Private On His Majesty's Inquisitors

[Taeli Raaf]

The meeting of the Circle had certainly been an interesting affair, full of vitriol and promises, threats and plans, and a few poignant moments. One such moment had been when she had first arrived, rolling the former Lord Inquisitor's lightsaber to the woman that she expected to be his replacement. Fiolette had wanted to immediately leave Metalorn for Genesia, but Taeli had convinced her wife that she needed to actually talk with Adriana Fortemps first before she left.

She had reviewed the younger woman's work as an agent of the Saaraishash, had noted she and another agent, Djorn Bline , had a rather high success rate even among the other elite agents. On her trip from Yavin, Taeli had even contacted Lord Fa for his opinion on the Inquisitor and he had given her, in his own way, a rather glowing review. Apparently she had once been a protégé of the Thirrikian before he retired from public Sith activity. All that said... Taeli wanted to gauge the woman and the non-Force using man that more often than not was partnered with her on assignments for herself.

She had commandeered a small office for the meeting, and was sitting patiently waiting for the two to arrive. She really did hope they had ideas on how to fix the intelligence issues within the Sith and Empire. Too much had slipped through the cracks, too many mistakes without the watchful eye of Lord Fa regarding the organization that bore his Sith title. As Dark Councilor of Galactic Influence, it was now her responsibility to correct these deficits, especially in light of the defeats at Muunilinst and Mygeeto. A shadowy war to destabilize their enemies was called for, both the internals that remained and the externals that needed to die or be brought back into the fold.

It would start here.

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// LORD INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// METALORN //
// FOCUS // Taeli Raaf // Rae Cooke // Djorn Bline //

---

---

Calling a meeting immediately after rolling the dead Lord Inquisitor's lightsaber to Jorryn was certainly a way to send a message, or perhaps a threat, to the apparent Lord Inquisitor. Pale hands wrung around the lightsaber ceaselessly, a nervousness deep in Jorryn's stomach that she was unable to swallow. The Echani had served under Lord Fa during his time leading the Saaraisash and, despite convincing herself otherwise, truly felt the gaping hole he had left in the organization when they separated. Clearly the next in line wasn't performing their duties as they should be, the Lady of Secrets cutting that issue short.

"It's a terrible shame isn't it, dear?" A nervous look upwards towards her personal attendant as her hands continued to familiarize themselves with the shape of the saber in her grasp. "I've been working so hard to gain this office, and now that I have, the main thing I feel is fear." A nervous chuckle parted her lips as she looked back down towards the weapon, mind wandering about how easily Taeli dispatched the Lord Inquisitor. "It's not every day the Lady of Secrets threatens you."

The rain began to pour as Rae Cooke diligently did her duty and kept her Lady from becoming wet, boots tramping through puddles as they made their way to where the meeting was to be held. It was hard to tell if the pit in her stomach was telling the Echani to run away, or if she was simply nervous to meet the Councillor. It wasn't like she had much of a choice either way.

"You may attend this meeting with me Rae," The features on her face lightened as she turned to look the girl in the eyes, the face bringing some comfort to Jorryn's predicament. "Though I expect you to be silent and respectful to Lady Raaf. I'd rather not have to wipe you from the walls." Perhaps a bit of an overstatement, but the Echani would hate to lose her favourite assistant over a bow that wasn't deep enough.

It wasn't long before the pair were outside where the meeting was to take place, drawing a deep breath before the Echani threw open the doors. The sight of the raven-haired woman at the opposite end of the table dimming the strong anticipation Jorryn felt, no way to run away now. Immediately taking a deep bow down to her waist, Jorryn wouldn't rise before Taeli gave the word. Hopefully, Rae would follow suit.

"It is an honour to finally meet with you personally, My Lady."

 

[Rae]

//: The Attendant //:
//: Metalorn //:
//: Adriana Fortemps //: Djorn Bline //: Taeli Raaf //:​

​

Her footsteps followed the Lord Inquisitor and listened as the woman talked. She could pick up on her fear and worry as they headed towards the meeting. Rae didn't know what she could say to make the Echani woman comfortable, she had never been in this type of situation before, having been the bottom of the ladder in the company she was with - there wasn't much she had to worry about. That is, of course, mostly just avoiding a blaster to the chest. Exhaling softly, Rae searched for a way to comfort her Charge. ​

