Into The Woods | Invite

[Natasi Fortan]

Rain pounded the pavements of Avalonia, washing the grime from the streets and walks and roofs and drawing a grey curtain across the city. As she stared out the window of her office in the Imperial Palace in Avalonia, with rain coming down in sheets, Natasi wondered if it was some portent of things to come. She wasn't normally one to attribute intent to weather patterns, but there was something sinister about this storm system. The storm seemed to be trapped there, in its third day, thanks to a complicated weather system that Natasi didn't quite grasp but could certainly observe -- something to do with a reverse cyclone. Leave it to the scientists, she thought.

She uncrossed her legs and slipped her feet into her shoes before standing up. She reached the door just as her assistant was coming to the door. "They've moved the meeting to the blue oval," said her assistant, reaching for the signed papers in Natasi's hand, exchanging it for a secured binder. "Floor twenty-one."

"Thank you. Come and get me at 1130 if I'm not back. I need to prep for my audience with the Supreme Leader." The Grand Moff tucked her binder under her arm, adjusted her jet brooch, and headed for the lifts. When she arrived at the blue oval -- so named for its oval shape and navy blue decorating scheme and officially called the Bharati Conference Room after the late Minister of Security -- she opened the door and strolled to the head of the table. "Good morning, everyone," she said to the men and women assembled at the other end of the room. They were intelligence operatives, each of the clandestine branch of the First Order Security Bureau. "For those of you who don't recognize me from all the pictures around the building, my name is Natasi Fortan. I'm the Grand Moff and you all work for me."

She set the binder down on the table and placed her hands on the back of the chair there. "You've each scored into our clandestine officer program and today you'll get your assignments. Assisting me will be Agent Barineker." She turned towards [member="Beka Barineker"], standing near the door. "Ms. Barineker, who are we starting with?"

"Candidate Aurek," said Beka, stepping forward and indicating [member="Kylandra Zev"].

"Everyone else, please wait until you're called," said Natasi. Once the room had cleared, Natasi turned to Kylandra. "Before I turn it over to Ms. Barineker, could you tell me about yourself? How did you find yourself here?"

[member="Dante Calgar"]

 

[Kylandra Zev]

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

The Grand Moff was undoubtedly one of the most formidable human beings Kyla had ever met in person. Perhaps it was because of the constant propaganda that had bombarded Kyla's mind since childhood, or as the moff described herself, all those pictures of Fortan that were ubiquitous across the building as well as beyond. Point being, the woman standing before Kyla today was in a sense larger than life, and it was understand that whatever came out of her mouth in the next few minutes could either make or break a career. So as much as she tried to hide it, the new agent was quite nervous.

Along with her fellow operatives of the Security Bureau, Kyla snapped to attention as the conference room doors opened. In her issued uniform, Kyla had made herself look as tidy and presentable as possible, hoping to give nothing but the very best impression. She remained standing as calmly as she could as people soon began filing out. A colleague of hers, designated as Candidate Esk, shot Kyla an encouraging nod walking by, which Kyla elected not to return.

It appeared as though Barineker would later be speaking on the assignment, but for now, Kyla decided to give the Grand Moff the absolute attention she deserved. Maintaining unwavering eye contact, Candidate Aurek kept her voice even as she dutifully responded to Fortan's inquiries.

"My name is Kylandra Zev, your excellency. I am a graduate with honors from the Academy at Lanteeb, and a recipient of your philanthropic foundation's charity scholarship. By your grace, I have completed the training program for the Security Bureau, and stand ready to serve the First Order," Kyla stated. She decided to give a compact answer without needless details, as no doubt, the Grand Moff had immediate access to her full personal data and background in the binder should that be of any interest. "I am prepared to wholly dedicate myself to our collective cause."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Beka examined Candidate Aurek closely as she spoke. The woman was probably nervous, but that wasn't unexpected. Barineker herself was nervous in the presence of Natasi Fortan, despite being on more or less first-name basis after sharing close quarters in the Garden Street station shelter during the Siege of Dosuun. Still, Candidate Aurek didn't make a display of whatever she might be feeling; that was a point in her favor. She made a note in the margin of her notepad.

Beka observed the dossier on [member="Kylandra Zev"], studying the information available there. "With your permission, ma'am?" she glanced at the Grand Moff, who nodded.

