Campaign Sith Civil War: How Will The Emperor Maintain Control? (TSE Loyalist Bureaucrats)

[Aerarii Tithe]

The Petitioner's Hold, Imperial Palace of Bastion

---

It had begun.

Figures attired in the vestments and robes of Sith-Imperial bureaucrats filed into the meeting room deep within the grand Imperial Palace and took a seat around the massive scarlet greel wood conference table. Black and red drapings bearing Sith-Imperial insignia lined the walls of the meeting room, acting as a reminder to all present of the oaths they had sworn. Those who could not attend in person appeared as holograms, their likeness transmitted from their respective corners of the Empire.

The newly decreed words of Darth Carnifex - handed down in B:747:SIE-AARIP861 - were projected above the table in blood red lettering for it to see, removing any doubt as to the purpose of today’s meeting.

Aerarii Tithe took a seat at the head of the table. Many present would outrank him, and he did not pretend to command them. Rather, he sat before them as a coordinator, charged by Grand Vizier Korrit Zuthrix with bringing key members of the bureaucracy together to discuss their next steps in light of the heresy that threatened to tear the Empire apart. That the orders come from the Grand Vizier and not Grand Treasuer Kishar, Tithe’s superior and long term rival, was significant. Kishar has long sought to remove the hinderance he saw in Aerarii by dispacthing the Treasurer-General on increasingly dangerous missions. The Grand Vizier had no such agenda, suggesting that the order to assemble and discuss these pressing matters was legitimate.

The Treasurer-General consulted the invite list. Among them were Grand Moff Madelyn Lowe of Oversector I and Grand Moff Aut-X of Oversector II, who together geographically represented half the Empire. Military Governor Lirka Ka of Mordinae/Mandalore brought vast experience running an Imperial world in the throes of a violent insurrection, while Prelate Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn represented technologically advanced world of Lorrd which may hold the answer to silencing the heretics. Alongside the other invitees, the meeting represented the Empire’s greatest bureaucrats, administrators and officials.

“My esteemed colleagues, thank you for meeting in this most uncertain time,” Aerarii began. “While the Sith Lords and Ladies contend with the Apostate heretics, the duty falls to us to maintain the Empire and support the war efforts.”

Simply, while the Sith slaughtered millions in the name of purity, the bureaucracy would step up and ensure that there was still an Empire left by the time this was all over.

“Shall we begin with a quick korero, a, errr, a palaver if you will, about our respective domains. Have any of you found evidence that the heretics are operating within your seats of power?”

---

Madelyn Lowe | Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn

 

[Lirka Ka]

Lirka had always been one for grandiose performances, a byproduct of spending some 30 Galactic Standard Years fighting as a Gladiator in the Choah Belt. And oh, did it show. Flanked by her Guards, each one clad in their own baroque plate that seemed to mimic that of the Governor's and their bizarre and alien blades locked onto their backs, the same being true for Lirka herself: the aliens never did seem to let their weapons part from their figures, even now. Each of the Guardians moved forward in perfect unity, causing the side-cloaks baring the emblem of the Loyalist Sith to flutter ever so slightly. The same violent ribbon that Lirka had hanging freely from the gaudy suit of battle armor flew as she walked, each footstep slamming against the metal. A Goliath, so utterly out of place with the more civilized folk of politics.

With each clad in their full plate, their faces obscured by emotionless helmets, Lirka's guardians took positions back towards the entrance hall whilst the Sephi took a seat: they were comically too small for her massive genecrafted bulk, though she said nothing: the only thing the Sephi gave off was a complete and utter bravado and confidence. Lirka knew her way around politics, in all the worst ways. The helm still gave away nothing as the crimson lettering appeared, typical Sith: she knew that ultimately the Force Cults would destroy this Galaxy, though she would never voice such opinions in this side of space.

Bah, Apostates? On her world?

"They do not dare show their faces on Moridinae, though I welcome them to. I would enjoy adding traitors to the Beleg Faroth."

