Sheep Among the Wolves
Posted on Wed May 11th, 2022 @ 10:13pm by Jela Valla & Damask Hul
1,775 words; about a 9 minute read
Chapter:
Chapter VI: The Last Bastion
Location: Speaker of the Senate's Office, Coruscant
Timeline: Day Three, Week Four
(Very) OLD
"I will see about getting The Descent transferred into your care so that you might be better equipped for future operations.”
"Thank you, sir." The Twi'lek agent brought her feet together and saluted the Third Republic's vice chair, but she did not yet move, earning a curious glower from the stalwart Duros. Such behaviour, indicative of further questioning, was quite out-of-character for the TRIO agent. Indeed, in breach of usual protocol and Agent Valla's own typically strict adherence to policy, she asked a question. Her eyes remained forward-facing, though, not meeting Hul's. "I beg forgiveness already for my uncouth manner, sir, and would understand if you now wish to relocate me into an alternative assignment, but I wanted to ask: do you believe the Jedi to not have the Republic's interests at heart?"
Although not stated explicitly, the sinister undertone to the question was obvious: did Hul believe the Jedi to be opposed to the Republic?
That same smile dared to return to Hul’s face as he caught that meaning. He had allowed himself to express more emotion since his move into office, learning that the use of expression was as sharp a tool as any weapon of subterfuge as well as a pleasant indulgence.
“That, Agent Valla,” his coarse voice resonated with his grin, answering both the original question and the unasked query, “Will depend on what you believe is in the Republic’s best interests..."
NEW
It had taken almost half a standard hour for the transmission to clear up to a suitable standard for a stable two-way communication between its point of origin, deep in Bastion space, and Coruscant, in the heart of the Third Republic. That process had required all of the necessary decryptions, encryptions, scrambling and focusing to make the process tangible and safe - especially as it was being channelled into the Office of the Speaker of the Senate, Damask Hul.
A faint holographic depiction of TRIO Agent Valla now stood before the Speaker, although it juddered and disappeared occasionally. It was also taking several seconds for each participant's comments to reach the other, and it had forced Hul to clear his schedule for the impromptu meeting.
"-have managed to ingratiate themselves with-- Moff Tarses. Imperial security protocols-- most impenetrable, but-- pronounced GalactaWerks pres-- monitoring their channels." As usual, the Twi'lek agent was stood stiffly at attention, in spite of the garbled communication and the sheer lightyears between them.
The Vice Chancellor leaned forwards in his seat to adjust the dials on his end, running a machine learning algorithm to clean up the heavily distorted transmission so that voice became more audible, even if it did lead to the odd peculiar inflection in the Twi’lek’s voice.
“That is unexpected on several accounts,” his eyes narrowed as he processed the information, “But not beyond the scope of abilities demonstrated by the two wayward Force users and their crew. I take this as further confirmation that there is resistance from Tarses’ inner circle against ’Werks and their operations there? I imagine the radio chatter about the Red Raptor crew has not been positive.”
"That is correct, sir," the agent replied, Hul's adjustments allowing Valla's every word to make through to him now. "It seems GalactaWerks' leading executive for their projects in this region of space has become concerned with the appearance and interference of the Raptor group. There are a number of moffs named in the transmissions that appear to be within a faction allying itself with the Company, although there is no mention of the priority here - aside from removing Grand Moff Tarses from power. The most recent transmissions are being pinged across relays and buoys that lead to the edge of Imperial space; they are seeking reinforcements from other GalactaWerks vessels that are in the region. Whatever coup is being planned with the Imperial agents, Citizens Thort and Thane appear to have been the catalyst."
Hul sat back and brought one leg up to rest across the other as he let the information seep in, “Then, Agent Valla,” he engaged her with his crimson eyes, “We would not be doing our duty if we failed to do everything in our power to ensure the outcome of this leadership struggle is favourable to the long-term security of the Republic. If this loyalist contingent is where our young men have found favour, then keeping them in power will not only quell any ambition to expand Bastion’s borders beyond their usual Mandalorian raids but also will scupper whatever plans GalactaWerks has in the region.”
He smiled, “And I do so enjoy knocking the company down a peg or two. I have no doubt you are keeping your usual meticulous logs of names and correspondences, but what I really want is a hard link that can prove to the Senate beyond a shadow of a doubt that ‘Werks is actively working to erode the Republic from the inside and out. I think it will soon come time for us to break the silence and speak to Thane and Bomoor directly. Their new friend might just be grateful enough after surviving this coup to hand over all we could ever want to condemn the company.”
