Fiction- Steeled Resolve
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2022 8:00 am
Dromund Kaas-Imperial Military Headquarters
Matching crimson imperial banners hung from the ceiling on either side of the desk of the Minister of War. Sylvain Torsin, sat at his desk reading over intercepted Republic reports on the damages inflicted by the armies of the Dread Masters. He swiped calmly through images of the devastation as he looked on with a mindful gaze at the holopad. Lightning strikes outside flashed and illuminated the room periodically through the window as he began formulating orders for troop requisitions near the affected systems.
There lingered within him a growing unease... Something beyond the threat of war with the Republic and the images now in front of him. He often sought its source in the late night recesses of his inner meditation chambers. Yet for whatever reason he remained unsatisfactorily ignorant.
The door to his office slid open as a black-skinned Zabrak with white tattoos approached the desk. He walked at a crisp pace before stopping at a perfectly measured distance in front of the Minister.
“What is it, Tyron?” Sylvain asked as he looked up from his holopad.
“We have received word that a military escort, The Dark Legion, traveling near the Hoth system has been destroyed.” Tyron responded.
“The entire escort… by who? There’s very little out there.”
“A group called the White Maw, a collection of renegades, is currently operating out of the Hoth system. They are fairly organized and well-equipped from our intel… It is possible that they are responsible.”
Sylvain bent an eyebrow, "Not the Republic?"
Tyron shook his head, "It appears that a civilian vessel controlled by the Republic was also destroyed recently... It appears to be a third party."
Tyron paused for a moment before continuing, “I thought you would like to know that Lord Baras has taken it upon himself to deal with the issue. He has sent our offices a requisition request for the use of the Empress' Spear and is preparing to travel to Hoth now as we speak.”
Sylvain raised his left hand to his chin and looked around the room as his mind wandered through its thought processes. After a moment his gaze returned to his loyal aide and he gave a gentle nod, “Thank you. If there is nothing else… you are dismissed.”
Tyron bowed deeply, turned, and promptly left the room.
Sylvain’s gaze once again shifted to the room around him, eyes not focusing on any object in particular. After several seconds his neck straightened slightly and the muscles in his neck held tight for a brief instant. He then slowly turned to a cabinet on the right side of his desk and slid the drawer open smoothly. He produced a small key, no larger than a fingernail, and popped open a hidden compartment within the drawer to withdraw a datachip.
Sylvain tapped a few keys on his desk which then produced a hologram projector in the center of his table. He inserted the datachip into the device and leaned back in his chair as an image of the Steel Valkyrie appeared in front of him.
In a clear and measured voice, the hologram began, “Addison, Arymis, this is the first of many things I must tell you. Unfortunately, you are yet too young to hear them...”
Sylvain let the recording run until its end. He let out a long breath as he looked one last time at the image as it stood frozen at the end of the recording. He leaned forward and turned the device off before leaning back in his chair again. A few moments passed in silence before he said aloud, “I thought you would like to see that. It’s the last thing we have from her…”
A woman clad in repurposed imperial armor stepped out from a pillar only several feet away from Sylvain. A pair of pistols in her hands remained readied at her side as she walked towards the minister. A cold silence hung in the air as the sound of her metal boots clinked ever so slightly with each step.
Sylvain cut the silence, “I knew eventually you would come… If you are here for Addison... you may take her with my leave." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I only require that you provide updates on her well-being and a means for me to communicate with you in case of emergencies.”
The woman stopped, her helmet affixed on Sylvain’s position, watching the man intently for any hint of subterfuge. “Why?” she asked in a modulated voice.
“She bears your name. She is the scion of your family… She deserves to know more of where she comes from. The Empire as it is now… is not to her liking. The mysticism inherit in the system grates on her. It is a far throw from that Empire which we just heard her mother speak of…”
Sylvain quietly withdrew a second datachip from the same hidden compartment and extended it out to his children’s grandmother. “Let her see what it is to be a Serasai. Let her develop the strength which is hers by birthright.”
As the woman reached to take the datachip from Sylvain’s hand he held it tightly for one moment and looked into the eyes of the armored helmet. “Take care of her… There is something coming. Something big… and unknown… I trust only you with her safety.”
He let go of the chip which contained a copy of his wife’s dying message to their children.
The Lady Serasai nodded and received the chip from Sylvain. She turned towards the window and opened it slightly, “Where?”
Sylvain replied calmly, “She’s at the estate. Tell her whatever you need to… Eventually, she will go with you.”
Sylvain turned his back on the woman and before anyone could notice, she was gone. Sylvain returned to his chair and sat quietly contemplating for several minutes. His thoughts turned to his daughter who he may not see again... He let out the slightest of sighs as he quietly collected the datachip from the device and pressed a button on his desk, “Tyron… Make sure Baras has whatever he needs."
"Yes sir." The voice replied.
