Crusader Class Corvette, Ascension
Coruscant, 2 BBY
The Ascension dropped out of hyperspace and entered the Coruscant system. It became instantly obvious they had reached the heart of the Galactic Empire, where hundreds of ships in the system all waited for permission to land on the planet itself
"Coruscant Control, this is Imperial vessel Ascension transporting a VIP. Request permission to land" The Ascensions Commander hailed.
"Vessel Ascension, we have you on our screens and you have permission to land. Sending landing coordinates to you now." The traffic controller reported back promptly.
The light cruiser made its way to the planet, passing the waiting ships and the massive Star Destroyers in orbit as it broke through to the atmosphere.
Most ships had to spend hours waiting for permission before they could land on the planet, even other Imperial vessels.
'I guess rank has its privileges.' The VIP thought to himself as he stood at the head of the bridge and stared out the viewport.
Coruscant, a planet wide city,truly was one of the wonders of the galaxy and was made the Imperial Capital for a reason. Every being from every corner of the galaxy wanted to be there... even if some of them weren't welcome.
A common saying was 'If you're not from here, you wish you were.' There were more people on this planet then there were in some entire sectors of space. There was also more wealth here than some entire sectors. Yes, this truly was the place to be if you wanted to make something of your life.
'God, I hate this planet.' He thought to himself bitterly.
"Admiral,we've landed." The ship's Commander reported.
Sighing to himself and clearing his mind, he put on the impassive and detached mask that he wore so often when around his 'fellow' Imperials.
"Thank you, Commander Needa." He replied as he left the bridge, the captain and the bridge staff saluting him as he left. He walked through the corridors of the ship, various people instinctively moving aside and out his path as they snapped to attention like they were trained to do.
Making his way outside of the ship and down the ramp, he saw that a squad of stormtroopers had formed an honour guard, as was the protocol when all high-ranking officers arrived.
He headed over to where an airspeeder and another detachment of stormtroopers were waiting. They all snapped to attention before the officer in charge spoke.
"Admiral, I'm Lieutenant Lyste. I'm here to escort you to the Imperial Palace."
The Admiral looked the young Lieutenant over, silently scrutinising him. The Lieutenant became slightly unnerved as the silence dragged on before the Admiral nodded his head in what might have been tacit Lieutenant couldn't tell.
"Very well Lieutenant Lyste, lead the way."
The largest building on the planet, the Imperial Palace dominated the Coruscant five spires that rose from the building were iconic the galaxy over, with the tallest spire in the centre being the residence of the Emperor himself. It was once known as the Jedi Temple, an organisation dedicated to peace and justice, but that changed after its new 'occupant' moved in.
As the Admiral walked down the corridors, he noticed how every person seemed to stare at him from the corner of their eyes. The Admiral didn't blame them, after all it was rather rare to see an officer of his stature in the flesh.
The Admiral passed through checkpoint after checkpoint until he finally reached his destination. Standing guard outside of one enormous door were two royal guardsmen, their bright red uniform and their force pikes distinguishing them as the elite.
One of the guardsmen held out their hand in a silent request. The Admiral unclipped a code cylinder from his chest and handed it over to the guardsman who verified it was legitimate before handing it back.
Taking one more breath and clearing his mind,he entered the room. The conversation instantly stopped as the assembled group of people turned to look at the newcomer.
"Ah, Grand Admiral Emrys. Thank you for joining us. Please have a seat." The cultured and clipped voice of Grand Moff Tarkin echoed from where he sat at the centre of a large circular table currently displaying a hologram.
As the Admiral walked to his seat, his fellow Grand Admirals eyed him in silence as they watched him take the empty spot right next to the Grand Moff.
Technically speaking, all of the Grand Admirals were equal in rank, however the same couldn't be said for status. Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin was perhaps the third most powerful person in the empire, as he had the confidence and support of both Emperor Palpatine himself and the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces, Lord Vader.
When the Admiral took the seat next to Tarkin, it showed everyone else present the strength of his position within the Empire's hierarchy.
"We were just discussing the progress report of Director Krennic's project, Stardust." The sneering tone in Tarkin's voice wasn't missed by anyone. The rivalry and animosity between the two was no secret and seemed to only get worse as time went on.
