The Office of the High Mage is located on the top floor of the Galactic Headquarters of the Order of Sith Mages. The High Mage can be met here to discuss matters concerning new Imperial worlds.
Lord Aequitas
The Grand Mage swept down the hallway just as the sun was setting on another Kuati day. He had recieved a memo from the Office of the High Mage asking him to come immediately.
Stopping at the door, he hesitated. Did he walk in without knocking or did he give his deputy the respect he deserved.
He knocked.
High Mage Serratus
The High Mage had been anticipating the Grand Mage's arrival and as such, when Lord Aequitas knocked, Serratus raised his hand and opened the door with the Force.
"M'lord, thank you for your time."
Lord Aequitas
Shutting the door behind him, Aequitas smiled slightly at Serratus before striding over to the desk and taking a seat. The office was small, yet efficient, he noted as he looked around. “Tell me High Mage”, he began before settling his eyes on the Tatooine Moff, “Why have you called med here today? You know my schedule.”
Aequitas looked expectantly at the Mage. He had changed drastically over the many years he had known him. Aequitas had trained him and now Serratus followed him into the Mages. They were a formidable force.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus withdrew a large roll of paper from his desk. He rolled it out on the top of the desk.
"These are the original plans for our wing of Dark Ring Station and the surrounding areas. Now, as you can see, both of our offices are identical in size."
Serratus put the roll of paper away and withdrew another one before rolling it out on the desk too.
"These are the updated plans. I have a group of Mages giving me biweekly updates, so I can keep track of changes and renovations."
Serratus indicated their two offices.
"Here, your's is quite visibly shorter than mine."
Serratus withdrew another roll of paper and rolled it over the updated plans.
"This is a plan of the perimeter of the Station. Basically, it only illustrates the walls that form part of the outer walls of any of the segments. Our offices' back walls are two such walls."
Serratus indicated the overlapping of the two plans. There was a rather visible and sizeable space separating the outermost wall on the perimeter plan and the back wall of Aequitas's office.
"You are the only member of the Mages with the authority to have your office renovated. And clearly you have."
Serratus looked up at his former master seriously.
"Care to indulge me, Grand Mage, as to what's behind your office?"
Lord Aequitas
Aequitas looked at the High Mage sternly. "Master Serratus, I simply built an extra wall to protect some valuable scrolls, datapads etcetera. You are not forgetting, I hope, that I am also High Historian and that the work involved therein also follows me around. Furthermore, I believe I hold the top security clearance and do not have to disclose any information to you."
He leaned back, "Is that all, Master Serratus?"
High Mage Serratus
Serratus continued staring at the Grand Mage as he extracted yet another roll of paper.
"Not quite, m'lord."
He rolled out this scroll, which had a number of figures.
"This is the weekly energy consumption of Dark Ring Station. In the two weeks that the modifications to your office took place, there was a noticeable jump in energy consumption. Whatever is behind there is no mere collection of scrolls and datapads. If you truly do not think I need to know what's behind your office, I understand, but please, Grand Mage, do not treat me like an idiot."
Before Aequitas could react, Serratus removed the scroll and started speaking once more.
"Because of the jump in energy consumption, we need a relatively small increase in budget for Dark Ring Station. We can either sell some of the damind crystals from Aeron or divert resources from another Mage project or department. I was thinking the Public Relations budget could be trimmed, the daminds have been rather useful. I just need your approval, Grand Mage, as it is a budgetary matter."
Serratus removed another sheet of paper and passed it to Aequitas. He would need to sign it to alter the Mage budget.
Lord Aequitas
Aequitas smiled. "Master Serratus, they are rather large data pads." He smiled and took a pen from inside his robes, signing the Budgetary Amendment Form with a flourish.
"I trust that is all, High Mage? I have business to attend to on Coruscant", he stated simply.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus raised an eyebrow at the notion of datapads big enough to cause a shift in energy consumption big enough to require an amendment to the budget but pressed no further, knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere.
"That is all m'lord."
He placed the form back in his desk before turning to Aequitas with a smile.
"Is that what they call dinner with the Chancellor of the University of Coruscant at the Galaxies Opera House these days, work?"
He stood to get the door for the Grand Mage.
"I too have work to do, on Tatooine, as it happens. There's a rather large sandstorm about to blow into Anchorhead and apparently the locals are too stupid to prepare themselves for it, so I have to do it."
Lord Aequitas
Aequitas chuckled, "Quite astute, my old apprentice. Alas yes, it is work when he's trying to get you to marry his daughter. Truth be told, I don't even like the opera we're going to see. Oh well, I'll probably get an Honourary Doctorate or something after tonight." He sighed as he stood to leave.
Smiling at Serratus he paused for a moment, "Ah yes, Anchorhead. Do go into the Dug's Armpit. Awful bar, but they do great ale. I've not been there in years. Since my apprenticeship, I do believe. My, my, how time flies."
He stepped briskly towards the door, "The room that which we discuss is sacred to me. Also, you should know that my first language is High Galactic." He walked out the door and smiled at Serratus. "Yes, that's all you need to know", he added with a wink and then disappeared with a flourish of his cloak.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus closed the door after Aequitas left and sat down before frowning.
"High Galactic, sacred."
