Ask A Different Angle

[Max Dram]

CARTANN CITY, CARTANN PROVINCE, ADUMAR
0800hrs local time​

It had been many years since Max had returned home.

Despite all that had happened to him since he left, he had never forgotten his birth right as an Adumarian or held anything but love and affection for the place that had raised him.

Adumar was a strong world, populated by even stronger people. Living in isolation for many years, Max's ancestors had learned to be self-reliant, resourceful and, where necessary, ruthless. They were masters of combat and the blastsword and his childhood had been one of fights and frustrations, with little that could not be settled by grit and determination.

Now, two decades later, Lieutenant Max Dram studied the holomap in front of him, wondering how he might apply the same zeal to the Adumar of today.

Cartann City was illuminated before him, and beyond it the Perator's Palace. Somewhere inside there, his brother Osca sat the Perator's throne, though they had not spoken in years. Outside, mobs gathered to protest the state of play. One called for a return to the Empire, in whose bosum Adumar had flourished for decades. The other called for outright independence and the abandonment of anything that would stand in the way of trade.

For Max Dram, only one of these choices held promise. The other was the road to ruin. That was the reason he had brought his platoon here and even now readied to face his recalcitrant brother. He had to return his world to the Empire, to the destiny it deserved. The Warmaster had given them the choice, as he had all worlds, but Max's brothers and sisters were at risk of choosing wrongly. One way or another, he had to make them see.

His men busied themselves around him, dressing him in the traditional mantle of a provincial governor. He had held a position of high status in Cartann before joining the Imperial military and he would need to remind the court of that if he was to have any chance of influencing their decision. If they could not be swayed, he was not sure what he would do. Forty men were not enough to take a world, but he could not consciously allow Adumar to slip into obscurity.

"Tell the men to fall in" he said solemnly to his second. "We move out within the hour".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Imperial soldiers were a pain in her ass. Some of them were still stuck in their old ways where they thought aggression got things done faster than subtlety. That mentality got the Empire far in the past when there was an entire war machine to back them. Nowadays their resources were limited and they couldn’t risk open aggression and involvement. Every bit of aggression had to be measured and tactical.

This is why she found herself on a planet she didn’t care about otherwise. The agent was leaning against her speeder, quietly smoking a cigarra. She watched Dram get dolled up to visit his kin after muscling through the sea of protesters no doubt. After observing the platoon for a moment, she finally strode towards them.

The agent was adorned in a stylish attire along with tall heels. For all intents and purposes she looked like a regular, albeit fashionable, civilian. The Imperials eyed her suspiciously, a few of them stepping up towards her. She gave them a polite, fanged smile while flashing a badge.

“Mr. Dram,” She called out, careful not to use his military rank out loud, “A word please.”

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max's head whipped around. It was not often he was called Mr Dram, or pulled him to one side.

The young woman doing the pulling was apparently ISB, though Max was having a hard time believing it. She was anything but inconspicuous, with striking blue eyes and a short little outfit wrapped around her slight frame. There was a sheen to her complexion and he thought he even saw a sharpened tooth or two when she spoke.

He rose reluctantly and walked over to her, not missing the mischievous glances from some of his men. He knew they were pleased and jealous at the same time that he was the first she had spoken to.

"Hopefully a short one" he replied, stepping into the cloud of cigarra smoke rising around her. "I have somewhere to be very soon, Miss...?"

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Alita was unfazed by his reluctance. She waved away the smoke around her, neatly putting the finished cigarra away in a box.

“Just Six,” She said with a polite smile, “I’m afraid I must insist that you do not go through with your plan,” She knew there would be protest, “King Osca is going to decide on neutrality on the word of a new advisor that was appointed shortly before the split. We have reasons to believe this advisor is sympathetic to the Jedi.”

She let that information sink in before she continued, “If you march in right now, all you will do is incite violence and violence is entirely too costly for the Empire,” She looked around at his men, “An alternative proposal would be to stir up some chaos that cannot be traced to you, delay the decision date and allow time for an organic sway of opinions.”

She hoped he could catch her meaning. ISB operated entirely differently than Imperials, and it usually took longer. However, the outcome would be better all along, “I can help us get there.”

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

"Six? They're giving you guys numbers now?". Max might be pushed for time, but something about this woman's stratospheric confidence made him want to mess with her.

Her assessment of the situation was annoyingly detailed and suggested she had done her research. Still, he was not going to be convinced to drop everything that easily. "My brother, the Perator" he said slowly, correcting her terminology "is an entitled fool. How can you be sure what he is going to do, whichever lickspittle is advising him?".

