There comes a moment in many events where you feel victory's light upon you. This half-year has brought that feeling upon you, but it is often when one is closest to victory that one falters. No, to truly ensure that this galaxy becomes yours, there is much you can still do.
While your intelligence arm grows in reach and skill by the day, and your military supply line grows simplified, and while your force order stands ready to be born, there are other parts of your plans that must adapt. Your economy narrowly avoided a depression over the last few months thanks to Athaen's efforts, and a portion of your military has delayed your military reforms due to their own reservations.
You stand at the precipice of glory and victory, and you shall ensure that you seize the opportunity while you can. And with Kaine's arrival in a few short days, you will be one step closer to your ideal goal.
Military: Admiral Baidan has been extremely excited by the reforms underway. The Enchani is a perpetual ball of energy, going from report to report, barely even noticing your presence when you arrive. At this point in time, she seeks to continue her reforms, although she acknowledges that further disruption to the command structure may be unwise with the battles against Zaarin that will take place. That is, unless you personally take command. While Pellaeon is maneuvering his forces to join Voss, the two of them may not be enough on their own. (1 Locked. Choose 1)
Rebuild Command and Supply Centers - With the sudden lack of central power within the galaxy, the hierarchy of your forces is in chaos. In order to conduct major offensives without suffering due to poor communication, the command and supply centers must be rebuilt and redesigned for the current state of affairs. If you can avoid major wars, then you could get away with delaying this, but if a major war occurs, you would suffer without these supply lines. Cost: 250. Time: 1 turn. Reward: No penalties during major wars due to poor supply and communication.
(88, 96, 65) Critical Success with Major Benefits.
Baidan's work on rebuilding your command and supply centers has exceeded your expectations. Rather than merely shifting these centers to a more localized system, she took the opportunity to massively expand the scope of her assignment. While most admirals would have been satisfied with following orders, she took her assignment not as a mere rebuilding of these centers, but as an entirely new industry being created.
The maintenance of military supply lines is a thorough and complex process that involves dozens of industries and hundreds of companies. Dozens of companies supply the raw materials, several more refine them, many more create the weapons, and even more distribute them. Admiral Baidan's innovation stems from the individual parts within the many weapons and vehicles used by your army.
Increased standardization is something that militaries dream of, but are never able to do due to the costs associated with a ground-up rebuilding of their armies and navies. But your empire is already in the middle of such a complete rebuilding, and so you have an opportunity that few others have. As a result, your military-industrial complex has a new layer.
First, the raw materials are mined across thousands of planets before being refined into processed metals and alloys. Those materials are then used to create standardized parts used in your military's weapons. While this was done to an extent already, now it is a core component of the military. Only once these standardized parts are made are they assembled into the finished weapons and armor before being sold. While it is impossible to have fully standardized parts, the ones you have managed to make have already reduced your military's upkeep costs substantially.
*-25% military upkeep. Lowered effectiveness of sabotaging your military factories. Removes penalties due to supply and communication issues.*
[LOCKED ]Farryn's Complete Military Overhaul - You hired Admiral Baidan for this reason. To rebuild the military from the ground up. Not a single stone will be left unturned. If there is a technology or tactic out there, it will be investigated and integrated. The sheer amount of work is immense and with the indoctrination within the Imperial Army, you have little doubt that you'll be facing significant resistance due to inertia. But it must be done. Cost: 800 while in progress. Time: 1/3 turns (1/25 Turns till Completion). Reward: -50% military strength. Increases by 4% per turn.
(3, 81, 17) Failure with Major Benefits.
The soon-to-be former Admiral stands before you, as you patiently hide your true thoughts as he speaks. "This proposal is an abomination Emperor Thrawn, I respect Grand Admiral Baidan's skills, but she seeks to destroy our hard-earned image."
"Explain it to me, Admiral Essbook. What about this diminishes your image?" You know the answer of course, but it's the nuances in his answers and voice that allow you to truly understand his true feelings and thoughts.
"When one gazes upon an Imperial Star Destroyer, they instantly know what it is. The bridge, standing up above, resolute and impervious, strikes fear in the hearts of our enemies. This is a symbol the Empire built over the years, and now she seeks to replace it with another."
It's a symbol, but more importantly, it's a part of the culture of the Empire. A remnant of the Tarkin doctrine, you stand up, turning from the Admiral and instead looking behind you, to a depiction of your empire's symbol, one that shows a hand grasping opportunity. Tarkin sought to crush it, you, however, are more suited to turning enemies into assets. "I will take your advice into consideration Admiral Essbook." Turning towards him, a sardonic smile graces your face, "unlike most, I understand the value in culture."
