Build Up
It was a nervous Aries that was pacing the bridge of the Intimidator after the skirmish, waiting for an answer to his most important question; Did the rebels manage to send a distress signal? The battle, if it could even be called that, was over in a matter of minutes. The Liberty-Class Star Cruiser was no match for two Imperial-I Class Star Destroyers, no matter that both ship classes were not outdated by more modern designs. The 'Ravager' had followed its orders well, attacking the rebel ship from the flank and taking down its shields whilst the Intimidator kept it at bay with long range turbolaser fire. Not long after that, the Cruiser was a burning hulk with no life forms detected alive on board.
Daphne had stood with him on the bridge, watching the battle in amazement at the firepower on display. Aries had put on a front of being confident, but internally he was struggling. Naval combat was beautiful, there was no doubt about it in his mind, yet the fact that all he could do was stand and watch irked him beyond belief. He would much rather be in the thick of it, controlling the outcome directly. Shortly after the rebels had been sufficiently dealt with, he had sent Daphne back to her family estate back on the surface along with two of his personal guards whilst Aries dealt with the aftermath and repercussions.
Captain Talis approached him, his boots giving him away on the durasteel floor. Aries turned to face him however the look on the Captains face did not exactly inspire confidence.
"My Lord, I'm afraid it is as we feared. The Rebels sent out a distress signal not longer before the final destruction of their ship."
Aries grimaced. This would put a large dent into his plans and delay everything he had in mind for Earth.
"Then we have no time to waste Captain, contact Moff Jeltran and inform him of the situation. Put a halt on our plans for the Capital Shipyard and have construction teams begin immediate construction of a Golan III platform. Tell him we can now expect company in the form of a rebel relief force soon, so time is of the essence."
"Right away my Lord." Came the curt reply.
Aries sighed to himself. He would need to advance the timeline of his plans, but that would be difficult. One of his most important plans relied on him becoming a master of the Dark Side, something he had simply not yet accomplished. So many force users called Earth their home, it was a prime location to recruit potential Sith. One of the things he had learned from almost all of the holocrons left to him, was that all of his 'teachers' such as they were, disagree wholeheartedly with Darth Bane's rule of two. Pure stupidity, they called it. When Aries had pointed out that the rule of two under Darth Sidious had led to the formation of the Empire, they had simply snorted and pointed out the fact that the man was dead, and without an heir to carry on the Sith legacy. This promptly shut Aries up, as he could see their point. And so it was that through his teachings, he decided that a new Sith Academy would be constructed.
From what he had been told about the current state of galactic affairs and faction tactics, he estimated he had three months until a Rebel force would arrive to find out what happened to their friends. With the Imperial remnant keeping them busy, they could not spare ships for a relief force at this current time. By the time they did arrive however, they would be completely ready for them.
He turned his thoughts to the Wizarding world. So far his plans there had been going off without a hitch. He had been using his now vast wealth to buy out seats on the Wizengamot, installing loyal men to the seats to vote in his stead. One of the families he had allied himself to, the Ryswell family, he had elevated to a Noble House as a vassal to House Black. The new 'Lord' Ryswell was now fiercely loyal to Aries as a result. He had recruited heavily amongst the Neutral and Dark elements of the government, resulting in more than a few families now answering to his call. The Greengrasses, Turpins, Ryswells, Fawleys and even a rogue member of the Rosier family now were firmly in his pocket. He already had an envoy on the way to meet with some of Voldemort's less 'eager' followers.
He had paused when asked by one of his advisors what he wished to do about the Malfoys; On the one hand he wanted them to suffer, yet they were a part of the Black Family. He also knew that the Black and Greengrass accounts would suffer if they were not added to, so a continuous stream of funds would be necessary. The Malfoys were not only rich, but also had the means to keep the galleons rolling in. Perhaps a meeting was in order… but that would have to wait.