All the hard work bringing Adumar into the Empire had been done by their father, Caius. Osca had inherited the status quo, now broken by the Imperial split. Unless he had received a personality transplant in the last few years, he would be totally ill-equipped to put things right without intervention.

"Don't let the muscles fool you mam, I have no intention of marching in anywhere; merely leading a delegation". No doubt she thought him a crude soldier that was all trigger, no tact, but she was quite wrong. "I know this world, I have history here. I planned to remind my brother and his advisors what Adumar stands to lose, not shoot the place up".

He lowered his voice, feeling it was at least worth getting to the punch. "But if you have an alternative, does it include an actual plan? Or are we just spitballing here?".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

At some point during Dram blabbering at her, she decided she already needed another cigarra. So while he spoke, she retrieved another one and began to smoke. By the time he finished, she turned her and blew out a cloud before calmly looking at him again, “My my, I really hope you have an impressive cock to make up for the piss poor attitude,” She said smoothly while ashing the cigarra.

“I’m sure because it’s my job to be sure,” She said flatly, “This lickspittle has done quite a number on your brother with a tiny waist and ample cleavage,” She added dryly. It would quickly begin to dawn on Max exactly how annoying the situation actually was, “There are even rumors of her formally joining the family.”

She took another drag before glancing over towards the capital, “We can combine our efforts. You can go in and stall your brother and at least get him to hold off making the final decision. In the meantime, I’ll go meet with this advisor and learn the play there and figure out ways to discredit her.”

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Six - like that was her name - stood her ground, which at least earned her his respect.

She gave the impression of knowing her stuff, but she also seemed to think being ISB should be enough in itself for Max to trust her. He would need to see a little more before one equalled the other. Val Varthra was the only ISB agent he had spent any time with and she had vanished into obscurity.

If he had any plans of defending his manhood, or his attitude, they were swept aside by mention of a woman moving in on his brother. The implications were enough to silence him for a moment, long enough for Six to outline her plan.

"Fine" he said, holding her gaze. Her approach was only a partial modification of his own and neither of them could be in two places at once. Besides, if what she said was true, he was even more eager to get going. "Combine our efforts it is".

He turned to go and finalise preparations, briefly looking back at her. "Find as much dirt on the bitch as you can". His family was screwed up enough without an insurgent with an agenda.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Not too much later, Six found herself in a large, ornate room awaiting Seneschal Malina. She was one of several attendants joining a fabric designer that was visiting her to showcase her work. It was a testament to her skills as an agent that Six was able to adopt this identity and sneak in with the group in such short notice.

She and the other ladies were waiting for the Seneschal to arrive in a room with pillows, throws and the smell of incense and essential oils all around. It was all Six could do not to gag, blending in perfectly as yet another painted face in these chambers.

The double doors opened to reveal the woman of the hour as she strode in yawning and as if she owned the place. She was adorned in a low cut top, walking over to take a seat in the center of the room. The fabric seller quickly snapped her fingers and Six got up to retrieve the cloth.

“Just out of control this city,” Seneschal Malina said to her fabric woman, “Can you believe the nerve of the protesters? I always tell Ossy - he needs to have a firm hand with these things. Make an example if you have to,” She huffed.

The sentiment made Six question things. This certainly didn’t sound like someone that would be affiliated with Jedi. Had their initial intel been wrong? What was this woman’s real agenda?

—​

Meanwhile, the Perator was not receiving any visitors at this time. The throne room was closed off to allow him to deliberate. Everyone had presented their cases and he just needed some time to make the final call. Of course, he had no idea that his very own brother was planning a visit…

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

In the end, Max swallowed most of Six's advice, not that he would ever tell her. The Lieutenant took only two men with him to the Perator's Palace, he in the breastplate of a provincial governor, they in local garb that would hide their weapons. There was no concealing his cybernetic arm, but all the better. Let Adumar see how much stronger he had become.

They made it as far as the outer hall before they were stopped by a herald, the guards flanking the throne room watching with interest. "The Perator will hear no more counsel today, sir, if you will please come back another time". The young courtier could not be more than twenty years old and clearly did not recognise Max.

"On the contrary" Max said, looking down sharklike at the herald "he will be pleased to receive his brother, Maximus Dram, after such a very long time apart". It was completely untrue but the herald could not risk making that judgement.

The colour drained from the man's face. "Lord Maximus? But it has been-, no one thought you would-". The herald seemed quite unable to decide what to do and Max seized his chance, striding toward the throne room doors.

As he hoped, the guards too was uncertain how to respond and in no time Max was throwing the doors open and striding in, the herald racing to regain composure.