"Candidate Aurek, I don't mind telling you that I'm encouraged by what I see here," Beka indicated the dossier by lifting it up. "Academy grades -- good. Clandestine Aptitude Testing scores fall well within Bureau guidelines for covert operations and intelligence gathering. Nothing here jumps out at me as a red flag, but I did wonder -- parents, siblings -- are they still living? Are you in touch?" She looked up from the dossier to watch Zev's response. "If so, what do they think you're doing in the First Order?"

 

[Kylandra Zev]

Kyla's gaze shifted from being focused on Grand Moff [member="Natasi Fortan"] to Agent [member="Beka Barineker"]. She kept her chin up with some slight sense of pride as Barineker listed off her qualifications to work as an intelligence operative. No red flags apparently, that was good. Finally, it seemed, the time was coming when Kyla could be of some use to her Supreme Leader and his righteous order.

Then came the question about family. Kyla continued her best not to show any outward emotion, but inwardly she flinched. Kyla had worked tirelessly, overcoming one obstacle after another in order to distance herself from the lowly backwater-planet farmers she had to call relatives. Kyla was here to fight for notions like honor, order, and stability. They, on the other hand, fought for meager rations of crops to subsist off of, from day to day.

"The First Order is first and foremost family to me, ma'am," she stated firmly the typical candidate reply. Neither her parents nor siblings had been much help to her growing up anyways. It had been the order, not them, that had fed and educated her. Last time she bothered to check, they were all at least alive it seemed. "Both of my parents as well as my older brother and younger sister are alive, ma'am. But I rarely keep in touch with them." Kyla eyed Barineker and then for a quick second the Grand Moff, wondering what they thought of this.

"As far as they know or care, I am working at some decent cubicle job for some First Order civilian facility."

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"It sounds like they won't be a threat to you," Beka observed, stroking her chin thoughtfully. It was always a concern to employ a covert operative who had family living -- hostages to destiny, as they were known in the intelligence community. "Our main concern is that the enemy might find ways to use your family against you, to get to you or to blackmail you. They'll be surveilled, of course, for their safety and your own, but it seems like they won't be too much of a question mark."

Beka flipped through her binder and found her assignment listing. "I've spoken with your instructors and your assignment will be as follows: you will infiltrate the Galactic Alliance as a medical officer, and during that time you will gather whatever strategic information you can from the assignment. We may also call upon you to perform certain functions in the course of your work there. You'll get some additional medical training to ensure you're well qualified for anything the Alliance may require, and we'll falsify an identity for you." Beka rounded the table and offered a dossier to [member="Kylandra Zev"]. "The details of your assignment for you to memorize and then destroy."

With the dossier exchanged, Beka turned back towards Natasi's side of the table. "You're scheduled to meet a Bureau quartermaster in an hour to collect a kit." The Agent looked across the table at Candidate Aurek. "Any questions?"

 

[Kylandra Zev]

[member="Beka Barineker"]

Kyla nodded. She could see why, if she were some devout daughter, family under enemy influence would jeopardize her service as a covert operative. Thankfully she was less than apathetic about her family relations. Kyla felt her heart beat a little faster as Barineker flipped through the binder that no doubt contained her intel assignment.

Then the assignment came. Her hands shook even as Kyla tried her best to appear calm as she receieved the dossier. A medical officer in the Galactic Alliance, the major enemy of the First Order, not some lame minor criminal syndicate in the Outer Rim. Kyla's chest swelled with pride as she contained her excitement. She would not let her empire down.

"No, ma'am," Kyla answered as her meeting neared its end. Once the meeting had concluded, Candidate Aurek would proceed to collect her kit as instructed.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

"Very good. You'll find emergency contact information there, if you ever find yourself in hot water. There's no guarantee of rescue -- of course, you knew that going in -- but we'll do what we can." Barineker rounded the table and gestured for [member="Kylandra Zev"] to walk with her towards the door.


"Good luck, agent," Natasi called from her place as they approached the door.

"I echo the Grand Moff's sentiments," said Beka, extending a hand to Candidate Aurek for a collegiale handshake. "You have the skills, you have the ability, and you have the training. Do us proud, Agent."