A zoo was an odd place to find oneself while the Imperial government literally came crashing down. Starships and speeders were being shot down or simply crashing out of the sky as the situation grew increasingly dire. It wasn't that Pel had decided to go to the zoo with his children, Bawrad and Norik, that day. Rather, Pel was lending his expertise to the Imperial Royal Menagerie on Lianna, a position he had held for the last two years to provide some stability after the birth of his youngest, Fon, and to expand his other children's educations.
As such, the sudden collapse of the Empire of the Lost was terribly inconvenient for Pel, and he was deeply concerned for the safety of his family. Trying to go to his ex wife's apartment to recover them would be a fool's errand anyway; the city was massive, and the riots were consuming far too much to navigate the situation. No, the most important thing he could do for his family was stay here and protect his son and his daughter. He hoped that he could protect the animals in the Menagerie, too. Many of the specimens were particularly valuable, which he could use for negotiation. A great deal of his work was still on-site, which also meant that he could ill afford to leave it behind.
He also just liked animals, and didn't want to see them all butchered.
Pel watched as more and more of the Menagerie staff fled their posts. Some went off to join the rioting. Others were wealthy enough they believed they could book passage offworld or obtain some kind of security. Pel knew that they were unlikely to make it very far. No, Pel was left in the Menagerie with the morning staff who were sheltering in place, along with the talented beastmasters who managed some of the creatures who required more personal attention, such as the Rancors.
"Rancors!" Pel snapped his fingers,
"Of course, we have Rancors!"
"...Yes?" said his son, Bawrad.
"Just thinking out loud. Do me a favor, and finish sewing up that Mynock's wing, Bawrad. We have a lot to do," he instructed.
"Are we going to steal the creatures from the Menagerie, father?" asked Norik.
"Not if we can help it, but we will if we must. Can you make an announcement over the Menagerie's Public Address system?" Pel asked,
"I would like to speak with the remaining staff. You and your brother have your Lightsabers?"
Norik nodded.
"Good. I hope we won't need them. Tell the team to assemble at the front gate," he instructed her, and Pel started heading there. He kept his case full of the data he'd accumulated during his time at the Menagerie, and wasn't going to let it out of his sight. From the front gate, he could see the rioting going on. There was a small crowd outside the closed gate that were starting to assemble, going through the vehicles and nearby shops. Eventually, though, the crowd would break into the Menagerie, and that would be the moment of truth.
"Attention. This is an announcement made on behalf of Doctor Grennin. If you are able, please assemble at the front gate. He is going to address everyone. Attendance is mandatory," Norik's voice called out over the PA system. There was already a large group of Menagerie staff who were eating through the zoo's stores of food otherwise meant for the vendors. One of the managers had gotten it into their head to start tracking supplies. Both of these were good ideas. Pel approached the Manager, and instructed him to have someone trusted go and take inventory of the Menagerie's veterinarian drugs, too, as well as other essential supplies - after his announcement, of course.
Within a few minutes, Pel stood before the bulk of the remaining staff. A few of them were crying. Others were hanging back, trying to make sense of what was going on.
"Hello everyone. For those of you who may not know, I am Doctor Pel Grennin. I have had the pleasure of being a special consultant for the Menagerie for a couple of years now. These are my children and assistants, Bawran and Norik. For those of you who may not know us, it is a pleasure to be working with you, and I regret that it must be under such terrible circumstances. For those of you who may be hoping that I have answers in regard to the current chaos, I have none for you. Instead, I would like to assure you that the Menagerie is, in fact, a safe place for you. I am not just a doctor, but a trained Imperial Inquisitor. I am a veteran of a number of Galactic conflicts, and both myself and my children are powerful in the Force. As of right now, I am putting the Menagerie under my protection."
He allowed the crowd to murmur among themselves for a moment before continuing,
"You have all decided to stay for a lack of a safe place to be, and the Force is with you this day. We are well stocked on provisions, and we have more than more that we can use to protect ourselves, as well as negotiate for assistance if the time comes. But in order for this to work, you will need to follow my orders, and you will need to work together."
Pel gestured to the gate,
"Eventually we will be confronted by the rioters. Do not be tempted to join them, or to reason with them. They will only see you as being in the way, or having something to take. We will be prepared for that. For now, I will choose a few trusted Managers to organize our efforts. If you do not contribute, or if you are found impeding our efforts, you will be locked in a cage until we can decide what to do with you. Does anyone have any opposition to my taking command?"
There was silence; the revelation that the alien Doctor they'd seen around the campus was an Inquisitor had put a great deal of fear into them. Most, though, were just grateful to have a sense of direction and structure.
