Interlude I: Conspirators
Story by Nakhi on SoFurry
I rewrote this part because I wasn't happy with it before. It will lead into the next part while elaborating on some of the 'present day' goings on in the background of the story. The interlude however is acting as a split between the first part and the second part of the story, while also adding some plot points that will be expanded upon in other stories and later in this one.
Interlude I: Conspirators
**Culminations 15, 994 Imperial Standard Year
Haroma System, Haroma III
Darkmire Mountains, Frostfall Palace**
As night fell, Isaiah had sent Sasha away. She got the recording of the Remnora War, at least. With that much, Isaiah told her that she could stay in one of the palace guest rooms and they'd talk more tomorrow. He'd have to delve into the first events of the Insurrection, and it wasn't something he looked forward to, let alone had time to do this evening. It would take days, at least, to truly cover it all. A lot of it was never written in the history books, on Isaiah's order, to put up a façade of truth that no one would question to mask the much more brutal truth. Perhaps he'd keep it in place regardless.
Even as the suns set, Isaiah stayed at his desk. He wasn't in a rush to get to dinner to deal with his wife, and he wasn't in a rush to meet with Marshal Trovato quite yet. The two of them had a lot of information to review, and it was safer to wait until he was escorted up before actually discussing or hinting at anything. Isaiah's wife had spies and bugs everywhere, and the less she knew the longer he'd live. He knew all too well that she was planning something, if only because she never got a mindshield implant to read her was easier than reading even a child's book.
The hours passed before Marshal Trovato stepped into the office. With him arriving, Isaiah stood up from his desk and with a thought solidified his hold on the Marshal. Many years ago Isaiah had purged the Marshal's personality and memories - an incredibly illegal act, but no one would ever accuse him of such and there'd never be proof either - and installed one that was absolutely loyal to him. It was fitting, given the Marshal is a lupine.
A slight, almost unnoticeable twitch in the Marshal told Isaiah that he had complete control again. Satisfied, Isaiah walked down the stairs and activated his battle computer with a thought. Before he reached it, the computer had loaded the strategic map of the Empire, with several army groups and fleets highlighted along with the battleplans that Isaiah and the Marshal drew up months ago. Various divisions were deployed weeks ago to their locations across the Empire with orders to standby. Operational security has, so far, remained intact since Isaiah hasn't been arrested.
"Is anyone aware of what we're planning?" Isaiah asked.
"No sir." Trovato said. "They believe these are simple reassignments. The generals are unaware, and it will remain that way unless you say otherwise."
"Good. Leave it that way." Isaiah said while he walked around the computer and looked at the hologram. "We've had problems with the 4th Fleet before." Isaiah said as he selected the deployments of the whole of the 4th Fleet across the Terminus region. The 4th Fleet was the first fleet to turn against the Empire during the Insurrection. "The admiral is loyal, right?"
"Of course sir." Trovato said. "I replaced the Remnoran in command there, citing incompetence. It's partially true, and no one will look into it any further."
"Good. What of the program on Gnatha?" Isaiah asked. "You said it had some trouble. What now?"
Gnatha had been the site of a Niquthana infestation caused by the Remnoran rebels when the Empire returned to liberate the planet. Isaiah remembered all too well as his forces were slaughtered there and only a handful were evacuated before the urban areas were glassed and the Marines cleaned up the countryside. To institute a government change on the planet, Isaiah intends to cause another outbreak, but this time better controlled and quickly handled by the Army forces to accuse the Remnoran governor of being incapable of defending the planet and removing him from power.
"Several specimens have been bred and outfit with the control systems. On your order the program can start the infiltrations." Trovato said.
"Good." Isaiah repeated. "As a whole, when can we launch? What's your best estimate at least?"
"I believe it will be ready to go in as early as two weeks." Trovato said. "I think a month would be the best, as it allows for unexpected delays."
"I'll take that under advisement." Isaiah said.
"I hate to speak out of turn, but any delays could risk the plan being detected." Trovato said. That got Isaiah's attention. "The Senate's armed forces committee has started an inquiry into the redeployments. I've kept them at bay for now."
Isaiah was afraid of that happening. Among everything that could go wrong, that was the worst possible scenario. Senator Robert Origenes, Isaiah's nephew, heads the armed forces committee and the Senator's father - Isaiah's brother in law - is also the Grand Duke and head of House Origenes. While normally loyal, Isaiah has had to question that loyalty of late in private. This may be yet more proof of the Origenes family attempting to undermine him. They're the only other family with a claim to the Imperial throne, though it's a weak one.
"I'll handle them. Thank you for bringing that to my attention." Isaiah said, masking his frustration. Handling it would likely mean a subtle smear campaign and funding the opposition in the upcoming election. Family didn't often wage political war against family, but this was important. "I suppose that's what I needed to know. Now, what I want to know is if you're still in support of this." For this, Isaiah released his control on Trovato just a bit.
"I presume I can speak freely sir." Trovato said. Isaiah nodded. "I think this operation is extremely complex and there's a lot to go into it. We've planned this for years, and we're in the final stage. There's a lot of variables, and a lot can go wrong. My chief concern is what happens if, for some reason, the operation fails and the final outcome isn't achieved?"
