Cold Cigna Campaign: Scorpion Hunting

[Pierce Tondry]

' Many think the Tattooine Krayt Dragon is a dangerous hunt, but I fear the poisonous Sand Scorpions of the planet hella more. You get more fame when you kill a Krayt Dragon, but Scorpion hunting gets you more money.'
-- an unnamed Tattooine poacher

In the cargo bay of Intelligence's captured Star Destroyer, Pierce Tondry oversaw loading operations with his personal unit, Tau Team.

He held a datapad in his hands, and he ticked off a list of things that had been done. The list was not limited to cargo supplies, but of finished tasks. Another mission was in the works, but it could not be started until the final tasks from Operation Mudcrawler were done.

Which they seemed mostly to be. Final Mudcrawler debriefings had finished three days ago, and Pierce's final report had been submitted yesterday. All that was left was for Ysanne Isard herself to close and classify the related files.

Pierce's newest concern was actually a good one. Delta Division training camps had provided a new batch of inductees, so in addition to the experienced lot of shooters he'd been working with before, he now had the start of the next generation SpecOps warrior. What they lacked was battle experience, and he'd proposed an infiltration mission to two of Tau Team's members as training.

So far, one of them was disagreeing in every sense of the word. "It's nice to have good personnel," he murmured.

"Do we really have to babysit the greenies?"

"They're fully qualified in everything, Nick," Pierce replied, not looking up. His fingers ticked another item off the list. "From HAHO jumps to basic underwater demolitions to improvising explosives."

"You know training quals ain't gonna cut it," Nick Weimar, also known as Hemline of Tau Team, groaned. "They gotta want battle experience."

Pierce's eyes looked over the datapad's edge, seeking Weimar's concerned face. "This latest batch did their qualifications in record time. They want it bad."

"Don't worry about it, Hemline," Lucious "Magic Fingers" Vadgrin put in. "Our mission isn't going to be all that bad. I was green once."

"Yeah, and I remember making a mess out of you everytime I talked about women."

Vadgrin's expression flushed slightly, but stayed the same. "Ain't no thing but a chicken wing," he rattled the phrase off easily. "You don't see me being shy in the sack now, do you?"

"I don't see you in the sack, period," Weimar grunted.

"Ladies," Pierce broke in. "Whatever the two of you like to do together at night, you're on my time now. Get your bedsheets untied or I'll be giving your ass a smack."

Weimar burst out laughing and Vadgrin's face reddened an extra shade. "I love it when you talk dirty to me, boss," Hemline clapped Pierce on the shoulder. "Alright, Fingers and I'll teach the Winkens, Blinkens, and Nods that they're cannon fodder until they survive an actual op."

"Good," Pierce added, adding a tick to his list and setting it on a nearby cargo box. "Because I'll be doing the same thing."

This caught Weimar off guard. "Meaning?"

Pierce gazed at the cargo being loaded. "Meaning we have a newly refitted VicStar III. I think I can do a few things with it and train the greenies at the same time."

"That's what I like about you, boss," Weimar gave Pierce another slap on the back. "Always leading from the front."

Pierce picked his datapad up and buried his face in his list again. "Your op's on Trogan," he said. "And your unit arrives at 0700. Get moving."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce watched his two agents leave. Magic Fingers asked something of Hemline, which was answered with a shrug. Then the two of them rounded a corner and were out of sight. Their mission departure time would come soon enough.

In the meantime, Pierce had to have a conversation he wasn't looking forward to. He wished he was lightyears away instead of just an atmosphere's distance, but knew that he couldn't avoid this talk forever.

######

"Madame Director," Pierce greeted Ysanne Isard's image. "The Arikaschi has been fully refitted."

"Excellent work," Ysanne Isard's smile was cool. Her joy of adding of a new Victory Star Destroyer to Intelligence forces was offset by Pierce being in command of it. "The requestioned equpiment has been delivered."

"It has," Pierce confirmed. "I'm about to proceed on my next mission, but I was wondering if I could keep Guri. Tattooine would be a handy place to have someone who could fit in anywhere."

Isard's smile faded. "Do not think you fool me for a second. What else, exactly, were you planning to do with her?"

Score one for Isard in their little verbal games. "I was planning on having her infiltrate a particular criminal group to gather information," he said calmly. "In particular, how far the news has spread that Intel was involved in Arcan IV's recent events."

Isard's eyes flickered. "An idea worth pursuing. Describe the full extent of your plans."

"I don't know them yet," Pierce replied. It was an even counter to Isard's unemotional request. "Tatooine is constantly shifting from one cartel's control to another. I would have to determine who dominates Tatooine from personal observation, which means making an on-site decision on who to infiltrate."

"When you get to Tatooine, you will inform me of this decision," Isard ordered.

Pierce saluted. "Yes ma'am," he replied. "May I take that as a go-ahead and bring Guri?"

Isard paused again, but Pierce knew she had already given tacit assent with her earlier statement. "Very well," she said. "But let me speak with her first. I wish to make sure she is... undamaged."

"Yes ma'am," Pierce repeated. "She'll be sent down immediately."

"Isard out."

The screen darkened and Pierce stretched back in his chair. Despite the obvious limitations Isard would place on one of Guri's multiple personalities, Pierce now had access to a very valuable Imperial asset. He would make do.

His fingers found the comm switch again, this time, keying in Guri's personal frequency. "Eluna," he said, speaking of the personality he knew was currently in control. "You've been ordered to meet with Director Isard, then report to me for another mission."

"Yes, General," the synthesized voice almost seemed to have motivation behind it. "I will comply."