"His lordship, Maximus Dram, Governor of Dammant Province and Ambassador to the Anaris Empire".

The Anaris Empire? Anaris had been the last Empress, but she was long gone, and Max had never been an ambassador. Were his countrymen so afraid to face new realities? What other lies were they telling themselves?

He strode toward the throne, holding back the sudden emotion rising in his chest. He had not been back here in years. Here, that had once been home.

The look of cold fury on his brother's face would stay with him a long while. Osca was exactly as he remembered, pale, slight and totally unprepared.

"Brother" he smiled, unfurling his arms in greeting "it's been too long. Listen, we need to talk".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

“Oh that looks positively splendid on you,” Six crooned with her honeyed voice, “May I take a photo for reference? We simply must capture this.”

The Seneschal was all too eager to show off, standing in different poses to let Six snap the photos she needed. The fabric lady was busy which allowed Six to assume her phony role without anyone being the wiser. She flashed Malina a smile, bowing before stepping back as some of the other girls brought her snacks.

She politely excused herself to go use the refresher, walking out into the corridor till she found a private alcove. Six uploaded one of the pictures into an ISB database to run facial recognition and scan for potential hits. Within minutes, another operative responded with a profile. Six’s eyes widened.

She was looking at the description of a previously registered Sith Champion based out of Ziost. Cursing to herself, Six brought out her comlink to send the information to Dram.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

His brother did not disappoint him. "You. You should not. be. here". The words were hissed individually and though Max heard the fury in Osca's voice, he knew he would also be battling fear. His sibling put on a brave show nonetheless, shouting "I commanded I was not to be disturbed!" and shooting the herald a look so venomous it might have killed the servant where he stood.

"Yet, you could not have meant blood, your grace" Max said, as if the logic was indisputable. He glanced around at the dozen courtiers clutching anxiously to their silks. "Leave us" he said loudly, challenging one or two to risk his bite over his brother's bark. Max was assuming an authority he did not have and yet gradually they began to shuffle towards the door.

"I am the Perator" Osca said imperiously, rising to his feet. "I give the commands".

"Yes" Max said, taking an obvious step back down the dais and holding his open palms up "you are the Perator brother, quite right". Osca hovered on the spot, uncertain, glancing at the backs of his sycophants as if unsure whether to recall them. But as always, he was too indecisive and the great doors closed behind them before he could act. Only two guards remained, at the far end of the hall.

"I'm sure you have been doing a grand job" Max said, now less concerned about being overheard. "But these are dangerous times, Little O". It was a nickname from their childhood that made a mockery of Osca's stature. "Taking us into the Empire was the best thing Dad ever did. Tell me you're not about to screw up his good work?".

His comm beeped and he pulled the thing from his belt and glanced down. The profile shining up at him was worse than anything he could have imagined. "Who the fuck has been whispering in your ear?".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Korra Tarlin was her name. Sith Champion from Ziost that was an Inquisitor - which would explain her abilities to influence and manipulate. She likely studied under Trelain at some point. There was no information on when she left the Sith or why, but clearly she was settling in just fine.

There was no response from Dram and she hoped he didn’t get into some nonsense with the Perator. Six made her way back towards the chambers to help with the fabric. She wanted to spend as much time around ‘Malina’ as possible.

“Seneschal,” She said warmly, “If you don’t mind me asking - I notice you have a foreign accent. Where are you from originally, my lady?”

Malina giggled and smiled, “Oh I’m from far away. Let’s just say somewhere near the Corporate Sector,” She smiled, drinking from her wine.

“You are truly impressive to have risen this far here,” Six said, buttering up her tone, “I hope you didn’t encounter too much grief for being an outsider.”

Malina’s smile faded slightly. She sipped again from her wine, “It was terrible at first. I was treated horribly!”

“Can I tell you a secret, my lady?” Six asked as she scooted closer to sit next to Malina, “I’m not from here either.”

Malina’s eyes widened. Six nodded, “I’ve just been keeping my head low, my nose clean and doing my work.”

Shared experiences always opened the door.

Dice: 16/20 for working the Sith

—​

Little O.

Even today that name made him bristle. There he was again - his younger brother strutting in unannounced and lecturing him. His jaw tightened, but he let Max speak. The last question drew out an angry glare. He noticed Max asked it right after looking at his comlink.

“Whispering in my ear?” The Perator hissed, “You walk in here unannounced, make a mockery of my title, dismiss my guards and now imply I’m incapable of making my own decisions?” He took a few steps forward, making an effort to appear taller and towering over Max, “Guards, have this man taken to the dungeons!”

