Introductions of a Caretaker (Y'roth)

[Wren Hierax]

Wren Hierax had spent the last ten minutes of her life pacing in her apartment in Coruscant. An Inquisitor would be here soon to pick her from her present assignment and reassign her…somewhere. She wasn’t quite sure yet what it would be and the uncertainty was making her nervous, a feeling she was generally unused to. She wanted to go outside and run for a half hour or so, but she didn’t want to be out and leave a bad impression on the Inquisitor whenever he came around and couldn’t find her.
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She wasn’t sure she was so thrilled with the changing of assignments either; she’d been here for a while and liked analyzing the political situation and reporting her observations. Here on Coruscant she could not only watch the people striving for power, but also the everyday citizens. She especially loved being able to see the effects the group mindset had on the individual citizens’ beliefs. Those who had recently moved here from off-world were prime candidates for sparking her interest. Watching them helped her find out who wielded the most influence over the mob and how quickly the opinions of them could change the opinions of the rest of the citizens. She loved this too because it allowed her to pretend to be someone she wasn’t so she could get close to those people.
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Sometimes while she was doing that she liked to pretend she was a secret agent going undercover to save the planet, or when she was in a bad mood, destroy it. She only thought about that sometimes though. And she definitely wouldn’t even think about thinking about that if she ever talked to the newest Inquisitor. Her friend <st1>Aquila</st1> who was also an agent said she had heard he was practically psychic. Or maybe it was psycho. Wren couldn’t quite remember, but she didn’t want to take a chance.
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She hoped if she couldn’t do something similar to what she was doing now, then maybe she could do something with tracking down force users. Those scum didn’t deserve their powers if they chose not to use them to help the empire and protect innocent people. To her eternal chagrin, she was jealous of them sometimes. She loved using melee weapons and wished she had the chance to use a lightsaber, but no luck there. Instead she had to settle for a vibroblade and knives. She also loved incorporating acrobatics into her swordplay; something that she felt would be so much cooler if she could use Jedi tricks. She’d been tested though, before entering training to make sure she wouldn’t be a problem. And though she wouldn’t trade her allegiance to the Empire for force powers, there were a lot of other things she would have traded for them.
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A rattle on the other side of her room, made her remember another reason she wished she had force powers. Her pet Tooke, named Oberon, was nocturnal and generally the noise was something she was willing to deal with because of how mush she loved playing with him at night after work. Force powers would have made it so easy to soothe him at night and get some extra sleep though.
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Walking over to his cage, Wren took him out and let him hop around the room for a bit. She had gotten him half a year ago on a trip to Naboo. There was a group of young boys on the planet that she had seen poking something with a stick and when she went over, there they were torturing a poor defenseless animal. Oberon had just been a baby at the time too. It had made her feel horribly sick to her stomach and wanted nothing more than to scream at the boys to teach them a lesson but she had held back and poked with a stick a few times to see how they liked it. Finally she had grabbed Oberon from them and he’d been with her since.
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She had always hated seeing animals, or really any defenseless things, in pain. She decided to stop eating meat so she wouldn’t help facilitate the cycle of torturing and killing animals for food. She was fine with her choice; she actually felt like she ate healthier as a vegetarian than when she had eaten meat. The better she ate the faster and longer she could run and the better she felt. So she felt that eating meat just really wasn’t an option for her anymore. The Inquisitoriate had appealed to her for similar reasons, namely because it allowed her to help uphold the government that kept society functioning so well. Without the Empire she knew the galaxy would be in chaos and it would become a whole only the strong survive sort of thing. She thought everything deserved a chance to live and thrive, well except the Rebel scum who interfered so horribly with other people’s chances at doing that. They made their choice. Death would be too great a kindness for them after all they had done.
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Just thinking about the Rebellion welled up cold anger in her. She was cool, calm, collected, but at the same moment she wanted nothing more to do than to torture, maim, and kill. Kill, not murder though; the Rebels were murderers, not her and her comrades. Sighing, she tried not to let herself get so worked up. The Inquisitor would be here soon and she didn’t want these emotions clouding her judgment while she spoke to him. She wanted to be composed and emotionless seeming so he wouldn’t think she was weak and kill her like she had seen happen to an old partner a few months ago. Picking Oberon up from the floor, she sat down and placed him in her lap. If she couldn’t run, at least maybe she could meditate and clear her mind for a bit.