The Great Hunt, Lirka's barbaric sport she had initiated on Moridinae. Adding competition for whomever could slaughter more of those people in system she had deemed disloyal to the Imperial cause. And while her helmet lacked much of it's normal distortion, instead the thick accent of Sephi Nobility replacing it: there were no attempts at hiding the subtle glee in her tone at the prospect of the hypothetical hunting of traitorous ilk.

Madelyn Lowe | Aut-X | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn | Aerarii Tithe

 

[Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn]

Arriving by holoprojection, Sedith's visage focused in muted color. He was already sat with hands plainly folded over his lap, quiet, out-of-the-way, normal. He wore nothing to write of in any HoloNet fashion tabloid; his choice of attire consisting of dark robes with a darker gray brocade pattern ever so faintly embossed on the surface of the fabric itself. The robes were by no means 'standard issue' nor even remotely Imperial in design, he appeared instead like a decidedly middle-class commoner from the streets of Qatamer at best. Deep, inquisitive eyes watched Lirka Ka make their entrance; his statuesque face unwilling to give away his opinion of the display. Instead, he merely turned his attention to Aerarii Tithe and held it there. Sedith accepted a device handed to him from someone beyond the camera that contained a minor briefing on each of the individuals summoned to attend, with this being his first grand meeting since he took office, he figured reading up on the individuals invited would be in his best interest.

“My esteemed colleagues, thank you for meeting in this most uncertain time,” Said the coordinator.

There was a brief moment of suppressed amusement at his own means of participation - that being over a long-distance, secured medium that did not have him risking his life traveling nearly half-way across the galaxy.

“While the Sith Lords and Ladies contend with the Apostate heretics, the duty falls to us to maintain the Empire and support the war efforts.”

Apostasy. The very word almost ridiculous to modern sensibilities had the order of the day not included cults, magic, and sorcerers who could conjure forth some of the most horrifying visions to set upon undeserving victims.

'Perhaps it was best I did not attend in person, such thoughts, potentially heretical.' Contemplated the Lorrdian as he remained seated in silence.

“Shall we begin with a quick korero, a, errr, a palaver if you will, about our respective domains. Have any of you found evidence that the heretics are operating within your seats of power?”

As always, even the political terminology of the Sith-Imperials proved-- alien. His was an academic schooling firmly rooted in preexisting democratic leadership styles; from the elective monarchies of Naboo to the socialist demarchy of Kinyen. Oh, to be young and naive again. Sedith gripped his robes, gathering the folds neatly in his hands so that he could release them as soon as he was in a proper standing position. He stood tall and proud to address the officiant of the proceedings with a polite nod.

"I am unaware of any Sith, Loyalist or Apostatic, on Lorrd at the present time." Concise and ever to-the-point, the Prelate did not seem all too concerned with any form of extrapolation till someone not caught within the Holocamera's aperture seemingly spurred him on to continue. "With the ever-present threat of an incursion by apostates-at-large, we have raised Lorrd's defensive grid and will be maintaining a highly defensive posture for the time being. As part of this initiative, each ship entering the Lorrd system must be cleared before even approaching Lorrd proper, then, her entire crew is subject to screening... Hellish for trade, a welcome - temporary - improvement to planetary security." He spoke calmly, his voice was perhaps best described as a warm bass-baritone that occasionally became just a tad nasal on some of his consonants. Moving back, he retook his seat to yield the floor.

Madelyn Lowe | Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Aerarii Tithe

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

The Petititioner's Hold, The Imperial Palace, Bastion

A cold and vicious wind whipped at Madelyn's hair as she stepped carefully down the boarding ramp, her polished boots clanging against the metal as she descended from her shuttle. She hurried inside, flashing her credentials to the waiting guards as she rushed inside, a nervous assistant, a severe military woman bearing Prefsbelt Authority insignia, and a strange-looking girl hurrying in behind her.

Inside and out of the wind, Madelyn rubbed her hands together to get the blood flowing again and paced down the now-familiar corridors of The Petitioner's Hold to the designated meeting room, her manicured nails tapping against the keypad at the door to grant her entry. The door slid open smoothly and she stepped inside, her gaze flickering between the bureaucrats assembled inside, a slight frown flickering across her face as she recognised the brutish Governor Ka.

