A spoon full of sugar

[Tiberius Anar]

“A few bruises and some little pain are to be expected, Excellency.”

Tiberius Anar grunted. He hoped it conveyed the right amount of contempt for the doctor’s opinion. He wondered whether this well-paid medico had ever suffered from anything worse than tonsillitis. Anar would not describe the pain he was in ‘as some little.’ He would be inclined to describe it as ‘a great deal.’ Being blown up was not a pleasant experience. Recovering from being blown up was also proving rather unpleasant despite all the technology available at the Main Medical Wing- the best hospital on Coruscant.

“I have given the details of the necessary medication to your personal aide,” continued Dr. Menut, looking over the patient chart as he spoke “The bacta tank has dealt with the worst of the injuries but some of the wounds are likely to re-open if you over-exert yourself. You will need at least a week’s rest and…”

Anar interrupted him. “I will be returning to my office immediately.”

The doctor blinked in surprise and opened his mouth to object to this madness. Anar had not intention of allowing him to speak. He rose, a little stiffly perhaps, but he rose nonetheless. The doctor was impressed despite himself.

“I must be seen to be alive and well,” explained Anar, “Someone tried to kill me and they need to see that they have failed and, more importantly, the people need to see it, too.” He waved a hand at the ever present aide who brought a jacket to him. “You will speak with Dr. Vorgen, my personal physician, and arrange a treatment regimen that does not interfere with my work. I will swallow your pills, submit to your examinations and consent to be poked and prodded by your nurses but I will not be kept from my desk a moment longer than I have to be. Good day, Doctor.”

Sensing, quite correctly, that he had been dismissed Dr. Menut withdrew. He passed four uniformed guards to do so, each holding a blaster rifle at the ready. Gods. Is this a hospital or an armoury?

Back in the room Anar had sat back down, breathing rather heavily. His little display of physical bravado had been something of trial despite the cocktail of painkillers he was on.

“Shall I get a nurse?”

“Certainly not,” snapped Anar, “That doctor will be headed for the staff lounge and he’ll be telling everyone he meets there that I managed to stand up unaided.” Anar smiled, “This little propaganda campaign of mine has started already.”

His aide shrugged, “As Your Excellency wishes.”

“Indeed,” Anar was considering his next move. His eyes found one of the two close detail bodyguards stood in a corner of the room, near enough to the door to block it with his body if necessary. “Would you be so good as to tell them to have my limo ready?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you,” the old man’s cold blue eyes found his aide again, “see that the press pool is alerted. I think a few shots of me walking out of this place and back to work will look well on the evening news.”

The door opened at that moment to admit a nurse and a repulsor chair.

“Get that out here!” barked Anar.

***

The evening news casts all ran the pictures as their first item, after a little cajoling from the Propaganda Ministry. There was Anar, immaculately attired as always, walking down a hospital corridor thanking staff as he went. True, there were some nasty bruises about his face but he still looked very much the statesman.

The news anchors informed their audience that, after nine days in hospital, the Chancellor had returned to work. They reported the meetings he had held, including the Council of Ministers, defence chiefs and a delegation of Moffs…

[Miranda Tarkin]

Five days ago Moff Tarkin had received word that Chancellor Anar requested her presence back on Coruscant for an emergency session. It took her three days to delegate tasks and make sure her affairs were in order before returning home on the Wilhuff.

Miranda was excited on the prospect of seeing Anar once again. She had not had the chance to speak with him in length since being shipped off to Doldur. She had a system to run while he managed things back within the Core. But then tragedy struck, but by the Emperor's blessing, Anar survived the attempt on his life and in true fashion, was back to work.

She wondered what exactly Anar knew of the assassination attempt at this point. Miranda had already divulged the information pertaining who was behind the attack to Inquisitor Helghast. Surely he must have transmitted that information back to his superior officer. But how were they going to play their hand? They knew Executor Sevon was the guilty party. She handed over incontrovertible truth in the form of a black datapad that detailed every minute detail of his strategy to take the throne. But the Moff had heard nothing. The only proof that the Inquisitors were watching was her new aide. Part of the Inquisitors herself, the woman was to act in every capacity that Miranda required of her. The only difference was that she also doubled as a bodyguard. A handy little thing at that ...

