Private A New Direction

[Corala Gethsverg]

Location: Coruscant, Private Meditation Garden on the Upper Levels.


The new promotion felt less deserved and more like an obligation to Corala, as though she had looked out at the city-scape of Coruscant many times before, this was the first time in a long time that she felt a tad conflicted on her duties and the new challenges she would face. She had been an Intelligence Officer for years by now, but it was entirely different going from a pencil pusher, to the one ordering and monitoring the pencil pushers. Even the new uniform she wore felt off, but then again, she never liked the more formal get up they required intelligence to wear during office hours. She would remain a staunch professional, as you do in these situations, but now more than ever the galaxy just seemed perhaps a tad too big for her to grasp. She was no coward though, and her past had proven that time and time again. She would rise up and conquer, just as she always had, and always would. The small garden she had rented for tonight would be a break from the norm, as she would rely on advice from someone with more experience than herself on this matter.

Din Marren was a man with a rather impressive track record, given his track record, he was certainly one of the more experienced of his peers, and for that reason she felt confident in talking with him. There was alot of planning to do, and getting word from boots on the ground seemed to be a good way of gauging possible future efforts. "Madam, the refreshments have been laid out, do you require anything else?" Her personal protocol droid appeared over her shoulder, gesturing to a tray of refreshments it had laid out on one of the tables. Checking to see it was all in place, Corala merely smiled and nodded. "No VK, that will be all. Thank you." She remarked, as her eyes lingered towards the small bubbling fountain set in the middle of the garden. "Of course Madam. You know how to reach me if that changes." With that, she was left alone, awaiting the arrival of Din. Corala looked off into the distance, as she began to go over info via her cybernetic eye. There was just so much work to do, so little time.


Din Marren

 

[Din Marren]

Coruscant // Surface Level // Private Meditation Garden
Corala Gethsverg​

​

Despite the success of the advanced medical procedure and the guarantees from the doctors involved that his new limb would be top-notch, Din was still getting used to the new bio-prosthetic leg he'd received after a rough landing 0n Muunilinst. It was hard to complain though, he was lucky enough to survive the impact, let alone the rest of the fighting that followed. After the official declaration of a New-Imperial / Alliance victory over the invaded territories, the commando was promptly evac'd back to Coruscant for medical care. The injuries weren't life threatening, but the Defense Force brass wanted to make sure the Caridan would be ready to redeploy on the Sith-Imperial front.

So they popped off the old and grafted on a new. Like a toy soldier.

When he'd received word that the newly appointed Director of the Strategic Intelligence Agency wanted a word with him, he'd expected it to be serious. Perhaps a joint-op between the naval Commandos and the agency's Operations Division. Finding out that it was to be an informal meeting caught him off guard. As far as he was aware, he'd done nothing to put himself on the SIA's radar.

Clothed in an awkwardly thrown together business-casual outfit and stuck with a limp that hadn't quite faded yet, Din can't help but feel completely ridiculous as his taxi drops him off at the rooftop vista. He glances around, briefly expecting the HUD of his non-existent helmet to pin-point the woman's location for him.

Rounding an ornate ornate statue to the sight of the fountain, the commando quickly spots Corala standing infront of it.

"Director Gethsverg?" he asks, unsure. His eyes glance from side-to-side to look for any others, hoping he hadn't approached the wrong person, "Sgt. Din Marren. Alliance Commando."

 

[Corala Gethsverg]

