[IC] Star Wars - Edge of Rebellion

[cqbexpt]

"One minute till landing sir." Vale heard the communications officer say over the intercom to inform them how close they really were to the factory. Vale stood with her back towards the cockpit and was flanked on either side by her personal stormtroopers, both of whom happened to be from Kuat. They stood in silent vigilance at her side as they watched the rather disgraceful troopers with their helmets off talking and laughing with the Governor. Most of the Governor's guard was actually from Boonta, loyal to him more than her which she guessed was the way that it should be. She wondered sometimes that if she were disappear for few days what would happen to her machinations. Would they continue as if she was still watching stalwartly over them? Or would the Governor attempt to turn everything into something that he liked, thus causing the moff's to step in and save his sorry hide. "30 seconds sir."

The stormtroopers finally put their helmets back on and the two human women applying his make-up stepped aside and came towards the front of the craft where Vale was standing. Disgusted by the thoughts of what these girls had probably been through in service to their "glorious" Governor she and her entourage stepped forward and formed in behind both herself and the Governor. Standing up from his doubly cushioned seat and moving towards the middle of craft and slightly ahead of Vale the Governor's purple cape moving softly and silently behind him. The colonel struggled against her contempt for the man and managed to keep a neutral face as the craft began to descend. The Governor turned to Vale and flashed his devious grin. "Oh why don't you cheer up ma dear. Today is a day for celebration!" The Governor spoke with an elation for the events that were about to unfold. Vale continued holding her disgust inside and made sure to not let it show on her face. They were going to be broadcast to the whole planet after all.

The bay door of the Lambda began to lower which immediately broke the seal with the outside and allowed in the view and the sound of the outside world. The first thing she heard was all the cheering for their beloved Governor and then was greeted by the view of thousands of people on either side of the Lambda in massive stands that had probably only been erected recently as well as specifically for this event. But much closer to the shuttle were three columns of stormtroopers all somewhere around 20 running the whole length of the column turning on their heels from a forward facing potion to one where they were all looking towards the center with their E-11 blasters in their hands pointed downward. Beyond them however was a podium and even further beyond that two clear paths into the capitol city of Boonta. These paths lead all the way to the grand doors which Vale knew were behind them. The Governor kept his smile as he began walking down the ramp of the Lambda waving with both his arms at the crowds on either side of him, his gold and white uniform glinting in the sunlight. Vale followed with her hands held behind her back slightly slower than the Governor, making sure to keep slightly to the right and back of him. When they finally stepped off the ramp a gust of wind nearly took off Vale's officer cap. She quickly fixed it and patted her braid back behind her shoulder as the wind subsided as quickly as it came.

The Governor made his way to the podium quite slowly as he usually did making sure to take in the fan fair of the event. When he finally made his way to the podium though the crowd's cheering quickly turned into a hushed roar. "Peooople of Boonta, my most loyal subjects. Certainly the most loyal in the Empire!" The Governor paused for a moment as the crowd's response picked up in loudness for a moment, though once it died down he continued again with a smile. Vale also heard the Lambda take off behind her. "Today...we mark the anniversary of the formation of the Empire! An Empire which has brought ORDER, STABILITY, AND GREATNESS TO THE GALAXY! All of us on this world, especially you my citizens, have shown the Empire that it is welcomed and appreciated. Some of you.... may be old enough to remember the days of war, when the galaxy began to tear itself apart with vanity and greed. But for those of you not old enough to appreciate the goodness of this Empire, no matter how bad your situation may become, no matter how chaotic your life may be, know this....your friends, your comrades, your Empire. WE ALL STAND WITH YOU AS YOU STAND WITH US!" Once again this garnered a massive cheer in the crowd which the governor allowed for another moment. "And to show you how dedicated the Empire is to your safety, your order, your continued protection. We have been shown graciousness by the Emperor and his moff's." The massive doors behind the Vale which were hundreds of feet high began to open sending a massive gust of wind that caught her hair again but not her cap.

As the doors slowly opened the crowd began screaming once again in excitement. The Governor continued to talk over the loud doors and the people once again though. "Long live order, long live the Emperor, long live this great Empire!" Vale felt the earth rumble behind her and then the sound of the massive machines that were AT-AT's. Two began walking out and moving to either side of the Governor and his entourage. The crowd yelling even louder now Vale forced herself to suppress a smile at the display of power and strength. Even she had to admit that the Governor was a good showmen. Then her addition to the display began. Echelons of TIE fighters began flying overhead in multiple waves adding to the massive amount of noise already being generated. Vale guessed the timing of the shuttle seeing as she didn't have her data pad with her and put a hand on the Governor's shoulder.