With the nature of this meeting, her aide waiting outside with the other subordinates as Miranda mingled with former colleagues in the Ministry, waiting for Anar to arrive and shed more insight as to what the meeting entailed. No one truly had a clue, only speculation and fears as to the health of their Chancellor.

[Tiberius Anar]

A small team of the Chancellor's staff had been detailed to tend to the Moffs. They were under orders to keep these mighty men and women happy and comfortable. They had also been instructed to make sure that they were properly turned out. This was an odd instruction but, reasoned the staff, Anar would have his reasons for it. As always they heard and obeyed.

It was a good job that they had done so because after five minutes of small talk the Moffs were startled by the entrance that the Chancellor made. The doors- old fashioned hinged doors of the sort found in some parts of the Palace- flew open to admit two bodyguards and Anar bustled into the room. He was all smiles and handshakes. This was a bit of a surprise but not nearly so much of a surprise as the people who followed Anar into the room.

He had a dozen picture journalists in his wake. Actual reporters in the Imperial Palace. In the Chancellery. In a meeting with eight moffs and the Chancellor of the Empire. It was something of an innovation.

After Anar had made his way around the room, greeting the sector governors with apparent enthusiasm they posed for a group picture. The image appeared suitably impressive Anar, in black with his shock of white hair stood amidst a group in olive drab. This was nothing compared with what happened next.

The moffs were invited to take their seats and, still in view of the reporters, Anar proceeded to a discussion of current affairs. The holoplate in the middle of the conference table lit up to show images of interest. Anar asked questions of his guests- the latest activity in their sectors. He asked about water purification and food shipments, industry and education. He displayed a keen interest in the latest medical research in ore extraction being funded by one his guests and this created a most compelling image.

Anar was standing, obviously in mid flow. His hands were held in front of him as if indicating the length of something. He was turned towards Moff Selner, who was looking up at him from in front like a pupil listening to a teachers' explanation. On the other side, her fingers interlaced and a look of rapt attention on her face was Moff Tarkin. That was the leading image on most of the news matter for the next twenty-four hours.

***

The meeting had ended. Anar had bestowed yet more handshakes and smiles, a few more kind words and then departed. He left eight rather surprised moffs and dozen aides. The reporters had left as soon as Anar had.

One of Anar's aides, a thin young man with a slightly surperior attitude, approached Moff Tarkin.

"His Excellency wishes to see you. Follow me please."

A short walk brought them to the Chancellor's office. Tarkin was admitted immediately.

The office was much as she remembered it. The same traditional fixtures and fittings. The same stunning view of Coruscant as the sun set on the planet that never slept. Standing in a pool of orange tinged light at the very centre of the room was Tiberius Anar.

He turned. His thin lips had a smile playing upon them as he spoke to her, "Well. How was I?"

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda's face lit up in a devious smirk while approaching the Chancellor. "I must say that I was taken aback by the reporters. I certainly wasn't expecting that, nor the other Moffs. I could tell some of them were ... guarded with their words, during the meeting. But the show wasn't for them, it was for the people of the Empire. No one will question your health after this."

Her face softened and was genuinely pleased to be in the presence of Anar. "I for one am very happy to see you again. When I received word on Doldur of what happened, I was stunned."

And for other reasons as well. The news of the Grand Inquisitor being a target and the Inquisitors sending a representative to investigate the possibility of her being targeted; everything happened so quickly.

[Tiberius Anar]

"How kind of you to say so," smiled Anar.

He moved around his desk, moving just a little stiffly, and sat down in the high backed swivel chair. With a wave of his hand he indicated that Miranda should take one of the two seats opposite him.

"I am also glad you approved of my little display," he picked up a datapad and passed it across the expanse of dark polished wood between them, "because it is only the beginning.

"As you can see, I am going to be rather busy. I have meetings with various groups- party and government- and plenty of public appearances. Four or five a day. Another ten days of this and the people, and my would be killers, will be quite sure that I am hale and well again."

[Miranda Tarkin]

Only the beginning? Miranda rose a brow to that as she took the seat offered. She crossed her legs and listened silently, appraising the plan that the Chancellor was enthusiastic about. The Moff could easily understand why Anar wanted to prove the state of his health publicly for the reasons stated, but she wondered if he was being a tad excessive in proving that point.

