Private Internal Affairs

[Adriana Fortemps]

​

Dantooine
Allyson Locke

"Curfew is now in effect, all citizens are expected to be in their homes or have permissions ready for inspection."

The last of the special blend tea poured past the Echani's black lips, perfectly timed with the end of the city-wide announcement. It was a routine that Jorryn had managed to quickly adapt to, perfected as the weeks protecting worlds on the fringe of the war front against the traitors of the New Imperial Order grew longer and longer. Dantooine was one-such world that was in danger of succumbing to the machine of the NIO as much as the Inquisitor hated to admit it, the recent battles having legitimized the threat they posed.

Still, Jorryn's mission wasn't to worry about the warfront. Instead it was the priority of her and the rest of the Saaraisash to ensure the security of the planets behind it.

"Time to get to work..." Words trailed off unexcitedly as she addressed the other Inquisitors under her command, not exactly the most effective lot at securing a world.

The Knight-Inquisitor was at least fortunate enough that Imperial doctrine had made such tasks mostly trivial. A few scum and old people would drag their feet getting to their homes, but for the most part the citizenry was manageable to say the least. Of course, the streets still had quite a few citizens with the planetary governor playing fast and loose with the passes and troopers flooding most corners. It wasn't the streets that concerned the Echani.

The NIO had plenty of good spies defect, spies that knew the construction of Dantooine's capital city.

Protecting a vulnerable city took more troopers than they had.

"You four men are with me."

A simple nod addressed the troopers outside her office that would be dragged alongside her, much preferring their silent company to her fellow inquisitors. All those lot did during routines was suck up to her, a trait she found rather annoying. The hypocrisy completely lost on the Echani.

The tapping of rain on the windows let her know that tonight would be a long one, popping an umbrella open as she stepped out into the streets. A helmet was probably a more tactically sound choice, but Jorryn always preferred showing her face when she could. Allow the troopers to see who's in charge.

The soft glow of the moon between the clouds was a comfort to the Echani, a feeling of peace coming over her even if she knew it would be a long night. At least she knew her culture in one way.

With one last deep breath she turned back to the men behind her, a final nod to them before she started.

Hopefully tonight will be quiet... Jorr thought to herself, eyes flickering back to the moon as the heels of her boots splashed to puddles beneath her feet.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: D A N T O O I N E //:
//: R E C O N //:
//: C A T //: Adriana Fortemps

​

Dantooine was one of the many backwater planets that had sparked a new hope. Upon hearing the invasion of the Empire's worlds of Muunilisnt and Mygeeto, other planets wondered if they were next to be included in the war front. Whispers of freedom circulated the streets and the underground, it was coming by the swift hand of the NIO. Despite the desire for freedom, many wanted the war to miss their doorstep. War meant death and destruction, but from it, new beginnings. ​

Thoughts wandered to Corellia and Coruscant, both planets were devastated by the One Sith, if put into the citizens' shoes would she feel the same way as she did now? It was a question full of hypotheticals, their answers would do nothing but prevent the Corellian spy from completing her job. Binoculars lowered and rested on the ledge of the building's rooftop. She had been following the Sith Inquisitor for some time now, it was a bit boring not going to lie. The white-haired Echani woman did very little with her day, she drank tea, made tea, seemed to complain about something, starred off into the distance, and drank more tea. Every so often, she'd catch a glimpse of the torrent of emotions the Sith was known for when the woman had (what she thought was secret and hidden) tantrums for some reason or another. Still, any intelligence was good intelligence. ​

Allyson slipped from the rooftop and into the shadows. Having been here and mapping out the city, she knew quick routes to cut off the woman and her trooper team. During this time, she also had the opportunity to swipe the troopers' armor and uniform that followed Jorryn. The woman went along her path, and Allyson drew the force into her, hiding her presence until an opportunity presented itself. Slipping behind the group, she took out one of the guards and tossed him into the alleyway. He'd awaken and not remember what he was doing the night before - no reason to kill the guy. Walking her way up to the Inquisitor's side, the helmeted trooper nodded with a salute. ​

Impersonation was something the Corellian excelled at. She had an uncanny ability to watch and study something then reproduce it. The posh accent that could be found in any Empire flowed smoothly through the mask as she questioned the Inquisitor. "Evening Inquisitor, anything I do for you?" A pause, then a more pressing question. Allyson wondered how far up the ladder her target was in the world of the Sith. "Any new news from Mygeeto and Muunilisnt?"​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

Allyson Locke

Having to sift through the dredges of the city was hardly the most enjoyable task, but at least the Echani never had to dirty her hand directly. She could leave that part to the troopers, their usefulness pretty much limited to staring and seeing anything that moved. At least they had equipment to assist with the limited creativity they held.

As Jorryn's thoughts turned to wishing she had brought a thermos and brought some caf along with her on this mission, one of the troopers assisting her raised their voice.

"You already know trooper," The annoyance in her tone not being at all hidden as she looked down her nose at the soldier, only half turning to address her. "Our forces, as being commanded by Emperor Carnifex, are bringing swift destruction to the traitors forces."

Imperial doctrine wouldn't allow for any other answers, especially to a common soldier such as this. But truth be told, the situation did weigh in the back on the Echani's mind. As far as she could tell, the situation on the warfront was dire. Even with the Emperor in command of their forces, the New Imperial Order had managed to convince some significant members to their side, not to mention their partnership with the Galactic Alliance.

Hopefully the Inquisitor's loyalty would pay off instead of screw her over.

"Hypothetically, though." Eyes closing as she thought whether or not to allow this line of thinking, but truly it didn't matter. If Muunilist and Mygeeto fell then Dantooine was next on their path to Bastion, and both Jorryn and these troopers would have to fight. "If our Emperor deemed it wise to push back our defense lines, we need to ensure the security of Dantooine. Hence, having to search the streets most nights."

If it ensured that the Silver-haired Sith wouldn't be assassinated in her sleep, then she was more than interested in helping with the search. That said it was tedious and boring work, mostly ending up in very long and boring walks. It was the first time that a trooper directly talked to the Knight-Inquisitor at least and that made it a more unique night than most. Usually they preferred to talk to themselves.

Jorryn's mood alleviated somewhat as she thought about what this could entail, perhaps her night would not be so boring after all. Worst case scenario, she would arrest the trooper for treasonous thinking. But the Empire was a meritocracy and perhaps the soldier could provide simpler insight.

"Walk with me trooper. The rest of you, redouble your search!"

The Echani waited impatiently, holding out the umbrella for the trooper to carry as the command rang out. If the trooper had the luck to accompany Jorryn personally, the least she could do was protect the Inquisitor from the rain.