[Y'roth Helghast]

The elevator doors opened and Inquisitorial Agent Cl. II Jokruul stepped out into the hallway. He'd never met Agent Hierax, or really heard of her and he thought he'd been watching the transfer lists closely for so long. How this one had made it into the SpecOps detachment was beyond him. Jokruul had been a Class II Agent for too long in his opinion and had been doing everything and anything to reach the next level. And he would do anything.

Because Cl. II Agents were stuck with menial jobs like these, running simple errands and such outside of the Citadel. Being a Cl I Agent was so much easier because you rarely left the Citadel and quite often had the oppurtunity of being a fly on the wall when you waited on higher ranking agents or came along on Cl III missions. Sure, Cl II's got out now and then and could command one block of troops but how often did that happen anymore? Jokruul hadn't been deployed with a full block for months now. He'd just been running errands in the human resources department.

He had only seen Hierax's profile and Jokruul already hated her. He was taking her to meet an Inquisitor Helghast. Another individual who really had just popped out of nowhere. His file was mostly locked off and secured to even Inquisitors and the data entered was very recent. Hierax didn't hate Helghast, whoever he was though, one didn't hate an Inquisitor. He was caught in bewilderment though at the manner in which Helghast appeared. There wasn't even a profile picture to accompany his status.

One black glove lifted in a fist as it knocked against the door of the apartment.

"Agent Hierax, Inquisitoriate here. Your transport is ready.

[Wren Hierax]

Wren was jolted out of her meditation by two sharp raps on the door. Hopping to her feet, she quickly put Oberon up in his cage.
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"Agent Hierax, Inquisitoriate here. Your transport is ready.”<o></o>
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Wren quickly composed herself and walked to the door. Opening it she saw a Cl. II Agent about her height standing there. She gave him a quick glance over, he’d either been older when he went through training or had been in his current class for a good deal longer than a capable agent generally would be. Age would probably make him desperate; she’d have to be on her guard around him.
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“Good afternoon Agent,” She reached down by her door to pick up her bag and Oberon’s cage. “Lead on, you aren’t afraid of rodents are you?”
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Jokruul looked uneasily at Oberon, as if he was expecting him to escape from his cage at any moment. An Agent afraid of her pet? How strange, he must have barely made it through training. After staring at her for a few moments, he turned and walked away, motioning to her to follow him. She felt some slight pangs of sympathy, her training had been hell, but at least she didn’t have something so obvious for them to manipulate. She looked down at Oberon, the sympathy and pity increasing in her mind. She’d seen his look of hatred and disgust; she hated it when people hated her without knowing her. She was a member of the Inquisitoriate though; she had to learn to deal with it.
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They walked out to the transport, Wren’s stomach knotted. She still had no idea which Inquisitor was going to be picking her up. No matter though, she’d face him with all the composure and poise befitting an agent of her rank.

[Y'roth Helghast]

On their way to the Citadel, Jokruul made sure to sit as far as he could from Hierax. He didn't want to talk to her or see her little rat thing. The ride was more or less a quiet one. The Citadel rose up on the horizon and was soon upon, a black spire jutting into the sky. The shuttle pulled into the docking facility and a junior enlisted of the Inquisitoriate came forward. SPC N'bil was Jokruul's assistant and had been ordered to wait on his return. Jokruul was not about to be the one who carried Hierax' bags, therefore N'bil set to work diligently and quietly, as Jokruul had made more than clear was his preference by now. Subordinates should be quiet and nearly unnoticable, as per their position. As Hierax was just stepping out of the shuttle, Jokruul felt the hair on the back of his neck standing up and turned in the direction of this odd sensation.

