"Sir, it's time." Anakin looked up from staring at the floor. It really was an interesting pattern, but Anakin's thoughts were elsewhere at the moment. He glanced over at the aide that had interrupted his thoughts.
"Excuse me?" He looked back down at the floor, "Time for what?"
"The XO asked that he be informed the moment that the FM's shuttle exited hyperspace." Anakin looked back up at the aide, who also looked up from trying to figure out what the XO was trying to see in the floor. "Is there a problem with the floor sir?"
"No, not at all. You've done your job, you're dismissed." Anakin waved off his aide like one waves off an annoying fly, and the fly thanked him for it.
"Thank you, sir." He clicked his heels, turned, and smartly marched out of the office. Anakin took a deep breath, turned and walked out towards the landing strip.
It is a difficult thing for some people to see a landing vessel until it is actually entering the atmosphere. People claim to be able to, but it's not really at all possible, they just sit there and stare off into space looking for the faintest sign of movement. More often then not they mistake the twinkling of a star for a small landing craft. It's not until the atmosphere starts to cause friction and heat that the flames surrounding a shuttle make the shuttle visible. Something that looks like a falling star starts to give shape to an imperial shuttle. This shuttle landing was no different.
Anakin stood in the doorway to the landing platform as the shuttle came into view and slowly hovered over the platform before dropping to it with a nice soft landing. The pressurizing tubes immediately started to decompress the interior of the shuttle as the ramp lowered to the ground. Anakin walked out to meet his former commanding officer currently walking out of the shuttle.
Neither was a big fan of ceremony, one of the reasons for the early morning arrival of the former HHC. Three walked out into plain view of his new boss and bowed slightly, not wanting to give Anakin the large ego that he truly deserved.
"It's been a long time." Three straightened back up and started to walk for the door, Anakin turned around and headed back to the door as well.
"That it has." The two guards at the door snapped to attention and allowed them to pass.
It was only a matter of time before the subject had to be brought up. "So who's brilliant idea was it to send the entire fleet out and leave our systems undefended?"
When some people think about the other side of the conflict, it's always with a sense of biased. It would be nice if all the enemies in the world would take the time to meet in dark alleyways, small bars, in caves off in some remote desert; but that's not always the case. It would be nice if it was, we could just turn a bright light and scare the cockroaches out of hiding. Instead we find ourselves having to deal with highly funded organizations, elitists, people who have taken the time and patience to actually set up all that is about to ensue. People that are willing and able to reach out to these underlings and still manage to keep their clean and spotless record. Dirty little bastards that are good at killing are great, someone needs to be around to take the fall.
"But you understand," taking a drag off his cigar, "it wasn't supposed to work. It was supposed to keep them off their toes."
A small conference between an employer and an employee in a finely dressed room. "But we could have been rid of them once and for all, have our business back, go back to the old way of things."
The man with the cigar puffed out another cloud of smoke, and waved his hand around at the beautiful surroundings. "You really want to give all this up? We never had things like this, before they arrived. We will not have things like this if we destroy them right away." Another drag, another puff of smoke. "You can't expect to take this planet back in one day."
The other mans frustration showed in the grip that he was taking on the arms of the chair. "Why not? They took this planet... They took four planets in one day."
"They also had the money, and power to do it; we do not. Nope we're going to wait some more. Don't worry my friend, we will have our home back." Another drag, another puff of smoke.
Standing up, "I grow tired of waiting. All of this," waving his hand at the same room, "has made you weak, has made you lose vision." A blaster appeared in his other hand, "A vision that I still hold." Another drag. Two shots in the chest, and his former employers 'ghost' exited his body. Instead of using the usual one liner, he replaced his blaster. He walked over to the refresher, turned on the sink, washed his hands, and dried them thoroughly.
He exited the room. Turning to his two escorts, "We're done here," and walked down the hallway to the elevator.
The bright lights of fame and fortune were shining down on young Kathleen Turner. She had been following the Vast Empire around for much of her short career as a news journalist. Why leave a good thing when they will give you all the exclusive information and to no one else. It was great how the Vast Empire repaid loyalty.
"And in recent news," she never really understood that, all news was recent news, "Councilman Tifar was found shot to death in his hotel room. Security forces are looking for....”
