Posted: 06-26-07 3:25 pm Post subject: Coruscant - Imperial City
Imperial City - the area of Imperial Centre which contains the Imperial Palace and most branch headquarters - was bustling with its usual flurry of activity. Ever since the event that claimed the lives of numerous GE political leaders nearly a year ago, the entire area had been completely locked down to unauthorized personnel. Outside the window of his air limo, Revan could see multiple military and Imperial Security Bureau checkpoints. The sight of Imperial efficiency operating to its maximum potential caused Revan to smile slightly. With a career history of being in the Navy, the Imperial Security Bureau, Imperial Intelligence, and Government, he'd certainly had the depth of experience most within the Empire would never truthfully know.
As the entourage of police and military vehicles escorting Revan's air limo entered a secure parking facility within the palace, he briefly adjusted the collar of his black uniform. Stepping from the vehicle, he was quickly joined by two red-robed royal guards. The next five minutes were spent working their way through a series of corridors on the administrative level of the palace. Eventually, they arrived outside the suite of offices dedicated to the Emperor and his staff. Emperor Nevus Lamar had...insisted...that Revan meet him in his office versus the throne room. Unsure as to if that meant anything significant, Revan was simply compliant.
The royal guards stayed behind as Revan approached the door. Four more guards guarded the office of the Galactic Sovereign and motioned for him to stop and present identification. Revan complied without question. "Very well Lord Centurion, His Majesty will see you." The reinforced doors slid open, revealing an expansive office and a rather spartan looking desk. Behind the desk was Nevus Lamar, a man that had started his career in the Empire much the same that Revan had. Revan stepped inside and bowed politely. "Your Majesty, you requested to see me?"
The Emperor smiled and nodded to Revan. "Executor Centurion, it's good to see that you've returned. We've been having some trouble recently with fallout from the disbandment of the Senate. Your return could not have come at a better time."
Revan was doing his best to appear emotionless. In truth, he'd received ample reports on Emperor Lamar's...lack of progress on certain fronts. Part of the curse of being a former Intelligence director...or perhaps benefit... Either way, contacts never seemed to dry up or go away once you made them. It helped that Revan was not without the ability to protect his informants when necessary. Truth was, Revan possessed certain information that would not exactly put the Emperor in a good light if it was made public. Yes, Revan had been in the unknown regions for an extended period of time. Fortunately, it was the last time he'd need to leave the Empire to further certain...practices. "I'll go ahead and be honest with you, Your Majesty. You have bigger problems than the simple possibility of open rebellion on certain worlds within the Empire..."
The Emperor feigned surprise, but he had a bad feeling that he knew what Revan was talking about. "Revan what are you talking about? This is a very serious issue!"
Revan couldn't suppress the smirk that spread across his face. "Oh I agree, Your Majesty. This is a very serious issue." Reaching into his pocket, Revan retrieved a small holodisk which contained a number of files and other information regarding the Emperor's personal affairs. Tossing it onto the Emperor's desk, Revan continued. "How long did you really think you would manage to cover up your activities within the military? You were responsible for the death of some of the Empire's most influential servants. You manipulated galactic events to your liking, ordered the slaughter of an entire race, disbanded the one voice of the people, and you're surprised that now you're having trouble? Emperor Lamar, you've completely and utterly failed to uphold the oaths you took when assuming the throne. What do you think will happen when all this information is released to the public...to the rest of Imperial High Command?"
It was obvious that Lamar was quickly trying to add everything up in his head. There had to be a way out of this...a way to salvage himself. Perhaps if the information had been presented by someone else...someone he could manipulate... Sighing slightly, the Emperor slumped in his chair. "What do you expect me to do about this, Revan? What's done is done."
Revan smiled and stated rather simply, "Tender your resignation immediately. Vincent is busy handling personal issues. He's not yet fully recovered from the wounds he received from the attack that you were behind." Revan didn't want to release the information, it would utterly destroy what little positive control the Galactic Empire maintain in the affairs of society. It was time to make changes, but with a man like Lamar at the helm, that would never happen.
"How convenient for you then...and if I refuse to go along with your plan?"
Revan leaned in and whispered quietly, "You know full well what the likely consequences of that would be...Nevus."
Nevus indeed knew all too well. He'd once considered the fact a comfort, but he never really thought that he'd have to contend with Revan's...methods. He quickly realized that he had no choice. "Fine, give me a day to draft my resignation."
