Open Raxus Overtures

[Victor Narek]

Location: Raxus, Imperial Palace Reception Rooms​

Since the signing of the 'Cantonica Concordat' unrest across Imperial Space had been on the rise. On his own planet, Bastion, Moff Narek took firm action to restore order and remind the locals of the importance of adhering to law and order. However, across the Empire, the same could only sometimes be said. Narek had no intention of shaming those who failed to maintain control - that was the Grand Moffs' job - but he had every intention of reminding the broader galaxy that the Empire was a galactic superpower, one it was firmly within your interests to do business with.

And so he had pulled a few strings and managed to pull together a meeting - a diplomatic outreach session, where Senators, leaders and industrialists from across the Galaxy would be welcomed to Raxus to discuss exactly that - progress.

The reception room of the Imperial Palace was the ideal location to hold the event. A dark room with somewhat moody lighting, it was a rectangular venue with artwork depicting the life of the late Emperor dotting the walls in vast floor-to-ceiling displays. There were no windows, the room deep within the Palace itself, to 'guarantee' more security. Moff Narek had arrived early as the host, dressed in his usual uniform, his peaked kepi firmly in place. Around the room's perimeter, a dozen black-uniformed Imperial Security Troopers closely watched. A handful of protocol droids were tapping around with drinks trays held firmly in their hands.

"I don't partake." he dismissed one of the droids before it rapidly tapped its merry way off. "Usual scans, no weapons, and they'll all be moved down to the Palace by Imperial Shuttle, Sir." Moff Narek nodded as his aide spoke, running through the security protocols for the day. Foreign guests would be welcome to arrive into the system in their ships but would need to be conveyed down to the planet by an Imperial Shuttle. They would be scanned, searched, and then admitted to the Palace. It was a tough procedure, but as the Moff had reminded one of his colleagues this morning - this was an Empire, not a holiday resort.

He waited for the first diplomat to arrive.

OOC - Open to diplomatic characters, industrialists, etc. I will close this thread once we hit five other people. Imperial Players, please could I ask that we try and balance this thread between Imperials & Non-Imperials, as the focus is on diplomacy with those outside of Imperial Space.

 

[Eryen Æquitas]

The Remnant exited hyperspace above hyperspace with Ælfred at its helm with Eryen standing behind him dressed in her Sergeant's Uniform to not only convey where her Allegiance laid, but also to let those of the other side identify her resolve and strength. Opening a comm to the ISB below and transmitting transponder ID codes, Ælfred spoke.

"Imperial Palace, this is Remnant." His tone was crude and grizzled, but held a certain militaristic undertone that carried discipline and bluntness. "Senator Eryen Æquitas reporting in."

Remaining Stationary, they would stand by as the Imperial Security Bureau conducted the necessary measures put into place and weapons would remain on board during their shore leave to the Palace below. His gaze shifted to his ward behind him. "Are you sure this is necessary? Could be a ploy."

Eryen smiled at his cautiousness. Her world was one of dire importance to the Empire. But on the opposite side of the same token, she was and would always be a Soldier of the Empire. If there was a chance for peace and prosperity, she was bound by her honor to ensure its survival. And if it did turn out to be a ploy, well, she was a weapon of defense with mere hands alone. With a nod, she spoke. "For Garqi, it is always necessary."

@Nor'baal

 

[Jhaa Fott]

Jhaa's YT1000 freighter was a dull gray, with no Imperial markings, disguised as a commercial vessel, floated effortlessly amongst the traffic within Imperial Space. As the ISB officer assigned to this sector and general intelligence operations throughout the Empire, she unluckily drew the assignment of screening vessels before they were permitted to enter the planet's surface. She hesitated to entrust the task to the more junior cadets, worried they would permit a vessel threatening the new Moff.

Jhaa ensured that all the transponder codes transmitted by ships were received and processed at the ground station. Before leaving to take her position just above the planet's stratosphere, she instructed the ground crew to forward all the requests to her, including all the communication traffic.

Hearing the comm traffic through the onboard system of the ship, "Imperial Palace, this Remnant, Senator Eryen Æquitas reporting in," Jhaa's eyes looked down at the data pad held in her hand that contained the transponder codes of all incoming ships representing various delegations, she looked for the one that matched the name mentioned.

Having found what she was looking for on the pad, she then twisted the knob that was closest to her, flicking through various pages on display situated in the cockpit; she found the transponders codes that matched. Satisfied that there were no irregularities, Jhaa was about to permit the ship to dock with the Imperial shuttle that would ferry them down, but a thought pierced through her mind, "The dissidents causing the unrest may have duplicated the code."

Disturbed by this thought, Jhaa knew the only way to be sure that the code had not been duplicated was to board each ship and verify each passenger's identity; she flicked the switch on the comm system to transmit to Remnant, "Remnant, cut your engines, prepare to be boarded for ISB inspection."

@Mythos

 

[Eryen Æquitas]

Eryen glanced at Ælfred and nodded. As the engines cut, Eryen was quick to pivot on her heels and make her way toward the shuttle's port. Sporting her Sergeant's Dress Blues, crisp, clean, and spotless to the point that not even a speck of dust laid upon them.

