Ask In Our Midst

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Over the recent years, the empire of the Sith had grown in territory and in numbers, and with it, the need to maintain firm control over their assets. Opposition was promptly stamped out, any potential threat immediately terminated. In this case, said threat was an ISB agent charged for spying against the Empire. He had allegedly been leaking information to outside parties, though which ones Cheriss’ superiors would not say. Either way, she and Acolyte Maerae Verdan were given the task to track him down and eliminate him— nip it right in the bud.

The information provided in the mission briefing had stated that the man could be found with his wife and three children in his apartment on Coruscant. The plan was simple. The Sith had scheduled a meeting with the man in his home and had led him to believe that he was due for a promotion. Once they were inside and the door was shut behind them, they would dispose of the traitor and whoever else happened to be there.

The Sith made her way down the street, the dull clacks of the soles of her boots sounding on the street as she walked alongside the acolyte. Her lightsaber was hidden for now, tucked on the inside of her black leather jacket. There was a silence between them for a good while, until they reached a medium sized apartment building that was well-lit on the outside. This was it. Before they came into view of the entrance, however, Cheriss slowed and turned to the woman beside her.

“Any last questions before we go through with this?”

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

This, Maerae knew, was her chance to impress. For the first time since she'd started her training at the hands of the Sith, she'd been allowed to leave the Academy on a mission. This, she was sure, was a test. To see if she was worthy to be considered by a master. Despite her skill with a lightsaber, Maerae hadn't impressed any Sith enough to take her as their apprentice.

This mission was supposed to be simple, as far as she knew. An ISB agent had turned out to be a double agent, and they were tasked with eliminating him and... well, anyone who might witness the act. Maerae didn't let it be known, but she severely hoped that the man didn't have family. Innocent or not, they would have to be eliminated too.

The Champion Maerae had been assigned to work with was a mystery to her. So far, the only word the young human had to describe her was "professional." Perhaps that was the point: there was no need to share the particulars of their lives with each other. They would complete this mission. Either Maerae would prove herself worthy to be Sith, or she would not. Either way, she doubted she would ever see Cheriss after this.

Maerae followed along after her senior, dressed simply in a black tunic, pants, boots, completed with a thin black robe. Her lightsaber hung from her hip, but following the example that Cheriss had set, it too was obscured from view by the fabric of her robe. Maerae didn't understand the need for subtlety, they were here to kill a man after all, but she knew better than to question those above her.

Cheriss turned to her, and asked if she had any questions. She could only think of one.

"What are the rules of engagement, my lord?"

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss raised her brow slightly as the Acolyte addressed her as “my lord”. That was a first, but she didn’t mind. She would be one someday, if she had her way.

“The only rule is that there are to be no witnesses,” she said, locking eyes with Maerae. If they were going to complete this mission, they were going to do it well. She would make sure of it. “I will handle the agent. You can deal with any others.” Cheriss studied the Acolyte’s face for a second or two for a sign for other questions, but found none. Nodding in satisfaction, she turned around again and didn’t wait for her partner as she started off towards the apartment, eyeing the security guard outside. As the pair approached the entrance, the human stepped in front of it.

“What’s your business here?” Cheriss smiled at the guard. He didn’t look to be much older than her and Maerae, and he was quite cute in his uniform. Maybe she’d let him live.

“You don’t need to know.”

“I… don’t need to know.” The man looked bewildered.

“You’ll go home, and forget you saw us today.”

“I will go home. I will forget I saw you.” With that, the man stepped aside and started to walk away, still in a daze. Fortunately, none of the few passers-by seemed to think anything of it. It was about time to change shifts anyway. The door opened in front of them and Cheriss headed inside, towards the elevator that would take them to Agent Corpal’s room. As she pressed the button, she looked at Maerae with a slight smile.

“Sometimes it helps to be subtle. It takes unwanted attention off of you— at little cost.”

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

"Understood," was Maerae's simple response to Cheriss' answer.