Looking at the fountain, Corala couldn't help but reflect on her place in a rather intricate machine. In a bit of irony, she was nearly more machine than human by now, so perhaps it was fitting she had been given this role. She didn't lament the fact her life had taken this turn, but she was. He was here, or at least someone was approaching. Corala closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of footsteps that neared her, but didn't turn about to face it. Her question was answered as she heard her title and name be spoken, and she swiftly turned from facing the fountain and towards the casually dressed soldier before her. There were probably many questions that Din would have for her, so Corala cut it short. "Sargent Din, pleasure to meet you out of uniform." She commented, before pausing and looking at her current attire. A small smile stretched across her lips as her stupid sense of humor slipped out. "Well, at least one of us is out of uniform." She corrected, her right eye flickered and switched through several filters, scanning him to soothe her paranoia that he wasn't a possible threat. Her eye detected one change in particular, a new bio-prosthetic limb had been attached to him. It took her a moment to place where that injury might have occurred from, but it soon clicked into place. She felt a bit of sympathy for the man, as if her records were accurate, this was the first limb he had lost; probably to be the first of many. "How is your new leg treating you? It feels off, doesn't it." She remarked, knowing all to well about the loss of limbs, and even with all the medical tech in the galaxy, nothing was quite the same as your original flesh and blood. "In time, you'll come to get used to it, and eventually forget about the one you left behind."

Her mind threatened to go back to the days of her rehab, of being built from the ground up after the factory incident, but she suppressed the thought. That wasn't the place for this sort of talk, and this wasn't the reason she had brought him here. "Forgive me if I speak out of turn Sargent, and please, relax. This whole affair is entirely informal." She motioned for one of the several cushioned chairs that were about the fountain, and the small table that VK had placed several drinks and appetizers upon. "I'm all too aware of the disparity between officers and non-commissioned officers. I'm hoping to bridge that gap, you see." Corala moved off to the side and took a glass of Corellian wine off the small table and took the seat nearest Din. "And Corala works just fine, no need for formalities." She remarked, raising the glass to her lips and sipping it's contents. "I just want to know what our finest soldiers think about their job, and where they feel best suited. That sort of thing." She swirled the glass, hoping that he would follow her lead, but if not it was understandable. "And no, there are no recording devices here. Everything you say will be strictly off the record. You can speak your mind to your hearts extent."

Din Marren

 

[Din Marren]

Coruscant // Surface Level // Private Meditation Garden
Corala Gethsverg

​

The relief that comes with the confirmation of Corala's identity quickly turns to anxiety as Din realizes that the officer is in her uniform. He tenses, but her words quickly verify that their meeting was intended to be informal. Even still, he feels the sweat on his brow from the brief moment of panic.

"You too, Sir," he pauses, "er, Miss, uh, Corala."

It felt strange addressing a uniformed officer my their first name. Not just any officer -- the Director of the karking Strategic Intelligence Agency. The commando sergeant still didn't quite understand how his name happened across Director Gethsverg's desk, but he was at least relieved that it didn't appear to be bad. Din had expected it to be about Muunilinst or the Sith Empire; but any ordinary Agent could have questioned him on those.

Letting out a nervous chuckle, he lightly pats at the thigh of his newly grown left leg.

"Well, it's doin' the trick at least. Doc says it'll take another week or two to get normal sensations in it," he squeezes the limb, "feels like damn pins and needles most of the time right now."

He shrugs, not wanting to bore the evident cyborg with his petty complaints, "I knew what I signed up for. Surprised I didn't lose anything sooner fighting alongside the Caridans. But, it seems like the DF Commandos are real 'the flesh is weak' sorta folk. Guess I should enjoy what I've got while I've got it, huh? The Ministry pays good comp. for replacements. I think I even got a raise," Din lets out another awkward laugh.

Finest soldiers? Null had been the one to be awarded with a Starbird Medallion. He was certain there had been others on the rebellion front far more worthy of this conversation than he was.

Doing his best to mask the confusion and uncertainty he was feeling, he stiffly takes the second glass on the table into his hand and sits opposite of Corala.

"Well, uh, thank you," the glass finds its way to his lips and, rather gracelessly, half of it vanishes in a single swig, "for starters, I can certainly say I don't feel best suited to be here." He smiles, still unsure if joking was appropriate, "but all things considered, I'm content. DF pays well and I get to see the galaxy. I feel like I'm making a real difference out there when I put my boots to the ground to stick it to those red-sabered bastards. We're the good guys, ya know? It's nice."

