Private Of Follies & Reports

[Allyson Locke]

//: Darth Empyrean //:
//: Attire //:

Bacta was a wonderful thing. The chaos that had rained down on Saijo was something she had only seen during all out wars. There were moments that the Corellian wondered if she was even going to make it, if her life line was going to be able to find her. Still, she learned that she could trust. Something the Corellian struggled with for most of her life and career.

Slowly, she stepped off the edge of the shuttle, the stress of her limp wearing into the leather boots. A guard offered assistance to the Corellian, but a hand waved lazily assuring that she could handle the rest of the way. Allyson wasn’t one to take aid from people, she had chosen this lifestyle and while the missions weren’t always a choice - she always had that choice.

It was never the right choice.

Allyson kept her pace steady as she headed down the long hallway, it was one she had walked a few times before and was at the point she didn’t need a guide. The doors opened, He had been expecting her - especially after the cryptic series of messages she had been sending.

A bow of her head and she addressed the man that had given her a home. “My Master,” she started and as she stood the Corellian exhaled and prepared to give her debriefing of what she had been up to.

“Files were destroyed on New Cov like I had mentioned when I had arrived in the Empire permanently. I had help from the Grandmaster which was not part of the plan, nor was her helping me.” Allyson paused, her brow furrowing.

“She seems compromised. She initiated physical contact and agreed to erasing the files. When I checked to verify myself they were gone on all servers, even the ones I set up personally within the SIA black sites.”

The subject changed quickly, this information wasn’t something as detrimental as the actual assignment she had been given on Anoat. The Grandmaster’s follies when it came to the Corellian was of no one’s concern. Allyson would keep them in her pocket when she needed something - if Valery was going to remain hopeful when it came to her she would use it to her advantage.

“On to something more interesting,” She started. Kneeling down she placed a small projector onto the floor, as she stood and stepped back, the projector turned on. The images that were shown easily showed the cages and the layout of the facility Darth Nefaron had created on Anoat.

“I arrived on Anoat soon after Councillor Raaf contacted me about the request, from my understanding it wasn’t long after they had all met and discussed the potential threat the Governor of Anoat was.” A flick of her wrist and the images continued to shuffle.

“Upon my arrival I came to realize the equipment and the layout of the facility had the potential for slaves. Unfortunately, while these cages and torture devices were visible - there were no slaves to be seen.”

Allyson’s brow furrowed remembering the conversation she held with the man.

“According to Nefaron, Councillor Marr had made a visit and removed the slaves from his possession. Where these slaves went, I’m still investigating. I believe Nefaron was tipped off of my arrival.”

More images and video footage played of her conversation with Nefaron, his naming of Malum having come to take the slaves from him. There wasn’t a timeframe for it, but there were questions.

Even now I bend to the will of another, for Darth Malum has robbed me of my vast legion of slaves. This place was once a glorious monument to suffering, and now it is rendered silent."

“My thoughts were that Counselor Malum had taken the slaves from Anoat, somehow hid them or gotten rid of them before my arrival. Giving Nefaron a chance to prepare. The reasoning for my deductions is the conversation I had with Serina Calis, the new governor of Polis Massa. She seemed close to Nefaron as well, knowing his plans and his connection with Counselor Malum.”

Allyson once more let the videos that she had sent play, giving the key points of Serina’s confessions of the plans that were being planned out. It was all words and while Allyson wanted to take the child’s warnings as legit she still held doubt as to why the girl would spill everything out in the open.

"Darth Malum."

"He's the only one who could afford to shelter Nefaron. He's bled people, lost agents, lost face. Kainites have boxed him in, the hatred runs deep. The Emperor barely tolerates him, because I don't tolerate him. The other Councillors are sharpening their blades, as Sith do. So… he's made a deal."

"Nefaron gives him what he needs—an army. A reputation. The illusion of momentum. In return, Malum keeps the old corpse off the leash, so long as he follows a few important Empire-wide mandates. Such as…Slavery."

"You asked where the slaves went? I don't know exactly. But if I were Malum, and I wanted to polish my populist crown while keeping my alliance intact, I'd do the obvious thing."

"I'd make the slaves vanish—quietly. Sell it as liberation. Take credit. Put a win on the scoreboard for the 'Voice of the People' while quietly ensuring Nefaron stays in compliance."

“Those were my findings on Anoat, currently I have Nefaron assuming I’ve turned against the one who sent me to investigate and that I’m being swayed to join his side. Of course, my loyalties remain with you, my Master - but I want to know what he is planning and where the slaves that Counselor Malum supposedly relieved Nefaron of.”

Allyson paused, as she let the information sink into the man's mind. It had been a lot, but she had been away for some time. Her missions tended to be like that, but it was what made her good. She came back, she always delivered what was needed.

"In my findings as well my Master, the threat of Saijo, the place I had mentioned before leaving the meeting. It was sacked and orbital bombarded. I believe it was another ploy by the Governor of Anoat, but at its helm was Governor Calis."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Empyrean didn't interrupt her, but his jaw clenched reflexively at the mention of slavery. Were there any limitations in his empire, it was slavery - for his own reasons. To learn that his own Dark Councilor and one of his Governors were hiding such a thing had boiled his undead blood. He didn't, however, lash out - she didn't deserve his anger. Instead he buried it, holding on tight to a growing, hot, metal ball in his gut.

"... And what would you see done, Allyson?", he said, almost through gritted teeth. Unlike her, he didn't ordain her with a title. He felt her name was more important.

"Would you see them burned, root to stem?"

Allyson Locke

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Darth Empyrean //:
//: Attire //:

No matter how deeply he buried it, the apprentice could feel the anger radiating from him. The sentiment was shared. Unlike the Alliance, the Empire had outlawed slavery. A surprising stance from the Sith, but considering the Emperor's ideology, it made sense. Allyson shared his values. And to discover that slavers had been operating under their noses, aided by those in trusted positions, was unacceptable.

His question lingered in the space between them. She didn't answer immediately. It was rare that anyone asked what she wanted—what she would choose to do. Allyson had spent most of her life as a tool, deployed to complete objectives with precision. This mission had been no different. She had collected data and made her assessments but hadn't uncovered the most important piece: where the slaves had gone.

She feared the answer.

They were likely eliminated and treated as disposable. Allyson felt her chest tightened.

If she had reached Anoat sooner, she might've stopped Malum and Nefaron. Instead, she had let herself be distracted by personal matters. Maybe it was her failure. Perhaps they had always intended to work outside the bounds of Imperial order. Either way, the Corellian had let them get away.

Anger settled in her jaw, silent and sharp. Some crimes didn't deserve due process. They deserved an end.

The question echoed again in her mind. She answered plainly.

"Yes." Her voice was controlled, but every word came from a place of resolve.

"I would hunt them. Judge them. Execute them. I don't need anyone else involved."

The Alliance would've dragged it into hearings and procedures. One would walk free because they had the right friends or enough credits. Allyson had seen it too many times. The Alliance preached justice, but it bent on influence. In some ways, they were worse than the Sith.

"Their lives for the hundreds—maybe thousands—they allowed to die under their protection."

She tried to loosen her shoulders, the memory of the self-serving Tsis'Kaar, meeting still fresh.

"I think the Counselor cares more about image than justice. Whatever he did with the slaves taken from Governor Nefaron, it wasn't about saving them. Neither of them cared. So I don't care about them—except to see their lives ended."

Allyson nodded once.

"So yes. I want them gone. Burned out from stem to root until there's nothing left to remember."