Revan waved a dismissive hand before reaching into another pocket and removing a handful of documents. Sliding them across the desk towards the Emperor, he smirked slightly. "No...I've already had the necessary documents drawn up. You merely need to sign and give me your database access credentials. Everything else, has been taken care of."
Nevus grunted slightly and reluctantly signed the documents. After they were signed, he gave them back to Revan and handed over his access key. "So...what now? You really expect me to go and live the civilian life without so much as a word?"
Revan smiled somewhat innocently as he took the information and came to his feet. "Come now, Mr. Lamar. You thought that you would still be kept in the general populous? No, I'm afraid it would be rather criminal to simply let you go freely. True, any public mention of this would be damaging, but the Imperial Security Bureau has been making very private arrests since its inception." Before Nevus Lamar could even respond, four royal guards entered the office with their force pikes raised. Following closely behind them were two agents of the Imperial Security Bureau. True to their reputation, they wasted no time in restraining Nevus Lamar.
"Lord Centurion, where should we take the prisoner?"
"Take Mr. Lamar to the maximum security penal facility on Anaxes. Immediately."
The ISB-Captain in charge of the detail bowed respectfully and stated, "As you wish, Your Excellency." Revan nodded and motioned for them to leave...his office with Nevus Lamar. Settling into the high-backed chair in the office, Revan smirked to himself as he inserted the key card. Within a few moments, a multitude of access permissions were pulled up. Inside of ten minutes, he'd completely reconfigured access permissions for the...various...changes he planned to make. Pushing a button on his desk, he gave brief instructions to his new executive assistant. "Have Command General Johnson report to the palace, immediately.""As you wish, Lord Centurion."
Opening up a new message, he issued a directive to the Palace's public relations staff. There would have to be some sort of explanation for the sweeping changes which were about to ensue. When the message had been finished, Revan signed it as the Imperial Regent - a position he'd occupy for the time being. That completed, he simply waited for the arrival of General Johnson.
Johnson sat at his desk looking at his name plate “Command General Johnson”. He could hardly believe his eyes. It was his name…and this was his office, all of this was at time too much for him to believe. An undisciplined street rat had become the highest Military officer in the Imperial service. Laughing to him self and sitting back “Who would have thought it” he said to himself. One of the Executors last orders was to elevate hi to the rank he now held, which came to him by compete surprise but there was no time to stand in awe or have the lavish celebration that was customary for a promotion of such magnitude. The Empire was in trouble and he had to gather his forces to regain order. It did not help that seem to always get contradictory orders from the throne. Most of which made no since to him, But….He was a solider and soldier asks not. Suddenly the door opens.
Colonel Wright: Sir….
Command General Johnson: Yes Colonel….How doe that promotions sit with you?
Colonel Wright: (Smiling Briefly) Just fine….Sir….Thank you. Sir?....”He” has returned.
Command General Johnson: (Standing} When?!?...
Colonel Wright: A few hours ago. He was summoned to the throne and has requested that join him there.
Command General Johnson: (Adjusting his uniform)…Get may car.
Moments later Johnson approached the door. Strangely the Imperial guards that guarded the office of the Galactic Sovereign did not motioned for him to stop, But instead opened the reinforced doors. As they slid open, He could see that indeed the Executor had returned but where was Lamar?
Command General Johnson: ( Bowing) Sir…Command General Johnson…reporting as requested. Welcome back Sir..
Revan looked up from the desk as the General entered. Smiling slightly at the man that had served with Revan since his first days in the Empire, Revan motioned for the man to have a seat. "Thank you, General. First off, allow me to apologize for pulling you away from your duties so unexpectedly. I know directing all of the Empire's military efforts is by no means an easy job, trust me." Leaning back in his chair slightly, Revan looked over the General for a moment before continuing. "I've read the reports and word has certainly reached my ear of the great work you and your people have been doing during my absence. The dedication of Imperials will be an invaluable tool in the times to come, no doubt."
Reaching into one of the drawers of the desk, Revan retrieved a series of papers stamped with the seal of the throne. Sliding them across the desk towards Johnson, he began explaining what they were. "Promotion and transfer orders. Specifically for yourself and a handful of the people that have been working closely with you in recent times. You can expect a variety of award orders to be following within the next few days. Those, unfortunately, take a bit more time to process." Pausing for a moment, Revan considered the fact that all of this information was likely a bit overwhelming at the moment. "Look Johnson... The reason I'm sitting here behind this desk is because the Emperor has resigned his position. According to policy, a Regent fills the void until such time as the Council of Moffs selects a new Emperor. With Grand Vizier Lytear out battling medical concerns, I'm not interested in pushing a political nightmare like this on the rest of the government. However in order to make this work, I will need your help. I want you to keep doing the job that you've been doing...only as an Executor and member of the Throne. I need someone that I can trust, and you've never let me down."