"Affirmative." Ælfred replied across the comm as he cut the engines and set the ship in a stationary orbit, before he too rose to present himself for the inspection. As a Garqi Militant, the agriworld's equivalent to a security force; assigned to Senator Æquitas, he had grown accustomed to the barrage of Inspections that it entailed. "Let's just hope they don't search the Boudoir, Lady Eryen."

She chuckled at his jest, adjusting her dress blues to a more snug fit. "Only if their interested in my choice of lounge wear or what toys I have laying around." She responded as the docking ring connected and her gaze grew stern and emotionless when the hiss of pressure flew into the docking tube. It was time to welcome the guests, not just as a Senator, but as a Marine.

@Nor'baal

 

[Jhaa Fott]

Jhaa patiently waited for the mist to clear, and as it gradually disappeared into the soft hum of the air recyclers, she stepped forward, each step making a loud clanking sound with her metal boots. She finally came to a stop before the entrance of the airlock. Her eyes caught sight of a feminine figure dressed in the all too familiar dress blues; Jhaa had one similar to the figure, but the way it was worn with grace and beauty.

The beauty of the figure before Jhaa was beyond anything she had ever seen before, even in comparison to the scantily dressed Twi'Leks kept by the Grand Moff Delian Mors on Ryloth. Jhaa was impressed and picked her jaw off the floor before proceeding to the shuttle to begin the inspection process.

As she walked by the senator, Jhaa smirked mischievously while tapping the cuffs in her pouch, quipping, "I'm sure that figure of yours has gotten you into a lot of trouble."


@Mythos

 

[Eryen Æquitas]

Eryen chuckled coyfully at the woman before her as she offered her to follow or lead her through her shuttle, stepping backwards out of the entry way. "Quite a bit." She spoke, her tone almost as coyful as her previous chuckle, albeit a tad more playful. "But not nearly as much as it's kept me out of it."

Ælfred, the Militant that he was, could be heard grunting at Eryen's words before forcing a cough forward to break the moment. "Mi'lady. Best not tally too long. We're expected below." He spoke after the forced cough. It was more of hint at professionalism than anything, but Ælfred also knew how Eryen preferred to fratenize. It would end up being days before they reached the surface.

"Yes Ælfred. We best get it to then." Eryen spoke through her smile. "Feel free to search where you wish, ma'am. I'm an open book." She was to sure to offer up before motioning the ISB Agent the run of the ship.

@Nor'baal

 

[Jhaa Fott]

Jhaa chuckled softly at the senator's comment. "Thank you. You are so kind. I hope we don't find any contraband," she replied.

Jhaa knew that smugglers usually hid their contraband either under the deck plating or in plain sight. Since the senator's vessel was small, there were no obvious hiding places. However, her real intention was to find out if there was any potential danger to the Grand Moff waiting on the planet's surface. As the Empire was still at a critical juncture in its history, with peace with the Hutts being tenuous at best, the question of its survival was constantly on everyone's minds, including those in the upper echelons.

During their conversation, Jhaa was able to run a more detailed check on the whereabouts of the Remnant and the passengers it carried. She listened to the report coming through her earpiece, which revealed that they could not determine the last couple of trips.

Jhaa's eyebrow raised as she heard the information. She stood motionless for a moment, scanning the room for any objects that might explain there whereabouts however, she couldn't find anything that could explain where they had been. Therefore, she decided that she would have to detain the senator for further questioning unless she could provide a plausible explanation.

With the ISD Star Destroyer close, Jhaa quickly pulled out her comlink and requested the bridge to escort TIE Fighters to the Remnant if the senator tried to run. After making the call, Jhaa turned to the senator and asked bluntly, "Ma'am, we couldn't trace your latest whereabouts. What is the explanation?"

@Mythos

 

[Eryen Æquitas]

"To be truthful, I'm unsure as to the cause myself, I assure you." Eryen spoke, shifting her gaze of confusion to Ælfred before returning it to that of the ISB Agent. "The Nav-Com is this way. You're welcome to look for yourself and even take a copy if you wish." Eryen motioned for her to follow.

In truth, Eryen had only recently left Garqi, and her duties there, behind. It's Governor had requested her presence at this meeting, which led her to the current confusion. Before that, her only other trips were logged across Garqi from her place of residence to the Governor's Mansion and to the Parliament Building. She rarely left her duties unattended. And she was never without Ælfred by her side. Stepping into the cockpit, she presented the Nav-Com.

"Here it is." She spoke, lifting her hand in its direction, but standing a few feet away as she offered it up as evidence. "This is my first time off of Garqi in quite some time. Duty before honor, always."

 

[Jhaa Fott]

Jhaa's brows furrowed with scepticism, thinking about each word; she had heard the same story when interrogating a group of bounty hunters. One true thing was that Lady Eryen was an Imperial Senator, meaning they were to be regarded with the highest respect for their positions; it did not mean the military or the ISB trusted them.

The words "Duty before honour" rang through Jhaa's head, remembering the words coming from her parents just before she went off to the academy. They taught her to trust those words without impunity. Her better sense of judgement kicked in from experiences to not rely so mindlessly. Appreciating the openness of the senator, she relented. "Ma'am, I am going to ask that you transmit the contents of the Navi-Computer to the ground station; a technician will review it; at this time, I am not going to detain you, but if there are any signs of tampering or falsification, a warrant for you to be detained will be issued. You are free to make your way to the surface."

@Mythos