[4 BBY]

[Command Bridge, former refitted MPO-1400 Purgill-class Star Cruiser, now Imperial Navy Wayfarer-class Auxiliary Transport Wayfarer, Task-force Azure Sky-II, on route Nouane, Noune Allied Region, Inner Rim, (de jure) Galactic Republic Territories]

"Scopes Green XO?"

"Aye Captain" came back to Hera Syndulla from her one-eyed human executive officer as she returned to bridge after her mandatory rest period and fresher "Recharge went without trouble and convoy is underway as per schedule, despite diversion to alternate route. Expected arrival is within five hours"

Hera nodded slowly, hand coming up to her chin as she studied the update star-chart displays, as well as the status of the eight other starships that made up the convoy "The most dangerous part at times"

That earned her the faintest crack of a smile from the old war veteran Garrik "Aye, that it can be Captain, least when they know where we'll be headed. We can hope they do not, but plan for…"

"The worst, yes" she finished with a nod, lekku moving faintly despite her new headband to her annoyance, before speak "I have the conn"

"Bridge is all yours Captain. May I?"

"Get a kaf XO, we'll talk shortly" she answered, accepting the data-pad and walking alone the 'line' of the command bridge, glancing at the eight-sentient sensor and comm crew, four on either side, and then forward to the two pilots and the display screens showing space. The original bridge had been at the front of the Star Cruiser, but it had been judged too vulnerable and the former auxiliary bridge of the passenger liner had been up armoured with clear-screen to give a similar 'real view' as some officers like. Considering the many rebuilds of this particular vessel….Hera was just glad it wasn't completely cramped feeling as the armoured bridge wasn't anywhere near as drearily compact as her last vessel, her first, the frigate Cali'bara Esaul, a cataphract-class, had been.

'Of course, a Star Cruiser is enormous compared to an escort frigate, you silly girl' Hera told herself with a faintly amused thought, though her new vessel wasn't any greater armed in many ways despite that. She'd been a luxury liner till the Clone Wars stage of the Fall of the Republic Wars, then a military transport…before being wrecked at Naboo and given a full rebuild into the current shape as a 'Wayfarer-class' along with a few dozen other Star Cruisers. Now they were out here, beyond Imperial space, undertaking the dangerous and necessary 'diplomatic' tasks that might either get Hera killed or fast tracked for the true command track in the Imperial Fleet. There'd be no talk of her using her father's influence to get anywhere. Because Hera wanted an actual command, rather than the nowhere placing any 'political' appointment would ever receive; - she was her own person dammit, not needing that sort of help!

…not that the promotion and danger pay came without bizarre annoyances as she turned towards dealing with her passengers after checking all ship statuses with her crew and then Garrick, groaning as they sat "Salurian crab? Really?"

"Official complaint, some officers…" her executive officer paused, gave a snort of amusement, tapping the data-pad "Of course she's not an officer, problems of diplomats and expecting military crews to maintain luxury services. Personally, I suspect she's being sent here because that sort of attitude will play well with the locals. I wouldn't worry Captain, I doubt it will receive much attention on your record"

Hera resisted making a face, merely shaking her head "Hmm. Well, complaints over our food service aside…are we ready for taking on expected numbers of refugees on our return trip is more the concern in my mind…"

The Wayfarer's passenger were the Imperial Military Mission (plus annoying diplomatic team) for the two hundred odd worlds of the Allied Region of Nouane. Worlds that Eriadu rather would not easily slip back into the orbit of either the New Republic or the Mandalorian Alliance according to Hera's father, and hers was but one of many she suspected into the 'wild-systems' that were, technically but not realistically, still part of the old Galactic Republic. Nouane had more Imperial leanings politically and commercially, and the task-force was to deliver badly needed supplies of both Bacta and Bacta production samples alongside trainers for the expansion of the Allied Region's defence forces. It was important Hera knew, and part of the reason she had been eager for these missions even beyond the officer track it could put her on even at her young age of twenty-five.

Delivery meant the Wayfarer's cargo bays were full of tanks of bacta in special storage, along with machinery that Hera didn't know anything about, just as the other Wayfarer-class in the task-force was carrying. But, passenger-wise, the ship was almost deserted, with only forty 'passengers' aboard, living in the lap of luxury in her mind. The reverse would be true on the return voyage Hera had known from the start, and now they were nearly at their destination the turnover timescale, and supply consumption, were a headache to consider. New Republic sponsored terrorists were growing in both number and aggression according to her father, and agreements had been brokered to get a number of twi'leks and others safely to Imperial space after they'd been driven out of the New Republic. Worthy, but also a headache as the numbers would certainly push the two vessels carrying them, her own one of those, to the limit…

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[4 BBY]

[Shuttle CRIV-456 landing, Star Destroyer YX-824, 1st Fondor Defence Squadron, Confederate Navy 1st (Droid) Grand Fleet, Fondor system, Tapani Sector, Tapani Freeworlds League, Colonies Region, Confederacy of Independent Systems]

Qi'ra, once of Corellia, now rather more Unit-984/B/Command as she was in her current persona, stood patiently as the shuttle landed inside the flight bay of the flagship of the Fondorian Squadron of the fleet, bay doors sealing behind the shuttle. Beside and a step ahead of her was her superior, the ST-series command droid codenamed Kalani, while behind her, and him, were four standing IG-100s as escorts for them. Physical meetings were rare amongst the fleet, with droid comms, but multiple hacking attempts over the years had proven that 'caged' meetings were essential for both operational security as well as simple long-term viability of the droid military in these sectors.