No witnesses. That was expected. The more she thought about this whole thing, the more it made sense to her why they should be subtle about it. Wanton slaughter might have been the way of the Eternal, and maybe still the way of some of the Sith, but the true people of the Empire was its constituents. Those people served their Empire because it brought order and stability to their lives. Hearing about random murders, and being blatant about them, would make the populace start to question their rulers.

Seeing Cheriss smile at the guard was odd, but even odder was the fact that she left him go. But- no, no that wasn't odd. It was subtle. There was more than one way to remove a witness, and this one didn't require hiding or explaining an additional corpse. Maerae didn't think it was very stereotypically Sith to spare a life, or even to use the fabled "Jedi Mind Trick" to do it, but she offered Cheriss no complaints.

Secretly, Maerae had a distaste for killing. That security guard was one less life weighing on her conscience.

Maerae followed her senior into the elevator, and stood at her side quietly. Cheriss turned her smile on the young Acolyte, and the obsidian haired woman was surprised that it didn't send a shiver down her spine. It didn't inspire fear at all, actually. Maerae wasn't sure how to feel about that.

She was quiet for a moment, as she absorbed Cheriss' lesson. Then, "you are... different from my instructors back at the academy."

It wasn't judgement. Just an observation, and maybe a question.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

“Different? How so?” She turned a curious gaze on Maerae. The doors of the elevator opened just then, revealing a twi-lek woman and a young child that Cheriss assumed to be hers. She didn’t need the Force to tell her that the boy was afraid when he saw them— he grabbed onto his mother’s leg and hid behind her. The twi-lek gave the two an apologetic look before taking the child’s arm and dragging him out of the elevator.

“I’m sorry, he can be jumpy at times.” Isn’t it a wonder how grown men and women fail to recognize what a child can see in a second? Cheriss merely gave her a nod of acknowledgment in response before mother and son walked away, leaving the elevator vacant for the two women. The Champion’s gaze lingered on them for a moment. She’d been like that before, relying on her parents to protect her as if they were invincible. Before she could think more of it though, the elevator doors shut and she was once again focused on the mission and the Acolyte beside her. She put in the floor they were going to onto the lift panel, then glanced at Maerae again.

“You were saying?” It wasn’t often that she would make or continue a conversation during a mission such as this one, but she was genuinely interested in what Maerae was thinking. When she had been an Acolyte, her master had never given her a chance to express to him how she felt about… pretty much anything. She hadn’t even known his real name. It had always been a cold, professional relationship, though she still appreciated his teachings. But perhaps, even if Maerae wasn’t officially her Acolyte, she could offer the younger woman a chance to share her thoughts, just for the sake of it. Just this once.

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

The doors slid open to reveal a woman and her child. Maerae wouldn't have paid them any mind, but she couldn't help but notice the way the little boy clung to his mother's leg. She could feel the fear emanating from him, almost as if he knew who they were and what they were about to do. But that was a silly thing to think. A child's imagination ran wild, and was rarely predictable.

The doors slid shut, and Maerae was left alone with Cheriss once more.

"The guard at the door," Maerae picked her words carefully, not wanting to insult the Champion, "you let him walk away unharmed. My instructors likely would have deemed that as "merciful." "Weak." There would have been a punishment for that. A painful one."

Maerae's voice was, as always, flat. Her face was impassive. She was the poster girl for professionalism, after all. Perhaps that was why she'd never been selected for training by a master: anger and hate and rage never made themselves apparent on her face. It wasn't as though she didn't feel them, or utilize them, only that she found that such emotions clouded her judgement if she let them control her.

"Yet, I understand the need for subtlety. That man would have been another corpse we'd have to explain. Your manipulation of his mind was the most efficient way to deal with him. You have... given me a new perspective on how to deal with matters."

Perhaps there was room for mercy in a Sith's dealings, so long as it was pragmatic. If that were the case, then perhaps she could serve the Empire efficiently, while also limiting the loss of life. It wasn't a very Sith way of thinking, she knew. But killing had always left a bad taste in her mouth.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss remained silent as the Acolyte spoke, impassively staring at the metal doors in front of them as she took in her words. She could tell Maerae was treading carefully here with what she was saying, as she should have. Merciful. Weak. She had been both those things, felt both, once upon a time. Now…

But Maerae went on. Said that Cheriss had given her a new perspective. Not that the Champion cared, she’d only wanted to give the Acolyte a chance to get her thoughts out. It often helped her, at least. Still, having given her a new perspective was a good thing.