"Tell me trooper, what do you think of our enemies?" Amber eyes continued to look forward, nothing could be gleaned from staring into a helmet. "Don't waste my time on lies either, I'll be able to tell."

That usually scared the soldiery into the truth alone, the threats of Sith being valued twice as much by their own soldiers.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: D A N T O O I N E //:
//: R E C O N //:
//: A L O N E //:
Adriana Fortemps

​

The Inquisitor's answer was what she fully expected. The Sith were all drinking something strong, and she wondered if it was the tea. Having faced Kaine Zambrano herself, she could understand the way they blindly followed him, but he was just like they all were - mortal. Allyson pushed away from the sight of his real face, the face of his soul from her mind, it was nightmare-inducing, but she had seen worse from the man.​

Jorryn's actions were odd. Allyson fully expected to be dismissed and moved into the back ranks, but for some reason, the woman wanted to talk away from the other troopers. Walking behind the Sith, Allyson blinked and realized how much shorter the woman was than her reputation. Standing at attention, Allyson looked around until the Sith faced her, there was a change in her demeanor. It confused the Corellian seeing that the woman was more curious in seeing what she 'trooper' thought. Usually, Sith had an air of superiority and didn't care what the lessers thought.​

Was this Sith more intuitive than she was letting on during surveillance? Allyson tiled her head and paused, feigning hesitation at the question and threat of the Inquisitor. On the inside, Allyson would have welcomed a tussle with the Echani - having learned Echani Martial Arts from Jyoti. Body language was how the Echani communicated, and Allyson did her best to feign the fear that an ordinary trooper would have when faced with this sort of question. Allyson tried to read the woman but came up short, so she spoke.​

"The enemy? They're traitors, but…" The troopers' shoulders tensed, wondering if the answer would get her blasted with some sort of sithy force power. Allyson fought every instinct in her body to begin to prepare a barrier of Force in preparation. Mentally preparing for the worst, Allyson spoke her opinion. "I had been on the front lines, Ma'am. They're strong and determined. They crashed into our lines, I managed to survive and was shipped back to Bastion for recouping Ma'am." ​

Allyson tried to show confidence in front of the Inquisitor, her mind scrambled with a thought shield. If the Sith questioned why her mind was protected, she would explain being an Epicanthix, thus not being affected by the mental intrusions of the Inquisitor. A small light blinked in the corner of the visor, and suddenly an announcement came over the coms announcing the front lost on both Mygeeto and Muunilinst. "Ma'am, we've lost Mygeeto and Munnilinst. They're evacuating the planets…" Allyson did her best to hide her joy; it meant that Ryv would be coming home, and they had accomplished what they had sought.​

There was also a rumor that the Emperor had disappeared after their fight. She wondered how badly he had been wounded by the force light arrow she stabbed him with. Shuddering slightly, she used it to show fear. "Ma'am, is the Empire in trouble?"​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// DANTOOINE, IMPERIAL CAPITAL //
// Allyson Locke //

---

---

It was a delightful thing to see someone cower in your presence, but it was something different that caused an almost malicious grin to grow on the face of the Echani. The trooper that had approached Jorryn so nonchalantly only a few moments prior was now showing a more submissive posture, shoulders pressing downwards in an act of fear or nervousness. As amusing as it would be to call out the trooper on their false disposition, the Inquisitor was busy taking in the self-satisfaction that she felt from seeing the girl cower.

Truth be told, Jorryn wasn't half as scary as any of the other Sith that she knew. Sure she could handle a lightsaber as well as most, if not better than all, but there were certainly worse Sith to get on the wrong side than her. At least the Echani wouldn't turn you into some abomination for the sport of it like a certain few other Lords that she knew.

"Then I must comment you for your service." The words came out plainly false between lips parted in a grin, amusing herself with a game of how much she could get this girl to pretend. "But as for your praise for your enemies..." Dramatic pauses never hurt anyone too much, especially when one had so captivated an audience. "I would advise you to keep such opinions between yourself and your dead comrades, such talk amongst the living can end poorly these days."

The prodding smirk that Jorryn had been holding onto quickly disappeared as the earpiece on her left side rang with the same news, plus a small addition of further information waiting for the Knight-Inquisitor in her office.

Teeth bit fiercely into the inside of her cheek as her gaze turned away from the trooper and stared off into the darkness, a bitterness towards those that commanded the warfront. What was the purpose of keeping the Knight-Inquisitor on this backwater dump if they were just going to kark it up anyways, her gaze tearing up the horizon as she hid her frustration away from the soldier. The overwhelming thoughts stopped her from recognizing any hint of joy in the trooper's voice, letting irritation replace serenity once again.

"Consider yourself one of the lucky ones then I suppose, dear." The grip of her jaw released her cheek as the tone of her voice remained calm and pleasantly posh, ignoring any questions of the danger such results posed to the Empire. For Jorryn's own sake moreso than the girl's. As much anger as she felt, it would do poorly for her image to... vent in front of a trooper. "In fact, perhaps luckier than I first thought..."

Gently guiding hand to chin, Jorryn reassessed the trooper quickly. Didn't help much with the common armour in the way.

"Name and rank, and remove that ridiculous helmet as well." The words came out a bit more snippy than the Echani had originally intended, but it didn't matter. All she had to do right now was to rally the soldiery on Dantooine. The warfront would likely fall on these peasants next. "And do be quick, we don't have much time before the rest of your simple-minded comrades start falling apart at the seams."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Adriana Fortemps

Allyson’s story was far from rehearsed, and she quickly picked up that the Inquisitor didn’t believe her. Though it seemed that the Sithling’s hubris kept her from realizing it. Watching the Sith woman relish in the moment of weakness of the trooper made Allyson a bit uncomfortable. Someone so twisted enjoying the fear that poured off another, the Sith were a troubled bunch. Everything worked out in her favor, and once more, the Corellian earned her nickname, Lucky. Hearing the word of advice, Allyson continued to play up the cowardly trooper to avoid the Inquisitor to press for more information. “I-I’m sorry, Ma’am.” ​

Hearing her voice quiver in the helmet made Allyson sick, but avoiding a Sith prison was a top priority. Allyson had been incarcerated by the Sith before, unlucky for her; it had been the Dark Lord himself that found her on the steps of Bastion. His methods were sickening and worse than any war crime the man could and have committed. Although the experience was devastating, Allyson figured her time under the thumb of Jorryn Fordyce would be a walk in the park comparatively. Knowing what the Corellian knew of the Moon spawn, once Allyson didn’t bleed tea - the woman would eventually lose interest. ​

