Private The Imperial Connection

[Evy’armi’naken]

Borosk
Capital City

The rain fell gently over Borosk's capital city, wetting the metallic streets of the once-Imperial stronghold. Yarmin's boots thudded against the durasteel as he explored, seemingly wanton but certainly on a mission. Once, his people, the Chiss, had served the New Imperial Order faithfully. Once, his people were regarded among the best strategists in the galaxy. But now, he and his kin were little more than ghosts. Scattered children of Csilla, wandering, searching for a place to be. Many of them found kinship with the Mandalorian Enclave, seeking abstract revenge against the Galactic Alliance. Others sought comfort in familiarity, falling in with the Lost Imperials on Lianna.

For Evya'rmi'nakan, his place was with the SIA.

Yarmin brought up the discreet holopad on his gauntlet, looking over the screen as he moved among the crowds. He was trailing an Imperial operative who'd resurfaced a few weeks ago. Searching through the old data files kept by the GA was like scouring a tomb that was better left sealed, but it shed lots of light on Yarmin's target.

He pulled the slack out of his hood, then carried on, turning into a narrow alley. Yarmin was heading deeper into the capital to meet a contact who, if the intel was good, had a strong lead on the Imperial's whereabouts. He didn't like trusting the locals in matters like this. All too often, the contact was an Imperial loyalist themselves. Too many double-crossings and ambushes have left him rather cynical. But Yarmin would be nowhere if he never trusted his instincts, and right now, they told him this contact was worth hearing out.

Yarmin rounded a corner in the alley, stepping around a stack of metal crates to find a nondescript metal door. He rapped it with gloved knuckles, then took a step back to be ready for whatever form of welcome awaited him on the other side.

- Stybla'rei'naodo -​

 

[Stybla'rei'naodo]

Lareina leaned up against the wall, hiding in shadows across the alley, her slightly glowing red eyes boring through the door that Yarmin had just approached. She too was a child of Csilla, but where he had found a family in the Alliance, Lareina focused on the Ascendancy alone. Her brainchild, GEIST, had only one mission - to defend the Chiss from any threat in the galaxy.

Intelligence, data, and strategies swirled in her mind as she considered her next play, each thought cut through by a mind honed through years of training and experience. She'd followed her brethren that had gotten swept up in the Galaxy's myriad intelligence agencies, and while the SIA was certainly one of the best, they lacked a certain... nuance when dealing with populations outside of their Alliance. She saw a potential ally - friend even, in this fellow Chiss, especially since they happened to be chasing the same thread.

As his knuckled rapped on the door, Lareina stepped out from her shadow, each step calm, calculated, careful not to startle her contact. Behind her eyes lied decisiveness, a sharp intellect and the ability to adapt to any eventuality, but only that which she allowed through. The voice she spoke out with was collected, betraying none of the urgency that had brought this meeting on. Trust was a precious commodity in this line of work, and she needed any allies she could get for this mission.

"Noble? We share a common goal."

She continued to observe the other Chiss as she continued, moving closer and hushing to a whisper, looking in every direction to ensure that only they could hear what was being said.

"I've been hunting the same people as you, and I think I've caught a thread. I was hoping we could find common cause, and with our combined resources and insight, we could do what's necessary to keep our people safe."

Steadying her gaze into the other Chiss's eyes, Lareina waited for his answer, her expression blank and her mind ready to gauge and react to whatever his answer was.

Evy’armi’naken

 

[Evy’armi’naken]

Borosk
Capital City

Yarmin was still when the voice spoke out from the darkness. He’d been careful to cover his tracks, but he knew all too well that a Chiss could find anything and anyone if they were determined enough. At least it was a potential ally who’d found him out and not an Imperial spy…

He smirked at her offer, stepping away from the door in case the inhabitants decided to show face during the Chiss’ exchange.

“That depends on who your ‘people’ are. You’re not SIA, and certainly not ISB - the Ascendancy, then?” he asked, his red eyes glinting with curiosity.

“Hunting Imps these days?”

- Stybla'rei'naodo -​