"OH! Ah... Well... Ah... Inquis-s-s-sitor... Helghast?"

The tall man and another just behind him had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Jokruul hadn't noticed them approaching when he had exited the shuttle at all. The tall man was maybe 6 and a half feet tall. And his right eye was glowing red. Like a monster. Jokruul felt humbled in the presence of this... monster. He immediately related it to the first time he participated in combat and knew, simply knew, that he would die soon. The man behind him was not as tall, not as imposing, but stood in some uniform that Jokruul was more or less unfamiliar with. Jokruul had never seen the man before and his body tight black suit gave no sign of signifigance either. Jokruul figured he must not be important then. The Inquisitor wore the most basic uniform that an Inquisitor, of all things, would be wearing. It was only the officer's uniform with the Inquisitoriate insignia on the shoulder and chest and beyond that, nothing else. While it was the most basic, it also provided the least amount of information. The profile without a photo to match came to mind and the demon-made-man before him confirmed his question before he could stutter something else out.

"I am Inquisitor Helghast. Agent Jokruul, you are dismissed."

His voice ran Jokruul through like a sword, his gut clenched as if pierced. And even still he felt as if he was getting off lucky. Much luckier than Hierax for Jokruul had a hard enough time saluting, his right fist to his chest, before he bowed out and hastily walked away, trying not to look over his shoulder. Clenching his fists and digging his nails into the insulation of his gloves was the only thing he could concentrate on to not break off into a run. The rumors of agents dying at the slightest whim of Inquisitors was all too prominent in Jokruul's mind as he disappeared.

A black orb flitted into sight and then hovered over Helghast's shoulder, its main receptor glancing back and forth until it rested on Hierax. Helghast's gaze shifted as well from the fading Jokruul to the remaining Agent and the soldier holding her bags. The orb shifted to the side of the soldier, seeming to inspect him and then zipped beside Hierax and then to her cage. A small limb, with what might've even appeared to be a small weapon on the end, extended at an alarming rate but withdrew even faster when it looked back to Helghast and then returned to his shoulder as if by some unheard command.

"Agent Jerrard will escort you to the briefing room, Agent Hierax."

[Wren Hierax]

Wren tried not to look at Jokruul in disgust as he moved as far to the front as he could. However, him leaving her alone in the back made her feel more like someone being transported as a prisoner, rather than as someone being reassigned.
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Upon reaching the Citadel, Wren’s nervousness began to intensify. Trying to calm herself, she focused on watching Jokruul and his apprentice searching for each and every weak spot they could possibly have. Looking for other people’s weak spots allowed her to see how those might be reflected in her and allow her to fix any flaws she might have similar to the people she watched.
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She saw him tense and turned around to look at what could be surprising him. Great. An Inquisitor.
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"OH! Ah... Well... Ah... Inquis-s-s-sitor... Helghast?"<o></o>
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Inquisitor Helghast. Gods he was terrifying. Seeing him reminded her of the first time she learned she no longer needed to fear the nightmares in her head because her waking was riddled with them. This man brought to the surface of her mind all those demons, waking and non. It wasn’t the height, or the implants, or even the glowing red eye that bothered her, but that look in his eyes. What they held made her feel like the wind was knocked out of her, but what wasn’t there frightened her the most. She carefully schooled her features to show as little emotion as possible, taking a break from looking at the Inquisitor to look over the man who was with him. An agent of course to be accompanying him, but the uniform told her nothing of his rank or position or anything that might be useful. Probably important than, information given could be information used against, best to give as little as possible with more delicate operations.
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"I am Inquisitor Helghast. Agent Jokruul, you are dismissed."<o></o>
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Wren continued looking over the two men as Jokruul left, blinking in surprise when the black orb came over near her. She bit back the urge to grab it and throw it against the wall as it brought what she thought was probably something that could kill Oberon out and near her pet. The Inquisitor seemed to call it off before it could do anything though. She tried not to look confused. That wasn’t mercy, she was fairly certain this man was incapable of that, but still she couldn’t understand why he would have Oberon not killed.
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"Agent Jerrard will escort you to the briefing room, Agent Hierax."<o>
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Relieved for a reprise from Inquisitor Helghast, Wren followed Agent Jerrard to the briefing room. She was glad to be back in the Citadel for however short it would be. She liked it here, the cleanliness of everything, spotless and shining, reminded her of how clean her mother had always kept their home growing up. She also loved seeing the flags and reminders everywhere of the Empire and Inquisitoriate because it gave her a sense of purpose, it meant every murder she had committed, every family she had brutally ripped apart, was done for the greater good. Sitting down in the briefing room, she calmed herself from her encounter with the Inquisitor by focusing on all the aspects of the Citadel and Inquisitoriate she loved. One man wouldn’t frighten that out of her. This was her life, this was her passion, this was her everything.

