Makin
ISD V Bellerophon
Bridge
"Sir, we're being hailed."
Captain Troubridge nodded to the young Ensign, who promptly transferred the signal to the captain's station. A holo of an older gentleman, in an Imperial Captain's uniform, no less, appeared. "Captain Kilis, I presume?" Troubridge queried.
Captain Val Kilis had been a member of the old Emperor's military before the debacle at Endor. Troubridge had read his file; he'd been a decent commander. No discipline on his record. Several victories, few defeats. Not a stellar career, but not a terrible one, either. And loyal to a fault, at least until his home planet had been absorbed into the New Republic. Then he had retired and returned home, claiming he would not fight his own people. When the New Republic collapsed, though, and Makin had become a free planet, he'd taken up arms in service to the planet. It would be possible to turn him.
The holo nodded. “Captain Val Kilis. I presume you are not here to fight? Your Empire already took a beating at our hands. I would imagine you don’t want another.”
Troubridge chuckled slightly. This Kilis was bold, without doubt. “Rest assured your victory would not be so complete against me, Captain.” He paused. “But I am not here to fight, no. You have something we need.”
Kilis raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And that would be?”
Troubridge smiled. “Your loyalty, Captain, and that of your planet. The commander you recently defeated was acting contrary to orders. He was to parley with you, Captain to Captain; instead he attacked. He has been punished.”
Kilis threw his head back and laughed. “And why should I give my loyalty to your Empire now? I was loyal to the true Emperor. I even stayed loyal to the Imperial Remnant after his death. I fought alongside Grand Admiral Thrawn and Captain Paelleon. But this new monstrosity you have created is not the Empire. I cannot recognize it as such.
“I’m an old man, Captain. I have fought and bled in defense of my planet for many years now. I have nothing left to lose. No family to speak of. Just the lives of the people on that planet, lives that are lived freely and without fear of interference from any galactic government. Not the Empire, not the Confederation, not the Galactic Coalition. And that is all we want. To remain free.”
Captain Troubridge frowned. This was not something for which he was prepared. Everything in the dossier said that Kilis was a loyal Imperial at heart. To want freedom…who could want that? The Empire provided everything that was needed. The Empire provided security, protection, economy. Why would someone
not want those things?
“So,” Kilis continued, “tell me why I should give up my freedom to join your Empire. Tell me why I should betray my friends, my people, my planet to your forces. Tell me why I should convince my government to join you. Tell me of the blessings of this Empire. Go on. Regale me with stories of light taxes, stories of security and protection. I’ll tell you, these things are lies. They do not exist.”
Troubridge sat back in shock. This was not at all like the Kilis about whom he had read.
“Captain, I served in the old Empire. Even then it was not what was claimed. Security, yes; but also fear. Constant fear of saying the wrong word, of being in the wrong place. Fear that the stormtroopers would descend on our towns, on our homes, if we even deviated slightly, even accidentally, from the Empire’s purpose, from the Empire’s goals. If we hesitated, or defied orders, even with good reason. And your Empire is no better – likely worse. So why should we join you?”
Troubridge sputtered for a moment. This was talk never contemplated in the Empire, much less spoken openly. Kilis sat quietly, waiting.
“Perhaps,” Troubridge began, then stopped. What could he say to this? “Perhaps it would be best…”
Kilis raised an eyebrow. “What? Don’t tell me the Imperial Academy has stopped teaching its officers how to think. You’re not giving me much confidence, Captain.”
Troubridge thought quickly. “Captain Kilis, the Empire is prepared to offer you the following terms: You will receive a Captaincy in the Imperial Navy, effective immediately. You will be assigned to the defense of Makin, for as long as you desire, with a fleet under your command. Every man and woman who surrenders and swears an oath of loyalty to the Empire will be permitted to remain as free as they are now. Taxes will be deferred for one year, after which a planetary tax of one percent of the planet’s revenue will be due to the Empire in exchange for services. We will grant you most favored trading status within the SS Sector and Oversector Outer, with favored trading status with the rest of the Empire, keeping tariffs and trade taxes as low as possible. We will place additional defenses under your command as you see fit. The current planetary ruler will receive the title of Moff and will be responsible for setting Imperial policy on Makin.”
Kilis blinked a few times. “You have this in writing, Captain?”
Troubridge nodded. “Transmitting now.”
Kilis glanced down, then stared at his screen for some time. “I will transmit this along to the proper authorities,” he said finally. “We will consider your offer.”
Echtabahn
ISD V Tyrant
Bridge
Major General Wesley Vos smiled as he heard the holo chime. “Put that through, ensign,” he said.
Moments later, Captain Troubridge appeared. “Apologies, General,” he began, and Wes frowned.
“Captain, you are not inspiring hope in me at the moment,” the general said.
“Captain Kilis was not as expected, Sir,” Troubridge replied. “His sentiments have changed significantly since the file on him was written. I had to move directly to our third offer, as he negated the first two before I had a chance to speak. I fear he may reject that as well.”
