Private MUND3T_LOCKE

[IVI]

THE ENDANGERED DIRECTOR
CORUSCANT | SIA HEADQUARTERS | BASELINE ROOM
Allyson Locke ASSESSMENT IN PROGRESS
T E S T

darkness makes me vulnerable. vulnerable.
but brings out one's true strength. vulnerable.
light hurts my eyes. vulnerable.​

“Vulnerable.”​

The unidentifiable voice that continued to read through the script and leave small pauses for the agent to feed into never skipped a beat. Never reacted to the imperfect heartbeat of the agent on the other side. The fraction of a second where her response time didn't match previous examinations.

But the interviwer didn't adjust the series of sentences that were read out from the expected transcript.

and points me out in the open but lets me see. venerable.
great distances. venerable.
​

In his peripheral, he could see the silhouette of the Chiss director shift ever-so-slightly. Her hands tightened in front of her and her jawline seemed to darken as if she were frowning.

darkness is inside me and shows. vulnerable.
me what dark things I could do. vulnerable.
light is inside me and shows me. venerable.
the what I should do. venerable.​

He felt her touch. A gentle application of pressure on his shoulder suggested he deviate from the typical script ever-so-slightly. Not immediately, not obviously, but enough to ensure Allyson's responses were from the agent that was present, and not the agent that had gone through this test tens of times after a mission.

always the darkness traps me and brings me down to it. vulnerable.
carries me away to the things I tried to do. invincible.
​

Sparing a glance to seek approval, the interviewer sought the ruby-gaze of M.

Disappointingly, he was met only with her sharp profile as she continued to stare ahead to the empty box, filled only with The Corellian who'd grown more and more suspicious in The Director's eyes.

---

---

​

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: B A S E L I N E //:
//: IVI //:

The dialogue's pattern ebbed and flowed. Allyson followed along, matching its beat without hesitation. She knew the routine, she understood the performance, she accepted the practice. It kept her safe as well as the Alliance. It was something that Allyson had fought against when M started making it mandatory. The woman was nothing but organized and strict. This only made those assumptions fact.

Allyson sat in the room, her hands resting on her thighs, sight not looking anywhere but the small red lens. Inside her mind, she could feel the mechanical whirring of the cybernetic uploading anything she had seen or recorded. Maybe this back and forth was meant to keep her mind off of the cybernetic. Her life was uploaded into files, all for the Director to dissect to see where the Corellian stood. Every mission ended like this, and Allyson did her best to remain calm. Because the mission that just ended was unlike any other.

Coruscant had been attacked, a surprise attack that the Council, that the SIA and the Shadows should have caught early. Just thinking about it as she answered the statements with the response raised her heart rate. Not only did the Sith attack, but Taiia was also caught in the mix. All of it had an eerie similarity to so many years ago.

Allyson blinked, caught by surprise by the change in the flow of the statements. Eyes shifted back and forth as she tried to make sense of the change. Her thoughts were wild, and her heart raced as control slipped from her fingers. Everything was on display, the moments when she had lost her eyepatch on Lao-Mon with Taiia Locke , the Obsidian Lord, and the secret gathering of the Jedi Council after Coruscant. Precious secrets that now belonged to M and the SIA.

But she trusted them; they had always been in her corner. Yes.

She blinked as only a breath of a moment had passed. Would it be enough to alert the Director? Allyson knew. She knew the woman would be watching - especially now.

"Invincible." She shifted in her seat, she wanted to question the change, but knowing the Director - it would be cryptic and best left unsaid. Though curiosity got the better of her.

"Director? Why the change?"

 

[IVI]

Berry coloured lips twitched subtly, the corners pulling in opposite directions to either side of her face. Allyson Locke had recited this script so many times, dedicated it to such memory, that the deviation had not gone unnoticed.

"Director?" The interviewer looked to the Director for direction. He received a nod in response, her chin pointing toward the senior agent to continue the conversation.

Only a brief interval passed before they resumed the script.

dark things I can do or say. balance.
in the light and the dark. balance.
is where we truly thrive. balance.
so go embrace. shadow.
them both. shadow.
and you will feel alive. shadow.

While the speaker continued to deliver the rest of the adjusted poem, M closed her eyes and listened to the empty space between the end of each sentence and the opportunity for Allyson to speak. The time allotted was less than a heartbeat.

At the conclusion of the interview, the speaker projected into the little room.

Congratulations Agent Locke, thank you for your time. You have passed this baseline. Please proceed to M's office for further debriefing and your bonus.

---

Once Allyson was in the privacy of the Chiss' office, she'd be welcomed to the world of screens. M's all-seeing eyes covered almost every inch of the space, save for the window that looked out to the streets of Coruscant. Reminders of who she truly worked for.

"Agent Locke," M greeted with a gesture to sit. "You've been busy.

It's been a while since we've had a formal debrief.

Your baseline irregularities aren't compromising, but I'm not surprised they've deviated from the norm. There's much on your mind."

The Chiss took her own seat, tucking her long leather vest beneath her as she folded into the chair. In front of her was an untouched glass of blue milk. Across from her, an untouched, neat, Corellian Whiskey. The good stuff.

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: B A S E L I N E //:
//: IVI //:

Allyson nodded, agreeing with the words coming from the Chiss Director. There had been a long on the Corellian's mind. Most were routine inquiries of the spy, while others made her question her own loyalties. The Jedi had called for the relinquishment of their GADF roles, but Allyson had chosen to keep hers. She held onto the ties of the SIA like a security blanket.

Was this the right choice? Did she believe in the Jedi as fiercely as she did the SIA? Again, her mind was plagued with distraction.

She reached forward, clasping the cool glass of Corellian Whiskey. The pungent smell of the oaky Corellian wood mixing with the musk of smoke hit her senses as she brought the glass to her face. "Pre-Omega, expensive." The whiskey could have been older than her, aged to perfection before Corellia was broken by Akala and the Omega War. It needed to breathe, so Allyson held the glass as the contents swirled, splashing against the walls.

Allyson avoided watching the screens surrounding M's desk, scared of what she would see - wondering how many of her secrets were exposed to the Director. "I've been quite busy, but the same could be said for you." The Corellian smiled, bringing the amber liquid to her lips and taking a sip.

It was the good stuff.

"I'm sure you saw everything go down with the Jedi, and with me sitting here, you know that I won't be relinquishing my position within the SIA. I do think we need to keep my exploits classified and away from any prying eyes of the New Jedi Order." The glass lowered as she spoke, "I scratch your back, you scratch mine." Allyson wanted to keep any of her other adventures off the radar, including Taiia and what she knew of the CIS specifically.

"Anyways, why the change in the baseline? You only do that when something is bothering you, yes?"