Ask Raxus New Duty Acclimation

[Varyn Atrix]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

Varyn was in the temporary training quarters on Raxus as he usually was.

Up until recently, it had still been his home and a place that he could unwind. These days, though, since he accepted the promotion, being here was just a constant reminder of the work he needed to do. Among that work was finding a new place for the Imperial Knights.

He took a seat at one of the tables in the officer's mess, sitting in the far corner and nursing his caf with his datapad in hand. He needed to find funding for new equipment and training facility upgrades, but that was easier said than done. The Imperial Knights were already spread thin, and their funding was just as thin.

He let the datapad fall onto the table and took another large gulp of his caf. He supposed he should start going to look at some of these new facilities that were possibilities. He was just standing to his feet to get another cup of caf when Kalique came in.

Hey, how's it going? he asked as he refilled his cup.

 

[Kalique Baize]

Ever since Kalique had started to train a whole bunch of squires, her already busy life had gotten even busier. Laila Din was perhaps the most challenging one to mentor so far, Cassir didn't need much more as he was already relatively far with his training and for Rhiannon she had developed a whole training routine to implement in order to keep her on the right track.

Still, before she got so involved with the new generations of new Knights, she hadn't thought it would be so rewarding. Surely, it was also a challenge, but Kalique had always loved those and it felt great to know she was helping the New Order by shaping the Knights to come in order to solidify their newly emerged corps and especially its foundation.

She was done with her duties for today and as the day had been long and relatively exhausting, she was looking forward to a night off. She had already gotten rid of her armor and was in her uniform, however both lightsabers at her hip. With the attacks on Raxus, they could never truly let their guard and there was still a lot to investigate, however those thoughts were immediately interrupted as she suddenly heard a familiar voice adressing her.

"Oh! Hey Va-" she stopped right away, her head immediately dropping into a respectful inclination as she remembered that she hadn't even gotten the chance to talk to him yet after the most recent promotion. An apologetic, slightly sheepish smile was planted at her lips, a little embarrassed by how she hadn't immediately reacted appropriately.

"Lord Commander" she met his gaze, "Congratulations on your well deserved promotion". How long had they been without Wodan? It felt like ages...Varyn had jumped in for quite some time, but it was nice to know it had now been made official even if Kalique still wondered about Wodan's whereabouts.

"It's going fine...just busy. Training squires is quite time-consuming, but very interesting" she added, answering his initial question. He was now no longer her equal, but an official superior, and as a woman of the military, she obviously respected him as such, which however meant her tone was a little different. "Has everything gone smoothly with your transition, Sir?". It felt weird adressig him like this, but she was following protocol regardless of their last much more lighthearted encounters unless he told her otherwise.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn probably wouldn't have even noticed the slip up in title if she hadn't corrected herself.

Thank you, he said with a smile. He wasn't entirely sure that he was ready for the role, but it was here whether he was ready or not.

You like being a training officer? he asked. He had always wanted to be a blademaster in the Sith academies, but the Force had had different plans for him. Now, he was in a very different position, but had had the opportunity to train some of the up-and-coming Knights himself.

Eh, no need for all the formalities right now, he waved a hand to dismiss them. Protocol had a time and place on the battlefield, but this wasn't that.

It's been a transition. On the bright side, being the interim let me get a feel for the job a bit, he said.

Speaking of training officers, I'm going to head out to put the final inspection on our new base of operations: barracks, training centers, etc. If you're interested in getting a first look, you're welcome to come, he said. It was an invitation rather than an order, but as it turned out, he needed to get going if he was going to make his meeting on time.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

He seemed to take the slip up lightly and so a smile crossed her lips as he replied. "I do...truly more than I expected" she truthfully replied. She still loved doing outside missions and the parts of her job that were concerned with the actual law enforcement and protection of the citizen, but leading training was a nice twist.

He waved off the formalities and she had no issues with doing so as she had literally adressed him different a few weeks ago. "I bet...you've been doing a great job as acting Lord Commander up until then though and I'm certain you'll continue to do so now that you're officially in the position".

