount in his eyes, he couldn't leave." This time, he paused, try and gauge the Chiss' reaction.

"It's, uh, a pleasure, Rear Admiral Thorne."

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[member="Thorne"]​

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Mitth'orn'eruod remained still and silent as the young humanoid approached, carefully neutral red eyes watching, observing, catching the smallest details. The troopers were disciplined, walking in front of their commander precisely and in perfect formation. Excellent spacing, enough to react without hindering one another, but still close enough to reach the young man they guarded. Their armor color was interesting and Mitth'orn'eruod put it to memory, ensuring that he would seek out its relevance at a later time when he was able. The humanoid broke out into a smile, causing the Chiss Admiral to return a faint smile of his own in response. Though it likely held little of the enthusiasm of the other.

With careful watch, Mitth'orn'eruod began looking over the young humanoid. He didn't presume Lucius was human, nor did he presume his age was any indicator of his capabilities. In fact, Chiss culture had their people become adults at the age of eleven, due to the Chiss' advanced mental faculties. So seeing a teenager in a position of leadership wasn't untoward nor insulting for Mitth'orn'eruod. Rather, the Admiral suspected Lucius was just now entering into more active duty and engaging in his first series of diplomatic meetings, if his attitude and burst of enthusiasm was any indication... which meant that he would likely be very guarded, very unwilling to share too much, but would remain agreeable to see a successful conclusion to the pair speaking.

He is confident, well-trained, not some minor diplomatic recruit. This boy has sway and authority, and simply by being here he speaks on behalf of the Supreme Commander, not to mention the supposedly elite troopers if their armor is any indication. Still, his mannerisms seem... rigid, he appears eager, or did at least, and subtle expressions escape his eyes and face giving away small hints as to his newly appointed duties? Perhaps I should pressure him, test his mettle? Or simply follow the script and give him a positive experience? We shall see...

"It is an honor and pleasure to meet you, Lucius Draugh," Mitth'orn'eruod nodded lowly, before he raised a thin eyebrow slightly. "Might I ask your rank or title, Lucius Draugh? The Chiss prefer to use honorifics when addressing peers, and it would make me considerably more at ease not insulting you without the use of one. For myself, Admiral Thorne will suffice."

Turning to walk, with a motion toward his guests to follow, Mitth'orn'eruod smiled again before he spoke.

"And no need to apologize, I understand completely," The tall Chiss said, watching as the doors ahead opened silently, and the Chiss troopers beyond snapped to attention. "The Supreme Commander has a lot to attend, and likely the opportunities afforded enemies by being away from his systems for a duration of time wouldn't warrant the risk. I doubt such a man would be easily able to move through his Order without thousands of eyes noticing and murmuring... so there is no insult, nor do I see your being here as his replacement as inadequate or beneath me. You are a trusted envoy and that is all I need know."

The interior of the Chiss Star Destroyer was impeccably clean, bright white walls with edges and offsets of black. One might mistake the path the group walked as having been cleaned particularly well, but that would be incorrect. Instead, the Chiss took pride in their ships and in maintaining them, for without clean and pristine equipment, one couldn't achieve the most from it.

"Before we reach the conference room, was there anything you wished to ask me?" Mitth'orn'eruod said, his voice low, as he watched several officers and soldiers step aside and stand at attention, waiting for the group to pass. "I am not certain as to the visual range of your eyes, but it might be of interest to know our hull plating - while white - is actually a splendid array of infrared colors on a broad spectrum... so much of the information you might normally see, such as deck number or direction, is only visible to Chiss or those capable of seeing such things."

That tended to be a common question for visitors, especially when they realized a lot of direction markers were basically missing - or rather were invisible to the standard eye...

"I apologize, my factoid cut you off. Were there any points you wished to know?"

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[member="Lucius Draugh"]​

 

[Lucius Draugh]

Wide eyes made sure to take in everything as he walked. The Chiss were one of few species in the First Order that weren't shunned but rather accepted. No one could tell him why, it was just... Fact. The cleanliness of the interior of the ship reminded him of Imperial standards and for a moment he felt as if he were back on the Idle of Vengeance, but when he was prompted for a title and honorifics, Lucius' brows scrunched up together as they furrowed thoughtfully.