The revealing news of the Sith losing the front of Mygeeto and Muunilinst caused such a sight in the Echani that Allyson quickly made a note of it. Each of Jorryn’s reactions was immediately recorded using her HUD contact lens to be filed away with voice samples so that Allyson could look back on. Each file she created for the targets she spied on was invaluable to the Alliance and to the SIA. They were some of Allyson’s most prized possessions and her way of protecting those she cared about. Jorryn’s file was slowly becoming more interesting, the Shadow was worried that the record would be lackluster and find its way into the trash bin. ​

Jorryn’s reactions were interesting, Allyson quickly reminded the younglings when they failed a task or when another was better at something. The way she chewed on her cheek and showed visible irritation at the news. Part of her wanted to laugh at the reaction, but she was able to stifle the laugh and remain sullen at the sound of ‘their’ loss. Surprisingly enough, the sith woman shifted her emotions and had a sweetness dripping off her words. The violent shift to and fro of the state almost gave Allyson a headache, but she kept her composure and tilted her head, wondering what the Inquisitor meant by being lucky. ​

Sweating, Allyson hadn’t thought this far into the persona. Mission had stated that she would be only observing the Sith Inquisitor, not interacting with her. If only Jorryn had been more exciting and told her information so that Allyson could continue sitting in her nest eating huttaburger fries. Yet, because Jorryn seemed to have an elementary day - causing the agent to step in. ​

“Rae Cooke, Private First Class. R-remove my helmet?” Allyson never removed their helmets in the field from what Allyson understood about the Stormtroopers in the Sith Empire. Why would the Inquisitor request of her to remove her helmet? Could have been a test, but Allyson decided to use the scared trooper tactic once more. Reaching under her chin, Allyson or Rae unclipped the straps. The sound of escaping air vented, and the helmet removed. A cascade of dark chocolate brunette hair followed as the helmet was removed, she had quickly shoved her hair into the uniform knowing her window of opportunity was small. ​

“Ma’am?” Rae paused her velvety posh accent while she fixed her hair the best she could while giving Jorryn a shy blush. “We’re not supposed to remove our helmets, but” Green eyes locked on the Echani’s golden amber eyes, “I-I didn’t want to disobey your orders.” Shying away from Jorryn, Rae clutched her helmet tightly, “What are your orders, Ma’am?" ​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// DANTOOINE, IMPERIAL CAPITAL //
// Allyson Locke //

---

---

The umbrella pressed into Jorryn's shoulder as she waited for the woman to remove her helmet, the smirk still resting on her face as she watched the girl take the black bucket off. The Echani's face twisted in some mild surprise, before quickly relaxing into a smile before the trooper would see hopefully. The smile was softer than the one Jorryn's face was previously held, though unfortunately more out of self-pleased emotions than anything the soldier did.

"You're certainly pretty enough, you'll do." A devious smirk returned to the Inquisitor's lips as she raised her hand to Rae's chin, turning her head to help inspect the girl some more. "Might need some touchups in some places... A scar perhaps..." As Jorryn's thoughts were said aloud she realized there was something vaguely familiar that the Inquisitor couldn't place, a face that she knew. "So you say you're recently just back from the front lines, are you private?"

The smirk was pulled away as the woman looked Jorryn in the eyes, irritation replacing it. Even if they were pretty and as well behaved as this one, troopers should never look their superior officer in the face. Especially a Sith.

As much as Jorryn enjoyed men and women with some confidence being playful, she couldn't afford to allow a lowly private first class to become too familiar.

"Careful, dear." A colder look turned up the corners of her black lips this time, lightly scratching the girls chin as she pulled her hand away from it. "I may have some plans for you, but you'll need to remember your place." The Amber gaze lingered for a second, challenging the Corellian before separating their line of sight with the black rim of the umbrella.

"Now if you'll take this and guide me back to my office." The plasteel handle was held out impatiently for the trooper to take before Jorryn began to walk back towards the Saaraisash offices, heels splashing water around. The mumbling of the more pathetic soldiers had already begun and the Echani didn't have much time before dread would set in for them. "Have you ever considered a career in media my dear?"

A grin appeared at her lips, wondering if the private would look in her in the eyes again.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Adriana Fortemps

Allyson fought every urge to pull away from the Echani Inquisitor. The touch was too familiar, and it reminded her of how the woman’s boss maltreated her during interrogation. She had to continue to play the part—dissociation, a skill for the most part that she had picked up. Allyson turned the usual mental defense mechanism into something she could fall in and out of. With what she had endured, it only made sense. As Jorryn examined her features, Allyson was no longer Allyson. Fully committing to the part she created, the Corellian was now Rae Cooke, Private First Class. ​

​

The mention of a scar made Rae flinch a little, there was a fear that echoed in the woman’s eyes as the thought of having a scar drawn into her face ran through her mind. The Sith were ruthless, their worlds never prospering on their own without the iron fist, and here she was face to face with an Inquisitor. The Inquisition was a dangerous group of Sith, they were a group of Sith who typically clung to the use of the Force over the brutal saber techniques. Though, that line of information wasn’t always correct. From what she remembered, the Inquisition also was responsible for dealing with prisoners and controlling sectors. ​

​

Either way, upsetting one was never a good idea. “Yes, Ma’am, I was stationed on Muunilinst” She didn’t dare say Mygeeto; for the life of her right now, she couldn’t think of the intel on the planet. Muunilisnt was here; she was slicing her way into their networks. Despite knowing that she should look away, breaking their eye contact - the defiance in the Corellian’s heart burned, and she continued to watch the Sithling in the eye. The umbrella cut their gaze, and Rae exhaled softly, free for the moment the Inquisitor had released her. ​

​

Umbrella now in hand, Rae quickly followed behind Jorryn. She held her helmet in one hand while the other elevated above the haughty Echani woman keeping her dry. A note was made as the woman seemed to not be as rough around the edges as most Sith. “A career in media?” Eyes didn’t look towards the Sith as she pondered the question. Being seen across all Sith media sounded like a bad idea. There had been a recent announcement, and Rae couldn’t risk her face being shown on Empire TV - her cover could be blown. Yet something told her that Jorryn wouldn’t even notice that she had a level 5 Bounty holding her umbrella. Hopefully, the Echani had other plans and was just asking the silly question to carry on the conversation. Rae wondered if the Echani woman enjoyed the sound of her own voice - which made sense seeing that there was much to be said to a lowly Trooper. ​

​

“Mm no Ma’am - I’ve never thought of it. Why do you ask?” If Jorryn looked back towards Rae - the same gaze of determination and defiance would be staring back at her.​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// DANTOOINE //
// Allyson Locke //

---

---

It was amusing as the girl flinched from her touch when the chatter of scars were mentioned. Jorryn would have to thank the Sith that came before her for creating such a reputation for themselves, that could create such fear even in the most timid of circumstances. The Echani had little taste for the subjects of torture and disfigurement, her musings being more about what to add digitally to create a more compelling image.

