Undercover in the Underworld

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

"Freeze recording."

Admiral Zelth let the gravity of the crime hang in space in the middle of the room. The Star Destroyer Fulminator's main hangar was in the full bloom of explosion high over Coruscant. That image spoke as loud as anything the Admiral was about to say to the Imperial Center Joint Command meeting.

"One day ago, terrorists carried off the most brazen attack on Imperial Center in years. A freighter, outbound from the planet, was interdicted due to a forged manifest. She was brought aboard the Fulminator's main hangar bay, where she then exploded in berth."

Zelth paused, passing his attention amongst the audience, his expression grave.

"The Fulminator was one of sixteen destroyers comprising the Coruscant defense fleet. That blast could have destroyed her outright, or worse, it could have set her adrift in such a way as to fall from orbit. I shouldn't have to say that we dare not count on luck a second time. This has all the earmarks of a conspiracy. The resources and execution of this attack could not have been the work of a lone wolf dissident."

The Admiral at last disabled the holo, standing at the middle of the room.

"NavInt has reason to believe that some, if not all of the support for this attack originated from Coruscant."

Murmurs rippled in the assembly, and Zelth stilled them by raising a gloved hand slightly.

"Signal Intelligence was able to confirm a continuous data link between the freighter and a source somewhere on the planet. We believe the ship may have been remote operated. That, combined with the massive volume of explosive material in the hold of the ship, can only mean that the threat persists within Coruscant itself. Therefore, I've called this session of Joint Command to discuss an urgent response from the homefront. NavInt, ISB, and the Stormtrooper Corps are already proceeding apace, but we need the assistance of others too. CorSec must be mobilized. Even the Imperial Knights may be needed to root out this menace before it can strike again."

In the back of the room, a figure bunched and stood, looming over the humans.

"What do you require?"

Matatek Sel Vissica curled her fingers under the bottom seam of her cuirass, anchoring her hands in a resting position. Admiral Zelth gave a single taut-lipped nod in response.

"There is a lead I'd have the Knights pursue, Lady Vissica. It's on level 1313."

[Alexia Sturkov]

As the hologram of the Fulminator's Main Hangar was engulfed in flames Alexia found herself tallying up the numbers, trying to guess the casualties. It was a bad habit born of overseeing a brutal civil war full of similar terrorist attacks. In most cases the only sure data was the casualty count, and depending on the severity of the explosion, sometimes you had to guess. Bodies could be vaporized, or flung so far and in so few of pieces that knowing for sure could sometimes be impossible. Was this why they brought her back to the core? Did they think that she so familiar with the plotting of terrorists that she could be of some assistance in this matter? No doubt they expected her to give an analysis and then ship her back to Corellia.

And then a familiar coiled, furry snake shape stood up at the other end of the room. There was no mistaking the form of Matatek Sel Vissica, and even then she had not seen her until she stood and volunteered for the operation. Casting her eyes over to where Atrapes was sitting with that stupid, smug look on his face; he made no move or said anything otherwise. Clearly this was to his liking. Alexia was not going to pass up an opportunity like this, to take a break from Corellia, to stop playing war for even a moment, and most importantly, to partner with Vissica once again.

Rising from her own chair she stood, with arms crossed, glancing over to meet eyes with Vissica before looking back to Admiral Zelth.

"We stand ready."

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

The Next Morning



"This was not what I had in mind."

Lady Vissica's mood had darkened the moment the particulars had been given, and her only outlet was Alexia. She stared sullenly at the strange, foreign clothing arranged for her in her quarters, resisting the urge to steal a glance back at her familiar armor, which remained lovingly hung upon its rack against the wall of her plainly-decorated living space.

"I have no talent for subterfuge, comrade. If we suspect the conspirators are in the lower levels, we should have locked down the entire grid until we found them!"

