“And that’s what we know so far,” the cloaked figure was saying. “Now that we’ve confirmed the existence of an Imperial Inquisitor on the tail of these artifacts, your mission takes on ever greater importance. We don’t know exactly what Vader wants these things for, but the effort he’s made to retrieve them signals that we can’t ignore them.”
Twilight stood silently in a run-down apartment deep in the underbelly of Coruscant. Beside her stood Janus Reis, aka. Eight. As the only two survivors from the team, it was the duty and privilege of the alicorn princess and human male to hear back from their analysts.
“That’s why,” the figure continued, “despite the heavy losses you’ve suffered, I’m afraid I must ask you to continue this mission.”
“Why?” Janus asked, hand on his blond beard. “You can’t seriously expect the two of us to match an Imperial Inquisitor, not to mention this ‘Maul’, whoever he is.”
Twilight was, for just a second, tempted to just blurt everything out. That she wasn’t a human, she was an alicorn and more than capable of matching a magic-less Luna in a fight. But she couldn’t, she dared not. Equestria’s safety was too tenuous already. She couldn’t risk the lives of her friends, family, and people.
“Or maybe you just don’t want them asking why you let Luna murder three good men when you could have been there to stop her,” a small voice in her head prodded.
Twilight gritted her teeth and said nothing.
“Of course not,” the hologram replied. “But all the same, we can’t allow these Sith treasures to fall back into Vader’s hands. We don’t have much in the way of combat assets on Coruscant, but we do have access to a few beings of conscience on your destination. We can arrange for a cover story and some aid. I know it won’t replace those that fell…” there was a pause. “But in completing the mission, we honor their sacrifice.”
“By getting ourselves killed?” Janus glared. “Going up against an Inquisitor without heavy firepower or a Force user is just an elaborate method of suicide. I knew when I signed up for this that I might lose my life, but I didn’t think it’d be thrown away!”
“We aren’t the Empire!” the hologram hissed. “Our agents are not expendable gears in a machine. We won’t send you on a suicide mission.”
“Then how are we supposed to deal with Vader’s dog when she comes barking?”
Twilight bristled a little inside at the wording, but held her silence.
“…We have a plan.”
“Corulag,” Luna read aloud, as the Starry Night’s engines began to fire up. “Located in the Corulus System of the Bormea Sector of the Core Worlds, along the Perlemian Trade Route. Population: 15 billion. Primarily human. Corulag is an important economic hub for the Core Worlds, boasting industry and trade in equal measure. The population remained loyal to the Republic during the Clone Wars, which has now been only strengthened by the Emperor’s reforms. Volunteerism for Imperial service is high, and the population is considered loyal.”
The alicorn princess wanted to spit. Pathetic dogs these humans, so eager to lick the hand of an oppressor that promised them a little more comfortable existence. Did they really think whatever privileges they enjoyed couldn’t be stripped on a whim the moment something made them suspect? If these curs wouldn’t fight to be free, then they deserved whatever happened to them.
“Points of Interest:” she continued after swallowing her bile. “Corulag Academy. A military academy dating back to the Clone Wars, this school has produced a large number of competent but unexceptional pilots and soldiers known for staunch reliability and high degrees of discipline. Potential for subversion is minimal. Current students: 4.75 million. Triumph Base: Imperial Navy training academy located on the planet’s largest moon. Hosts two Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers and one Venator-class Star Destroyer on a permanent basis. Which I’m sure will be very helpful if I need to call in any orbital bombardment.” The alicorn rolled her eyes, though in truth she doubted she’d mind a bit of collateral damage.
Luna skipped ahead a little bit.
“Last known sighting of a man matching this Maul’s description was six standard days ago, by ISB agent Tellus Yorn. Person of interest was in discussion with a known smuggler being tracked by the ISB when the agent was spotted. Suspect fled the scene without delay, smuggler fought to the death. This was considered uncharacteristic of the man and was not filed with the local enforcers.” Luna pursed her lips.
Why, she wondered. Why run and abandon a contact to his death? Why, if this truly had been Maul, had he not used his Sith skills to dispose of the ISB lackeys and finish his business? He could easily have fled the planet afterwards. Six days could put him anywhere within the Core or Colonies, and parts of the Inner Rim. True, the death of an agent and his team during a routine mission would have certainly raised more alarms than a cloaked man running scared, but surely he could have…
Luna blinked.
Of course, killing the ISB agent would have stirred up the hornet’s nest. On a world like Corulag, with plenty of Imperials around, the crackdown would have been brutal. Lacking a clear suspect, the clumsy aliens would no doubt have come down hard on all smugglers and criminal elements they could lay hands on. That would have meant nothing to any true Sith Lord… unless of course he was planning on receiving a delivery there.
The princess gave a small chuckle. Of course, right under the Empire’s nose. Vader might deploy agents across the length and breadth of the galaxy, from Nar Shaddaa to Ord Mantell, in search of his missing treasures. But who would ever suspect that they were worming their way to faithful Corulag?
