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[mismanagement]

Hit me.

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[mismanagement]

That time, Maketh did bare her teeth in a silent snarl. It was an awful, primitive habit. One of her worst. She'd gotten punished for that in the Academy, thought the mistake had been beaten out of her skull after all these days. Apparently not.

It was by the grace of her ancestors and nothing else that the words she spat next weren't raging profanity. Maketh set her jaw, knowing very well she was a mess, a disgrace to her uniform and stinking of smoke and burning metal, but she held her ground. She lifted her chin and stood at attention. Ready to give her report.

"I apologize, Commander, but your operations will have to be delayed. Governor Tarkin has determined the security of the city and Imperial Academy to be of the highest importance to the Emperor." Maketh stared at Krennic and imagined smashing his skull open with the butt of her pistol. It calmed her somewhat. "The rebel incursion, which was of course beyond your influence in any way, has severely limited my resources. Your operations will simply have to wait until my officers have been replaced."

Maketh didn't smile.

"No need to inform Govenor Tarkin of the situation. I already gave him a full briefing. He sends his deepest regrets for the delay."

[vergeofgreatness]

"Naturally. We cannot have the kyber crystals from falling into rebel control." That would be Tarkin's response but while the Governor would be smug in the knowledge that he halted extraction of the crystals and thus, causing delays in research, Krennic had other plans.

He regarded her calmly, the tightening of his fist the only indication of his true emotions. Tua was devoted to the Empire, there was no doubt, and also showed loyalty to Tarkin. A note for future operations.

"Your loyalty is to be commended. You felt such a passion to the Emperor to break the chain of command, Minister," he said calmly as he turned to look out the window once more. The walkers had finished cornering the rebels and the commlink crackled once more.

"Commander, we have the rebels cornered. Awaiting orders."

Krennic turned to Tua, his lips set in a thin line. "What do you propose we do with the rebels?" he asked calmly.

[mismanagement]

Maketh thinned her mouth but didn't snarl further. It was clear in her mind that Krennic was responsible for this nonsense, a fact made worse because she'd shown him exactly how to do it. She'd get her revenge at a more convenient time. For now she would settle for delaying his plans, however temporarily. "The Governor appreciates your clarity in these difficult times. We must prioritize our duty."

In the meantime, Maketh intended to make life as difficult as possible for Krennic as long as he was stuck on her planet. She had a dozen cadets with a dead classmate and an abundance of time on their hands. Surely they could be pointed in the right direction.

She scowled at him. Maketh disliked stupid questions or comments about her loyalty, which were the only excuses for that question. Despite what her instructors had declared, Maketh knew her duty. She was not soft. "Execute them on sight. And try not to do it in front of the civilians. I don't want them gaining more sympathizers from this mess than they already have."

[vergeofgreatness]

He didn't look away from her as he listened to her answer. "Captain, execute the rebels and clear the area," he said eventually over the commlink. He waited only to get confirmation of the order. From the office, they could hear the sound of the walker firing on the rebels though he didn't look at the window.

"The Governor and I have much to discuss.." He had some choice words for Tarkin and he was sure Tarkin had some words for him. Maketh didn't need to get drawn into that even if she was going to prove to be a useful piece of his plans. "In the meanwhile, you will prepare a report for me. We cannot afford to repeat an incident like this, can we?"

[mismanagement]

"No, commander, we certainly cannot."

Maketh gave him a thin smile that was not at all genuine and imagined - yet again - smashing his head open with the butt of her pistol. The image calmed her slightly. There was work yet to be done. Her revenge would be patient and petty until she found a way to make him truly hurt.

"Oh, and commander? If you wish things to proceed back on schedule, I suggest you call for additional officers to replace the ones the rebels so callously murdered." Maketh shook her head in mock sorrow. "Much as I support your mission, the governor requires my focus to be...elsewhere. You understand, of course."

[vergeofgreatness]

"I trust you will not disappoint." He could start to see why Tarkin had left her in charge in his absence. No doubt she was reporting more than just tonight's incident to him.