She still believed he had massive amounts of paper work ahead of him now and having all this responsibility came with obvious disadvantages as well, but he was surely up to the task. Also, being in such leading positions also meant delegating was possible and so he wasn't there all on his own.

"Ohh" she remarked in delight as he outlined what he was about to do and invited her to come along. "Absolutely! I'd love that". She was indeed happy to get a preview about their new quarters after what had happened at the castle and perhaps they could generally discuss how things were and what was up on the immediate future.

She thus followed him outside and they then immediately made their way towards the new place. "I've noticed the mood was finally improving within the ranks of the Knights" the attack had been a surprise and there had been a few struggles on many fronts, but the over all atmosphere was finally getting more relaxed.

"The new headquarters will probably lighten the mood further". She was also convinced it would raise the spirits further and was excited for this first glance at it as well. "Are you happy with the new arrangements?".

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn hoped he'd do the job well enough. He couldn't help but think back to what Six had told him about the best people for the position being the most reluctant. He hoped that was the case here. He had many skills, but this didn't seem like one of them.

He pushed the uncertainty from his mind largely because he had the role now, and that meant he would do it and well.

Yeah, I think things are starting to hit a bit of a groove, though the loss of Wiley and Aadya will be bad, he said. They were two of the more veteran Knights, and now they were both gone. At least Astrid would be coming back, but after a great deal of therapy.

Still, I think things are on the upswing as a whole, he said. The next step, of course, would be trying to get themselves on better footing with the IAF, but he suspected that may not come for a decade. Though Astrid's sacrificing a limb to save General Dram was certainly a step in the right direction.

He started walking as they spoke about the new facility, and nodded in response to her question.

Yes, quite, actually, he said. The compound is just on the outskirts of the city here with training facilities and barracks plus most everything else we'll need to run the Knights for the time being. And more with lots of room to expand in the future as needed, he said.

He took stairs up to the roof, and climbed into a small shuttle at the top, settling into the pilot's seat and beginning to flick buttons and switches to power up. The whirr of the engines vibrated through the entire transport, and he strapped in to prepare for takeoff.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The losses...yes, they obviously hadn't left her mind, but she had still tried to look into the future. They had fought bravely and their service would never be forgotten, but even if their losses hadn't been in vain, their deaths laid heavy on all of their chests.

"Yes...definitely. It's still a little hard to believe they're gone". Maybe only she felt this way, but sometimes she simply expected them to walk in those halls again. She hadn't been particularly close with either of them, but they had been important members of their order.

Maybe he still had a point as Dathomir could, despite all losses, be count as an Imperial victory, even if it didn't feel like one just yet. Maybe it would rise the overall mood...especially once they'd be moved into the new premises. Maybe she was simply hoping it would be.

They moved through the center before they began ascending the stairs up to the roof. "That does sound great" a genuine smile tugged at her lips as their conversation shifted towards the new compound and having space to expand sounded very promising.

"I feel like we'll be receiving more initiates in the near future...now that we're gaining a solid footing as the New Order and slowly working on our Galactic reputation, I'm sure many will be interested". They were transitioning quickly and had already developed training programs for the squires and finally, there was much more order setting in.

"What about security measures in the new compound?" she wondered, remembering the assault on the castle. If they were on the outskirts, their less central position would come with countless perks, however they'd be more in the open as well.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

It was easy to become lost in the losses of Dathomir. Not just the Imperial Knights, but the IAF troopers as well. As a member of the Inquest, Varyn had reviewed the information on the battle extensively, and had seen the thousands of troops that were lost. Of course, his focus was on his own troops, but he grieved for the entire army. He was, however, glad that his friend had survived.

Yeah, he agreed. But they were gone. Nothing he could do about it now except honor their memory and do the most with the remainder of his own life. He wondered if he could have made things turn out differently if he'd been there, but he knew that was a foolish and dangerous line of thought. One from which there was no coming back if you let it take too tight of a hold.

Pressure will be on us even more as we go forward, he said. We've gotta stay entirely above reproach, he said. So many people still saw them as Sith in new armor. It was wrong, but most people didn't understand any of the intricacies of Force-using Orders.

He pulled back on the controls, taking off into the low atmosphere and heading off in the direction of the facility.