Almost as on que the shuttle returned and landed in the same place as it had before. As yet more AT-AT began to make their way out of the factory the Governor gave another wave as he and Vale both turned around and began walking between the stormtroopers once again. The crowd still cheering behind them. The troopers that they had left aboard the shuttle came out onto the ramp and with rifles in their left hands at their sides they saluted with their right as they stood on either sides of the ramp. As the Governor and Vale walked up the ramp the stormtroopers quickly piled back into the hold of the craft and it began lifting off as soon as it had arrived. The hold slowly closing up as the view of the lowering ground became obfuscated she turned back to the front of the craft and went between her two troopers. Though this time she walked past them and opened the door into the cock-pit. As the door closed behind her she asked the navigator how soon until they reached the palace. "About 10 minutes mam." The naval officer responded.

"Good, we don't want to keep our visitors waiting." Vale said as she retrieved her wrist-pad from a container next to the pilot. She quickly opened up her list of who would be at the palace for the remainder of the festivities and made her way over to the communications officer. "Give me a link to my officers on the ground at the palace." The communications officer complied with a quick "yes, mam." and connected her to the command channel at the palace. "All troops be advised, the Governor is en rout. Prepare for our arrival."

[Sep]

Loretta

"He knows nothing a little... pain, won't shake loose. Though I suppose, a lot of pain would be more entertaining. For me."

---

"One minute till touchdown Sir." Loretta straightened her ISB cap and nodded at the Trooper. He wouldn't have dared to address her as Ma'am. She had worked hard for her position, she had earned it. It was her right and she would wear the title until the day she died, which would not be for a very long time. Especially if her excursion to Boonta was successful. Though, her projections as of yet were inconclusive. There were far too many variables to account for and her experiment was not her only objective here. There were others especially when regarding a planet of such significant importance, the fact that when trying to arrange her laboratory that she had only had contact with the Colonel of the Imperial garrison was somewhat suspicious. Though from her digging she had learned that the Governor liked to, over indulge.

That wasn't her concern, if the governor could perform his duty to the Empire then who was she to judge in personal habits. Yes it was the ISBs job to monitor everyone at all times, but only those who could pose a possible threat to the Empire. At either corrupting it or trying to break it. A Governor who liked to overindulge in private certainly wasn't her concern. It was upto the Moffs to ensure the Governors played ball, there were no loyalty officers to deal with high ranking officials. Loyalty was expected, dedication was expected, perfection was non-optional. She wouldn't touch him but if his habits endangered her objective, things would need to change. Suddenly, and it would not end well for the poor Governor that was for certain.

The ship shook slightly as the repulsors cut off letting the landing gear take the load of the ship. Moving to the rear of the ship she waited with her hands clasped behind her back as the door opened. There was a hiss of air as the humidity and heat of the planet rushed to assault her senses. She was somewhat jealous of the fully body armour worn by Stormtroopers, fully air conditioned and regulated. Not that she would ever show her discomfort. She walked down the ramp and cast her gaze off in the horizon as she heard the applause, and the sound of the AT-ATs. Obviously the Governor put on a good show, though she rolled her eyes at the sight of AT-ATs. Such wasteful machines, they were strong. They were intimidating, and yet... they were massive targets. Far less efficient than their predecessors.

She'd show them that. The hum of her ship grew as her shuttle took off again, turning on her heel she watched as it departed as another shuttlecraft came into range. No doubt the Governor. As it flew overhead to enter the landing pattern a gust of air buffeted her, a lesser officer would have almost lost their hat. She was no lesser officer as she stood her ground, she had no time for this dilly dally or this party. She would meet the Governor, and find our where her lab was.

That was the end of story.

---

Rael

"What the Empire doesn't realize, is it's built on a foundation of lies, pain and death. When this comes to light, when people accept. They will rise up, and shake it down from below and then we have a Galaxy truly worthy of life."

---

"Long live order, long live the Emperor, long live this great Empire!" Rael rolled his eyes as music, applause and the words from one of the largest humans he had ever seen (And it wasn't muscle that made him so large) assaulted his ears. He had to admit he was pretty stood back and appreciated the size of the AT-ATs. They were truly vehicles to marvel, their raw power and strength was just so... He'd swoon if only for the thought that he knew without a second of hesitation they'd fire on him if they knew who he was, what he had done and... yes. What he was about to do.

He began moving through the crowd, he could easily part it with his four arms though instead decided to just move with the flow of the crowd. So far in one direction before turning and letting it carry him in another direction. Like floating in a stream and letting it chose a path for him. Though he knew his destination, he just didn't want to stand out. Today was one of the few national holidays throughout the Empire and of course everyone was just... living. It was ironic really. People got to be as free as possible on the anniversary of the Empires formation.