Wes closed his eyes. Nothing about this mission was going as planned. “You transmitted the details to him?”
“Yes, General,” Troubridge said. “He asked for time to consult the Consul General.”
Wes nodded. “Very well. Captain, remain in orbit and wait for instructions. If they accept the offer, receive their surrender; otherwise, do nothing without first hearing from me. Understood?”
Troubridge nodded. “Yes, General.”
Wes cut the communication and punched in Colonel Selere’s frequency. Moments later, the large Colonel appeared and saluted. “General?” he asked.
“Colonel, I’m putting you on alert. You are in position?”
“Yes, Sir,” Selere said.
“Good,” Wes continued. “I want you ready to move at a moment’s notice. Acquire your targets and prepare to execute Plan Gamma.”
Selere nodded and saluted again. Wes cut the feed, then sat back in his chair, considering.
This better go right, he thought sourly.
Makin
Office of the Consul General
“You are sure this is a legitimate offer, Captain?”
Consul General Kandri Das, legitimately elected ruler of Makin, sat in her somewhat sparse office, surrounded by her top advisors. Before her was the holoimage of a man she trusted beyond all others. He’d been loyal to Makin for as long as she’d been alive; on top of that, he was (as few knew) her father.
“Yes, Consul General,” replied Captain Kilis. “It is a legitimate offer. The only question is how much of it the Empire will actually honor.”
Kandri glanced at her other advisors, who sat in a respectful silence, then back to Kilis. “What do you make of this Major General Vos?”
Kilis shook his head. “He is a man of honor, Consul General, as far as I can tell. He’s kept his word in every dealing he’s ever had. The concern is not with him so much as it is with his superiors. Some of them are vile in the most disgusting of ways, and I would not want to turn Makin over to them unless I were assured of their … non-involvement.”
Kandri raised an eyebrow. “I will take your advice into consideration, Captain. For now, remain on station. I will contact you with any further updates.” With that, she cut the feed.
“Preposterous!” This exclamation came from the expected source, an overgrown Twi’lek counsellor by the awful name of Ay Ynsynda. Kandri wasn’t sure how he kept getting elected; she suspected he was buying votes from influential electors, but she couldn’t be sure. Nevertheless, he was her principal opposition, and likely her replacement should she misstep here.
“You have some advice to give, Counsellor Ynsynda?” she asked calmly.
“We cannot ally with the Imperials, Consul General. With the Contegorian Confederation on our very doorstep, it would be suicide!” The Twi’lek’s green skin had reddened considerably; perhaps he didn’t like the room’s heat. With the amount of excess body fat he had, though, it shouldn’t be a wonder that he’d sweat in a room designed for normal beings. She smiled. It had been a stroke of political genius, she thought, adjusting the temperature upward simply for his discomfort. She’d figured out the secret a year ago; it was an excellent way to disrupt his political skills.
“Counsellor, we cannot afford to ignore the Empire, either,” Kandri replied. “They, too, are on our doorstep. What of our people’s security? Or, worse, what if we get caught in the middle of a war between the two? What if they appear to fight over our planet? You heard what that did to Valinor. The planet was savaged by Imperial and Confederation troops alike.”
Ynsynda sneered. “The Confederation would welcome us with open arms, Consul General. And the Empire would certainly make me a slave, along with many of our people. Or do you not know of their xenophobic policies towards aliens?”
The Consul General smiled. “Of course I have heard the rumors. Rumors encouraged and propagated by the Confederation. I have seen no direct evidence of any xenophobia within the Empire itself.”
“Only because they hide it!” Ynsynda exclaimed. “They cover it up! Consul General, you cannot seriously be considering this. Even if the plight of aliens does not concern you, what of the role of women in the Empire? Surely you cannot ignore that!”
“But Counsellor,” Kandri replied softly, “Bhindi Drayson is a woman. And if the offer transmitted by the Captain is correct, I would be named Moff. Does that not give the lie to the Confederation’s rumors?”
Ynsynda frowned. “It only reinforces them, in that both Drayson’s position and your own would be remarkable. The Confederation offers security as well; should we not instead seek solace in their arms?”
Kandri shook her head. “Counsellor, the Confederation may claim to offer freedom, but all it offers is a chain. They hide their vile nature behind a mask of serenity; they are like the Jedi in that way. You cannot trust a word they say. When the offer platitudes about freedom and liberty, in truth they are just as intrusive into our lives as the Empire would be. At least the Empire doesn’t lie about it.” She turned to the rest of the Counsellors. “And what have you to say on the matter?”
Makin
Consul General’s Chamber
Two hours later
The door slid open to admit the burly Imperial. Kandri bowed slightly to him. “So you received my message?” she asked.
“If I hadn’t, you might be dead instead of speaking with me,” replied Colonel Selere. “What do you require?”