 

[Corala Gethsverg]

Perhaps she was too informal about this, or perhaps Din didn't think it right that he was here rather than another war hero. It didn't matter, after all, Corala had her reasons for selecting the man before her. He seemed to be a bit awkward at calling he by her name, which was understandable, she was probably several degrees up on the scale compared to him. "Ah, phantom pains and nerve endings. Somethings just do not mesh well together." She knew the feeling all to well, after her 'accident' some days the pain was unbearable. It was a sensation that only a few could know, but it wasn't the worst of it, such things were merely inconveniences for men like Din.

"You made a sacrifice for your people and nation. You should bare it with pride, most people haven't given anything in appreciation of the life we give them." His attempt at a joke drew a short chuckle from her, but she felt he was trying to skirt around her rather evident implants. "I'm glad they are finally giving you men something for that. When I had my accident the only thing I got was a get well soon card and a disciplinary mark. I will say if you want to make reading emails faster, the optical implants are remarkably efficient at that task." She remarked, though it was no where near the truth; if she hadn't gotten her 'upgrades' she would have been canned immediately.

She smiled at his last sentence 'the good guys', yes, it was nice to be the 'good guys'. Corala could only hope that this job wouldn't change that about her. Speaking of which, she probably should open up with him. "If you're wondering why I asked for you, you might not have known this, but we were deployed at Botor at the same time. I watched your squad in action, and I was impressed. I believe your words to me were," She paused, accessing her memory, and brought up the image from that day. "'See you on the other side, Lieutenant'." She smiled, running her finger around the edge of the glass as she recalled the encounter word for word. "I regret I wasn't able to join in the battle that day, but you and your men accomplished your mission. So, if you wish to be flattered, you have the Director of the SIA as an admirer." She chuckled, taking a sip, hoping to at least scale down any tension he might have been feeling. "But yes, it's nice to be the 'good guys', and keeping the people safe. It's something that I've come to embrace in my line of work."

Her gaze moved from him, and looked to the half empty glass she held. "I'm going to be honest with you Din, I'm conflicted on where to take my work." She began, her brow furrowing, then looking off into the distance. "I feel like I was shoved into this position because they know I don't quit, but this line of work is so different compared to my field ops." She gripped her glass a bit tighter, her mind lingering back to what Marcus had told her before putting her through hell. 'You die the hero, or end up the villain.' She took in a breath, then looked to Din. "I can trust men like yourself to keep secrets, which is another reason I asked you here. I won't have to worry about aids prying info out of you via the holonet. You don't care about the fake praise of unseen officials, you want to do the job and come back home, and I respect that about the fighting men and woman." It was probably unprofessional to do this to the man, but she didn't care. She'd rather listen to what an actual soldier thought, after all, she could be sending these men to their deaths in the future; to hell with what the Senate thought.

Din Marren

 

[Din Marren]

Coruscant // Surface Level // Private Meditation Garden
Corala Gethsverg

"No shit?" he replies when she mentions she'd be disciplined for her injuries in the past, his surprise taking down the thinly veiled formal personal he'd been holding onto. He couldn't help but wonder what banner the woman had fought for before the Alliance. Imperial, perhaps? There were a lot of those still around in the upper echelons these days.

Talk of optical implants makes the commando subconsciously scratch at the corner of his right eye. The Alliance spared no expense equipping its elite commando teams, so he was well-versed in the utilization of advanced HUD technologies. The thought of having one at all times was appealing, especially in encounters like these. Maybe he was starting to realize why Republic Engineering felt so naked out of their tin cans -- that grizzled old vet had seen a lot over the years n' had the augments to show for it too.

Botor? He cocks an eyebrow. The voice did sound familiar...

"This is utter madness."
"You can say that again, Sir."​

He gives the Director an awkward grin, realizing that they really had encountered eachother on the field that day. He raises his glass again to take a second drink.

"If I can ask, Si-, er, Corala; what was the Director of the SIA doing storming trenches on the frontline?" his fingers drum along his near empty glass in a tripleted pattern. "The, uh, flattery's appreciated though. Glad to see us getting recognition now n' then, ya know?"