"Don't worry yourself dear, I'm not barbaric like some of these other Sith you see." A small chuckle accompanying the laugh. The Echani had been at the mercy of a few Sith Lords of her own, a displeasure that she couldn't truly wish on her enemies. "Not yet anyways." It never hurt to hold the feeling of intimidation over someone else, better to have fear than love when one dabbled in the Dark Side.

Truth be told, despite appearances at least, the Echani was far more mild mannered of a Sith than almost everyone of her peers. Sure she was capable of similar acts, but Jorryn hardly ever took pleasure in acts like that. The main traditional aspect of the Sith that the silver haired woman participated in was the general feeling of superiority that they held, a smugness that possessed many of their kind. And such a characteristic was why the Echani enjoyed every moment that the woman act intimidated by or scared of her. A very self-pleased look in her eyes as she spun around on her heels, waiting for the woman to protect her from the rain.

"Truthfully it's a fairly simple plan." The Echani looked into the distance, mind still racing to put together a script for the woman accompanying her. While it could be possible that Private Cooke had her own compelling narrative, Jorryn had a habit of fabricating her own. "I'm going to take your pretty face and plaster it all over Dantooine, the first hand accounting of the cowardly New Imperial tactics on Muunilist. A story of how they managed to trick and cheat our Empire out of victory today and today alone." Eyes looked back to gauge reaction as she told the girl her plan simply and truthfully, there was little point in lying to her. "And don't worry, the scar will be digital." One final small chuckle came with the words. "Fortunately for you, I'm not as... compelled as my peers."

Unfortunately for the Echani, turning around to meet a shying away face was only met with a glare back towards her. The girl's green eyes looked back with a sense of defiance, though not outright betrayal. Jorryn couldn't help but smile, a smirk that said she enjoyed the boldness of the woman accompanying her. "I thought we were playing mild mannered, dear." A small chuckle was caught between words as she turned her gaze back forwards, wilfully ignoring the technical act of treason going on behind her. "I understand it's hard to stop looking at me, but please do try to act on your best behaviour around the other troopers at least. Private." Confidence was never something the Echani could hate, but it was best that this act of treason be kept out of the other trooper's eyes. They were trying to rally them, not teach them ways to irritate their superior.

Two troopers at the entrance to the local governance building saluted the pair as they made their way in, mild confusion at the fact that a private was personally accompanying the Echani. Something that would hopefully not lead to a common occurrence from other, Jorryn would hate to have to teach the defence force a lesson.

"Alright, my dear." The silver-haired Sith said as she removed folded her rain cloak, only her normal cloth armour underneath. "Are you ready to have your face shown all over the planet?" Hopefully the trooper would understand that she didn't have a choice almost as much as the Echani didn't realize the woman's face was already plastered across the entire Empire.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Adriana Fortemps

"Thank you, Ma'am, as much as I like my face - your skincare routine is flawless." Rubbing the back of her neck, Rae chuckled softly, trying to uplift the Sith Inquisitor. The need for a shower rising with each and every word that came from her lips. ​

​

Not looking Jorryn in the face full with the Corellian defiance against the Sith was hard. It would be the reason she was caught if she continued, so Rae nodded shyly as she did her best to keep her gaze away from the superior Sith Inquisitor. It killed her on the inside, but she kept her emotions in check. The inquisition was trained to pick up on these things, it's what made them fierce interrogators.​

​

"Sorry, Ma'am, I didn't mean to disrespect you like I have been. You're right, it's so difficult to look away from your beauty. I've never seen an Inquisitor with your perfection. I'm quite fortunate to have been put under your command." Barf. Rae cleared her throat to keep her lunch from coming up after that display of sucking up to the Inquisitor. Everything better be worth it, and this woman better have the information that was needed. She was going to be angry if she had to show back up in Alliance territory empty-handed with some terribly drawn digital scar. Jorryn was soon going to find her face on the side of a punching bag. ​

​

Upon entering the building, Rae kept her face down. If someone here recognized her, she would be in a lot of trouble. It was interesting that the Inquisitor didn't recognize her. She had fully expected to be caught and imprisoned already. A small smug smirk spread across her face as she played through the satisfying events of throat punching the Echani on her escape. Rae shook out the umbrella and closed it as she waited for the Echani to remove her rain cloak. Rae's hair was wet from the rain, seeing that the umbrella was mostly on the Echani. She wiped her face free of any lingering water and brushed aside her drenched brunette hair. ​

​

Jorryn revealed her plan, and Allyson blinked quickly with surprise washing over her face, which was suddenly turning pale. The thought of having her face splattered all over Dantooine made Rae nervous. Being the face of anything was in the top list of worst things to happen to a Spy, not to mention a Jedi Shadow in the middle of Sith Territory. The Galactic Alliance had not made their move against the Sith, even fighting on Muunilist; she was working for the New Imperial Order. If Rae's identity was found out, it would be bad news for the Galactic Alliance. Clearing her throat, the Corellian smiled weakly as she attempted to play into Jorryn's hubris once again.​

​

"Wouldn't it be more invigorating for everyone if someone like you were the face?" Rae smiled softly as she shrugged. A hand waved in front of her as she took a step back. "You're far more influential than I could ever be, I'm just a Private - I'm a nobody."​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// DANTOOINE //
// Allyson Locke //

---

---

The platitudes were certainly enough to earn the favour of the High Inquisitor, her smile softening and lifting with every single compliment that she received. Jorryn did take pride in her skincare routine, and the fact that the trooper noticed something as trivial as that started to turn the Echani's cheeks red. A little bit of flirting always did wonders for taking Jorryn's mind away from unpleasant situations and, upon reassessing the woman a bit more obviously this time, was better that wallowing in annoyance.

"I rather like your face as well, My Dear." An arrogant look still possessing the Echani's eyes but no longer holding the irritation that she showed at the defiance of the woman. "Enough to put it all over Dantooine at any rate." A smirk curling across the Echani's black lips as another trooper called the elevator to go up towards her office.

