Public Oh Lord, What Have You to Tell Us?

[Kay-Larr]

After the take over of Abbaji by the Eternal Empire, a few members of the Eclipse Rebellion managed to escape with datachips in hand. Contained on those chips was a transmission detailing the Empire's brutal and deadly assault on the planet Bakura. Women, children and unarmed souls were slaughtered by the heavily armed Imperials. And their only crime? Voicing their opposition to the Imperial occupation. Yet the events of that day were spun in a brilliant propaganda story that turned the unarmed civilians into guerrilla soldiers that needed to be stopped before Bakura was lost to Chaos.

Sadly many believed the lies that the Eternal Empire spewed out. While some even believed them out of fear of what could happen if they didn't. The Eclipse Rebellion's transmission, once broadcasted to the rest of the Galaxy, sought to let everyone learn the truth regardless of which side their allegiences fell.

Yet there was another reason for the broadcast. It served as a Calling; a bringing together of like-minded individuals that saw Kainan Wolfe and his Empire for what it truly was. Hidden in the language of the transmission was a code marking a channel for communication. It was one of many, set for individual members so that should one of them be compromised, the rest of the members would be kept safe. Not only that, it also helped the other ER members communicate with eachother.

That proved vital much more sooner than anticipated...

Not long ago a new and deadly virus was discovered on Bursoll II. It was a distress call that brought it to the attention of both the EE and the ER alike. The deadly virus was more than some zombie-like disease, for it appeared to be sentient and capable of manipulating the Force. Containment was critical and not easily accomplished. Putting their differences aside, the ER helped where they could, both with the EE fleets and with their armies and scientists on the ground. Together they stopped the pandemic before it could wreak havok on the rest of the Galaxy.

But that truce between the Empire and Rebellion would be short lived. Plans were made by both sides to stop the other from gaining a foothold in the Galaxy.

This is tale is about one of those attemps.....​

Lord Malleus ,

My name is Urghal N'eftari, private secretary to an esteemed weapons manufacturer that wishes in this communication to remain anonymous. Your efforts at Bursoll II did not go unnoticed and as such my employer would like to invite you to bear witness to the live trials of some new cutting edge weapon's technology that would be guaranteed to change the art of war.

Interested? If so, my employer insists to inform you that any and all travel expenses for you and any of your staff would be taken care of. It is also paramount that word of this is kept under wraps as it is indeed a top secret project. But one in which someone of your expertise would benefit and profit greatly from it.

Do get back to me quickly. My employer doesn't take to kindly to waiting for long.

Sincerely,

Urghal N'eftari
Personal Secretary
Office of -redacted-

The above message was sent post haste, bouncing from a circle of servers over and over again so that it's source was hidden in a loop. The writer behind the message wasn't a private secretary at all, nor was she used to setting up traps electronically. But if all went well, her skills in actual trapmaking was sure to come in handy. ​

Iviroa Jinoes Curtis Learchin Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Lord Malleus

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori looked to Curtis Learchin with a grin after she sent off the messge. The two were at the table in the kitchen of the Jaster's Sparrow; her own little Mantis-class vessel. She sipped her fizzy drink and took in another bite of her crisps. "I think that'll be good for now. Iviroa Jinoes should be joining us shortly. She's eager and qhat she knows about us isn't much. But it wouldn't hurt to have an extra pair of hands for this. Arla will be needed to fly.

The Void is nearly ready too. That's where our target will be staying. Once we have him, that is."

Catching Lord Malleus wasn't going to be easy, especially as the man was a Force User. Lori hoped that Kyle Ajahn wouldn't mind her not informing him of this operation of hers. Yet given that she hardly knew what he was doing, it was probably perfectly fine.

Her only problem was getting caught if this failed.

And she was determined to not let that happen.

 

[Jerec Asyr]

ECLIPSE REBELLION OUTPOST
UNIDENTIFIED MOON

Jerec eased the Infinity's Free down onto a dusty landing pad in hard vacuum. The barren lunar surface concealed virtually everything except a few small airlock doors set in gray rock. Already a few resistance fighters were coming out in space suits with binary load lifters in tow.