He smiles, "was a hell of a fight though. Damn thankful we've got people like Commander Maynard Treicolt and Ryv on our side. Those Jedi sure know how to kick ass out there."

Corala was right though, mostly. Din -- and to his knowledge the rest of his squad and the other commandos he'd served alongside, cared very little about the politics of everything. He just loved a good fight. He liked making a different; knowing he was 'taking back the Core' and freeing people from their chains. The Galaxy was a brutal place, he'd witnessed that first hand. In this position it felt like he could make it a little brighter, one blaster bolt at a time.

But truth be told, he did like the praise. Din was not a perfect altruist. He loved the recognition; loved to tell his stories in the bars. People ate that shit up. An Alliance Commando with a drink in hand and stories from the Sith-Imperial front was easily the spotlight of any nightlife scene these days. Not that he'd gotten to spend much time in the nightlife scene since the civil war'd begun.

"Yeah, I sure do like comin' home," he says with a grin, firing back the last drops of his wine.

 

[Corala Gethsverg]

At least he remembered her. If anything that deployment had frustrated her; being directed around the battlefield like a space hamster drove her batty. She chuckled at his questioning of her being in the field, and boy did she have an explanation for him. "I had this promotion dumped on me recently, and I do mean dumped. Be smart Din, don't get into politics. If I would have known how political this job was, I might not have taken it." She sighed, tracing her finger around the rim of the glass. Then realized Din was doing the same. Was she unknowingly mimicking him because she too felt awkward? Possibly. "You and your men deserve the recognition. In my books, you gentlemen don't get enough. But the public can never understand your sacrifice." She lamented, her gaze fixed upon the contents of the glass.

She forced a smile at Din's comment about the fight, and his remarks about jedi made the corners of her lips curl, but she said nothing; her thoughts went to that of Adrian Valerius and the night they shared. Jedi always rubbed her the wrong way, but why was that? She just couldn't put her finger on it. Frankly it didn't matter. The jedi were a valuable asset, and she needed to get over whatever...Adrian made her feel. Din had finished off his glass, to which Corala gestured to the bottle that sat on the small table. "I imagine so, I certainly did back when I was still being deployed."

She rose, moving to fill her own half empty glass, and offered to top off the man out of uniform. "Would you like another glass, Din?" She asked, if not she would merely fill up her own, but would serve the soldier if it was to his liking; it was the least she could do. "There's another reason I called you here Din, albeit a bit more selfish." She replied, taking a seat and sipping from the glass for a long moment. When she had finally worked up enough courage, she looked him dead in the eyes her right implant glowing just a tad bit brighter than her organic left eye now. "I'm looking to work with expand the operations of our special forces units. I...feel uneasy about things that I see developing, and I'm hoping that a man of your caliber might convince me that perhaps I'm a overthinking things."

She took another sip from the glass, waiting to see what Din would say, then continued.

"I'm concerned about corruption within the system, and that it could compromise us going forward." She frowned as she spoke, her mind going back to simpler times, where she wasn't reading reports about brazen jedi attacking senators who may or may not be corrupt; or grappling with the fact she was thrown into this position with little to no support. Her training kept her from dissolving into a ball of stress, but the more she thought about problems she noticed, the more insurmountable it began to feel. She needed allies, and she needed them fast.
Din Marren

 

[Din Marren]

Coruscant // Surface Level // Private Meditation Garden
Corala Gethsverg

Din raises his glass and nods at the offer. He looks back and forth from the liquid flowing from the bottle and the Director as she Director continue. He'd assumed their meeting wasn't just to get to know eachother, so it comes as no surprise when she mentions an ulterior motive. Pulling his own glass to his lips, his eyes narrow slightly by instinct.

Uneasy about things that are developing? From his position, he was certainly oblivious to any of the greater political schemes taking place.

His eyebrow cocks, "Corruption?"

The Caridan's lips draw to a tight line. If the Director couldn't trust her own IntSec bureau, things had to be serious.

"I'm, uh, not sure what I can do for ya, Si-," he catches himself again, "-Corala. But, if there's something specific I can do from my position to help, just let me know."