That'll be one of the final touches: sorting through the finalized security systems, he said, meaning they could both help decide about how to prevent another castle-burning incident.

The trip took only a few minutes, and that was idea. Not too far away from the rest of the military or the capital. Imperial Knights always accessible.

He guided the ship in to one of the landing platforms and set it down smoothly. He was once again amazed at how beautiful it was, and he couldn't wait to get moved in to the new location.

Whadda ya think? he asked as he unbuckled from the seat and headed for the exit.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Despite the hits they had all recently taken, there was much hope in the future. Trust was slowly growing and even if it would take years to work through this all, she was generally hopeful. He still had a point, because every tiniest slip could be fatal and so they all had to be careful about what to do.

"Have you ever explained what it feels like to be able to command the Force like we do to someone who can't?" she asked him, not just curious about whether he actually had, but mostly because she had discovered that such a form of enlightenment was often very helpful to clear up common misconception and, frankly speaking, to alleviate fears of those who viewed Force sensitivity as witchcraft.

It was normally a slightly philosophical debate, but it was as interesting as it was helpful. Everything was connected to the Force and that was something most failed to grasp. They couldn't expect Imperial soldiers to simply trust into the allegedly invisible powers they had, but sharing what it feelt like, what it meant to use those powers for the Empire and to dedicate oneself to the Empire, not to the Force, was something that needed clarification.

Their flight was relatively short and Kalique's gaze flicked over as he talked about the security measures. So they hadn't fully settled on this, but she was grateful for the opportunity to take a look at it as well. "A thought recently crossed my mind...we still have the ISB monitoring us, but perhaps we also need to establish a system to supervise what they can't".

As Imperial Knights, they all kept walking a thin line and while she wasn't keen on creating a surveillance stand, she still held the conviction that in order to fully dedicate oneself to the Empire, you had to invest countless of efforts to resist the allure of the dark side to such an extent and not everyone was as compassionate to their new course. While training squires, she still had the reins in her hand to some extent, but who ensured that Knights would then fully stay true to their course?

As they moved in from above, she already gained a view on the whole premises - everything that was already built and all the space around that could still be used - and was more than pleased to see all the possibilities they had. The compound was truly in a prime position and a warm smile was immediately planted on her lips as she alighted.

"Okay wow...that is...amazing" she was perhaps even a little speechless as she walked towards the end of the landing platform, taking in everything for a moment before she turned back to Varyn. "That's truly beautiful". She was literally excited to take a closer look around and to move here soon and she believed the whole Order would be happy to see it. "We have so much space...so many options" this was fantastic news and she was already moving towards the lift, excited to explore what else the place had to offer.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Most people don't ask, he said with a shrug. Maybe that didn't mean it wasn't his responsibility to tell them, but he could only baby people so much. That was part of the reason why the Empire was necessary: people weren't wise enough to make their own, proper decisions.

And even if we did, one or two people? That'd never reach a fraction of those in the galaxy, he said. Maybe they needed educational videos, but somehow, he had a feeling that wouldn't help. Things sometimes improved when you finally met someone of of the opposite group and put a name to the faceless organization, but he had his doubts.

What about you? he asked. He assumed she had a fitting story since she'd brought it up, but perhaps not.

You have something in mind? he asked. He wasn't in favor of spying on the other Knights, but he also knew that if there was a problem, he wanted to have it dealt with before ISB even got wind of it. That was the only way they would regain trust.

Yeah, he said with a smile as they looked out over the compound. It's obviously been in the works for a while, and it's pretty amazing. I'm very excited, he said.

That's the training and fitness center, he said, pointing off to the long building that was the largest of those here. Across from the training center are the classrooms and workspaces. Right next to us here is the HQ/command building and officer's barracks, and then the main barracks and mess hall are right along the river. Connected to each other by an underground tunnel, he said. It was really quite spectacular.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Her answer didn't surprise her a lot. She had made the same experience over and over again, but it was one of the very reasons why trust was still so frail. "It's a multiplying factor in my experience" she replied, as that had been also why she had brought it up.

