Taris' Open Orbit

"Admiral, you should know by now. Every commander knows this struggle. But remaining calm is essential, not only for the success of the operation, but for the safety of your men as well. I can understand why you are nervous. You are new, you've never been a part of such a large scale operation, you are afraid. I'm going to be frank with you, I do not think that you have the experience needed to lead. Thank of this as a chance to prove me wrong."

Garrick had never been one for mincing words. If something was true, he would say it. No need to sugarcoat it. The best way for people to grow was to acknowledge their flaws and work to correct them, rather than being soft and getting offended whenever someone pointed out a realistic flaw. Hence why he spoke up in the command room; there was no reason to hide from the fact that something could go wrong. Until the director of Intelligence, Merrik Piette, had spoken up, there was every reason to assume this was a trap. And every reason to assume that it wasn't.

"You know, when I was on my first command in a major battle, I was terrified. A Separatist Fleet was terrorizing Republic shipping routes. The Admiral of the fleet I was attatched to was killed along with all the command staff. I, as a mere captain of a small frigate, was put in charge of an entire fleet of seven Star Destroyers. Needless to say, I thought I was out of my depth."

He remembered it clear as day. He with his seven Star Destroyers, putting on a brave face for the sake of morale as they approached the Separatist fleet. One could say, correctly, that was his first major command.

"When the battle started, I was too scared to make a move. I was used to receiving orders, not taking them. And the battle went horribly. I lost... I don't know how many men that day. And we still didn't stop the Separatists. Eventually, a small fighter strike force led by Anakin Skywalker destroyed the battlecruiser. But it was not without the loss of fleets of men. But do you know what I learned that day? Being worried for the safety of your men, but you shouldn't let it get to your nerves, otherwise you will lose the very people you say you are protecting!"

By this point, he was standing as he told Jenia of how the battle had gone. How he had lost thousands of men. The explosions. The burning ships. The death and destruction. He slammed his fist onto the table to emphasize his point. This was not a matter he took lightly.

When Harnan makes it known to her through the Force that he seeks her, Katsumi, in turn, makes it known to him where it is that he will find her within the warship that, for her, is reminiscent of an anthill filled with insects scurrying about amidst which she wanders unobserved. As Harnan makes his way towards her, Katsumi makes her way towards him, arranging so their paths meet in an unoccupied hallway within the bowels of the anthill. Having relinquished her hold on the virtual invisibility she had bid the Force enshroud her within whilst she had haunted the ship and those scurrying about within it, Katsumi approaches Haran without concealment.

The rains on Varonat where she had most recently been had washed away most of the filth from her tattered robes, though Katsumi, possessed of the thin and wiry build of a runner, still has, overall, the general appearance of a recently risen corpse about her as much due to her lack of concern for hygiene as to consciously cultivating an appearance that, with her skull-like mask, incites disquiet in her enemies; that it also causes discomfort in some of her allies as well is of little concern to her given that she is most often tasked with solitary missions and tasks.

"Brother, Katsumi greets Harnan when she nears him, her voice somewhat hoarse from disuse and lent a slight sibilant sound by her mask. Not asking about the briefing he had attended, as much because she is as well aware as all of her brothers and sisters of the vexation the Emperor's very existence inspires within Harnan for more reasons than one as to her disinterest in matters she considers peripheral to why she has come to join the force being assembled, Katsumi instead asks, Why is it you have sought me out?" Her tone is one, overall, of bemusement, for she and Harnan have interacted as little as she and her other brothers and sisters have given that the tasks she is given by the one they serve have not called for her to work with others, though it is by no means indicative of any reluctance on her part to speak with Harnan now even though she is not a particularly social creature by nature.

Sketching a salute to Nikukin as she departs to meet with Nicademus, Nicolina gives Kortos a nod in greeting that she repeats a moment later when another Imperial Knight, a Dressillian, comes over and starts to chat with Kortos, revealing that Nicademus intends to fight alongside his men during their current mission, which she supposes will be as inspiring as well as it is terrifying for those that are personally responsible for the Emperor's safety on the battlefield.