"And Tyron... I need someone to collect Arymis and bring her to the hangar immediately… Prepare a generic transport. Scramble its travel log. I am taking my daughter on a trip…”
Matching crimson imperial banners hung from the ceiling on either side of the desk of the Minister of War. Sylvain Torsin, sat at his desk reading over intercepted Republic reports on the damages inflicted by the armies of the Dread Masters. He swiped calmly through images of the devastation as he looked on with a mindful gaze at the holopad. Lightning strikes outside flashed and illuminated the room periodically through the window as he began formulating orders for troop requisitions near the affected systems.
There lingered within him a growing unease... Something beyond the threat of war with the Republic and the images now in front of him. He often sought its source in the late night recesses of his inner meditation chambers. Yet for whatever reason he remained unsatisfactorily ignorant.
The door to his office slid open as a black-skinned Zabrak with white tattoos approached the desk. He walked at a crisp pace before stopping at a perfectly measured distance in front of the Minister.
“What is it, Tyron?” Sylvain asked as he looked up from his holopad.
“We have received word that a military escort, The Dark Legion, traveling near the Hoth system has been destroyed.” Tyron responded.
“The entire escort… by who? There’s very little out there.”
“A group called the White Maw, a collection of renegades, is currently operating out of the Hoth system. They are fairly organized and well-equipped from our intel… It is possible that they are responsible.”
Sylvain bent an eyebrow, "Not the Republic?"
Tyron shook his head, "It appears that a civilian vessel controlled by the Republic was also destroyed recently... It appears to be a third party."
Tyron paused for a moment before continuing, “I thought you would like to know that Lord Baras has taken it upon himself to deal with the issue. He has sent our offices a requisition request for the use of the Empress' Spear and is preparing to travel to Hoth now as we speak.”
Sylvain raised his left hand to his chin and looked around the room as his mind wandered through its thought processes. After a moment his gaze returned to his loyal aide and he gave a gentle nod, “Thank you. If there is nothing else… you are dismissed.”
Tyron bowed deeply, turned, and promptly left the room.
Sylvain’s gaze once again shifted to the room around him, eyes not focusing on any object in particular. After several seconds his neck straightened slightly and the muscles in his neck held tight for a brief instant. He then slowly turned to a cabinet on the right side of his desk and slid the drawer open smoothly. He produced a small key, no larger than a fingernail, and popped open a hidden compartment within the drawer to withdraw a datachip.
Sylvain tapped a few keys on his desk which then produced a hologram projector in the center of his table. He inserted the datachip into the device and leaned back in his chair as an image of the Steel Valkyrie appeared in front of him.
In a clear and measured voice, the hologram began, “Addison, Arymis, this is the first of many things I must tell you. Unfortunately, you are yet too young to hear them...”
Sylvain let the recording run until its end. He let out a long breath as he looked one last time at the image as it stood frozen at the end of the recording. He leaned forward and turned the device off before leaning back in his chair again. A few moments passed in silence before he said aloud, “I thought you would like to see that. It’s the last thing we have from her…”
A woman clad in repurposed imperial armor stepped out from a pillar only several feet away from Sylvain. A pair of pistols in her hands remained readied at her side as she walked towards the minister. A cold silence hung in the air as the sound of her metal boots clinked ever so slightly with each step.
Sylvain cut the silence, “I knew eventually you would come… If you are here for Addison... you may take her with my leave." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I only require that you provide updates on her well-being and a means for me to communicate with you in case of emergencies.”
The woman stopped, her helmet affixed on Sylvain’s position, watching the man intently for any hint of subterfuge. “Why?” she asked in a modulated voice.
“She bears your name. She is the scion of your family… She deserves to know more of where she comes from. The Empire as it is now… is not to her liking. The mysticism inherit in the system grates on her. It is a far throw from that Empire which we just heard her mother speak of…”
Sylvain quietly withdrew a second datachip from the same hidden compartment and extended it out to his children’s grandmother. “Let her see what it is to be a Serasai. Let her develop the strength which is hers by birthright.”
As the woman reached to take the datachip from Sylvain’s hand he held it tightly for one moment and looked into the eyes of the armored helmet. “Take care of her… There is something coming. Something big… and unknown… I trust only you with her safety.”
He let go of the chip which contained a copy of his wife’s dying message to their children.
The Lady Serasai nodded and received the chip from Sylvain. She turned towards the window and opened it slightly, “Where?”
Sylvain replied calmly, “She’s at the estate. Tell her whatever you need to… Eventually, she will go with you.”
Sylvain turned his back on the woman and before anyone could notice, she was gone. Sylvain returned to his chair and sat quietly contemplating for several minutes. His thoughts turned to his daughter who he may not see again... He let out the slightest of sighs as he quietly collected the datachip from the device and pressed a button on his desk, “Tyron… Make sure Baras has whatever he needs."
"Yes sir." The voice replied.
"And Tyron... I need someone to collect Arymis and bring her to the hangar immediately… Prepare a generic transport. Scramble its travel log. I am taking my daughter on a trip…”