The Show Must Go On (Somarae)

[Ashin Varanin]

A heavily encrypted transmission led the Inquisitor and starfighter commander @[member="Somarae"] to a nameless waterworld, eighteen switchbacking jumps into the most uncharted sectors of the Unknown Regions. The world was a moon like any other, orbiting a gas giant like any other. Its value lay in its ubiquity.

Following the guidelines contained in that transmission would take Somarae down through puffy cloudcover to a broad ocean. And, from there, a very small submersible would be detectable, bobbing on the waves beside a very small island where she could land whatever ship she'd brought.

That submersible would take her three klicks underwater, to the topmost decks of the starship Emperor's Shield -- the largest and most powerful command ship in the galaxy. A ship that had vanished without a trace, with the Imperial heir aboard, the day Akio Kahoshi joined the Fringe Confederation.

Force presence muted to nothingness, Je'gan Olra'en was currently the only being aboard. The six-kilometre-wide city ship rested on the ocean floor, and Je'gan stared out into dark waters from one of the many observation decks. As Somarae's submersible drew close, he would let her sense his location, and come join him overlooking the seabed and staring up at faint sunlight.

 

[Antera]

The last few weeks had left the chiss unbalanced, to say the least. When Je'gan's message had arrived, the cryptic circumstances surrounding it were enough to entice her curiosity and pull her out of depression. She'd acquired a small shuttle from an Inquisition safehouse and made her way along the encrypted flightpath.

The flight and the ride down on the submersible had left her with entirely too much time to think, to doubt. She shut her eyes tightly, legs folded into a lotus position as she sat and meditated on the deck of the tiny craft. Her mind struggled to push all doubt aside. There was a duty to carry out. She had been summoned forth for a reason, and there could be no distractions from whatever task the masters of the Inquisition set before her.

She felt the presence of Master Olra'en as her ship neared its destination, and her eyes snapped open. Outside the viewport of the sub, she could see the massive city-ship hidden deep below the waves of the moon's ocean. The symbol of Imperial might, tucked away and out of sight. A hidden weapon, waiting for the right moment.

To the Inquisitor, the sight was reassuring.

The submersible continued its pre-programmed descent, and once docked Somarae climbed out the hatch and made her way towards the powerful presence in the Force that stood out against the rest of the cold metal and water surrounding her. When she found him, she dropped to a knee and bowed her head. Lieutenant Somarae of the Imperial Navy vanished, and Song Zhao of the Inquisition knelt before him, "Master Olra'en, what do you require of me?"

@[member="Je'gan Olra'en"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Somarae"]

He had, it seemed, been meditating as well. It took him a long moment to blink and move, shatter the image of near-perfect stillness. He smiled, and gestured for the fighter jock to rise. "I'm glad you made it, Inquisitor Song. Welcome to the Emperor's Shield. We're alone here, entirely. The crew departed the ship five jumps ago; the droids were deactivated, their power sources removed, after we submerged the ship.

"Currently, only you, Tirdarius, and my wife @[member="Tahira Solo"] know the location of this system. I'm going to stay here for a while, circumstances permitting. My face is too well known, and, more importantly, so is my skillset. But you...your levels of secrecy were never compromised.

"Now more than ever, I'm certain that the Inquisition is a valuable check and balance in the galaxy. I've arranged for Inquisition assets to be made available to you throughout former Galactic Empire space -- on Lehon, Mobus, and so forth. Republic worlds, now. And then there's O'reen, Atrisia, and all the other Imperial worlds that joined the Fringe Confederation. I believe the wisest move for you would be to make Lieutenant Somarae disappear, and adopt a new identity." He presented a trio of datacards. "Here are your options. Any one of these would allow you to merge seamlessly into the Fringe Confederation."

 

[Antera]

Soma stood as she was directed, readily settling into a shoulder width parade rest stance. She listened intently as Je'gan spoke, face expressionless and voice silent.

My identity. My very life. All of it gone...

She stiffened slightly at the thought, but did not protest. Somarae was one person. Song another. Whatever life she took from the data cards she'd been offered was ultimately only a third mask. Another tool of the Inquisition.

Just as I am. My life is Atrisia's. Is the Empire's. Is the Inquisition's.

She reached forward and accepted the dossiers, giving each a quick glance, but an actual decision would need more time. She slid them into a pocket concealed in the lining of her jacket.

"So I am to ingratiate myself with our old foes more closely. I do not relish this task, Master Olra'en. But I shall serve. I will watch and learn all I can, and I will be the Inquisition's eyes among the Fringe."

