Private The Broken Bottle

[Shan Pellian]

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Darth Reign

---

The bottle slammed down on the table, the impact startling Shan from his dark musings. Dark red liquid sloshed over the rim of the bottle, adding to the growing puddles and stains, hard earned trophies from nearly an entire day of drinking. As a younger man, Shan had never liked drinking. A waste of time, credits, and a general disappointing experience from the cheap drinks available to him. Now though? It had been months since he had an entirely sober day.

Shan glanced up at the bar owner, a green skinned Rodian of a portly build. He did not like Shan. The credit line the former Imperial used was good, but the officers continued presence drove off other customers. The only thing keeping Shan in the bar was the fact the bars previous bouncer had lost, rather severely, in a brawl when they tried to throw Shan out. Rather than draw law enforcement attention, they had come to an understanding. Shan would stay quiet, and the drinks would continue flowing. For a run down bar in a less than favorable part of Bastion, the steady income and lack of attention worked out.

It had worked out surprisingly well for Shan.

Reaching out, he grabbed the bottle, and poured himself another glass. At least he still drank from a glass. Despite how far he had fallen, he held himself to that dignity at least. A military career and dedication to discipline were hard to forget, but with each bottle Shan finished, he felt that history fading from his mind.

"Perhaps that is for the best," Shan said to himself, draining the glass.

 

[Darth Reign]

​

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Shan Pellian

---

As the negotiations between the planetary government and the leadership of the Diarchy had concluded, The Diarch, one of two that would lead this movement, had taken to visiting the streets of the new capital of his domain.

Something had been eating away at him however. With all his moves and power plays, negotiations and searches for esoteric power, The Diarchy’s naval forces were still lacking leadership.

That was what had led him here. The Shattered Flaggon, a run down bar owned by a run down Rodian. The Network had told Reign he’d find someone of interest here.

Entering, he saw the man. One Shan Pellian
drowning what had been a sharp military mind in cheap alcohol.

Sitting down, the Diarch said “If you are going to waste your life drinking, at least get something better. Two Corellian Whiskeys please”

“If you want something greater, perhaps we can talk”

 

[Shan Pellian]

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Darth Reign

Shan glanced up from the glass in his hand, eyes narrowed as the uninvited guest took a seat across from him. A few people had tried the same thing in the past, though most had either been scared off by Shan's uninviting demeanor, or grew bored from the man's silence. An inkling at the back of Shan's mind told him he would not be so lucky with this man. A stranger to him, yet his face was familiar. Probably something on the holonet, a played up actor or mascot for some corporation probably.

He was not, however, going to turn down Corellian Whiskey.

When the new glass his the table Shan picked it up, a single finger raised over the rim in a salute to the stranger as he downed its contents. The alcohol burned its way down Shan's throat, a much more pleasing feeling than the sickening squall that he had been so far consuming.

A smile quirked up the corner of Shan's mouth, barely visible beneath the unkept beard that had once been his most striking feature. "If you want something stronger, I heard that pudgy little Rodian has some Starshine Surprise hidden around here somewhere, or maybe we can just get to the end of this little discussion and find a Mind Eraser. Hear its all the rage on space stations."

 

[Darth Reign]

​

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Shan Pellian

---

The Dark Lord smirked slightly as the other man downed the drink. Taking a small drink from his own glass, he studied the rough man before him. Hard to believe that this drunk was the Shan Pellian his people had told him about.

But, as Reign himself knew, looks could be deceiving, and The Network had never been wrong before. So, taking the plunge, he said:


“I’m afraid I did not come to this side of Ravelin to visit a bar. It’s a shame to see a man of your talents waste his life away chasing the bottom of a bottle, Mr. Pellian. Unless the report I received about you is false?”

He kicked back in the chair a bit, his robes nearly touching the ground. He studied the other man’s face for some inkling of the officer he had been.

“Shan Pellian, born on Kuat to one of the ten, a little out of favor by the sounds of it but nonetheless. Jumped ship on one of your family’s vessels and served with distinction in the Empire of the Lost. Up until, that is, you got on the wrong side of some plumped up admiral and relegated to a prison barge. Even then, you served, ten more years! Unless there’s another Shan Pellian?”

 

[Shan Pellian]

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Darth Reign

"Someone is decently informed," Shan said. His words came out in a drawl as he leaned back in his chair, reaching out for the old bottle of cheap drink while he waited for a refill of the proper whiskey. He shrugged his shoulders, taking a swig directly from the bottle in his hand. "The chase is ongoing, but at the moment the bottles keep winning." The last words were accented by Shan tossing the empty bottle aside, shattering on the floor and joining an ever growing pile.

Shan shook his head, raising a hand to flick at a buzzing insect that had been tormenting him all day. "If only there was another, but that title belongs to my sorry self."