“If your instructors would believe my letting him go to be a sign of weakness, then it is merely a show of their ignorance.” She smiled slightly, and this time it was cold. Her eyes remained on the door in front of her. “It was not mercy that bid me let him live. Had we come in swinging sabers, Agent Corpal would have escaped long ago. Fools don't last long in the ISB.” She paused for a moment. “It is likely that the guard was in league with him. When he arrives home, I have no doubt that he will contact the agent. But, by then, it will already be too late.”

In perfect timing, the elevator door slid open to reveal the floor of their target. Cheriss nodded to Maerae.

“Let us begin.”

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

Cheriss smiled once more, but this time it lacked warmth. The tiniest shiver ran itself down Maerae's spine. Fear. The Acolyte had been foolish to ever think that Cheriss might have been anything less than Sith. The choices she'd made had been pragmatic, not merciful. No, never merciful. That wasn't the way of the Sith.

"I understand."

The elevator door slid open, and Maerae stepped out into the hall. The apartment they were looking for was, if she recalled the briefing correctly, only a few doors down. She stepped silently, not wanting to betray their presence. As Sith, they may have had the right to be wherever they wanted, but the fewer people who knew they were here, the better. As Cheriss said, they were trying to be subtle.

Maerae stopped before the door, waiting for Cheriss to take the lead. After all, it was the Champion's job to deal with Corpal. Maerae was meant to follow after her, secure any exits, and ensure there was no one to witness the agent's untimely death. Morbidly, the young Acolyte wondered how Cheriss would handle that. A lightsaber wouldn't be subtle. A neck snap, then? Or make it look like blaster fire?

She didn't know. But she was interested in finding out. She only hoped that Corpal lived alone. She shouldn't have: pity and compassion weren't the ways of the Sith, but even so, Maerae wanted to keep the loss of life to a minimum.

She swallowed that weakness, and tucked her arms behind her back.

"I will do as you command. No witnesses will leave this apartment."

For the continued stability of the Empire, Maerae would do as she was bid.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss made her way down the hall alongside the Acolyte, pausing in front of the door. This was the one. But as she lifted a hand to knock, she paused it midair for a split second. Something felt… off. It didn’t show on her face, but Maerae would probably be able to notice if she was paying attention.

Cheriss rapped her knuckles twice on the door, listening for the sound of footsteps coming to the door. A few seconds passed, and she heard none. Something is going on here. Her eyes drifted over to the control panel, and she pressed a button that would open the door if it was unlocked. Interestingly enough, it worked, and the metal door slid aside to reveal a brightly-lit apartment. The Sith stepped inside, beckoning Maerae to come along with a slight tilt of her head. Then she looked around the room, reaching out with the Force to feel for the presence of any living being in the room. Nothing.

“Looks like our friend is smarter than we gave him credit for,” she commented, walking over to examine a framed picture of the uniformed agent with his family. One of the man’s arms was wrapped around his wife, his other hand resting on the shoulder of his son. The background of a farm proved to be the most interesting to Cheriss. Based on what she’d seen in his profile, he’d never been sent on a mission to a planet of that sort. Hm.

She turned to Maerae instead. “Let’s look around, see what we find. It seems he and his family packed in a hurry, and there must be some clue here as to where they’ve gone. He won’t be hidden from us for long.”

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

Maerae stood ready, waiting for her senior to knock on the door. When she halted, the young Acolyte assumed there was trouble. She reached out with her feelings and felt... nothing. Nothing other than Cheriss' presence in the Force. That was odd. Even before the door slid open, Maerae already came to the conclusion that the apartment would be easy. She stepped in after Cheriss, glancing at the entryways into other rooms.

But still, no one emerged.

"I suppose an ISB agent must have some cunning."