She herself was the only organic on both the shuttle, and in the bay as her bare feet took steps down unto the metal flooring, walking in step with her superior in as droid-like efficiency as her body could manage. Qi'ra knew there were some organics aboard the vessel, five in total, three human females like herself, a female twi'lek, and a female Zeltron;- all of them low ranks so it was unlikely she'd see them today. Not surprising as she was one of the few higher ranking 'organic droids' in the fleet, and the number of organics in said fleet was miniscule compared to droid numbers – and doctrine ensure those numbers were spread out amongst those droid numbers. Qi'ra knew because she'd agreed with said plans years ago, in the depths of the CIS Civil War, and helped in crafting them somewhat in her own opinion.

Once upon a time she'd cared about her nudity, at least while on duty, as the scanning beam moved over Kalani, then herself, and then the droids, but it did make non-fleet infiltration nearly impossible for hostiles. Those, like herself, who were 'organic models' of the droid fleet had tattoos and body paint that identified everything their rank and command authority, and senior 'officers like herself had mild cybernetics. Qi'ra's was a cybernetic 'monocle' as she called it, that was burrowed into the right side of her skull, a chip to her brain, and currently clear square optic displayer over her right eye. That and a vocaliser in her throat that allowed her sub-vocalise when she wished, and some medi-tracker chips in her body. No more spies, or Jedi, accessing vessels in this fleet through trickery anymore;- the one Jedi who'd tried, sans their lightsaber, had been locked out, then trapped, before being sent back unharmed to Correlia…after Qi'ra ensured mass distribution of live-feed of her failed attempted break-in.

"Identity confirmed" the last of the scans, deep in the bowels of the vessel, as Qi'ra's feet were tired of walking and wanting to complain the temperature was a little colder than she'd like, and the thick, shielded, security door opened with a soft crank and hissing sound "Entry granted"

The bodyguard droids went left down a corridor, while Unit-984/B/Command followed her superior into the slightly gloomy large room with a large circular metal table in the centre. There was a hub device, circular in design, in the centre of that table, with ten droids within already, five sitting, and two standing at their shoulders on the right of each. None spoke, and she merely followed her commander, taking her place standing behind him and to his right as she sat down, displays activating as he did so, doors sealing behind them. Shifting her hands behind her back she stood at attention, watching sector displays illuminate all around the table, seeing translated droid-issue on her monocle. Listening as her commander spoke "Confirmation of increased security requirements Thyferra. Projected 34.3642 to 44.6714 percentage over previous standard years. Increased instability Mechis, Wroona, Yag'Dhul. Request for Security Provision: Yag'Dhul received"

One of the other ST series, Yeehan, was the next to speak, as 'she' was one of the production command droids, and mildly obnoxious in Unit-984/B/Command's opinion. Or simply liked bully organics "Increased production allocated as per previous budget. Projections deem this allocation sufficient for period;- six standard months. Request authorisation to increase resource allocation to accommodate increased demand?"

"Allocation granted" another droid stated as she followed the data-stream, studying the charts "Allocation request: organic droid model increase?"

Unit-984/B/Command, Qi'ra, tapped her metallic command unit, transmitting her prepared data-packet to the scanning system after an affirmative from Kalani to respond "Recruitment increase via agreed means"

"Production?"

'Bitch' was Unit-984/B/Command's opinion again of ST-Unit Yeehan "Negative. Production time insufficient in short-term. Recruitment of sufficiently motivated and trained organic models deemed more efficient in short to medium term projections"

"Query? Inefficient programming and development protocols?"

"Negative" Unit-984/B/Command, Qi'ra, forced herself to say calmly as the little dictator once again aimed to take control of 'organic programming and development', or parenting of the orphans and not-orphans that were now under the fleet's aegis. Considering that Qi'ra's own daughter via a one night stand was amongst those, Qi'ra was not inclined to give up that from the current assigned protocols. It was because one of the children, an orphan girl, was Force-sensitive that the command unit across from her wanted control…or research more thanl likely "Organic production and development times currently on record"

"Confirmed" Kalani agreed, ending that 'discussion' immediately "Recruitment model acceptable. Increased B-1 production agreed. Promotion Candidates to be selected from all models"

Intellectually Qi'ra knew she should be concerned by the lack of memory wipes amongst the droids, and increasing development within them, especially the few dangerous HK-series droids up and running…but it was keeping her alive. And allowing her live very luxuriously in the times she wasn't on duty, both on ship with supply access, but especially planetside where she owned a nice little manor. It was easier just to think of the droid remnant as a warrior-caste or something as some seemed to think of it on the holo-news. Because the droid-fleet didn't really care how most people ran their lives inside the 'Confederacy of Independent Systems' beyond said CIS created laws were followed. Compared to the various powers that remained from the old Republic….well, she herself was much happier with the current model than anything else.

So, Unit-984/B/Command, Qi'ra, remained silent till she had to offer advisory again as the meeting continued for over three hours and she gave forth her honest, if mildly self-interested, opinions on the developing trade and security situation in the quadrant…

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