That was something he wouldn't let them get away with.

[Frizan]

"One hell of a show, huh Jackie?" Jacob jumped slightly. He had spaced out watching the aerial displays over Boonta at small outpost a few miles out from the city. "Yeah, sure is. Too bad we're stuck all the way out here though...apparently they're showing off the first AT-ATs off of the production line." Jacob's comrade toyed with the loose length of his helmet's chin strap absentmindedly and leaned on the wall next to him. "I feel ya. Watching it on a monitor just ain't the same as being right there, actually watching everything happen. AT-ATs are absolute beasts, man!" Jacob was inclined to agree with his partner. Those mighty machines of siege could mow down entire squads in no time at all, even the smart ones that started to haul it when they heard the behemoths stomping closer and closer. He hadn't seen one up close, though, and he was certain the combat sims didn't do them any justice.

"CORPORAL! PRIVATE! QUIT DAYDREAMING AND GET BACK TO YOUR PATROL!" The sudden booming could only be one person: Jacob's commanding officer, Captain Orbous. A brute of a man with a mean streak long enough to outclass a dreadnaught. He did not tolerate loitering in any form, demanding that the soldiers under his command be moving every single second during their shift. Jacob hastily shoved his helmet onto his head and joined the private in a salute. "Sir, yes, sir! We will resume patrolling immediately, sir!" Jacob waved to his partner and the two set out for their patrol. Well, it was called a patrol, but in reality it was nothing more than a stroll around the outpost, with the odd bout of acting busy. As it turns out, the capital city of an Empire-controlled planet doesn't get many invaders during peacetime. But Jacob had orders and he was keen to perform them efficiently and effectively.

Jacob scanned the surrounding area, keeping his eyes peeled for anything even remotely suspicious. To his great disappointment, he saw nothing. He let out a heavy sigh and cocked his head back. Still mid-day, his shift wouldn't be ending for quite a while. All he could do was just keep walking around, as fruitless as the task seemed to be. He was content though, since he took pride in defending the Empire from any and all threats...even if those threats were only in the imaginations of his superiors.

[Bright_Ops]

Lieutenant Thule Mac'Don stood somewhat at ease as he took a moment to enjoy the sight of the first AT-AT step out on parade and display the might of the Empire proudly for all of its citizens to see. It was only fair that on the anniversary of the Empire's founding that the average citizen be allowed to celebrate being able to live in a galaxy in which they didn't have to live in fear of war or chaos and the AT-AT was truly an awe inspiring sight to behold...

Privately he couldn't help but think that the AT-AT wasn't designed with full scale war in mind... at least not against a well equipped, determined enemy like the CIS had been. Ignoring the fact that it appeared to leave it's top, sides, underbelly and rear completely exposed and undefended and that its legs were key weak points and damaging one could easily cripple the thing, its sheer size and the way it moved suggested that it would struggle trying to get through uneven terrain. It was clear that it was designed more for the intimidation factor then true battle versatility; Something to be seen to inspire those loyal to the Empire while filling those seeking to betray it with fear.

Still, the moment passed at Thule went back to work.

Festivals and Celebrations were all well and good, but they still needed people in order to maintain law and order so that everyone could have a good time. He currently had the four squads under his command paroling the crowds and acting as peacekeepers and law enforcement where needed. Festivals were ripe with targets for pick pockets, con artists and drug dealers; not to mention the general chaos and incidents that tended to arise naturally because of so many different beings being together in one place. Besides, it was a good training excise in dealing with crowds of innocent people and presenting the Empire in a good light while achieving the objective.

Of course, four squads (32 people) needed to be co-originated and as their Lieutenant that role fell to him.

"All sergeants, report in your current location. Over."

[agentmanatee]

Captain Keer Tucker was moving before the confirmation from Colonel Vale had come through. Empire day was one of the most important events for any man in the Imperial military, and Keer had a very important job to do. Vale had placed him in charge of security at the palace for the upcoming "ceremony" the Governor would no doubt be hosting for all his fat rich friends. Vale had stressed the importance of nothing going wrong as regular Imperial troops were rarely able to provide security at the palace, and Tucker had made the place air tight. No one got in or out without one of his officers cleraing it with Tucker first. He was on his way to the hanger now, for a number of reasons.