Not bothering to apologise for her tardiness- the Treasurer-General would be happy enough that she was attending at all- Madelyn and her trio crossed the room, taking their places around the conference table. She shrugged off her navy coat, placing it behind her and revealing a black sweater, complete with various pins denoting her station.

As Prelate Dinn was speaking she pulled up the transcript, skimming the lines of text to catch herself off before fixing her glittering eyes on the holoprojection in front of her.

"You are quite right, Prelate Dinn. We- as Sith-Imperial administrators- have been entrusted with retaining normalcy within our systems while our forces loyal to the Emperor deal with the Apostate problem."

She looked to her right expectantly, with her assistant nodding and passing along a small datapad, which Madelyn flicked through as she spoke.

"Lorrd's preparations are admirable, and in light of this little uprising, more rigorous defensive measures will have to be rolled out across Empire space, as they have been across the southern border worlds."

Madelyn's hand swiped over the datapad, and a small projection appeared, displaying a detailed sector map, with large sections highlight in red.

"However, Imperial and Sith defections have occurred in almost every sector, and while ORDIS' initial reports indicate Apostate support is marginal, their widespread influence cannot be discounted."

She swiped again, this time producing a now-infamous headshot of Irveric Tavlar, accompanied by columns of small High-Galactic text.

"While our military defences remain strong on paper, Tavlar and the imperial forces he has taken with him wield significant influence. In coming months all of us will have to remain vigilant against attacks from within the Legion, Armada, and Imperial bureaucracy, as well as ensuring full cooperation with ORDIS and the SIFIA."

She cast her eyes around the room again, and changed the projection to show a scrolling list of verified Apostate sightings, clashes and incidents since the debacle at the Sith meeting in the Ascended Circle Hall.

"As it stands, we are tracking growing Apostate activity throughout Oversector I. My office is currently drafting measures to be adopted by systems to combat their movements and drain at their momentum. Their movement remains small, and I would encourage all of you to immediately dismiss rumours that we are in the midst of a civil war. This is a minor insurrection, but due to the nature of these individuals, their threat to our security must be taken seriously."

Aerarii Tithe | Lirka Ka | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn | Irveric Tavlar ​

 

[Decimus]

Grand Moff Aut-X arrived at the Petitioner's Hold to little fanfare. He'd preferred to ensure his arrival was not delayed by unnecessary ceremony so the business at hand could be discussed swiftly. Descending down the boarding ramp of the Sheathipede-class Shuttle that had delivered him safely to Bastion, he was escorted by six BX-series Droid Commandos, painted in the livery of a diplomatic escort. His aged circuits whirred as he strolled through the Hold, eventually arriving at the hall where the meeting was taking place.

He quitely listened while Aerarii addressed those gathered about the present situation with the Apostates, as well as the others when they made their replies, before he arose from his seat to speak. "Apostate activity in Oversector Two has been kept to a minimum. With my recent appointment as Grand Moff, my efforts to fully automate the garrisons of all worlds in Oversector Two have minimized opportunities for this rebellion to gain leverage. Unlike organic troops, my droids are far less corruptable."

Madelyn Lowe
Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn
Lirka Ka
Aerarii Tithe

 

[Lirka Ka]

Being helmed had many advantages, and the biggest of them all was that Lirka could hide all her facial expressions. Once the Droid stepped in, she allowed herself the sanctification of having a second-long glare of pure malice and venom. Reactionary and unfounded, beyond the recognition of the Confederate model: it was no well hidden secret that Lirka had served with the Confederates in the Southern Worlds for some time before defecting to the Empire in lieu of the attack on Mandalore, and it was an equally poorly kept secret that she had grown more hateful of her old life as time progressed and her position within the Empire.

Leaning back in her seat for a time, listening to the other bureaucrats that had gathered here: taking note of what actually mattered, and truthfully, she could care less about the majority of it: ultimately, Moridinae and the incursions to retake Thustra were her ultimate concerns. But, then again, she needed the Empire at least moderately intact to do that.