They couldn't tell everyone, obviously, but they had to start somewhere. "In my missions where close work with the IAFs was required, I learned that reserves mellow easily when they see what we are actually doing and when we are not shying away from explaining how this all works for us", she explained.

"I believe that if we try our best to build a real connection to the IAFs superior ranks, we can actually solidify our reputation. Working side by sides helps a lot...some even struggle with a fear of contact it seems, and that can be overcome rather easily" the Knights were often a missing puzzle piece that could support the Imperial troops with by supplementing what they were lacking.

In terms of the supervision issue, she had a few ideas, but nothing truly solid. "I was thinking about a peer correction program of some sort...develop actual guidelines and act accordingly. The ISB is gathering intel on the down low, but what if we'd try something more upfront?" she suggested, raising a brow.

"It takes those sensitive to the Force to pick up the subtle nuances that can lead to further issues...I was considering the possibility of having a rotating system for training where those of Knight ranks and upwards have to complete certain training blocks with changing partners that will not only help strengthen the bonds between members of the New Order and get to know each other, but also ensures that corrections can be made at all time from different sides" it was based on the principle of how two pairs of eyes saw more than one and it would be a rather low-threshold measure that could still be very efficient, because everyone would basically monitor everyone to some extent. It was just an idea, but it was definitely in their interest to come up with something that would ensure that Imperial Knights followed their principles correctly.

As for the compound, Kalique was truly more than excited to go check it out. Her gaze followed to where he pointed and she couldn't deny that the forest and the river both brought about even more charme. "That's simply amazing...and well thought out. How many Knights can it accommodate in total?". They were at the very beginning of building up the order, but someday they surely expand to other locations, especially now that the Empire was regaining strength and influence. "Can we go check out the training center first?" she asked, a smirk crossing her lips.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn listened to what she said, and pondered it for a moment as they started walking off toward the training facility. He knew from conversations with the other ranking members of the Empire that there was great hesitation in the Imperial Knights having any command responsibility, and some of those fears had been proven correct. He hoped they could break that mold in time, but it would take time.

Hmm, I don't know. And what would they teach in these programs? he asked. Ideally, the Knights would be better prepared during training so that once they graduated they weren't needing to be policed anymore. And if they needed to be policed then they probably needed to be removed from the Knights.

I feel like it would be more beneficial to get the IAF exposure to us. Maybe temporary transfer of command to external units. Getting them used to being around the Knights and giving them the opportunity to understand us. Like you said, he said. He thought she hit the nail on the head with her first comment.

It should house all of the Knights we currently have, he said. More facility expansions will probably need to be undertaken still, he said. Their numbers would hopefully still grow, after all.

He hit the control of the door to the training facility and it slid open. Inside, walls were currently in place that could be put up or down depending on need to make a single, large room or many, smaller rooms for personal training.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Regardless of how amazing the new compound was, it seemed like there was still a lot that needed to be done or decided. Despite their engaged conversation though, her emerald gaze took in all the details that slowly emerged while they were crossing the first part of the premises.

"I mean I'm just drafting ideas, but when Squires get promoted to their Knight ranks, I feel like leaving it completely out of control could escalate. Surely you deserve the right to take on much more responsibility, but I feel like a buddy system could potentially help to keep everyone on track" she mused as she followed him towards the training center.

"I was thinking definitely Force training...maybe decision making and subtle psychological testing. Low-treshhold measures that offer some kind of control", she shrugged, simply giving him some ideas to ponder on. "But yes. Absolutely agreed. Learning to work side by side is a great step into the right direction" this idea she definitely fully agreed with.

She nodded as he explained the barracks were big enough to house the existing Knights, yet it was good that the area offered enough expansion opportunities for the future. "In the near future we can maybe work on establishing actual recruitment programs" she suggested, however knowing that they first had to stabilize themselves before they could consider actual campaigns or whatsoever.

They then entered the training's center and her eyes literally lit up in excitement. The facility didn't just look modern and well equipped, but offered enough space for group and individual training. "Okay that's pretty cool" she said to him with a smile as she walked in to take a closer look around.

