Noventa - A Star Wars Story

"See ya later," she called after in her cover-identity accent, a small jab. When the Inquisitor was fully out of sight, she let out a sigh of relief, and closed her eyes. Stormtroopers catching her off-guard was nothing compared to facing such a dire threat. [i]I believe a long nap is in order once I return to the Ivory Phoenix.[/i]

The Inquisitor stood, and her mask flipped closed with a hissing noise. "My subordinates will return you to the surface in a shuttle. You will not be harmed or interrogated there." Turning on a bootheel, she strode powerfully to the door, and then looked over her shoulder. "I look forward to our next meeting, Agent." And with that, she was through the door.

"Your offer will definitely undergo some consideration." Wasn't a total lie, as there was no way an Inquisitor could be forgotten so easily.

"Since you've turned down the caf, absolutely. I have no intention of defaming or breaking down a member of what made the Empire so efficient." The Inquisitor smirked, letting it show in her words. "But I will be keeping my eyes on you... should you ever wish to explore the depths of your talent more fully. The offer is, as is the offer of caf, on the table."

"Intuition is what drove my career," Jelna replied with a soft smile. She had a natural inclination for how people wanted to act. It's what made her so skilled at finding those who were desperate to escape notice. "I will pass on the caf for now."

She perked a brow, a bit confused. She had found herself captured and had expected less of a polite conversation. [i]How far does her interest go with me then?[/i]

Jelna broadened her smirk. "Does that mean I am free to leave now then?"

The Inquisitor pursed her lips beneath her mask, and folded her hands in her lap. Standing straight and tall, the eyes flashed for a moment, as she regarded the ISB Agent again. "That makes sense. A cold, logical decision. Makes perfect sense. Though I do believe your intuition played into it as well." An eyebrow raised. "Would you like a fresh cup of caf?" She indicated to the cup, and then back to Jelna.

"As promised, I also will be honest. I don't intend on holding you past our conversation. There's no need. You're simply one of many Imperial agents who went under. No crime, considering what happened at Jakku. Just keep that in mind, should things happen, and you find yourself in a position where you have to make a choice between those of us here, and any Rebel agents who may be on planet, as well."

There was temptation to lie but, with it pieced together, there was little point in it. The next answer, though, even Jelna was not sure about. "It was the obvious target. I had no time to hesitate," she finally answered, which was true.

"And so you are on the run from them. Just the same as Sloane's faction." She mused for a moment. "Still, that does bring some understanding. This is a rather out of the way world. Would take weeks for a real threat to come out here." The Inquisitor turned away for a moment, as if she sensed something. Pondering, deeply thinking.

"Why did you rush the stage? Just a tactical decision, or was there something more?"

[i]And we had just spoken about the lack of comraderie leading to the downfall of the Galactic Empire. [/i]Jelna kept a blank face and wondered if such a thing would be true. Torture was a difficult task, one that often gave false information. But the combination of suitable techniques and circumstances had served her well before. She wondered for a moment if she was better at it than an Inquisitor of all people, but it did not matter much to her.

Jelna smirked at the mention of reputation. Surely her career had been successful but she had never considered herself one among Tarkin, Thrawn, or Sloane. But she was even more amused at the thought of honesty. [i]Now that is another tactic for extracting information.[/i]

The blonde shrugged. "My area of expertise was the identification, interrogation, and disposal of covert operatives. Most of them are now open supporters of the New Republic."

"As you said, you believed most of us gone. I believe the same, though if Jedi can remain in hiding for decades, why not Inquisitors. Hope isn't something I feel for them, though. Just means less competition. Or maybe more." She shrugged, and then shook her head. "I'm not going to try and extract information from you. Likely, with your training, you would only give me false leads, and play mind games where we try to outwit each other. While entertaining, you and I both know it would be fruitless." She stood up straight.

"So here is what I am going to do. I, am going to be honest with you. As long as you are honest with me. With your reputation, your training, why did you not try to rejoin the Empire, either with Grand Admiral Sloane after Jakku, or with any remnants? Why run, for so long?"

"The Admiral would worry too if you were absent for such a lengthy period too," Jelna remarked. She looked idly and continued with, "But not as much as a comrade. I did not notice any of your brothers or sisters with you."

She chuckled at that. "We've briefed each other on what may need to happen here. Though she is not a firm believer in my talents, she understands my place, and I hers. It is mutually beneficial." She tapped her fingers, for a long, too long moment. "You must not have come here alone. Your friends, I am sure they are worried about you? Especially taken for so long?"

"I could have been drawn to this planet without even realizing it," Jelna mused, "Or it could have been mere coincidence."

The blonde leaned back into her seat. "Does the Admiral share your feelings then? Or is this another example of 'need-to-know' in Imperial personnel?"

The Inquisitor nodded. "There is. I've only felt it in one place before, and not to the extent that it is here. The Spire, on Stygeon Prime." She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the Agent before her. "I've had visions of this place, and while I have some explanation already, what disturbs me is just how strong the Force is I haven't felt something like that since before the Clone Wars." Leaning forwards, tilting her head. "Do you have any thoughts on the matter?"

"I have not experimented with it. I did not see reason in pursuing such a pervading feeling." Jelna shifted in her seat to maintain her posture. "There is something odd about this planet, isn't there? Something more than mundane resources for the Admiral."

"It did wash over everything. And for a brief moment, there was peace." She seemed distant at that. "But you are right. It created the perfect environment for hope to bloom into a rebellion."

"Have you... tried to experiment with the feeling? To see what you could do?"

"People did band together to oppose him but not to the extent he had anticipated. The Rebellion was not fueled by a lust for power and perhaps that is why they succeeded." Jelna looked around the room, her expression turning more pensive. "I would not have been a good agent if I was never curious. This is the first instance where I have felt such a phenomenon, even so far away. It is almost hard to remember a time without it."

"Which was a plague that hollowed out the Empire from within. Some rumors say that was how the Emperor designed it, so that no one would be strong enough to challenge his authority. Or think of banding together to do so. A shame, that his paranoia and over confidence played into his undoing." The scarlet colored woman laughed a bit, and then shrugged. "But you aren't curious? Not one bit, at exploring what you could do, what you could be? Surely, this isn't the first time you've felt something." Leaning back in the chair.

"Have you felt it, the Darkness that permeates that planet? Even here, it's touch creeps through everything like inky tendrils oozing into the very machine of this ship."

"Could, but that was never allotment in my life." Jelna's smile broadened. "Unlike the Inquisitorius, the ISB had their agents as cogs in a machine. I prefer it that way.

"Too many ambitious people and you end up having power struggles. There were far too many leading up to where we are now."

"Thinking it's rubbish was the plan. Showed just how well COMPNOR did their job. Wiping out any memory of the Jedi in such a short time." The Inquisitor seemed wistful, looking at the former ISB agent.

"And that evidence, is just a shadow of what you could learn. It is a new age, you know. A future that is always in motion, ready to be shaped by those with the power to do so."