"With all due respect, Grand Moff." The glowing eyes of her helmet turning to face Aut-X "That notion is wildly incorrect, and dangerous: we had thunk similar things in the CDF, prior to my time within the Empire. During expansionist incursions a large majority of the Droids turned upon us. If any of the Apostates were to do the same to Oversector Two, or dare I suggest, you yourself it will be impossible to brush this off as merely a small scale rebellion."

At least she had learned her way with words better than she had before, crass, but at least somewhat more polite.

"Tavlar is a fool. Let his supporters surge as they please, to make any large scale assault would be suicide for the Apostates."

Resting her elbows on the arms of the seat, it whining once again under the beast's bulk, her wickedly clawed gauntlets weaving together.

"But we have more enemies than just Apostates, both the Savages and the Jedi lay at our borders: and whilst we have sent the savages back to lick their wounds, they are as persistent as they are stupid: whilst the idleness of the Jedi is a trick I do not trust. With this in mind, I must request additional funding and allocation of resources to Moridinae and the other border worlds."

Lirka was born in politics, and while she may have abandoned it for some time, she still knew how to play the game.

Madelyn Lowe | Aut-X | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn | Aerarii Tithe

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

The Petitioner's Hold, Imperial Palace of Bastion

---

Aerarii propped his chin on his hand and listened intently as the governors provided updates from their respective domains. He suppressed a shutter - perhaps not fully - as Lirka described how she planned to deal with any Apostates that were found on Mordinae/Mandalore. Everyone needed a hobby.

Prelate Kabor-Dinn, a rising star within the Imperial Diet, advised that he taken preemptive steps to strengthen the security of Lorrd. Grand Moff Lowe outlined the measures being taken across Oversector I to contain the movements of the rebels. “I concur Grand Moff. I will reach out to SINN and have them craft some messaging we can disseminate to all our humble citizens. Finally there'll be something worth watching on the holonet…” When it came to propaganda, the Sith-Imperial News Network was second to none.

The only inorganic bureaucrat present, Grand Moff Aut-X, explained the steps he was taking to secure Oversector II by automating defences. Governor Ka raised concerns with relying on droids to hold their territory.

“I commend Grand Moff X on his cost saving measures.” Aerarii always looked to the bottom line - droid soldiers did not require pay checks or food. “May I propose we investigate diversification - cross mix Oversector I organic soldiers with Oversector II droid warriors.” The move may even build cooperation between the two regions.

Aerarii summoned a series of financial statements to appear holographically above the conference table. “The Empire invested significant resources into defending Moridinae. I fear we may need to pull credits from elsewhere.” He looked to the other bureaucrats, hoping one had enough room in their budget to bolster Governor Ka’s defences.

---

Madelyn Lowe | Grand Moff Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn

 

[Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn]

“The Empire invested significant resources into defending Moridinae. I fear we may need to pull credits from elsewhere.”

Silent as the grave was the Prelate. His planet, though reasonably well-off through the trade of precious gemstones and a delicious fruit that seemingly only grew in Lorrdian soil, was in absolutely no way to support the defensive infrastructure of a significantly larger 'power base' than his own. Memories flooded in of the sheer cost of his new capitol building and how much he had to do to ensure that generations to come were not cursing his name for destabilizing their economy.

He was not going to say 'Not Lorrd.' despite however much it kept echoing in his mind. He raised his right pointer finger to signal an idea. "While Lorrd cannot reasonably donate significant amounts of money, our people have begun work on a weapon utilizing a technique previously unknown to us... A technique involving sound. These weapons - if we are given enough time to manufacture and disseminate - could prove invaluable on the battlefield against Apostates." Sedith did his best to convey himself as clearly as possible verbally as his face showed no outward emotion; not a bead of sweat, not a subtle facial tremor, not even an involuntary tick. He was calm, collected, and willing to listen.

A smaller hologram, this of a display of the weapon prototypes, appeared directly in front of the Prelate. The hologram showed a man and a woman, both dressed in Lorrdian security garb being drilled on the proper use of this new Lorrdian sonic weapon. "We have run into several issues with preexisting sonic weapons; these prototypes being merely modified versions of older more universal designs... We continue work and have begun investigating alternative routes to achieving our goals without the failings of the past interfering with the brilliance of our future." The smaller hologram vanished and the Prelate once again retook his silence. He knew very well that this would mean more money spent out of the Empire's pockets, but, that was neither his problem nor could the sheer value of this sort of device be dismissed outright; both organic and synthetic troops alike would see a steadier survival rate when going into combat with the Apostates and even - in the future - Jedi.