"The flexibility it allows is great...when exactly is the official inauguration of the Center scheduled?" the planners did probably have a set date in mind, even if a few things still needed to be settled, but receiving such a first insight was amazing.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn thought about what she said, and thought he was beginning to see what she meant. A buddy system could be good, he agreed. Someone to stay accountable to could be invaluable. He certainly liked that idea, and saw the value in it that extended beyond just the relationship with the IAF.

Two are stronger than one, he said.

As far as recruitment, that topic was... more difficult. Not a bad idea, but not something I have a lot of experience with, he said, thinking to himself about how they could even go about doing that.

The Jedi used to have dedicated seekers who would look for new recruits. The Sith had something similar, he said, trying to remember what branch had been responsible for that. I think it might have been the Inquisitors, but I don't remember, he said before waving his hand. The specifics of who did it isn't important, but their techniques could be important, and I don't know what they are, he admitted. Something to look into.

As soon as the security systems are installed. Two weeks out, he said excitedly. And he was excited about it. She was excited, he was excited, and it was infectious.

It allows individual training during off hours, and large training sessions for classes, he said.

Besides cameras, I was thinking some auto-turrets and potentially some droids on patrol. Plus there's always us, of course, he said, moving on to security arrangements.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique was rather glad that Varyn agreed. "I can draft some ideas for an actual concept", she offered, obviously agreeing to more extra work but she simply was the type who gladly surrounded herself with extra work if she thought it would actually help them.

While they agreed there, they also did on the recruitment issue, but just like him, she hadn't been in a position to do something like this so far and so a few things ran through her mind. She definitely had ideas, but their corpus was still new and she'd have to involve professionals to develop something sustainable. "It's an issue for tomorrow, but I'll keep it on the mental list. I guess we can gather some experts when the time comes, but for now other issues are more pressing".

As Varyn continued, she was reminded of how he had been with the Jedi, the Sith and now the Empire. While this was just surely interesting, especially because he had gained so many insights, another thought crossed her mind: She hadn't known him for ages, but somehow he struck her as someone who had been with the Jedi and the Sith, but perhaps never truly had found his place until he had ended up where he was right now.

She did assume that while the non-force-senstive leadership probably was a little hesitant or perhaps even prejudiced, she saw a chance in it. Still, his background was a severe contrast to hers, as she had always been somewhat part of what hadn't even fully materialized. Her thoughts were interrupted by what he said last, and she added, "That's a great idea, actually". She knew two Jedi Knights whom she could, and definitely would ask.

"Ohh!" her smile just widened as this truly meant that there wasn't much time left until the move and that was just truly exciting news. "That's awesome. The Knights will be excited...and the squires will honestly be even more hyped". Well, she was still excited too and curiously checked out the rest as they started walking.

"Turrets, droids, yes. I'd also say a mixture of fleshed and inanimate guards is the best, but we definitely have to keep some tech experts close then...maybe even from the ISB. They might even be happy for an official way of controlling us" and not just the subtle ways of gathering Intel they surely used to monitor them.

She followed him while she still considered security a little further. It was good that the soldier barracks weren't too far off either, but they still needed their own defensive systems. "We definitely have to double security on our arms room" even training lightsabers shouldn't fall into the wrong arms..."[/COLOR]. Then, she was circling back to what they had discussed earlier. "Oh what about a reciprocative system here as well? Have Knights be posed as additional security in the military barracks and have Commanders be posed here?". It would again, foster collaboration and would allow them to stay in contact with the others.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn thought about her recommendations for organic guards as well, and she considered it. Certainly the senior squires could be put on guard duty, and probably even some of the graduated Knights.

He gave thought to what she said about trading guards, but it gave him a different idea. The Imperial Knights were few and far between, and even in his recent conversation with the Emperor, he had advocated for them being force-multipliers in Imperial forces. He wasn't sure that putting full-Knights are barrack guard duty was the best use of them, but one part of her idea did stand out to him.

Or maybe we can have ISB and IAF Commanders running the security forces here, he said. Put them in positions where they get to work directly with our upcoming graduates. Get the squires used to taking orders from the mainline organizations, get the Commanders and other officers used to what the Knights can do, and also brings in specialists for things like technical control and slicing duties, he said, continuing to think about it.

The security command could be primarily made up of external officers while the foot patrols on campus are made up of senior squires, he said.