"That is quite a lot on your plate," she said with a small nod. "Are you certain that this is the best course of action? Having public appearances is quite important, yes, but this many? They might begin to think something is wrong and you're hiding it in plain sight."

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar considered that point; it had already been raised by some on his staff. He had dismissed it. Of course, he had more faith in Miranda's judgement of such things than in that of most of his staff.

"Perhaps you are correct," admitted Anar. That, in itself, was quite an honour to grant to another politician- to concede their point. He went further, saying, "I shall have a few of the events removed. I will, however, retain the broad shape of the plan. I would rather, you will understand, be seen than not given the situation.

"There is, also, an ulterior motive," he indicated the datapad, "You will have, I expect, noticed that I have another meeting with the Council of Ministers this week. That is, in isolation, quite unusual. Buried in this schedule it is..." he drew out the word, considering what how to phrase it, "not suspicous."

[Miranda Tarkin]

She heartedly agreed that the Chancellor needed to keep up appearances, but was equally relieved that he took her advisement. Anar's enemies needed to understand that their plan had failed. The Chancellor just needed to tone it down for their own government, no matter how much the citizens of the Empire were overjoyed to see him on the holonet.

Upon reviewing the datapad, Miranda cued his itinerary three days from now. Anar had a full day starting from 0800 and well into late evening, and yes, there was a scheduled meeting with the Ministers that afternoon. Miranda had wondered why the Chancellor had called the Council of Ministers twice in one week for another full session. It seemed Anar was hoping that this would be seen as an afterthought as the galaxy paid more attention to his public appearances.

"I see ..." she said, tapping at the side of the datapad in thought.

"Hiding things in plain sight after all are you?" She jest. "What has occurred that has required the Ministers presence?"

Obviously Anar would not have mentioned this if he did not want the Moff to know.

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar's eyes twinkled with obvious enjoyment- he clearly found letting people in on the occasional secret something of a pleasure.

"Not precisely," he equivocated, "I see it as more in the order of taking advantage of a situation."

He sat a little further foward in his chair, his slender hands coming together on the surface of his desk. Miranda responded by a slight movement forwards in her chair- two conspirators huddling together.

"At the next Council session I shall be informing certain of my colleagues of their new assignments. Three of them will be moving posts. One will be moved out entirely and one deputy minister promoted. My pretext will be the attempt on my life: the one on the way out being implicated in the plot itself."

[Miranda Tarkin]

"Implicated?" she repeated with some surprise. "This Minister must have done something to your ill liking to be slapped with treason. Trying to root out whom actually tried to take your life while getting rid of an opponent, are you now?"

Such tactics were not uncommon in Imperial politics, if that were indeed the case. Miranda had often been the orchestrator of such strings being severed during her time in COMPNOR.

[Tiberius Anar]

"It will put whoever is responsible at their ease," Anar explained, "It may make finding them that little bit easier."

Anar sat back in his chair, "How would you go about that, by the way? Finding the perpetrators I mean?"

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda had to be careful now. As much as she trusted Anar, some secrets needed to be kept for the good of the Empire. The Inquisitors needed preparation time to reel Sevon in and the circle that knew the truth must remain small.

"So you are hoping they slip up, thinking that you and the rest of the Empire have their minds at ease?" The Moff sat back in her chair and shrugged. "Finding who did this could prove difficult unless the person responsible tried to kill you themselves. But you and I know better then that. They always send in someone to do their dirty work."

[Tiberius Anar]

"They usually do," agreed Anar, "Have you seen the report on the incident?"

Miranda shook his head, as he knew she would; the report was an internal one prepared by his own security chief.

"It makes for interesting reading, more so for what is missing than what is included," Anar plucked a data card from one of his inside pockets. He held it up between thumb and forefinger- Exhibit A. "Among the ommissions is the testimony of the only person to actually witness my attacker's actions, which might prove quite illuminating."

[Miranda Tarkin]

"I'll say ..." she said, scrolling down the information, or lack there of. A very important key witness had yet to be questioned about Anar's assassination attempt. That was the Chancellor himself.

The reason for this eluded Miranda unless Anar didn't want her to see that documentation, or it wasn't prepared in an official capacity just yet.

" ... As the individual who's life was attempted upon, where is your statement?" Her brown eyes scrutinized the Chancellor curiously.

