Private Uncertain Times

[Reginald Orian]

Location | Old Imperial Citadel , Byss
Objective | Secure Byss' Neutrality
Tags | Adhira Chandra

Things had not gone as planned. Only a few months into Marlon Sularen's Rule in Byss following the deposition of Vonar Ardinn and the Elections that saw Sularen rise as Byss' Second Lord-Imperator , Sularen's efforts to consolidate his rule and legitimize himself had gone stagnant threatening his rule on Byss as the Cold War began between the Galactic Alliance and New Imperials. Going against Denzul's Advice , Sularen moved forth to secure his assets in the Northern Dependencies first before finishing the process of Consolidating his grasp on Byss in which proved to be a fatal mistake. Now instead of ruling Byss comfortably , the Lord-Imperator faced the issue of getting entangled in the Cold War and losing his throne on Byss.

And thus to address the issue , his Cousin Senator Denzul Vosh-Sularen of Byss had contacted the Alliance Chancellor requesting a meeting with her at the Old Imperial Citadel on Byss to discuss about the Future of His Planet regarding it's Mixed Allegiances as the Planet had seen a revival of Imperialism with the ascension of Marlon Sularen. While the Official Government was an Elective Monarchy , a perfect Compromise between Democracy and Imperialism , there was always the threat of outside forces and radical movements from the inside as now with his process of consolidation halted , Sularen would have to dangerously navigate a tightrope through all the Chaos of this Cold War as One Wrong Step could see the Lord-Imperator and his Cousin falling down in the pits of failure once more and losing all the progress they had made in the past few months.

In the High Council Chambers of the Old Imperial Citadel , Senator Vosh awaited the arrival of Chancellor Chandra flanked by High Commissioner Yuri Orlov and the Mysterious Commissioner who was utilizing a Shadow Hologram to disguise himself as his Alias Lawdgott Eris acting as a member of Senator Vosh's Diplomatic Corps known as the Vosh Initiative. In addition the Diplomatic Party was also flanked by 10 Byss Imperial Guardsmen on each side. Now that everything was set up all they needed was for Chancellor Chandra to arrive. This meeting would seal Byss' Fate in the Cold War and hopefully it would be a good fate where Byss could prosper unaffected from the Cold War.

 

[Adhira Chandra]

Since assuming the Office of Chancellor, Adhira Chandra had become accustomed to entertaining a host of politicians throughout the Alliance's sphere of influence. Regional rulers who were clamoring for favor, Senators who sought favorable committee appointments, and would-be legislators hoping for an endorsement. Adhira had endured it all in the few months she had presided over their republic. Yet, very infrequently did she ever leave the comfort of Coruscant to do so.​

The request from the Senator of Byss was an unusual one in that regard. The planetary authorities had invited her to their homeworld to discuss the state of affairs on the terrestrial Core world. Truthfully, she had initially declined the request and instead invited Senator Vosh-Sularen to her executive office on Coruscant. However, once she realized her return journey from Dosuun would lead her right through the Byss System, she relented and accepted the invitation.​

On the surface, Byss was an ideal planet. It had a reasonably mild climate, scenic views, and affluent cities that dotted the planet's surface. Yet, beneath the surface, the scars of the Empire still marred the planet's past. As Adhira understood it, the hold that the Empire once had on Byss continued to manifest in the present day as a sickening display of imperialist sympathizing. It was something the new Chancellor sought to stamp out across the Core worlds and there seemed no better place to start than with the former Throne World of the ancient Emperor, Sheev Palpatine.​

The sound of heavy boots echoed ahead of her and into the High Council Chamber as a contingent of armored Senate Guards marched around the corner and into the hall. They were not dressed in their typical, meager ceremonial garb. Instead, their robes were thrown back over their shoulders and heavy blaster rifles rested against their armored pauldrons. When they had created a wide avenue down the center of the hall, they turned in unison and stood at attention.​

There was a brief moment of silence, followed by the distance click of heels before the Chancellor of the Alliance appeared in the doorway. She was dressed less formally than most were accustomed to. She wore a simple navy blue gown, complemented by a wrap of deep crimson that was pinned at the shoulder beneath the emblem of the Senate of the Alliance. Her neck was adorned with a simple silk collar. Adhira glided effortlessly between the guards, noting the presence of Byss' own security forces with something reminiscent of disdain.​

"Senator Vosh-Sularen," she said coolly, continuing until she was standing directly in front of Reginald Orian , "a pleasure to see you, as always." The timbre of her voice was deep and warm. She matched the tone with a disarming smile as her eyes darted to the individuals that accompanied him. "I was quite concerned by your recent communique, I do hope there is something I can do to help." This planet belonged to the rulers of Byss, but she was still the Chancellor, and she illustrated this authority best with her magnanimous demeanor. She was there to help solve problems.​

 

[Reginald Orian]

"Sir the Chancellor has arrived" a Politorate Agent said as the Chancellor Entered the Old Imperial Citadel. Denzul then turned to his Subordinates motioning them to leave , he then put his hand on Commissioner Eris who's back still faced the Senator of Byss. "Get me every bit of information we can get on Chancellor Chandra , Commissioner. If things go wrong , we'll need to establish a contingency to secure our position here on Byss". He then let go , allowing the Commissioner to leave to scene and conduct the search Senator Vosh had requested.

By the time both men had left the chambers , Chancellor Adhira had entered the room escorted by her Senate Guards as they entered the room with the Chancellor walking up in front of the Senator and greeting him with a smile.

