Blood in the Water

[Y'roth Helghast]

"Fire!"

The firing squad opened fire from their kneeling positions. The inquisitorial officer still standing was the first to fire alongside his command. His las pistol recoiled only slightly as he fired a number of rounds off into the backs of the people lined up against the wall. The stormtroopers in their jet black armor kept firing until every body hit the ground.

The screams of the bystanders, corralled between a wall of soldiers in the town square. Someone threw a rock from inside that mass of people and a red lance of energy seared from the top of a nearby building before the rock hit the ground near the firing squad. The sniper who had neutralized the rock thrower took up his scan amongst the crowd for any more active dissenters.

Tie fighters flew overhead the settlement, screaming across the star lit sky. Renatasia IV had repopulated after the butchering of its population by the Empire some time ago and now the Empire had returned. The shuttle flying off planet had been captured and found to be holding some interesting cargo, namely an individual that had quickly been identified as a force adept, much to the Fleet Commander's... pleasure. It was rumored that the Fleet Commander of Task Force Witch Hammer was a machine sent to relentlessly fulfill the Inquisitorial directive into deep space.

The officer of the firing squad looked up for only a brief moment before making his way inside the building that the commanding ground officer had taken for the time being. Agent Berray stood staring out the window at the dead bodies as they were piled up and set aflame.

"Sir, Agent Class II Stratham reporting."

The Inquisitorial officer dropped his salute to the lean man standing before him who didn't do anything to acknowledge his presence beyond speaking.

"Good man, Stratham. Start segregating the people now that they know we mean business. There is a safe house somewhere in this settlement and a rat's nest of force adepts huddled together as if that would keep them safe. Keep the men alert, even if we are just looking for a bunch of untrained mutants."

[Y'roth Helghast]

"Inquisitor... Anti-Imperial sentiment is strong here as was briefed throughout the rest of the Renatasia system."

The hologram of Agent Jaan Berray stood before Inquisitor Y'roth Helghast, the Task Force Commander. The Inquisitor's prosthetic eye emitted a bright red glow as he perused an endless stream of data from the current operation. His arms were folded across his chest as he stared into Agent Berray.

"There appears to be no immediate or significant terrorist presence on Renatasia IV but the strike teams are still searching. Levels of dissent spike without any major coordination but are easily put down. I predict that they are harboring their most force sensitive adepts somewhere and we are near finding them. There are no signs of any trained adepts or traces that Jedi might have infiltrated their society."

Agent Berray shifted slightly, a bit uneasy under the gaze of Inquisitor Helghast. It had been a test to put Berray as the commanding officer on the ground. Berray was no infantry man. He had been a covert operative, specializing in disruption and source operations in enemy organizations. Fortunately the Inquisitoriate troopers and their commanders were not new to this kind of operation by any means and were more than happy with the liberties Berray granted them. Jaan could not get away from the worry though, was he passing Helghast's test?

[Y'roth Helghast]

"Continue your search, Agent Berray."

"Yes, Inquisitor."

The hologram blinked out and Helghast turned to view the bridge of the Soul Reaper. The crew avoided eye contact as he walked by, overlooking the data on their consoles before going back to reviewing the reports from the ground forces. Red windows of data flicked across the vision of his prosthetic eye, his neural implants allowing his human brain to process it all with ease.

"Inquisitor?"

Helghast turned to face Agent Jerrard who stood beside the command console.

[Y'roth Helghast]

"Sir, we've blocked a number of outgoing transmissions encoded within the government's security network. They are trying to make interstellar contact with a recipient that has yet to be determined."

From where he stood, Helghast accessed the information that Jerrard was viewing instantaneously. Jerrard continued with his assessment.

"That source is most likely either the terrorist Rebellion, our Jedi in hiding, or the nearest system. Assuming the worst, it is likely the Rebellion..."

Jerrard let that hang in the air with respect to Helghast's position. Y'lor knew the Inquisitor well enough, knew that Helghast thought strategically on a degree of levels that to sometimes say too much as a subordinate would only insult his presence of command.

Given what Jerrard had said, the Alliance could possibly muster a response in a relatively short amount of time in fleet terms. Even with what measly resources the terrorists might have available, the Task Force was not designed for fleet combat by itself and no Imperial fleet was nearby to mutually support them in their operation. The transmissions were being jammed yet Helghast refused to rule out the possibility that another mode of communication might have succeeded in reaching any threat.

Inquisitor Helghast.

The tall man's head jerked slightly as IMP, one of the three major AI entities within the Inquisitorium made a direct connection with his neural implants.

The Citadel has sent a request that you contact Inquisitor Atrapes at your convenience. A channel has already been cleared for your use in your quarters.

"Agent Jerrard, you have command. Expedite the ground operations."

"Understood, Inquisitor."

[Y'roth Helghast]

The command quarters were free of any aesthetic detail. The only few things might have seen as luxury were things left over from the previous commander for which Helghast had not the time to remove before their initial departure from Coruscant some time ago. However the quarters were bathed in red light from the multiple screens that took up the main viewing wall. Deep space served as the background for unending streams of information. With IMP's ability to access anything within the Imperial network, Helghast was ever vigilant, watching over the Empire even in his absence. He knew that within the Inquisitorium and elsewhere in the Empire, he did not stand alone and much trust went out to other agents of the Empress. Such as Atrapes.