Shan leaned over the table, a wavering finger pointed towards Reign. "Served with distinction they said. The same bloody words they used when they decommissioned the bloody prison barge I commanded. Didn't even replace me, figure its time had come to an end. Over twenty years of service, and not a single record will remain of my time, my sacrifice. Turned my back on family, on a legacy rightfully mind just to end up no better than a battered ship currently being used by street rats somewhere, all because I refused to give an Admiral nephew a promotion."

He took a sip of the refreshed Corellian Whiskey delivered by the Rodian, the alien casting an annoyed glance at the pile of broken bottles. "Well, you found me. Found ole Shan Pellian in his soon to be grave. Hope I live up to the expectation."

 

[Darth Reign]

​

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Shan Pellian

---

In truth, the Diarch knew all about the sad story of the man across from him. But he also saw what was hidden beneath it. Exemplary service, refusal to give in to nepotism. Ensuring that the people that served with him were the best of the best, not just jumped up because of who they knew.

Reign took a look at the other man, a good look. The Imperial discipline was there, hidden under years of bitterness and drink. He could see it.

“Do you know who I am?”
Reign asked politely.

If he had to drag the other man out of the drunken haze he had allowed himself to live in, he would.

The Dark Lord finished his drink and motioned for another from the Rodian saying “Please, bring the bottle, and I apologize for the mess. When my business is concluded here, we will finance a remodel for the trouble… thank you my friend”

 

[Shan Pellian]

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Darth Reign

Shan narrowed his eyes, rubbing a finger against on temple as he looked the man across from him up and down. He was familiar, but in his drink adelid mind he could not place a name to the face. Turning his head, he looked around at the other patrons of the Shattered Flagon, and began to note their nervous glances they were sending their way. It was more than just nerves, Shan began to piece together. If he had to guess, he would put it down to...shock, or perhaps fear.

"A man with deep pockets," Shan said, "and a good taste in drink. For now that means we can be friends. Beyond that? That all depends on how deep your pockets really are."

Shan accepted the new bottle when it was brought, his mind slowly beginning to run through all the possibilities. A single off handed comment to remodel the bar made it clear the man had wealth. Put that together with the looks the patrons in the room were giving him, and Shan was starting to get an idea.

"Are you supposed to be a big wig politician? If so, I am afraid your prestige doesn't go as far as you think cause I don't know who you are."

 

[Darth Reign]

​

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Shan Pellian

---

Reign followed Pellian’s gaze around the bar, noting the fervent looks given his way by the other patrons.

He chuckled a little at the other man’s comments, he must have truly been lost in his drink to have missed the numerous announcements and Reign’s own appearances on Bastions main holo channels.

“I suppose my pockets would be deep, and I do appreciate the compliment about the drink. Although I do have much more expensive spirits at base and upon my ship”

As the drink came, he poured himself another glass. Finding the comments funny rather than insulting, he appreciated the remarks, it had been a while since he’d been somewhere they didn’t know his face.

“A big wig politician? I would say no, but more and more it looks that way. My name is Lord Reign. That may ring a bell?”

 

[Shan Pellian]

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Darth Reign

And the credit chip dropped. Shan leaned back in his chair, tapping the empty glass in his hand on the tabletop as he assessed the new information. Even Shan knew about Lord Reign. In between his drunken stupors, it was the only name being mentioned on a regular basis on the holonet. He had not paid too much attention to it until then. What did it matter to him? One planetary ruler was much the same as another to the local drunk. His rent taxes would just get filed under a new flag.

But to face the new ruler of a planet was not something Shan had expected. Especially not something in the Shattered Flagon of all places.

In an instant, the drowsy, sloshed look on Shan's faced hardened. His eyes narrowed, and he rested on arm on the table before him, the other hanging at his side next to where a blaster pistol should have been. One of the bloody rules of the bar kept them locked up whenever you entered. Karken dumb Rodian.

"What is it," Shan said, his voice shallow and filled with caution, "that you want exactly, Lord Reign?"

 

[Darth Reign]

​

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Shan Pellian

---

Reign observed the change in the man when recognition hit.
Even through the drink, the sharp imperial was still there.

The Diarch leaned forward, orange eyes burning into the other man. His voice serious and lacking the kind tone he had be keeping, Reign said “What I want Mr. Pellian, is order. The galaxy is a cesspool of chaos, where those in power foment war and chaos to stay in power. I want to bring an end to this chaos, to impose order and peace on the galaxy. And to do that, I need disciplined men. Men like you used to be, like you could be again, if given a second chance.”

 

[Shan Pellian]

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Darth Reign

"Propaganda slogans always did sound best over a good drink," Shan said, tilting his mostly empty cup towards Reign. "I've been around for a bit. A bit longer than you I reckon, and in that time I have heard those same words spoken a thousand times. Everyone has a dream of bringing their order to the galaxy, but very few have the plans to back it up."