Redness began to fill Jorryn's face even quicker as the Private's flirtation became a bit more obvious. As much as the Inquisitor was enjoying the downright profession of love, her heart was still with another. Someone far away and in danger. But that didn't mean that the Echani wasn't able to enjoy the moment for what it was. "Remind me to keep you around, dear." Her arms crossed as she leaned back onto the walls of the elevator, a pleased smile taking her face. "You're much more interesting company than most of these troopers. We'll have to do something about that stare of yours, perhaps." The intimidating tone in her voice giving way to a much more pleasant ringing.

The ding of the elevator told the High Inquisitor and her subordinate that they had arrived at the pinnacle of the governance building, a solitary white desk with a human attendant being the only thing of note asides from the door leading into the Echani's office. A quick ring of her identification slid the door open along with quick amendment's of her present company.

"Private First Class Cooke. I'll take care of the paperwork inside, our timetable is short."

The door slid open cautiously, a slow moving entrance that had truthfully always annoyed the Echani. As if a slightly slower door would prevent anyone from breaking into her office if they made it past all the troopers on the ground floor. Sometimes the Sith Empire was a tad overboard in it's security guidelines.

"Don't worry too much, darling." A nervous wreck of a trooper would hardly be fitting to appear in front of the Empire, especially one on the orders of Jorryn. It would be a bad look. "You're right about me appearing, of course. Which is why I am." The words coming out in an intentionally annoying pattern, a small step back to ensure the girl wouldn't be too comfortable around the Echani. "I am going to address the men and women of our Empire,, before you describe the cowardice of the New Imperial Order and their underhanded tactics which led to our unfortunate and temporary loss."

An identifier chip was placed into the Echani's personal terminal as she sent out a request for a speech to be produced on their specific subjects. Something the Saaraisash back home on Yavin were grossly experienced in. With the speech being worked on Jorryn rose from her seat before movie towards her private tea collection and brewing some.

"Don't worry too much about your words, we'll produce them all for you of course." A bag of the Echani's special tea blend was placed into a paper filter as water began to boil, turning and leaning on her desk. "And of course, if you squander this..." A more serious tone coming out as her face grew slightly more intense for a second. "Your movements and words afterwards will be completely controlled by the Inquisition, an asset we can't risk doing more damage to our campaign."

Mood lightened with the whistling of the kettle as Jorryn began to pour the steaming water through the imported Eshan leaves, a fine porcelain cup carrying the product that the Echani had only provided to a handful of people. But this trooper was proving to be entertaining, and calling Jorr pretty never hurt anyone's chances.

"Count yourself lucky, the only people that have tried this are Myself, my Master, and my love." The hand stayed in place as Jorryn provided a cup to the trooper, trading it for an outstretched hand. "And of course, I'll need to run your identification chip through the computer in order to allow your permissions."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Adriana Fortemps

The redness that flushed over the Echani’s face was a moment Rae hadn’t expected. There was a moment, a brief moment that Rae was curious about the life of the Inquisitor. While watching her, she didn’t see anyone that the woman was close to, no one called her to just check in outside of her duty to the Empire, and she had an air of loneliness about her. Of course, that emotion was deeply guarded behind a haughty hubris. Being around the Sith Inquisitor and coming to this small realization, Rae decided to make the time enjoyable for her.​

​

Compliments continued to come with the price of self-indulging, Rae nodded with each praise and showed that she agreed with the Sith spawn’s own compliments of herself. The Sith were an exciting bunch, self-preservation, self-indulgence, and nature to slight. Seeing this, she figured it was why the Jedi sought to fend off the dark side of the Force. Rae felt pity for the woman but did her best to keep the facade of utmost admiration for the Echani. ​

​

Being in such an enclosed space like the elevator, Rae felt a bit uncomfortable. For all she knew, Jorryn could have figured out the little game and set up an elaborate trap. Many could find enticing the bounty on her head, especially if they were looking to move up in the galaxy. She hoped her nerves and tightened posture would come off as just nerves for what the Sith was explaining what was going to be happening. ​

​

On queue, the woman’s soothing tone or what the woman assumed was a soothing tone washed over the young trooper. Rae let her body relax, showing that she felt a bit more comfortable around the Sith, hopefully having the woman lower her guards as well. It meant that she was safer - if the Sith didn’t find her a threat, which Rae figured was already the case. Foolish. The warnings were quick and with each change of her vocal tone. Rae made sure to show her fear, but in reality, she wasn’t scared. “Oh, that’s comforting.” She responded to having the Inquisition take over what she was going to say and do. “Ma’am, I promise not to mess up - I’m sure I’ll do great, especially with your guidance.” As she finished speaking, Rae did her best to look utterly adorable, her eyes closed and a broad smile, to add to the look a soft blush from the compliments she had received showing along her cheeks. ​

​

Rae reached out and took the tea, blowing softly at the hot liquid she took a sip and sighed softly. The drink was actually perfect. The woman had made the best cup of tea the Corellian had ever had. A brief moment, she wished they were having afternoon tea, enjoying each other’s company, not deciding how to spin the war in favor of the Sith to boost morale or gather information to break the Inquisitor. Reaching into her armor, Rae handed over the identification chip, which doubled as a trojan that would worm its way into Jorryn’s terminal. It would give Rae the access she needed to any and all information the moment Jorryn accessed it. “Here you go, Ma’am. Your tea is amazing.” A hand brushed back the loose strands of her brunette hair as she kept her gaze away from the Echani. She decided to tempt fate and glance towards the woman - with this decision, she admired the form of the Sith as she busied herself with the identification chip. Rae made sure that if Jorryn looked her way, the ‘checking out’ was evident. “Um, Inquisitor, would I be accompanying you anywhere after this, I do hope so. I’ve enjoyed my time with you so far. It’s been a dream.” Another sip, damn this tea tasty.​

​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// HIGH INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// DANTOOINE // GOVERNOR'S BUILDING //
// Allyson Locke //

---

---

It was a bit difficult for the High Inquisitor to remember her place in all of this, the beautiful face of her current company becoming harder and harder to ignore truth be told. As much as the Echani wanted to believe in the fact that Vaylin had survived the invasion on Mygeeto, the fleeting message that the Zeltron had sent through the force did little to ease Jorryn's tenseness. It only exasperated the feeling that Jorryn was now alone in the galaxy, friends and allies of convenience had mixed together into a solemn looking blob that was held together by the glue that was her lover's existence.

And even just a few days ago it felt like that single flame had been unmade.

All the Echani offered to Rae in exchange for some of her compliments was a warm smile, the faux maliciousness having finally been purged by the trooper's sweetness. It was an oddly comforting thing, the look of defiance in a beautiful stranger. As much as the Echani would hate to admit it, the flirting had already begun to get to her. Remembrances of the early days of her romance before all the sithspawn and netherworld had corrupted it.