Even as she said it, her words caused her own ears to press flush against her head. Even she knew that tactic was foolish. Still, she didn't have to like the alternative. Vissica picked the top-most layer of folded garments from the stack. It was a jumper clearly tailored for a Selonian's unique proportions. Though it was clean, the garment didn't appear to be new, as it had a few frayed spots along the hemlines. Either the clothing was used, or Vissica suspected the Imperial security apparatus had simply gone the extra mile to fabricate the appearance of being that way. With a snort, she eased into the disguise with the care of someone navigating into a minefield.

"Instead, we are to pretend to be workers, and look for suspicious activity? I do not like this at all."

[Alexia Sturkov]

"I kind of like it. Reminds me of something. Childhood, maybe?"

While her comrade fussed over her disguise, Alexia was already dressed and running her hands over the course fabric of her own. It had been so long since she had worn anything other than a uniform in one form or another. First the Inquisition with it's sharp black lines and hard cap and then later the Imperial Knight Uniform, with it's heavy fabric and armor that was designed to flow as much as be impressively stoic. These old, worn out clothes had a very different feel. She could feel like she could move, that she didn't have to worry about it bunching up with cloying tightness. There was no chafing. This must be how Vissica felt all the time with her liberating breastplate.

She could not even remember when she had last dressed like this. Not since she was masquerading as a sith priestess. Back before Atrapes found her and showed her a new truth. Before that... those memories were only a fog. As unfamiliar as the face she saw in the mirror now. The scars along her mouth were covered up and color had been returned to her face, replacing the gray-purples with warm peach. They even added a little rose to her cheeks and color to her lips; to help her blend in they said. It was like seeing a corpse come back to life. And she could not decide if she loved or hated it. The mirror was snapped shut and placed back into her coat pocket.

"I agree. This is the sort of work the Inquisition was bred for. I guess it falls down to us in their absence. It should be interesting. I don't think I've ever been in the Coruscant underground. Have you?"

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

"No." Vissica replied flatly, her brow furrowing in disappointment. "My duties have never summoned me there, and the time of the Inquisitorius hunting Jedi in the lower levels has long-since passed. My understanding was that it was a nest of petty bandits and thieves that CorSec was more than capable of pacifying. Obviously my assumption is incorrect."

Vissica stuffed her large, stubby fingers through a pair of fingerless gloves that came with her assigned outfit, listening to the material creak slightly as she flexed into a fist and relaxed.

"I suppose that this should feel in some way familiar. The lower levels, like Selonia, are effectively underground, and far from the light of the surface."

[Alexia Sturkov]

"I always heard that it was a wasteland of duracrete and steel, that stretches on forever in a twisting labyrinth. They say, all the way down on the actual surface of the planet, there are monsters that scavenge an existence in absolute darkness. I don't think CorSec could tame such a habitat in a thousand years."

Alexia paused in the action of running her fingers through her intentionally disheveled hair to dwell upon a new thought that had just risen in her mind. She was suddenly aware that she was talking so very much compared to her usual more stoic and to the point attitude. Naturally, she told herself. One had to fill in for the social black hole that was Matatek Sel Vissica. That, or she was just much more comfortable to speak her mind in the presence of one the few people she thought of as a friend; even if the other did not think in such social constructs.

"I'm sure some day they will pave over this top layer, too. Layers of makeup covering the decay and rot underneath. Hiding it from view..." She paused in his thought. The self reflection was becoming too sharp and needed to be sheathed once again. "It will no doubt be cramped down there, especially for you. Hard edges, lots of narrow corridors, and built for humans."

[Matatek Sel Vissica]

"You think in human limitations."

To illustrate, Vissica eased down fluidly to four legs, noting with relief that her change of clothes was perfectly suited to this manner of posture as well.

"Selonians are accustomed to close space and contact."

Looking up at the now-taller Alexia, Vissica nodded.

"We should depart."

[Alexia Sturkov]

"Yes. We should. No doubt they have provided something suitably... civilian to ferry us."

She smiled and tossed her bag over her shoulder. There was a certain element of fun to all of this, to breaking away from normalcy. No armor, no lightsabre. Just her and Vissica against the whole Underworld.