Commodore Aaron Rysell sat in his quarters onboard the 'Leviathan', his eyes wandering over a new report on the Fleet. It was now slowly moving towards the Narra Sector, under the command of Vahn Krennel, the Captain of Victory-II-class Star Destroyer 'The Relentless', and the most senior Captain under Aaron.
The year was now 3ABY, or 22 AFE. Rebel activity was gathering up in every corner of the world, and Aaron Rysell felt time slowly choking him. He knew very well that as it stood right now, he could never survive the aftermath of Endor on his own.
It had taken him a long time to decide on a way forward, but eventually he had came up with a decision. And that decision was none other than the Minos Sector. It had been a decision driven by sheer logical planning, and some use of Imperial Intelligence.
The Minos Sector was the home to a massive asteroid field, one of the largest in the Galaxy. Alongside a few overpopulated planets that suffer from Imperial neglect, and by Aaron seizing those asteroid fields and using the funds to develop the rest of the planets.
Well, he could build a sizeable enough economy to keep his current fleet and eventual expansions. Aaron had already developed two dozen plans for how to develop the sector that was second furthest down the Rimma Trade Route, as it was quite rudimentary and a leader that knew the possibilities of this Galaxy? That was who Aaron thought they needed, aka him.
But of course, there were difficulties with acquiring said sector. The first and foremost was the fact that it was defended by half a dozen Imperial Star Destroyers, with support ships to almost equal 2 Star Destroyers in sheer firepower.
And that is not to mention the starfighter disadvantage he'd be at, and the fact that with his current fleet he would find it difficult to suppress that sector, while also providing sufficient defenses in a period where various Warlords around the world would be scoping for weakness.
He had many solutions for this problem, including raiding, bribing, blackmailing, and other solutions. But the simplest, best, yet also the most difficult. It was to simply place a Moff of his own in charge of the sector, though that was of course not the simplest of tasks.
'In enters one Jared Vance,' Aaron thought; he was a colleague of his at the Imperial Naval Academy, not because Jared needed a job in the Imperial Navy. But rather because he felt it would aid in his task of being an Imperial Governor. As he had completed the Imperial College of Governance two years early, and therefore just took 2 years in the Navy.
He was one of the few who could compete with Aaron in terms of intelligence and debates, which is how they had found interest in one another. And Aaron had followed Jared's career since that day, even assisting with a few intelligence reports here and there.
He had been given Governance of Anx Minor, a very backwater planet filled with mud and nothing else. Barely worth Imperial Presence, but because of an Jedi Execution there once. They had decided to maintain one, though they barely had any forces there. A single squad of stormtroopers and a few hundred Imperial Army enlistees.
Jared had spent 2 years building on the planet, turning the planet, generating negatives for the Empire, into a positive. Becoming a surplus in the Empire's books, not that he gained much recognition from that.
But when a durasteel mine was found there, Jared was quick to employ the locals and rapidly extract materials. Using that income to further the planet, develop infrastructure and it was on a fast track to become independent. When a pirate fleet had arrived, dispatching the single Consular-Class Frigate in orbit, before preparing a land force to seize the mine.
Jared had been ingenious, making the locals fake a 'usurpation '. Arresting Jared and handing them over to the pirates, as intelligence he had asked me for. This special Captain enjoyed showing he was Boss, so in a calculated move he predicted a public execution. And landing his Cumulus-Class Corsair, he took all his pirates to the Imperial Base.
Preparing an execution of 200 Imperial Army Operatives and the local Governor. But it was all cut short as loyalist militia, the Stormtroopers and remaining Army Troopers revealed themselves. The Stormtroopers rapidly took down any threat to the Governor. While the Army Troopers cleared the town of pirates. With the assistance of 2000 militia armed with weapons Jared had bought.
Their Cumulus-Class Corvette was also captured, and now served as the flagship of the planetary defense. And Jared had achieved enough to be eligible for a promotion, and Aaron planned to send that promotion straight into the Minos Sector.