She glanced in the direction of Cheriss, and caught sight of the picture she was holding. It seemed Agent Corpal had a home away from home. It was foolish of him to have left the picture behind. Maerae would have thought an ISB agent to be above such fatal mistakes. Now they had an idea of where he must have fled to.

If only they knew the actual location of this farm.

Cheriss commanded Maerae to search the apartment, and Maerae nodded at her in return. Her will be done. So she strode out of the main room, and into what appeared to be the master bedroom. Upon entering, the young acolyte could tell that their quarry must have left in a hurry: the closet door was still open and clothes were strewn over the floor near it. The bedside table had a glass of water on it, but there was no condensation on the outside of the glass, so it had to be a few hours old at least.

The bedsheets were still crumpled, and it gave Maerae pause. She walked to the bed and threw the covers back. The bed was empty- no wait, what was peeking out from under the pillow? She pulled the pillow in question away from the bed, to reveal a simple datapad hiding underneath. She doubted it was Corpal's: any ISB agent worth his salt wouldn't leave something so damning behind. It could, however, belong to his wife.

Maerae returned to the main room, datapad in hand, "I may have something here. It seems Corpal's wife left her personal datapad behind."

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

After Maerae went into the master bedroom, Cheriss lingered in the main room. Everything was so messy. Books, clothing, some toys, and a couple more pictures laid all over the floor, likely from a spilled suitcase they hadn’t bothered to repack. For an agent like him, she would have expected him to be more thorough.

Although, she had only contacted him earlier today about his “promotion”. In order to catch the next shuttle off the planet, he must have urged his family to pack quickly, to take the valuables and leave as soon as they could. It was quite funny when she thought about it, a silent admission of guilt. And yet… Cheriss slid the picture out of its frame, holding it between her fingers to look at it again. It had been left so close to the door that she doubted it was an accident. None of the other pictures on the floor had been framed. Had the frame been put there to simply keep it weighted to the ground, prevent it from being blown away as they rushed out? To mislead us?

Cheriss wasn’t yet sure, but she intended to find out. Folding the picture in half, she tucked it in her pocket and looked in Maerae’s direction as the Acolyte emerged from the bedroom with a datapad.

“Good work,” she said with a nod. “Why don’t we find out what it holds? It may provide us with some answers.” Or even more questions.

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

"For someone with the ISB, this Agent Corpal seems... incompetent."

Something about this really didn't seem right to Maerae. She could understand feeling panicked. Fearing for your life. But this man was meant to be a professional. So how was it that he managed to leave his wife's datapad behind? How did he not take the picture of his second home with him? He'd have to know that these things could easily be used to track him down.

Maerae swiped through the datapad, which hadn't prompted her for a passcode. Another thing that seemed suspect in hindsight. But then again, she supposed the Mrs. Corpal probably didn't need an encrypted device. Most of the file saved in the datapad were useless junk: it seemed Corpal's wife was some sort of beauty product peddler.

The young acolyte had been about to write off the device in her hands; declare it junk and toss it. Yet, before she could do so, she came across a shipping manifest. The contents didn't particularly enlighten her: it seemed Corpal's little farm needed a lot of pesticides, which was useless to them. Except it did give her something she hadn't expected.

"New Alderaan," Maerae said simply, "I've a manifest here; a shipping receipt addressed to an acre of land on New Alderaan."

If it were true. Maerae still wasn't convinced that this wasn't some sort of red herring.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss waited in silence as Maerae looked through the datapad. If there was something that could possibly be useful in there, they would find it. Soon enough, the Acolyte spoke up— New Alderaan.

“Ah.” Cheriss nodded. It made sense— it was a planet of refugees. While there was no way of confirming whether or not the fields in the picture were of this acre of land on that planet, it was the best lead they had so far.

Now, what to do? She thought for a moment, her eyes meeting Maerae’s. If she were Corpal, what good would it do to lead the Sith to this farm? Slow them down in their search, maybe, but he would have to know that he would be found eventually. Or, perhaps, he wanted to be found, and it was a trap. He surely had connections, and it wouldn’t be difficult for him to hire some mercenaries or bounty hunters to help him.