Quickly exiting into her main office, the High Inquisitior quickly and unintentionally uploaded the pair of files onto her main terminal. Any sense of manipulation of the files having been passed over by the quietly conflicting feelings of the Echani, a smile disappearing as she thought back to what she felt in the final days of the invasion. Black nails rhythmically tapped against the sides of the machine, before the picture of Rae Cooke appeared on the holo-terminal. A familiar face to the Echani, but now for entirely the wrong reasons.

"Thank you." Her face radiating even more than it already had been, a compliment of her tea was a compliment of the highest order. "No less than the best would my Lord and Master, Tai FA, accept." A smile being returned to the girl as she finalized the affirmation of the chip into the holo terminal.

All that was left was to wait for the script to be imported.

But the Echani felt a little impatient as she turned around to face the woman once more, the boldness in the trooper's eyes as she examined Jorryn caused more involuntary blushing. Jorr wouldn't avert her eyes for the troopers sake anymore though, instead she accepted it. A small grin forced itself onto her lips as she sat back down besides the girl to return to her tea, a wishful distraction from the loneliness she felt.

"You would follow me anywhere?" Jorryn said, a small sip of the tea between words a her fingers burrowed into her hair. "Even if this dream became a nightmare?" Truthfully the answer didn't matter, the question was posed for questions sake.

Amber eyes flickered once to the tea before returning to Rae's green eyes, a hope of momentary solace. The space between them was close, perhaps too close. But all the Echani wanted was attention and comfort, the choice was up to the trooper. Jorryn didn't want a choice in this moment, she couldn't make a choice.

So for better or for worse, she waited...

 

[Allyson Locke]

Adriana Fortemps

A notification on the contact lens HUD announced that the trojan had been uploaded into the Sith’s system. She had accomplished what she had come to do, which at any moment, Rae could disappear, leaving Jorryn to forget who the trooper was. While Jorryn waited on the results of the ID chip, Rae took in everything of the office. Each blink of her eye, the office became images that were quickly uploaded to the SIA servers. No one had been inside a Sith Office like this - though if only she could get into the terminal. Soon, the secrets will be revealed. ​

​

Rae was pleased with herself, though, as Jorryn returned, there was a shift in the mood of the Echani. Rae blinked and tried to keep her surprise hidden behind the teacup. It seemed the tea making talents of the Echani were a source of pride for her. Feeling this pride glowing off the woman, Rae realized how pure it was. ​

​

It was an exciting revelation, Jorryn suddenly seemed to bear her most authentic feelings at this moment. Loneliness, excitement, pride, and everything all wrapped up was unloaded on the undercover Jedi Master. Feeling all these things seemed so unsith-like, it countered everything that Rae had learned about the Sith. Remembering the brutality of Kaine Zambrano, Jorryn was nothing in comparison. If things had been different, Rae could see her being close to the other woman. ​

​

Rae found her composure as she now had a closer company than she had been since they first met. The question asked was interesting. She wasn’t surprised about the question and knew where it was coming from. The exact root of the issue was unknown, but it didn’t take an empath to tell that Jorryn was lonely. The feeling poured off of her, and Rae felt every ounce of it. ​

​

Lowering the cup, Rae continued to smile at the Inquisitor. “Of course, this has been the best day of my life.” Her emerald gaze falling away from the amber jewels that belonged to the Sith and into her lap. “With all the bad in the galaxy, we have to hold onto the good stuff, the good moments, and the happier feelings.” A soft smile remained on the trooper’s face as she looked back up and looked into the woman’s eyes, “Nightmares are there to remind us of the dreams we look forward to and that we have lived. Without the nightmares, we wouldn’t have dreams and happy moments - because we would know nothing else.” ​

​

It was hard to remember that they were enemies, especially now. Rae felt this sudden desire to help the Sith woman, bring her to the light and show her the real happiness that she could find. Jorryn was worth redemption. Rae took another sip of her tea as she let the words sink in. “Everyone deserves happiness and I'm happy right now, I hope you're enjoying your time with me as well, Inquisitor Fordyce.”​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// HIGH INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// DANTOOINE // GOVERNOR'S BUILDING //
// Allyson Locke //

---

---

Of all the things that the High Inquisitor had expected to come next, heartfelt words of empathy from a lowly trooper were among the least. It was an awkward feeling, answers that you needed at the moment but didn't expect or want. Jorryn shuffled ever so slightly away from Rae, a meek look forcing her amber eyes away as the private's own emerald eyes came up to meet hers once more. Feelings that she hadn't felt in some time beginning to surface during the warm words of the brunette, the feeling of understanding chief among them.

Tea lowered into the Echani's lap as she scratched at the handle, a mess of emotions beginning to swell up for the empathetic Jedi to enjoy; sadness, disappointment, reluctance, hope, happiness, confusion. The Echani wasn't used to this feeling of mutual understanding, the beautiful words of the girl hanging in her mind like an omen.

Jorryn was taught at a young age to not care for others, never to open up your weaknesses to others. The Inquisitor hadn't planned on sharing so much with Rae and truthfully felt a bit stupid at the moment. The right words mixed with a pretty face was hope for the Echani to numb the pain, not an open invitation to help her manage them. But as much as Jorryn wanted to correct the girl, those words still hung between them. Like a wall that stopped her from even wanting to.

Feeling defenceless against some of the lowest of your empire was a new feeling to the Echani, the part that she tried to hang on to suppress some of what she was now feeling. It was easy to speak of dreams when you consistently dealt with nightmares, the recent months having become more and more precarious in the Echani's life. War was on the horizon, and she had already felt the loss that accompanied it personally. Thoughts once again returned to Vaylin as the Echani took a shaky sip of her tea, the conflict of both desiring Vaylin to come back and knowing that she might not cause her chess to contract.

"I must apologize for my behaviour, dear." The words came between mildly laboured breaths, a meek smile and closed eyes returning to Rae as she addressed the trooper. It was not at all a common thing for Jorryn to apologize to those beneath her in the Sith Empire, but for this girl, the Echani didn't feel that same sense of superiority. Not at this moment at least. "This is all rather uncharacteristic of me..." The words fell away as Jorryn probed for an excuse, but neither her head nor her heart could produce one right now. "Thank you." A soft smile fell on the Echani's face, a singular moment of peace and acceptance that would be quickly thrown away. But Jorryn would premise it for now.