"Excellent. I am open to suggestions, but for now, you, you, you, and you will report directly to me. Beastmasters, I require reports on the status of your charges, particularly the Rancors and Nexu. If anyone has suggestions or concerns, you may bring them to the managers or to Bawrad and Norvik. They will at least be considered. Our first order of business, as the manager has already started, is to take inventory of our essential stocks - food, water, and possible weaponry. We will need total security access to the Menagerie, as well."
Pel clapped his hands, signaling that it was time to work. The four managers and his children began organizing people into groups, and doling out tasks. Pel, meanwhile, went to the main security office, where he would have access to the communication system, as well as the Menagerie's service tunnels. While searching for the maps, he saw that an APC full of Stormtroopers were driving their way through and between the rioting crowd, firing at them with gas grenades, and going after them with stun batons and firing at the crowd on stun. Not quite a massacre, but the rioters would not soon forget it. Pel sighed, knowing that this was going to be a difficult situation to navigate.
Pel approached the front gate, where the Stormtroopers' APC was lining up. He pulled back his coat a bit, showing off his Lightsaber. The APC stopped, and a Sergeant stepped out to approach.
"Sergeant. I hope I can say that I am glad to see you," Pel said. The Stormtrooper looked down at Pel's Lightsaber.
"You some kind of Sith?"
"Some kind."
The Stormtrooper looked over the gates, and then back to Pel,
"Strange place to find a Sith."
"It's a strange day. What brings you out here? Surely not to take a look at the Empress's Rancors."
"There's a lot of high value property in this part of the city that needs to be secured," the Sergeant said. Pel smiled.
"Indeed. And you'll find that the Menagerie is not only built to keep the beasts in but intruders out. Perhaps the Force is with you today, Sergeant. You need a place to...Secure high value property, and we need additional help keeping the Menagerie secured."
The Sergeant crossed his arms,
"It's rather unclear where our orders are coming from right now. Or if there's anyone to give orders. What do we care about some Sith and his pets? We could just as easily move on."
"Because you'll run out of places to run to, Sergeant, and you would much rather have an Inquisitor on your side when that crowd corners you than not. And if it's payment you're after, it seems to me that the only currency right now is power and supplies," Pel reasoned. He tapped his Lightsaber, and gestured towards the APC,
"And I have both. Work with us, and you'll only compound what you have. You and your men will be among the most powerful in the city if you stick with me."
"Yeah, I've heard that before," the Sergeant said. He turned to look over his shoulder. The Stormtroopers had dispersed the crowd, and now his men were looting what was left, loading up their vehicle with their gains. The Sergeant sighed.
"Do you have a place to store your things anyway? Where are you going next?" Pel asked,
"Or are you just going from sector to sector, looting whatever you can until you figure out something resembling a plan? There's no need to be on your own, Sergeant. And you don't even have to give up the guise of doing your duty. After all, you are, what was it? Securing high value property."
The Sergeant looked at him,
"You'd really let us in?"
"Only if you promise to follow my orders. Not because of any kind of obligation, but because I already have things well in hand. You have a place here, Sergeant, but you must accept your role, as well," Pel said. The Sergeant looked back at the APC, and then nodded to Pel. With a wave of his hand, Pel flipped the gate controls to open the front gate, and the Sergeant signaled for the APC to enter. It was an awkward fit, but they made it work. The Menagerie staff took a moment to gawk at the arrival of Stormtroopers, who immediately began following Pel's orders to secure the premises and set up defenses.
After a few hours of coordinating everything, Pel took the chance to enter the APC itself, and listen in on the broadcasts. There was a sort of coordinated looting going on amongst the various Stormtrooper groups. It was every squad for themselves, but they were at least covering for each other, and performing a bit of coordination, if only to make sure they made off with as much as they could. Curiously, though, it seemed that the Stormtrooper Academy itself was the center of legitimate operations, trying to keep the rioters at bay and protect civilians. With them identified as a possible asset, he sent the Academy a message:
"This is Inquisitor Dessico to the Lianna City Stormtrooper Academy. I am reporting that the Imperial Royal Menagerie has been secured under my authority, and we are able to act as a safe zone for those interested in keeping the peace in the city. We have ample room for supplies, and I do hope there are enough of you with a sense of duty to attend to your stations. At this time we cannot make excursions outside of our current perimeter, but if we were to receive reinforcements and supplies, I believe we can begin bringing our sector under control," he called out, hoping someone there had enough sense to see the opportunity, if not attend to their obligations as servants of the Empire - whatever Empire there was to serve, anyway.
Cerria Desyk
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