First and foremost was in order to personally recieve the Governor and colonel Vale and escort them to where they needed to be. Another reason was Vale informing Keer to expect another high ranking Imperial officer to arrive soon, who they were or what part of the Imperial army they were a part of had not been discussed. That made Keer more than a little nervous, why the hush hush on this new officer? He had his suspicions of course, personally he thought it must be some COMPNOR agent or something, not that his opinion really mattered. ALmost on cue, his lieutenant in the hangar informed him of an approaching Imperial shuttle. "Has it provided landing codes? Are they correct? Then why the hell are you asking me what to do you blithering idiot, let them through!" Keer sighed, some of his "officers" probably couldn't keep their uniforms clean without help, he had already had to court marshal one of them for incompetence in his first month on Boonta. And now, one of them needed Keer to micromanage his fucking job for him, seeing as he may have almost shot down an Imperial shuttle carrying the very officer Vale told Tucker about.

As he entered the hangar proper Keer could see his lieutenant wasn't COMPLETELY useless, he had managed to get his troopers in neat lines flanking where the Governors shttle was set to land. Keer also saw the other shuttle taking off, without the one passenger who had disembarked from it. Before Keer could move to intercept the officer the Governors shuttle entered the hangar, Keer cursed himself and hustled up next to his lieutenant, "Just in time sir, not a moment to late", Tucker sneered at him, "A good officer is never late, and dosen't need his superiors to do his bloody job for him" the young officer got the message and turned to face the approaching shuttle, afraid of making anymore mistakes in front of his captain. Tucker smiled as the shuttle landed, it was good his men feared him, made them work harder.

As the shuttle ramp descended Captain Keer Tucker's smile disappeared, replaced with the stern neutral look all officers were supposed to have, and as the Governor exited the craft followed by Vale, "Governor, you'll find everything is in order and the palace is more secure than it has ever been.", he saluted as they exited, prepared to escort them or recieve new orders from Vale as necassary.

[cqbexpt]

"Vale, are we almost there dear? I think I can hear the others cheering my arrival already." The Governor half moaned at Vale knowing that it would provoke a response from his Colonel. He found that sometimes over exaggerated actions or sugar coated orders were a good way to help lighten up his usually stressed officers, it was something he always thought himself good at. It didn't help that they were cutting it close to when he would like to have been there. His peers generally disliked waiting as much as he did and he respected them for that.

"We will be arriving shortly.... sir." The word stuck to Vale's tongue like poison. This sad sack of useless meat was perhaps the most offensive thing she had ever served under. Constantly she questioned how this garbage was actually promoted to his position, though she was generally reminded that her own investigation turned up favors being pulled. This usually gave her nothing but a disappointment in some of the moffs, she found that this was best stowed away as there was little she could change about the situation. Luckily, the ISB agent should be arriving soon enough. Even if they weren't here for Sarrus explicitly it would maybe atleast cause him to fear repercussions for his actions atleast once in his life. For that reason she thought it best to not allow him to get his meaty hands on Vale's only link to the rest of the Empire. While her withholding of such information could be seen as insubordination it was easy enough for her to claim ignorance in this case. After all, this wouldn't be the first time that the good governor had simply forgot something she told him.

The pilot signaled the Colonel that they were near landing and she quickly checked over her wrist pad to insure that all of her orders were checked off on before her arrival. As she made her way back to the hold and the ramp beginning to open she found Sarrus "flirting" with the two human girls that were doing his makeup. She hesitated to call it flirting considering that this was their job more or less. While she personally found the job repugnant she respected the two for having the willpower to get close enough to the mass of flesh to make him look acceptable to the people. He took his time standing up as the ramp finished opening and Vale took her place to the back-right of him. Her escort then did the same and flanked her on both sides while his guard lined up shoulder to shoulder with two in front of the Governor and two behind him.

The group made their way off the shuttle and were greeted as per regulation by a mixture of her people and the Governor's personal guard. She was greeted by one of her several captains Keer Tucker. While he seemed to loath being lorded over by Vale simply because she was female she still found him useful. Useful enough in fact to give him command more or less over the forces protecting the palace. She then turned her gaze to the rest of the hanger at large. She was petrified for a moment when she saw a lone officer approaching the large group. It was very apparent from her uniform to the way she was holding herself who she was. While not expecting the ISB agent so soon she very quickly peeling off of the main troupe at the bottom of the ramp with her two Kuati stormtroopers. She gave Tucker a stern look as she began walking away to greet the officer and said "Stay with the governor, make sure he has what he needs. I will be watching."

The governor heard this and displayed his elation as he was continuing on towards the hanger's exit into the palace. "Splendid! My boy I have much to show you. Have you ever been inside my palace? I assume someone like yourself will appreciate the culture it brings to this dreary place." the governor's long floppy arms around the two women who he had decided to bring into the palace aswell. Vale masked her disgust well as she saluted the approaching ISB officer. Both of her stormtroopers did the same holding their weapons to their sides.