The report went on and as usual the project was over budget, overdue, and still wasn't nearly an hour the report and discussion went on during which the Admiral known as Emrys took the time to refamiliarize himself with his fellow Admirals.
Grand Admirals Grunger, Tigellinus and Teshik were former fleet Admirals with years of experience, while Zaarin and Batch were known more for the cutting-edge technological research they conducted, and Admirals Declann, Grant, Makati, and Syn were just regular flag officers who seemed to have hit the jackpot with their promotions, leaving Admirals II-Raz and Pitta who were simple New Order fanatics with little or no experience in the military.
There was another officer at the far end that just had to be a new addition because Emrys had never seen him before. Despite the fact that he had been in the Outer-rim for the past eight months, he knew he definitely would have remembered him if they had met, mostly because the man was blue.
Eventually the report and discussion came to an end.
"Let's table Stardust's issues for another time. Admiral Emrys,could you please update us on the progress of your operations in the Outer-rim." Tarkin asked the Admiral at his side.
"Certainly." Standing up, Emrys handed a data card to an attendant who inserted it into the hologram projector. The hologramdisplayed a map of the outer-rim as Emrys stood up and began outlying his progress.
'Interesting,' was his first thought upon seeing Grand Admiral Emrys.
Newly promoted Grand Admiral Thrawn watched his fellow officer deliver his progress report with a calculating gaze. He had heard of Harrison Emrys before he was promoted to Grand Admiral but had never met him in person. Apparently, the officer spent most of his time in the Outer-rim and beyond, distancing himself from the Imperial court politics and the limelight that dominated the lives of his fellow Admirals. Thrawn began to recall in his mind the official record of the officer after he accessed them when he himself was promoted to Grand Admiral.
Count Harrison Emrys.
Born into a wealthy noble family based in the Outer-rim. Orphaned as an infant, raised by a maternal aunt.
Enrolled at the University of Alderaan age 17. Graduating with degrees in Engineering and Applied Science age 23.
Enrolled at the Imperial Engineers Academy, graduating as a Lieutenant age 25.
Secondment to Imperial Department of Military Research - - Records Redacted.
Re-emerged five years later at rank of Captain with the Imperial Medal of Honour- -Details Classified- -age 30. Served with distinction under Admiral Miltin Takel during pacification and anti-piracy campaigns in Outer-rim. Promoted to Commodore and assigned to Grand Moff Tarkins Outer-rim fleet - - Records Redacted- -age 33. Promoted to Admiral by Grand Moff Tarkin after dismantling terrorist group Nebula Front - -Details Classified- - and assigned command of Scourge Squadron age 35. Promoted to Grand Admiral by Emperor Palpatine after lifting the siege of Trasemene.
Current position Master of Imperial Projects. Current assignment: overseer and leader on Project Janus - - Details Classified by EMPSHEPAL.
Thrawn had tried to access more of Emrys records but everything else was either redacted by the ISB or was deemed classified by the Emperor himself.
Thrawn continued to watch the Admiral deliver his presentation, silently observing the way he conducted himself. He stood with one hand behind his back as he used the other to indicate various sections on the hologram. He clearly knew hand-to-hand combat by the way he kept his body balanced and always remained aware of his centre of gravity. The way he scanned the room when he entered told Thrawn that he was searching for potential threats and possible exits. He did it so familiarly that Thrawn suspected he did it in every room he entered.
The way he spoke was with an assured confidence, not too loud but not too quiet. Unlike some of the other officers he had met, he didn't boast about his achievements or inflate the parts he played, he simply stated what tasks he had completed like they were simple facts on a record before he moved on.
As the presentation continued, Thrawn became all the more intrigued by his fellow Admiral. He had the sharp cheekbones that showed his noble birth along with an upper-class accent that indicated a classical and educated upbringing, pitch black hair with small streaks of silver running through it,and deep emerald eyes with small crow's feet around them suggesting his age. One of the few things that peaked Thrawn's interest was an odd ring Emrys wore on his right hand. While some of his other Admirals liked to wear ostentatious and gaudy jewellery to show off their wealth and power, he didn't think Emry's was that type.