[Y'roth Helghast]

The briefing room was large and set up in a similar fashion to a university class room. Most briefs were given on a large holoprojector that was located at the feet of the speaker and the seats were spaced so that everyone could see at any given time. Jerrard pointed to the first seat available where a black datapad was already waiting for her. He then casually strode to briefing console and activated the system, prepping her brief. He was quiet for the most part but seemed comfortable, like a man who had no cares in the world and was just setting up Hierax' brief for the fun of it, or maybe more like a man with no fear. The console blinked red a few times and then Agent Jerrard shrugged and walked out of the room silently. The door that slid shut behind him seemed louder for it. Wren appeared to be left to her own devices for the moment.

[Wren Hierax]

Wren looked around the room as Jerrard left. He didn’t seem too bad, a bit intense, but weighed with a fairly laid back attitude. Not nearly as terrifying as the Inquisitor though, she wished he would stay in here during the briefing, but at the same time this was a challenge she needed to face on her own.
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She looked at the datapad and finally picked it up. Turning it over a few times in her hands, she set it back down with a sigh. As much as she would like to get a better understanding of her mission before the Inquisitor came in, she wasn’t sure that would be encouraged. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her a few times early during her training, similar situations to this. So until she could figure out how she was supposed to react, she would just play it safe and leave everything alone.
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Training had messed with her head, she’d seen people she loved, people she hated, people she hadn’t cared about killed or severely injured, normally out of their own stupidity, but sometimes through the fault of others. Watching people she hated die was the worse, the initial sense of elation followed by feelings of loss and sorrow. Then for months after the wondering if only she had tried a little harder to be nicer and get along if maybe they could have been friends. And finally, if they could have been friends, could she have done something to stop them from dying.
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She didn’t like to think of herself as a killer; she protected people first and foremost, if killing them had to occur to ensure the safety of the Empire, so be it. Sometimes though, she wished they could all just be taught to love the Empire and its citizens so that no more bloodshed would be necessary. But, as she had drilled into during training, rehabilitation isn’t always an option; some are just too far gone.
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Letting her mind wander some more, Wren began to daydream about the future. She dreamed of a world where people and animals only died after living happy, fulfilling lives. The Empire protected and cared for everyone, and the Force was a forgotten memory. She hoped one day her dream would come true, even if she has to die to ensure it.
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[Y'roth Helghast]

The door opened silently and the black orb flitted into the room, stopped as if noticing Wren inside was a surprise and then continued upon a chaotic path about the room. Entering behind it was Inquisitor Helghast.

Helghast looked no different from before, no less imposing or frightening, but the room still seemed to get darker when his tall, dark figure entered. The room even seemed to get colder when in all actuality, it did. IMP lowered the room temperature to match the Inquisitor for what it determined was Helghast's convenience.

He approached the briefing console and it activated without him doing anything else. The holoproject started up and beside Helghast appeared the holographic, life size image of Miranda Tarkin.

"Agent Hierax. You are being assigned as a special detachment to Moff Miranda Tarkin of the Doldur Sector."

Helghast had no need for pleasantries or small talk and thus began the briefing promptly.

