An uninhabited system near Imperial-Held Space; On a lifeless moon.
Location: "The Crypt"; Top-Secret Black-Site Prison
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well-hidden on a lifeless, nameless moon on the edges of the Anoat System, "The Crypt", a black-site prison operated by a Faction Which Shall Not Be Named, was still in operation. It was here that the tyrannical, Stasi Government, and before them, the Galactic Empire, stuck the Galaxy's most subversive political prisoners & violent offenders.
The Prison Complex was substantial; consisting of two dozen separate compounds spaced throughout the moon's dusty surface. Obtaining passage off-world without consent was especially hazardous. In the past, an entire fleet was responsible for guarding the space around the moon and an entire battalion of stormtroopers staffed the Complex. Presently, there may be fewer ships in total in orbit, but the Government has spent a fortune in credits establishing an "impenetrable" matrix of sensors & ground-to-air weapons platforms. Hundreds of prisoners are secreted away, often targeted for "enhanced interrogation", scientific experimentation, and isolation - they include former Republic & Alliance prisoners of war, anti-government subversive elements, and known criminals from throughout the Galaxy. Survival on this prison planet is extremely difficult, as the Security Forces do little to protect its' prisoners and one's fellow inmates are often the greatest enemy.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lt. Commander Grissom, Chief Operations Officer & Head of Internal Security for The Crypt's numerous compounds, struggled to comprehend what he was hearing. "Let me repeat this back to you," he said, laying his hands flat on his desk. "So that I understand what you're telling me..."
"Three troopers, armed and armored, could not subdue a simple altercation between inmates. Is that correct?"
In front of him, two men in officers' uniforms stood at attention. Sweat beaded upon their foreheads - not because of the heat, as the sparsely decorated room was cool & comfortable, but because they feared for their lives... The Commander, subdued as he might seem, was capable of anything... Including placing them within the general population of the prison they maintained. Their lives would become forfeit, and their ranks would count for nothing... In fact, they would become targets of the very criminals they kept locked from the Galaxy.
After a moment's pause (neither man was particularly thrilled about answering the question), one spoke: "That's... Correct, sir."
Commander Grissom, an imposing figure clad in a black officer's uniform and bearing a high rank upon his chest, leaned back in his chair. He stared at the two men, eyes narrowed and his face impassive, betraying nothing. After a moment, he reached for the small datapad sitting on his desk and picked it up, reading over its' contents:
"Prisoner B-75242 and Prisoner B-85114 became aggressive toward Security personnel responding to the incident, ceasing hostile behavior toward one-another and engaging armed personnel in direct & hostile action. After subduing two Personnel, inmates proceeded to hold the third in confinement until responding Security Forces were able to make entry into B-Class holding area. One inmate, B-85114, was terminated by lethal force, and prisoner B-75242 was subdued by means of ZX-141 Inhalation. The remaining trooper, also subdued by means of ZX-141 Inhalation, has been remanded into the custody of The Medical Wing with injuries, and is believed to be unfit for duty at this time. Prisoner B-75242 is now located in the Isolation Wing in Compound Echo, awaiting further assessment."
"Does this sound like "effective means of containment" to either one of you?" The Commander asked rhetorically. With a sigh, the tall, grey-haired Officer ran both hands through his short-cropped hair... then slammed his open palms upon the grey metal desk. The sound & fury of the action made both officers visibly jump.
Outside the closed door of Grissom's Office, the entire Administration Wing of Compound Alpha heard the enraged voice of their Commander as he screamed at the unfortunate souls who'd come bearing bad news. Every soul continued their duties, eternally grateful they were not on the firing line.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Compound Echo, affectionately known as "The Void" by inmates & staff alike, was located in a small valley created thousands of years ago by an asteroid which had skimmed the moon's surface, tearing a great swath of land away before continuing on its' heavenly course. The Compound was small from the outside, but continued some distance into the Moon's underground, taking advantage of a series of natural tunnels & hollows to provide an incredibly secure & dimly lit maze.
This Compound was The Crypt's Isolation Wing, where inmates deemed too hostile to be housed in General Population were placed under the watchful eye and iron fist of the Crypt's highly trained "Void-walkers"; the most highly trained Troopers on the planet. Each was exceedingly loyal to the Government and had received training not only in Inmate Recovery & Transportation, but possessed specialized equipment, allowing them to see in pitch-black environments. One of the Void's primary Security Features was its' procedure to, upon any act of aggression or insurrection, plunge the entire facility into total darkness. Inmates would be left defenseless, while the Security Forces were able to maneuver & restore order by any means necessary.
Deep within the underground Facility, Lt. Commander Grissom was flanked to the front & rear by two members of the Voidwalkers. They strode, single file, through the claustrophobic hallway, stopping before a large rectangular doorway carved into the rock. With only a glance, Grissom indicated for the Trooper next to him to open the gate, which the masked officer did by pressing a small button on a unit attached to his belt. The trooper spoke into the integrated transmitter inside his helmet, indicating the number of the Cell, and Grissom stepped forward as the maglocks hissed & shifted.
Both troopers took up positions on either side of the door, and Grissom entered through the opening. The room beyond was small and dimly lit, consisting only of a stone slab with a single blanket, no pillow, a simple latrine, and rough-hewn walls of stone. Each cell was separated by solid rock, and each cell-door provided a single opening at knee-height through-which food & water were provided daily. The air was cold, this deep underground, and the only thing delaying a shiver down Grissom's back was the rage which pulsed behind his right eye.
The single occupant of the Cell was lying, face up, on the stone slab. The face turned, and the two locked eyes.
"Well... You've certainly come full circle." Commander Grissom said, hands behind his back, taking up much more space than one might think. "First, you were brought into this very Facility in chains, under the care and hospitality of our Military Might. After nearly a month of good behavior, we provided you with a chance to earn an upgrade to more... suitable accommodations. You agreed, and we fulfilled our end of the bargain." At this, the taller, older man grinned, unable to help relishing the memory.
"And now... Here you are again..."
Saying nothing, Inmate B-75242 swung her legs down, bare feet touching the cool floor.
With a shaven head and total lack of discerning features, it might take someone a moment to recognize the inmate as a woman. She was under 6 feet, and the short fuzz atop her head was black as the shadows which clung to the corners of the lonesome cell. Violet eyes, crystal clear and showing no aftereffects of the gassing she'd received earlier, watched the tall Commander, the palms of her hands resting on the edge of the slab.
Grissom continued, "Before you ask, we shall not have a repeat of our prior agreement. You have proven, beyond a doubt, that you are as much an animal as the rest of these cretins... and as far as I'm concerned, you will rot in this cell until we either have some use for you... Or..."
The inmate said nothing, her gaze steady.
"You die."
The woman still said nothing, and it was obvious to Grissom he didn't need to say much else. Whether she admitted it or not, her spirit was broken.
Without another word, the Officer turned and exited the Cell. The door shut behind him, and again, Inmate B-75242 was alone with her thoughts.
[member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] [member="Darth Ivum"] [member="Jorge"]