He double-checked internal sensors and cams to make sure none of his crew were in the main hold, then cycled the depressurizer pumps. Once he'd reclaimed the air in the hold, he cracked the main doors and let the space-suited rebels in to get their gear.

They'd asked for ship components to help them escape tractor beams, and Jerec considered himself a bit of an expert on such things.

First off, he'd brought classic shroud charges, launchable from a bomb bay or an airlock. He'd also brought Gallofree Transports shearing plane projectors, the kind they put on Cursor-class courier ships. And last but not least, some old but unsurpassed Silk Holdings QQ-4U85 shroud launcher modules suitable for ships of light freighter scale or higher.

For philanthropic reasons, he'd sold it all to the rebels for a notch above landed cost.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis returned the grin with one of his own, though slightly more cheesy. Loreena Arenais-Valhoun always got so excited before any type of mission, and he found it oddly adorable. He sipped his drink slowly, reading over the message they had sent. Hopefully it would work.

"As long as we capture the target, I say we take as many as we can find" Curtis replied, looking up from the datapad, "What do we know about this Lord Malleus ? I'm guessing when we find him, I'll be the one holding his attention?" He knew from their mission to Mandalore that Lori was more into sneaking about rather than running headfirst into danger. So if they found the target, he guessed that it would be him going toe-to-toe with them.

Iviroa Jinoes / Jerec Asyr

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori hoped that in time there would be many joining their cause. But having small numbers at the start was a good thing. It meant that they had the element of surprise, and Lori was great with that. She had trained herself for it all her life.

"Yes, I'll be needing your help with him. Lord Malleus is a Force User. I could feel it when I was near his ship and was talking with him on my comms. And he's an Admiral in the Eternal Empire Navy. So consider him an HVT." That would be easy enough for Curtis Learchin to figure out. No killing or dismembering. Lori was sure that she'd release Malleus once she got what she needed from him. If worse came to worse, she'd hire a bounty hunter. It wasn't as though she couldn't afford to pay one of those.

A beep from her datapad broke the few seconds of silence that Lori took studing Curtis's features and picking out which part she liked more; his eyes or his smile. She broke her study and read over the newly arrived message. "Oh wicked..." The message came from one of her contacts. A special delivery had just been made by Jerec Asyr ; one that would help them greatly in getting out of blockades. "Tractor beams won't be much of a problem for us now. We've just got some products that arrived in another location for us to distribute." After she ad escaped from Mitth'rae'leios , Lori had put the word out for finding something that could stop Jaster's Sparrow from getting caught in those tractor beams again. Though no doubt the Chiss would have something else up his sleeve. The two played a game of cat and mouse, only she knew that he was studying her as well. Yet so far she felt that all of her secrets were still hers and unknown to him.

Getting back to the matter at hand....

"So I'll need you to distract Malleus while I get him immobilized." Iviroa Jinoes could be of some help with that too.

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

<<You will likely need more intensive assistance than that.>>

The voice that crackled out of Loreena Arenais' comms was smooth, feminine, and clearly altered. The comm screen flickered, scrolling as a data packet opened to reveal a personnel profile, marked with a simple insignia--the Eclipse wings, in a shade slowly becoming known in certain circles as the signature color of the Voice of Abbaji.

<<It appears like you and I detected this message on Imperial networks simultaneously. I expected no less. I took the liberty, however, of looking up additional information that might benefit you. Official data on Malleus Valkonnen is surprisingly limited, but he is listed as one of the more notorious Captains in the Emperor's army in recent years, well known for his temper even with his subordinates. He is also the head of his house already at such a young age, and...>>

There was a pause in the communication, as if the speaker were consulting someone on their end that could not be heard.

