Imperial Coda [Hala's Epilogue]

[Col. Hala Moraal]

The Bitch
16 hours after jump from Y’Toub System

Hala sat in her cabin at the small computer console within, door shut behind her. Her gaze was locked on the instrument panel before her, on a single red light fading on and off. She watched and waited, the soft sound of her breathing not quite overpowering the dull drone and whine of the hyperdrives towards the aft of the ship. A few minutes into her vigil, she reached over to the bed and pulled the tiny blaster from within its equally tiny sheath. She chuckled, turning it over in her cybernetic hand while she remembered the man who died shortly after giving it to her - for her protection…. Ironic, and still frustrating. His death initiated a chain of events which she did not adequately control and lead Republic operatives to possess a monopoly over too much information. And that caused unfortunate collateral damage, fraying relationships, and spending good will she had worked hard to accrue.

Still, she didn’t think the Republic would unleash whatever they found….. but if the Crescent Shadow got a hold of it…. A third party complicated things. There are always third parties of course, but usually small enough to be intimidated or absorbed by the larger two. But the Shadow refused, wanting to elevate itself to the same level. It could provide cover for Imperial Intelligence operatives…. But would likewise complicate counterintelligence efforts and give cover to the SIS….

She continued to mull the problem over in her mind while she mechanically began to disassemble and strip the pistol and clean each part. Once it had been deconstructed, serviced, and pieced carefully back together, she turned her eyes back to the panel. Still blinking with sloth-like insistence. Orar hadn’t responded, again. Not surprising, given his last report. But she had more important things to attend to than wait for a deep cover operative to surface for what had once been their regular report. She turned off the transmitter, stopping the red light, then deactivated her scrambler before resetting it. Once her call was re-encrypted she opened up a channel to Minder-32, her default contact within the Intelligence Ministry.

“Minder,

My Cypher has enacted deep cover protocols. I will attach their current status and my amendments to their file given recent events. Provision normal resources re: deep cover, including dead drops, encrypted channels, and reassign primary contact for Cypher to a Ministry assigned Watcher for handling via deep cover pool.

I will return within a standard week, awaiting new assignment. Also included are my official, classified, and confidential reports of recent events.”

Her lips pursed while she reread the message before she reached for the transmit key. With a sigh, she pulled her hand away and leaned back against the narrow back of her chair. She tousled her hair with her left hand and looked at the door thoughtfully. With a start, she turned back and added to the bottom of the message,

“Find a Cypher who is currently on leave and task them to worth with the Kelborn arriving shortly. Test them, special forces recruit regime. The ones who wash out, either given them a paycheck and form them up with the Army as an irregular unit or set up a line of credit and give them a ship with a clean history and turn them loose outside of Empire space. Ones who don’t, form them into a unit. Not Cyphers, let them have a group identity if they want. Let them keep their heritage too, they don’t need to become us. But they need to learn subtlety and obedience to be useful. And when they are useful, we can turn our new Kelwraiths back on the galaxy to suit the needs of the Empire.”

With that, she hit the send key. Looking back at the door once more, she wondered what Moyr was up to. It was Gunny’s turn for watch after all. She stood and walked to the door, keying it open. Glancing up the hallway, it looked like the Sith’s hatch was also closed. Maybe she was sleeping… She stepped back into her room and shut the door then walked over to her HoloNet terminal. Tapping a few buttons quickly, she called up the pilot of Vera Hawke from the Net and started the episode with mild curiosity. Once the screen went black and music started playing, she stripped out of her tunic and into her night gown before slipping into her bunk. Once one she had laid down, she tapped the wall unit and started the episode in earnest.

[Col. Hala Moraal]

Bulwark Station
In high orbit around Dromund Kaas
Three weeks later

Despite how much time she spent around them, Hala was surprised to receive orders to report to a Navy officer. Still, orders were orders and were to be obeyed. She hoisted her cybernetic arm from the charging plate and connected it to dock on her stump. It whirred and clicked as the link was recreated and she curled her fingers to test it. Metal tips clattered against her metal palm and she smiled. She slipped on her jacket, pulled on a pair of thin leather gloves to help mask the metallic prosthetic, and picked up her cap before leaving her small stateroom. Though the company was not as good perhaps, there were luxuries to be had when at home rather than aboard ship.