######

The familiar form of Eluna Thals, Imperial propaganda artist entered Pierce's chosen meeting room an hour's time later. "General," Eluna saluted. "What are my orders?"

Pierce had been sitting behind a desk. He now stood, bringing a thermal detonator to visibility. "Guri," he said loudly. "It's morning already- time to go to school."

[Guri HRD]

(Guri jumped with a start...extremely disoriented. She last remembered readying her shuttle for takeoff on Carida, to escape from the imperials. Now...she was in an office...with a man...

...an Imperial man.

Guri's eyes widened in shock, and her body coiled into a combat stance, ready to leap forward and snap the man's neck like a wet branch. However, her eyes immediately picked up on a greater threat.

...he was holding a thermal detonator.

Knowing that she had been bested, she cursed under her breath, dropping her hands to her sides and looking down at her feet. When her eyes met again with Tondry, her voice was bitter and harsh.)

What do you want with me??

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce's sabacc face didn't twitch, but he was surprised nonetheless. He'd known they had built other 'personalities' around Guri's base avatar program in order to make use of her, but knowing and experiencing was something else entirely. Just like combat.

"Are you completely unaware of the past several years?" he inquired of her.

"Do you not know that already?" she countered hotly.

"I'm not, or I wouldn't have asked," Pierce responded.

"I last recall preparing my shuttle for takeoff," the human replica droid responded. "I have no memory beyond that until I found myself here."

That answer satisfied Pierce. Guri was probably being as truthful as a droid could get. "Very well," he said. "In that case, I believe we need each other."

Pierce moved the hand holding the thermal, drawing Guri's eyes to it. "I'm going to set this down. I don't believe holding it the entire time we talk is wise- I might let it slip accidentally and I don't want that."

His thumb worked the detonator switch and the indicator light on the weapon turned off. He set it on a small stand to his right without withdrawing his hand away. Safety paid in certain circumstances.

"Would you like to know what's been going on?" he asked. "Because I can tell you a little bit."

[Guri HRD]

(Guri paused, her sharp eyes focusing on the man and calculating several thousand ways to terminate his life in under two seconds. However, two seconds was far too long, plenty of time for him to activate the detonator.

Eventually, her curiosity overcame her fear and anger.

She nodded her head.)

Go on...

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce pulled his hand away from the detonator. "You've been working as a forced conscript for Imperial Intelligence. You were, from what I understand, caught on Carida, reprogrammed on Xa Fel, and then brought to Coruscant to work as an Intelligence agent. The reason you remember nothing is because your current programming has several 'personalities' which draw upon your base program- the one running now- for interactive responses, but don't rely on it to store memory. Memory files are kept in other, special modules that can only be accessed by the other 'personalities.'"

Guri frowned at the explanation. "The explanation is crude, but sufficient."

"I'm not a slicer, or I would understand better," Pierce shrugged. "To summarize, it's a bit like hypnosis, or sleepwalking. As Intelligence's Vice-Director, I know the phrases that can bring out ten of those personalities, including the base you."

"Why do you tell me this?"

Pierce's sabacc face held firm, but mentally he frowned. The question was a good one. "Many reasons," he said. "But the long and short of it is that I want your cooperation- willing cooperation- in order to accomplish what I have to do."

Pierce leaned backwards in his chair in a seemingly defenseless position. "How can I get that?"

[Guri HRD]

As you are in Imperial Intelligence, you must pardon my natural mistrust. Your nature is to decieve. Whatever you offer, I doubt you intend to provide.

However, considering that I can remove the thermal detonator from the table quicker than you can react from your current position...

(Guri blinked)

...I will suspend my disbelief.

I will listen to your concerns. If I agree, you will provide me with transport away from here when the task is completed.

If I do not agree, I will end your biological patterns.

[Pierce Tondry]

"Your threat was expected and prepared for," Pierce replied calmly. "If you do manage to kill me, I must warn you that my vital signs are being monitored. Their termination or alteration will result in this room being locked down and sterilized."

Pierce stood, making a gesture towards the door. "And should you somehow manage to escape that, remember that Intel captured you once. Your escape would mean a threat to the organization. You would be hunted with a high probability of recpture."

Guri remained standing motionless and silent.

"I'm glad we understand the position we're in," Pierce continued, walking around to the front of the desk. "Now for the situation."

He flicked a switch behind the desk and activated a holoprojector built into its' surface. The projected image was clear and easily recognizable for anyone who'd dealt with Intelligence-gathering activities in the past twenty years to recognize. In a sense, she was a legend in her own time for what she had managed to become- the epitome of viciousness, ruthlessness, and cunning.

"Ysanne Isard was the one who ordered you hunted," Pierce said, sitting on the desk. "The Director of Imperial Intelligence. My superior."

He cocked his head and gazed at Guri. "I suspect she's not working within the bounds of law when she can be, and more importantly I think she's trying to circumvent my authority- authority given to me by her. That authority can be subsequently taken away, but she cannot take away Imperial law. I need you, Guri, to help me catch her in the act."

He leaned forward, his facial expression conveying the seriousness that he believed was present in the situation. "I need you to work for me."

[Pierce Tondry]

*Thread bump.*

[Guri]

(Guri analysed the possibility of success in successfully killing Tondry and escaping, as well as the possibility of a bluff. The odds were not favorable for her. Crossing her arms, she spoke in a soft tone.)

Very well. You will have my conditional support.

[Pierce Tondry]

It did not surprise Pierce that fine print was included in the contract. "And what, exactly, are the natures of the conditions? Mind you, I was hoping this employment would be long term, if not permanent."