​

"It's normal to feel that way. More people are going to be depending on you," The Corellian paused, there was a sense of wisdom that she had no clue where it was coming from, but she allowed the moment to occur. Hopefully, it would help calm Jorryn. "The Lady of Secrets sees something in you, my Lady. That's a good thing. I believe you'll be the greatest Lord Inquisitor the Empire has seen. I'm lucky to be at your side." Rae's soft posh Imperial accent spoke with sincerity. A warmth washed over the attendant as the Force passed passively with a clam to hopefully help with the nerves and fear. Rae remembered exhaling softly. She was Force-sensitive, but she shouldn't be. When they drew closer to the building, she drew inwardly to herself. ​

​

"I'll behave, I promise. I don't think Corellian is a good color for walls." Rae's smile remained, it was good news that she would be inside the meeting. Something like this was perfect for her mission, one that she regretted having. Rolling her shoulders back, she made sure that none of the rain would fall upon Jorryn as they shifted from outside to the indoors. The leather and cloth clothing she exchanged her Legionnaire armor for did well with the weather, she was thankful for Jorryn's suggestion on the attire. It was comfortable and reminded her of her place at the woman's side as her attendant. With a few shakes of the umbrella and it was free of the rain, then soon strapped to the back of the attendant. Following a step behind the Echani, Rae was able to take the entirety of the scene, everything burned into her memory. ​

​

The defiant look she had with Jorryn, the one that demanded respect, needed to take a backseat. Her place among the group was nothing, she was meant to observe and not exist in the same breath. Hands folding behind her back as she followed her head down, showing respect to the room. Following Jorryn's lead, she bowed deeply, not saying a word and letting the Lord Inquisitor be her voice. Rising up from the bow, Rae came face to face with Taeli Raaf. In an instant, emotions swirled, but she was able to put them out. Memories of the Alliance, the betrayal, and her latest confrontation with the woman played quickly behind emerald eyes that promptly looked away from the woman's face. ​

​

Rae remembered the Lady of Secrets.​

 

[Djorn Bline]

He did not attend the Circle’s meeting, unsurprisingly it took place not long after the blow the Empire received at Mygeeto and Muunilist. Djorn assumed that the meeting would have bickering and passive aggressive comments, and right he was; along with other interesting events. Someone had threatened the Lady of Secrets’ wife, and the same woman apparently disposed of the former Lord Inquisitor which was another Sith Lord. With them disposed of Djorn assumed he would be a qualifying candidate for the position.

Until he heard otherwise he wasn’t and it was given to Jorryn.

“Fething Echani.”

The rhythm of the rain matched how outrageous he was at the sound of this. What use she had? All she worries about was pouring tea and fashion designs. A disgrace and a slight.

However, it would be rude not to come to the summonings of Lady Raaf. Djorn would be the last one to arrive and instead of three, there was four instead. He did not remember this in the message. The agent made a bow to Taeli, “My Lady,” and didn’t utter more. He did not congratulate Jorryn on her promotion nor would he ever. His eyes did fall on the other person who, unknowingly, was Jorryn’s assistant.

“And who is this? I don’t recall her being part of the people summoned here,” the agent noticed how close Rae stood near Jorryn. It was simple deduction this woman was...something close for Jorryn.

“A new pet, Fordyce? If so, shouldn’t she be preparing us caf?” That’s one thing he was going to miss about Jorryn when she was his secretary. Amazing caf, and everyone else could never be close to Jorryn’s recipe.

Taeli Raaf | Adriana Fortemps | Rae Cooke​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Adriana Fortemps Djorn Bline Rae Cooke

She was in a rather good mood, all things considered, after the meeting and she appreciated the prompt arrival of the presumptive Lord Inquisitor. She inclined her head politely towards the Echani woman and her personal assistant, a Legionnaire younger woman. Body language spoke of a connection of some sort between them, how they stood ever so slightly nearer to each other than a normal assistant would do. Purple eyes casually scanned both arrivals, detecting nerves of Jorryn and the brief, oh so very brief, conflict in the young woman as she straightened from her bow. The face was rather familiar, hard to misplace... the flicker of a presence in the Force, more than a normal non-Force user.

The assistant was Force Sensitive, that much she could feel, likely what had drawn Jorryn to her in the first place. It felt weak, untrained... but...

Attention was drawn away as Bline himself arrived, making a snappy remark to the Echani woman that brought a small smirk to Taeli's lips. It didn't take a genius to detect the annoyance and disdain he felt for the Echani. A very interesting dynamic, considering their success rate. Rivalries were good though, competition was to be encouraged to strengthen the organization as a whole.

"I appreciate such quick responses to my summons," she said in manner of greeting, "We have much to discuss when it comes to our intelligence agencies and the deficits we have suffered in recent months. Please, take a seat."