Since his wedding to Daphne, he had received several letters from his 'friends' and the Weasley matriarch, almost begging him to return to Privet Drive for his own safety. He was quite surprised that Fawks was able to flame into the bridge of his ship, carrying a letter from Dumbledore. 'Well, that answers the question of whether that infernal bird can reach into space.' He thought to himself bitterly. He was incensed when he had his Imperial Casters check the letter with diagnostic charms, they discovered a one way portkey.
The old man was becoming too meddlesome. Showing off a fraction of his power had bought him enough time to continue his plans unmolested, but it would seem that the Headmaster is still determined to return him to the Dursleys and force him to ignore his birthright and the power at his disposal. The question was why. Why was the old goat so determined to make him miserable and to keep him in the dark? Surely considering the fact that Voldemort was after him due to a prophecy, Aries should be made aware of some things. But no, it was not to be.
He had sent a curt reply to Dumbledore with a subtle threat. He hesitated in writing it if he was honest with himself, it wasn't everyday somebody threatened one of the most powerful men on the planet. But he couldn't leave unanswered otherwise he would keep attempting to subvert him. He thought back to the letter he had sent, smiling slightly.
-FLASHBACK-
Headmaster Dumbledore
Your poor attempts to return me to the Dursleys have not gone unnoticed. You will cease this foolish endeavour and leave me be. Should you not, I shall inform the DMLE of your apparent need to involve yourself in my affairs. I assure you, as Lord of The Most Ancient And Noble House of Black, your interference will not be looked upon with kindness.
Considering these events, I now feel it is unsafe for me to return to Hogwarts. I shall seek to complete my education elsewhere, perhaps somewhere where the teachers do not feel the need to involve themselves in my personal life.
Lord Aries Arcturus Black.
-FLASHBACK END-
He believed the letter to get his point across quite nicely. It felt good telling the Headmaster to basically get stuffed. He was seriously considering another school, however the idea of having someone assign him detentions or speak down to him now simply seemed ridiculous.
Breaking him from his thoughts, a voice he did not at first recognise brought him back to the present.
"Apologies for disturbing you my Lord, I am Chief Engineer Wisbech. I am here to inform you that the location you chose for your project has been prepared for construction, and we are ready to begin immediately."
Aries smiled. Some good news. He had used a good portion of the Black family money to purchase a large swathe of land in the Alps mountain range, it was to be used as a new Sith Academy. Whilst he was nowhere near ready to teach any potential students the ways of the Dark Side, it could still be used as a training ground for his forces on the continent. Only a few days before, a shipment of recruits from the Outer Rim had been brought into the system and were currently undergoing basic training in makeshift training grounds either aboard the ships or the TIE Fighter production facility.
As of this moment, he had roughly 150,000 Imperials under his command, counting ship crews and construction teams. The 713th Legion, his personal Stormtrooper legion. One veteran Infantry Divisions, the 672nd and the Division of Recruits, the 1164th. The 515th Pioneer Battalion was also attached to the Ravager, which was already being put to good use. And finally, a company of Imperial Marines. It was nowhere near enough for his plans, but once he took control of Earth, he would have a massive recruitment pool to put to use.
If the Witches and Wizards could be brought around to the Imperial way of thinking, then all the better. He knew that the biggest problem would be introducing the Dark Side as they would all think he has become some new Dark Lord like Voldemort. 'Well, they wouldn't be completely wrong' he thought with a smirk. He was fully aware of how his personality and way of thinking was being twisted into something different by his constant exposure to the Dark Side, but it was a change he happily embraced. He was no longer the boy who constantly cried over his dead parents, no longer the boy who looked up to Dumbledore as something akin to a God.
He had complete control for the first time in his life, and he liked it and was not ashamed to admit it, no matter how much it changed him. He continued to look out of the viewports on the bridge, lost in thought when Moff Jeltrans' voice jolted him back to the present with a very welcome message.
"My Lord, Admiral Feyet Kiez has made contact. He wishes to meet with you personally."
Aries' face twisted into an evil grin. 'I do hope he has brought along my new Flagship.'