'So, it must be important to him,' he surmised. The ring wasn't flashy or anything that screamed 'look at it'; it was a simple silver band with what looked like a smoky blackstone with a strange symbol on it. It didn't look like much but it seemed to capture the light despite the room being largely blacked out except for the hologram.
The other thing that caught his interest was the scar on his forehead in the shape of a lightning bolt. His fringe of hair concealed it most of the time but every now and then it would move, revealing what was behind it. Apparently, he's had it for years yet it still looked like it was only a few months old.
'How curious.'
Eventually the presentation ended and the Admirals broke into their various groups based on their similar interests. Harrison was currently talking to Admiral Batch, Admiral Zaarin, Admiral Syn,and Admiral Teshik, the only Admirals he could stand to be around for extended periods of time.
"Your operations in the Outer-rim were most impressive, Admiral Emrys." Batch complimented.
"Thank you, Admiral Batch. I've heard your research into developing a cloaking device is showing promise." Emrys replied.
"You weren't even here for my report yet you already know the details of it. I swear you could give the ISB a run for their credits with your information network." Batch replied with an admiring tone.
"Don't think they haven't tried to gain access to it. Still,at least they're better than Imperial Intelligence."
Zaarin scoffed in derision when Emrys mentioned Imperial Intelligence.
"Don't get me started with them. Isard has been bombarding anyone and everyone for any information they have on you, not to mention the multiple requests for information she's made to the Emperor regarding your assignment. I don't know what you did to her but she's become obsessed with you." Zaarin warned.
Emrys rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"I made the grave mistake of being born in the Outer-rim instead of the Core worlds, then I had the nerve to join the Imperial navy and to top it off I was actually good at my job. According to Isard that makes me a 'grave threat' to the Empire. In all likelihood she's probably still upset I was offered the post of Director of Imperial Intelligence before her." Hescoffed at Isard's all too familiar behaviour. He was going to have to do something about her soon.
"Still, I wouldn't be surprised if she's put people in your squadron or your division. You should watch out." Batch tried warning Emrys but noticed that he seemed to be smirking "Unless you already know?"
"Her operatives are not nearly as subtle as they think they are. Don't worry, I'm quite prepared for whatever Ysanne Isard has installed for me."
Once again Batch was impressed by the foresight of his fellow Admiral, something that seemed to be almost supernatural in accuracy.
"I'm surprised she hasn't fabricated false charges against you yet. She did that to her own father just so she could take his position or so I'm told." Admiral Teshik's slight modulated voice offered, trying to convey just how dangerous Isard could be, but if anything Emrys just seemed more nonplussed.
"To do so would mean answering to the Emperor himself and also finding a capable replacement for me to carry on my assignments. Until she can do the second, she can't do the first."
For all of the power that high ranked Imperials had, they all still answered to the Emperor, someone who wasn't known for his forgiving nature.
"So, what do you know about the 'addition' to our ranks?" Emrys asked as he curiously watched the blue skinned alien talking to Tarkin.
"Apparently they found him on a planet in wild space years ago. They brought him here where he had a meeting with the Emperor himself. No one else knows exactly what happened between them but he was sent to the Imperial Academy right here on Coruscant for training. Since he graduated he's been rising up the ranks, racking up victories and successes. He was only made a Grand Admiral a few weeks ago while you were deployed."
'Interesting.' Emrys thought as he continued to observe the alien. He must have been good given the Empire'sclear view on non-humans.
"I can't imagine II-Raz and Pitta were particularly happy about his promotion." Emrys commented as he turned his attention to the human supremacists conversing quietly with each other across the room by the door. Even from this distance Emrys could clearly see the two of them cast disgusted looks at the alien, although only whenhis back was turned.
"I'm told the two of them were apoplectic when they found out abouthis promotion. They were even planning on going to the Emperor himself to voice their 'concerns' only to back down when they found out that like you, he has the support of Vader, Tarkin,the Emperor behind him. Since then they've been trying to undermine him quietly but haven't had much success." Zaarin reported.