Motioning to the papers that he'd just passed Johnson, Revan continued. "You'll see there that Commodore Cruento has been promoted to Admiral and given command of the Navy. Commander Park has been promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed as his assistant. Your XO, Brigadier General Kefka, has been promoted to General and given command of the Army to fill the vacancy necessitated by your own promotion. Lastly, Colonel Alros has been promoted to Major General and appointed as General Kefka's assistant. All of these men are more than deserving of the positions and ranks being bestowed upon them. If you see any reason why any of these men should not be appointed to any of the positions mentioned on these files, let me know right now. Otherwise, I will let you be the one to inform them and actually make the promotions." There would be time to tell Johnson in detail why he'd had to leave so suddenly for an extended period of time. However, right now there were much larger issues to be handled...addressed.
Shock and surprise ran through Johnson mind. And for a brief moment he was with out words. Recovering quickly he begins to respond.
Johnson: I….I really do not know what to say Sir. Neither my men nor I was expecting anything like this. We have only been trying to hold things together in your absence. I…I know I can say this on their behalf. Thank You Sir…Our Honor is to Serve. I and my men will endeavor not to fail you.
Looking at the orders Johnson can not help but a bright smile cross his face, but duty quickly comes to the forefront.
Johnson: Ok back to reality…I will draft the orders and send them out immediately. What are your orders?
Revan nodded rather simply to the newly appointed Executor, and he made a mental note to further explain the details of his absence to Johnson when the time was right. She said that it wouldn't be much longer... Standing from his seat, Revan clasped his hands behind his back and walked over to a large, reinforced window. Gazing out at one of the massive gardens of the palace, Revan stated rather simply. "Recall all military personnel from leave. I want you and Military High Command to start preparing our forces."
Turning to face the Executor once more, Revan continued. "There are no true deployment orders as of yet, but I don't want our military to be caught with their pants down when the time comes. Emperor Lamar neglected this office in more ways than you know. If the political unrest which is currently starting to bubble to the surface gets any worse, we could find ourselves in armed conflict. To what degree, I'm not particularly sure. Let's just hope we can salvage what need be salvaged. If there is nothing else Executor Johnson, you are dismissed." Revan could not help his gut feeling that something else loomed on the horizon. He'd spoken to this about Lytear. They wanted armed conflict...a state of war. It was time for the Empire to fulfill its potential. Still - he had one more instruction to issue to an old assistant. It was business he would handle as soon as the Executor had departed.
Revan waited for the newly-appointed Executor to depart before he reached for his communicator. A small smile came to his lips as he pressed the transmit button, connecting directly with one of the executive assistants outside his office. "Have General Dayton report to my office immediately. Coordinate his clearance inside the Palace protection zone with the Sovereign Protector.""As you wish, My Lord." Leaning back in his seat, Revan awaited the final meeting he would hold for the day. There was still much more to be done.
Deep within the confines of a heavily secured building, Major General Dayton stood in a room with various other Army officers, clipboards and other recording material abound. He was assisting with the training of personnel to the standards that had been developed by various Imperials over the past few years. It was ironic now that he stood where he was, as an Army officer. He was a former flyboy, a TIE pilot.
He lived, breathed, and ingested small unit command. It was a minaturised version of holochess, and it challenged him - both physically and mentally. The completion of another phase of training brought a smile to his face, although that was short lived.
An officer clad in the olive green of the Imperial Army spoke from behind Dayton. Turning about slowly, Dayton took in the rank insignia that was on the man's chest. "Yes Major?" With Dayton's response, he could see that the officer was slightly taken aback.
"Word from the Imperial Palace has come down. Lord Centurion has requested your presence in his office immediately. You've been given clearance inside the Palace Protection zone." The officer's information, as strange as it was, didn't bring a raised eyebrow. He had learned to not let his surprise show to those of a lesser station then he was. Nodding his head slightly, Dayton turned around gathering his trench coat from one of the tables at the back of the room. It was a matter of traversing up a series of 15 stairwells to get to the building's motor car section.
The brisk pace that he took, closer to a jog then a walk, covered the winding distance to the level the motor car depot for the building was located at. As he arrived, a Sergeant pointed towards a speeder that was waiting for him. A driver was already there and nodded his head once Dayton had sat himself in the passenger's seat.