As they would take the indicated chairs, Taeli shifted in her own seat to make herself more comfortable. The cast on her arm meant she couldn't do what she wanted and rest her hands together.

"So, to business then. The previous Lord Inquisitor had allowed the Saaraishash to stagnant, to become lax in their duties. As you well know, Jorryn, I do not have much tolerance for such... inactivity. Our foreign intelligence network has also suffered from laxness that is no longer tolerable. I would like to hear suggestions from you both on how we will fix these issues."

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// LORD INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// METALORN //
// FOCUS // Rae Cooke // Taeli Raaf // Djorn Bline //

---

---

"Of course, My Lady." Raising from the bow with an intentionally submissive look, though the arrival of a certain High Inquisitor threatened the look on her face. An eyebrow twitching in irritation as Inquisitor Bline arrived. "You have made your feelings on my predecessor quite... well known, for a lack of words."

Amber eyes glared towards Djorn Bline before Jorryn took her assigned seat, a nod towards Rae let the girl know to pull the chair out for her current commander. It would be a good look in front of the Lady of Secrets that the presumptive Lord Inquisitor would be ready for leadership, even in this small capacity. Legs crossed as she took a moment to address her former equal, a smarmy tone addressing him with healthy annoyance.

"Apologies if I offended you by not asking your services, Inquisitor." A clearly forced smile parting her black lips. "You don't seem like the type who could make a good cup of caf, unfortunately." That's what happened when Jorryn produced all the good caf in the office, of course.

Turning back across the desk to Taeli Raaf , the Echani quickly returned to her meek appearance. Hopefully impressing as a sign of respect.

"Well, my connections with your peer, Lord Vandiir, have already provided many fruits of labour." Name dropping the man was a gamble. Hopefully, Lady Raaf liked him, though Jorryn knew that he was a bit much to handle occasionally. "We have worked together on many ideas that could be of interest in securing our cloud of influence from our enemies, both rooting out enemies of the past as well as preventing any... new issues from arising." Amber eyes turning back towards Bline with a look of superiority, clearly telling the man to understand the new pecking order. "Of course, the specifics of these might need to be provided during a more private affair."

 

[Rae]

//: The Attendant //:
//: Metalorn //:
//: Adriana Fortemps //: Taeli Raaf //: Djorn Bline //:

---

​

The arrival of the other Inquisitor pulled Rae’s attention from the Corellian Sith that sat before them. It had been a blessing in disguise for Rae to wonder if she would be recognized by the woman. Their past had intertwined at one point, which felt almost a lifetime ago. It seemed the other Inquisitor assumed she was the house pet of the new Lord Inquisitor. Feelings of frustration bubbled to the surface as she shot the man a look when he mentioned her serving them caf. ​

Jorryn had other plans for her in this meeting, and Rae had promised to behave. She would have to embarrass the Lord Inquisitor by having her need to clean the ruins free of Corellian blood. Seeing the quiet command, Rae moved and pulled the seat out for her Mistress and ensured that she was happy with her comfort. It was an essential note that Djorn had mentioned caf, Rae had thought ahead and assumed her Lady would desire something warm to drink. Moving to her pack, the Corellian assistant removed the thermos that had come with two cups attached. ​

The second had been for Rae, but seeing that her Mistress was trying to make a good impression with the Lady of Secrets, she decided to help. Showing good obedience in the face of the Lord Inquisitor’s boss was a bonus for her. Both cups held in the Corellian’s expert hands, years of undercover work even in jobs such as bartending helped. The caf was poured. She placed the first cup in front of Jorryn after blowing it slightly to cool it for the woman. She was particular on her temperatures and flavors when brewing tea and caf.​

The recipe for the caf was one that Jorryn had perfected. Rae had picked up the subtle and careful precision from her reconnaissance mission of the woman. One of the few things that she was able to pick up while doing so. Both the Echani’s most essential skills were now Rae’s, her talent for mimicry coming in handy. ​

Walking over, the Corellian placed the cup down for the other woman and smiled softly. “Enjoy, my Lady.” Rae didn’t linger long, she bowed to the woman in charge and then retreated towards Jorryn’s side. Her gaze never focusing too hard on anything, her eyes doing their best to examine the room and study the faces. Rae was here to serve the Lord Inquisitor, but not be heard. ​

Standing near the Echani, Rae remained close. She could feel her Charge’s feelings through the Force, and despite her gut instinct, she allowed herself to provide a calming aura. Efforts directed towards the Echani, she used her close proximity to attempt to mask it the best she could. Rae wondered if this would ruin her in the end, but her desire was to protect and help the older Echani woman. An odd attachment that was outside of her standard work, but she couldn’t help herself anymore.​

 

[Djorn Bline]

“You’re right about that, Fordyce; however, I seem to recall you being great at that. It’s probably the only useful thing about you,” more slights towards the Echani. Once upon a time Jorryn once served under Djorn as they were but a rank apart from each other and Djorn very much capitalized on it. Always ordered her to bring caf, criticize her work performance (although she did do a good job in the field), and made sure all the paperwork was given to her to file.