Serratus was a near-fluent speaker of High Galactic and it took only a couple of minutes for the answer to spring to his mind. He frowned and made a note to look into it before initiating the lockdown of his office so that he could go to Tatooine and deal with Anchorhead.
As Serratus switched of the lights, he looked at the sheet of paper on which he had the noted. He closed the door and darkness fell on the word that Serratus had hastily scrawled.
Sanctus.
High Prophet Crozeus
The High Prophet had seldom left the Chapter since his promotion. He hadn't expected the amount of paperwork that had come with the job. Now, however, he had some time to deal with a pressing issue, and he was wondering through the Mage Headquarters to enlist help for that problem precisely.
It was amusing to Crozeus that the current Grand Mage had once been High Prophet. Maybe Crozeus was destined to be the next Grand Mage? Aequitas was greying, and to Crozeus he had always seemed like an effigy of Darth Sidious before the scarring. Whereas Praxeum seemed to be the kind of Sith who would live forever.
It was neither of the two Lords for whom he was looking for, it was the High Mage, second in command, just as he was, who also happened to be a close friend of Crozeus. He had been directed to Serratus' office by a friendly receptionist, who was easy on the eyes - another talent of the Grand Mage, hiring only the purest of souls... and bodies.
He came to the door and stopped. He rapped smartly thrice on the door and waited for a response.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus didn't so much as blink at the sound of knocking. Lately he could barely get an hour without a set of knuckled ramming of his door. He briefly scanned his appointments.
"If this is Darth Eclectus, you have ten seconds to clear the immediate fifty feet surrounding this building. If this is Mage Superior Dorian, Tao or Amideus, enter only if you are carrying my biweekly Dark Ring report. If this is Grand Mage Aequitas, High Prophet Crozeus or Vlinora, please enter freely."
High Prophet Crozeus
Crozeus wandered in, a small smile probing the corner of his mouth. "Ah High Mage, I see the tediousness of routine hasn't spared you either. I was wondering if we could have a talk, unless of course you are too busy?"
High Mage Serratus
Serratus smiled at his old friend.
"Of course, have a seat."
Before Crozeus could point out the absence of such a sitting apparatus Serratus waved his hand and pieces of metal and fabric soared from inconspicuous places around the room, coming together in front of the High Mage's desk, forming a rather comfortable-looking in chair. Serratus smiled again.
"After Darth Eclectus's little incident with a rather nice armchair, no one sits in my office without my permission. It was also a rather expensive armchair you see. I had this one made especially."
High Prophet Crozeus
Crozeus broke out into a full smile. "Ah," he said, looking with a raised eyebrow at the chair before carefully placing himself on it.
"You remember, of course, that when was it... last year some time? I helped get you out of your armour to your current state. Not wanting to sound like I'm just calling in a favour, so I understand if you won't be able to. But I know you heard my proposition in the Moff's Council, and I would like to invite you along."
Crozeus was leaning forward, his arms held mid height, fingertips touching.
High Mage Serratus
Serratus raised an eyebrow.
"Since when is gunning down rebel scum calling in a favour? You and I have not gone on a hunt in a while, my friend. It would be an honour to decapitate defectors by your side once more."
Feeling a little melodramatic, Serratus opened his armoury with the Force and, without missing a beat, summoned his rancor-tooth lightsaber, which sprung to life at his touch. The High Mage smiled.
"When do we leave?"
He held the straight face for a couple of seconds before laughing.
"By Sidious, that was like a scene from a bad holofilm."
High Prophet Crozeus
Crozeus laughed. "I wouldn't know, I tend not to watch bad holofilms!" He stood too, feeling much more at ease. He hadn't had much time lately to spend with friends... even if that was slaughtering enemies.
"It's no ordinary hunt, mind. What we're going to do is spring a little trap. As I said, one particular ship has been leading raids. We're going to present it with an undeniably tasty target, and when it falls for the bait, we sneak aboard and trail it back to where ever it is it's striking from. We place a beacon, call in the fleet, and take out their leadership."
High Mage Serratus
Serratus nodded. It was a good plan.
"Take out their leadership you say? Sounds like a good job for my friend here."
Serratus waved his rancor-tooth lightsaber from side to side and smiled.
"I will gladly accompany you, High Prophet. When is that we leave? Seriously this time, of course."
High Prophet Crozeus
Crozeus stood from the odd seat. "Well, I see no reason to delay. A mock trade fleet with poor escorts is assembling above us. Disguised in it are several of the craft sent by other Moffs. The rebels will be unable to resist such a tempting morsel."
He moved towards the door. "When you are prepared, take your ship up there and send the code 'Vervun' to the largest ship in the fleet. Then we'll hit the jump."
High Mage Serratus
Serratus nodded as his friend left and went over to his armoury. He was going to need more than a lightsaber for this mission. He selected his hunting knives and a Cycler Rifle before heading out. On his way out he stopped to talk to his secretary, Vlinora.
"Vlinora, I'm heading out. If Tao, Amideus or Dorian show up, tell them to leave the report with you. If Eclectus shows up, do the thing with the hunting knife that I showed you. If Lord Aequitas comes by, tell him that it's about Cerea."
With that, the High Mage swept from the building and hailed a taxi to his house, where the Space Dragon was waiting.