"Welcome to Boonta sir. I'm colonel Vale the commanding officer of Imperial forces on Boonta. Our good governor is running late to his engagement I was also in charge on constructing your facility. So if you wish to attend his party you can, if not however I can show you to the facility and bring you up to speed on some of the finer details in it's construction." Vale had dealt with ISB officers before but it was usually not in an actual command position. While her initial reaction was fear she quickly overcame it with a feeling of relief at the idea that the Dewback of a man might be gone soon.

[Sep]

Loretta

Loretta watched as the Governor, a glutton of a man, disembarked from his shuttle. The difference between his Stormtroopers and the ones escorting the Colonel was visible. The Colonels were far more regimented, rigid, disciplined. That was something she respected. She raised her hand to indicate that her own troopers should remain where they were as she walked towards the group, the Governor walked away with his arms around two women while speaking with in a very happy tone to a Captain. Loretta would have shaken her head had she not had a reputation to upkeep. She returned the salute, while she had power over the Colonel she was technically of the same rank. So to do no less than to salute her would be disrespectful. She then nodded, giving the Colonel a once over. She had an opinion of the Governor, but Vale was much more closed. She was as rigid as a member of the ISB so it was harder to get a read on her, though there'd be cracks eventually. She hated to make opinions based on reports, after all. They were full of bias by the writer, the ones on the Governor so far had proved correct. So he would perhaps have his uses if reminded of his place.

The jury was still out on the Colonel. "I am sure the facility will be exemplary Colonel. My shuttle will be arriving there shortly with the first load of supplies. Orders are not to open any of the crates, I hope that the curiosity of your men will not get the better of them. Bad things happen to those who cannot remember their place." She turned to watch the Colonel leave heading towards the Empire Day party he was likely hosting for a wide variety of important businessmen and dignataries. Such events were useful for the future of the Empire but were also a breeding ground for less than propor behaviour. "Well Colonel, it is Empire Day. A glorious day for all, is it not?"

She didn't wait for Vale to respond. "I shall attend this party, at least for a time. It would only be propor to meet my host, after all we shall be working closely together for the forseeable future." She indicated that they should begin to walk. Two of her own stormtroopers, even more rigid than those following Vale fell in behind. "Now tell me Colonel, what is the situation on Boonta?"

[Bright_Ops]

"This is Squad Alpha reporting in. Everything is quiet on our end Sir. Continuing our patrol as planned towards checkpoint Brave three."

"Squad Tango reporting in. Came across a con artist that was in the middle of ripping off a family. Taking a detour to 'escort' him to the local authorities before continuing our patrol to checkpoint Foxtrot nine as planned."

Thule nodded his head a little as he double checked the map on the pad that he was using to co-ordinate the squads before responding with a clear and impossible to misunderstand "Understood. Carry on as planned and report in when necessary. Over and out." After four clear 'Yes Sir's he was now free to send the status report for his own operation to Captain Tucker. Tucker was a hard man who demanded a lot from his subordinates, but Thule was perfectly okay with that. This was the Imperial Army damn it! If you weren't willing to push yourself to be as perfect as possible you should have joined the damn Imperial Navy instead.

The report itself was a short and to the point text based message since there was little point taking up the Captain's time by calling him when there wasn't really a reason to. It simply read:

Lieutenant Mac'Don reporting in. Patrols proceeding as planned. Minor criminal activity uncovered has been dealt with swiftly and subtlety without disrupting the parade or celebrations. Will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated.

A hit of a button was all it took to send the message on. In truth Thule doubted that anything major would spring up; The various VIP's were all at the Governer's Palace after all. But that didn't mean he would neglect his duty or allow those under his command to neglect theirs.

[Frizan]

Jacob deeply wished that he had instead been assigned to the parade in the city. The outpost was damn near dead silent, with barely a peep from the various troopers manning the walls and the inside of the outpost. Nobody wanted to risk the captain's wrath by even so much as giving the impression that they were slacking off. Surveying the surrounding landscape only made him sigh out of boredom; while he loved his homeworld well enough, Jacob thought that it was the ugliest thing in the galaxy second only to a Hutt's backside. Fitting, as the planet was named after a Hutt.

Now with him and his patrol partner standing at the front gate as per the Captain's orders, Jacob's train of thought was broken by something heavy clunking against his helmet. Looking down he saw a pair of binoculars, a high-powered pair used by their lookouts. Snoring from above confirmed his suspicions: The lookout above fell asleep on the job. Looking up, he could see that the trooper was fast asleep with his feet propped up on the raised part of the wall. He grabbed the binoculars and tossed them back up to the lookout with a considerable amount of force, and could hear a heavy thud as the tool bounced off of the man's helmet and onto the floor.