"That's not all, I've heard they've approached Grant and Tigellinus for support in their endeavour. While those two weren't openly supportive, they have quietly agreed to hold more discussions on the 'matter'." Admiral Syn added.
"What about Grunger?"
"They haven't approached him yet, but you know what he's like, loyal only to the Emperor and himself. My guess is he's waiting to see which way the wind will blow before making a final decision." Batch replied.
"Great. So much for 'unity' in these trying times." Emrys muttered sarcastically. For all the Empire's vows of strength, discipline, and unity, the reality couldn't be more different. At the upper echelons of the Empire, it was cut throat with everyone and anyone willing to do anything to advance their position, up to and including murder.
"What should we do if we're approached by them?" The slightly modulated voice of Admiral Teshik asked of Emrys. The other Admirals also awaited his answer, a testament to the influence he had over them.
"Stay out of it for now, it's not our fight. Avoid them as much as possible, shouldn't be too hard as we're all based in the Outer-rim anyway."
"What about the alien?" At this point the group turned and observed said figure as they waited for whatever decision Emrys made.
Emrys continued to watch him for a few moments, weighing up his decision. He knew if he wanted to,he could have a terrible 'accident' befall the alien should he become a threat to his plans but something told Emrys that now wasn't the time.
"Leave him alone but continue to monitor his activities." Emrys muttered quietly. The group nodded in acquiescence as they quietly dispersed.
Emrys was about to leave the room when he was stopped by Tarkin and the alien.
"A word before you leave,Admiral. I don't believe you two have met before. Allow me to introduce you to each other. Grand Admiral Emrys this is Grand Admiral Thrawn."
The two of them remained silentas they both took each other's measure. The moment was broken when Emrys gave a small smile of acknowledgement.
"Pleasure to meet you Admiral Thrawn." Emrys greeted,holding out his hand. Thrawn eyed it for a second before cautiously clasping his hand in return.
"Pleasure to meet you as well Admiral Emrys." Thrawn replied as they shook hands before releasing them. The two eyed each other for a few more moments. It was like two predators in the wild, both of them waiting to see who would act first.
"I apologise I wasn't there at your promotion ceremony. I was unavoidably detained. I hope you weren't offended" Emrys apologised.
"No offence taken Admiral. I understand the duty and requirements of an officer means that they must serve the Empire even if it means it takes them from events they would like to attend." Thrawn replied with a calm and controlled tone.
"Quite so. If you don't mind me asking but what is your assignment now as Grand Admiral?" Emrys inquired.
"I've been assigned command of the seventh fleet currently based in the Outer-rim."
Emrys frowned in confusion.
"Forgive me but I was under the impression that Admiral Sartan commanded that fleet?"
"Admiral Sartan has taken the commandant position at the Anaxes Academy." Tarkin informed Emrys. "Admiral Thrawn was recommended to replace him after his victory at Batonn."
"Ah yes,I had heard of that battle even where I was. Well done Admiral, those were some exemplary tactics you employed. I guess that explains how you managed to rise so quickly through the ranks." Emrys complimented.
"Thank you, Admiral. May I also congratulate you on your recent Outer-rim success. I've heard that the piracy and rebellious activities in those sectors have dropped by almost 90% since your operation ended. A true testament to your abilities." Thrawn returned the compliment, observing his reaction.
"I can't take credit for all of the success. After all, the rebel cell operating in that sector had already disintegrated from in-fighting before I finished them off. And as for the the various pirate and criminal gangs, well they were already at war with each other and had weakened themselves considerably by the time I faced them in the field. All in all, it wasn't that difficult, I basically swept in and mopped up what was left, nothing too strenuous." Emrys replied humbly with an easy smile.
"On the contrary, I'm told it was because of you that the in-fighting occurredin the first place. That some personal and damaging secrets of certain members were revealed to the others. As for the criminal gangs and pirates, apparently several shipments and bases of theirs were destroyed by rival organisations, yet those organisations denied it. Eventually they went to war with each other after both sides received detailed tactical and strategic information about each information was used by both sides to deal a devastating first strike against each other. Their losses allowed you to sweep in and as you said 'mop up what was left'. Intriguing thing is,the information the rebels and criminals received all came from an anonymous source. Quite odd don't you think?" Thrawn pressed.
