Nathrrya Therin-Palatine - Darth Avarice / The Empire's Wrath

En route to the Planet known as 'Earth' : The Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

07:18:15 ATC / July 18th, 1968 -10:38 / 10:38 AM

The Fury-class heavy interceptor Violet Rose dropped out of hyperspace at the edge of the Sol System where Earth was located and preceded to head deeper into the system at near full sub-light, the ship's sensors gathering as much information as they could.

"So what do we know about Earth exactly?" Vette asked

"Not much. The population is entirely human." Nathrrya replied as she flew the ship past an impressive red planet with its distinctive red spot. "So you're going to stand out." She said looking over at her blue Twi'lek friend.

"Don't I always?" Vette replied a cheeky grin on her face. Everyone chuckled at that.

"Earth doesn't have a unified planetary government but over one hundred nation-states, though they do have a body called the United Nations where they try and work out their differences." Nathrrya explained.

"Sounds like the Republic Senate and likely as ineffective, my lord." Captain Malavai Quinn observed dryly "Just on a smaller scale."

Nathrrya nodded her head in agreement "I haven't told you all the best part yet. Women hold no real power on Earth, be it in the government, industry or the military, in most countries women can't even serve in the military as a frontline soldier. There is a popular movement trying to change that."

"The powers that be are just going to love you, Nat." Vette said her sarcasm obvious, then the Twi'lek grinned. "You, me and Jaesa are going to shake things up."

The three women laughed at that and even Quinn cracked a smile.

"Master, something's wrong. The Force, I can't feel it." Jaesa said looking concerned.

"I feel it too. It's as if we've entered a Force dead zone." Nathrrya confirmed "That could be... problematic." the Sith's eyes widened as she felt a familiar presence bloom in the Force. Nathrrya looked to her apprentice who just nodded in confirmation. "Interesting..."

On the bridge of the Republic Hammerhead-class cruiser Resolute stood two Jedi as the crew went about their tasks unaware of the silent conversion the Jedi were having.

"No matter where we go tough guy your cousin always seems to follow." Kira said to her partner and husband through their Force bond amused.

"Or we seem to follow her." Casavir replied as he glanced at the long-range sensors "The Resolute should be picking up the Rose any moment."

"My lord, I'm picking up the profiles of a pair of Republic Hammerhead-class cruisers and the diplomatic ship." Captain Quinn reported. "We're being hailed by the cruiser Resolute."

Nathrrya accepted the hail and wasn't surprised to see an image of her cousin Casavir appear along with his wife Kira Carsen, who was a former Child of the Emperor. "This is Imperial vessel Violet Rose we read you Resolute."

"Lord Avarice I should have known the Empire would send you to find out what was happening." Casavir said trying to keep his face neutral.

"Indeed Master Therin and it comes as no surprise to me that you're representing the Jedi." Nathrrya replied, they'd been through this song and dance often enough it was routine. After all, no one could know they were related.

"Earth is currently a neutral world so you are free to land but allow me two hours to travel planetside to warn the earthlings of your impending arrival. Is that agreeable Lord Avarice?" Casavir asked.

"That is most satisfactory Master Therin." Nathrrya replied with a slight smile "I shall see you planetside in about two hour's time. Violet Rose, out."

Almost as soon as the transmission from the Rose ended Casavir and Kira were on their way to the Resolute's hangar bay to take a shuttle to Earth as not only did they have to inform the earthlings about the Imperial visit but also tell the Cathar ambassador Zorin Krasul and both Jedi knew he wouldn't take the news well.

Just over an hour later both Jedi were being shown into the conference room within the United Nations building in New York City where ambassador Krasul was meeting with US President Kennedy.

"Sorry for the interruption, Ambassador, Mister President but we've had a... development." Casavir said.

The Cathar frowned. "What kind of development, Master Jedi?"

"The Imperial kind." Casavir replied grimly "An hour ago the Resolute picked up the profile of a single Fury-class vessel on approach."

"Fury-class? They're exclusively Sith vessels correct?" ambassador Krasul asked worriedly.

"Yes." Kira spoke up. "It seems the Empire has seen fit to send their own representative and they're not messing around considering just who they've sent."

"And just who has the Sith Empire sent?" President Kennedy asked.

"Darth Avarice, the Empire's Wrath." Casavir stated.

Krasul's eyes grew with fear "You can't allow that..."

"Ambassador." Casavir growled cutting the Cathar off "May I remind you that Earth is still a neutral planet and as such we cannot prevent Lord Avarice from landing. The Empire is free to have their own representative here until as such time that either Earth sides with the Republic, the Empire or even chooses to remain neutral in the conflict."

"How long do we have before this Lord Avarice arrives?" Kennedy asked.

"About an hour Mister President." Kira replied.

An hour later at the Stewart Air National Guard base, sixty miles to the north of New York City saw the base on high alert as the scream of twin ion engines filled the air.

On the tarmac was Jacob Meyer and standing next to him was Sara Kelrein.