"Wha-Whodidthat!?" The trooper looked above him in his groggy state, and then below to see Jacob looking back up and him. "Hey, what's your deal!?"

"What's MY deal? I'm not the one sleeping on-duty! Get off your ass and do your job! You aren't being paid to drop expensive equipment off of walls!" The lookout's response was about what Jacob expected, with him rolling his eyes and waving his hand at Jacob in a dismissive manner. At least he got back to work though, and that's all Jacob was trying to do. He didn't like this position any more than any one else did.

To Jacob's great relief, it appeared that the monotony was about to be broken. A shuttle landed a few meters from the front gate of the outpost. To his surprise, Jacob saw two storm troopers exit out of the back. He could see a bunch of crates inside, though he couldn't quite make out what they held. One of the storm troopers beckoned towards Jacob and his partner, and then jabbed his thumb at the crates. Jacob complied, believing that a storm trooper requesting assistance with something was more than a good enough reason to leave his post.

The four men exchanged salutes, with Jacob greeting first. "Corporal Parson at your service. My partner here is Private Daniels. You need us for anything?" The storm trooper to Jacob's right looked to his comrade, who shook his head. "I wish we could return the courtesy, trooper, but we're under a strict order of silence. Can't even tell you our rank." What could be so important about this shipment that even basic information can't be shared? Jacob didn't like this at all, but he knew better than to pry. "But yes, we could use your assistance. Won't be long though so you'll be able to get back to your post soon. Pick up a crate and haul it to the front gate. Don't take it any further, and do NOT look inside them. Trusted men will take the crates into the outpost itself." Jacob and Daniels agreed to help, and the four troopers moved the crates, about fifteen in total, to the front gates of the outpost. Some were light, and some were very heavy. Daniels swore he heard clicking coming from one of his, but Jacob told him to keep it to himself. After the last crate was delivered to the front, a small squad of soldiers in black armor shoved Jacob and Daniels to the side and took over, putting the crates onto carrier docks in groups of three and driving them inside the outpost, into the center of the compound. The storm troopers followed suite, and the shuttle took off back to the city, leaving two very confused troopers behind.

[cqbexpt]

Vale nearly flinched at the idea of having to enter the bowls of the Governor's palace. She of course occasionally had to enter the immaculately kept palace for various purposes but the Governor had a nasty habit of knowing when she would have to talk to him and would typically have the most vile things occurring while she attempted to discuss actual issue with him. She figured this was mostly on purpose to keep the colonel "in her place" in regards to him showing what he was willing to do. While she expected this occasion to not be like that the last thing she wanted to happen was for her to get a favorable first impression of the Governor. Vale also wondered where this agent got the idea from that she would be working with the Governor at all, let alone closely. "Yes, truly a magnificent day to be the enforcer of the Empire's will." Vale said allowing her self to atleast for a moment believe that "serving" the Governor somehow furthered that end.

Before Vale was able to get a word in to perhaps suede her otherwise the agent made the power move and began walking. Realizing that she had no other card to play that would get her out this she began to walk with the agent in stride as the Governor's shuttle lifted off in search of another place to park. "As you wish, though I must inform you he doesn't actually know you were arriving. He has had a moratorium on all non-emergency information being brought to him for the last two months, citing his needing to make preparations for today." Vale in truth didn't actually know what the Governor had been doing inside his palace the last few months, while she had been making sure to personally read and approve all his materials requests she hadn't actually figured out what he was doing exactly. The supposed moratorium was also somewhat of a half truth, he had stated that nothing tagged as "non-priority" was to be brought to him. Though there was no reason an ISB agent should be tagged as priority now should it? Afterall, if the Governor was acting accordingly why worry his balding head with it?

Returning to the agent's new request for a status update however was much easier to be truthful about. "I'm sure you've read the monthly reports, so to spare you the history up until now things have been relatively quiet. Our mining output is set to exceed the new quotas for this month by over 13%, the newly opened AT-AT factory is set to ship off it's first non-local production line before the end of next month, three raids have been conducted in the last two weeks of suspected dissenters in preparation of today's events which revealed that there was infact an attack planned on the palace today. Though we believe that cell to have been thoroughly stamped out I have taken the liberty of increasing security on the highly unlikely event something should happen; seeing as we have both local businessmen and people of system wide importance attending tonight I have several prepared multiple contingencies for both defense and evacuation. Getting back to more planet-wide events the construction of the Golan station has been proceeding smoothly and without any incidents. It will be able to begin resupplying cruisers next week and the following week it will be able to service Venator-class vessels, with support for newer star destroyers coming the week following that. We also...." Vale was suddenly interrupted by one of her lieutenants reporting that unknown stormtroopers using the agent's shuttle had dropped off their first load of equipment.

