Ask Raxus Patience Is A Virtue

[Guinevere Delevigne]

As was increasingly the case lately, Overseer Delevigne was busy working a double shift late into the night. Ever since the 'peace treaty' that was announced, the Empire had been under significant societal pressure from the waves of unrest that it had generated. Chief among her problems to solve now, was the influx of cartel members who would be openly and brazenly coming into Imperial space.

Once, they might have had to smuggle small cargoes of ill-gotten goods, but now? They pretty much had free rein of the place. Such a position was untenable long term, and she knew it. Either the cartel would slip up and cause the Empire to respond in kind, or the populace would simply reject the conditions imposed upon them. Guin wasn't yet sure which path would be more ideal, but in the meantime she would work to ensure that once a decision had been made, she could move swiftly to secure their freedom.

Now the peace terms were quite specific about providing unchecked access to members of the cartel, but in order to do this efficiently, they would need to identify themselves as such before the imperial customs or other agencies could turn the other cheek. Without breaching the terms of the agreement, the Overseer planned an Empire wide programme that would be implemented to record and quietly track any such declarations, their identities, vessels and cargoes as noted by the relevant agents or equipment.

Using the agents at her disposal, Guin began work on this programme in earnest.

However, a new face would enter the fray, someone she had yet the pleasure to meet in person. It was unclear if this person had come to her with an idea of their own for her to support, or if they wished to assist in the same way with Guin's plan. Either way, Overseer Delevigne would be found quietly working away at her desk when her new guest arrived.

@SilentLeges

 

[Jhaa Fott]

Jhaa was run off her feet between preparing intelligence briefs for the various sector command and other high-ranking officials and chasing down leads of how the contingent of troopers she rescued were smuggling spice for bounty hunters; she had no time to take care of the basics, although the one thing she took pride in was the way her uniform was presented, knowing that her following brief was with the Overseer, this was the one meeting that could destroy everything that she had worked for.

Having spent the last couple of rotations preparing for this brief, Jhaa could not be sure if she was over- or under-prepared; this would happen no matter how much the Overseer liked the information and recommendations about being presented. The smoky aroma of the unfinished caf sitting on the desk next to her wafted with the movement of the air recycler whooshing, as softly as the wind, into her nostrils, being instantly reminded of the unfinished drink.

Confident there was enough time, Jhaa took a moment to pause; simultaneously, she reached out with her left hand to grab the waiting drink; in one movement, it was picked up and drunk. Feeling the instant hit of the stimulant, she rehearsed the brief one more time before making her way to the Overseer's office.

Like most Imperial installations and ships, the hallways of the Imperial-II Star Destroyer, "Ascension", were a uniform grey; as she passed many corridors and hallways, Jhaa wondered, "Did everything have to be grey, or could they not have been coloured each deck differently to assist with navigation?"

OOC: The Ascension was floating effortlessly just above Raxus; she had arrived the day before as a show of force to the protests occurring at planet level and to give the IAF a quick means to deploy troops to trouble spots.

Stopping the thought in the tracks, Jhaa realised the colour and design of the ship were chosen purely because of function over form; having arrived at the door to the Overseer's office, there was a slot in the side panel that was the same shape as the code-cylinder that she wore on her white-tunic, it was obvious to that she needed to be authenticated before she was permitted entry.

Jhaa unclipped the cylinder from her tunic and placed it into the slot. She waited a few seconds before the panel beeped at her, indicating success; she announced, "Lieutenant Fott to see the Overseer for intelligence brief as requested."

@Xorism

 

[Guinevere Delevigne]

Glancing up from her desk as the sensor indicated that her guest had arrived, Overseer Delevigne leaned over to flick the switch that would unlock the door and allow the Lieutenant to enter. "Lieutenant Fott." She eyed the interesting woman for a moment before continuing.

"I take it you've had an opportunity to make an assessment, what do you make of it?"

For her part, Guin had been leading the so-called charge for her special little project, assigning various agents to assist with the parts she was less familiar with. The database, as it was, was still in its infancy with the first lot of alpha testing being underway.

@SilentLeges

 

[Jhaa Fott]

Jhaa had spent many nights assessing the aftermath of the war with the Hutt's, trying to derive a conclusion; she knew it was an intelligence failure. When Guin asked Jhaa the question, she knew how to respond.

She looked the Overseer directly in the eye, placing her hands on the hips, "Yes, I have; the problems we are noticing are not because of a lack of discipline, but a lack of confidence in our leadership from the population."

Pausing a moment to collect her thoughts, she continued, "The war with the Hutt's destroyed our ability to gain meaningful intelligence by targeting our human and technical sources, but the worst thing was that I caught a contingent of IAF troopers with spice; I did some digging, and I traced a shipment from the Hutt's to a remote outpost; there I found that the troopers had been trading our sensitive technology; the technology as it turns out ended up with bounty hunters on Kashyyyk."