<<While I have independent confirmation of his Force sensitivity, the fact that any official records do not mention it indicate that his data on the matter is being deliberately scrubbed. Given official Imperial attitudes towards the Force, Malleus may be far, far more dangerous than official reports would indicate. Whatever party is attempting such covert communications with him may be equally so. The fact that their current location is so easily identifiable is...suspicious.

While my ability to assist in person may still be limited, I have additional resources you may wish to utilize.>>


Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nearly dropped her datapad as her comms came to life. She wasn't expecting LE-03 (Leigh) to be listening in, yet she did have her frequency. Fishing it out from her pocket, Lori listened, all the while keeping her eyes on Curtis Learchin . This message was for him to hear too.

She listened to the information being provided and nodded. "I know a few Force tricks, yet Curtis here knows more. But I also know how to set traps. " Successfully too. Lori had stopped some members of the Sith Empire from getting into the bunkers on Commenor. That saved quite a few hundred people from being enslaved. The Eternal Empire had yet to come across them, but they will in time....

"What else have you got for us?" It was hard to say when Lord Malleus was gping to get back to them. Worse case scenario was that they'd have to go to his homeworld and get him themselves.

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

<<What I have for you is firepower.>> The Voice of Abbaji now held in it a certain warmth as it spoke. <<A sympathizer with some experience in blade-to-blade combat, and far more experience in outlasting opponents considered their superior. If you intend to personally engage one of the Emperor's more secretive allies, having both at your side would improve the probability of your surviving this venture with whatever information you intend to extract from him.

I can have this ally rendezvous with you in less than one standard day...given certain guarantees on your end.>>

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Oh now LE-03 (Leigh) had her full attention. She grinned at Curtis Learchin at the idea of having more firepower PLUS another person on board their team. The more variety of people that the Eclipse Rebels had, the better. It would surely keep the Empire on their toes, or confuse them as to in what direction to look for their members.

"Yes! Yes! We can meet up with the sympathizer. That'd be wicked! What sort of guarantees are you looking for? You know me, I'm pretty adaptable." Even though she was stubborn, Lori knew how to adjust to different circumstances. She was taught that by her Mandalorian family. And given the randomness of her day-to-day, it was a valuable skill.

Lord Malleus

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

For a brief moment, the comms spat out only muffled feedback; something like voices, perhaps an argument, could be heard underneath, although it would be impossible to discern what it was saying. When the feedback cut out, however, only the Voice of Abbaji remained.
<<You will not be responsible for the physical safety of this sympathizer, as they are more than capable of self-defense. However, you will be required to respect and maintain their anonymity for the duration of their visit. It is a high priority that nothing remotely linked to their identity be exposed to Imperial personnel, or even to most of our own operatives. I would take such a risk if the intel you anticipate gaining did not merit it, but their compromise will greatly diminish their effectiveness for the cause, and...will not be something I can reasonably tolerate as an outcome of this mission.>>

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin ​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori furrowed her brows as she overheard...well something through her comms. She looked to Curtis Learchin to see if he could figure any of it out. LE-03 (Leigh) was certainly an enigma, but a very beneficial one at that. Without her, the Eclipse Rebels wouldn't be as far along as they were today. Lori might even be killed or worse.

The comms seemed to snap back to life once more. Lori listened to the conditions being set. It made her wonder if this ally would be wearing a mask or helm to hide their identity if it was to be such a big secret.

The bar had been set though. And should they be successful in capturing Lord Malleus , she couldn't fail.

"Understood. We will take the utmost precautions in keeping their identity secret. I'm stubborn and certainly not weak-minded. So no Sith or Imp would be able to get it out of me if I knew."

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis shook his head subtly in response to Loreena Arenais-Valhoun ' questioning gaze. He met LE-03 (Leigh) once before, but whatever it was, it seemed to take great pride in being difficult to work with.

"With any luck, we won't be in a position where anyone will get the chance to interrogate you" He chimed in, winking at Lori. "As long as the asset is trustworthy, I'll hold up my end of the bargain".

