Disclaimer: Don't own any of it
Welcome to my second fic and has been on the planning stages for some time now; even longer than my other story. I will be using elements from the Star Wars Old EU or "legends" since I happen to enjoy that more than the new canon produced by Disney; so expect some familiar faces to show up if you are knowledgeable of that. I always welcome reviews and constructive criticisms so feel free to leave your comments; especially if you feel that I am not explaining things properly. Updates will not be as much as my other fic but will try to be as soon as possible. Also, many of you might be confused on the timeline of the fic and I ask you to be patient since things will be explained over the course of several chapters.
Weiss opened her eyes with her head on the pillow.
As she lay on her back staring up at the ceiling, light streamed through the cracks in the curtains which slightly illuminated the room.
Looking over at the generic clock that was on a small table next to the bed, Weiss saw that it was nearly time for her to get up; having a full day in front of her. As much as she wanted to just sleep a little more, the young woman knew that there would be more than enough time for that on the way home after business was concluded here. Moving the sheets off her body, she stood up dressed only in a pair of simple shorts with a white t-shirt; her usual sleepwear. Walking over to the small dresser only a few feet away, Weiss grabbed her blue robe and wrapped her form in it before going to pour herself some water; which a pitcher of it as well as a glass not too far away. After sipping down a few gulps, which was at room temperature, she yawned and stretched her body somewhat with a few pops coming from her bones. Moving her head around a few times and then went to the window; moving the drapes aside to take in the view.
Even after spending a few days here, Coruscant still amazed Weiss every time she looked around. Both her and the rest of her father's entourage had been given residence in an apartment building that was normally used for Imperial Senators; which offered a fantastic view of both the Imperial Senate, the Imperial Palace, and other landmarks unlike anything seen back on Remnant. The room she was staying in was quite large with its own bathroom as well as a closet; though the décor was something to be desired. The blue walls with matching carpet made it look so uniform almost like the Schnee mansion back home; which was why her personal spaces were always decorated personally to give some life to it. The bed was also pretty plain looking with grey sheets though Weiss did have to admit it was pretty comfortable compared to the bed she had been given aboard the ship coming here. There was a metal dresser across from the bed, a small table with two chairs, and a small desk next to the bed with a clock as well as a lamp.
Going over to the bathroom, she stepped inside and shed her clothing so that she could prepare herself for the day. The bathroom was more spacious than one expected with a toilet, a large sink, a tub as well as a shower; though the shower only allowed for one occupant and was surrounded by glass walls. Not feeling comfortable with the tub for some reason, though Weiss concluded that it was probably because of the plainness of it, she stepped into the shower stall and turned on the water; with it being warm right off the bat instead of starting off cold which even she couldn't even get at home. There was a small pouch in the stall that she had brought from home, containing soaps and lotions that she preferred instead of the generic stuff provided by her hosts, and she spent the next few minutes cleaning herself while enjoying the silence that was to be gone soon. After she was finished, she grabbed a large white towel on the rack next to the stall and wrapped her body in it while going back to the room to dress for the day.
Weiss had brought a large amount of outfits with her for the journey here; as commanded by her father. Going over to the closet, she grabbed a dark blue dress with a skirt that ran to her knees from the hanger and placed it on the bed while she put some undergarments; slipping the dress on when she was done. After grabbing another pouch containing her makeup, she went back to the bathroom to apply some on her face while doing her best to touch up the scar over her eye; though she could never really cover it up completely. Once she was done with that, Weiss grabbed her necklace and placed it around her neck as well as put on a few rings; given to her by her father some time ago. She then brushed her hair in front of the mirror and then placed it in a ponytail which was her normal style with a small bun at the top. The last thing she did was to put on some light blue heels and then placed her Myrtenaster at her hip which had lain next to the bed within grabbing distance. Even after all these years, Weiss still felt more comfortable with her weapon by her side at all times.
After touching herself up, the young woman opened the door and walked out of her room.