Under other circumstances Nicolina might ask about why Kortos wears a helmet, which is not a part of the whole Imperial Knight uniform and seems like more of a Knight of Ren thing, but as she doesn't know how Kortos might react to the question decides to keep her curiosity to herself. After the Dressillian talks about talking with a Knight of Ren despite the fact that one wouldn't, as Kortos said, expect the two to have much to do with one another under normal circumstances, Nicolina asks, So, what are their goals within the Empire then? Other than doing their part to expand and secure it, of course.

Katsumi nods with something akin to a brief chuckle when Harnan, as direct as her brief encounter with him when a pair of Imperial Knights had come to their Tower recently led her to imagine he would be even when not as vexed as he had been at that time, explains why it is that he has sought her out. "Battles are fought on many fronts, dear brother of mine, Katsumi, being as direct as she can be when she often falls prey to something akin to a manic flight of ideas on those rare occasions when she is required to converse with others, says, and then, her intent not to be didactic, explains in as brief and clear a way as her quirks in speech and personality allow her, While I have most often been tasked with assassinations or the gathering of intelligence, I am not without other skills our Master finds useful. You have heard of battle meditation, of course? I am skilled in the inverse of the technique," she says as though simply stating a fact without any traces of braggadocio, though her brother may sense the sadistic glee that courses through her as Katsumi thinks of the last time she had employed the technique, inciting delicious and invigorating levels of confusion, panic and terror in the minds of the defensive fleet that was utterly ravaged by the First Order over Rendili.

Having fought on the ground as well on Rendili, Katsumi evidences no sense of embarrassment as she admits to her brother, "I have also recently rediscovered a fondness for fighting outside of the shadows that almost rivals my fondness for striking from within them or never being seen at all by those our Master would set me against. Suspecting her answer has begun to approach the point of being too long and too much information, Katsumi waves a hand to gesture towards Harnan as she asks to learn whether or not his task might be one that could afford her a chance to play as she had played on Rendili, And what of you, dear brother? What is it our Master would have you do here?"

I will consider your suggestion on reviving the Victory Without War program. If there is one that the First Order represents, it is not only a great military culture, but it is a stable and thriving power. We have not sought the destruction of rebellious worlds or those we have conquered, but rather ensured that their economic worth is preserved and amplified.

Muunilinst was an exception as the city had been ravaged before his arrival and required a new look upon its surface. Though some of the old buildings of the Imperial Capital of Harnaidan still existed, there were monuments as a testament to Imperial ingenuity and technological prowess. Other worlds had been subjugated, their governments overthrown and new ones installed, but their benefits to the First Order were preserved for the future to come. It is by these methods of conquest that the First Order tapped into reserves and created a thriving nation.

Our economic power will make neighbors jealous but also make others desiring to join in. Clan Bralor was one of them. We share the planet of Agamar and have remained good allies. I have given them technology and necessities to rebuild and, in return, they have given us their services in times of battle. Even now, a battalion of their warriors have joined us to continue with the goodwill and relations between us.



The other who advised me on this matter has convinced me that perhaps a change in our policy will be necessary. We are a strong nation, but must not overextend nor over reach ourselves. We have much to offer to worlds that seek peace, stability, and prosperity.

Nicademus turns to look at Faina.

Remember how each world in the Deep Core complimented itself? We had the funds of Aargau, the cloning facilities of Khomm, the shipyards of Foerost, and the resources of Prakith... all were pooled together to stabilize the Deep Core Remnant and rebuild it. It had endured the trials of Falleen and the troublesome conflicts that I witnessed upon my arrival. Banded together, we represented a strong faction that became the foundations of the First Order.

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@faelan

At some point, Faelan Bralor was approached by an Imperial officer with a pair of Stormtroopers. They conveyed an invitation from the Emperor to join him on a Turbulent-class Star Destroyer he was presently surveying. A shuttle had been prepared for the Mandalorian to utilize and to be transported over to the other ship if he so took up on the invitation from the Emperor.