"Excellent, prepare for more equipment to arrive and double the manpower to the landing pad. Vale out." Just as Vale was about to apologize for the interruption another Lieutenant chimed in saying that all fortifications were completed on the northern wing of the palace. She acknowledged this and remembered that they had had a hard time properly securing one of the tunnels the Governor used to move supplies in and out of the palace. However she elected to not continue with the updating of the agent as they neared the door that lead out of the hanger. There were two of the Governor's stormtroopers waiting on either side of the door, the fact that they had Imperial insignias stamped in black on their shoulders made it clear that they were different from the rest of the troopers they had encountered. The Governor had decided to differentiate his guard from the rest of the troops in more than one way but this was the most readily available example. The stormtroopers stepped in front of the door as she approached and the one on the right spoke up.

"Sir, your guards are not allowed beyond..." Vale cut the trooper off before he could finish telling her that the Governor's standing orders were not to let in any of her own guards.

"Tonight that has been waved. Radio operations and ask if you wish, Governor's orders for the night." The trooper quickly radio'd control which just so happened to be in a hardened bunker deep in the earth beneath the palace to confirm the orders.

"Apologizes sir, your men are cleared." The troopers moved to either side of the door and it slid open as they approached. She was glad that the Governor had actually called that in for the day, seeing as all of his men had been moved off the walls and into the palace itself he knew his men vastly outnumbered any guard force she could bring in with her. After passing through the doorway they found themselves in a 3 meter long bare metal hallway which then ended with another door but this one took slightly longer to open. The extra thickness on the door was obvious as they passed through that breach as well and into the palace proper. The palaces walls rose several stories above them were coated in all types of art from Coruscant and plated with some sort of gold. There also happened to be many evenly spaced smooth columns going in every direction. They were obviously less for support and more to fill up some of the vast hallways. While they were currently at the top of a T-section of the hallway it was quite apparent to Vale that they needed to go straight as that is where the music that was lightly echoing the halls was coming from.

"As you can tell the Governor separated his guardsmen from the rest of the military when his previous subordinate attempted a coup. This can make coordination with him... difficult at times. For the time being your troopers will be allowed within the palace but once you meet the Governor I'll have them cleared to have full access to the planet. Another thing, may I ask your name agent?" Vale said all of this with the due respects a commanding officer of her's would deserve even though she suspected her rank wasn't actually higher than hers. As both pairs of their troopers synced up with their walking speed Vale took pleasure in the fact that her troopers atleast appeared as trained as hers.

[agentmanatee]

Keer Tucker considered himself a reasonable man, believed there was very little he could not handle, but the Governor was pushing it. Keer had never been so reviled at a commanding officer in his life, even his dissatisfaction with being ordered around by a woman hardly even compared to his hatred for the fleshy maggot that called himself governor. Upon Vale's command Tucker's retinue disperesed, most returning to their assigned posts. However the lieutenant and a few of the troopers remained with Keer and the governor as added personal security. The minute the Governor opened his fat jowels to speak Keer wanted to beat him to a pulp... but he had more control and tact than that, "I am honored at being given the opportunity to see your glorious palace first hand! I must say, it will be a welcome change from all the dull and... melancholic Imperial installations, as I am certain it will not disappoint."

As he followed the Governor, indulging in his pompous and frankly disgustingly over designed palace, no doubt listening to the fat, blustering idiot, gush over his damn palace and all its "refined" decorations; his lieutenants kept him up to date on everything over comms. Guests arriving, clear perimeters, all guests clean and expected so far... good, the last thing Keer needed was a woman like Vale chewing him out, so he made sure his men were as ready as physically possible. Unfortunately, he was stuck with the Governor no matter what, but at least one of his lieutenants had to suffer with him.

Tucker waited for the little group to be well under way before contacting Vale over the comms, "Governor is en route to destination, no complications thus far ma'am. Guests are arriving, perimeter is clean, we are all clear. Additional orders?

[Sep]

Loretta

Loretta turned to Vale. "Agent Raidne, Imperial Security Burea." She walked in, her guards being stopped at the gate was a minor formality. Something that was actually quite irritating, imitations of Stormtroopers while surpisingly common were easy enough to discover with ample precautions in place. Down right barring them from entering the complex was a gross violation of protocol. Obviously the Governor had become suspicious of those beneath him, either that or he had something to hide. She wondered what one it was, as they entered the ball room. A tall exquisite room, the acoustics carrying the music all throughout the hall with a raised staircase at the back. No doubt if someone were to speak from the staircase the shape of the room would easily convey their voice to everyone in the room.