"Of course. You are a minister, not a military commander. I believe the governor has been spreading you too thin. That will be remedied immediately." A chance to inspire some loyalty on Lothal, at least. He had some of his own allies in Tarkin's inner circles already but having allies on Lothal to keep things active would be important. "I suggest you get some rest now that clean up has been completed. We both have a long day ahead of us."

[mismanagement]

"My dear commander, I never do."

Just a little reminder that she'd earned her position the old fashioned way - cunning and brute force applied in just the right place. Maketh inclined her head slightly, a respectful gesture that no one could accuse her of faking. She did it exactly as required, like she did everything the Empire required of her.

Still, this was a game and she knew it was far from over. No doubt Krennic still had cards to play as well. It was quite possible he'd taken offense at her tone and intended to have her punished for it.

Fine, Maketh thought. Let him try. Either way she'd get the additional officers she wanted.

"Of course, commander. How thoughtful of you. I'll see myself out."

[vergeofgreatness]

He gave a nod, gesturing that she could go. On cue, the door opened and the death troopers stood at attention, showing her out.

As soon as Tua was heading towards the door he was at his desk - what was formerly Tarkin's- to begin making arrangements. Of course, he took a few moments to check in on Erso, to make sure the research was going as planned and on schedule. Next was a report to Mas Amedda about the simply deplorable state of affairs on Lothal. He received a curt reply that made his lips curl in a smirk but it was also authorization to handle the situation himself while Tarkin was away. He was given assurances that the governor's attention was fully needed elsewhere so until Tarkin was able to return, Lothal was under his control.

A desolate, backwater planet, just what he had always wanted.

The next day he decided that measures were to be taken. Officers were assembled, along with Minister Tua. The death troopers flanked him and he stood with hands clasped before him as he waited for the officers to assemble.

[mismanagement]

Despite the mess, Maketh did find a few hours to shower and sleep. Though still unconscious, Agent Kallus had apparently pulled through and seemed unlikely to die anytime soon, and the rest of her surviving officers - possibly sensing doom - had rallied.

The rebels, to her great annoyance, had escaped once again.

Maketh stood with her back perfectly straight, Aresko and Grint flanking her on either side. They knew very well that their survival depended on her goodwill and as such had remembered their training. The city was no longer burning and the dead had been dealt with.

Now Krennic was going to make some sort of announcement. Hopefully that he would be sending for additional officers like she'd asked. It was about damn time.

Maketh waited patiently, face unreadable.

[vergeofgreatness]

"This is this everyone, Minister?" He knew exactly who was supposed to be here but he was watching the expressions of the officers. Years of disciplined instilled in them by Imperial training fighting against a nervous energy. The death troopers on either side of him certainly made a statement.

"It has come to my attention that the rebels were tipped off as to activities in this facility," he said slowly. The kyber operation as safely protected, that was never in doubt, but these officers were expendable. His new replacements were arriving as they spoke, Mas Amedda had allowed him act immediately without consulting Tarkin.

"Now, who is going to step forward and explain how this could have happened."

[mismanagement]

"Everyone capable of standing."

There were a few other stuck in the infirmary, but they'd be useless until the medics finish their work.

Maketh narrowed her eyes. Of all the things she'd expected him to open with that--

Oh, he was playing a game. As expected, really. He knew very well who had tipped the rebels off and on what authority. This was posturing. Making a point.

She had a sudden feeling of dread, because the men who'd done that were standing right next to her. Aresko cleared his throat uneasily.

[vergeofgreatness]

"Step forward, officer." He gestured for Aresko to come forward. "And you- and you" he gestured to a few of the other officers to come forward. Officers he knew had no implication in the incident aside from following orders but were merely guilty of being particularly loyal to Tarkin.

"We all serve the Empire, giving our service to the Empire for the stability of the galaxy." He paused, looking around and meeting the gaze of several officers. A couple of the ones who had been asked to step forward averted their gazes. He turned to look at Maketh, meeting her gaze for a few moments before he stepped back.

"Well, I will allow a moment for someone to come forward. I will even allow you to speak your piece," he said graciously, a gesture that would be more gracious if there hadn't been death troopers flanking him. He looked at Maketh once more.

"Minister, perhaps you have some light to shed on the matter. I know how diligently you work here." Give her a chance to see if she would put herself before her officers.