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar lifted his eyebrows in an expression of apparent surprise and wonder, "Me? What could I possibly tell anyone? You will remember I had just been blown across a stage by a rather substantial explosion. If I saw or even heard anything of the incident, do you think it likely I would remember?"

Smiling wryly he added, "You were, perhaps, hoping that my assassin had spoken to me? Let slip some detail or other that might be of some use? How convenient that would be."

He smiled to indicate that it was a joke, his eyes, however, lacked anything even approaching mirth.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Her eyes narrowed, not amused by the jest. "Take my comment for what you will, but it means that whoever is running this is sloppy."

She tossed the datapad onto the Chancellor's desk. "Not having your testimony along with other witnesses that day is unacceptable."

[Tiberius Anar]

The grey slashes of Anar's eyebrows came together: a dangerous sign.

"Acceptable or not," he said cooly, "That is the way things are. There are good reasons."

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda knew that look all too well. She had been the target of several heated debates with the Chancellor in various points in her career. She wasn't backing down on this but offered explanation.

"Pardon me if my diplomatic flare has been tossed aside for the moment, but when a colleague I respect and have looked up to as a father figure in some regards has been physically attacked, my emotions tend to get the better of me." Miranda's voice still had a rough edge to it, admitting her fault, but her features had softened. "You understand why of course."

She had suffered many losses in her short life. He knew this.

"Is the reason behind this just to plant the seed of fabrication to lure out your attacker, or is there more to this then?"

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar felt two two opposed emotions. He felt sympathy, yes he was capable of sympathy despite they years of politicking, for her loss. He also felt pleasure that he should be considered a father to this delightful young woman. He had always wished that he had been a father...

But she is not mine, however sweet it would have been to have one such as her for kin.

"There is always more, Miranda, you know that."

[Miranda Tarkin]

Her lips displayed a smirk, relieved that the Chancellor understood her point as well as agreeing to his statement. It was more a rhetorical statement after all.

"True. I wonder. What have the Inquisitors said about this?" She wondered out loud. "There were rumors that the High Inquisitor himself was the target of an assassination attempt as well. If this is true, more then likely we are working with the same Assassin."

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar looked at Miranda carefully, assessing her suggestion.

"That would mean that there was some purpose to link the two attacks. Do you think that likely?"

[Miranda Tarkin]

"I never exclude any possibility," she said, glad that her little hints were working. "Our government is unstable without the Emperor. It would be easy to create more chaos to our Empire by murdering high profile people that are holding it together by thin strings."

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar settled himself a little further back in his heavily padded (and armoured) chair. His mind was working rapidly, as always. Possibilities, explanations, solutions all suggesting themselves to him in brief flashes. Questions, too...

"But whose purpose would be served by such a development?," he asked his companion, "The rebels, naturally, yet somehow it seems..."

[Miranda Tarkin]

"... it seems someone is craving power that has been left vacant. I'm not sure who, but whoever it is, they are willing to risk the foundations the Emperor created in cementing that gain in power."

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar seemed agitated by the suggestion, his hands moved nervous across the edge of the desk on which they had been resting.

"You think that this is the work of a single individual?" Anar asked, "But who could hope to benefit in such a way by my elimination?"

At that moment the comn buzzed cutting off Miranda's reply. Anar extended his hand to the switch, "Yes?"

Miranda, despite here proximity to Anar's seat, could here nothing of what was said to him as, for the sake of privacy, the speakers of the comn were directed only at the occupant of the Chancellor's own chair.

After a few moments, Anar's had withdrew from the switch and he rose to his feet.

"I am afraid that we will have to cut this short," he apologised, "It seems that I have to meet with someone else."

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda's eyes rose with curiosity but was respectful enough to not voice it. "Of course, Chancellor."

She stood up and bowed, "It was a pleasure and honor to speak with you once more, and wish you a continued speedy recovery. If you need me for anything, you know how to reach me."

[Tiberius Anar]

"Of course," Anar smiled that easy smile that is so essential in politics, "Thank you so much for coming. It has been...interesting."

A secretary ushered the Moff out of the office. As soon she had passed trorugh the outer office to be taken off elsewhere, the secretary returned. He looked expectantly at his master. He was wondering quite why the Chancellor had pressed the switch hidden in the edge of his desk in order to have the meeting brought to swift but seemingly acceptable end.