"And I am enjoying our time, darling." The words coming out a bit more solemn as the Inquisitor rose, continuing stared down to the floor, her tone on an oddly sombre note. "But sometime's at night... the dreams never come." It was hard to explain, but the Echani felt compelled to let Rae in on some of her feelings. The discomfort of it being soothed by the feeling of understanding from the private, an understanding that Jorryn had not remembered feeling.

Setting down the cup of tea, Jorryn made her way towards her office once more. This time the door shut to the private venue as she leaned against it, a nail being pressed between teeth as she allowed her breath to labour for a few moments. Tears threatened to caress the formerly cold features of the Echani as her thoughts raced back; not only to the girl but to Vaylin, to her master Lord Fa, to the past that she still struggled to remember. The feelings of regret and inadequacy having never been addressed by Jorryn, not in a private matter and certainly not by a lowly trooper.

But here she was, on the verge of tears from a few words from a private.

Taking a few minutes to silently recover, the Echani came back in the room with a datapad in hand. The words of the Empire that Cooke would soon tell all of Dantooine, the task feeling empty of sorts now. But still, Jorryn had a job to do. And if there was anything she knew that Rae was capable of, it would be inspiration. The program for a scar ran on the holo terminal as well, for the Saaraisash it would assist in a compelling narrative to drive the hearts of their troopers. It was designed to be able to preserve the beauty of their model but still managed to provide the seriousness of the war.

"See? I would never ruin a face like yours, my dear." Something about the flirtation felt more hollow than it had, but Jorryn needed to amuser herself right now. She couldn't just wallow in her emotions. "Now I hope your words are just as beautiful."

 

[Allyson Locke]

Adriana Fortemps

Rae sat quietly in the silence that came after her words. She didn't touch her tea but watched as her words went over the Sith. Jorryn's reaction was unexpected, it seemed that everything that Rae had said was sinking in and causing a storm of emotion beneath the surface. It was rude to stare, and Rae shifted her gaze away from the Echani. The emotional chaos that was brewing inside of the woman beside her made it hard not to reach out to give the woman some sense of comfort. Before the urge to do something, to reach out, the Sith woman put her tea down and left the room. ​

​

The apologies and the pain that Rae could gleam off the woman hung in the air. Jorryn was gone from the room, and with the door closed, it gave Rae a chance to look through things and to possibly escape before she came back. Yet, something kept her anchored there as she finished her tea. She didn't move, feeling the waves of emotion that were hitting too close to home for the Corellian. Rae placed the teacup down, and she stared at the door. Why did she say something so kind to the Sith? Could it have been a lapse in judgment? Rae questioned her motives behind all of this because she found herself caring for the woman. ​

​

Sighing softly, a hand covered Rae's face as she felt herself getting lost in the alias. It was unprofessional, and she needed to remain distant from the woman. This wasn't the first time she was doing this job, she's done ones where she even dated the target because that was the only way to get close to them. Feelings weren't involved then, why were they now? The trooper had been where Jorryn was, that feeling of being alone while being surrounded by people. It was a feeling not easily shaken and remembering it only made the woman feel claustrophobic in the armor she wore. ​

​

The sound of the door open pulled Rae from her thoughts as she put on a soft smile again, looking happy to see the Inquisitor return. Rae wasn't sure if she was still acting, but to think profoundly about it now would put her in danger. She went along with what she was feeling and welcomed the woman back to the room. Seeing the datapad in hand, it seemed that their time of connecting was over. It was time to work. Rae needed to prolong the inevitable interview a bit longer. ​

​

As Jorryn drew closer with the datapad, showing her that the scar wouldn't be real, Rae smiled. "I didn't know there was such technology available." Enthusiasm bleeding into her words. Looking away, she tried to play coy with the woman blushing lightly at the empty flirtations. Remembering the words that she wasn't able to respond to before the Echani left the room, Rae brought it back around and gazed admiringly upon the woman's face with a soft and comforting smile.​

​

"Inquisitor, Um." She started as she played timid. "I know what it's like to have a dreamless nightmare, to not know when you'll feel happy again. But I hope that our time together - provides you with something to dream about." Again with the smile and the next brave move of reaching out to caress the woman's hands gently with the tips of her gloved hand. "I know you've provided me with a wonderful dream that I will look forward to."​

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// HIGH INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// DANTOOINE // GOVERNOR'S BUILDING //
// Allyson Locke //

---

---

The way that this trooper made the Echani feel was different than any of her friends, or even lovers, in the past had. As much as Jorryn could appreciate her from a visual perspective, the urges to do something about it began fading away. Though if Jorryn had to be honest, that certainly wasn't completely gone yet. What was overpowering it was the feeling of understanding, something that was new.

Of course, that was hardly helped when the Inquisitor returned, the depressing words she left hanging in the air as she went into the office. The redness on her cheeks was threatening to become permanent, as the trooper caressed her hand. The warm touch permeating through a gloved hand, only made more intimate by the words that Rae accompanied with it.

Truth be told, Jorryn wanted to be pulled down beside the girl and share the intimacy. But there was no aggression in the soft touch of the woman, simply empathy with Jorryn's loneliness. And the Echani had a job she needed to do right now, the duties of the empire wouldn't wait for Jorr to get a hold of her emotions.

An uncharacteristically vulnerable smile made it's way across the Echani's face as she allowed the trooper to take her hand, a thumb gently massaging the back of Rae's hand in unspoken appreciation. "Well hopefully, this broadcast can at least begin to help." Passing the holo-pad with the script to Private Cooke, hopefully, she would be able to perform it. "I do hope I've left something for your dreams." A devilish smirk forced itself onto her lips, once again trying to push away the uncomfortable feelings with more playfulness.

She didn't want to feel vulnerable, not right now. Jorryn needed to feel powerful, but the warmth in her eyes certainly wasn't helping.

"It's a simple script, just the normal stuff you'd hear from the Saaraisash." Taking the hand of the woman, Jorryn led her in front of the main holo-pad. A confirmation sound coming through to let the Echani know it was time to present herself to Dantooine, deep breath as she tried to regain some of her arrogance from the multitude of emotions she felt. "The script will be displayed here, so feel free to just read from it if you need to." Hands guiding the trooper's green eyes to the areas of importance before resting with a hopefully warm and comforting smile. "You're certainly charming, so just give them that."

The image of Rae Cooke and Jorryn together was reflected on the screen, the digitally added scar quickly mapped onto the troopers face. A symbol of resistance to the troopers, but it certainly would help the girl with being identified. The possibility of Mechu Deru distorting the image even more, something that the Echani would be too focused to notice.