He leaves, certain that you view the Empire's culture as he does. He views the Empire's posturing as something to be aped and drawn from, something that defines his career and his philosophy. To him, the shift in bridge design from threatening to practical was something that took away from his very being. It is foolish, and it keeps him stuck in the past, and you have no need for such incompetents in your navy.
By the next day, he is no longer a part of your navy, along with several thousand officers that are similarly stuck in the past.
*Action makes no progress this turn. +2% military strength due to improved bridge design and more flexible officers.*
Diplomacy: Athaen is rather pleased with current events and seeks to capitalize on the events of the last six months. According to her, you have already been depicted as a tyrant seeking stability by a number of independent news media, and by taking advantage of it to run a propaganda campaign, you can further influence the galaxy as a whole to your viewpoint. She strongly encourages that you take advantage of this while you can. (Choose 2).
Renormalize Diplomatic Relations - With the galaxy as it is, contacting empires is difficult, especially when many do not view others as legitimate. Renormalizing relations would allow you to get ahead of the many issues that would otherwise plague you. It wouldn't do to act in ignorance after all. Cost: None. Time: 1 turn. Reward: Renormalizing relations subvote.
(57, 35, 48)
Renormalizing diplomatic relations was a lengthy process, but one with minimal risk. Tracking the various disagreements and wars was simple, but also hid intricate nuances. The conflict between Zsinj and Maldrood for instance did not lead to such tense relations as did the New Republic's relationship with the Zsinj Empire. If one took this at face value, then one would inevitably fail to realize the interconnected nature of the galaxy and would miss the more subtle details.
Then there were the more problematic groups of the galaxy. Namely the Hutts. No one sane liked them, and you understood why. They were a disgusting race, one whose culture was built on instability. They profited from it like parasites. But you couldn't deny that they did so well. And even if you found them off-putting, you couldn't deny the potential opening relations with them would bring.
But if you truly wanted a more problematic contact, there were the slavers of the galaxy such as the Zygerrian Slave Empire. Through them, you could occasionally gain highly skilled labor, but such relations came with similar problems to the Hutts, but greater in scope. This was something to consider.
*Options for renormalizing relations posted shortly*
Contact Banking Guilds and Clans - With the expenses involved in rapid redevelopment, it only makes sense to contact banks for loans as Vipik suggested. By extending offers to external banks, it would allow for lower interest rates, and the possibility of simply refusing to pay should the situation develop poorly. Perhaps some will even go bankrupt before your payments are due. Cost: None. Time: 1 turn. Reward: Lower interest rates on debt by one stage (5% -> 2% -> 0.5%).
(100, 27, 5) Critical Success.
You avoided asking Athaen for an in-person report on what occurred. As the weeks progressed, she was initially excited about what negotiations were leading towards, and mentioned the possibility of several banks extending far more favorable deals than you ever expected. Then your economy crashed, as Vipik mismanaged the stimulus package intended to prevent this very thing. And those negotiations pivoted to a series of stimulus packages from external bankers, which barely prevented disaster.
To say that Athaen was livid would be an understatement. While she was remarkably calm in her report, and extensively factual about it, you noticed one line in particular that demonstrated her irritation, "In summary, long term gains have had to be sacrificed to ensure short term stability." Over the last year, you have learned more about Athaen, and what you have discovered aligns with your intentions.
She is an individual dedicated to long-term gains. One that understands that empires can rise and fall in mere years and that those empires are forgotten with time. No, the empires that everyone knows about, are the ones that lasted centuries. Those are the empires that truly matter, and those are the ones she seeks to build.
This explains her regular visits with Grand Admiral Baidan. The reforms to the military that are being undertaken bring your empire long-term gains at the expense of short-term investments. And thanks to how this meshes with her own philosophy, the friendship between the Bothan and Echani was born.
*Interest rates reduced to 0.5%. Crit success prevents depression. Knowledge of Athaen's last trait gained. Knowledge of Athaen and Farryn's friendship gained.*
Stewardship: Your economy stands on the verge of collapse according to Vipik, and he has been extremely insistent that you must adjust for Palpatine's death immediately or face dire consequences. Your governmental budget is also far outside of what he would hope for, but you have accepted it as a fact of life. One must spend money to make money after all. The only question is, what shall you do over these following financial quarters? (Choose 2)
Complete Governmental Reform - Recently, it has come to your attention that the problems faced by the Empire were far deeper than you had initially considered. What is needed is a thorough restructuring of your government, and you expect the sooner you do this, the better. With the number of options available to you, this will take time to decide upon, let alone implement. Cost: Variable. Upkeep: Variable. Time: Variable. Reward: Reform government subvote (taking this action does not lock it in)
(??,??,??)