Weiss wasn't surprised to find her father already having guests at the apartment; with them eating breakfast at the table when she walked in. Her father, dressed in his usual white business suit, was with another older man dressed in a dark green military uniform that indicated that he was in the Imperial Military; pretty high in the hierarchy from the insignia on his chest. Weiss was still getting used to studying up on the aspects of the Imperial Military as well as all the ranks it had so she didn't recognize the man; concluding that it was just another VIP her father was trying to court in his attempt to expand the Schnee Company to the rest of the galaxy; though there seemed to be quite a few troops standing guard in the form of regular stormtroopers in their white armor. The man had lines on his Caucasian face with traces of grey at the edges of his face. She put the man at about the same age as her father and was rather fit looking; appearing to actually have served in the Military unlike the other Moffs she had seen before except for a few.
With Dust wholly unique to Remnant, this gave her family the chance to place itself firmly on the Galactic Stage given their influence with the occupying Imperial Authorities. Recently, her father had been placed in control of all Dust mining and processing on Remnant which had been backed by the authority of the Empire; not to mention the military equipment it also built. The Schnee were one of the first to submit to the Empire following the occupation and her father had skillfully maneuvered his way into their good graces. Realizing that the future of the Company lay in the Empire itself, Morgan made plans for his company as well as the rest of the Schnee family. As the heir to the family along with the company itself, Weiss was expected to continue what her father was creating here. It had taken months of political influencing to get to this point; both Weiss and her sister playing a part.
"Weiss; good to see you up. Come meet our guest," her father ordered as he noticed her along with the older man. Weiss nodded and put on her best face as she approached and curtsied out of respect.
"This is Moff Ardus Kaine; the man who is now in charge of our world along with many others. Moff Kaine, this is my daughter Weiss who I was speaking of earlier," presented Morgan Schnee as both men rose to meet the young woman. The Moff smiled in greeting with a slight military bow while taking Weiss's hand and kissing it.
"A pleasure to finally meet you; your father does not do you justice," the Moff said as all three took their seats at the table to continue eating. A servant, a young male, arrived to place a plate of food in front of the young woman.
"Thank you Moff Kaine; it is an honor to meet you," stated Weiss as she used her fork to pick up a piece of egg to put in her mouth.
The cuisine she had encountered on Coruscant was just as fancy as she had eaten back home; not to mention Beacon itself. It seemed that eggs were universal along with bacon and other types of pork; prepared in some sort of yellow sauce that tasted quite good though a bit tangy. Other types of food she had encountered, prepared by the staff in the apartment, were local delicacies derived from the many worlds of the Empire; some good but a few weird tasting ones as well. Out of all of them, Weiss seemed to prefer the ones that came from a planet called Corellia though the dishes from there always seemed a little wild; much like the people from there. With the meal was a type of orange juice though a bit sweeter; her father though was drinking tea that he had brought with him. The Moff was drinking the same thing and no doubt seemed to be enjoying it though Weiss couldn't be completely sure. As she ate, her father started speaking again and Weiss did her best to appear interested; though she was only partially.
Weiss had yet to see Moff Kaine before, him never appearing on any of the holo news outlets she sometimes watched on the journey here; she did however know the name. Like her father, the young woman studied every aspect of the Empire that now ruled her world as did her best to pick out the most influencial people. If her father was successful, then she would have to deal with these very same people once she took the reins of the Schnee Family so it was ideal to know as much as she could. She knew that Ardus Kaine was one of the more powerful Moffs in the Empire and rumored to be right up there with Grand Moff Tarkin himself; even expected to take his place if anything ever happened to the Grand Moff. Moff Kaine had many other lesser Moffs under his authority in what was described as the New Territories; an area of space Northward of the Galactic Core. Remnant lay on the edge of this area of space thus it wasn't a surprise to Weiss that it was now under the Moff's authority. If there was any person that Morgan Schnee wanted to suck up to in order to gain influence, it would be this man. The young woman knew her father's ambitions well which she could not escape; sadly resigned to her fate.