Emrys merely chuckled in an almost disbelieving manner. By now the two of them were being observed by everyone in the room, all of them eagerly watching the by-play. Tarkin was particularly curious, hence thereason he had manoeuvred this little meeting together.
"Are you insinuating it was me who released the information, information might I add that not even the ISB or Imperial Intelligence have access to. And are you saying I sent that information to the various parties concerned, which then instigated various conflicts that brought about their downfall, all of this happening because they took the information given to them as the truth despite it coming from an anonymous source. I admit I am decent at warfare and excellent in science but I don't think even I can put into motion such a sequence of events that would have that outcome." Emrys replied easily.
"Yet you still have not denied it." Thrawn pointed out. The tension mounted as Emrys and Thrawn stared each other down before Emrys started chuckling.
"Well aren't you the observant one. But enough about me. Why don't you fill us in on your background Admiral Thrawn? It's not every day that we get to see a Chiss in the flesh."
"Unfortunately, Admiral Emrys and I have a meeting we must attend, so that will have to wait." Tarkin interrupted cutting the potential conversation short.
"Oh, how unfortunate. I guess I will just have to make my own inquiries." Emrys commented. Thrawn picked up the unspoken warning immediately and narrowed his eyes in return.
"There's not much to find, I'm afraid. I'm sure if you look into my official records you would find all you need to."
"Oh, I'm sure if I dig hard enough, I could find something the records don't contain about you. Anyway, I don't wish to delay Moff Tarkin any further. Until next time Admiral Thrawn." Emrys farewelled and was about to leave when Thrawn had one final comment.
"Perhaps I will see you tonight at the celebration?"
"Celebration?" Emrys stopped in his tracks, casting a confused glance towards Moff Tarkin.
"Ascension Week." Tarkin told him. "A party is being held tonight at the Alisandre Hotel for all high ranked Imperials and their guests. I took the liberty of procuring you an invitation. An escort will pick you up from your residence tonight."
'He didn't ask me if I wanted to attend or not. I guess I don't have a choice.' Emrys thought.
"Then I guess I will see you at the party, Admiral Thrawn." He farewelled as he and Tarkin left the room. Once they were out in the corridor and in relative privacy, Emrys began questioning the Grand Moff about his motives.
"I thought the idea was for me to remain out of the spotlight as much as possible, hence why I've spent the majority of my time in the Outer-rim and not here in the capital or even the Core worlds." Emrys said as they walked down the corridor, everyone giving the two powerful men a wide berth as they walked by.
"It was until recent events. Unfortunately, you're a victim of your own success. People started asking about you after I promoted you to Admiral. Your victory at Trasemene and promotion to Grand Admiral by the Emperor only increased their curiosity. However, because you've stayed out of the spotlight unlike some of your fellow Grand Admirals their curiosity has intensified. And mix that with your largely classified record and assignments, they're now 'politely' insisting that you appear before them." Tarkin replied with suppressed anger.
"Who are they?" Emrys asked, wondering who besides the Emperor could command Tarkin.
"The Senate." Tarkin muttered dangerously.
"The Senate! I thought they existed in name only. Didn't the Emperor strip most of their powers away? How are they able to 'insist' anything?" Emrys asked irritably as they continued to stalk down the corridors, not even noticing the various officers and enlisted people who stepped out of their way and saluted.
"He did, but the one aspect of the Empire they still have a sliver of control over is with The Budgetary Oversight they're not insisting so much as 'requesting' that an officer of your status and reputation attend. Apparently so they can 'interview' you as to the best way for the Senate and public to honour you and your achievements" Tarkin replied, with sarcasm in his voice towards the end.
"So, they basically want to know who I am, what I've done and what I'm up to. Is that what you're saying?" Emrys deadpanned.
"Correct. Our supporters in the Committee have been trying to delay them for a few months, but their control on the Oversight Committee is limited and the Empire'sopponents are threatening to hold hearings into the spending of the various programs and projects the military is currently undertaking, the kind of programs and projects we can't afford the public to find out about." Tarkin finished,whispering the final part so no one could overhear their plans
"Great. Just how I wanted to spend my first night on Coruscant." Emrys complained bitterly.