The Perator would not stand for being insulted to his face like this.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

In many ways his brother had not changed. However, it seemed his new woman had made some impact on him. The man Max remembered would never have had the spunk to have him arrested.

The guards across the room hurried towards him. Max judged he could take them, but there would be little sense in starting a fight.

"Alright, Osca, be sensible. Think about what you're doing. I'm an Imperial soldier, whatever your choice you'll make enemies if you arrest me". The guards were at his side now, their hands on his shoulders. "I admit, I've been a bit - me - but this is my home, brother. Don't punish me for wanting the best for it".

Imprisoning Max would only cause the Perator problems, he had to see that surely. But the Adumarian had to accept he had been a little cocky and court politics had clearly moved on more than he expected. He needed to give Osca more. "We're not each other's cup of tea" Max said, bristling as the guards took hold "but we're family. I want you on that throne more than anyone else. Let me help you".

He tried not to sound too desperate, despite the imperative Six's information had given him. There was a Sith in the henhouse. He could not be consigned to the dungeon while she got her claws into his world. Speaking of Six, he could only hope she was making progress. As much as it killed him to admit, he could have really done with her tact and strategy right now.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

“No one ever saw my talents for what they were!” Korra wailed, waving around her half empty glass of wine that was splashing everywhere. Six diligently filled up her glass some more. The Seneschal was sobbing profusely, tears streaming down her face. Mascara was running down in dark streaks. She looked like a clown, but this was all working out in Six’s favor.

“Surely the Perator cares for you.”

“Oh Ossy is head over heels,” She said melodramatically, blowing her nose into an expensive piece of fabric, “But he is just so soft. He has no spine. I’m learning his younger brother was the rock. And the better looking one too,” She sighed wistfully, throwing back another drink, “I have this manchild to work with.”

“That sounds hard,” Six said. Max as the desirable sibling? Perhaps something could be worked out with this. Max may be able to manipulate things better. She looked down at her comlink, still wondering why he hadn’t said anything back.

Meanwhile, the clearly superior sibling…

The guards shoved Max into a dark, dank dungeon that was as medieval as they came. There was that cliche sound of a slow drip of water somewhere in the distance. It was cold and dark and there was even a skeleton in the other corner of the cell to show the fate of the last prisoner.

He was left alone with just his thoughts.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

There was no getting away from it. Max had spectacularly miscalculated.

He sat staring at the grimy walls of his cell, wondering just how things had gone so wrong. The Osca he had known would never have imprisoned him. It was a love/hate relationship sure, but his brother had always been too soft to put Max in his place and too frightened to try anyway. Max had always been able to dominate his sibling by playing on those weaknesses. Until now.

Perhaps he had underestimated how much time had changed his brother, or what kind of Perator this Sith insurgent was shaping him to be. However it had happened, Osca had acquired some confidence, which was very bad indeed.

The situation could still be righted, Max was sure. He certainly was not going to sit and rot in one of his family's own cells.

Getting up, he pulled off the silly ceremonial garb, standing bare chested in the cell. He flexed his mechanical left arm, knowing he would need its full range of movement for what he planned.

He knew these dungeons well, remembering how his father had brought them both down here as kids, to laugh and taunt his captured foes. They were old, older even than anyone could remember. The great cell doors was wrought metal, fashioned in a time gone by, but while strong they were also simple. Max eyed the barrel hinges. With the right leverage and the proper application of strength, he was sure he could lift them free.

He crouched down by the cell door, pinning his feet beneath one of the metal rails and setting his cybernetic left elbow against the floor. Grasping the bottom of the cell door, he pushed upwards with all his strength, the servos and hydraulics in the arm pushing beyond his muscle capacity. To his delight, the metal screeched and the door popped free.

His joy was short-lived, as a klaxon sounded and a port on a nearby wall hissed open. Max just had time to see the stun bolt fire before he blacked out, cursing whatever improvements his brother had made.

When he came to, he was now tied to one of the old torture racks in the cells, a killer headache blurring his vision. If Six planned on making a reappearance, now was definitely the time.

@Sreeya

2/20 for escape success

 

[Cipher Six]

She had collected enough intel to put the Sith behind bars. She thought about her options. She could bring the Peacekeepers here, have the woman arrested and try and make the Perator see reason….what were the chances of that succeeding? She doubted this was the first time someone had told him to see reason. She had seen the type - Kings on power trips swayed by the charms of busty women. It always ended the same.

Six had no idea what became of Max, but she kept on her objective. She had managed to lead a very emotional Korra to a high balcony to ‘get some air’. Max had triggered some sort of alarm somewhere, but Six had no idea that was the case. However, it did send nosy palace workers to go investigate. Korra was too drunk and emotional to notice.