[mismanagement]

He had the authority to do something about it. That was Maketh's first thought. The second was that she hadn't put safe-guards in place to prevent any of his scheming, had been too busy with stabilizing the city. An error Krennic had no doubt taken advantage of. She should have seen it coming.

Too late for regrets. She had to endure the moment first.

Maketh narrowed her eyes. "We serve the Empire with all the honor and strength in our possession. I wonder, Commander, if you have written the report detailing this information? For the governor, I mean. He prefers nothing left to chance. And should there be mistakes, anything overlooked--oh, that would be quite unfortunate."

If Krennic was going to do anything to her men, Maketh would make sure she fought him every step of the way. They were fools and incompetent, the worst sorts of officers, but they were hers. And she had a mastery of paperwork nearly unparalleled on Lothal.

[vergeofgreatness]

"The governor has received a full report. The Vizier, however, has given me complete discretion to handle matters on Lothal in his absence." Which meant Tarkin couldn't save any of them now.

"I admire your devotion and loyalty to the Empire, Minister. Something I will certainly include in my report to Coruscant." It was something to keep her striving for, at least, and a message that loyalty to Tarkin was misplaced now.

He looked back at the officers, watching them for a few moments before gesturing to the death troopers. "Clearly matters here are more serious than I or anyone on Coruscant had thought. Those who fail the Empire will be held accountable."

[mismanagement]

They were swiftly approaching a conclusion that Maketh knew, deep down, that she had no power to prevent. The governor and the commander clearly had personal agendas they were pursing against each other, and she had found herself thrown into the fray with neither warning not trustworthy allies.

"We serve on the Emperor," Maketh repeated, eyes hard. "What are your orders, Commander?"

[vergeofgreatness]

The death troopers suddenly took aim at the officers but he held up a gloved hand to stall them just a moment.

"How do we punish failure, Minister?" he asked, each word deliberate. They both knew where this was going and he would make sure she had no doubt as to who was in control there. It wasn't Tarkin.

He turned his gaze back to the officers, impatiently gesturing. "Well? Does no one have anything to say? Really?"

[mismanagement]

Maketh stiffened, but didn't drop her eyes. She met Krennic's gaze head on. Stand your ground, soldier. This was going to happen. She'd exhausted her resources trying to prevent it. All that was left was to take it standing up.

Her officers didn't say a word.

[vergeofgreatness]

"Fire." The word was firm, not shouted but the death troopers were still quick to follow the order. They stepped back before the bodies of the officers hit the ground and Krennic only gave a light tsk of disappointment, shaking his head.

"Such a pity." He turned to Maketh, his gaze even. "You will have your new officers, Minister. They will be arriving today and I expect you will make them feel welcome. They were appointed by the Vizier and I know you are eager to advance your career."

[mismanagement]

Bodies fell. There was a moment when Maketh couldn't breathe, her body would not allow it, and she imagined falling with them. But there was no pain, no sharp heat of a rifle aimed true. She was still alive. There was blood on her face.

Maketh allowed herself a moment to count the dead. More than expected. Almost her entire command. He might have shot Agent Kallus as well if the man hadn't been stuck in the infirmary. Though perhaps that's an accident waiting to happen. She learned all about accidents in the Academy and spent years forgetting them.

Perhaps its time to remember everything.

Things are, in that moment, suddenly quite clear.

Maketh lifts her head. Meets Krennic's eyes straight on.

She smiles for him, polite as you please.

"Of course, commander."

She's going to destroy him.

[vergeofgreatness]

"I will oversee resuming the mining operations. I will hear your report this evening when I am finished."

He wanted this to be a lesson to her and the other officers here that he had control. Tarkin wouldn't save anyone, even if he wanted to. He had no doubt that the governor wouldn't lose sleep over the loss of a few disposable officers just to prove a point.

"Take care of the mess" he gestured at the fallen officers dismissively. As he turned away, the death troopers lingered for a moment to look at Maketh before silently following Krennic.

[mismanagement]

There was no real reason for her to linger there while the bodies were carted away and the blood scrubbed from the platform, but Maketh remained. She had to see. Had to remember. It was important to know the worth of your enemy and what they would do, given the chance. She had been lax, far too soft in her dealings with Krennic, and he had struck. Why not, when she'd given him such a fine opportunity? It was the Imperial way.