Since joining the Rebellion, Curtis had had to learn how to be more subtle. It was never his strongsuit, but he had been working on it. Lori was far better at it, just like he was better in a straight up fight. Sith training was always useful in that regard.

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

<<I can assure you,>> came the quick reply, <<that I would not trust this asset with you if they did not deserve it. They will meet you on-site ready for instruction; please provide coordinates using our regular encryption methods. The pass-phrase you should look for is "half the sense of a mynock.">>

The comm crackled again, only briefly this time, before the Voice of Abbaji returned. <<We are doing well, Miss Arenais. I can assure you of that much, even if it does not look it. We just have to keep reaching.>>

*****
​

Far away, in a tucked-away room in the Kalidan palace complex, the LE-03 droid cut the connection to the underground comm network. She tuned her audio processors to release a long, beleaguered sigh as she turned to the woman perched on the bunk above hers.

"Please do not look so happy to have an assignment, Na'an," she said evenly. "At least not until you are off-world. You know this is a risk I would rather not be taking. Even these measures might be insufficient."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin | Vidalu Na'an ​

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

"I know, okay? I know."

Na'an slipped easily down from the bunk to place a hand on Leigh's dome. The droid's sensors were famously delicate; she could probably tell even without the contact that her companion was all but vibrating from the excitement. "But what Arenais said was right. We need more intel about what's going on on the inside of this place, with guys like Malleus, and playing the Empress' obedient pet won't help us there. And I can't just stay here and braid her hair and wear their fancy clothes and pretend I'm not dying inside."

She bent to rest her cheek on the dome alongside her hand, closing her eye against the comforting hum of the plasteel. Behind her eyelid, vague green shapes seemed to be dancing just out of reach; the air venting out of one of the droid's coolant ports smelled warm and strangely organic, like she'd gotten an old leaf stuck in one of her filters.

"Not since the wedding."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | LE-03 (Leigh) | Curtis Learchin ​

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

Leigh held very still in the human's embrace. "You mean since the crash."

The droid had...struggled, with the change in her human partner in their months on Kalidan. Na'an's volatility was an expected variable, given the overall situation, but ever since the Invictus had been forced into orbit with the unnamed jungle world in Sector 343, that unpredictability had taken on a quality that felt both strange...and strangely familiar. Na'an had tried to explain what had happened to her and Healer Bastiel on the surface of that planet--something about a temple, and a man named Roman--but the explanation was nonsensical, impossible. Why would there be a temple on a planet most organics died approaching?

She had logged the planet and the events as potentially useful to the Eclipse Rebellion (a base on an unapproachable planet, after all, would make a good base), but the rest still did not compute. And the change in both humans' demeanor...

There was a reason Na'an seemed to focus on the wedding as the turning point. It was where she had started to act on whatever was happening to her. Leigh had to respect that, even if she did not understand.

And the Voice of Abbaji had to use it.

"I am arranging for your passage on a military transport vessel, as an attache to 'a friend of the Empress'. You will be there to obtain a shipment of Nova crystals being commissioned for her Imperial Majesty. Once you are on-world, take the appropriate precautions and ensure you are not recognized anywhere but the public markets. From there, you are to make your way to Miss Arenais and act on her orders. Whatever intel we can extract from Malleus needs to be relayed directly to me."

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Vidalu Na'an | Curtis Learchin ​

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

"Yes'm," came the reply. After a moment, Na'an straightened, giving the droid a mock salute in acknowledgement of the order. "And I am going to be safe, Leigh. Believe me. I'm not going to forget our promise."

The droid didn't respond in words--that wasn't really her way--but her hologram flickered on, showing Na'an a rare glimpse of the blonde, freckled face she favored when she did choose to wear human expressions. The face softened, a half-smile flickering across the screen, and Na'an grinned back in response.
Leigh had worked so hard, hadn't she? The last few months must have been hell for her--hiding her sentience, constantly working every opportunity she could, burrowing through system after system until she had what she needed to act. Until the moment she played her hand and became the Voice of Abbaji, secret architect of the Eclipse Rebellion, the droid hadn't even been able to tell Na'an what she was up to for fear someone would be watching.

