Corellia: Imperial Intelligence Steps In

[Rez Ace]

The soaring space scrapers of Coronet City, the Jewel of Corellia, glistened brightly in the mid-day sun. As Corellia was a Core world, and a designated industrial planet, it was a busy place all the time. Coronet was highly technologically advanced and had beautiful architectural designs everywhere. One of the busiest areas of Coronet, it's Space Port, was second to none, including Coruscant. It was a beautiful place and was well protected and patrolled to maintain order. Although on this day, there was suddenly a dark wave of fear among the area. Several moments ago, a space craft landed that was rarely seen by the common citizen. The Lambda-class Imperial Shuttle landed in one of the reserved hangars, and out from it came an Imperial Officer. No ordinary Officer though, it was an Admiral, and he was being escorted by Storm Troopers.

Admiral Rez Ace walked through the busy city of Coronet. The hot sunlight from above was being blocked out by the tall space scrapers, which made it a very comfortable day. He grew weary of constantly showing his identification to gain access deeper into the city's government areas. He thought the ranks on his uniform, or even his Storm Trooper escort would be enough to gain access, but he could respect their security procedures. He probably would have done it the same way. He walked up the steps into the Moff Headquarters, and dismissed his escort. He walked into a beautiful, ornate grand hall, where several Imperial Officers bustled about to get their assignments done. Rez liked to see orderly performance very much, and was pleased to see it in action. He walked up to a secretary, showed his identification, and waited for a response.

'Oh!' said the secretary, as she turned white quickly 'What do you need, Admiral?' She said hesitantly.

Rez sighed deeply and looked away from the secretary before responding, 'Relax, would ya? I'm here to speak to Moff Xaanan. Could you see to it that he is notified quickly please? I'm sort of in a hurry here.'

'Yes right away sir!' The secretary turned around and hurried into an office behind the desk. Rez looked around for somewhere to sit temporarily as he waited notification...

[Delgado Xaanan]

A familiar tension headache nestled itself behind Delgado's eyebrows. While many of the Corellian Sector's prominent figures - particularly those political ones less inclined towards obedience - had a talent for causing himself such discomfort with their trivial concerns and asinine complaints, but Queen Matatek of Selonia was by far the most proficient. Almost an hour had passed since the Selonian monarch's corpulent, vice-bloated form had been towed into his office, here to air her grievances over the Empire's latest perceived slight against herself or her people; and despite the unwavering resolve of Brigadier Rinzai Terius, and Delgado's own formidable skills at brokering negotiations and compromise, they were still nowhere closer to a resolution that would inspire the Queen to finally leave. If anything, they were several parsecs further away.

The bustled arrival of the Moff's receptionist from the foyer beyond his office was a welcome interruption: a brief reprieve from this exercise in futility. Back in the Corporate Sector, the leaders of the Direx Board had possessed an impressive ability to talk endlessly and yet progress nowhere; he'd learned to value interruptions and distractions, cherishing the sense of urgency they often instilled. Bureaucrats were far more receptive to the idea of knuckling down and resolving their differences if they felt they were running out of time before their situation was entirely ignored.

"Thank you Ensign," the Moff acknowledged with a nod, adjusting himself ever so slightly in his high-backed seat. He waited, eyes focused on the doorway; the Queen's ego was such that she wasn't always willing to speak unless she felt she was receiving her target's undivided attention. Soon the durasteel plates slid aside once more, this time framing a meticulously presented Imperial Admiral.

"Queen Matatek," Delgado said finally, allowing a breath to be drawn into his lungs, subduing most of the tiredness and frustration from his tone, "Brigadier Terius. Allow me to present Admiral Rez Ace of Imperial Intelligence."

He shifted again, freeing himself from his seat, enough to reach across the desk and offer a hand to the officer as he approached. "Welcome to Corellia, Admiral."

[Queen Matatek]

The Queen sat up on her litter throne slightly, the change in her posture accentuating the jowls that flanked her tapered muzzle. She pivoted her head ever-so-slightly to regard the Imperial underling, one of an endless supply of apparatchiks under the hierarchy of the Empire.

