Callida follows, swallowing her unease at the word 'our.' Up until now, she's managed to avoid meeting Darth Marr. Looks like that luck just ran out. Well. It was bound to happen eventually. It wouldn't do for her to show a trace of fear in front of another Dark Councilor.

Darth Marr awaits them in a conference room, surrounded by nervous technicians and officers that buzz around the Dark Councilor like moths around a lamp. They flit away when the two Sith enter, conveniently finding something else to do.

"Occlus," says Marr, in lieu of a proper greeting. His mask makes gauging his expression impossible, and his voice gives nothing away. He looks at Callida. "And your apprentice. Good."

"Marr," says Occlus, face as still as any mask. "I assume this is in relation to Darth Malgus's recent pronouncement?"

"You assume correctly."

He looks pensively at a holoterminal displaying Ilum.

"I would like a copy of your report," he says, without preamble.

... Callida blinks like she misheard him.

"Lord Callida," she prompts.

Callida is ever so careful to keep her screaming behind her wall of calm. To her credit, her expression doesn't flicker past the surprised blink, and neither does her nerve.

Would you like me to change the numbers for our defectors in some way? she asks, while she retrieves the appropriate document on her datapad.

If he's asking for it, he's already seen it.

Aaaaugh she is going to get such a lecture later.

Just making sure.

She sends Darth Marr a copy, and continues to keep her screaming on the inside.

He looks thoughtfully at it.

"Ah. So you have an accurate overview of the situation."

"Insofar as that is possible. What do you intend?"

"We must crush this insurrection," he spits the word like it's a curse, "before it has the time to amass strength. It is paramount that we retake the cloaking factory. We have no time for petty grievances or further disloyalty."

In lieu of a formal request or an outright demand, he leaves that sentence hanging in the air. Perhaps he doesn't think he needs either.

"Of course. My commandos will be ready to depart within the hour."

Marr looks at her. Several technicians quietly scoot away to lose themselves in terminals further from the epicenter.

"I would appreciate," he growls the word like it pains him, "your personal assistance in this matter that concerns all members of the Dark Council."

"I will make preparations. Will you be joining us?"

"Unfortunately, no." By his tone, he finds this extremely annoying. One may make the assumption that he would find it very satisfying to personally kill each and every traitor with his bare hands. Slowly. "I am needed elsewhere. This setback must not compromise us on other fronts."

"Understood. I will eliminate this distraction that we may return to the true work."

Nod. "Good. Inform me if there are resources you need for the endeavor."

Which is as close to a 'thank you,' as anyone's likely to get.

Occlus nods, and beckons to Callida as they take their leave.

Callida... looks at Marr. As annoying as it is to get caught with her hand in the proverbial cookie jar, she would rather know than not. She inclines her head towards him, and then follows Occlus out.

Occlus taps her datapad.

"We have proper access to unit deployment data now. Compile a list of what awaits us on Ilum. I will see to our own forces' preparations. If you wish to have your ship available, inform your crew that they will be part of the commandos' convoy. We will be traveling together."

She nods. "Yes, my lord."

Callida doesn't especially want her ship and its crew available in a war zone. Her ship's doctor might end up useful, but it's not worth the risk of putting him in the middle of a warzone. There are likely other doctors on Ilum. Everyone else on her ship wouldn't be of much use. Her pilot could conceivably help, but either would need to learn the ins and outs of a new ship in a warzone, or Callida would have to either boot everyone that was living on her ship off of it, or also bring them into the warzone. She'd rather not.

The inevitable lecture (that she has definitely earned, sigh) can come later, right now she has work to do.

Ninety minutes later, Occlus sends a message asking if she is ready to depart.

She is! Here's a list of the troops they have available on Ilum, and an estimation of the ones that have defected to join Malgus. Apparently Republic forces have defected to join him, as well, but she doesn't have very accurate numbers for those.

Excellent. They will review strategy during the journey. To the ship.

Occlus sets up a holo depicting the terrain and major known emplacements, and begins adding forces.