If that was the case and Corpal was on the farm, then his family was probably somewhere close by and safe. New Aldera would be their best bet. And as she examined some of the other photographs near her feet, a couple of them showed the family in the same place.

“This is no accident,” she said aloud, turning back to look at Maerae. “I believe he wants us to go to this farm. Stop us there, somehow.” She paused. “What do you think?”

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

Cheriss looked her in the eyes. Maerae wasn't sure of what she saw there? Was she testing her? Challenging her? Did she approve? Or was she merely meeting her eyes as they talked, because that was what normal people did? But then, they weren't normal, were they? They were Sith, far above the common rabble, and everything they did had intent behind it.

Either way, Maerae didn't shy away from the Champion's gaze. Not even as she pondered the woman's question.

"Depending on whether this is deliberate or not," Maerae gestured to the mess of a room they stood in, "either Corpal's more cunning than we gave him credit for, or he's a blundering fop. If it's the former, then he's luring us to location far from any traffic centers, on a world where Sith don't have jurisdiction; he wants to ambush us where there can't be any witnesses, and where we won't have access to our usual resources."

Maerae began to pace around the room slowly. She tore her gaze away from Cheriss' eyes, oddly hard to do, and glanced at the floor once more. More pictures lay about, many of them pointing to that same farm on New Alderaan. It was almost too blatant: Agent Corpal clearly thought himself more cunning than he was, if he really believed that this would fool a Sith.

"Or maybe he's both cunning and a fop. He very much wants to lure us to this farm. Perhaps we should visit, spring this trap of his, and demonstrate how foolish it is to underestimate the Sith."

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Maerae had said exactly what the Champion had been thinking, and she gave the Acolyte a nod of acknowledgement.

“Agreed. You have a sharp mind, Maerae.” Cheriss smiled. “But,” she held up a finger, “on our visit to the farm, I’d like to bring some… insurance.” Was that the right word? Either way, she went on. “I don’t know what our friend has planned for us on his farm, and I doubt it will be enough to stop us from doing what we must. However, to be certain that we will not leave empty-handed, we will bring with us three more guests.” She picked up another picture, this one of Corpal’s wife and two children, and handed it over to the Acolyte so she could see.

“This way, we’ll have leverage. To him, his own life means little in comparison to theirs. It is the reason he decided to betray the Empire, and we will teach him what that truly means.” Cheriss put her hands behind her back. If family meant anything to Corpal, his wife and children would certainly draw him out wherever he may have been hiding, and once they were through with him, they would be eliminated too. No witnesses.

Two birds with one stone.

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

"You honor me, my Lord," Maerae gave Cheriss a short bow.

The young acolyte would be lying if she said she liked the Champion's idea of "insurance." Corpal's wife and children probably weren't complicit in whatever the man was doing, and delivering the punishment upon their heads was cruel. But Maerae offered no arguments. She would do what was necessary for the continued stability of the Empire.

No witnesses.

"We have to find them first," Maerae took one last browse through the datapad in her hands, "and I don't see anything here to help with that. But you wouldn't have said anything, if you didn't already have an idea in mind."

She didn't know Cheriss, not at all really, but she knew that the Sith Champion before her was efficient above all else. She wouldn't have wasted her breath with such a statement, if she didn't already have a solution. Maerae was very curious to see what that was. What she had missed. Today was an opportunity to learn, and an opportunity to impress.

Maerae intended to do both.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

“That is true. Although, it will take time,” Cheriss mused, glancing at the clock on the wall. “But there may be a faster way of finding their whereabouts, if we are lucky. Over here.” She made her way over to a holoprojector on the wall, then put in a few numbers on the keypad next to it, revealing a list of recent calls. It was meant to be a last resort, but this was close enough to one.

“This was bugged a few days ago in preparation for our assignment should we need it. Even if he doesn’t use this often, it may give us some insight into where they’ve gone.” At least, she hoped so. Selecting the most recent recording, interestingly from a day ago, Cheriss stepped back as a holograph of Corpal appeared. His brows were creased, his expression urgent, and he looked to be in a hurry.