He was, as was often the case when dealing with the Empire's leading politician, disappointed and, at the same time, intrigued by the answer to his unspoken question. All Anar said was, "Get me an Inquisitor."

[Karl Valten]

The setting sun filtered a soft orange through the window of the Chancellor’s building, highlighting a man dressed in a set of dark robes lined in crimson. Administrative workers avoided the forboding man as if he were the herald of death. It was not often that an Inquisitor walked within their midst; most had never seen one before and most would never see one again. But for now all they knew was a subtle fear that always accompanied an Inquisitor.

“I am Inquisitor Salas.” Chancellor Anar’s secretary fumbled a moment with the comm and soon enough gestured the Inquisitor towards the office doors. A wave of relief washed over the parlor as the door sealed behind Salas.

Inside the Inquisitor bowed with a smile. “You requested our presence, your Excellency.”

[Tiberius Anar]

Despite his exalted station and power, Anar still experienced a frisson of fear when encountering members of the Iquisitorate. Not that he had anything to fear or to hide. Well, not much anyway.

The Chancellor was seated behind his desk, his throne-like chair and raised position above the main part of his office affording him a comforting sense of superiority to his visitor. He indicated the space in front of the desk, silently inviting Salas to occupy it. He did not offer a seat or any refreshment.

"What" he asked, "do you know of the attack made upon me at the Party rally?"

[Karl Valten]

Salas's first instinct was to just stand and say nothing. The Inquisitoriate answered to no one save for the Emperor; an unfortunate thing as the Emperor's life had been snatched away at the hands of that heretic, Skywalker.

Salas still had not fully adapted to the new reality, but he supposed that the Chancellor was now the head of government. Reluctantly, the Inquisitor spoke the truth.

"We are not fully sure of the culprits. The bombing does not fall within the code the Rebellion claim to follow, though we have little faith in their lies. We suspect the involvement of multiple parties. The Inquisitoriate is working with the Department of Intelligence to investigate the possibility of an instigator within Imperial ranks."

To have snuck in and set explosives before the rally, hijack an ambulance, and initiate enough distractions for the assassins to spirit the Chancellor way in plain daylight highly suggested a complex and organized group; either treason or a plant were at play...or both.

"Witness reports and interviews are conflicting and flawed at best. It will take time to be certain."

[Tiberius Anar]

Inwardly Anar felt an odd mixture of foreboding and relief at Salas' answer. He had done the right thing and what he was about to do would be right and advantageous in the end. He had also managed to protect Tarkin from becoming involved in this by preventing her from saying anything of the sort.

Of course, now he himself was involved.

"You believe," he said, seeming to latch onto Salas' speculation about an insiderr, "that someone within the Empire was involved. Why?"

[Karl Valten]

Salas was not used to dealing with politicians like this, or such direct questions. A small measure of discomfort showed on the Inquisitors face.

“Nothing is for certain, however because of recent.....” Salas chewed over the words, he had still not completely dealt with the Emperor’s passing and the implications on the state of the Empire. “…events, loyalty is expected to falter in certain circles.”

The throne would be a coveted position for the moffs and even some of the aristocracy. The Emperor and Lord Vader had kept many of them in fear, but without fear the Inquisitoriate was anticipating selfish power maneuvers.

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar was amused. This man clearly knew how to deal with politicians- or at least thought he did. 'Certain circles' indeed! Ha!

"I've no doubt that the Inquisitorate has particular people in mind. Would I be one of them? The selfish I mean," he chuckled, "Unless you think I may have had myself blown up and abducted, of course."

[Karl Valten]

Humor? Salas didn't get much of that anymore; most underlings respected or feared Inquisitors too much to crack a joke in their and Inquisitors often maintained a professional air amongst each other. There were a few Inquisitors that often kept a jovial demeanor but thankfully Salas rarely ever had to deal with them on Imperial Centre.

Still, Salas forced at the slightest smile onto his face. "Your popularity has risen since the attempt, Excellency. However you do not the fit the profile for taking such extreme measures for such trivial gain."

Salas shifted in the black uniform and regarded the Chancellor. Banter was not really his forte, Salas's specialty lay in other fields.