Your government is bloated in areas where it should be lean, and lean in areas where it should be large. Palpatine's goals do not align with a truly productive empire, even if they do align with an empire in which he is the only ruler. In truth, you wonder if he expected to live forever, or if he might still be alive. If there was some way to come back after death, it would explain quite a few of his decisions.
The government reform mainly concerns how much you should decentralize the various branches as well as how much government intervention is required in the economy. For the former, a more centralized government would give you ultimate control and ensure that you are the only power that exists, but it would be less able to adapt to circumstances. Decentralizing it would make it more flexible, but it would also cede control and be less efficient due to coordination issues. As for the level of intervention in the economy, that comes with a large number of various trade-offs that must be considered in detail.
*Government reform subvote to be posted*
Adjusting for Palpatine's Death - With the economy in chaos, action must be taken. Changing the tax system along with many minor adjustments would allow you to successfully navigate the chaos that his death is caused while the economy recovers. However, the stimulus the economy needs will most certainly be costly, almost to the point of making you wonder if it is necessary. Cost: 600. Time: 1 turn. Reward: ~220 income increase
(2, 24, 37) Failure with complications.
You set your office carefully for this meeting. Eshu standing behind you with her weapons holstered, several reports placed meticulously on your desk, and Vipik arriving at an extremely specific time as you were reading a particular report on the state of your financial sector. It takes you several seconds to finish it, time in which Vipik stands nervously, unsure if he should remain standing or take a seat. It's a power play, and one you normally avoid. But Vipik has had the unfortunate luck to displease you.
You place the report onto your desk, before turning your head slightly so that the corner of your eye catches the Muun's attention. "Please, be seated."
He does so, and silence reigns in the room. Vipik breaks first as he tries to explain himself. "Emperor Thrawn, I have nothing to offer but my apologies."
It's a good sign at the very least. Vipik's behavior continues to show that he feels responsible for the near-disaster and that he expects to be punished accordingly. If you were Palpatine, you have little doubt that the Muun would wish for his own death. As it is, while Vipik has struggled thus far, you are not the type to waste assets due to poor luck. "See to it that this doesn't happen again." But you are also not the type to allow incompetence to remain in power. "Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, but thrice is enemy action." You lean forward, Vipik swallowing nervously. "If this pattern continues, you will find yourself needing a new job."
You can see the question cross through Vipik's mind. 'Does that mean my life isn't in danger?' But you can also see that he knows better than to draw attention to it. Good, if he did, then you would have little use for him. Subordinates that can see past what is said are the bare minimum of competence you expect. "That's … rather generous of you." Ah, flattery it seems. Not the worst choice he could have gone with, but one that certainly isn't the best.
You hold up a hand, stopping his train of thought once more. "Vipik, I have no need for flattery. You would be better served with a truly honest depiction of events. I am not as unstable as the rulers of the past."
Vipik then proceeded to paint a picture of an economy more problematic than he had initially expected. With the drastic increase in military spending came a hiring spree from a variety of companies. This in turn, when combined with the economic difficulties faced by companies, meant that there was a labor shortage. Unwilling to raise wages, a number of these companies found themselves starved out, not due to poor revenue, but rather due to being unable to recruit enough workers. With the Empire historically lacking any such care for the unemployed, this statistic was missed when planning the stimulus, leading to an economic crash.
Thanks to the addition of large amounts of capital from both Athaen's deals as well as Vipik authorizing additional stimuli, the market did stabilize and recover, but the underlying problems have yet to be resolved. The Muun has suggested funding a grant for increased automation in the workforce, which would require yet another expensive program to be introduced. In summary, extremely frustrating, but not unrecoverable.
