A Cloud on the Horizon

[Tiberius Anar]

Xucphra City, shimmered through a heat haze induced by the bright sun beating down upon its towering buildings. After months of clouded skys and heavy rains summer had come to Thyferra.

In the city the teeming hordes of civil servants, soldiers, businessbeings and their families hurried from one building to another so as to spend the minimum amount of time outdoors. At the doors of government ministries the Crimson Corps troopers streamed with sweat as they stood guard. Inside the skycrapers cooling units ran at full power and still failed to keep everyone happy. One or two units burned out and tempers flared. To the usual noise of the city were added angry words.

Up on the hills to the south it was very different. Just high enough to be beyond the heat trap the Imperial Chancellor sat in his garden enjoying the summer sun. Dressed in a light linen suit, instead of his usual black, cool glass in hand he felt at ease with the galaxy. At his side his wife was completing a word puzzle book. Nearby his son lay sprawled on the grass a dog earred book in hand and his youngest daughter sat in the shade of a parasol engrossed in a magazine. Even Julia had been coaxed from her lair to sit under a tree listening to music. It was all very genteel and civilised.

What a delightful change, mused Tiberius Anar, to be like this.

"Darling," Alexandra's voice cut into his thoughts,"We seem to have a visitor." She was looking across Anar in the direction of the Chancellery.

Anar turned to follow her gaze and was astonished by what he saw. Striding across the lawns on long legs, blond hair visible even at this distance, white uniform jacket dazling in the bright sunshine was Grand Admirla Lord Desaria.

[Telan Desaria]

Baron Desaria gave a quick glance as his ancient adversary, the sun. Indeed, he hated all suns, Centaur itself a world almost continually covered in a faint sheen of clouds - - while life did not die indeed it flourished, direct light did not bothered the inhabitants. On Thyferra, however, the sun was an everpresent companion and bane to those who were fanatically averse to strong light.


The gate from the manor-house into what was oft termed the sitting garden was opened by two of the Crimson Guard who saluted smartly. He returned it and moved quickly past them, ambivanlent towards the men and hateful of their parent organization.


Seated nearby was the son of the Imperial Chancellor who acknowledged the presence of the Supreme Commander with a knowing nod. Julia, the daughter of the Chancellor, gave the Grand Admiral an odd grin, something that he might have acknowledged as flirtatious were ge so inclined towards the fairer sex.


For so long my Mistress and Master has been the Empire. Do I know even how to love anymore?


Alexandria Anar stood and greated the white-clad Desaria. " Afternoon, Admiral."


The Grand Admiral bowed and accepted her offered hand, kissing it with an aristocrat's practised manner. Returning to full height, he turned to the Chancellor. " I apologize for interrupting your free time with a matter of State, but it is pressing. May I borrow you for a moment?"

[Tiberius Anar]

"Of course, Admiral," he stood and looked to his wife, "Will you excuse us my dear?

Alexandra nodded her ascent- as if she could do anything else- and returned her attention to the puzzle book.

"Come, Admiral," said Anar briskly, "we can take a turn around the gardens." Anar's hand indicated the vast expanse of greenery surrounding the Chancellery. Desaria's eyes took in the seried terrances, the arbors, hanging plants, trees, lawns and interconnecting gravel pathways. Anar was almost certain that he shuddered.

[Telan Desaria]

At a glance, the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy could see nothing strange about the expansive promenade, its fountains gushing water into the midday sun, its mist dancing prizemed rainbows about whatever lay nearby. Altogether, it was not unlike his own estate on Thyferra or his ancestral home on Centaur.


Notwithstanding, something did not sit right. These plants have been corrupted by politics.


The pair moved away from the small congregation of the Family Anar. In doing so, they maintained their silence until well out of earshot. The lack of conversation gave the Grand Admiral a moment to pity the son and daughter of the Chancellor, how their lives must have been more sheltered and controlled than his had been.


" Chancellor, have you been informed of yesterday's unexpected visitor?"

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar glanced around, his bodyguards were standing well away from them so there was little chance of being overheard.

"I received only the briefest contact report," said Anar looking ahead as they walked, "No details were given except that the visitor was a courier delivering a despatch from beyond the Rim. A report from your Admiral Du'caat?"

[Telan Desaria]

The Grand Admiral sombered quickly as he cast a steelen gaze at the political head of the Empire.


" I wish it were that simple. The report came bearing all tiddings of ominous times ahead."


The Admiral grew very silent and stopped. When Anar noticed the Baron was no longer at his side, he turned to face him. " The message came from Darth Viscera, the Lord Diktat."

[Tiberius Anar]

"Surely not," he breathed, "Not after so long."


He lapsed into silence, his mind working feverishly. Thoughts tumbled over one another as if fighting to reach the front. It took a supreme effort to make them move one in ordered sequence. His mind reached a conclusion.

A hoaxe? No. No, if it was a hoaxe it would not have been reported to him by the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy. It had to be real. So what then?

"What did he say?" it seemed unreal to speak those words.

[Telan Desaria]

" He has returned."


The words haunted the Grand Admiral, every syllable he pronounced more painful than any wound ever suffered in battle. The Diktat brought with him an aura that cast a shadow on all the galaxy, not only the Empire.


" He has come to reclaim the Empire and fight the Republic. Everything we have built now lies in jepardy. All concepts of honour may die."


The Grand Admiral thought a moment, then retracted his statement.