Rysell knew he could most likely contact Grand Admiral Antilles and have his connections get Jared placed as the Moff of the Minos Sector, so his task now. Was to get Grand Moff Varek Cassiar of the 19th Oversector to choose the Minos Moff to replace the Koradin Moff that would soon be convicted.
Either Rysell had to somehow generate a relationship between the pair that was friendly enough for Grand Moff Varek to choose the Minos Moff to replace the Koradin Moff out of his own volition, or Rysell had to find a way to 'convince' him, whether that was friendly or not, Aaron did not know.
'It is quite annoying to have to switch from just defeating rebels, to now defeating Imperials without them knowing they are defeated.' Aaron thought with a sigh, reminiscing about the good old days when he commanded the 'Hound'.
Now he had to handle Grand Moffs, Grand Admirals, Moff's, and other ambitious individuals that in some way were preventing the successful outplay of Aaron Rysell's plans. All the while having to complete missions from I.I, the Admirality, and various Moff's across the galaxy.
And now, he found himself in the middle of a massive ongoing investigation into one Moff, and his almost certainty of wasting Imperial funds, enriching himself, and grossly undercaring for his subordinates and their worlds.
Most Imperials would not care for that last charge, but it was still one of them. And honestly, the termination of 7 billion lives was without a doubt a charge that would force even the cruelest of Imperial Officers and bureaucrats to face the truth of it.
....
"What the fuck do you mean we've gotten caught by I.I?" Moff Cassian Thrunn roared, as the Stormtroopers on guard inside the room tensed up, watching their superior sweat bricks and scream at a holographic display.
"It is not a difficult matter to understand, Moff. You've been reckless, and you have been caught. You must do the cleanup now, make the case against you as difficult as possible. And with a little support, we may escape it all without being caught." The holographic display spoke calmly, but sheer rage took over Thrunn.
"And what about my rank, huh? I am a Moff for karf's sake, not some lowlife Governor that can be handled by fucking Imperial Intelligence." Cassian roared, whilst the hologram remained silent. Before Cassian began thinking.
"You have connections in the ISB, correct? Get them to take over the case, they can free us both." Thrunn spoke, his chest puffing out as if he'd found some great scheme. All the while, the holographic display remained silent.
"I always knew greed would be the end of this, but to think you'd be a buffoon at the same time. Moff Cassian Thrunn, Imperial Intelligence has risen once more and surpassed the ISB in some matters. For the ISB to take charge of this would require immense political influence. Which they would not be interested in spending for you." He said, as Thrunn turned to him. Greatly offended.
"What do you mean, not important enough? I let your superiors 'loan' the populations of my city, to brainwash children, your dreadful experiments, or that virus of yours that exterminated that planet. Do you not remember?" He spit, as the guards became increasingly worried for their lives. They were privy to a lot, but this was a whole different level.
"You ought to watch your mouth, Moff; you've enriched yourself through those projects, our favor, and our secrecy. Do as I say, and you will still hold onto your liquid wealth and live in filthy luxury for the rest of the days, and mayhaps even be given another position in the Imperial Hierarchy." The hologram spoke, before continuing.
"I have sent you an Agent; let him handle the cleanup and you may walk from this free. Do not, and we will need other measures to ensure you keep your mouth shut. And remember; there is nowhere we cannot get to you."
Thrunn eventually sighed, as he nodded. "Very well, I shall comply. But make sure that you keep your word, or I will not hesitate to bring you down with me."
And with that, the Holographic Display shut down. And the room went silent once more, as the Moff leaned back into his chair. His eyes turned briefly towards the pair of guards, until he recognised them as his faithful bodyguards, whom had been with him in this whole scheme.
"Contact Governor Sverre, and let him know that I want five of his finest prostitutes in my cabins by the hour. And make sure nobody bothers me; I need to relax a bit." He spoke as he stood up and made his way out of the room, the stench from the man's sweat hitting the guards as he passed them.
The pair looked at each other for a moment; both of them knew what went through their comrade's mind. And it was definitely something along the lines of 'We are fucking screwed'.
But eventually they followed their VIP, regretting the day they were assigned as this specific Moff's personal protection duty.
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