"Moff Kaine will be viewing the test today along with other elements of the Imperial Military; we leave for the test site after we have eaten," Morgan Schnee informed with pride in his voice; apparently quite happy with the circumstance. Originally, only a few Generals were expected to view the weapons that the Schnee were demonstrating today; thus there was a chance to really make the company's mark.
"I see; it is then an honor to have you with us Moff Kaine," Weiss told the older man with a smile; somewhat fake. In the last few years, the young woman had gotten used to speaking with Imperial Officials and knew how to play their game.
"Well I have to say that I am impressed with what I have seen in what you brought with you to the Imperial Center. I am most looking forward to seeing these Paladins in action and if everything goes well, your company will take its place as one of the many important weapon manufacturers in the Empire," stated the Moff with a genuine smile; actually being honest that he was impressed. While Grand Moff Tarkin focused more on his pet project of the Death Star, Kaine looked to expand his influence else ware.
When it came to weapons manufacturing in the Empire, namely warships and vehicles, everything was mostly centered in the Core. The few factories that lay in the Outer Rim were under the control of parent companies that lie in the Core Worlds; having fell under their power in the aftermath of the Clone Wars. It was by luck that the Yaga Minor Shipyards in the New Territories were independent of the Core and were able to produce Star Destroyers in various classes; even the Dreadnaught classes if need be. While that particular shipyard was under the authority of a lesser Moff, the man was loyal to Kaine and a trusted friend. Other than his personal command ship, many of the vessels that made up his direct forces had been produced here on the Rim and were crewed by soldiers recruited from the many worlds of the New Territories though still trained in the Core on Carida. He had also spent years seeding the vast territory with loyal subjects of the Emperor in an effort to create a strong loyalist stronghold in the Empire.
When it came to ground vehicles, he had to rely on leftovers from the CIS until Remnant came under his control; having been granted it by the Emperor himself. The military weapons built by the world were very different than the ones used by the Empire; thus they were of unique design and not under any Core World's influence. So far, Ardus had looked over what the Schnee were bringing to the table and liked what he saw; planning to use the family and their company to produce vehicles for his corner of the Empire. Though he was fiercely loyal to Emperor Palpatine and would never rise up against him, the Moff had rivals he had to contend with; namely Tarkin. The world showed great promise and if everything went according to his plans, then it would become a powerful tool under his authority; especially once the local population became fully part of the Empire itself. The world still needed a Moff and was still under the authority of the commander of the flotilla stationed there; which would need to change soon once the integration was complete. Since Morgan Schnee was already trying to jocky for the position, Moff Kaine seeing his ambitions right off the bat, the family would be elevated to a more important status.
"Then I am looking forward to proving to the Empire that the Schnee are ready to do their part in creating order in this galaxy, I assure you," stated the elder Schnee and the tone he used was a humbleness that Weiss knew that was not genuine at all. The young woman knew for a fact that the man was more concerned with his status than securing peace.
The man smiled in returned and it was everything for Weiss not to roll her eyes at the whole exchange; having enough sense not to. In the last four years, she had been forced to do the same thing to Imperial Military Officials on occasions when some high level party had been thrown in Atlas or a SDC function. Most of the people she dealt with from the occupying force were arrogant and stuck up, aside from a few officers, and she was forced to charm them most of the time when she had been acting as an agent for her father; especially when the SDC needed something. While the White Fang had been more or less neutralized, there were still times when her family's company had been harassed by the group not to mention the rare moment when a Grimm attack happened. Thus, her father had to make sure that there were was a stormtrooper presence at the mines and railways that transported dust to Atlas given that Remnant's various militaries had been disbanded or brought into the fold. Already, most of Atlas's troops now donned the Imperial Flag instead of the Kingdom with the other nations following suit. Even the hunters had to comply; which was causing problems under the radar.
