Thrashia
06-06-2007, 02:50
The light from the fading sun cast a golden trim to the buildings and land of the city. Hundreds of thousands of faces walked its streets, the murmur and beating heart of a living metropolis ran beside them. The hum of air cars passing overhead in the sky lanes gave a deep throated baritone to the symphony the heart beat created. Life, pure and simple, was being played out.
Watching all this from above in one of the tallest buildings in the world sat a man now aging into his forties, though he did not look it; science had stopped that. He wore simple if uniform like clothes even though he could be wearing silks of gold thread. He sat in a simple leather chair instead of the large golden throne that stood like a monument to the stupidity of monarchies in the People’s Palace miles away. He was a man who studied the people below them and put himself in their shoes, feeling their joy and pain. He was their leader, their ruler.
Images of fire and death entered his mind. Women and children dying at the hands of black uniformed soldiers, men fighting in ruined streets, great battle ships lancing through the sky throwing lasers at faraway enemies; he saw the war that came before his reign.
Behind the man the office door opened though he didn’t notice and another, younger, man stepped into the room. He wore a suit and tie with polished shoes. Standing next to the great oak desk behind which the older man sat, he noticed the quiet solemn expression that was set in that face like a statue of marble. The young man coughed.
“Your Excellency? I have the report that you requested.”
Treize Kushrenada turned abruptly and settled his glowing blue eyes on his personal assistant. He smiled. “Ah, Micheal, good to see you,” he said. “I take it that you made sure Vice Admiral Daegrin knew to put in everything this time?”
“Yes sir I did,” said Micheal.
“Good. Does Minister Calloway still wish to see me?” asked Treize, taking the small file memory chip out of his assistant’s hands.
“First Minister Calloway wishes to know if he has your permission to make some alterations in the next bill being passed through the Imperial Senate. The education program needed some more funding apparently.”
“I gave them more than four trillion credits for a budget! That’s nearly a tenth of what I am spending on our rearmament right now!” said Treize. “The old fool should realize what a sacrifice to our national security I am making by letting that bill be made.”
“And he knows that sir, which is why he wished to express his regrets at needing make the appointment,” replied Micheal.
“Ah, very well. Our children are our future after all,” said Treize. “Make sure that the Minister understands that should I find any money missing or some minor functionary sporting a new air car and condo…that there will be hell to pay.”
“I made that quite clear sir.”
“Good. What of Admiral Daala? I haven’t had a report from the campaign out there in a week. It’s taking far too long. With the resources we allocated they should be back here already. Grand Admiral Thrawn should have gone!”
“Admiral Daala just sent another report. Accordingly the cities have all fallen either in a quick battle or entirely peacefully. The only major casualties are those of the Fleet,” said Micheal.
“Then why the hell is she still there?”
“Something about Emperor Palpatine sir; she mentioned in a report that the Emperor himself had set down on the planet in search of something.”
“Odd,” mused Treize. “I would think the old man would remain on Imperial Center after the last time he left…but then I’m not his mother now am I?”
“No sir.”
“Yes…too bad the old fool never accepted my offer for our medical breakthroughs. Could save his life beyond what his Force powers can do for him.”
“He gave us the answer that-,” started Micheal.
“That there is nothing as absolute as the will of the Force,” finished Treize. “I’m well aware. I only wish there were others who, if he should ever perish again, could take his place more ably. Its hard enough to rule the Galactic Empire alongside Remiel and Palpatine, but can you imagine Vader or Nightshade being in his place? I think I’d prefer Tarkin, at least he’s predictable.”
“Well sir we can always count on ourselves should chaos ensue,” Micheal added in.
“That we can…that we can,” muttered Treize. He glanced back outside his office window and then back to his aide.
“See to it that General Veers arrives on time tomorrow. Even if he is a clone of the original I don’t want that to be an excuse.”
“No sir,” replied Micheal. “I talked to the General only a few hours ago and he understands the importance of this.”
“Good,” smiled Treize. “Because its not every day you get to make history.”
Watching all this from above in one of the tallest buildings in the world sat a man now aging into his forties, though he did not look it; science had stopped that. He wore simple if uniform like clothes even though he could be wearing silks of gold thread. He sat in a simple leather chair instead of the large golden throne that stood like a monument to the stupidity of monarchies in the People’s Palace miles away. He was a man who studied the people below them and put himself in their shoes, feeling their joy and pain. He was their leader, their ruler.
Images of fire and death entered his mind. Women and children dying at the hands of black uniformed soldiers, men fighting in ruined streets, great battle ships lancing through the sky throwing lasers at faraway enemies; he saw the war that came before his reign.
Behind the man the office door opened though he didn’t notice and another, younger, man stepped into the room. He wore a suit and tie with polished shoes. Standing next to the great oak desk behind which the older man sat, he noticed the quiet solemn expression that was set in that face like a statue of marble. The young man coughed.
“Your Excellency? I have the report that you requested.”
Treize Kushrenada turned abruptly and settled his glowing blue eyes on his personal assistant. He smiled. “Ah, Micheal, good to see you,” he said. “I take it that you made sure Vice Admiral Daegrin knew to put in everything this time?”
“Yes sir I did,” said Micheal.
“Good. Does Minister Calloway still wish to see me?” asked Treize, taking the small file memory chip out of his assistant’s hands.
“First Minister Calloway wishes to know if he has your permission to make some alterations in the next bill being passed through the Imperial Senate. The education program needed some more funding apparently.”
“I gave them more than four trillion credits for a budget! That’s nearly a tenth of what I am spending on our rearmament right now!” said Treize. “The old fool should realize what a sacrifice to our national security I am making by letting that bill be made.”
“And he knows that sir, which is why he wished to express his regrets at needing make the appointment,” replied Micheal.
“Ah, very well. Our children are our future after all,” said Treize. “Make sure that the Minister understands that should I find any money missing or some minor functionary sporting a new air car and condo…that there will be hell to pay.”
“I made that quite clear sir.”
“Good. What of Admiral Daala? I haven’t had a report from the campaign out there in a week. It’s taking far too long. With the resources we allocated they should be back here already. Grand Admiral Thrawn should have gone!”
“Admiral Daala just sent another report. Accordingly the cities have all fallen either in a quick battle or entirely peacefully. The only major casualties are those of the Fleet,” said Micheal.
“Then why the hell is she still there?”
“Something about Emperor Palpatine sir; she mentioned in a report that the Emperor himself had set down on the planet in search of something.”
“Odd,” mused Treize. “I would think the old man would remain on Imperial Center after the last time he left…but then I’m not his mother now am I?”
“No sir.”
“Yes…too bad the old fool never accepted my offer for our medical breakthroughs. Could save his life beyond what his Force powers can do for him.”
“He gave us the answer that-,” started Micheal.
“That there is nothing as absolute as the will of the Force,” finished Treize. “I’m well aware. I only wish there were others who, if he should ever perish again, could take his place more ably. Its hard enough to rule the Galactic Empire alongside Remiel and Palpatine, but can you imagine Vader or Nightshade being in his place? I think I’d prefer Tarkin, at least he’s predictable.”
“Well sir we can always count on ourselves should chaos ensue,” Micheal added in.
“That we can…that we can,” muttered Treize. He glanced back outside his office window and then back to his aide.
“See to it that General Veers arrives on time tomorrow. Even if he is a clone of the original I don’t want that to be an excuse.”
“No sir,” replied Micheal. “I talked to the General only a few hours ago and he understands the importance of this.”
“Good,” smiled Treize. “Because its not every day you get to make history.”