*Economy crashes before recovering thanks to critical success in diplomacy. -400 billion credits due to reduced tax income and additional stimuli. New action to increase automation unlocked. Economic depression remains imminent.*
Intrigue: Cen Kam has settled into her role and is looking into various empires in order to better train her agents. She encourages you to further develop the agency by improving standards. Beyond that, she has suggested a countersecurity sweep be done out of caution, especially if you meet with Kaine. (Choose 2)
Setting Up Galactic Intelligence Systems - With the Galactic Empire being splintered, the previously existing ISB has likewise fallen into disarray, and many agents have abandoned their posts entirely or are working for one of your rivals. Thus, you must form a new network of information, and that begins, as expected, with the basics. Informants, gossips, and the military scuttlebutt are the best place to start. This is expected to provide you with the broad strokes of future policies regarding external organizations. It is hardly grand but still infinitely better than nothing. From there, more professional intelligence gathering may be attempted with the right incentives for our new contacts. Cost: 200. Upkeep: 20. Time: 1 turn. Reward: Low-level intelligence ring created.
(89, 98, 99) Ludicrous critical success.
You've checked this report three times by now, wondering if it is the most outrageous attempt at exaggerating one's success you have ever seen. Every time, the information in front of you refuses to change. At your side, Eshu speaks up, a rare break in her almost endless silence. "Cen wouldn't fabricate this."
"No, she wouldn't." Cen Kam's reputation from her days as a bounty hunter painted a picture of a meticulous woman, and these reports had all the hallmarks of her normal work. There was simply too much detail within it to leave it a fabrication.
But… this changed all of your plans, and you felt a manic smile grip you.
For a moment, you thought of changing your empire's symbol to a hand grasping the galaxy before dismissing it. That sort of prideful statement would only harm your future actions. Especially now that you had the greatest spy network in the galaxy.
A layman would expect an intelligence agency to be composed of hundreds of agents hidden within another nation. A more intelligent individual would know otherwise. Your intelligence agencies in particular rely on two important facts about sophonts. Greed and laziness.
Everyone is greedy, this you know intimately well with your studies into art and culture. The vast majority have depictions of wealth as something to strive for, and the average sophont believes in a similar manner. For a slight bit of money, they'll be willing to look aside for minor inconveniences.
But this is only the secondary aspect of psychology that your intelligence agency exploits, no, the true exploit comes from laziness. People fall into routines, and in those routines, they seek to optimize effort. Passwords chosen for convenience rather than security, missing slight changes to an astromech droid, not noticing the janitor being different from the one from yesterday. This is what your spy agency is, many low-level agents with passwords from a level far above them, as well as a wide variety of direct access to networks within all levels of government.
The New Republic is compromised by your agents, the Zsinj Empire is compromised, the Pentastar Alignment is compromised, Greater Maldrood is compromised, and the Empire is beyond compromised as you reread a particular line for the fifth time, and you genuinely laugh.
'The Empire has announced in an internal memo that Philip Sole, formerly associated with the Empire of the Hand, is the new director of intelligence.'
*All major powers have Tier 4 intelligence rings within them. The Empire has a T5 intelligence ring. (Intelligence ring tiers depict information access: T1 is low-level info, T2 is low confidential, T3 is low classified, T4 is all classified besides top-secret, T5 is everything). New actions to deepen espionage rings to T5 in major powers. Command Codes action modified. Launch coup in the Empire action available. Prepare for coup action available. Loot the Jedi Temple action available. Expanding the spy network to minor powers action available. Expanding the spy network to the underworld unlocked. Expanding the spy network to the Chiss Ascendancy unlocked.*
Increased Agency Standards - Cen Kam is incredibly meticulous, and she expects this standard from her operatives and underlings. You happen to enjoy competent subordinates, so you certainly see her point. By introducing a thorough assessment process and retraining, your intelligence service's skills would improve. However, they would need to have a larger training budget as a result. Cost: 200. Upkeep: 200. Time: 1 turn. Reward: Increased bonus to espionage rolls.
(56, 97, 98) Critical success boosted into ludicrous critical success
When your spymaster requested the funds for an agency-wide training program you did not expect her to overhaul the entire organization. With her connections in the underworld, she was able to gain access to some of the finest espionage talents in the galaxy who would typically have become agents for the Hutts and had them take over underperforming networks. Within half a year, there was no member of your agency who could not pass for a million and one other people in every level of society.
But that was simply one part of the training. Drilling in the principles of slicing was another, as was the necessity of always having an escape route. If an agent within your intelligence services had a weak spot, it was ruthlessly drilled out of them. By the end of 4 ABY, you found yourself with an intelligence arm with no equal, one that you were truly pleased with. And it would only improve from here.