"But you would not have asked for Inquisitorial presence to ask a simple question. What do you know about the bombing, your Excellency?"

[Tiberius Anar]

Still the Chancellor delayed. He could not help himself. A person did not rise so far within the Empire by simply giving away information. What a person knew was the basis of all that they had in the labaryinth of the Imperial Government and so he said:

"Simple questions often lead to complex answers," a smile, "For example, the question that you have just asked me- that leads to some very complex answers.

"What I know is very little. What I suspect and what I think I know is somewhat greater. But," another smile, "I suppose it is only in what I actually know that you are interested, correct?"

A nod from across the table.

"Very well." Anar reached into his jacket and, from one of the myriad pockets concealed within, withdrew a datacard. He placed it on the desk, his thin fingers moving with great care.

"That," he explained, "is my staff's report on the incident. I've no doubt that your people have already filtched it from the datasystem here by one means or another but it is always pleasant to do these things properly once in a while." He pushed the card a little towards Salas, so that it was now nearer the Inquistor than the Chancellor. "Now you know officially everything that I know with one small exception.

"I also know the face of the person who drove the ambulance. Or rather I know who does."

[Karl Valten]

Word games, the politician’s delight and the Inquisitor’s annoyance. There was nothing of that cloak and dagger nonsense between Inquisitors, or at least there was a different, less destructive brand of it. The stuff the Chancellor was playing at was a matter of Imperial security and not to be trifled with. The annoyance just barely appeared on Salas’s face.

It was true that the Inquisition had sliced the files from the Chancellor’s staff. But the identity of the person who had kidnapped the Chancellor and slain his guards was still a mystery to the Inquisitoriate. Despite the work by some of the best investigators in the Empire no trace of the assassin could be found.
Salas’s eyes narrowed at the card slid across the table but did not approach to take it.

“I thank you for your assistance, but I am curious as to what your reasoning for withholding this until now was, Excellency.”

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar heard the question but feined not to. He had no desire to get embroiled in a debate with an Inquisitor. They tended to ask far too many questions, usually embarrassingly many, for the Chancellor's liking.

"Inquisitor, the person who can help you is not aware of the fact. He is the only surviving eyewitness, a young man assigned to my protection detail named, Jarek Onno.

"He reports that he recalls nothing much of the face in question. This no doubt true. But, as I am sure you are aware, there is a difference between recalling something and remembering it. That is a difference that I believe the Inquisitorate has some expertise in overcoming."

Anar calmly looked the Inquisitor in the eye.

"Buried somewhere in the mind of that young man is the information that you, and I, need. I trust you to...access it."

[Karl Valten]

The Inquisitor opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it and a smile crossed his lips instead. He did not want to play these games with the Chancellor of the Empire. Anar had seen the face of his attacker, it was easy enough to deduce that. The slight omission was forgivable, the Chancellor did not know how the Inquisitors retrieved delicate information with such clarity as they did, but rumors held enough merit that any sane person would actually volunteer themselves.

But years of experience and natural (or unnatural as many outsiders perceived) paranoia set off red flags in his head. “But there is something more isn’t there? Something more than just a face in a bodyguard’s subconscious.”

An assassin had deliberately planned for an execution with the bomb, had hijacked an ambulance and impersonated a medical officer just to be certain of the job, had killed a bodyguard and disabled another…….and then the assassin’s target survived without permanent injury. In the eyes of the Inquisitoriate, nothing ever happened by chance.

[Tiberius Anar]

Anar felt a twinge in his shoulder as he came under the inquisitor's piercing gaze. There had been a cut there. He remembered the blade that had made it, though he had not mentioned this to anyone. It had been healed by bacta patch and should not have been painful. Was this, perhaps, some hint from his conscience? Guilt, perhaps, that he had not bravely told what he knew and was instead sending a young man to the Inquisition?

Tiberius Anar, however, was not the sort to be plagued by guilt. He had learned long ago how to justify his acts to himself. He was too valuable to the Empire, to important to the cause to be sacrificed to an Inquisition cell. The mind of Anar had to be working for the Empire. It could not be tampered with in the search for a criminal.

But this was not about a common criminal. This was about saving the Empire. So...

"I can tell you only this. I was helpless in an ambulance. My attacker could have killed me there and then. Instead they did not. They spoke to me."