"Senator Vosh-Sularen, a pleasure to see you, as always. I was quite concerned by your recent communique, I do hope there is something I can do to help."

Well atleast she was aware of the seriousness of the situation , Denzul thought. With all the plotting his Cousin was doing in the Shadows it was imperative that Denzul appeased the Chancellor of the Alliance for as much time as his Cousin needed.

"Thank you for meeting me on such a short notice Chancellor. It is an Honor to have you stand here upon the very seat of my Administration." Denzul said with a smile , though in his mind he knew that both him and the Chancellor had their fingers crossed and were simply suppressing their true intents. He then motioned to a Conference Room nearby. "Now let's get to Business shall we" He said motioning to the Chancellor to follow him into the Conference Room where he sat down.

"So Chancellor Chandra. I've recently called this meeting to discuss about the future relations between the Alliance and Byss. Ever since the Frozen Hand Campaign and the High Republic Occupation of Byss there has always been some Anti-Alliance Sentiment present here given at how this Planet has always been Loyal to the Cause of Imperialism and with the recent election and inauguration of my Cousin as the new Lord-Imperator of Byss upon the resignation of the previous one , there has been a surge of Pro-Imperialist Sentiment here on Byss especially with the rising Cold War between the Alliance and New Imperials." Denzul then Paused.

"You see , most of the Citizens of Byss who are loyal and/or supportive to the cause of Imperialism are somewhat worried of our awkward position as a member of a Anti-Imperialist Galactic Government. Many Prominent Civilian Officials have given their concerns and as the Senator of Byss i must represent my people and ensure that their interests are maintained and protected. Byss is perhaps one of the most Imperialistic Worlds within the Alliance , Chancellor Chandra and i do not wish to have my government enter in conflict with yours"

"My goals here are simple , to ensure that there can be no future conflict between the Alliance and Byss and to ensure that even with our People's Imperialist Tendencies we can maintain Positive Relations with your Government and the first step toward such an objective would be to establish a Mutual Understanding of the Objectives of our Governments and exactly what our goals are. I've already labeled what my intentions are so i will ask this to you. How do you intend on Dealing with Imperialism within the Borders of the Alliance?"

As Denzul Spoke he maintain a calm and positive tone , aiming to make sure that the Chancellor did not feel threatened by the Senator of Byss. After all he needed to reassure the Chancellor that Stamping Out Imperialism from Byss wasn't the only Option she had in ensuring the Planet never took up arms against her in support of the New Imperials. To Denzul there was always a deal that could be made , a Compromise. There were only a few people who shared that belief and Denzul hoped that Chancellor Chandra was one of them.

Adhira Chandra
​

 

[Adhira Chandra]

Mutual Assurances
​

The Chancellor smiled blithely at the Byss representative, her hands clasped in front of her and her chest rising and falling slowly as she listened to him. However, while the man was talking, one of the Senate Guards near the back stepped forward and leaned close to her ear. The altered perception on her face was barely perceptible, but she held up a single finger to the Senator to silence him. "Apologies, I will be with you again in just one moment," her words were very deliberate as she accepted a datapad from the guard, tapping at it furiously for a moment. She seemed to wait for a reply, her eyes darting over it quickly before she handed the tablet back to her escort. He fell back in line, and she trained her dark brown eyes on Senator Vosh-Sularen.

The woman cleared her throat and smiled again, but there was no warmth this time. "Well, Senator," she said softly, hands still clasped in front of her, "I hope that what insight I have to offer will assuage your concerns." The smile dropped from her lips with such abruptness she could have been a jump-cut in a hologram. The silks that draped her heels shifted as she advanced, hands still clasped gently in her lap. "I completely understand what you're saying," a fool would have mistaken her words for reassurance or concession, but Adhira's knitted eyebrows and humorless tone belied the truth.

"It is true, there is a growing anti-imperialist sentiment in the Core because it is imperialist sentiment that ravaged our planets for centuries. Our people are tired of it, they are through kneeling and while we have frequently encountered some distantly fond memories of this old age method of governance, I have personally found it to be a side effect of Stockholm syndrome... I doubt Byss is unique in this regard," her bright red lip curled into a smirk as she reached the bottom of the steps to the dais where the Imperator's throne stood. She began to climb the stairs.

"I know Coruscant might seem distant to you, Senator, but I have eyes and ears everywhere... and word has reached my not-too-distant ears of these grumblings you allude to here on Byss. So when you refer to the potential conflict between your cousin and this Alliance," as Adhira crested the steps, now looking down at Denzul Vosh-Sularen, the Senate Guard turned in unison causing a thunderous noise in the vast empty council chamber. They faced forward now, rifles held out as they stood to attention. "I want to be crystal clear. There will be no conflict." Her dark eyes narrowed.

"I have tolerated the presence of this administration on Byss because of its supposed support for the ideals of the Alliance, if that support were to vanish, we would reevaluate this tentative relationship," she smiled again, but differently now, "so, I trust that I am right in saying that the Alliance continues to enjoy the full-throated support of Byss' nominal government because if I hear even the faintest word of subterfuge or Ashla-forbid rebellion, my Chancellery will come to Byss and shake your administration to death like a rancor."

Adhira was dangerously close to Vosh-Sularen now, her guards trained forward threateningly. "I hope I have set your concerns at ease, Senator." The Chancellor did not wait for a response from Denzul, instead, she turned and descended the steps. The Senate Guard clicked their heels and saluted the old woman as she swept out of the hall. The last person to leave was the political aide who had entered with the Balmorran leader.

Reginald Orian ​