Jhaa sighed exasperated and continued, "The technology in question helps us track ships through hyperspace so that it would give the bounty hunters an unbridled advantage in hunting down their targets."

Having explained a lot in mere moments, Jhaa paused, hoping she had delivered the briefing correctly and succinctly.

@Xorism

 

[Guinevere Delevigne]

The aftermath of the war was far from over, its effects would permeate through the Empire and the wider galactic community for some time. It just wasn't entirely yet clear what that would mean for either the ISB nor the average citizen.

That was why Guin felt it was important to understand the perspectives outside of her immediate circle. As the Lieutenant spoke, the Overseer took mental notes of all that she said with keen interest.

But the report she delivered was highly alarming, although not entirely surprising given what they had been hearing. "I see." She uttered with a cold calculating expression. "We obviously cannot publicly act in that sector, but do you have sufficient information to execute a mission yet?"

Guin could continue her work remotely, while they hunted down this new lead, if the Lieutenant wished.

@SilentLeges

 

[Jhaa Fott]

Jhaa pondered the question analytically, processing each word and wondering if there was a hidden agenda. She decided it was too early in the game to consider this; the thought plagued her mind like a virus taking hold over a host. The infection was born out of experience but a mistrust of officials, given the evidence she was aware of.

What surprised her was the restriction of operating near Kashyyyk; Jhaa had hoped to use this to show force against the bounty hunters; perhaps the overseer might see to reason in the future.

Jhaa hesitated before responding, "Ma'am, the initial plan was to sow confusion within their ranks with the sudden appearance of our force; however, I understand the need to maintain operational secrecy. Instead, I could enlist the use of my source to get inside. The information about the technology came from them, but further cooperation will come at a cost that might not be so palatable for everyone. A complete and total amnesty for all crimes committed within our borders."

Looking directly at the overseer, Jhaa continued speaking "To answer your question, only if we gain further support from this contact"

@Taz @Xorism

 

[Covax]

To his great disappointment, Covax had missed the bulk of the conflict between the Empire and Nor'baal Desilijic's Hutt Cartel. Due in large to the fact that he was sealed in Carbonite by the over sized crime lord. Had the former Vanguard been around, the imposing human could of lead Tenloss syndicate to be where his current employer was now.

However that wasn't the case. Free from metal prison, Covax was now one of the senior contractors for APEX. A neutral private security company well know for working in the gray zone between every galactic super power in the know galaxy.

How Covax found himself on the Wookiee homeworld prior to Life Day was of a subject between him and his employer. Seeing a squad of bog standard troopers on the world was a subject he intended to cash in on. Kashyyk was currently neutral space, it also sat in square striking distance between a Sith Order strong hold on Umbara and the edge of Hutt controlled space on the Outer Rim. Also the walking carpets hated most outsiders as a rule, with very few exceptions.

Landing on the Imperial controlled base not long ago. Covax had waited in the next room adjacent to the meeting with the Overseer. While he had not personally worked with either woman before, he had no doubt that the senior officer was aware who he was and his abilities as a mercenary.

@SilentLeges @Xorism

 

[Guinevere Delevigne]

While the Lieutenant spoke, Guin was busy mentally calculating the cost that such an operation would incur. The additional addon would prove to likely spike that cost, although her way of approaching the payment certainly raised more questions than it answered.

"That is a tall order, one that could be approved though." She paused for a second. "I'm assuming the contact in question is the man we have in the next room waiting to join us?" Guin knew Covax's rap sheet was likely taller than she was, providing amnesty for a staunch criminal was never a palatable business even if at times it could be warranted.

Pressing a button to have him sent into their room, Guin awaited his arrival with a smile. Assuming her assumptions about the contact were correct, she would address him as such. "Mr Covax, I hear you have a proposal for me?" Guin paused again to glance at Lieutenant Fott. "Before any amnesty could be assessed, we would of course need you to provide a list of actions that would require this."

After all, they couldn't simply sign a blank cheque. "And of course, the intel you provide for the mission would need to warrant such a reward, but if it did, I am sure we can make some kind of arrangement."

@SilentLeges @Taz

 

[Jhaa Fott]

As sceptical as Jhaa was, she did not want to give the overseer a reason not to trust her, the latter not so much. She was willing to burn him as quickly as the relationship had formed; the mercenary was expendable. Just moments before Covax entered the room, Jhaa's brain worked quickly; the last thing she wanted was a mercenary with an expunged criminal record roaming Imperial systems. Before the door chimed, Jhaa looked at the Director, speaking quickly, "Ma'am, a different course of action; let's forge the amnesty, make him believe that a pardon has been granted. If he returns from this mission, he can spend the rest of his natural-born life in a gulag."

@Xorism @Taz