Those little memories were enough to make him smirk a little. Smirk and raise his eyebrows a little when Jorryn’s aid didn’t make three cups of caf for her superiors.

He’d put that aside as there was business to discuss.

He saw that look from Jorryn, his own eyes challenging her as she made her comment towards the Lady of Secrets.

“The only issue you have is to bring progress before us all, Fordyce,” he said sharply before continuing. “I think it’s important and imperative we interview and process those who are able to have a scrap of power. Many who betrayed us did belong to the higher echelons of the Empire with a good portion of those traitors being users of the Force,” and then made his own glance at Jorryn before returning them to Taeli.

“That is a task the Inquisitors should handle. Our foreign intelligence should need a new administration; a breath of fresh air. There have been projects being made with the rebels in the Outer Rim before these new threats were born, those projects should be canceled and focused on the Alliance and the traitors,” those said projects were ones he handled and managed, getting his hands dirty.

“Sabotaging and infiltrating should be our main focus for our agents. Inquisitors should patrol any nearby systems of Muunilist and Mygeeto in order to dissuade any saboteurs that can exploit us.”

A sly smirk aimed for Jorryn, proud to give more ideas to Taeli than her.

“Of course, the process behind these ideas are something I’d like to share between me and you, Lady Raaf. To avoid any loose ends.”

Anyone could be their enemy after the betrayal they suffered. Everyone should be skeptical of the person at their side.

Adriana Fortemps | Taeli Raaf | Rae Cooke​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Adriana Fortemps Rae Cooke Djorn Bline

"Yes, I can imagine Adrian had many ideas running through that twisted mind of his," she said, amusement dripping from her voice as Jorryn and Djorn sniped at each other. She nodded her thanks to the Legionnaire assisting Jorryn as caf was poured out for her and Jorryn, but not for Djorn. Petty, but amusing all the same. These kind of rivalries were always entertaining and would keep them sharp, always trying to one up each other. Bline did have a point that the root cause of the ongoing strife had been born from among the upper command structure, both Force-using and non. Tavlar was the public leader of the New-Imperial Order after all. But speaking of foreign missions...

"And yes, Agent Bline, I couldn't agree more that new leadership is needed among our foreign intelligence," she continued. "Thank you for volunteering for the job, I'll be sure to inform the Emperor and the Shadow Hand about their new Grand Moff for the Intelligence Bureau. I expect to see a marked increase in covert actions and how you bring a more... result driven approach to our agents."

And with that, both Jorryn and Djorn were of the same rank station, which meant a delicious rivalry could play out even more for both the Inquisitors and Intelligence. She wanted both agencies working at their best, and she was not above showing particular favor to one or the other depending on how successful their endeavors were.

"For our more immediate concerns, I want to hear what you both think of the New-Imperial incursion and how their alliances could be exploited or sundered. We need to weaken their support structure before swooping in with a counter-attack."

Purple eyes would shift ever so slightly to look at the assistant, trying to keep themselves in the background and out of her attention.

"As well as your thoughts, Trooper."

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// LORD INQUISITOR //
// METALORN //
// FOCUS // Taeli Raaf / Djorn Bline / Rae Cooke //

---

---

"Thank you, My Dear." A hand calmly took the cup of cap, warm smiles being offered to both the attendant as well as the Dark Councillor. Djorn got nothing, of course. Black lips pressed to the cup as she took a small sip as her former accomplice covered whatever mediocre semblance of an idea that he had. Annoyance growing over her eyes as he assumed to advise her already. "Lord Vandiir is an... intriguing man, but his usefulness to the Emperor as Dark Councillor, as well as his involvement in tertiary responsibilities, cannot be denied."