He exited the training center and headed across the open grass toward the classroom buildings, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. The campus was nice. Far nicer than he had even hoped, and he was excited to get everyone here and settled in.

The inside of the classrooms was a mixture of large rooms with individual tables for teams to work together on problem solving during "lectures," dedicated small group rooms, and study space that allowed the Knights in training whatever facility they might need for their work.

In the basement was a small library with information covering topics from the Empire to science and history. Information on the Force and its sects was broken up into a free access area and a restricted section for more questionable materials that required additional discretion.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She found their whole conversation rather productive as through the dialog, they could easily add and alter ideas in order go come up with even better thoughts on how to continue.

"Oh true...that's actually a great idea. We're still fostering collaboration throughout the different branches and everyone can contribute by doing what they're specialized in". They were perhaps too few Knights in general to place too many into guard duty, so she really liked his idea.

Still, they'd all work together which was definitely desirable. Their trip throughout the premises continued across an open part before they entered the classroom area and that was when her green eyes lit up again. She could vividly see the squires sitting here and learning now that an actual new generation of Knights was raised.

The more she saw, the better she liked this new place and it was easy to picture everything that could happen here. "Honestly...that's all so damn cool. I'm really grateful that getting such a new compound was possible" it made her very hopeful and excited for the future.

Another issue came to her mind then though. "By the way, it seems like we might have to expand the teaching corpus, too". Apart from more seasoned Knights, it was hard to find appropriate staff though. But they could work on that, too.

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

As they started back toward the main HQ building, Varyn nodded. He, too, was glad they were getting a real base of their own, and he hoped the other Knights would feel the same.

Me too, he said. When she mentioned expanding the teaching staff, though, he paused.

I don't follow, he said. Sure, it would be great if they had more teachers, but they only had as many teachers as they had Knights, and that number was limited. If they could conjure more Knights out of the air, he certainly would, but it wasn't an option.

I'm sure this building will be the most interesting to you since it's where you'll probably spend most of your time, he said. That was true for both of them. Command and control as well as officer barracks and offices were here. Sure, when they were teaching classes they might be elsewhere, but that was still less time than the rest.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Varyn had questions about the teaching situation and while she didn't have all the answers, she did have a few ideas and suggestions. "As we are short on staff, I was running through a few scenarios...like why don't Veteran soliders cover Imperial history parts that are relevant for their training? And we could even consider scholars who are experts with the Force. Obviously, we'd have to put them through the acid test to ensure the interests would be aligned...but I could see how this might also prove beneficial". They were short on staff and if new Squires would soon enter the programs, maybe they'd have to plan with externals...

"Honestly, just some wild ideas for the future. We don't need it right now, but I love planning preemptively to avoid being confronted by problems that need immediate solving" she shrugged, meeting his gaze for a moment before they continued.

In the next building, it did take her some time to take it all on, but he was obviously right about what he said. "Mordern, spacious, I like it!" it was perhaps a little less exciting than the new training facilities, but it was obviously the most interesting place.

"Huge thanks for the sneak peak...honestly that's super cool" she said to him, facing him a warm smile. "Apart from security, is there anything else that needs to be figured out?".

@Phoenix

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn considered what she said, and nodded. It wasn't full ascent, per se, but as she said, it was worth considering. There was something to be said for the Imperial Knights training under the tutelage of their own, but they were a group that was in high demand. Perhaps some non-Force-users would be beneficial.

Potentially, he agreed. There was always a lot to do, but he was at least glad they seemed to have found something of a rhythm after all this time.

He had to agree that the Command Building was nice, and he hoped so considering he was going to be spending most of the rest of his life here. Wow, what a thought...

I don't think so, he said, feeling good about what they had settled. Security would be put in place, and he was eager to get everyone moved in.

I'll let you get back to your rest, though. I know you've had a long day. I'll catch you... well, I was going to say back at barracks, but maybe it'll be here, he said with a smile.

There's already a shuttle here, so you can take the one we came in if you want, I think I'm just going to poke around a bit longer. Take care, he said, and with that would head off. Not such a bad day after all.

//Exit @LadyRen