The two of them eventually arrived outside. An Imperial shuttle landed next to them as they stopped to strategize.
"Look, you go there, you shake their hands, laugh at their jokes and pretend you have an interest in what they talk about. You only need to charm a few of the senators on the committee, do that and they'll back off and leave you and the rest of this whole affair go." Tarkin said.
"What about the rest of the committee?"
"Don't worry about them. The ones you need to concentrate on tonight hold the deciding vote. Without their support, the Empire'sdetractors on that committee won't be able to hold any hearings. I'll have whatever information we have on them sent to your residence." Tarkin finished as he got on the shuttle.
"Oh, homework as well. This just keeps getting better and better." Emrys complained again.
"Think of it this way: it's either this or risk losing support for Project Janus. You and I both know how much the Empire needs Janus. One night of discomfort is a small price to pay to ensure the continued support for the project. It is the duty of every citizen to serve the Empire in whatever capacity is required,no matter the cost,and as an officer of the Imperial Navy even doubly so." Tarkin, replied imperiously, the tone of his voice booking no further argument as he stared down the Grand Admiral before the shuttle's doors closed and the vessel took off followed by two gunships providing escort.
Emrys watched as the airspeeder took off, pondering Tarkins parting words. It is the duty of every citizen to serve the Empire in whatever capacity is required, no matter the cost, and as an officer of the Imperial Navy even doubly so.
Emrys continued to watch the shuttle and its escorts as it disappeared into the busy air traffic, Tarkins words ringing in his mind.
'It is the duty of every citizen to serve the Empire'
"Speak for yourself." He whisperedunder his breath.
500 Republica,
Grand Admiral Emrys Personal Residence
Soft orchestral music played throughout the penthouse as Emrys lounged on a couch reading a datapad. The datapad contained the personal information of the senators he had to charm tonight, all of it collected by the ever-diligent Imperial Security Bureau and Imperial Intelligence Agency. Their names, family members, planet of origin, likes, dislikes, their voting record and any other type of information that might provide insight.
Emrys made a mental note to copy this information once he was done with it. One never knew when information like this could come in handy.
He had been going over the information for the past hour or so, devising strategies as to the best way to manipulate the senators at the upcoming party and his patience was starting to wear thin.
This senator has a secret spice addiction, that senator has been sleeping with his aide, this senator likes to gamble, that senator…
And on and on it went.
"Fuck this." Emrys swore as he threw the pad down in exasperation and stalked over to the balcony to get some air as various thoughts started racing through his mind.
Dangerous thoughts.
'Years of research and experimentation and now when I'm this close I have to play dress up and fawn over a bunch of self-serving, conniving, self-involved politicians who should be glad to even breathe the same air as me. They're lucky I don't snatch the life out of them right now.'
If anyone were to see Emrys right now, they would see how his eyes had taken an unnatural bright green which seemed to be getting brighter.
'Why don't I just kill them? One snap of my finger and they're gone.'
Emrys' eyes were positively glowing now. He could feel his long-suppressed abilities start to rise again, yearning to break free of his iron-control.
'One little snap.'
He was suddenly broken out of his murderous thoughts when a feeling of being drenched by ice cold water suddenly washed through his body,instantly dousing his thoughts and feelings.
He gripped the banister on the balcony for support in an effort to calm himself. Breathing deeply, he slowly soothed his mind, keeping a firm grip on the banister.
"That's it, easy does it. Patience and caution have gotten you this far, don't ruin it now." He reminded himself repeatedly. His eyes slowly faded to their previous colouring as his abilities once again returned to their dormant state.
Emrys looked down to his ring that had once again saved him from doing something reckless and by extension being discovered.
"It's a good thing I built you."
When Emrys had relaxed, he returned inside his penthouse and started going over the information on the data-pad again.
He didn't notice that the banister he'd held onto, the banister made out of Chromium a metal used as plating on starships now had two clear hand-prints imprinted into them and was horribly twisted in an unnatural, impossible sort of way.