"You will serve her in any function necessary that she deems fit but your main priority is her security and serving the Inquisitoriate and the Empire to the best of your ability in that task and that task alone."

The datapad activated of its own accord and information streamed across the display screen.

"You have all classified and declassified information there concerning Moff Tarkin which is available for you to commit to memory as soon as possible. That information will also be accessible from your Inquisitoriate portfolio at any time.

You will appear simply as her aide in a public perspective but you have my authorization to use your discretion in maintaining the Moff's security, as long as it fully upholds to the Inquisitoriate's doctrines. Any citizen or otherwise that threatens Moff Tarkin must be eliminated; you will observe all traffic of information concerning your target and ensure that the Inquisitoriate has implemented maximum operational control of the environment. Any Inquisitoriate forces within the area at the time are within your control as long as it concerns your assignment. You will report to me on a regular basis without fail.

Moff Tarkin is a symbol of power and morale to the people of the Empire. Do not slack in your conviction to the Empire, be ever vigilant because all corruption will seek out Moff Tarkin for the advantage to use her against the Empire in some fashion. Do not be the citizen of the Empire to allow that to happen."

Helghast looked to the holographic image and then back to Agent Hierax, his glowing red eye focusing and seemingly shrinking before he began to speak again.

"You are being promoted to the rank of Agent for this assignment. Your records and portfolio will be moved into the classified archives of the Inquisitoriate. You answer to only myself and those above me within the chain of command in the Inquisitoriate. You will concern yourself with no other aspect of the Empire at this other than your specific task, do not become distracted. The citizens of the Empire need you in this respect.

Do you understand, Agent Hierax?"

[Wren Hierax]

Great, that little black robot thing again. And where the robot was, apparently the Inquisitor also was. She shivered a bit, though she was unsure if it was a result of it becoming cooler or just the Inquisitor’s presence.
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Once the briefing console activated and the holographic image of Moff Tarkin appeared, she felt her stomach leap into her throat in anxiety. This was going to be even more important than she imagined in her wildest dreams that it was going to be.
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Wren sat as still and as calmly as she could as the Inquisitor began his briefing. As anxiety and nevousness built up in here, she struggled to reduce their effects on her body before the creepy robot could notice it. Within about ten seconds her body returned to normal, with the exception of a feeling of tightness in her stomach. She was excited also of course, but she had also never done anything of this magnitude before. This job would be the one that could make or break her, moreso than any of her diplomatic missions. This made those look like child’s play.
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Calming herself further, she reminded herself that she wouldn’t have been chosen for this mission unless her superiors had full confidence in her. She also reminded herself of how well she had done on all her previous missions. There was no reason for doubt or anxiousness. Taking a deep breath in and out, the rest of her body relaxed.
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She looked down at the datapad that had activated a few seconds ago. She’d wait until the Inquistor was done to look over it, but the second she got to, all that information would be hers to look over and examine every which way. Her memory was exceptionally good, shouldn’t take her too long to imprint everything into her memory.
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“Do not be the citizen of the Empire to allow that to happen.”<o></o>
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She had to fight her body even harder now to squash down any anxiety that might resurface. Anxiousness and fear had no place here, they would only make her second guess her actions.
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“Do you understand, Agent Hierax?"<o></o>
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Wren glanced back down at the datapad for a second and back to the holographic of the Moff before meeting the Inquistor’s eyes. “Yes, Inquistor, I understand. Is there anything further, or may I,” picking up the datapad, she continued, “begin my examination of this?”

[Y'roth Helghast]

"No, Agent Hierax. You have received your preliminary briefing. There will be time to study that material on the flight to the Doldur Sector."

The holographic image of Moff Tarkin faded.

"We depart in three hours. You will report an hour before departure in Hangar Bay 966 and ensure that all of your belongings are secure. That is all for now, Agent, dismissed."

The console flickered off and Helghast turned and exited the room, the black orb following suit in a timely manner. Once again, Hierax was left to her own devices.