"Shockingly, Inquisitor Bline, intense interrogation of those that remained with us won't exactly inspire loyalty in them." A reminder of his title to keep the man in line, he was beneath her office now, and Jorryn would take every opportunity to remind him of that gap between him. The gap that her natural talents had already gaped between them. "As well, it would be best to remind yourself that the main objective of the Saaraisash is the internal security of the Empire. Perhaps your outward focus is why we find ourselves in our current positions."

A smug face rested for only seconds before the Lord Inquisitor almost spat her coffee up, a promotion coming to Djorn out of nowhere.

"Their new what...?" Shock and concern ran over the face of the Echani as she realized she could no longer lord over the man, so much abuse and fun extra tasks she had been thinking up for years.

All gone.

Turning back to offer some semblance of her general idea for the office, black lips parted with generalizations. "What the Inquisition needs to lend itself to is a reassorting, vacancies left by the rebellion were handled poorly and personally by the late Lord Inquisitor. Poorly." Amber eyes burned a bit angrily, the dissatisfaction with her past lot being clear as she leaned back in her chair. "As for the New-Imperials..." Chewing her words carefully before she spread them, not wanting to upset the order of things. "Their resolve and commitment to our annihilation cannot be underestimated as we did during Mygeeto and Muunilist. Their relation with the Galactic Alliance could prove the most volatile. I imagine that some of the Alliance's more persuadable members, such as Julius Loghain , could be convinced to cause some separation."

 

[Rae]

//: The Attendant //:
//: Metalorn //:
//: Adriana Fortemps //: Taeli Raaf //: Djorn Bline //:

---

​

The slights continued to roll, and Rae was doing her best to ignore them from the new Grand Moff of Intelligence. She glanced towards him, long enough to use the contact lens to take a quick scan of the man’s face. He would be filed away, just like the others, and transferred to her handler. The quick glance from the Trooper was accompanied by a glare, she didn’t enjoy hearing the comments from the other Inquisitor. Rae couldn’t do anything about it, though, not now. Instead, she looked away and suffered the surge of emotions that ranged from Jorryn.

Furrowed brow as she did her best to support the fiery range of emotions the Echani was feeling. As she dealt with it, her mind wandered and wondered where these were coming from. She had felt this sort of connection before. The Corellian felt a spiral of fear burn through her spine as she struggled to find her ability to breathe. Had she unknowingly done something like this? Her emotions resided between panic and comfort.

Despite her own feelings storming within her, she remained stoic and guarding near the Echani, who flashed her haughty nature. A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips, threatening to break the emotionless stare. The haughty nature the woman was known for had an endearing quality that the bodyguard had come to appreciate.

Taeli’s voice echoed in her ears as she was addressed. The Trooper feigned fear as she forced her body to tighten, being addressed by someone with such power such as Taeli Raaf was supposed to be something scary. Knowing that if she didn’t look at the woman, it could come off as disrespectful. Taking that risk was going to hopefully pay off in the end. A pair of defiant emerald eyes stared towards the Sith Lord that sat calmly on the other side of the room. Rae cleared her throat, allowing the flawless Imperial accent to coat her words. “I fought on Muunilist Ma’am. The forces of the New Imperial Order are cowardly, but they strike quick. As much as I want to say they are dogs and have no ability in combat - they’ve proven otherwise.” She paused, knowing her choice of words could be her undoing. “They caught us by surprise on Muunilist, but they won’t be able to do it again. We know our enemy better than they know themselves, they were like Inquisitor Bline stated - they were once Empire, which means we can outsmart them and out power them.”

Remembering what her Mistress stated about the alliance between both the NIO and the Galactic Alliance. Rae had wondered if that was common knowledge, it seems it was. “As for the Alliance as my Lady had mentioned, I see it being their downfall.” Rae knew she should lower her gaze, but that damn Corellian defiance shined through as she knew deep down at the Lady of Secrets knew her biggest lie. It took all of Rae's willpower not to mention the combat that had occurred her and the Dark Lord, remembering the agony she had caused him with just a flimsy arrow, tipped in Ashla's blessing.

 

[Djorn Bline]

"And those who remain with us, Fordyce, will have second thoughts after our defeat on the fronts of Muunilist and Mygeeto. Very ignorant of you to not consider those factors and rather not interrogate those who remain with us. If there are any individuals who harbor any thoughts of betraying us, they should be executed before the problem grows. I thought you would know better, Fordyce." More and more slights aimed at Jorryn. What she said did have some merit, but must they suffer more internal strife and allow their strategies be exploited?

"Anyone is a potential suspect, especially those at power."

Next came something unexpected from Taeli. Already the Sith Lady promoted Jorryn to the position of the Lord (or Lady) Inquisitor which annoyed Djorn as it was a position he pursued for. He could not tolerate the idea of Jorryn being above him in rank.

