Need a Hand? - Leta Orbus - Imperial Mission

The Hive, main core of Imperial Intelligence headquarters.
The every I.I. Officer dream workplace. In the same time, if summoned there under any other circumstances than promotion, it could end fast, with degradation or even execution.

Captain Dussas was escorted by four heavy armored sentinels, deep into the Keeper's territory. The first thing noticed by scared officer was almost complete lack of droids on this level. He heard rumors about Keeper's lack of trust for armored droids around him, easy to reprogram and change into potential assassins or spies. It just made captain's heart to beat faster - he was going to meet the I.I. Chief Operative.

He was left alone in pit-like room, glowing with red and blue holoprojectors, reflecting strange coded markings, some sort of internal security system, making it unreadable without knowing the algorithm or some sort of device. He didn't even noticed when the unknown, high ranked officer stepped into the room. The holograms faded to small red and blue dots at the edges of surrounding projectors.

Young officer wanted to salute, forgetting about his arms still in magnetic handcuffs on his back. The markings on the visitor's uniform where blood-red with small, titanium stars - as matt as men's dark grey eyes.

"Captain Dussas I assume?"

"Sir! It's an honor Sir!" Captain kneeled down on one knee, as he would face Sith Lord form the Shadow Counsil.

"We are in the Intelligence Headquarters Captain, not in the Temple. PLEASE don't do it again" he continued as Dussas was standing on his feet "As I presume my rank here is clear. You was summoned here, because you was trying to recruit smuggler and pirate name Finn Adclar. Is it correct?"

For a moment Dussas was staring at the tired, calm face of Keeper, trying to recall as many details as possible. "Yes Sir, I was trying to recruit him for I.I. four months ago. It ended... well, we lost our contact agent and there where no more actions in this direction as I remember."

Keeper nodded and with the slight move of his palm he turned on half of the projectors in the room. He seemed to read from floating holographic chaos like from open book. "Yes, I've read your report for Admiral Dalama. It's rubbish, I presume it was corrected three times?" He gave the officer guessing, cold stare of matt eyes.

"Sir" Captain nodded with energy, feeling that he have at last chance to prove his theory. "Finn Adclar was probably under influence of Republic Military Intelligence. I think one of his fresh crew members, Twi'lek name Giia or Gyia was in fact at least contact agent of RMI. My agent was incautious and probably let her reveal his identity. After a month of Finn's surveillance agent X44 disappeared and Adclar moved on the other side of the rim."

"And there is no description of this [Giia], or her ties to RMI because...?"

"Admiral Dalama corrected few things in my report. He decided that I don't have any real prof of Republic interference, and he won't start to spawn RMI fantoms in the reports only because of my failure."

"Well, Admiral is right man on right position in the I.I. He works as filter, beside this he's talentless bureaucrat with imagination of retarded wampa. But we need as well such biodroids to let the machine work smoothly, don't we?"

Captain couldn't respond openly to insult his direct superior. He just smiled to his thoughts and said "Sir!" with calm face.

"Captain, your career is right now in your hands. Please look behind you"

Officer nodded and turned around. The magnetic handcuffs where turned off and dropped silently on the room floor. Dussas was watching with hold breath holograms that where decoded in front of him. When he was watching images form some devastated gang or pirate bay, as he presumed, the Keeper briefed him about the situation.

"Six standard hours ago there was an incident on Nar Shaddaa. Our cell posing for six months as "Toxic Skyyks Cartel" was decimated. The attackers infiltrated Cartel headquarters and slain most of our agents in one, precise planned strike. They are now in posses of communication equipment that was suppose to be sold to three neutral Hutt Clans. IF they find that devices where... modified by Imperial Intelligence, and this information will be delivered to the Hutts, we may flush our plan to win Hutta Sector for the Sith Empire." One image was maximized on the holoprojectors. It was shot of small space dogfight, with one of the ship heavily damaged, running from the unknown attacker that took this picture."This is the attackers ship, hit by Salmanass, one of our paid Bounty Hunters on Nar Shaddaa. He didn't destroyed them, but as you see, he scratched them badly. Do you recognize..."