What he'd done was effective. Maketh admitted it easily. He'd essentially replaced her entire command with officers who had just watched him enforce his will with Death Troopers. If they'd be loyal to anyone, it would be him. Of course. Officers followed the strongest leader. It had been so in the Academy.

Maketh watched Aresko and Grint dragged away. She'd have to secure something for their families, if they had any. A tragic accident. Blame the rebels. That way they'd get a pension and not a traitor's reputation. It was better to take care of the dead the right way or their families might become a problem later. Revenge was something of a family tradition these days. Maketh still had enough Mandalorian in her to remember that.

Family. Now that was a thought.

The next week was largely uneventful. Krennic's replacements proved themselves effective and Maketh played the part of the dutiful officer. Agent Kallus took charge of the city's defense and things were running smoothly. And if Maketh made a series of off-world communications and arranged for the transfer of credits to some civilians, well, she was only working to secure a future for the dearly departed Taskmaster Grint's young daughter, who had been declared Gifted in her Academy Aptitude Test. After all, the Empire need to work proactively to secure the next generation of talented officers, lest they be seduced to the private sector.

Quietly, Maketh also drained almost her entire personal account and rallied her underworld contacts on Lothal. Several substantial bribes and finder-fees were required but at the end, she found what she was looking for.

The next day, three heavily armored ships dropped out of hyperspace and requested landing clearance. Maketh granted it.

No doubt Krennic's spies would inform him of the fact, but Maketh hadn't tried to hide the arrival. It was rather the point that he found out. He wasn't the only one who could play games.

The ships were carrying a full battalion of armed mercenary, specialized in close-quarter combat. All of them were given Imperial crests, which they applied - somewhat dubiously - to their armor. Their leader - a tall man whose face was still handsome under the scars - greeted her with solemnity. Maketh clasped his arm tight, an intimate gesture. She made sure there were witnesses. All of his troops had thick accidents, unfortunately distinctive, but they were equipped with vocal disruptions and instructed not to interact with anyone before certain introductions were made.

Maketh lead the battalion commander and his two sub-commanders into her office, greeting them kindly. Both of the commanders treated her with grave respect.

Then she left a message for Krennic. Wouldn't he care to join her to discuss recent developments?

She'd even bought wine for the occasion. Good wine, from Coruscant.

She greeted Krennic with a thin smile when he finally did arrive. "Commander. Do come in. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

[vergeofgreatness]

That had gone well. No doubt there would be an angry message from Tarkin waiting for him but all the other man could do was send angry communications which were replied to dismissively with the implication that it was best to go along with what had been decided on Coruscant. Even a governor who was as incompetent as Tarkin was surely had to realize that was in his best interests at the moment.

He was still keeping close tabs on Galen's progress on the research for Project Celestial Power, checking in almost every night to hear the researcher talk about the kyber crystals. He hoped that he would be returning to Coruscant or Geonosis soon enough to advance the project, knew new there would have to be progress sooner rather than later to keep the Emperor from getting too impatient.

His other pastime was keeping updated with his spies in Tarkin's inner circle, delighted in the news that the governor was still mired in his own conflict while uselessly raging at Krennic's actions.

He looked forward to giving Tarkin another mess upon his return to Lothal. The new officers who had arrived were loyal as expected, keeping him apprised of activities on the planet while he diverted his attention to the mining operations. Extracting the larger crystals while keeping them intact was proving more difficult than expected but he made sure that falling behind wasn't acceptable. He could feel his promotion and potential slipping way with each moment of delay, each moment was the Emperor growing more impatient. The more impatient the Emperor got, the more Tarkin had to gain.

It had been a frustrating day of excuses when an officer reported at an unscheduled ship had landed on Lothal but had been granted clearance to land. And by Maketh, that was certainly something.

She was playing at something, there was always a motive. That was the way of the Imperial military- those who survived and climbed the ranks were those who knew how to play the game properly. He would play, for now.

He sent word that he would join her as soon as he was finished with a few matters. It wasn't long before he arrived at her office, flanked by the death troopers.