But he also, at this minute, received a promotion. The newest Grand Moff of Intelligence. It was all a shock of course, with mixed emotions revolving. A hint of joy and gratitude that his work was well recognized by his superiors, but also anxiety because it meant he would be more pressured into giving results to Taeli and the Emperor's circle.

"Thank you, Miss Raaf. I won't be short in giving results."

There would be lots of renovations to be done within Foreign Intelligence. Possible executions and bring in a new wave of agents that'll meet his standards.

"The traitors of the New Order aren't so different from us. We all value the ideals of Imperialism which goes against the pursuits of democracy as the Alliance. We should not forget that the Core, despite the current occupation of the Alliance, has a mix of political values which include our own. We can...plant our own seeds within its structure, make their own people question their mutual relationship with the New-Imperials. Have their own democracy work against them."

Unconventional warfare in a nutshell.

He then listened to Jorr's assistant with her own thoughts of their, and appreciated as she agreed with his comments.

"Can you please give an example of the tactics the New-Imperials use, Miss..." trailed off for Rae to fill in the blank of her name.

Taeli Raaf | Adriana Fortemps | Rae Cooke​

 

[Rae]

//: The Attendant //:
//: Metalorn //:
//: Adriana Fortemps //: Taeli Raaf //: Djorn Bline //:

---

​

Rae made a fist against her leg, hearing the continuous comments from the new Grand Moff. The man seemed to feel the need to undercut the woman beside him over and over again. If the situation was different, Rae would have already made him eat every single comment he had made against Jorryn. An exhale, and she released the tension that had been building up in her chest. Exposing herself here would do no one any good, it put her in danger, her handlers and the new Lord Inquisitor in harm's way. Attention finally returned as she awaited the response of the other Corellian in the room. It seemed to be how this meeting was going until she had poked for an answer from Rae.

Seemed Taeli wasn't the only one who wanted to press the Trooper for answers. Djorn had decided to pick the woman's mind and ask the tactics of Tavlar's men. Of course, Rae knew the tactics she was part of the NIO during the invasion, yet instead of being one of the troopers in line, she was a forward scout. She could feel the pressure around her, and this was not a position she liked being in. Remaining calm and answering the best, she could ensure survival.

"Rae." She answered his question about her name. "Curious, you don't already know the tactics, Sir. One of your positions, I would assume you'd have all the information you needed from the front lines." Rae never looked towards the man but kept her gaze forward. "But I'll indulge you. The tactics used by the NIO were basic." She nodded and continued, "With the element of surprise on their side, they sought to overwhelm the forces on Muunilist. They pushed forward, surrounding the city until they were able to enter - which didn't prove difficult." Rae, under another name, had been there, she was the forward scout that had worked with traitors to the Empire to provide a network for the Troops of the NIO. She was their eyes in the sky, and she shoved that information under her hat. "They seemed to know the landscape better than we would have expected. With the way they used the shadows and knowledge of the city, it was difficult to push them back until the Emperor called in the Blackblade Guard."

Memories of facing the Emperor's personal guard materialized, her thought shield in full effect as she did her best to remain closed off from any of the Sith's mind probing. Finally, she glanced towards the Grand Moff and smirked. "I hope that it provides sufficient information for you, Sir. I would hate for you to fail."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Adriana Fortemps Rae Cooke Djorn Bline

She remained quiet as her new Lord Inquisitor gave her insights, although Taeli couldn't help a feeling of further amusement when she placed Djorn in charge of Foreign Intelligence. If one wanted to be technical, Taeli had not removed Djorn from the Saariashash command structure. Technically. She was curious who this Julius person within the Alliance was, but if Jorryn had identified him as a possible weak link, it could be an option to be explored.

She took a small sip of her caf as the Legionnaire answered, emerald eyes meeting inquisitive purple. The accent was good, sounded like she had grown up on Bastion, but the spark in her eye, that defiant stance that could never be helped... she just couldn't keep the Corellian out of her. Her answer was measured, carefully chosen, thoughtful. Vague in detail until Djorn needled further.

How interesting. Miss Rae, it seemed, was very protective of the Lord Inquisitor. Perhaps more so than expected. The emotion and irritation was in her voice, and ah she could appreciate the snarkiness that slid in at the end. She certainly did not want to see Grand Moff Bline succeed, for a host of reasons Taeli was sure. Foremost of them: slighting the Echani.