"I do not have a title, Admiral Thorne." Not an official one anyway. It was expected for him to be treated with the same respect as the Supreme Commander in the First Order, but in truth, he didn't really have any power. All the way out here, far from home, the closest thing he had to authority were the stormtroopers that had accompanied him. Still, he answered truthfully all the same. "I've only served by the command of Commander Graush, and he's yet to honour me with any... Rank. I've yet to prove myself on a battlefield, you see," he replies as they walked. "Until that point," the young, emerald glowing orbs looked up to the Chiss Admiral. "Lucius would be preferred." The professional tone was adopted easily. The man may have been a stranger apart of a foreign military, but speaking on behalf of his Master for as long as he had, even at his young age afforded him with the innate ability of being composed, even when irrationally anxious.

Thankfully, this was not a time of anxiety, and if it had, it had disappeared as soon as he begun talking.

His only response when it came to the Admiral's observation of his Master's station was a nod and something that sounded like a confirming grunt. There were multiple Grand Admirals that could fulfill the position of the Supreme Commander in his absence, but none could match his observed loyalty and experience under the First Order banner. Whether he was spotted or not, the First Order's resident Sith Lord didn't care for the opinion of the public, and on account of his position, he was privy to the Sith Lord often making plans days in advance to navigate the less traveled paths in Imperial Space.

Lucius didn't have any questions, not yet for the Chiss anyway. But when he was given the explanation, it prompted him to look about and finally notice that there truly weren't any directions and he made a note of it in the back of his head. That's a new idea for the Navy.

"Think nothing of it," he replies in regards to the apology. "In that case, if one of my stormtroopers were to switch to an infrared setting, then they'd be able to see directions and such?" An inquisitive brow raised, before glancing over his shoulder to the escort he had come with before looking back to the Admiral.

[member="Thorne"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

CHISS SPACE​

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Undisclosed Location; Space.​

[member="Lucius Draugh"]​

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The explanation about his status within the First Order sounded reasonable to Mitth'orn'eruod, who understood that rank of consequence required experience, successes and proving oneself to superiors. It was a very common tale in Chiss culture, with every member seeking to elevate their social status joining a military branch. From there, deeds resulted in appropriate promotion or demotion in some cases. Nonetheless, Mitth'orn'eruod didn't think less of the young humanoid, as he was simply starting his career for his people, and had a long way to go.

"Lucius it is, then," Mitth'orn'eruod smiled, as he offered a nod.

When the young humanoid began looking around, before asking about the visual filtering of his troopers, Mitth'orn'eruod smiled. Lucius was a keen mind, the Chiss could tell, and Mitth'orn'eruod suspected the humanoid understood the benefits of having concealed and specialized navigation prompts in a vessel. The disadvantage to enemies who managed to board would allow defenders an opportunity to use that confusion, especially as the Chiss ships weren't typical of other layouts or framework; they were similar in overall appearance, but the CEDF were not fool enough to directly copy Imperial designs and reproduce them exactly. No, in fact, working on that presumption by others, the Chiss had purposefully made corridors appear like one would expect from an Imperial vessel, but instead of the original layout, those same passages led to ambush points for the Chiss onboard with slight deviations to the normal blueprints.

"Exactly, Lucius," Mitth'orn'eruod said, confirming the infrared viability of seeing the directions. He suspected some of the troopers tried it as they walked. "It's one of the benefits of my people. We can see into that spectrum, so for us it would be as simple as humanoids seeing painted markers."

Mitth'orn'eruod didn't mention the vessel interior alterations. There was no need to give away every secret, after all.

"Mind, they would still be in Cheunh, so it might not be readily decipherable, but yes. Your men could see them."

After another several minutes, the group arrived at the conference room. The area was wide, open and minimalist in design, with a round table in the middle of the room and chairs around it. The walls were again stark white, with there being a single holoprojection unit in the table center. Mitth'orn'eruod motioned for Lucius and his men to enter, smiling again as he outstretched a hand.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable. Sit as you will."