Not bad.
When Twilight first set foot on Corulag, she looked a whole new woman. Her hair was tied back in a tight bun, her body armor had been replaced by the crisp green tunic of a lieutenant of the Imperial Navy, but most of all was her face. She had a perpetually straight-laced expression that somehow radiated a mild disdain for the world around her, along with a subtle air that suggested that she was someone important, someone to be appeased and obeyed. Down the ramp beside her walked a lone man in unmistakable white armor, signature E-11 blaster clutched tightly in his hands. Janus hadn’t liked his disguise, but Twilight was a little short to be a Stormtrooper.
There was no one waiting to greet them. After all, Corulag Academy was a busy place and the hustle and bustle of one of its many shuttleports was a constant. As the two of them approached the bottom ramp, a little MSE-series droid rolled up, squeaking as the model always did. Twilight took one look at it, noted the telltale pattern scratched faintly near the top of its hull, then gave the slightest of nods. Doing their absolute best to remain uptight and unflinching as dozens of other shuttles embarked or disembarked hundreds of Imperial military personnel, the two turned and followed it simply out the landing bay’s most prominent door.
As they walked down one of the many, many busy streets jutting through the harsh grid that was the Corulag Academy’s Atmospheric Air Wing, Twilight couldn’t help but frown just a little more than her role called for. It was amazing, this place. Building after building, airfield after shuttleport, the unending roar of engines overhead. People came here from planets all across the Core to learn to fly, or to design ever-better spacescraft. Sienar Fleet Systems had a presence here, and tens of thousands of talented engineers worked day and night to perfect new and ever better designs to be tested right here. She could see the enthusiastic fervor in the eyes of the cadets she walked past, could feel the ever-present undercurrent of electricity in the crowd. These people truly believed in what they were doing, thought that their work was making a galaxy a better place.
All a lie.
Did the bright-looking young ensign she’d just passed understand what he was fighting for, really? Did the designer walking, clutching a data slate and simultaneously struggling to Aerodynamics Across the Galaxy, think about what the ship he was working so hard for would be used to do? Twilight wondered how enthusiastic they’d be, if the engineer saw his prized work fitted with bombs the ensign would be ordered to drop on a people wanting nothing but to mind their own business away from Palpatine. Or that fellow in a crisp new gunner’s uniform. Where would that proud smile be when he was ordered to enact a Base Delta Zero?
Twilight shook her head.
“Such a waste.”
When the Starry Night emerged from hyperspace, Luna had wasted little time in firing up the holoprojector.
“I don’t care what your protocol is,” she snapped at the apparition aboard her command deck. “You can either put me through to whomever it is commands the ISB on this planet without delay or you can explain to Lord Vader why you chose to waste his agent’s time.”
The woman on the other end went noticeably paler even through the hologram. “…I see. As you wish, madam Inquisitor.” With a stiff and formal bow, she vanished.
Luna snorted. Invoking Vader’s name was always helpful but it was disappointing that her own presence failed to inspire that kind of efficient obedience. Perhaps one day, when the aliens had learn proper respect for her…
Less than thirty seconds later, an utterly nondescript human male took the woman’s place.
“Major Celebraine of Imperial Security Bureau, ranking officer on Corulag,” he announced himself, brown eyes staring out from a clean-shaven face. “How may I assist you, Lady Inquisitor?”
“Inquisitor Luna, on a personal mission from Lord Vader.” She felt a twinge of fright, but to his credit the man’s face didn’t show it. “I’ll be needing your agents.”
He didn’t even try to object. “How many men do you require, my lady?”
“Any and all of them, as I see fit.” Luna said without hesitation. “For now, five combat squads worth and total access to all of your informants will do. I’ll also require unrestricted access to your private channels, spy satellites, restricted databases, and at least a hundred probe droids.”
“I see.” Though the man’s expression was impassive, Luna could sense a mounting nervousness. “May I ask why?”
“That’s need to know classified,” she told him with just a hint of smugness. “I’ll also need access to competent technicians that can be discrete, this ship could do with a tune-up. An improved holonet suite and upgraded main computer will be vital for this mission.”
“Am I permitted to know why, ma’am?” Celebraine smoothed back one lock of brown hair. “So as to find the best expertise for your needs?” he added quickly.
Luna rolled her eyes. “As I’m sure you can guess, Major, I’m not exactly what you would call inconspicuous on a world that is more than 96% human. No amount of mind tricks is going to make people overlook four legs.”
Once again, the princess silently cursed General Grievous. If not for him molding her flesh into the image of these aliens would have been child’s play.
“I will therefore be coordinating the initial stages of this hunt from orbit, and I’ll need your men as my boots on the ground, as it were. I trust they, of all people, should know how to be subtle. Clear enough, Major?”
“As a kyber crystal, ma’am.” He paused. “May I ask our quarry?”
“In due time, Major. In due time.”