Madelyn Lowe | Grand Moff Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Aerarii Tithe

 

[Decimus]

"Indeed. Droid troops save the Empire a fortune on providing rations and other organic amenities. And I would be glad to loan support to Oversector One's efforts and recieve it in return. My droid refineries on Agamar are conveniently located in Oversector One, so providing new waves of reinforcements across the Oversectors will not be difficult. However, I do in return request additional security be placed on Agamar to ensure such efforts are not hindered by potential Apostate sabotage.", Aut-X asked cordially.

"I will also ensure the Sith Empire maintains numerical military superiority against this new threat. Agamar is presently producing millions of new battle droids, with many more units on the way. If this insurgency seeks conflict, they will be met with overwhelming military force."

Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn
Aerarii Tithe
Lirka Ka
Madelyn Lowe

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

The Petitioner's Hold, Imperial Palace of Bastion

---

Aerarii leaned forward in his chair to get a closer look at Prelate Kabor-Dinn’s hologram. The weapon he described was of a design the Treasurer-General had never before encountered - a sonic weapon unlike anything the Empire had fielded. Armoursmiths and droidsmiths tended to focus their attention of resisting blasters, lightsabers and projectile weapons, with sonic weapons an afterthought.

“Have you shown this to anyone?” Tithe asked. “This… this could be a game changer.” The bureaucrat tried to stop too much excitement sneaking into his voice. With large numbers of our Legion and Armada defecting, we face the prospect of fighting an enemy who know our weapons and tactics as well - if not better - than we do. “A weapon developed in secret, without the knowledge of the traitors. It could turn the tide of battle.” Delivering this to the loyal military forces would be quite the boon for the assembled council.

Manipulating the controls inlaid to the table in front of him, Aerarii brought up an image of Supreme Admiral Omarest Croscal. “If there are no objections, I suggest we propose this to Grand Marshal Croscal.” By orders of the Emperor, Corscal had been elevated to the emergency rank of Grand Marshal, and charged with hunting down and killing all who stood against the Rule of Order. “How quickly could we get the weapon into the field?”

Grand Moff Aut-X outlined the ability of his factories to produce millions of battle droids which would overwhelm the traitors to the throne. Aerarii found him to be such a fascinating… individual? An automaton by design and manufacture who despite all odds, and country to his programming, had demonstrated the creativity and critical thinking needed to raise to such a lofty rank. A rank most living beings in the Empire could only dream of reaching. Were he of flesh and blood, Aerarii would loved to have picked Aut-X's brain - or rather memory banks - over a meal and wine to try and understand how such an interesting being thought. How exactly did one go about socialising with a droid who would likely have no interest in partaking in the usual material pleasures?

“I can draw up an accord to have Agamar designed a Priority Sector,” Aerarii suggested. “We’ll be able to access and assign additional Legion and Armada assets without the usual protests from the Lord Generals and Admirals.”

---

Madelyn Lowe | Grand Moff Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn

 

[Lirka Ka]

Lirka nestled back within her mind, it seemed they did not truly grasp the true dangers that Droid reliance could bring. They would all suffer for their ignorance somewhere down the line, when some Sith brought Angmar into churning out all those millions of droids: for the other side. With a broken and controlled Grand Moff at their side. She kept her "worries" to herself, deciding to gloss over the fact for now. Moridinae was more important.

"Then we draw credits from elsewhere. The importance of Moridinae can not be understated, nor can the instability of the border worlds while a rebellion begins to appear. Proper supply will allow me to both eradicate any rebels who dare show their faces and finish off the removal of the local savages."