“Everybody just thinks I’m the bad guy,” Korra wailed, “I mean, I’m just using the talents I was born with!”

Six had drawn out a cigarra at some point, puffing on it to keep her patience while she listened to this nonsense. It had been almost three hours of tolerating the woman and she finally had her isolated. Six had to make a decision fast.

Korra took a swig from the wine bottle directly, hunched over the balcony. Six eyed her for a moment. It happened in a flash, her Firrerreo strength helping her. Korra’s guard was down, she was drunk and too inebriated to use the Force. Within seconds, there was an abrupt yelp. And that was it.

Six was alone on the balcony, calmly left exhaling a cloud of smoke. She flicked the cigarra away, took a deep breath and exhaled. The influence was gone and now she had to fade away into obscurity. She slipped into the role of yet another nosy worker roaming the corridors before quietly slipping out of the palace. She had to find Dram.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

It seemed to Max that a long time passed, but in the end it was the guards themselves that came and set him free. They let him dress and escorted him back up to the throne room, though they would not say why. Max found himself thrust in front of the throne, once again at his brother's mercy.

He could tell immediately that something had changed. Osca sat upright, with his lips pressed together in an show of strength, but his eyes were red and he looked like he had been crying.

"My fiancé is dead" the Perator said, clearly studying his reaction. Max was genuinely surprised, which seemed to disappoint him.

"I am so sorry, brother" he offered, genuinely sorry for Osca's pain despite their differences. "How-"

"An accident" the Perator said "or perhaps suicide". He looked down at the thought of that. "I would blame you, if you had not been locked in the dungeons all this time". Max could see his sibling found the timing difficult to swallow, but knew in his heart that Max was not to blame.

"Osca" Max said earnestly "I only came to talk, to support you". He tried to put whatever Six might have done out of his mind, not that anyone could read his thoughts.

"Perhaps, but you go about it all wrong". The Perator looked genuinely conflicted. "I'm alone now and I have no appetite for anything, including new horizons. We will likely need Imperial troops to keep order anyway when this gets out". He did not say Adumar would rejoin the Empire, but his leaning was clear. "But I can't trust you, brother. Not yet. Just go, come back in a few seasons, when time has healed what it can".

Max almost found himself regretting the wound they had dealt here as he was led away, but he knew it had been necessary. However Six had managed it, she had saved Adumar from the brink of ruin.

He was out of the palace and nearly all the way back at their field base when he saw the fabric attendant striding ahead of him, familiar black hair bobbing ahead of cigarra smoke. "I think we have a different definition of discredit" he said quietly, drawing close. "But well done".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

It was only after it was all over that Six learned that Dram had spent almost that entire timed locked up. She didn’t know whether to be furious or entertained, and she landed somewhere in between. He had none of the context she had been sending him. Nevertheless, they were able to connect again once out of the palace.

Six slipped into the role of a local easily enough, and she played along with all the fuss about the death of the Seneschal. She slowed when she heard his voice, only coming to a stop when they were well out of the palace’s perimeters.

“She was a Sith,” She said at last, glancing over towards the palace, “This could have gone a lot worse than it did,” Six didn’t trust Force users. She knew well a long history of being subjected to the whims of Sith, her entire family did, “Let’s just hope she was operating alone.”

She eyed him curiously, “What will you do now?” There was a slight tone of suspicion. She half worried he would stir the pot even more and cause unnecessary drama. She didn’t even bother asking how he managed to get himself on a torture rack.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

So he had not misread the intel she had sent through. The Sith were supposed to be on their knees and yet they had the reach to plant people on neutral worlds like Adumar, far from their traditional areas of strength. It was extremely concerning.

"Maybe" he replied, his usual confidence slightly knocked. He had misjudged the state of play here, on his homeworld of all places, and he was not about to tell Six she was wrong. "We'll soon find out". He had little doubt she and her cronies would keep their eye on developments here. If the sultry Sith had accomplices, they would likely be identified before they got into his brother's bed this time.

The question about his next move caught him a little off guard and he was not entirely sure of her motives. "Get back out there" he said with finality. Coming back to his home had made him realise just how much they had grown apart. "This stuff is not exactly my strong suit" he conceded "and it doesn't need to be when we have folks like you". He genuinely respected the woman's obvious skill. "I'm better out front, reminding our enemies we have still got our punch as well as precision".

He caught sight of the men and motioned to them to start making ready to leave. "Maybe I'll see you on the front line sometime" he joked. He highly doubted an agent like Six would step out of the shadows often, but everyone in the new Empire had to be versatile. Never say never.

@Sreeya