The Selonian leader raised a stubby-fingered paw from her chest in a small token of greeting.

"Kha zhhek nuur awghaaz kharruq Akharr szaa hruu."

Again attended by half a dozen identical, lithe handmaidens, the Queen did not lower herself to speak the tongue of outsiders. Her prime handmaiden curtsied in the Admiral's presence, delivering the Queen's words with a pleasant tone in perfectly-inflected basic.

"Queen Matatek, She of the Selonian Overden, is pleased to make the Admiral's acquaintance."

[Rez Ace]

Rez had a uncomfortable feeling from being the center of attention, but this was something he had to get used to, and pushed it's feelings aside. He stepped forward and took the Moff's hand. "Thank you for the welcome." As he pulled back his hand, he shortly acknowledged the Queen's presence, and said respectfully "Pleased to meet you." nodding his head briefly in her direction. Rez looked quickly around at everyone in the room, noting their presences, particularly that of Brigadier Rinzai Terius.

Rez stood up straight and diverted his attention to the Moff sitting in front of him, and cleared his throat before speaking to him. "I'm here to inform you that my fleet has arrived. My ensign aboard my ship should have sent you it's coordinates. Please see to it that you share this information with nobody." He said very seriously, briefly eyeing Queen Matatek.

"I'm also inclined to tell you that I will be sending several Intelligence Agents to the planet's surface, and would like them to be left to do their business. If they cause any trouble, please inform me. I've also been personally sent to be a tactics advisor, to use at your disposal." Rez finished his barrage of information, and stood waiting for a response.

[Rinzai Terius]

Rinzai felt an eyebrow climbing, the strand that held his eyepatch in place digging in a little further as his skin subtly shifted. He'd been briefed on the situation of course - as commander of the blockade he was fortunate enough to frequently find himself on the Need To Know list - and it had left him feeling conflicted. On the one hand, he knew Admiral Ace from earlier in his career: he knew how he worked, knew his reputation for getting things done, and took some small comfort in the knowledge that the Empire was dedicating effective resources to the Corellia situation. On the other, there was that word: Intelligence.

Rivalries between the various branches of Imperial service were complex and deeply ingrained; but nothing unified the Empire's officers better than their mutual distaste for Imperial Intelligence. They fell beyond the reach of the typical military hierarchy, occupying a grey area that was ill defined and ill understood. The notion of an Imperial Intelligence fleet lurking in secret within the Corellian Sector made Rinzai nervous, regardless of the pedigree of the officer commanding it: as allies, that kind of command might prove invaluable, but it was hard to think of Intelligence as anything other than the secret antagonist to all. So much martial power sitting beyond the reach of the sector's formal chain of command seemed like due cause for concern; and the prospect of Imperial Intelligence conducting it's own operations in Corellian space and on Corellian soil, outside of those coordinated through Governor Xaanan's office, left Brigadier Terius feeling nervous.

"Don't worry, Admiral: the location of your fleet is quite secure. We may not have Imperial Intelligence's aptitude for cloak and dagger, but we manage. Now that the Empire has approved the right kind of resources, Moff Xaanan has everything under complete control."

[Delgado Xaanan]

Delgado didn't flinch as Rinzai spoke, letting the Brigadier speak his piece. While the man was many things, a diplomat he was not; but Delgado had learned to respect and appreciate his decisive bluntness, particularly given the task that he was assigned. Rinzai was a Corellian, and that was the kind of attitude that Delgado needed from the Corellians on his staff: complete certainty of belief, no room for compromise or sympathy with the insurgents they strove so hard to suppress. Rinzai's task was to shoot first, to thwart and to apprehend, so that the Security Bureau could be allowed to ask questions later. It was a dichotomy that worked, and Delgado understood the part he personally played in coercing and ensuring his sector's acceptance of that approach.