"Then we cast blame down onto the colonels and captains, relieve senior admirals and generals that might have supported a coup from command, and go from there. If it fails, we can paint it as another Remnoran rebellion and we may yet accomplish our aims." Isaiah said. "It is a complex plan, but it must be done. I know you're a Novus, and not like the normal Remnorans. I know your loyalties lie with the Empire and with me. If this goes wrong, we will both weather the storm. If it goes right, then we restore the Empire. Death to the ASE, glory to Haroma."
That, in the end, Isaiah's great plan. The Anean Star Empire, as it exists, to Isaiah is a shell of itself. Broken in spirit by the Insurrection, supporting a rebellious section of its populace in the interest of preserving the peace, a monarch with traditionally absolute power but not the constitutional right to execute it, and a Senate that is increasingly Remnoran dominated and with that comes the legislative move away from the Empire's core values of unity between species. In Isaiah's mind, it's unacceptable.
To Isaiah, the Anean Star Empire is a tarnished name. Before the integration of the Remnorans, the unification, and change in the name of the Empire, it was the Second Haromian Empire. It showed who was in true command, even if other species could work their way into the highest halls of power. Now the Anean Star Empire has allowed anyone into the power even if they don't deserve it. A reformation and the establishment of the Third Haromian Empire would be what the Empire needs to become, once again, a superpower among the stars. And to accomplish that, Isaiah will remove all Remnorans from governor positions and from the Senate as punishment for their crimes. It may be harsh, but it would be the only way to safeguard the nation.
"I agree sir." Trovato said. "This is just worrying, as I am sure you understand."
"I do. I truly do." Isaiah said. "But have faith in me and we will prevail. If that's all, we'll speak next week about this."
Trovato snapped to attention and saluted Isaiah. "Yes sir." With that, Trovato left the office, leaving Isaiah looking at the map.
'Plenty of Remnorans paid the price for the Insurrection. Plenty of Haromians died as well.' Isaiah thought to himself as he looked over all of the deployments. 'What's a few more in the name of progress?'
Isaiah shut down his computer and cleared that simulation for the time being. Trovato would update the file before he arrives next week. With the computer off and the office empty, Isaiah dimmed the lights with a thought and walked up to his windows. As night fell, he could see the lights of the village in the valley below. He knew this village; it is mostly Haromian. Those that lived there are loyal to the Empire. They lived in the shadow of the Emperor's palace after all. But other than the proximity, they rarely were bothered by Isaiah's household troops and the guards. In a few weeks though, a group of Remnoran loyalists will strike that village and lay waste to it. Such was the plan. That village, like so many, would be expended to enflame public opinion. Yet, knowing that small, peaceful village would be destroyed by Isaiah's machinations, he felt no pity or regret for the plan.
**Culminations 16
Frostfall Palace, Lower Gardens**
Isaiah had chosen a new place to meet Sasha today. Instead of his upper office, Isaiah decided that the lower gardens of the Palace would be better. Situated outside the perimeter walls of the Palace, the lower gardens are a far less ornate version of the Imperial Palace's grounds, and not planned out much beyond the few roads that branch off through the gardens. Isaiah choice of place was a place he spent far too much time at as a child. Years ago, he was shocked it survived the occupation of Haroma.
A marble gazebo, surrounded by several of the great darkwoods imported from Haroma's greater temperate jungles, had been a typical place found himself while growing up at Frostfall. Even when he was younger, he found the gazebo and the area around it to be unusually peaceful compared to the rest of the gardens. He usually worked here, where he could, before joining the Army. Even after the war, having found it intact, Isaiah did some work out here. While he didn't expect a Remnoran to get the same feeling, he still felt it would be a better place than his office to talk about some of the early trials that he had faced. In the center of the gazebo sat a marble table with marble benches.
The two had heavy coats on, as the winter's mountain wind blew through the trees, though not nearly as strong as it would have been in the open. It still made the area cold. Isaiah wore his army winter greatcoat, still with his old colonel insignias on the shoulders and the other markings of the Drop Troopers, but also the markings of the also defunct 1st Shock Army. That didn't draw any preemptive questions.
"Are we really going to be out here?" Sasha asked.
"You have fur. You'll survive." Isaiah said. While the remark is insensitive, given that the Remnorans are native to a jungle world and Haromians are native to this colder planet, it still had some validity. "We left off with the return to Haroma, correct?"
"Yes sir." Sasha said as she placed the recorder on the table at the center of the gazebo. She pressed the play button after Isaiah stayed quiet for a short time. "So what happened after that?"
"Recuperation, first and foremost. Then I got called in an odd assignment." Isaiah said. This time Sasha stayed quiet, waiting on Isaiah to continue. "Gracaria-Nordavic Federal Penitentiary had riots ongoing for a few days at that point. The police failed to quell the riot. The military was called in."
"I think I heard about this." Sasha said.
"The watered down version." Isaiah said. "The 'official' story is the military made everyone stand down. Technically true. So let me start on the transport..."