*New agents equal to other empire's top agents. Scales up from there. Counterintelligence organization quadruples the time for enemies to take action against you. +1 intrigue action due to quality.*
Learning: Dr. Nairtuu's research into cloning, while useful, remains somewhat limited. Nonetheless, there are a plethora of projects available to you, and some may have to be delayed as a result. You have cloning tech to research, along with two new proposed options for researching improvements to your fleet. At this point in time, you seem to have no shortage of upgrades to choose from. (Choose 2)
Research the use of Ysalamiri for Cloning - While you can make clones that age at four times the normal rate, that would necessitate a 5-year latency for training. For elite units that would be acceptable, but for the normal units, that simply cannot remain. You must have a more resilient and quicker process if you are to truly weaponize cloning. Thankfully, there exists a method. The Ysalamiri. Cost: 50. TIme: 1 turn. Reward: Drastically accelerated cloning.
(28, 55, 60) Success.
From the report you received, Dr. Nairtuu has had surprising success in creating functioning clones thanks to the presence of the Ysalamiri. Rather than years, an adult vat-born human could be produced in a matter of days and weeks. However, although this process does not suffer from the psychological instability present in previous attempts, more resources will be required to find a training regime that will be able to keep up with the growth rate of these new clones.
Several suggestions for future projects related to clones have been proposed, with Vipik practically chomping at the bit for the cheap labor they provide. Meanwhile, Dr. Nartuu has proposed looking into flash memory technologies in order to accelerate the training process. While she has given some thought to dealing with the rapid aging problem, she has yet to truly come up with a solution.
*Can make clones with up to x500 acceleration. Public Cloning Facilities modified. New action to research flash memory unlocked.*
Chronicle Force Techniques and Sects - A suggestion by Kanuas, and one he wants to be done immediately, a thorough chronicle of the force's use in the galaxy would be useful for both military purposes and for the founding of a force order. While he may view this as necessary, you feel as if it is far less important than he might think, and could certainly wait if you so chose. Cost: None. Time: 1 turn. Reward: Gain a comprehensive summary of the force's use in the galaxy.
(87, 23, 99) Critical Success.
It is to your disappointment that you did not previously have such access to the histories and artifacts of those ancient, Force-worshiping religions scattered across the galaxy. Their arts and philosophies are intriguing yet... difficult to parse. Perhaps this is due to lacking the innate "Force sensitivity" of their members. Regardless, you are now the owner of what is likely the largest collection of relics and knowledge from Force Sects across time and space with the exception of Coruscant, and this has granted you a greater understanding of how to defeat them.
You also expect that this new museum will help Kanuas train his students, who he has stated he is ready to begin recruiting and training thanks to his recent discoveries. Based on some of your own calculations, you expect that this will lead to a decrease in training time of approximately 25%. You do hope he makes good use of this boon.
*Large museum for the force built. Force order training times decreased by ~25%. Thrawn's trait "The Artist" modified*
Lore: Kanuas continues to insist upon a fortress for the order, and you are tempted to grant him his desire. However, there is some suspicion that perhaps your advisor may not truly have your best interests at heart. This was something you had already expected, as with his past, you would have been surprised if he had simply let go of his distrust of the Empire. You do have a theory that he spent much of the previous year setting up an escape route. But for now, you have orders to give him. (Choose 2)
Fortress For The Order - Just as the Jedi and the Sith have had their own temples and enclaves throughout the ages, Kanuas desires that the same be constructed for his own order. In this time of conflict, defensibility will be a more significant factor in its design than usual, but it will still possess all of the facilities required to further the students' education. However, you suspect that his desire for a fortress stems from another factor that he has yet to share. Despite this, his insistence on the importance of this action must be taken into account. Cost: 200. Time: 2 turns. Reward: Fortress for the order. Order name subvote.
(??, ??, ??)
Xuyul Kanuas remains a mystery to you, his past is shrouded and you have not ordered an investigation into him due to the difficulty it would run into. However, the quality of his blueprints remains a surprise to you. Even a cursory glance at the designs for Kanuas' fortress shows an unexpectedly high standard of defensibility without compromising functionality. With his temporary disappearance, you wondered who was supervising construction until you found that Darth Nox was doing so, his holocron watching over the project day after day.
The temple itself will consist of several complexes, each with its own wall surrounding them. Beyond that, there is one outer wall with many automated weapons. In the area between the complexes and outer wall are hundreds if not thousands of traps, each designed to maim and kill. It's a nightmare that you would hesitate to invade and makes you deeply respect Darth Nox's own skills.