@[member="Je'gan Olra'en"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Antera"]

Je'gan's eyes tightened, and he turned back to the underwater view, hands clasped behind his back. "I don't envy you this task," he said. "The Fringe cannot be quantified. So far as i was ever able to determine, the only common denominator among its people is their cause. Killing monsters. There are true monsters in Fringe's ranks, people who are only tolerated because there actually are worse things out there.

"Fringe is a pluralistic society, Inquisitor Song. It accepts all people and all ideas, and disdains orthodoxy. To live undercover in such a society is a far cry from your previous work, so far as I'm aware. You will have to become your role, let yourself go, permit yourself freedoms and even indulgences you wouldn't normally consider, in order to keep your cover. As I said...I don't envy you."

 

[Antera]

"Whatever sacrifices are necessary, I shall make. The safety of the Empire is all that concerns me. If our 'allies' prove problematic, I shall be certain you and the other masters know," her lips were slightly pursed, and she willed herself to feel the confidence her words held, "As always, I stand ready as a servant of the Inquisition, no matter where that duty leads me. No matter what I must do, what I must see, my loyalty remains absolute."

She stepped forward, standing beside the man who had just ordered the death of her prior existence, "I do not need any sympathy, Master Olra'en, all I require is the knowledge that what I do must be done, and it shall be carried out. No matter the cost."

@[member="Je'gan Olra'en"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Antera"]

He smiled with his eyes, but sadness tugged at the corners anyway. He didn't look away from the seascape. "Spoken like an adult, Inquisitor Song. One final note -- a tool you might find useful, if you don't possess it already. There may be times when it is necessary to hide your presence in the Force through Qey'tek meditation. Can you already suppress your Force signature? If not, I'm capable of giving you that knowledge quickly."

 

[Antera]

"Learning the basics of concealing my presence was an early lesson at the Citadel, but if you believe you can further enlighten me on such matters, Master Olra'en, you have my undivided attention," she bowed her head in respect, turning away from the underwater view to face the more experienced Inquisitor.

@[member="Je'gan Olra'en"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Antera"]

Je'gan hesitated, then shook his head. "No, you're right, the Inquisition teaches that skill well. What you know is probably sufficient. Chalk it up to...ah, but what's the harm."

He gestured, and a small blue crystal cube floated toward Antera. "This is a simple holocron; it contains very little, apart from some of my instructions on hiding your thoughts and Force presence. The former will probably be more important. Study well, hide it well."

 

[Antera]

She lifted her right hand to catch the holocron as it floated towards her, fingers closing delicately around the small device. She held it in her palm, gaze falling downwards to peer at the device. Once she decided on a route back to a safehouse, she would have plenty of time to meditate on both its contents and her new identity during the flight.

"It will remain safe, Master Olra'en. You have my thanks, for this gift of knowledge," the small crystal soon joined the datacards he'd offered her shortly before, "Unless there is more you wish to impart, I will take my leave and begin my preparations."

@[member="Je'gan Olra'en"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Antera"]

"May the Force be with you, Inquisitor Song."

He sighed and turned back to the viewport, and suddenly he looked very, very old -- something about the set of his shoulders, the lines around his eyes.

 

[Antera]

"I will remain in contact, Master Olra'en," she stepped back, bowing at the waist with deep respect, before turning and making her return to the submersible.

Once back aboard the craft, she gathered up the datacards he'd presented her with, and began to thumb through her choices. She had her mission, the only thing left to decide was who she would become.

@[member="Je'gan Olra'en"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Antera"]

A small servant droid found Antera as she prepared to depart.

"From the vaults of the Inquisition," it said, and handed her a small case and another holocron. "These may be useful as currency to alchemists. The pedicure set of Ludo Kressh, and a holocron on the Nightsister blood trail ritual, acquired for the Inquisition with Inquisition funds."

http://starwarsrp.net/topic/14746-the-holocron-auction-redux/?p=165326

 

[Antera]

She'd accepted the gifts graciously, asking the droid to pass along her thanks to Master Olra'en. Once back aboard her shuttle, she studied the small objects with interest, turning them over slowly in her hands. The history was almost palpable, nearly an energy of its own radiating outwards from the physical weight. It intrigued her.

She set the alchemical file down, turning her attention back to the datacards. She slit the top card aside and found what she was looking for in the middle.

Antera. Chiss smuggler and relic hunter.

She pursed her lips slightly. A criminal. That was something she'd never been. But a pilot, that she could certainly manage. And the sense of history the gifts she now possessed contained, well... that was certainly intriguing in its own right.

She sat back, reading the dossier over more carefully. It was time to learn her newest mask.