Y'roth Helghast had read over Atrapes' file before and had even been assured by the Grand Inquisitor of his loyalties when they had been securing the foundations of Empress Tarkin. His red eye flashed for a moment as he accessed the computer systems within his quarters.

Accessing channel 262, encryption level vermilion, establishing long distance recipient...

A circle in the floor lit up around Helghast's feet and he could hear the projector's hum beneath him as it activated, preparing to transmit.

Connection established, pending reception, begin frequency adjustments...

[Rossos Atrapes]

Before Inquisitor Helghast, the projector flickered to life, and the form of Inquisitor Atrapes appeared, blue and dark, only truly visible against the completely black background.

“Inquisitor Helghast,” the hologram of Atrapes began, nodding. In the Inquisition, there was no definable rank below the titles assigned to the Grand Inquisitor and those immediately below him. However, in terms of years of service and in the opinions of most Inquisitors, including Atrapes himself, Helghast was of the higher rank within their shadowy organisation. Atrapes's own nominal 'title' was that of Administrator, which denoted nothing in terms of importance other than that he was in fact an expendable bureaucrat. His continued existence hinged on his other activities and abilities, and those were promising enough to allow him his life and continued service.

With Helghast, there was a refreshing sense of efficiency; one which precluded the banter that usually occurred between those who coordinated things in large organisations, including the Inquisition. Usually Atrapes, who thrived on his abilities with his voice, used these occasions to further his own ends and schemes, or to influence his listeners to an end designated by his own superiors. Atrapes only waited for Helghast's own greeting, and continued.

“We have captured a Jedi who had escaped the Purge. Through interrogation, we have learned of her hiding place, a planet on the Perlemian Trade Route, which is as of now unnamed, but carries the designation RX-271. It is almost completely without technology, save for what few cast-offs must have found their way into their hands from the garrison, which had allowed the Jedi to go unnoticed and to hide on the planet for some time, and then leave as well some years later. You are requested to make all due haste to RX-271 and the garrison.”

[Y'roth Helghast]

As Inquisitor Atrapes spoke, a map of the galaxy began to focus in on the given area. First the Perlemian trade route, it stuttered for a moment as IMP uploaded the data on RX-271 and then the map zoomed in further, giving details such as projected flight time and likely avenues of approach from the system.

We have captured a Jedi who had escaped the Purge. Through interrogation, we have learned of her hiding place, a planet on the Perlemian Trade Route, which is as of now unnamed, but carries the designation RX-271. It is almost completely without technology, save for what few cast-offs must have found their way into their hands from the garrison, which had allowed the Jedi to go unnoticed and to hide on the planet for some time, and then leave as well some years later. You are requested to make all due haste to RX-271 and the garrison.

A garrison in an isolated region where Jedi are allowed to go unnoticed. Complacency. Such a station should be more vigilant than the Empress' own guards. The enemy, when injured, like the Jedi or their terrorist associates, the Rebellion, must go somewhere to lick its wounds. Where better than where insubordinate citizens and soldiers of the Empire forfeit their own security for convenience? Helghast defined such an act worthy of treason. And there was only one consequence for treason. Y'roth's response to Atrapes' request was easy enough to make.

"I will withdraw from the Renatasia within approximately 24 standard hours and be underway to RX-271. The Task Force will conduct a search of the planet in depth. I need you to clarify, Inquisitor, on the mission's intent concerning the Imperial garrison there."

The map had collapsed to a much smaller image as IMP began projecting data of the available courses of action in order to accomplish exactly what Helghast was telling Atrapes.

[Rossos Atrapes]

"...I need you to clarify, Inquisitor, on the mission's intent concerning the Imperial garrison there."

Atrapes's image seemed to smile a bit, but the clarity of the projector was such that the expression could have been an illusion.

"Eradicate them, Inquisitor Helghast. Every last one of them. The Inquisition will set up a replacement base of operations for this system. I am sending Inquisitor Vel Aath to the system with a detachment of her own to see to this end, and her forces will be under your command until the rebuilding begins. The Citadel is sending you the details of her detachment now."

There was a moment of silence as the information made its way to Helghast's neural implant, and Atrapes nodded.

"Veritas Vincit, Inquisitor Helghast."

[Y'roth Helghast]

Ultimately, no other solution presented itself as more viable. Helghast would not have any other way. Rot needed to be cleaned out before any development could be made or else the Empire would simply be rebuilding on a failed foundation.

"IMP has established a secure partition within the Citadel network for you to forward all information concerning this Jedi and other related operations."

At the same moment, Helghast was also requisitioning more forces from the Inquisition in order to reestablish and sustain the garrison on RX-271. IMP was making only millisecond hesitations as it confirmed protocols and orders with Helghast as it laid the operational ground work for the Task Force,

"Veritas Vincit, Inquisitor Atrapes."

Helghast saluted with a fist to his chest before the connection was terminated.