“Al, I’m sorry I can’t be there to help you with this, but I need you and the kids to pack. You- you know what to do with the apartment. They’re coming, and I need you to be safe.” He was about to say more, but the receiver, presumably his wife, spoke instead.

“But what about you? Where do we go?”

Corpal paused, blinking a few times. “I’ll be fine. Set up the apartment the way I told you before and I promise we’ll see each other again soon. For now, go to the hotel in New Aldera across the street from the purple trees. You know where.” He took a breath and looked into the projector. His wife said something, but before she could finish he cut her off.

“I’ll see you soon, Allie. I promise. But first, I need to put an end to this.” Corpal ended his call there, and Cheriss turned to Maerae. That went better than expected.

“Well then. Shall we help him make good on his promise?” It was a test to see how the Acolyte would respond. If she had any doubts about what they would be doing next, now would be the time to voice them.

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

Cheriss beckoned Maerae over to the communicator on the wall, and the acolyte followed without question. As she had guessed, the Sith Champion already had a plan in place. It occurred to Maerae just how ingenious that plan was: Agent Corpal would have been savvy enough to erase his messages, but would his wife? No. She'd be panicked, and panic led to mistakes.

And now they had a lead.

"So they are close to him. New Aldera. Motel. Purple trees."

It would take them a little while to find this motel, but it would be child's play. All they had to do was ask a few locals for that exact description, and then Corpal's family would be within their grasp. Maerae tried to be pleased with that fact, but found it hard to do so. She knew what they had to do, for the Empire, but she couldn't help but feel as though Corpal's wife and children were undeserving of the fate looming over them.

But she refused to let it show on her face. Maerae would not give Cheriss reason to think of her as "weak."

"So be it. We will bring his family to him, and execute them before his very eyes. Before death, he will know the price of crossing the Empire."

If one wanted to rule, they must do so with a firm grip on their constituents. Not so tight as to crush, but not loose enough for something to slip between the fingers. If Agent Corpal could be a double agent, then clearly they were dealing with the latter situation. Their traitor was right about something: it was time to put and end to this.

"What would you have me do, in preparation for this task?"
@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss nodded in approval at Maerae’s words. He would pay the price indeed, although in the Champion’s eyes, it was a foolish move involving his family in this. Had they not known about his little dilemma, they would have simply received a letter of condolences about Corpal’s untimely death. However, the man made a choice to tell them all about it and Cheriss knew that she and Maerae would make him regret it.

Cheriss pondered the Acolyte’s question for a moment before responding. “For now, whatever you need to do to prepare for the trip to New Alderaan.” There wouldn’t be much to do on the way, but it would be a good time to reflect on how they would approach this.

“In the meantime, I will contact command and let them know that our mission was… delayed.” The word left a bitter taste in her mouth as soon as it came off her tongue. “But, not for long. After we receive our ship, he will be only a flight away, and we will find him soon enough.”

No one escapes the Sith.

@Vicc125

 

[Maerae Verdan]

Cheriss seemed to approve of her conviction to the Empire. Not that Maerae had thought that she wouldn't. Though she might prefer to go about things in a subtle manner, when applicable, it had become very clear to the acolyte that her chaperone was far from merciful or weak. Clearly the Champion was willing to get her hands dirty in the name of their Empress.

"As you command, My Lord."

Maerae gave Cheriss a short bow, before taking her leave of the room. It wouldn't take her long to prepare for their trip: she merely needed to grab essentials for galactic travel. Everything else she needed, like her lightsaber and her comlink, were already on her person. Beyond those things, and the Force, the acolyte needed nothing more to accomplish this mission.

She did wonder how they were going to go about this, however. They couldn't exactly walk a bunch of soldiers into New Aldera. That would count as a full scale invasion of the planet, she was sure, and the various powers of the galaxy were sure to respond. So, they had to be subtle. Lucky for them, it seemed that Cheriss was good at that.

Maerae herself wasn't, so she was glad to have a tutor in this endeavor.

@Sicadorito