After breakfast had been finished, the three left the apartment under full escort of the Moff's bodyguards; along with the Schnees as well. Given their importance, all the family members now had been given a bodyguard escort though Weiss insisted that she was able to protect herself given that she was a trained huntress. Outside was a military transport which took them to the testing facility only a few miles away. As they traveled, Weiss looked out the window a watched as they passed many skyscrapers that seemed to cover the planet along with other buildings; not being able to see any of the surface. If what she read was true, the planet of various levels and that the surface could not be viewed at all unless one traveled downwards. It amazed her that there was such a planet as Coruscant and she wondered if there was any other unusual planets in the galaxy; having only seen this one so far. They had come straight from Remnant so there wasn't a chance to see any other worlds; though she hoped to someday do so.
It was obvious they were approaching the testing facility given the armed military presence that was now below her; various turbo laser towers now in full view along with various patrols on the ground. There was even a tie escort that came alongside them and she could see a more in the distance that were either on patrol or doing other duties such as practice runs; judging by one of the tie variants that was not in general use that she could tell. It had a center ball cockpit like a regular tie fighter but instead of two straight wings, it had three with six viewable laser cannons; two per wing. Unlike the regular tie fighter that Weiss had seen fly over Remnant all the time, always in threes, this one looked a little less fragile and looked like it could hold its own in a fight. While there had not been any official news on the holos that Weiss had seen on the way here, she had overheard from the various officers talking that there was some sort of Rebellion going on behind the scenes. She wondered if her father had also heard that as well, maybe with his secret meetings, and that was the reason why he was pushing so hard; taking advantage of the situation for his own ends like he always did.
They landed without incident and there were a few familiar faces in the group of military officers that greeted them. While they had not been on Remnant in person, she had been at her father's side when he had talked to each of these men through the holo net back in Atlas. The Empire maintained a large military base within Atlas itself, taking over what used to be the Kingdom's military headquarters, so any official communications had to go through them. Weiss smiled and engaged in small talk, putting on the show she was supposed to do, while the group headed to one of the testing areas where things were ready for them. She did wonder if however if many of these officials got to their position through a backdoor deal or through actual combat. All while the walked; Weiss studied the environment around her and noted the constant reminders of the militarism the Empire displayed from the heavily armed guards to the art on the walls portraying various things. The lack of anything but kind of bothered the young woman, even Atlas's military had some green to it, and she did her best to ignore it given that the Empire was the new norm; something that was still a sticking point to some on Remnant.
After about ten more minutes, they were all seated overlooking a large open area protected by glass that was supposed to be weapon's proof. The ground below them was made of metal as well as everything else; which was understandable given the many weapons tests that probably went on here every day. The sky was visible and it was a clear day with the sun not yet directly overhead; though there was more than enough light to illuminate everything. The area they were in, which had plenty of seating, gave a view that one could see the entire testing ground; which was currently empty at the moment. It was long and rectangular with large doors opposite of one another though there were series of smaller entrances which were probably for maintenance or even emergency services. Overhead, there was the occasional tie fighter, probably on patrol, which was understandable since this test had to be classified pretty heavily. In fact, Remnant's existence was only known to a very few as well as the Dust that it held; understandable given the world's isolation.
"Gentleman; I want to thank all of you for coming to view this demonstration by the Schnee Dust Company of our Paladin-300. As you know, four years ago during the Battle of Beacon, this glorious Empire arrived and fought alongside brave individuals against those who wished to destroy the peace of our world. Since then, the SDC has been working tirelessly to find ways to contribute to our Emperor's New Order thus why we are here today," stated Morgan Schnee as he stood before the officials with a smile on his face. Weiss was at his side and her face was as neutral as she could muster; kind of wishing she was somewhere else.