Shan leaned forward. "So tell me, Lord Reign, what is it exactly you think you can do to be different? What do you think you can acheive that no one else before you has?" Shan tapped his glass against the tabletop; a rhythmic clanging sound that echoed around the bar. "When the drums of war sound and the screaming starts, what is gonna make you different from the next tyrant with an army?"

Shan shook his head, letting the glass in his hand drop to the tabletop, a fresh crack appearing along its side. "I desire change as much as the next man, and if you think you can bring that change I could follow you. I need to know though whether or not you can bring that change."

 

[Darth Reign]

​

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Shan Pellian

---

Thinking back on his words, the Dark Lord stifled a chuckle. It actually sounded like one of the posters and holo broadcasts the Diarchy had put out. But he supposed that made sense, they were his words put out there.

He steepled his hands and leaned forward showing how seriously he took the question.
“You served in the Empire of the Lost, of course you are used to the propaganda machine, but, from one man to another. I hope to do everything different.. look at Bastion for example, I have turned your home into the Diarchy’s capital, and not a single shot was fired, no threat was made. They threw a parade to welcome us. That is what I hope to do different, even when, as you say, the screaming starts and the drums of war sound. I want the people, like your Rodian friend there, to know. I do not come to conquer, I come to liberate”

He paused a moment, gathering himself.
“I am not some tyrant, nor conquering warlord, I aim to free these people from the oppression of those who would see them ground under their boot, those who would sow chaos and war just to keep themselves in power, even if those in power oppose us, I have no ill will towards the people, they are all under my protection as long as I may offer it. I harbor no delusions, my friend, I am young. I need those with experience, with discipline, to help me bring about change. If I must wage war to bring peace for my children, and their children after them, then with a heavy heart I will do so. And may whoever stands in our way make peace with whatever deity they believe in, because they will be shown no mercy. “

He stared deeply into the older man’s eyes, Reign’s conviction apparent in his words and in the fire of his eyes.

“The Jedi, The Sith. They must evolve, or perish. I am not some Sith Lord looking to put the Empire first, I am but a servant of order, wielding power not for myself but for the good of the galaxy. These two orders, in their millennia of power, have done nothing but destroy and wreak havoc on the galaxy. They must be torn down, so a bastion of order can be built in their place.”

 

[Shan Pellian]

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Darth Reign

It was a good speech. A well practiced and rehearsed one if Shan had to guess. He drummed the fingers of his left hand on the table, his right supporting his head, thumb idly tracing along his jawline. It was not what he was expecting. The general theory was that Sith were power hungry and desired to rule and dominate all that they could get their hands on. Everything else was often destroyed.

To hear something that contradicted that made Shan hesitate. The part about being shown no mercy sounded more on point though.

"Wage war for today to ensure peace tomorrow," Shan muttered, barely audible as he glanced up at Reign. His fingers tapped more rapidly, a rolling crescendo as Shan made his mind work, forcing dust covered mental pathways to operate like they used to. He could get behind what the Sith was saying if he really considered it. He would be lying if the thought of returning to military life was not enticing. Service to a cause, and the prospect of testing his military abilities against another.

"Perhaps your words have merit, Lord Reign," Shan said pushing back from the table and rising to his feet. "If I were to agree to this, what would be required of me, and what do you have to offer?"

 

[Darth Reign]

​

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Shan Pellian

---

Reign leaned back, his grandstanding finished.
He could see the other man’s mind working, feel his interest within his presence in the force.

Reign smiled sadly “No Admiral it is not wage war today for peace tomorrow. It is wage war now, for peace forever”

He gave the other man’s questions some thought. He needed the man’s loyalty, dedication, and unwavering steadfastness to their cause. But, he needed to make him understand that Reign valued each and every one of his men’s lives. The majority of them that served them now, were handpicked by the Diarch himself.

“What I need, is your unwavering support, your loyalty. To use you as a bulwark against the chaos of the galaxy. Every person serving the Diarchy has been hand picked by myself, you included. They are my family, and they would become yours as well. So I would expect you to defend our family with the same resolve you would your own blood.. as for what I can offer.. purpose.. a life dedicated to a cause higher than one’s self, command, and leadership. The funding to establish an academy, and train the future of the Diarchy to espouse our discipline, determination, and ideals”

 

[Shan Pellian]

Location: Bastion | The Shattered Flagon
Tags: Darth Reign

Peace forever.

That was something that even Shan could understand, something he could desire. He kept his personal doubts about the validity and possibility of that peace to himself, but gave Reign a brief nod. There was enough there for Shan to give Lord Reign a chance. The man was convincing, and Shan was starting to run low on credits anyway.

"An Academy is a good thought, Lord Reign," Shan said, "secure future generations loyalty and create a strong pool of well trained soldiers ready to take up the cause. Bastion is a good place for such an Academy given its history, and I know a few other retired officers who might be convinced to return to service in a teaching capacity."

Nodding his head one last time, Shan snapped a quick salute to Reign.

"I am at your disposal, My Lord."