"...a human male in his lower 30s. If you have any information on Tifar or any of his associates, the Security Forces request that you please relay that information as soon as possible. Tifar is survived by his wife and daughter." Anakin turned off the display, and turned to several of his "advisors".
"Isn't it nice how they just give part of the picture?" Anakin sat down at the head of a small conference table and punched a couple of keys into the table. "This gentlemen is Councilman Tifar, also known as Captain Raceed." The display changed to show a picture of a much grungier looking man. "Some of you may recognize him from some of the communiqués that were translated during the taking back of this planet in recent months."
Anakin paused to acknowledge the entrance of Three, who moved into the back corner of the room. "We believe that he was assassinated by this man, a lieutenant of his by the name of Cryza," again the display changed. "I need you to find out why, and what is going on in this group." He stood up to pass out datapads to each of the four people sitting around the table. "I expect a report from each of you in 36 hours." The four advisors stood up and moved quickly and quietly out of the room.
"I don't suppose any of them will be sleeping tonight." Three moved towards one of the vacated seats as Anakin sat back down.
"Yea well, they don't get paid to sleep, and Kadann is getting on my back to find out what the hell is going on."
"Why was Raceed kept in the council if we could link him to the attacks?" Three leaned back in his chair.
"Kadann's idea really, better to keep him where we can see him, and let him think that he has free reign on the situation, than to let him go into hiding and not be able to find him."
Three nodded, "That makes sense. I hope it doesn't make the noose around our neck tighter."
Cryza made his way back into the interior of the Hotel Imperious. It was a shame that such a great hotel had to be given such a horrible name after the taking of this planet by the Vast Empire. It wasn't like they ever used it except for the occasional visiting diplomat as well as for the council members. If only the Vast Empire had actually known what was buried beneath the hotel, maybe then they might be taking the resistance movement a bit more seriously than they were. The last month’s events may have woken up the slumbering giant, but things had eventually died down some. Voice Recognition, iris scan, the whole deal would make it that much harder for someone to get in. Cryza had heard very little about the Vast Empire intelligence division, but that just made them that much more dangerous.
The door opened, and Cryza mad his way into the elevator shaft that descended deep into the interior of Lotiath. All the better to hide from prying eyes and listening ears. One of the important things that he had to rely on was anonymity. The elevator stopped and Cryza disembarked into a long hallway. If this place were ever raided, turrets would come out of the sides of the hallway and act as a first line of defense. The second line of defense was a blast door, which was now opening.
"Cryza," the person on the other side of the door recognized him as the door was still opening, "We have acquired the merchandise that you requested."
"Merchandise? Since when is a person a piece of merchandise," Cryza walked through the blast door and made his way into another hallway and down towards his command room.
"Since his former employees have placed a 50 million reward for his return. We have every bounty hunter in the sector looking for him." Upon entering the control room, a buzz of the many consoles was made noticeable. Cryza had prided himself on keep this secret, even from Raceed. It was a pity that Raceed had lost his will to fight; he would have easily won the war with a set up such as this.
"Ok gentlemen, you may remove the mans hood." Cryza turned to make himself a drink. He had the bar installed for his personal use. Always made convincing people to do what he wanted to do that much easier. He also grabbed a datapad from the bar.
"He's unconscious," Cryza was obviously furious, "Why is he unconscious?" He turned around to look at the person that had acquired his "merchandise."
"He got unruly on the way over here, we had to convince him to come quietly."
Cryza glared at the man, and through his drink's contents at the unconscious man sitting bound before him.
"I honestly don't think that we should disturb the Jedi with a matter such as this, you saw that I had....” Anakin was trying to keep up with Three on their way to Kadann's sanctum.
"...all of those analysts to figure out what is going on? Yes I saw them." Three stopped and turned on the XO. "One day you will realize that the Jedi are not gods. They are tools. Granted they are powerful tools, but they are tools nonetheless. And right now, I'm under the impression that we don't have 36 hours to make a report to Kadann, and a Jedi is a better way of finding out what we need to know." Three turned back around and continued on his way.
"Fine, you do what you want." Anakin went back to his office. "You'll only find out what I'll find out, and I won't have put valuable assets in harm’s way."
"Tools Anakin, Tools. You put them where you don't want to be yourself." Three yelled back.