She wound her way through the officers’ quarters and presented her code cylinder when she came to the security barrier separating the rest of the station from flag officers and their suites. The trooper dutifully checked it, inspected her orders, and waved her through. Along the way, she stopped at a terminal to recheck her route before continuing. When she reached Admiral Golan’s office she pressed the door chime and waited to be admitted. Behind a sleek and imposing metal desk sat an aging man with an admiral’s insignia though at his side stood a second man clad in the slate grey uniform of an officer with all the heraldry of a moff. Upon closer inspection though, he seemed familiar.

Breaking from her observations, she saluted.

“At ease, Colonel,” Golen said with a wave and she shifted her posture to match, “It seems you earned quite a few marks of praise during your time in the Y’Toub System… I have reports from Darth Xevious, Lord Haydriss, embassy personnel, and of course Moff Jinn.”

The Moff behind Golen took this opening to speak.

“Yes, thank you for assisting Lord Deathwright in recovering my daughter.”

Hala shifted her gaze to Jinn and nodded gratefully, “Thank you for saying so, sir.”

“Yes…. we’ve also received reports that you involved yourself in some other affairs as well… The Mandalorian conflict, the matter of the Republic assault during the assassination attempt, and the Nikto vigilante…. You put yourself in quite a few dangerous situations, ones which were not directly related to your orders and role as military liaison to the diplomatic entourage. There was some disagreement on how to deal with this,” he said with a sigh.

“You’ve sustained another grievous injury, and for purposes of argumentation we will say this one was also in the line of duty. You have quite the record Colonel, a list of accomplishments in the service of the Empire commensurate with your rank. You also have value as a symbol - not that ‘Angel of Dromund Kaas’ drek - but as a soldier that many look up to. This is not something that the Admiralty is inclined to risk lightly, and on what should have been a non-combat assignment you somehow managed to get yourself seriously injured. Again…. Isn’t it time to leave the field completely, Colonel? Time to end being shot at or stabbed?” he said before adding with a smile, “... or being punched by errant Senators?”

He slipped one hand in his pocket and from it he produced a general’s insignia. Hala’s eyes flickered down to study it before returning to Admiral Golen.

“If that’s how I’m best able to serve the Empire, sir, then I will accept promotion, but until then I was told you have orders for me?” she said, stifling a slight twitch in her right arm.

He smiled and nodded, then tilted his head to indicate the other man in the room once again, “He does, actually.”

Jinn stepped forward, “Yes. Colonel, with the treaty going into effect then we have need of servants of the Empire who know how to deal with the Republic aside from at the barrel of their blaster. You strike me as one such individual, and your ability to time your political exposure is commendable. Perhaps even brave.
“You will put your affairs in order here and in one week’s time you will be escorted to the Corellian System. Multiple new embassies will be opened so that the Empire may continue to handle present circumstances and personnel are needed to fill out the ranks of these new facilities. You will take up your post there as Chief Ambassador to Corellia and continue your efforts on behalf of the Empire in that capacity. This transfer comes with the authorization of your commanding officer. Here are your orders, their authentication, and your new credentials… Oh and one more thing. I would recommend you not dare a Mandalorian to try killing you again. The next one might just oblige you on the matter.”

Hala took the proffered materials in her left hand and saluted with her right.

“Dismissed, Colonel.”

One back in her quarters, she looked down at the new code cylinder, insignia, and orders. She scanned it for the confirmation passphrase embedded within and located it on her second pass, noting that the orders had been cleared through the Ministry of Intelligence and that she was authorized to accept and proceed. With all the formalities completed, some small part deep inside compelled her to read the orders once more. When she reached the end, a thin smile creased her lips.

The Honorable Colonel Hala Moraal
Chief Imperial Ambassador to the Corellian system