High Port

Admiral Needa examined the schematics closely. Each design seemed to be an improvement on the ones he was used to in the Imperial Military. He personally had reccomended some ideas that were similar to the ones implemented here to the Imperial Military, though they had been rejected. He slowly went over each one, making sure not a single detail. He had stood witness to this, with the Subjugator-Class Heavy Cruiser, the Death Star. All of these were nearly indomitable opponents for their time. And yet a single detail that went unnoticed always seemed to doom them. With this in mind, he had resolved to analyze things not only on a high level, but with extreme care and caution. For even the smallest detail could bring upon the fall of these great feats.
“Once again, I must say that these impress me. You seem to be learning from the mistakes made by the Galactic Empire very well. I must ask though, what sort of training do your men go through? I only ask because all this technology is only as powerful as it’s users allow it to be.”

Once again, Admiral Needa listened silently to the Emperor’s speech, while carefully analyzing the data displayed before him. It seemed that this First Order had gone completely the other direction from his Galactic Empire, governing with a subtle mix of propoganda and military presence. It was a far cry from the nearly insane projects of the Tarkin Doctrine; the Death Star, the Sun Crusher, etc. He personally had never agreed with Tarkin’s methods, but stayed quiet for the simple reason that he did not want to be considered a dissident by the ISB. The various points Nicademus brought up were all valid, and he noted the fact that he never used too much exaggeration. Weather his claims of complete loyalty from the populace remained to be proven, he could count on the veracity of the other parts of the speech. However, all this raised a series of new questions. Seeing as he had served at Jakku and later discovered the truth about the battle, the next question seemed only fitting.
“And what of the Empire after your death. Granted, it certainly will be a while, and won’t happen in my lifetime, but you strike me as one to prepare ahead. Perhaps a version of the Galactic Emperor’s Contingency? Or do you have a plan of who should succeed you.”

The Admiral nearly lost the emotionless look on his face at the mention of a son. Children. They always struck a soft part of him. He too had once had a family. He too was once capable of loving. How much things had changed since then. With the death of his family, he had buried his grief in work, devoting himself completely to upholding the ideals of the empire alongside his own moral code. Even so, he still could not help but show a certain degree of care for children that he didn’t show anywhere else. He observed as billions saluted the emperor in the speech. From blue-skinned Chiss on Csilla to whistle-clad stormtroopers here on Muunilist, he certainly had ralllied those under his watchful eye.
“A son... that reminds me of my own family. One that I let go of long ago.”

Admiral Needa was surprised by this statement; but in a good way. He had not expected the young man to show wisdom to this level. If we are being completely honest, he didn’t expect much from the people who worked under the First Order. He had expected a group of inexperienced, brash, reckless men who were a disgrace to everything he held sacred about the Empire. At least for now, he had met no one like that. He was relatively pleased by what he had seen so far. Granted, he was in no position to be passing judgment; however, he was easily the most experienced man in the room, having fought in countless battles against the widest range of opponents one could think of. Could he really adopt a new family? He had chosen to abandon the ideal of family so long ago. And yet, he saw a bit of himself in the blue eyed, red haired man standing in front of him. He almost seemed like he was a mirror of his younger self. Perhaps he could find it in himself to take the First Order as a new family. In the future, he would look back on this conversation as one of the most crucial parts of his life. Seeing himself in the young man, he knew how his mind worked. In a clean, efficient way. As time went on, the two of them would almost be seen as father and son, with him bringing all sorts of experience to the table, further honing the already great talents of Nicademus Delvardus IV.
“Perhaps this is something I will find myself capable of. I should certainly hope that my experience can serve to improve the First Order.”
He had been carrying a box made of a silvery material. It was a simple design , and one that he knew would appeal to the tastes of the military man in front of him. Opening the box revealed one of his favorite drinks. A drink that Cyrus Delvardus was known for enjoying. A bottle of Corellian Brandy. He knew that in order for him to make allies amongst the First Order, he would have to appeal to their leader as a man of good taste.
“But, of course, I would be rude not to bring a gift for our gracious hosts.”

“Thank you, Emperor Delvardus. I will order my captain to head to the nearest shipyard so we can begin the retrofit.”
Setting his glass down on an empty space, he keyed in an access code to the comlink on his wrist. Telling the captain to head to Yaga Minor, he turned off the device and picked up his glass again. He took a sip of the liquid. The taste of Correlian Brandy, at least to him, was unmatched by other liquors. Though he was rather adventurous, he would always return to this drink whenever he wanted something he could be sure of. He walked over to the viewport and examined the battlefield simulation that had been lauded out. It was very similar to that of the Clone Training Facilities found on Kamino. This particular exercise had cadets fighting in an urban environment. One of the most difficult terrains, for troops would be deprived of artillery and armor support. Despite the slight blunder on the part of Blue Company, they had recovered extremely well and had delivered a punishing counteroffensive to the Red Company by setting up an ambush. All said, it was very well done on the command of the blue team. He would certainly like to meet the officers and soldiers of this group, and possibly give a few tips to them on how best to go about improving. But that was for another time.
“You seem to have sacrificed many aspects of your life for the Empire. A great sacrifice, but a noble one.”

"I see we agree on a great many things, Emperor."
As he slowly sipped his drink, Needa himself was thinking about another time when he was drinking Corellian Brandy. A lifetime ago, at a ball in the Imperial Palace. When he had first met his wife, Jenna. She had been so shy, staying towards the edge of the room, sipping a glass of wine so daintily, trying to ignore everyone else present, looking so innocent in her feathery white dress. He himself had been mingling with a few officers, and had been introduced to Baron Cassio Tagge. A good man by all accounts, including his own. How long ago that seemed, the two of them whirling across the dance floor. When he took her home to his apartment in the ancient 500 Republica building. It had all seemed so simple back then. It was the Empire versus the Rebellion. Order versus Chaos. He had personally enjoyed that time, spending every free day on Coruscant with his wife and every free night in bed with her. After the fall of the empire though, everything became so complicated. Now, an aged man who had seen more battles then one could count, he looked back on these days with a certain fondness. Like a golden era. He knew that eventually, the new generation would have to replace the old eventually. He knew deep down he had to accept it, and yet, he couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to.
"Your determination is admirable, Emperor Delvardus. With such passion, you are perhaps one of the most worthy rulers I have seen in my lifetime."