Naturally I had help along the way, from time to time, when my paths crossed with Sith on similar tracks. The job was easy... done. Unbeknownst to me, and the agent whom we were assisting, we were double-crossed by one of the Hutts we were supposed to be trying to win over. Hardly surprising mind you, but I spared his life in return for his undying loyalty to the Empire. His partner in crime... The Exchange boss, Ukabi... was not so lucky.
I could not help but notice that the area we finally found him had an eerie resemblance to a prison. Hardly the retirement home I would expect for someone obviously decorated as an operative in the past. As I met the disheveled man, I wondered what crimes he may have committed to deserve such a fate... Or maybe he simply knew too much.
Whatever the case, Kaliyo did NOT take a liking to him from the start, and that should have been my first indicator that something was not right.
The first bit of info he volunteered was that the terror cells were using Nar Shaddaa's many factories to produce a powerful adrenal called cyclone, which could essentially turn soldiers into super soldiers, or terrorists into... well... you get the picture. We were given the names of our contacts, and we proceeded to "persuade" them to see things our way and give us what we needed.
We obtained info on the processing plants and proceeded to the Duros Sector with due haste. Duty called once more as the local commander needed our assistance in dealing with yet another upstart terror cell in the area.
Among other things, one of our agents was compromised and killed... The secrets he uncovered pinned to his crucified chest as a trophy, and a warning to other Imperial agents. Macabre to be sure, but it had to be dealt with. I was asked to burn the body and retrieve the information before the rabble rousers used it as a rallying device.
As I suspected... It was a trap. A poorly laid one at that...
With the anti-Imperial conspirators handled, we went to the labs to use their bioscanner, and see if we could obtain the ingredients to this cyclone.
As we were about to head back to Watcher X, we received the disturbing news that the local commander had been captured by a nemesis known only as "The Flame". He and his men were being held at gunpoint, following a failed negotiation. I swear if I had a credit stick for every time Imperial commanders muck things up, I could be a Moff now.
Much to Kaliyo's dismay, we saved his pathetic hide... and his men.
In gratitude however, we were given more names, to unravel the terror plot. Our next one led us to one of the ritziest casinos on the moon- Club Vertica.
Of course such an exclusive establishment was not going to simply allow us to walk in and speak to the gentleman in question, so I had to resort to the one skill I know best...
Charm the pants off his lovely, Twi'Lek administrator. Well, what can I say... It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
Kaliyo decided to opt out of the fun this time. I was beginning to think the woman had no sexual desire whatsoever... Oh well, more for me. She waited in the lobby.
With the job done, I was granted an audience with our contact, and provided what intel I needed to take back to Watcher X, in order to continue further. He made it a point when I was leaving to inform me not to seduce his employees again. With a smirk, I left.
Watcher X seemed pleased that we were able to get this far along the chase, and offered some assistance for the next part in an unusual form- He offered to implant a device in my spine that would create a camouflage for me, so I could infiltrate the corporation behind both the cyclone production, as well as various other toxins that were being funneled to the terror cells. Reluctantly I agreed to have him perform this augmentative surgery. In retrospect, that was my first mistake.
I do have to admit though, it is one of the best disguises I have ever pulled off... A labor droid... a common labor droid found all over the galaxy. For an imprisoned, retired agent, the man did have a stroke of genius.
This was by far the easiest infiltration I have ever executed!
I was able to get to ground zero, at a meeting of the criminal minds, in the midst of a respectable corporate headquarters. I had ALL the info I needed to prosecute my original orders- dismantle the terror cell.
It was time to get to work! I summoned Kaliyo in, and we set about making sure that this group of fanatics did not live another day to terrorize the Empire. Only one was left alive, clinging to life, and of course hurling his final epithets at me.
Watcher X used a highly unusual procedure to glean whatever information he could from the man's brain, and leave him essentially in a vegetative state. I could not have this... No survivors... No witnesses...
We were then sent by another Imperial commander to destroy an information hub we suspected the Republic was trying to compromise. It took a bit of work as well as droid de-construction, but we were able to make it inside.
When we got into the main chamber we were met by a peculiar alien who could not be destroyed. I did negotiate with him and agree to his terms. We were allowed to destroy all the hubs, save one that he deemed a failsafe, should the information ever be needed. He agreed to keep it under lock and key.
We did the job... The Empire gained what info it needed, and the Republic were shut out from ever trying to access it. Quite pleased with myself I took Kaliyo shopping in the Promenade.
I thought it was quite fetching, but Kaliyo was clearly not impressed. Well, as my ship's droid always says: "You cannot make a shimmersilk purse from a Bantha's ear." As we were beginning to enjoy our tourist diversion, I got the call from Watcher 2... Apparently Watcher X used the info we gleaned to formulate an escape from his "retirement home". My orders were clear... Watcher X was to be terminated.
We hightailed it back to Mezenti Starport, and bolted through the hallways to the hangar he was headed for. We caught him just in time.
I told him I appreciated his assistance on this, but business is business. Whatever he may have done to be on the wrong side of Imperial Intelligence, his journey ends here and now. In what has been the most epic confrontation I have had, the man fought like a caged animal. Kaliyo even suffered injuries, which is unusual for her! The taste of her own blood sent her into a frenzy... It could only end one way...
Before we killed him, his parting words were that he could show me WHY the Empire is not my friend, WHAT they have done to me without my knowledge, and HOW I will be disposed of, just like him, when the time comes. Orders were orders... He never got to give me the information.... When I questioned Watcher 2 about this, she was even more obtuse than he was. Something was not right... but I could not dwell on that now.
To add insult to injury, when we tried to hyperspace out of Nar Shaddaa orbit, I was shocked to discover we had been disabled remotely... by none other than Darth Jadus' spoiled brat of a daughter- Darth Zhorrid the horrid. She had some task for us to do on Nar Shaddaa to prove my loyalty to her.
I was fuming, and Kaliyo was as well. Stranded on Nar Shadda, filled with the virulent concoction of anger, adrenaline, and bloodlust... we did the only thing we could think to do to blow off steam...
We had sex... rough... violent... passionate... sex.
It was the best we have ever had.
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