Ultimately, of course, Lirka wasn't taking no for an answer. If she wasn't going to get the necessary forces here she would vouch to whatever other forces in the Galaxy could assist with helping keep the Borderlands under firm Imperial control: or at least as firm as it got under Lirka's leadership. She merely gave a nod of agreement towards the new weapon, it lacked the grace she so preferred in her tools of the trade.. Ultimately Lirka would prefer Sephi engineering to reach into the Imperial folds, show this lot the true grace of warfare. But she stayed her tongue, none of her misgivings about the droids ever appearing to the gathered crowd. At least there was something to marginally control them if there was organic life around.

Madelyn Lowe | Aut-X | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn | Aerarii Tithe

 

[Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn]

“Have you shown this to anyone?” The man-in-charge asked. “This… this could be a game changer.”

He was right, of course. The sonic weapons developed by the Lorrdians were entirely designed with the express intent to force an ultimatum; enemies would have to suddenly adopt armor that would be weaker to blasters but strong against sonic devices, or, remain in the same armor they had. Either way, he felt confident that he held the upper hand.

"Five hundred and four regiments have of the Lorrd Security Force have been given authorization and training in the use of these new weapons; while I would naturally prefer to simply hand them out to every solider we have, the materials used in their construction limit the amount we can produce and maintain. Additionally, learning to use these new weapons takes time. A non-insignificant amount of time that we simply do not have at this moment." The politician folded his hands in his lap, keeping them low to his core. Sedith smiled. It was an odd thing, not disturbed or at all unpleasant; quite the contrary, he had a soft smile to match a softened look in his eyes. Was this a smile of relief? Of satisfaction? It was unclear without any emotional cues to lead up to it. What was for certain is that this man had far more up his sleeve than he let on; to offer five hundred and four regiments off-the-cuff without even having to double check his sources, he must certainly have had this planned.

“How quickly could we get the weapon into the field?”

"If the Empire would provide us with transports and naval escorts, our regiments can be 'in the field' within days-- We estimate that it would otherwise take months to properly train non-Lorrdians in their most basic use." The Lorrdian assumed a statuesque posture. He did not think himself an unreasonable man, it was pretty clear in his mind that the advantages outweighed a reliance on Lorrdian manpower. There was also the introduction of fresh manpower into the armed forces, such a significant donation to the 'war' effort could change the tide of war.

Madelyn Lowe | Grand Moff Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Aerarii Tithe

 

[Madelyn Lowe]

As the attendees spoke, Madelyn had stared down at her datapad, taking note of each of their points and skimming through profiles and reports. When Prelate Dinn stopped speaking she cleared her throat, addressing each of them in turn.

First, she addressed the points made by her colleague, the synthetic Aut-X, in command of the neighbouring Oversector II.

"Grand Moff Aut-X is, of course, correct in saying that droid soldiers are less susceptible to moral corruption than organic forces. However, as Governor Ka has pointed out, droids come with their own set of faults and weaknesses, and are, one the whole, no better than organics. Oversector I has and will continue to follow in the footsteps of the Legion and the Armada, employing a mix of organic and droid forces for planetary defence."

Her fingers moved deftly, and she scrolled through a list of documents, pulling up the one she was seeking and expanding it so it was holographically projected and the attendees could see it.

"More than half of our citizenry currently serves our Imperial military in one capacity or another. Our soldiers are numerous, and many have been educated since they were children on our Sith-Imperial values. There is no reason to doubt the integrity of our people, and our organic soldiers will remain the foundation of our Sith-Imperial military system, in our armies, naval forces, and our planetary defence forces. I would keep that in mind, Grand Moff Aut-X"

Madelyn looked down smoothing invisible wrinkles from her sweater, before looking back up, turning her attention on the insubordinate and savage Governor Ka.

"As for Moridinae, Treasurer-General Tithe is quite right. Your system has already received considerable military relief since the attack by the Mandalorian insurrectionists. It is not in our interests to pour in extra resources for your personal 'beautification' project, and I think you will find there is little chance of funding approval from the Moff Council or the Diet."

She paused, allowing the words to sink in, and continued. Beside her, Madelyn's assistant dutifully recorded the conversation.