*Very defensible temple under construction. Designed by Darth Nox with construction being supervised by him.*
Integrate Jedi And Sith Techniques - As a possessor of one Sith and one Jedi Holocron each, Kanuas has a great deal of experience in the practices of both organizations. This will allow him to most readily include a wide variety of abilities. However, the tensions between the light side and dark side users will be a problem. Cost: None. Time: 1 turn. Reward: Trainees begin learning actual force techniques.
(??, ??, ??)
Holocrons from your understanding are data storage devices containing a personality copy of their creator as well as their memories. These Gatekeepers serve as guides for Jedi and trials for Sith who would attempt to open them and are prized for their knowledge almost to the same degree as their living counterparts would be. Thus, it was quite a surprise that Kanuas was able to recover a dozen of them, each one effectively equal to a Sith Lord or a Jedi Master in the knowledge they could offer. From your advisor's comments, the six blue cubicle Holocrons were of the Jedi while the six crimson pyramidal Holocrons were of the Sith
Where he got these from, he refused to say. From the similarities in design, the Sith Holocrons came from a similar time period to Darth Nox, but the Jedi holocrons were far more unique, coming from different eras in history. You are starting to suspect that his relationship with Darth Nox is far deeper than you initially thought, and whether that is good or bad remains to be seen.
*6 Sith holocrons from Nox's era recovered. 6 holocrons of Jedi through history recovered. Trainers for the order found.*
Personal: Perhaps you have taken a more active stance than you should have. Your involvement with galactic affairs gives you little time nowadays. And with the current state of affairs, you find your time monopolized. Kaine is unlikely to take rejection well, and so his meeting is an important aspect to consider. Not to mention that it will not be a single meeting, but rather several over the course of months. Then there is Zaarin, someone that remains at large, and someone that Voss suggests you take care of. Perhaps you should, but you also suspect that Pellaeon may be enough if you are willing to take an admittedly significant risk. (Choose 2)
A Meeting With Kaine - Kaine has done well for himself in the immediate aftermath of the Emperor's death. A wealthy empire, distant from the New Republic, one that has had time to fix its economy and military forces as well as create a semi-competent intelligence arm. Neither of you two like the other enough for a social visit, and so there is a much deeper connection that Kaine wishes to discuss. Cost: None. Time: 1 turn. Reward: A meeting with Kaine.
(??, ??, ??)
Kaine's goals have been revealed to you thanks to Cen Kam, and you find yourself in the unique position of respecting the man. Unlike many of the galaxy's powers, he seeks to reduce the number of potential foes he may face. And you are the first step in the process. You are a trial for him, a subject in an experiment.
If it wasn't such an advantageous experiment for you, you would be insulted, but Kaine's goals are clever. He seeks to make himself too valuable to go to war with. And he hopes to do this through trade.
His empire is far larger than yours, and so this is the perfect situation for him. To his empire, the funds are notable, but not a significant part of his income. To yours? It would be a windfall of massive proportion. You suspect a full 10% surge to your economy assuming it doesn't collapse into a recession. If it did … you would have many problems. Namely with the Pentastar Alignment buying up low-value capital.
Meanwhile, Kaine has a more personal gift as well. Truthfully, you see little point in the gesture, but you suppose that you understand why he would consider it valuable to you. That being the Mandalorian named Solus that nearly killed you a few months ago. You quite frankly don't care for them either way, they were simply doing a job after all.
For the actual meeting, you're faced with a choice, do you simply act as if you have no idea what his plans are, using what details he reveals to gain an advantageous deal, or do you blatantly show the knowledge your intelligence arm has gained?
[] Hide your knowledge of his plans
[] Use the knowledge of his plans
Take Command - While Admiral Baidan may be the leader of your military forces, you are simply a superior commander. Take control of your military for a short period of time, and take action against your enemies personally. While your threats do remain small, and you remain confident that your forces can likely slowly deal with them. A personal touch would ensure that they are dealt with, and if your military reforms begin, such an operation would be far more difficult than normal. Cost: None. Time: 1 turn. Reward: Thrawn takes personal command of the Empire of the Hand's forces.
(No rolls)
It has been a few months since your last command excursion, and you expect this to be dealt with swiftly. Zaarin had an opportunity to win if he had pushed against Voss, but his fear and lack of information on your own empire left him ill-prepared for the force you bring to bear.
*End of Zaarin subvote to be posted*
GM Note: 4 hour moratorium.