But that dichotomy was in jeopardy, thanks to Imperial Intelligence. The carefully constructed and balanced engine of Imperial security that they had built here was being threatened by a factor of the Empire who were notoriously bad at playing well with others. Rinzai's defensive interjection was completely understandable: the effectiveness of the blockade relied on all parties working collaboratively, and being aware of what the others were doing. If Imperial Intelligence planned to act outside that, if their ships and agents planned to deviate from the structure and order that Brigadier Terius and Colonel Tahmores had established, the entire mechanism might begin to fall apart, leaving cracks that the Resistance could exploit to undermine everything.

"What the Brigadier means to say," Delgado appended carefully, "Is that maintaining the security and secrecy of your Fleet is vital for all our sakes. The existence of this Resistance movement is, for now at least, a matter of internal Corellian security. If word were to get out that Imperial Intelligence has deployed an entire fleet to conduct clandestine acts against the Empire's own citizens, there would be public outcry: and that is exactly the kind of division that rebel factions have proven so adept at exploiting in the past."

The governor frowned, taking a moment to carefully knit his fingers together and consider his words before he spoke again.

"To that end, I ask that you work to coordinate your efforts with Brigadier Terius, and with Colonel Tahmores from the Security Bureau. We need to demonstrate that the Empire is a united front, not risk the illusion of exploitable weakness by working at crossed purposes."

[Rez Ace]

Rez was a very intelligent man, having much experience with the way people reacted to certain actions. He could feel the slight tension and nervousness in the room. He wasn't here to disrupt their efforts and cause chaos. No, he was here to help, and despite Imperial Intelligence's reputation, that's what he was going to do.

"Very well, but I would like to make one thing clear. As you both know, I was once just an officer in the Navy. I shared, and still share, your opinions on Imperial Intelligence. But I'm here to help. I'm your ally. My intentions are to assist you in any way you see fit, and I can assure you that my intelligence officers will not be of any concern to your or your people here on Corellia. I've hand picked all my officers and agents and their abilities will suit their tasks well."

While Rez was new to being an Admiral, the title suited him well. He was very good at what he does and errors in his strategies would be very rare, if not impossible. Rez moved his hands behind his back to take a stance of formality, after he set a small holo transmitter on Moff Xaanan's desk.

'Now, since I won't always be with my fleet, I would like you to take this holo transmitter. You may use this to communicate with Captain JJ Elrick, my most reliable officer. If you have any orders or favors, just tell him and it will be done."

As Rez said this, he made brief eye contact at both Xaanan and Rinzai, to show the seriousness in his face.

[Queen Matatek]

The increasingly tense banter between the Governor, his Brigadier, and the Admiral of Intelligence did little to assuage the Selonian Queen. Matatek shifted her weight, saying nothing, but rather making a sound as if to clear her throat - gnnfff.

Duly prompted, her Prime Handmaiden clasped her hands together, addressing Moff Xaanan directly.

"Governor Xaanan, with the utmost respect, She of the Overden wishes to discuss the disappearances of the ore shipments from her storehouses."

[Delgado Xaanan]

So it was shipments now. The Selonians couldn't manage to keep their storehouses in order, so of course that became his problem. That was how bureaucracy seemed to thrive best: reverse delegation, shunting responsibility to higher and higher levels so that you didn't have to address it yourself.

He supposed it was an effective strategy in a way. Trying to transform this into an Imperial matter, trying to goad the Empire into contributing forces or supplies to help secure and reimburse the Selonians, played perfectly into Matatek's politics. She considered herself a loyal subject of the Empire, and she wanted that not only acknowledged, but rewarded. Delgado had half a mind to park a Star Destroyer permanently in orbit of Selonia, and flood it's streets and tunnels with a garrison of Stormtroopers; but he was above that, mostly. That was the kind of action that ordinary Moffs would take: a show of force, the rule of fear; textbook Tarkin Doctrine. Perhaps that was the prevailing modus operandi of the Empire these days, considering the reigning monarch; but Delgado preferred a more balanced and proportional response.

He fought the urge to smile, realising the possibility placed in front of him.