"That said, we're currently drafting legislation to increase the flow of funding from the Empire's interior to the Souther border worlds. The war effort against the Silver Jedi will remain our top priority even in the midst of this Apostate rebellion. If such assistance is not enough for you, Governor Ka, then you will have to take the Treasurer-General's advice. Get your funding from elsewhere."

Then, Madelyn turned her attention to Prelate Dinn, somewhat of a rising star within the ranks of the Imperial bureaucracy, representing the Lorrd system. She spoke dryly, disapproving of the Prelate's protectionist attitude.

"I trust, Prelate Dinn, that you do not intend to restrict the research, development, and use of these weapons to Lorrd alone. I understand your concerns about material limitations, but I would advise you to pass your prototypes on to the Corps of Engineers so that we can get these weapons out for Legion use as soon as possible."

Aerarii Tithe | Lirka Ka | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn | Grand Moff Aut-X ​

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

The Petitioner's Hold, Imperial Palace of Bastion

---

The Treasurer-General leaned back slightly in his chair, surveying the officials before him. As with most structures within the Sith Empire, the High Imperial Diet was organised in a fashion that naturally encourages competition. Each of the representatives here had a personal interest in the decisions they were making, many of them angling to improve the standing of their own planet or Oversector even at the cost of others. Aerarii’s job was to ensure that the betterment of the Empire was kept in mind, even if that meant paying certain favours to influential Moffs or Governors.

Tithe bowed his head slightly in reverance as Grand Moff Lowe spoke. “Oversector I does enjoy a stability and inviolability which in foreign to Oversector IV and the borderlands near Moridinae. If Grand Moff X and Governor Ka concur, I propose reinforcing those areas with the additional droid forces that will soon spout from Agamar.”

The credits needed to shore up defences on Moridinae and other troubled worlds would not be so easily found. Madelyn mentioned redirecting additional funds to the southern borders near the once-homeworld of the Mandelorians. “If anyone learn of worlds who are loyal to or harbouring the Apostates, I can arrange for an immediate and costly levy to be placed on them.” A brief recession would help the rogue worlds remember the importance of fielty to the Emperor.

Prelate Kabor-Dinn revealed the challenges of mass-producing the powerful Lorrdian sonic weapons. Not being a technocrat, Aerarii would need to see some non-technical information to explain the issues to him. In the meantime he deferred to those around him. “Five hundred regiments will provide a useful surge, but we need a line of supply.” Both the Sith-Imperial Science Bureau and Corps of Engineer could easily help boast production. The military - and even Governor Ka - would happily supply slaves to provide labour, or if needed, test subjects.

“What would you need to scale up production?”

---

Madelyn Lowe | Grand Moff Aut-X | Lirka Ka | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn

 

[Lirka Ka]

Lirka watched over the gathered assembly, the glowing eyes of the helm held a deep thinking in their emerald glow. Maneuvering, plotting out just what she truly wanted to say, many of those gathered here were most certainly better versed in the game of politics than her. She listened to the objections of Lowe, and with the fractured mind befitting of one so grotesque as Lirka: she allowed herself a laugh, a hardy thing that became infinitely more obnoxious with the distortion present in her helmet.

"You misconstrue my intentions, it is not my beautification project, it is the Empire's. There is little value in Moridinae until it is repaired and freed from the barbarian taint. But what value it does have is it's presence on the border, and that is something we must not forget: least we wish to see Jedi ruling over it instead. And truthfully, I'd rather not have to chose between reprobates that wish to take our worlds."

Lirka listened to the proposition of droids, she was displeased, to say the least. The new hatred bubbling up inside from some deep dark place of misgivings and petty grudges. But she calmed, enough to take it in a somewhat more logical way than a hard no.

"Droids can be added, but I want full control and the ability to have the kill-switch if, or when, the Apostates learn to turn them against us."

This was more paranoia than another power play, Lirka had that deep feeling within her gut of the Sith bastards pulling some sorcery from their behinds to turn all the metal-warriors against them. Of course, she, being mighty as she was. Knew that no such sorcery could befall her: it seemed only fair to be able to save half the Empire when the time came.

Madelyn Lowe | Aut-X | Sedith-and-Denrid Kabor-Dinn | Aerarii Tithe