"The Triumvir of Power has been charged by the Emperor to break the New-Imperial Order by whatever means necessary, so I suspect we will be living up to our reputation soon enough," she said, taking another sip of the caf. It was decent brew, but wasn't tea. "Grand Moff, I expect a detailed plan on operations to sunder the alliance between the GA and New-Imperials and to further harass their support infrastructure for the invasion. Something we can discuss at length another time."

She turned her attention to Lord Inquisitor Fordyce.

"In the meantime, I want you to approach Councilor Vandiir about upgrading the equipment of the Saaraishash. Between myself and his mind, I'm sure we can come up with some new... methods to monitor and eliminate any further traitors or treasonous thoughts. We will no longer neglect that aspect."

It was a statement of fact. Negligence would not be tolerated, just as laziness and failure would be frowned upon severely.

"Your predictions on the next movements on our enemies, and in particular, the New Jedi Order that should have remained sundered after Operation: Eclipse and the core followers that left with Darth Voyance. They have been oddly quiet."

 

[Adriana Fortemps]

// LORD INQUISITOR FORDYCE //
// METALORN - COUNCILLOR'S OFFICE //
// FOCUS // Rae Cooke / Djorn Bline / Taeli Raaf //

---

---

"And our own forces know the equal measures that we will deal out, few from our own ranks in the Saaraisash defected as you know. The vast majority of traitors came from our military branch, men such as Kor Vexen and Irveric Tavlar." Irritation was not disguised in the Echani's voice, she made her issues with the new Grand Moff plain as day to both her attendant as well as the Councillor seated before them. "And unlike yourself, I will not disrespect our troops on the presumption of guilt. Tavlar and Vexen were two of our grandest commanders, their contributions to the strength of our Empire are not just something that can be dismissed and erased. If I may be so bold as to recommend a way to deal with that in your Galactic Influence dominion, My Lady." A polite bow was offered before continuing, as bold as the Echani felt right now, presuming command of a Lord's dominion was a mistake.

"I offer a smear campaign, not directed towards their service, but instead focusing on influences on them outside of the war to display their greed over their loyalty. Vexen could easily be painted as a Sith failure, his ambition outweighing his reach. If we are able to position him as the mastermind behind one of the failed attempts on our Emperor's life, the troops will no doubt attach onto them as acts of Sith cowardice. In response to our meeting just now, they could focus their eyes on a new era of the Sith, one they can believe in the strength of. Because that strength is no longer secure."

None of it was true of course, Kor Vexen was a proud man through and through. Jorryn had a chance to spar with the behemoth in their younger days, and it ended about as one would expect in a matchup that poorly handled. Still, the Echani could tell he was a warrior through and through, even with her dulled senses. Leaning back in her chair, the Lord Inquisitor continued her thoughts on the other man.

"As for Irveric Tavlar, making the man reek of desperation will be easy enough. Some searching into his younger days shows an absentee father, leaving a young boy on Dantooine with a crippled mother." A small break for a sip of caf as she found herself parched, the words pouring faster than she needed them to. Smugness took over the black lips of the Echani, her homework being on display for all to see. "We can easily paint his separation from his family as a drive for caring only for himself, not the good of the Empire. That will strike chords with our soldiers, tying his loyalty only to himself. The Grand Imperator no longer so Grand."

Finishing with the information, Jorryn felt pleased that she had provided the necessary information. Rae finished her own information on the Galactic Alliance as Lady Raaf requested information on another significant thread, the New Jedi Order. It was amusing to watch the attendant push back against the new Grand Moff, a chuckle escaping her lips as Rae sassed the man. The Lord Inquisitor would have to reward her snark against her counterpart at a later time, that idea saved away in the back of her mind.

"As... irritating as the New Jedi Order has been towards the Sith, the only danger that I can perceive is their individual strengths." Her cheek rested against a finger as her amber eyes gazed outwards, foreign intelligence not being her particular specialty. "They lack any true structure, as far as I know, their strength relying on only a few central figures. Our bounties are sufficient enough that we should hopefully find them in our laps soon enough, but even if we must handle them ourselves, eliminating them would cripple the New Jedi Order. And perhaps greatly affect their alliance with the NIO, something that could sunder without the brother's in battle aspect that these Jedi carry."

 

[Djorn Bline]

Did he detect a bit of passive aggressiveness in her tone? Years of practice in his profession made him pick up many skills, being intuitive and tuned into his surroundings was one of them and never failed him. He could deduce that Rae was attached to Jorryn; a close friendship between the two or were they lovers?