Although there was a brief pause, which could have been interpreted as some hesitation, the Twi'lek soon nodded, giving no voice to whatever concerns she may harbour about that direction. "Yes, sir. I will continue to monitor the situation and seek to a means to possibly make contact with the Red Raptor contingent safely. I do not believe it would be safe for me to do so within this space; I do not know exactly how long they will remain in the Bastion Emp-."
There was another connection error within the communication, but a small, precise frown from Valla, and a few unseen adjustments, quickly rectified it. Although she looked forward into the display again, her generated features once again appeared ill at ease. This time, she addressed the point, however.
"There is every possibility that the GalactaWerks Corporation will triumph in this conflict, sir," she said, hands clasped behind her back with military crispness, a contrast to the rougher equipment that she wore for the nature of work on this excursion. "Useable data or intelligence is limited. If I may be bold in my assessment, there is nothing that would stand scrutiny in the courts if presented, in the current format. GWC could end up with an Imperial ally, and the Republic citizens captured or executed."
Hul allowed his own frown to darken his expression as he replied, “I do not underestimate the extensive tactical and military might that GalactaWerks stands to lend these rebel Moffs and so, in the event they do succeed in taking over, it will no longer be safe for you to continue operations in the area. Your discovery would undoubtedly result in political tensions between the new GalactaWerks-allied state and the Republic...”
For the briefest of moments, and not for the first time, Valla found herself darkly musing on the notion that GalactaWerks could be allied to and backing two alternative states that may be locked in conflict with one another, pulling the strings of its galactic puppets to its own macabre ends. The average citizen or soldier of either country would find themselves devoted to concepts of statehood, survival and patriotism, fighting for their culture and lives - all at the behest of a conglomerate furthering its own ends, quite fruitlessly.
The Twi'lek had a rare flare of anger rise in her throat.
Through the intermittent hologram of the Duros' blue form, Valla could see Hul now softened his expression again and uncrossed his legs once more, “I trust you to accurately judge the currents, agent. If the loyalists succeed, then find a safe time to approach and, if not, then we will make do with the data you have and my efforts to fight the company in the Senate continue as they always have.”
Although she was not one to be given to political activism or voicing her opinions on governance and philosophy, Valla did take comfort in the vice chancellor's assurances of his activism in congress. She was not foolish enough to think Speaker Hul did not recognise Valla's own allegiances in that sense, either. In her earliest assignments, she had quickly deduced that there was no true force as luck in the universe; she was convinced that Hul had engineered their association, that he trusted her to pursue his goals, secure in the knowledge that, ultimately, their desire for the Republic to be rid of GalactaWerks meant they posed no risk to one another. Valla would serve Hul and the Republic loyally, as she knew he would also serve the Republic loyally.
"Yessir," she replied, making no utterance of those thoughts and notions on statehood and allegiances. She offered a small, crisp salute, and deactivated the communication, returning the cockpit of her stealthed vessel to a level of relative darkness, her face only faintly lit by the dimly-glowing consoles arrayed about her.
After a few seconds of thoughtful silence, she pivoted her chair and activated a nearby panel. A selection of images appeared on the display, which Valla had become very familiar with in recent months. A central image, depicting a young Human male in Jedi garb, accompanied by a youthful Ithorian, an older female, a Selkath and a Cerean, was surrounded by a series of other portrait shots and stills taken from recordings captured on several different worlds, ranging from Nar Shaddaa to Naboo, to, even more recently, Alba.
Although Valla took a few minutes to examine each of the pictures, following her typical routine of moving from one to the next in chronological order, she found herself taking a few moments longer to examine the one taken from Centares, showing that very-same Human and Ithorian, albeit some years older, walking through a crowd with their new Nautolan charge.
Whilst Valla did not quite see what Speaker Hul did in them, she did recognise his vision and mind for tactics - and there was no diminishing the enormity of their achievement in Bastion already. Even so, three rogue Force clerics against the might of a GalactaWerks-backed imperial war machine?
Finally releasing a small sigh, a little luxury that she afforded herself, Agent Valla switched off the console, the images of the Red Raptor crew disappeared, and she set about preparing for the coup to come.
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