Sitting back down, they watched as the massive mech strode onto the open ground; piloted by a tester who worked for the company itself. It looked similar to the 290 series except for a few changes only known by those who had seen the machine before. Coming out of the large double set of doors opposite of the mech was an Imperial Walker; an AT-PT piloted by an Imperial soldier. Weiss had mixed feelings on seeing the machine her company had built; remembering the rampage they caused during the Battle of Beacon and that they had hurt her friends. It slightly nauseated her that they were now using such dangerous weapons to pony up to the Empire and she had no doubt that more than a few of her classmates would disapprove greatly in that; forcing the teen to shove those thought aside. Weiss had spent the last four years burying the memories and emotions from her time at Beacon away to focus on her duties.
The two faced one another eerily and there was a silence in the arena until a loud klaxon sounded. The AT-PT let loose a series of green blasts from its single laser cannon and charged forward slowly while the Paladin jumped to the side rather quickly; dodging the fire easily. After letting the enemy machine fire a few more shots while easily dodging them, the Paladin raised its arms and fired its own cannons; the shells slamming into the durasteel armor rather spectacularly from the front. There was an explosion and the walker fell on its side with the pilot climbing out of the cockpit as fast as he could before it exploded. Weiss looked over and saw the impressed nods from the officials as well as their surprised looks. They had no doubt believed that the advanced armor and weapons of their walker was superior to whatever a planet like hers could throw at it. What they didn't realize was that Dust could do a variety of things that was alien to them; thus they had been caught off guard.
Two more walkers headed out from the same spot as the previous one; AT-STs and immediately started firing at the Paladin. The laser fire was a little faster and the mech had to make some quick moves though it got winged occasionally. Due to its dust enhanced armor though, it was ably to shake off the laser fire with minimal damage and it once again used its cannons to return fire; the walkers unable to dodge. Though the scout walkers had slightly better armor, they were unable to take the punishment and one of them crumpled over and smashed down on its right side. The other machine let loose some rockets and the Paladin ran forward at a fast pace; not only dodging the missiles but getting close to the AT-ST as well. Instead of firing its cannons again, it converted its right arm into a fist and punched the walker; leaving a large dent in the front of the machine and it falling on its back. The two pilots scrambled out of the top and ran to help their colleagues; who appeared to be injured. While there was a wait for the medical personnel to move to injured off the testing ground, Weiss could overhear her father and Moff Kaine discuss on how impressed everyone was.
When the arena was cleared of wreckage, the next phase of the testing began as old B1 battledroids entered the area and began firing at the mech; fifty of them in all and leftovers from the CIS. The small laser fire from their blasters had no effect on the Paladin and didn't even make the effort to dodge them; instead using its targeting lasers to ping each of the battledroids as they spanned out in a loose formation. Once all fifty droids were targeted by the many lasers used by the mech, it activated small anti-personnel blasters mounted on the forearms on the machine; firing short red energy fire in a semiautomatic fashion. Each shot found its mark exact and the droids began dropping like flies until there were none left. A second wave of fifty machines came at the mech again and the same thing happened; though the droids did their best to at least try and dodge this time. When the third wave appeared, the Paladin decided to switch gears and used its missile launchers on the top of the machine; firing many rockets at the swarm of droids. There were multiple explosions and pieces of scrap were spread all over the arena with small bits still on fire.
After that, the test was completed and her father beamed in pride as the Moff and the other military personnel offered him their praise. Weiss smiled also and just stood there as they talked about possible production lines and even probable idea of the SDC being able to expand their business to other parts of the galaxy; providing the Paladins to garrisons on other worlds. Given that the makeup of the mech was enhanced with dust, this meant that the SDC would be the sole manufacture and provider which would give it a pure monopoly on any future models constructed; which some were already on the drawing board. She knew that there were also plans to pull out the old models of SDC combat robots out of storage for possible use as well; given that they looked to be somewhat superior than the battledroids used here today. The young woman moved off to the side while her father talked with the men, sighing as she tried to wait patiently to head back to their apartment. There was a function tonight that they had been invited to, some sort of party involving the elite of the Empire, so she had to get ready.
She was so distracted by her thoughts; she missed the presence of Darth Vader staring at her from above.
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