What would poor Vaylin think if the latter was true?

“If there’s one thing about me, Miss Rae, is that I hardly fail and I am relentless in bring results to the Emperor,” and his record would confirm his words.

But now those results were needed more than ever.

“Then you are a damn fool, Fordyce,” he simply commented when Jorryn dismissed his proposal in unveiling any remaining traitors within their ranks. Granted her other ideas were acceptable, but she didn’t seem to be as bold as Djorn.

“And you will receive that plan soon, Lady Raaf. I will need to examine our structure within the Foreign Agency and correct those mistakes of the past.”

Then Jorryn spoke about how to sunder the New Jedi Order of the Galactic Alliance and their relationship with the New-Imperials. “I know of a Jedi within the Order, one I’m sure I can compromise,” he spoke of a Loske Treicolt ; a woman he met in the Outer Rim. Privately he grew...fond of her, interested of her person. Those were private thoughts he wouldn’t utter a word of.

This mission was all that mattered until it was completed.

Rae Cooke | Taeli Raaf | Adriana Fortemps​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Adriana Fortemps Rae Cooke Djorn Bline

"Our propaganda machine will be rolling out some new initiatives and announcements soon," Taeli said. "Your suggestion will be taken to heart, Lord Inquisitor, finetuned to be devastating to their reputations."

Well, it would definitely target Tavlar. Kor Vexen would require a different approach, but she confident in the propaganda agencies within the Sith Empire to spin whatever message they needed. They had done so well for so long in convincing the citizens of the Sith Empire, it was time to turn that compliance and acceptance to patriotic zeal.

The mention from Jorryn about the bounties bringing the Jedi to their laps brought an ever so slight smirk to the corner of her lips. Very interesting choice of words, considering present company. In their laps indeed.

"I look forward to seeing your detailed plans on the changes and operations you both have planned. Grand Moff Bline, keep me informed on any progress you may have on this Jedi you believe can be compromised. Lord Inquisitor Fordyce, I look forward to seeing the revitalization of the Saaraishash. I have faith in both of you that we will get the results desired by the Emperor and the Shadow Hand."

If they didn't... well, there were always others that could replace them. Eyes flickered to Rae for a moment. Yes, certainly others. The meeting was adjourned, but as her guests began to leave, she would speak one more time.

"One more moment," she said, almost as if in afterthought. "I understand that observation and undercover work might be essential for the near future, so a little advice from someone who lived among our enemies for ten years. Once you start living the lie, it can be very hard to remember what life is the lie and what is real. Always remember which is which, but if the time comes for a choice... when you can't decide between your path and the realities are fighting within you... your desires, your true desires, will show you the proper path."

Purple eyes would look towards emerald one more time.

 

[Rae]

//: The Wanted Truth //:
//: Metalorn //:
//: Adriana Fortemps //: Taeli Raaf //: Djorn Bline //:

---

​

Rae ignored the retort from the Moff, he was no longer her concern. She had said her piece about the situation and answered his questions. If she paid more attention to him, it would blow her cover and her own emotions about the woman he verbally attacked. She brushed loose strands of hair from her face as she tried to focus on helping the Lord Inquisitor gather her things as Taeli concluded the meeting. ​

An offered a hand towards the Echani to help the woman stand, but then Taeli seemed to not be finished with what she had to say. It was a mistake to make eye contact with the Sith Lord. She caught the way the woman's eyes flickered from the Lord Inquisitor to herself. It was an odd look, and Rae wondered what was going on in the woman's mind. She tried to pull her attention away and focus it on Jorryn, but then she spoke. ​

Each word cut into the Corellian's heart, peeling away the walls she had built around it, hoping to prevent how she felt from getting out. The internal turmoil that brewed inside of her raged as she looked into the knowing amaranthine eyes. For a split second, the facade cracked, and pain washed over the Corellian's face. Taeli knew the fight she was fighting, she knew where her heart was falling and how her mission and loyalties refused to happen. ​

The words the woman spoke were meant for her to hear. Allyson nearly choked from the astringency against her chest, knowing that she wasn't fooling those around her as well as she fooled herself. Her offered hand to the Inquisitor shook until she found her composure. With the comfort she gained when looking upon Jorryn's bewitching beauty, Rae was able to calm the tides within her heart. ​

Rae continued to hear the Lady of Secrets' advice lingering in the back of her head as she followed the Lord Inquisitor out of the office. They were the words that would stick with her for a long while. ​

...when you can't decide between your path and the realities are fighting within you... your desires, your true desires, will show you the proper path...​