"Then She of the Overden is in luck. I'm sure the Admiral would be more than willing to render his resources to help your investigation -"

He shared a brief look with Admiral Ace, hoping the officer was adept enough at reading people and situations to understand the unspoken opportunity that Delgado was crafting. As a loyal, sovereign subject of the Galactic Empire, there was only so much direct influence that could be exerted upon the Selonian people. They had a right under Imperial law to their quasi-independence, and there was only so much that Governor Xaanan could lawfully do without encroaching upon their sovereign rights. There were restrictions in how aggressively Xaanan's men could respond to situations on Selonia, because without a direct invitation, and without direct cause to speculate Resistance activity upon the planet, any action he took was a potential quagmire. Imperial witch hunts could only be conducted on worlds where there was evidence of witches. Delgado's resources within the Imperial Security Bureau couldn't obtain that kind of evidence; but perhaps the Admiral's Intelligence assets could.

"- provided you're willing to allow Imperial Intelligence the right kind of access to your court and records, of course."

[Rez Ace]

Rez understood the situation well. He felt for the Xaanan's situation of constantly dealing with matters such as this. He would have never accepted an offer to be a moff, and this was even more evidence of why.

"I would be more than willing to help out with the situation. I could send a few ships with Intelligence agents, and nobody would even know we were there." He looked at Matatek with a bit of question "That is, if you're willing to allow my assistance. I'm sure it would be easier for all of us if you did."

The Admiral put a bit of emphasis on the last sentence he spoke, trying to sell his offer of assistance. His fleet was much larger than it honestly needed to be, and he had more than enough ships to spare for a short investigation such as this. It would also be a good opportunity for any of his newer intelligence agents to gain some experience. It honestly seemed like a great plan for everybody to him.

[Queen Matatek]

The Queen considered Mof Xaanan's proposal, her second chin showing itself as the large Selonian tilted her head downward, stroking the tuft of fur at her chin with a claw tip.

"Zhaag bhey. Khau wrazk nagh ghoh. Naach kuchwra zho haxh ghoraaz ux khaazhka."

The Prime translated seamlessly, her flews buoying up in the practiced imitation of a human smile.

"She of the Overden agrees to your suggestion, and gladly offers the Admiral the service of a handmaiden to act as her liaison."

From the attending throng of identical Selonians, one stepped forward and apart from those at Queen Matatek's flank. She spoke with as much mannered poise as the Prime, curtsying in salutation.

"I am Matatek Gau Zarahi. I am honored."

[Rez Ace]

Rez smiled and held out his hand to the handmaiden

"Excellent. How do you do, madam?"

Rez was pleased that this arrangement would work out. He had a new intelligent agent arriving shortly, and he thought this would be a great mission for her to start on. A good way to analyse her skills and performance. He turned his attention to Moff Xanaan and Rinzai.

"Is there anything else I can do for you two before I return to my fleet?"

[Delgado Xaanan]

Delgado sat quietly, contemplating the way the Admiral interacted with Queen Matatek's handmaiden. He wondered how familiar the man was with the Selonians as a species, and idly considered whether or not he should have Colonel Tahmores prepare an ISB briefing on their customs and culture, or simply leave things to unfold as they may. There was value in being supportive of his new Intelligence associate, but you learned little about a man when you performed his actions for him. Having Imperial Intelligence fail would be counter-productive to the Moff's efforts here in Corellian space, but the old adage about giving a man enough rope to hang himself played out in his mind; and there would be political value in risking failure, only to step in and strengthen his own position by resolving the crisis.

No: it would be best to leave Admiral Ace and his fleet to their own devices; let them demonstrate what they were capable of.

Delgado's fingers laced together on the desk before him, a thumb drumming against the other hand as he made a show of contemplating the Admiral's question.

"I realise that secrecy is paramount, but so is coordination," he finally answered, an almost imperceptible gesture of his head thrown in Rinzai's direction. "I would appreciate it if you could find some time to work with Brigadier Terius, so we can ensure that his operations and yours do not interfere with each other. The last thing we need is for your Fleet to be discovered because there's a Star Destroyer orbiting Selonia that shouldn't be there. Perhaps there's some arrangement to be found: some of our ships aiding in your operations in the interests of anonymity, or some of your ships aiding officially in the blockade as a cover."