"It's [Miss Velvet], Adclar favorite freighter. He still have that experimental field jammer he [borrowed] from Corelian Security Forces"

"We have his identity, but I need Finn's mind. Do you understand Captain?"

"Mind, Sir?"

"Yes - We have still some time to stop those devices. If he's going to contact Republic Forces he have to do it outside the Hutta sector. Your job is to point me the direction. Here..." the holograms hanged again, creating a three dimensional version of the Hutta sector and surroundings with yellow sphere insnide " the sphere is the potential distance that his freighter can fly with such major damage including short hyperspace bursts. Take your time..."

Keeper stepped back outside the holoprojectors glow. Captain was now surrounded by enormous amount of data. He recognized his old reports, contact lists and pictures taken by Agent x44. For a moment he felt that it's too much, and almost heard how his career is braking apart. He closed his eyes and started to recall every single bit of information about Finn. Not the facts but the impressions. He moved toward projected Nar Shaddaa and opened his eyes slowly.

"Sir? Can I think out loud?"

"Continue Captain" Keeper's voice was calm, almost like teacher helping his student relax at the final test.

"I've just crossed the line. After eleven years of not carrying much about politics I've just declared on one side. And now I'm hunted, with my ship heavily damaged and probably Sith Fleet waiting for me somewhere outside this sector. I'll be hunted from now on. Even when the cargo will be delivered to Republic authorities, Sith won't stop the hunt. I need my ship to be at least seventy percent working in case of being thrown away like a garbage by my new contractors.

I need to hide and repair my ship before going to rendezvous point. I'm still a smuggler..." Captain moved his hand outside the yellow sphere, and reached the small white dot in the center of nowhere. "... with few more people that Owe me"

"It's my bet Sir! Old Czerka mining facility. The Chief Miner is Finn's old crew member. Smuggler used to supply whole mining colony in illegal goods. Now there is only Skeletal crew that keeps the main facility operative. Huge hangar for harvesting vessels, lot of space to repair freighter and probably some spare parts. Plus no questions"

"Very good, even if it's outside the potential reach" Keeper raised his voice "protocol 360 on the maps, all operative units at region"

The three dimensional map of sector faded little bit, with red dot in place of Czerka facility and five white, beaming dots. Four of them too far behind, in different parts of Nar Shaddaa and one right on the outside of Hutt territory.

"Interesting..." Keeper moved his palm near the lone white dot and revealed the details.


Captain could sworn that there was a trace of smile on Keeper's face. Dussas stayed silent, hoping his decision was right.

"I think we have no other choice. Connect immediately with operator 56BlueAlfa"

After few seconds the hologram showed slim chiss officer that saluted to the intercom. As always, it was with this race, it was hard to judge his emotions

56BlueAlfa, Sir! Mission status complete, Sir! We are on the way to Nal Hutta operation point. Awaiting orders Sir!

"What is your Agent condition?"

"She's regenerating after mission. She's ready to go as always Sir!"

"Prepare for mission briefing. Transmission in 120 seconds"

"Sir!" Chiss hologram disappeared

"We have still chance to stop our thieves" Keeper was talking to the officer, but was checking the details about the rest of the agents left on Nar Shaddaa.

"Sir, if I may... Is it possible to handle it by one Agent? This is not dealing with lowlife swoopers."

"INFRA prefix is restricted for the [Warhounds] or as many call them [Darth Jadus Offspring], she will handle this or... die trying. Anyway one less problem for the Imperial Intelligence"

"I thought Warhounds are just ghost story"

"It would be better if it WAS just a ghost story" Keeper looked Captain in the eyes "But you are to young to know all the Agency problems, I envy you Captain" He gave him bitter smile and opened the communication hologram again...