 

[Allyson Locke]

Adriana Fortemps

Rae tried to hold her surprise as the touch didn’t spark the reaction she had expected. She might have been confusing the signals she was picking up, but Jorryn was a mess of emotions and signals. The trooper and Jedi spy had to commend the Inquisitor for being able to keep her composure long enough to pursue the task at hand; the broadcast. This frustrated Rae, the broadcast was something that she needed to prevent. A few things could have happened, Rae could have all the electronics internally combust, she could assault the Inquisitor, or try again to push the broadcast back again. Everything seemed to have the same result of ‘things not working out as well.’ Assaulting the Sith had been the first idea, but now that she had gotten to know Jorryn, it was automatically off the table. ​

​

Feeling the frustration, she did her best to hide it and remain smiling at the Inquisitor, who held her hand softly now. Her words and tone were far from how they were initially on the streets of Dantooine. It was a wonder what kind words and understanding got you, especially with a sith as unorthodox as Inquisitor Fordyce. Something inside of her wished Rae was a real person. It was the hard part of the job, being someone else, and doing what needed to be done for the mission. Yet, nothing had moved her like this before. A tightness in her chest continued to crush her as she nodded, keeping the sweet smile she had on display for Jorryn. Even the flirtatious comment from the Echani made breathing difficult.​

​

“I hope it doesn’t have to only stay a dream, Inquisitor.” She spoke softly as she took the tablet and read it over. She didn’t have much time to look it over because Jorryn seemed to be in a rush to get the broadcast going. Rae had pushed it back as much as possible, yet it was inevitable. Listening to the Inquisitor give her the points of importance, Rae nodded, taking it all in. As she glanced at each location, she made a note seeing that the terminal wasn’t too difficult to slice from where she was with mechu deru. All she needed to do was distort her image enough that she wasn’t recognizable. The accent she was using was enough to hide her voice, for the most part, her Imperial tone was perfect. ​

​

Before the broadcast started, Rae caught Jorryn’s eye one last time and blinked. The warmth of the smile the Echani shared forced a blush that she couldn’t control, her mouth slightly open in shock as she inhaled deeply. Eyes fluttering, fighting to regain the composure the spy carried with her and turned to the camera. A wave of her fingers discreetly shifted the scar to cover more of her face and distort her look even more - making her unrecognizable. ​

​

The light blinked, indicating the broadcast was now live. She waited for her introduction and then started her story about Munnilist. “The surprise attack on Muunilist was hard on the Empire, our Empire.” She inhaled deeply to add dramatics to the story, make the people feel for her. “We fought hard, but with the tactics of the New Imperial Order, the cowardly tactics of hiding and bombarding our troops - overwhelmed us. Still, we fought, we pushed back and persevered. We cannot allow them to enjoy this victory, we must strike back harder and fiercer. We are the Empire!” The words that continued to pour from Rae’s mouth were inspiring and powerful. Whoever was writing the speeches had a knack for it. ​

​

As the broadcast ended, to ensure that if her delivery was poor, Jorryn wouldn’t think to get rid of her or throw her in prison. Her cover needed to remain intact. When the light showed that they were offline, Rae used her excitement from the entire thing to reach out, run her fingers down the Echani woman’s forearm until she found her hand. She would hold it, lacing her fingers with the Inquisitor’s.​

 

[Kiegan Lysle]

BLUNDER

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// HIGH INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// DANTOOINE // GOVERNOR'S BUILDING //
// Allyson Locke //

---

---

The words of the trooper were hitting all of the correct notes in the Echani's heart, a weightless feeling in her chest expanding as Rae's talks of dreams landed where they needed to. It was getting increasingly difficult to play coy with the girl, every time that she pushed away with flirting it was denied.

Distraction arrived as the time for speeches came along, Jorryn taking the central stage in her inquisitorial attire. Rae would flank her and approach the main standing point when the time was right, but for now, the Echani had to address her planet. Allowing the dread and fear of the New Imperial victory was something that she couldn't allow to happen under her occupancy, even if the Dantooinians were a bunch of spacer trash farmers. Duty was duty after all.

"Soldiers of Dantooine." Arms folded behind her back as she stared into the blank canvas of the holopad, face aimed down to speak to the troopers as such. "As you must have heard by now, the Empire has suffered a defeat on Muunilist and Mygeeto. Our forces as led by Emperor Kaine Zambrano have begun a strategic withdrawal to our new front. Dantooine will be one such planet." A breath was loosened from her lips as her shoulders lax somewhat, feigning a more honest position. Even if she would just continue to spit their propaganda. "As scary as such a prospect may seem, some of our troopers will be coming here from the front. And you are to understand from these brave men and women that this was not a loss in the traditional sense, we were not defeated in the traditional sense. Instead, the tactics of our enemies relied on confusion and desperation, a tactic that we were not expecting from men and women that formerly called themselves Sith Imperials. To understand the depths of their deceptions, I have one of our soldiers that had been wounded on the front but still answers the call of duty that she knows must be answered. Private first class, Rae Cooke." The Echani gave a sweet smile to the girl as she stepped back, angled in a way that the audience wouldn't see. As much faith that Jorr had in the sweet words of this girl, it was best to reassure her anyway. Failure to rally their troops could end in death for both of them.

The smile rested into a more naturally comforted and impressed position as Rae gave the speech that Jorryn had provided, the passion in her voice the same that the Inquisitor had received only moments before the broadcast. It was a comforting thing to find someone who had legitimacy in their tone, even if the Echani assumed she feigned some of her bashfulness. The competence and charisma that a simple trooper like Rae held was certainly intriguing to the Echani, enough for Jorryn to consider ways to keep her.

It was hard to come across true passion in the Empire. Sith held it surely, but they could hardly rally the troops like one of their own could. As much as a beautiful woman like Jorryn herself was to get a reaction, it was better to rely on the soldiery to inspire itself. And that is just what Private Cooke was doing, a gift for both the Empire and the Echani alike.

Thought wandered as to why Jorryn was blushing so much as she felt the gloved hand of the trooper run down her arm, an odd sensation of both desire and discomfort as their fingers interlaced without resistance. There was little the Echani could do to deny the way she felt when the trooper treated her with such warmth, her hand squeezed gently for a short moment before she spun out around the brunette to look her in the face.

"Well done, it's quite hard to find passion like that these days. Even among the Sith." A hand reached up to rest on the breastplate of the trooper's armour, amber eyes meeting green once more as they flickered less fiery than before. "You have been good company my dear, so I'll allow you request something of me." The Echani already knew that she wanted to keep Rae by her side, for some reasons that she understood and some that she did not. But as the Echani became a bit more intentionally reserved, she leaned back on the holoterminal as she looked up to Rae. "I can provide anything you desire."