But Leigh had done this for her--for her and Adelle both. She'd worked all the angles, and decided that the only way her humans could be safe from the Empire was to burn the Empire down herself. So she had worked, and lied, and taken on so much risk...

There was no way she could let her friend do it alone. Even if she was no Jedi, she was...something. She could be of use.

"Make sure Doc knows I'm on orders, okay? I don't want her worrying while I'm gone," she said, turning on her heel to grab a helmet off the nearby table. The helmet was standard Imperial issue--goggle-eyed and tube-mouthed, with a voice modulator tucked into the rebreather. From inside the helmet, she pulled a silvery tube, which she tucked into the mag-sheath on her lower back.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | LE-03 (Leigh) | Adelle Bastiel | Curtis Learchin​

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

"I will ensure she has access to your comms. And at least try to return with the Nova crystals? It will help me retain your cover if you do not return empty-handed for the Empress."

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

Na'an snorted. "No promises."

With that, she tucked the helmet under her arm, flipped her shirt back over the mag-sheath, and was out the door, making her way for the mag-lev leading to the spaceport. It was all she could do to suppress the thrill running down her spine, to keep from running through the Palace halls at a sprint--finally, finally finally finally, she was about to act, to strike a blow against the Empire, to start cutting a path for her and Leigh and Adelle away from this place, back to the jungle planet, back to freedom--

She was crossing the main courtyard when a rustle caught at her ear. She looked up to see a pair of curtains far overhead slide shut, hiding the occupant of the room inside.

Whoever it was, they clearly hadn't wanted Na'an to know they'd been watching her. And--Na'an knew, with sudden certainty that sat like a stone in her gut--there was only one person who both merited quarters overlooking the courtyard, and even pretended to give a damn about the opinions of a 'pet'.
"Nope," she said abruptly to herself, shaking her head sharply. "Not gonna think about it. "

She looked up at the curtains again, eye narrowed and mouth set in a thin narrow line. Something about the way they moved still seemed to suggest that they were being held there by hands, rather than gravity. "Who the kriffing hell cares what you think right now," she muttered at the curtains before her pace resumed, faster than before.

When the curtains opened again, Na'an had already long since left the courtyard, and she was well on her way offworld.

Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Vyra Silara | Curtis Learchin ​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Got it. Thanks. I'll send you the co-ordinates shortly."

And then came the assurances. Lori wouldn't of admitted it, yet she needed them. They gave her confidence in a task that she was mostly improvising. It wasn't easy to take on an Empire, most especially one as vast and evil as the Eternal Empire. And yet here they were. It was the first cause that Lori had ever picked up. She was the last to do so in her family. Both her parents and her twin brother had taken up multiple causes, making names for themselves and gaining such high regard in the Galaxy. And then there was Lori; the goofball, the prankster, the not-so-serious one. She couldn't even handle training at the Jedi Academy. Too many rules and restrictions; too much asking for permission. Lori preferred to do her own thing. She solved problems better that way.

"Thanks. We'll be in touch. Lori out."

She pocketed her commlink and nodded to Arla to send her the co-ordinates to their base. Then she looked to Curtis Learchin with a grin. "Looks like we'll be having company. I hope they like what we've put together. It's not much, but it's a great start!"

Vidalu Na'an LE-03 (Leigh)

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"What couldn't they like?" Curtis asked jokingly, gazing round the room. "A hidden underground base, with a killer droid, handsome ex-sith and beautiful leader. You couldn't ask for more."

Standing from his seat, he walked across the room. He looked forward to meeting the newcomer, even if he was suspicious of them. That was only natural though, their operation was not one that was widely known. As long as Loreena Arenais-Valhoun was safe, and they could complete the job, he would be happy.

Vidalu Na'an / LE-03 (Leigh)