" No - - I won't let it. We will follow his banner for the glory of the Empire, but we will not sacrifice our self respect. I can rest assured of the loyalty of the Fleet, indeed of the armed services as a whole. We will not kill innocents or main the surrendering masses - - we shall be the honourable warriors which we have been.


" Regardless, the end of our Golden Age has arrived. I honestly pity you for you are soon to encounter a brand of politician whose ruthlessness will make yours and that of your Cabinet timid by comparison."

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar digested this news slowly. His mind was ordered once more, but he felt an overwhelming need to release energy, to burn off his anxiety. He began to walk again, his pace somewhat faster than before.

The scrunch of jackboots on gravel followed him, in moments the Grand Admiral was at his side.

As they moved rapidly across the gravel two large, dark eyes followed them. Alexandra Anar had watched from he shaded spot as they walked, stopped, talked and moved on. She had seen the shift her husbands body language, the subtle sagging of the shoulders, the repeated half clenching of his fist. Something was up.

[Telan Desaria]

Grand Admiral Desaria stood, watching the Lord High Chancellor of the Empire visibly squirm for the first time, the only true challange to his power having arisen. Were the circumstance different, the Baron might have shared a laugh over the matter with the other members of the General Staff. Now, though, the black clouds of horrid change were wafting over the horizon.


" I served directly under the Lord Diktat on not less than too many occassions. He is ruthless, cold, and without honour. He did, however, through sheer force of will, bring the Empire as close to complete as it has come since Endor. Under him our banner was unchallanged - - he held together disparate elements in a way I can never understand.


" His inability understand military matters made his interference unwelcome many times and lead to countless suffering and death - - but the men did not care. He was their leader - - he was almost their Emperor.


" This stands as the greatest threat to us since the Fragmentation. Things stand to reason he treat us with kid-gloves as we are the largest portion of the Empire in existence. Khendon may have better technology and Millard a closer position in the Core, but we have unbridled military might - and that will be needed in the coming days.


" I have no doubt the future holds untold heaps of glory and honour, but I am also certain that the price of that glory will be the sacrifice of our self respect and I will not let that happen. The minute - nay, the very second! - that I detect he orders me or my men to act dishonourably and we shall wall ourselves off and try our hand at the isolation Sevon so perfected.


" That is a worst-case scenario. Between us, however - - I fear the worst has just begun."

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar mentally blinked. He knew the Admiral to emotionally unstable in the way common to all brilliant men. He knew that the Admrial was a passionate man driven by honour and a desire for glory. He knew from well placed agents in the High Command that he was tormented by inner deamons. He knew all this and yet it never ceased to amaze him just how indiscreet the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Navy could be.

They walked through a brief silence, broken only by the steadt scrunch of shoes on gravel.

Scrunch...scrunch...scrunch

"Let us think logically, Admiral," said Anar squinting at the sky ahead, "First what is Lord Viscera's purpose? From what you say and from what I know of him he will make war- but upon whom?"

[Telan Desaria]

" Viscera's purpose is the same as ours, simply through different means. He wants to resurrect the Empire - - but it is the old Empire he wants to breathe life into.

" As for war, he will wage it on whomever gets in his way. The Republic will be first and if we decide not to follow him, we will be next. But at least we die with boots on and polished, our honour in tact. I know you, Lord Chancellor, would glady die by my side in the pursuit of what is right."

Desaria looked at the smaller man, his last comment a test.

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar stopped walking. Dearia came to a halt alongside him. The statesman faced the tactician. He was frustrated with the Admiral's morose outlook and the sharpness in his clipped tones revealed that frustration.

"Kindly do not test me. You know full well what my values are, you know what I believe in. Order, justice, law." He ticked them off on his fingers, "You know the depth of my belief in them and you know how I defend them. Unlike some politicians when I make speeches I mean what I say."

Test that if you can!

"Now, you will oblige me by putting an end to this sentimentality. Rational thought is called for and we cannot allow anything to interfer. Now let us continue."

They walked on again.

scrunch...scrunch...scrunch

[Telan Desaria]

Grand Admiral Desaria smiled inwardly, a smile that crept slowly across his face disappearing when the Lord Chancellor met his gaze once more. Indeed you are correct, Tiberius. No matter how coniving and duplicitious you may be, you have a backbone. The same cannot be said for far too many of your entourage. Feel proud in the fact you are the only politician for whom I hold a residue of respect.


" Viscera is many things including selfish, vain, arrogant, and ill tempered. Stupid, he is not. WE will be allowed a free hand in how we run our operations so long as we prove indispensible to him. We must retain that edge at all times - that is the role you will assume under this new administration. We will be an Empire united only in the eyes on the galaxy - the picture we at the top have will not be so rosy."

[Tiberius Anar]

"That may not be the case, Admiral," said Anar, "I think, perhaps, that you forget how centralised things were in the past. It may be like that again. Especially if what I fear comes to pass."

Out of the corner of his eye Anar caught a look from Desaria, one that bade him continue.

"I fear that the Lord Diktat's first target in his war will be the Imperial Factions. If unity is his goal that is where he must start. He had orders for you in his message?"

[Telan Desaria]

The Grand Admiral sniffed, almost sneering at the mental recalling of the hand-delivered message from a Ghost of the Past.

" He did, if what was said can be called orders. Myself, the Federal Imperator, and a dozen others have been called to a Deep Core world where the message said Viscera awaited us. I can only imagine what else awaits us."