It was well designed, there was no doubt about that. Though when she saw the clientele she was pretty sure te Governor had something to hide. There was the occasional Imperial Officer here and there but the vast majority of the room was full with fat cat business men. She prevented herself from shaking her head. There was a possibility that it was just the Governor doing his actual duty... she hoped it was. She didn;t have time to perform her research and do everything else she had to do.

"I am sure the Governor can be brought up to speed with what he needs to know. Oh also-" She removed a small... what looked like a data device. "I need this transported securely to the outpost where you have set up my things. Only send someone senior who you can trust. My guards are all busy performing other duties. After that please see to it that all personnel records from that outpost are sent to my ship in orbit. So that they can be reviewed if I need to adjust personnel. That is all."

She walked through the crowd, those of them that were Imperials eyed her carefully to see if she was coming with them. Nearing the centre of the room. She stood there, waiting. The Governor would notice her soone ror later, and would be a fool not to introduce himself.

Trael

Trael looked down at his commlink as it beeped, a scrambled voice speaking on the other side. "In position." He just smiled and nodded to himself. "It's time."

[cqbexpt]

Vale had half a mind to interject and tell the ISB agent exactly how useless that borderline Hutt mound of flesh was. But she decided against it seeing as at least the Hutt's were competent. "Emperor protect, agent." Vale settled on a more common saying as apposed to getting colorful with her wording. She turned the data device over in her hand just to try get what the agent could have put in such a small device. She turned to one of her stomtroopers and spoke to him with a more loose tone than she had been speaking to the agent with. "Get Lieutenant Thule on the horn, I have an assignment for him." The stormtrooper nodded with a "yessir" before keying his comms and informing dispatch of Vale's task. She looked around the hall and thankfully saw no one she hadn't been expecting. The Governor was known for being impulsive with his invites, especially to an event like today. One of the most notable features perhaps of the guests was that almost none of them were aliens. That being said there were a few but all of them were local power brokers that the Governor kept around incase he needed to go over Vale's head to do something.

She pocketed the device and made her way over to a serving droid and picked up a favorite drink of hers that she made sure to have stocked for these functions. Unfortunately, it was Gardulla with the mind-altering properties stripped from it. She had been told before that the drink was an acquired taste but she had enjoyed it since she first had it. At the very least it would make some of the other guests feel more at easy around her given that the troopers were flanking her. She supposed her job was to be diplomatic until dispatch informed her that inevitably something had happened. Which was not to say she didn't have faith in her machinations but given the amount of moving parts tonight anything was possible. At that moment she received a communication from her Captain, whom she had given charge of the micro-managing of the defenses for the night. "Good Captain, inform all guards at the entrances to tell any fans of the Governer's to move away from the entrances, all attendants are here. I'm taking Thule from your defenses for task, make adjustments accordingly. Lastly, stay near the Governor and keep me updated on what he does throughout the night." She took her hand off her ear piece and made her way towards the owner of one of the pod-racer teams.

Sarrus finished his full bodied laugh by grabbing the star pod-racers arm to steady himself. He made sure his other arm was held out to the side to keep his drink from spilling. "Ah, but if you had lost I would have to buy another racer to cover my losses!" The pod-racer was of local fame primarily for his feats in the races last month in which he had beaten the Governer's sponsored team. Oddly enough Sarrus felt like betting against himself for once. He was now in talks with his current team to "steal him away" quite literally. The pod-racer gave out a half fearful smile and laugh knowing that Sarrus was talking about having him removed permanently from the circuit if he had lost his last race. Choking out his laughter with a gulp from his goblet a particular uniformed officer caught his eye. He turned back quickly to the group of businessmen and pod-racers surrounding him. "If you'll all excuse me I have some other bussiness to conduct tonight. To the Emperor!" He raised his goblet up and the rest of the group followed with his saying and action. They all then took deep drinks and dispersed as the Governor moved towards the obvious ISB agent in his midst. He then turned to Vale's captain Tucker. "Leave us, tell Vale i wish to speak with her." Sarrus said in a rather serious tone.

He then turned with his stormtroopers towards the ISB agent he saw wandering the hall. He made his way over to her as quickly as he could without looking suspiciously eager to meet the agent. As he approached he put back on his usual jovial persona. "Ah agent! I was not aware that I would have the pleasure of speaking to a member of the bureau tonight! How may I be of service to the Emperor today?" Sarrus was entirely unaware that an agent would be arriving. As far as he knew there was no reason for them to be checking up him unless they suspected his...escapades. Whatever the case it was his imperative to find out what she was doing here. "Actually hold that thought, let me get your a drink I'm sure you've been traveling for a time to this glorious world." Sarrus had one of his troopers signal a server droid to join his side and hold up a plate with several different colored drinks placed apon it.