"Just how big is that ship?" Meyer asked his girlfriend. Even on the ground, the Military Policeman could tell that the Imperial vessel dwarfed the four escorting F-4 Phantoms as the ship came into land.

"From what I can recall the Fury is one hundred and fifty-seven feet long by one hundred and thirty-seven feet wide and its primary armament is four heavy laser cannons." Sara replied.

'Holy shit!' Meyer thought as he witnessed the most ridiculous shaped and colored aircraft began to land. It was a faded pale purple with back panels and showed a good deal of wear and tear. The leatherneck wondered if the pilot was insane if he was flying that piece of junk. He didn't even know if the wider galaxy utilizes pilots. Robots maybe?

"Are you sure it's that big?" The Marine questioned as the ship prepared itself for landing on the runway. The airmen on the pavement ran for cover and Jake instantly leaped onto the Pub, shielding her from the impact.

'That fucking pilot is going to have to answer to me! He almost ran over us!'

"Yeah." Sara sighed, brushing herself off. "I'm pretty karking sure."

To everyone's surprise, the ship spun one hundred and eighty degrees so its aft end was facing the welcoming delegation before landing vertically. Its landing gear extending from the hull as it did so settling on the runway with a surprisingly soft thud.
Moments later as the engines powered down the boarding ramp lowered which soon explained why the ship was seemingly facing the wrong way.

Meyer looked up and saw a man with black hair in a uniform similar to the old dress uniform of the Waffen SS and a red-haired woman that could be a priest thanks to the robes that she was wearing. The duo were shortly followed by the first alien Jake had ever seen. It appears to be a blue-skinned female with hair-tails? The Marine wasn't sure and finally, another priest walked out of the craft.

"Kriffing hell!" Sara cried slightly panicked "This could end badly, very badly."

Jake looked at Sara then to where he saw Present Kennedy and the UN Secretary-General approaching the man in the officer's uniform.

"Why? They're just following military protocol."

Sara shook her head "For your world maybe but Earth is dealing with the Sith Empire. To a Lord of the Sith, greeting the imperial officer first is about as a big an insult as you could possibly make." She looked at her boyfriend "In case you hadn't worked it out the woman with the red hair is the one they should be greeting first. Let's hope she's in a kind and forgiving mood for Earth is about to sour its relations with the Sith Empire before they've even begun."

"Well... shit." Was all Jake could say.

There was an extraordinarily long and awkward pause after the two earthlings greeted Captain Quinn first and not Nathrrya.

Quinn's eyes flicked to his left "Err... my lord..."

Nathrrya gave a deep amused chuckle "That's five hundred credits you owe me, Captain." She inclined her head in greeting to the shocked earthlings "As you may have surmised by now I am Darth Avarice, Empire's Wrath."

"We are sorry my lord." said Present Kennedy. "We were unaware that you were..."

"...A woman?" Nathrrya finished "That was painfully obvious. A word of advice, be very careful in future with your dealings with the Empire for as unintended as it may have been showing such disrespect to a Lord of the Sith could have ended... badly."

"How badly?"

"Both of you dead badly." Nathrrya replied her voice flat.

"You're kidding, right?" Secretary-General Thant inquired nervously.

"Unfortunately no I'm not."Avarice replied seriously. "It's difficult to explain but it is a cultural belief among Sith that we are superior to everyone else and that we are treated as such. Something I have never agreed with. Just because myself and my apprentice have the ability to use the Force does that make us better than Captain Quinn or Vette? The answer is no."

Meanwhile, in the background, Meyer carefully watched the so-called 'Sith Lord', seeing if the woman would make any threatening moves to either the President or the head of the United Nations.

The priest, Sith, whatever you called her calmly spoke to the two leaders, but the Marine could see that she is making them uncomfortable.

If things escalate, Jake hopes that his M1911A1 handgun would be sufficient in dealing with the highly advanced guests if the woman made any moves.

The Hoosier saw that the informal meeting had concluded and turned to face Sara.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah." She smirked, following the Marine to his motorcycle. The Corellian gazed into Jake's eyes as he got onto the bike, starting it.

"Please be careful Jake." The redhead warned fearfully. "Sith are masters of manipulation."

Even though the Jarhead couldn't promise it, Meyer knows the Corellian needed some reassurance to stay sane.

"I promise." He declared, making the redhead smile before she headed back to her assigned vehicle.

Jake started the Harley and moved in front of the motorcade, right in front of one of the black 1961 Lincoln Continental four-door convertibles and on the motorcycle right beside Meyer was a soldier from the United States Army 91st Military Police Battalion, Specialist Roger Willis.

"Seems like things are about to get interesting, Jarhead."

"I don't know about you, pal, but something doesn't seem right about the whole sudden visit by this Sith Empire."

Willis just shrugged and started up the motor as the motorcade prepares to get underway.

The convoy left the Stewart Air National Guard Base and started their journey to the United Nations building in New York City, thirty miles away.