The quick trip from the section of Imperial City they were in to the Palace took less then 10 minutes, and the coordination on their admittance inside the Palace Protection zone was flawless. Not even seconds after they had arrived at the palace and set down, a Royal Guardsman, in the flowing crimson red robes, met Dayton and instructed the army officer to follow him.
Doing as he was instructed by the Royal Guardsman, Dayton followed the brisk pace that the robed man had set. It was faster then the jogging pace that Dayton had taken back at the testing grounds, but it seemed that the crimson clad Imperial was just floating on air. Writing it off to the robes they wore, Dayton followed.
Arriving at an annex that was large and cavernous, Dayton gazed up slightly before the Guardsman opened a door into a waiting area. Entering, Dayton looked at the woman who sat at a desk and smiled. The woman, who seemed to be expecting him, pressed a button on her desk and the door into an office ahead of him opened. There, sitting at a desk was Revan. Dayton had served with him in various situations, and when the former ISB officer had ascended to the Throne of the Empire as the Executor, Dayton had worked with him as his military assistant. Walking forward, Dayton heard the doors close behind him.
Tilting his head respectfully towards Revan, Dayton smiled. "Lord Centurion, how may I be of service?"
Lieutenant General Coral Dayton
Imperial Special Operations Command
Revan nodded his head to the General and allowed a slight smirk to creep across his face. "Coral - damn good to see you again." Revan had worked far to extensively with the man to maintain much of a formal atmosphere when their meeting was decidedly more informal. "Please, take a seat." Revan motioned to one of the large leather chairs in front of his desk and leaned back slightly in his own chair. General Dayton had always been a highly competent individual. He'd caused more than his fair share of problems, but his success and dependability when it mattered easily washed away his sometimes abrasive attitude.
As Revan looked the man over, he reached into one of his desk drawers and retrieved a folder. The folder was sealed on all sides by red tape, stamped on top were the words: 'Eyes Only'. It wasn't much of a security clearance that existed, but that only served to make it all the more sensitive. After all, if it didn't exist - then it was extremely hard to attain the permissions to access material classified to that level. Sliding the folder across his desk, Revan immediately began explaining. "It's an executive order, authorizing the creation of a covert command reporting directly to myself. You'll be afforded assets from the Army and Navy. Additionally - our dear friends in white armor will be integrated into the command. That folder contains all of the security classifications, unit designations, procedures, some legal stuff, and of course...an agreement on your decidedly august budget. Last but not least - you'll find an unclassified document in the back which orders your promotion to Lieutenant General, effective immediately." Leaning forward slightly, Revan smirked. "So General, ready to be the tip of the spear once more?" Revan had plans for this new command...in time they would grow to be much more than what they appeared on paper...
Smiling, Dayton took the seat that Revan had indicated and sat down with a semi-restrained ease. He had worked with Revan so many times int he past, but he couldn't help but feel the need to restrain that which friendship with the man behind the desk afforded him. With interest, Dayton watched as his friend pulled out a folder, cream coloured folder secured with red tape before sliding it across the desk.
Reaching out with his left hand, Dayton grasped the folder by the edge and ran a single digit against one of the red-taped sides. Raising an eyebrow slightly, Dayton chuckled as Revan began to explain the folder. He had had heard of special operations commands being raised and decommissioned at various times in the Empire's history - but the last one that he could remember had ended badly. He had a large laundry list of honours to live up to, and he was sure as hell going to do that.
Nodding at various parts of the explanation, Dayton watched as Revan leaned forward slightly. The smirk on the man's face caused a brief smile to cross his face. "Tip of the spear? Hell, I'll be the whole damned spear and more if needed."
Lieutenant General Coral Dayton
Imperial Special Operations Command
Revan smiled and nodded in response to Dayton's enthusiastic comment. Revan had always known him to be a hard-charger, and Dayton definitely turned out results. There were certain people within the Empire that needed guidance, others that needed to be outright manipulated, and then there were those that were completely hands-off. Dayton had always been one of those people that didn't need someone micromanaging his every move. Past administrations had censored him or placed him in positions to due minimal 'damage' as it was. Such was the type of environment that Emperor Charon perpetuated. This Empire was a new Empire...it was Revan's Empire. It was time to remove General Dayton's leash and give him the full range of mobility that he needed to do what he did best...cause trouble. "I expected nothing less, General. If there is nothing else, you're dismissed."
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