Trachta sat quietly at the head of the table as the first of the Lieutenant Governors began to arrive within the garden office and shown to where Trachta was waiting for them at the meeting table. An arguement was heard, as Trachta had planned and predicted, between the Lieutenant Governors of Talus and Tralus. It seemed quite clear they were arguing over which world deserved to host the new ISB training academy that was already in the works. Talus had originally been chosen, but Trachta had switched it several times to set up some animosity between the two worlds. Trachta looked down at the meeting table that had been set up. It was a very basic circle so that everyone at the table could see one another, which sometimes made it easier for meetings to go faster, since everyone could be able to see anything that might be presented.
Trachta watched then as the last three arrived and made their way towards the conference table. Trachta looked at each of the figures approaching. One was the harsh and cold governor of Yag'dhul, Grinif Lukov. The man seemed to embody the harshness of the world he ruled for the Mechis Cluster. He was often called the Devil of Yag'dhul because of his tendency to use extremely lethal methods to keep the Givin population under control on that planet. Trachta though could care less what he did, just as long as he kept them under control at all was what mattered. The next man was a tall handsome, aristocratic looking man. That was Count Ilban Archib, the Lieutenant Governor of Kuat. Trachta hated the man immensely, but he used him because he was an Imperial officer who happened to be from a high Kuat family and therefore knew how the planet's politics ran. Trachta allowed him a lot of power mainly because he never planned on returning to Kuat. He hated that world and he did trust the Kuat. They were aristocratic, underhanded, and backstabbing. He would happily recruit ISB agents from that planet, but he wouldn't go back in person. He may be Kuat's Regent, but that didn't mean he had to be on the planet to rule it. Trachta looked at the last arrival, it was the disgustingly sycophantic 3D-4X. Trachta had made the droid Lieutenant Governor of Mechis III mainly because it knew how to run things on its own. He also knew he could leave it alone and return without being betrayed by it since that would be against its programming. If one thing Trachta did like, it was droids. He knew they could be trusted with almost anything since it was usually against their programming to be treacherous or underhanded, perhaps it also might be the fact that he could relate with droids slightly. His body was heavily mechanized simply to keep him alive. He also knew how droids saw the world since all he had to see now were red photoceptors filling his eye sockets instead of eyeballs.
"Welcome, please be seated so we can begin with this meeting as to making a new addition to the Mechis Cluster," Trachta said in a pleasant tone, though it was quite clearly an order.
The governors tooks their seats around the table, the lieutenant governors of Talus and Tralus were still glaring daggers at one another, though. Trachta look at each one once more before he pulled out a datachip and inserted it into the table. At the center of the table, a holoprojector appeared at the very center and then an image flashed to life above it. The world that appeared on it was a desolate sphere oddly appearing to be entirely covered by a massive array of domes. Trachta looked at the world quietly for a moment before he spoke.
"This, gentlemen, is the moon known as Telti. As most of you know, this world is one of the major droid manufacturing planets in the galaxy. Its only other major competion is that of Mechis III which we control. I plan on adding this world to the Mechis Cluster, giving us control of two of the largest droid manufacturing facilities in the entire galaxy. If we control this, the major droid corporations will have to pay us to use the factories their. This will increase the profits of the Mechis Cluster tremendously as well as provide us with something else."
"And what would that be, my most mechanically inclined Commodore?" Count Archib asked.
Trachta would have scowled at Archib is he still had the facial features to do so, but instead all he did was look at him. Trachta reminded himself that he could always kill Archib and replace him very easily, but that wasn't useful right now. Trachta needed Archib for his plans to take Telti, and liquidate the current administrator there. For now, he would let Archib get away with his snide remarks, but Trachta would have the last laugh in the end.
"We will have manufacturing facilities capable of producing huge armies of mechanized legions completely loyal to the Empire. We can even covert parts into munition factories to produce walkers to High Command's heart's content. With this world, we can makea war machine unlike any ever seen since the time of Palpatine. Absolutely loyal, absolutely fearless, and absolutely disposable."
"We already have disposable troops, that is what stormtroopers and clones are for," Hugo Juglar, the lieutenant governor of Talus, said as he looked at the world and then at Trachta.
"True, but we shouldn't treat stormtroopers as disposable, it lowers their moral. Clones, on the other hand, take time to grow. In the time it takes to produce a batch of clone soldiers, we can produce an entire army of droids. Numbers win wars, Governor Juglar. Besides, Theren Gevel rules the cloning facilities and uses them for his own little pet projects, we need to be independent of him. The Mechis Cluster needs a military force unmatched by any of the other protectorates. WE shall provide the Empire with more soldiers, as well as weaponry. We shall become one of the industrial hearts of the Empire."
"I don't think this will go well, if we employ too many different soldiers within the Empire," spoke up the lieutenant governor of Tralus, Karl Bulnovit.
"It is becoming necassary to use so many different types of troops, Governor Bulnovit. The New Order is expanding the Empire at a tremendous rate, so tremendous that we can't produce enough clones or normal stormtroopers that we eventually won't have enough to police all our worlds. Machines though, can be easily mass produced and programmed either for the same function, or as an invasion force that allows us to keep our manpower where it is needed until a world is required to be occupied by actual soldiers. It will down Imperial casualties during a ground war as well as free up large amounts of Imperial peronnel," Trachta said as he sat there looking around table.
"So, you want to make mechanical armies for the Empire so as to free up our living soldiers? You must be mad, I've never heard of such a blatant waste of resources," Count Archib said as he sat there.
"I could care less about your skepticism, since you are under my rule. Might I remind all of you this is a Protectorate now and I am its Governor? I've called all of you here to see what your opinions are, but that doesn't make this a squabbling democracy. We WILL take Telti for the Galactic Empire and the Mechis Cluster. All of you though are not required for the plan to take the world. All I really need are Governor Archib, 3D-4X, and Governor Lukov," Trachta said as he sat there.
"What do you possibly need me for?" Archib demanded, he clearly didn't enjoy being around Trachta all too much.
"Why, for your unique Kuat methods, of course. I've never met a more underhanded society of aristocrats in all my time. Kuat are also very creative in how they deal with their enemies. You will provide me with great insight as well as carry out a deed for me to ensure the Cluster's ownership of Telti."
Trachta watched as Archib's face started to turn a deep red as Trachta spoke of the people of Kuat, Archib's people. He was quite clearly insulted by what Trachta had said, which simply caused a smile to form in Trachta's mind. He had finally gotten under Archib's skin and there was nothing he could do about it except follow Trachta's orders. If he tried otherwise, he would be liquidated and he knew that all too well. Trachta had agents very close to each governor, in position to terminate them the minute it became necassary or was ordered.
"Now, to the plan......."