Kandri smiled. “You, for one,” she said. “The commander of the SS Kommandos would make for quite a conquest.”
Selere eyed her appraisingly, and she could see the lust flower in his eyes. “That can be arranged,” he responded slowly. “Of course, you would have to be an Imperial first.”
“Yes,” Kandri replied, “about that. There is one Counsellor standing in the way. A Twi’lek, Ynsynda. He commands a large minority of the vote, enough to be a real danger to my position as Moff.”
“And you want him eliminated?”
“Of course not,” Kandri said. “That would be unwise. He has published numerous articles about the Imperial xenophobic genocides and experiments; his disappearance right before an alliance with the Empire would be suspicious at best.”
Selere started slightly at the mention of xenophobic experiments, Kandri noticed; perhaps there was more to that rumor than first appeared. Something to tease out later. Knowledge, after all, was power, and there was nothing Kandri enjoyed more than power.
“So,” Selere said slowly, “you need him discredited, then.”
Kandri nodded. “Yes. He will need to be undermined, and quickly. I imagine your General Vos will not wait long for an answer.”
Selere nodded. “We have a need for Makin, Consul General.”
“As I expected,” Kandri said. “So, Colonel, tell me how we are going to discredit Counsellor Ynsynda.”
Echtabahn
ISD V Tyrant
Bridge
The holo chimed, jolting Wes from his reverie. He glanced at the channel indicator, then flipped over to the secure line. “Colonel, you have a report for me?”
On the other end stood Selere, smiling triumphantly. “I just met with the Consul General of Makin, General. She is ready to surrender the planet to the Empire on one condition; the elimination of her rival, a Counsellor Ynsynda. Twi’lek, discredited by his species, but he commands respect on the planet.”
Wes nodded. “An accident, then?”
Selere shook his head. “No, Sir. The Counsul General informed me that he has published articles about the xenophobic experiments of the Empire.”
Wes’s eyebrows rose. “He knows about the Coruscant facilities? But those were shut down, weren’t they?”
Selere shrugged. “I assumed so as well. Once the Coalition spies got a look at them, they had to go. I’ve seen nothing more on the Imperial networks about them, and Red Squadron has gotten as far into the Imperial files as possible. They’re double-checking now, but I think he’s probably grasping at straws. Still, it makes for a very dangerous situation.”
“And a delicate one. What else did you have in mind, Colonel?”
“Well, I spoke with the Consul General at some length, and I had Red Squadron do some checking into his campaign contributions. It appears he has been well-funded by the criminal element of the planet.”
Wes chuckled. “Or at least so the records indicate now, right?”
Selere nodded. “Nyang made the entries, then erased them and covered them over so much that it would take some digging to find them. But we’ve already sent the results to the major news outlets on the planet, and to the Galactic Network News. Properly anonymously, of course. I’d estimate that by tomorrow, Ynsynda will be so mired in scandal that Makin should fall into our laps like a ripe fruit.”
Wes nodded. “Good work, Colonel. I’ll inform Captain Troubridge to hold position and prepare to receive Makin’s surrender.”
Makin
ISD V Bellerophon
Bridge
“Consul General, it is an honor to receive you on board my ship,” Captain Troubridge said while bowing deeply. It rankled him to bow to this woman, but as the newest Imperial Moff, he’d have to get used to it. Unnatural though it was, it was now the way of things, at least in this sector.
“Thank you, Captain,” the Consul General replied. “The honor is mine.”
Out of the corner of his eye, the captain caught sight of Colonel Selere quietly entering the bridge. The Kommando strode up behind the Consul General and nodded to Troubridge.
“Consul General,” the Colonel said, glancing towards her. Troubridge thought he caught a gleam in his eye as he did. Very interesting. “I assume it is accomplished?”
The Consul General nodded. “The reports have been all over the news, Colonel. A full investigation has been launched. Counsellor Ynsynda has vowed to fight the allegations, but he doesn’t stand a chance. I estimate he resigns in disgrace within the month. Either way, he’s already lost most of his backers, and my position is secure. He’ll be so busy fighting the allegations that, even if he wins, we’ll already be part of the Empire, and he’ll have to rebuild his base before he can even attempt any political maneuverings.”
The Colonel nodded. “Then we did our job well,” he said.
Smiling, the Consul General nodded. “That you did, Colonel. I will make note of it to the General when next I speak with him.”
Troubridge frowned. That sounded off for some reason. Odd.
“Much appreciated, Consul General,” Selere replied.
The Consul Generla turned back to Troubridge. “Shall we proceed, Captain?” When Troubridge nodded, she continued. “Under the terms offered by General Wesley Vos, as transmitted by Captain Henri Troubridge to Captain Val Kilis, the planet Makin formally surrenders to the Empire.”
The captain nodded, then replied, “And the Empire accepts your surrender under those same terms. And let me be the first to congratulate you, Moff Das. May you serve the Empire well.”
End.