The death troopers stayed by the door, taking up their silent post on either side of the door as he entered the room.

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows, curious as to what she had planned. "I must say you have me curious, given that you seem to have gone through so much trouble tonight."

[mismanagement]

"No effort is too great in service of our glorious Empire," Maketh replied mildly. It had become clear to Maketh that Krennic, however high he'd risen, sought to advance himself before the cause. Governor Tarkin had agreed with her on that point. She inclined her head to the man standing silently at her right, and his two sub-commanders lingering by the window. "Lothal stands posed to become an important center of industry and trade, not to mention the projected growth of the Academy. I must thank you for the idea, Commander. It's become clear that someone must step in and improve our fighting force."

She smiled. The man at her side moved forward. Though he was much taller than Maketh, they shared the same pale eyes.

"I am pleased to introduce Captain Harper Rosen and his commanders. They have signed a contract to serve the Empire's interests on Lothal and train our troops to better serve the Emperor." She paused. Smiled. "My uncle shares your concerns, Commander. They will be addressed immediately."

Harper folded his arms across his armored chest. "Daughter of my sister. I never forget my debts."

"I never doubted you, uncle." Maketh smiled at Krennic. She wondered if he'd realized exactly what she'd done. She had looked long and hard at the problem he posed and concluded that the simple answer was his Death Troopers. None of the officers would be loyal to her when they feared being shot.

Well, now she had her own fighting force. Former Mandalorian supertroopers. All of them loyal to her out of an ancient debt that, after the death of her mother, had passed onto the next living heir. Mandalorians honored their debts to the bitter end. Mercenary forces could be bought, contracts voided with the right bribes, but family -- now that was something else all together.

And, best of all, they now outnumbered Krennic's forces by a significant number.

[vergeofgreatness]

Mandalorians. Mandalore was a wasteland but the planet still had a tradition of turning out some of the most ruthless soldiers and bounty hunters. Krennic preferred to avoid working with Mandalorians if he could simply because they could be overly volatile and there was no room for that in his plans.

Krennic's expression didn't give anything away at the moment as he took a glass of wine. He appeared as calm as he had been when he had walked in but a careful observer would have seen how hard he gripped the stem of the wine glass as he took a sip. It was a good vintage from a year most likely before the Clone Wars.

"I have no doubt your new...allies are loyal to a fault but I would hate to have to inform the Vizier that you took it upon yourself to assign forces here at a very important time in operations," he said slowly as he set the wine glass down. "Take care, Minister, that you do not overextend yourself."

He knew he was safe enough, he doubted that she would have the poor judgment to move more openly. Despite being incompetent, even Tarkin himself wasn't that foolish do something like that. But perhaps this could work out. If she wanted to make a move to grab power, that would only serve to mire Lothal even more into conflict.

For now, he would be put out, allowing annoyance to cross his features.

[mismanagement]

Hmm. So he did understand.

Maketh put her hands on her hips with a heavy sigh. "Commander Krennic, I do hope you are not implying I acted with anything but Lothal's best interests in this matter. Or indeed that I would implement such a large change without running it by the chain of command first."

She had. She'd just chosen not to include him in the discussion. Krennic had just enough enemies in the bureaucratic sector to make it possible.

While Krennic might have been clever in the way of politics and poisoned words, Maketh's greatest strength had always been her due-diligence. If a thing was to be done, then she would do it properly. Everything in its place. Each report filed.

Oh, she'd funded the venture entirely with her personal savings - a risky gamble, but one she felt had paid off - and Tarkin had seemed amused by the whole thing. Most likely he was stepping back to see how it ended. There was still a chance Krennic might recover and retaliate in some way she hadn't anticipated.

That was the game. Play it well, soldier.

Maketh dragged her nails along the wine bottle, though refrained from pouring any herself. It would have been easy to poison Krennic that way, but far too obvious. Far too easy. She didn't want him dead. Not right away, at least. First she had to destroy him. "Did you know I was born here, Commander? The winters are especially harsh. But the people endure and are stronger for their suffering."

She smiled, then pushed the bottle a little closer.

"Keep the wine. Consider it a gift."