'Ground vehicles, how quaint.' Nathrrya thought as they were led toward the motorcade. Such things weren't unknown just a rarity unless you lived on one of the more underdeveloped worlds within the Empire or Republic. Quinn looked as if he was going to have a heart attack while Vette and Jaesa were treating it like a grand adventure.

Nathrrya's inner engineer was squealing in delight at the thought of taking apart one of these vehicles to see how it worked. She'd had much the same reaction on observing the four fighter jets that had escorted them into land. She really wanted to pull one of those apart. Not much chance of either happening but a girl can dream, right?

About ten minutes into the journey and by some unknown agreement Secretary-General Thant asked the question that had been on his and President Kennedy's mind. "Lord Avarice, be honest with us. Is Vette a slave?"

Quinn visibly tensed, Jaesa looked indignant on her master's behalf and Vette looked resigned.

Nathrrya sighed nodding her head "Yes, technically Vette is my slave. However, she does not wear a shock collar as once she came into my service." She refused to say 'possession' "I removed it."

"I still have that awful device." Vette spoke up as she brought out a medallion that hung around her neck. "I made this out of what was left after..." she looked at the redhead seeking permission to which Nathrrya gave an encouraging smile "Nat removed and turned into scrap. I keep this as a reminder."

It was clear to the Imperials that the two earthlings were disappointed. "It saddens me to hear that the Empire makes use of such a practice but I thank you for your honesty Lord Avarice for you could have lied." President Kennedy said at last.

"Yes and most Sith certainly would have." Nathrrya agreed. "I'm here to officially represent the Sith Empire and as such, I am supposed to put the Empire in the best light possible. That is hard to do when you yourself do not agree with everything the Empire does. The Republic would have been wiser to not make contact with Earth for from what I have seen thus far your world is not yet ready." She explained "The Empire and Republic are hardly perfect galactic governments but they are what they are. Change will come but it is slow."

Walter Leland Cronkite, Junior - CBS New

Outside the Headquarters of the United Nations - 760 United Nations Plaza, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

07:18:15 ATC / July 18th, 1968 - 14:38 / 2:38 PM

"Good afternoon America. This is Walter Cronkite reporting." A man in a business suit began as he started his broadcast that will change history.

"Barely a year ago, Earth had first contact with a civilization calling themselves the 'Galactic Republic' and now a few hours ago, a representative from the 'Sith Empire' landed at the Stewart Air National Guard Base, attempting to form relations with our world. Unlike the Republic, the Empire is an unknown and the representative may try to put their faction into a more positive light… An hour from now, Darth Avarice will speak in front of the United Nations to tell the world why the Empire is here." Cronkite took a deep breath, knowing that history is in the making. "We truly hope that whatever the Imperials want, we hope it is not conquest like our friends…" The famed news broadcaster paused, seeing a group of protesters clashing with members of the New York City Police Department and a contingent of New York National Guardsmen.

"Peace, not war!" One of the hippies cried out, holding a sign that was anti-imperial in nature.

"It appears that protesters are whacking law enforcement officials providing security for Darth Avarice arrival." Walter reported."We will update you with further developments, but until then, goodnight America."

Private First Class Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Bravo, Third Squad, Second Platoon, Delta Company, Second Military Police Battalion, II Marine Expeditionary Force Command Element, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps

Five blocks away from the Headquarters of the United Nations - 760 United Nations Plaza, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

07:18:15 ATC/July 18th, 1968 -15:00/3:00 PM

"Get the fuck out of the way!" Meyer ordered the masses who formed a chain to block the motorcade. Even if he was supportive of getting the U.S. out of the U.N. and didn't agree with Kennedy politically, the Leatherneck knew that for now his personal beliefs had to be set aside for the current situation.

"Make love! Not war!" One of the protestors, a brunette holding a sign saying 'Power to Women' screeched in reply.

"This is your last warning!" Jacob hollered at the top of his lungs to the radicals, losing patience."You are blocking a diplomatic mission to the United Nations and if you do not move within thirty seconds, I will run you over lady!"

The new left idealists did not move and the Marine was about to start up his motorcycle when finally, some National Guardsmen threw teargas at the protesters, forcing the buck-skinned, flowered, and bead clad weirdos to vacate the premises.

"Finally." Meyer snarled before continuing on his way leading the convoy to the building.

Nathrrya observed the alteration with the colorfully dressed protesters somewhat amused by the whole thing.

"Master, I have to agree with that signs sentiment." Jaesa said pointing to the one that read 'Power to Women'

"Indeed so do I Jaesa." out of the corner of her eye Nathrrya noticed the two Earthlings had become visibly uncomfortable and she suspected she knew why. "Jaesas is my student, I'm her teacher. Calling me master is a form of respect, nothing more."

President Kennedy and Secretary-General Thant relaxed at the explanation.

I want to thank OfficerDonNZ once again for his work.

If you have not already done so, please check out his fic The Time Displaced Sith. I highly recommend it.

Next chapter, you will see Darth Avarice speak to the United Nations and the discovery of a certain cheesecake loving spy;)