10 ASC

Had he been a different man, Telkwa Thema might have confessed to being awed by Imperial Intelligence headquarters. Of course, had he been a different man, he never would have been allowed entry.

The walls glowed with a malevolent majesty only he could see. A product of Dromund Kaas' inherent power, it lent the building, the city, the entire planet an imposing nature like no planet he'd ever been on before. Even so, it was nothing compared to the chambers of the Dark Council nearby, where power radiated so strongly Telkwa could feel its oppression from almost anywhere in Kaas City.

Oddly, the power was becoming more intense as he approached Headquarters' main room.

Then a presence came into focus.

Telkwa gave an involuntary shudder just before turning the corner to see Keeper in a one-sided argument with an extraordinarily powerful Sith Lord. Unlike most Sith, this man's presence radiated out from him, eating away at those close to him. It took an effort of will to approach the pair of arguing humans. Telkwa came to stand beside them just as the Sith Lord was refusing to turn off whatever power was probably slowly killing everyone in the room.

"You, agent," the Sith Lord said sharply, turning only his head to face Telkwa. "You were the one sent to Hutta. Is that correct?"

"Yes, my lord," Telkwa replied, saluting crisply. Kaliyo scoffed silently behind him. "If I may, are you Darth Jadus?"

Darth Jadus nodded, confirming he was the same Sith who'd been expressing interest in Telkwa since the start of his first mission, only a couple of weeks ago.

"You served me well in your dealings with Nem'ro," Jadus complimented him. "You will serve me well again."

"It would be an honour," Telkwa replied.

Jadus, who clearly liked to hear himself preach, told him, "sublimate your desires to those of the Empire, and you will go far."

Then the Sith lord proceeded to push around Keeper, even past the experienced spy's protests, and bully the old man into giving Telkwa an unspecified mission that must have personally benefited Darth Jadus. It was somewhat unsettling, if Telkwa were to be honest with himself. He had faith in the Empire, of course; it had conquered his home planet when he was a young boy. It was obviously a stronger nation than the Republic. Still, the Siths' control over matters they were clearly less experienced in than their subordinates was… well, unfair and inefficient. Still, as a loyal Imperial, Telkwa would never openly question such a thing.

After Darth Jadus left, Telkwa quietly agreed with Keeper's concern regarding Telkwa's "new friend", then left to get extra gear from his locker before debriefing.

"I know you don't like the bowing and scraping, Kaliyo," he murmured as he pulled his preferred headgear from his locker, "but try to be a little subtler about it. Men like that will kill you for not showing enough respect, let alone insulting them."

When Kaliyo looked like she was about to reply sarcastically, Telkwa finished, "we make a much better team if you're alive, Kaliyo."

Then he closed his locker, fitting a utility belt across his chest and adjusting his headgear on the way to Keeper's office. It might be his gear, but it never fit quite right. The expensive visual filters made a perfect fit around the eyes a priority, and, since he didn't have any, they fit him terribly no matter how he adjusted the contraption. At least they let him take off the ridiculous tinted glasses he'd had to wear on Hutta.

Telkwa stopped outside Keeper's office, but made no move to intercept Kaliyo. He'd already figured out that the best way to keep control of the Rattattaki – filthy alien – was to not even try controlling her. Naturally, Kaliyo walked right into Keeper's office, leaning up against the wall as Keeper said, "agent. Come in. Let's talk."

The old spy didn't even turn around as he gave out orders. "Kaliyo? Wait outside, please. One of the Watchers will handle your debriefing."

"We need to talk about my terms–"

"I promise you, you'll be well compensated. You can discuss the details with a Watcher," Keeper assured her. Kaliyo bristled at being interrupted, but the promise of payment mollified her somewhat. Hopefully the promise of a fat, steady paycheck would keep the mercenary marginally loyal.

Still, Telkwa thought, the sooner I can start working alone, or even with a more reliable partner, the better.

With a final parting comment Telkwa didn't pay attention to, Kaliyo finally left, and Keeper deigned to turn and face his agent.

"So, I've reviewed the report of your activities on Hutta," Keeper said, "you were busier than I'd expected."

Telkwa clamped down on his panic.

"I worked to facilitate my cover, sir," he said evenly. "My secondary missions were planned so as to make best use of my time between mission-related work for Nem'ro. If you are dissatisfied, I will accept responsibility for my failures."

For an instant, Keeper's face was unreadable. Then he reassured Telkwa, "You were extremely effective in your mission, and I'm impressed by your efficiency. You used violence as a tool and not a crutch. Not many agents find that balance so easily. So I wonder: why did you join Imperial Intelligence?"

To atone for my heritage, Telkwa thought, even as his mouth responded by rote, "I joined to serve the Empire and its people."

"Idealistic sentiment," Keeper almost gave Telkwa a smile, but then he sighed, "a pity, in some ways. You may find yourself disappointed. This isn't glamorous work. We're sanitation workers – we clean up after the military and the Sith and do the jobs no one else will."

Changing tac again, Keeper said, more reassuringly, "without us, though, the Empire falls apart. So we do whatever is necessary – even if it's thankless and ugly. You understand?"

The agent did. He'd been forced to kill an innocent man on Hutta, Kerrals Jarvis, whose sons had gotten in the way of a Sith Lord. Telkwa regretted the murder, but he'd do it again, if he had to. Even so, he hoped his nation never asked such a thing of him again.

"I understand completely, sir," Telkwa answered automatically.

Keeper nodded. "I'm glad to hear it."

The debriefing abruptly changed into a briefing regarding a terrorist cell on Dromund Kaas, and Telkwa was informed he would be working with two other operatives. For a moment, he thought he was already rid of Kaliyo, and thanked the Empire for making his job that much easier. Then, Kaliyo and a human woman walked into the office.

"Watcher Two, huh," Kaliyo sniped at her newest partner, "that's a pretty name. Is it Twi'lek?"

Watcher Two, however, seemed completely unfazed by the comment. Almost offhandedly, she replied, "it's Basic. Unlike many civilizations, the Empire teaches its children how to count."

It took a bit of effort not to smile at that. Of course, since Telkwa was still facing Keeper, Kaliyo wouldn't see the expression anyway, but sometimes it was hard to remember that other species had "sight lines".

Watcher Two gave a crisp salute and officially reported in. Keeper gave a firm nod of acknowledgement, then looked Telkwa directly in the… well, at his face, and said, "Kaliyo will be your support in the field. She will report to you and take your orders… since you seem able to handle her."

With all due respect, sir, Telkwa thought, you obviously don't know how to handle her, if you think she'll take my orders. The best method with Kaliyo seemed to be to figure out the absolute minimum that needed to be done, tell her the mission with as few restrictions as possible, and manipulate her into choosing the least disruptive option. So far, Telkwa could broadly get her to "cause a distraction," or "don't get shot at," without being completely ignored. He considered that a success, since he could always work his way up to more complex commands if he was forced to work with the alien for an extended period.

"I'm making you look good, agent," Kaliyo grinned. "You should be grateful."

Only by contrast, Telkwa thought.

Not missing a beat, Keeper continued, "meanwhile, Watcher Two will be your liaison to base. She'll stay in contact remotely and provide you with mission details."

Watcher Two finally stepped up beside Telkwa. "I've heard a lot about your species," she commented. "Your unique skills should complement the team well."

Telkwa turned to glare at the woman, all but snarling in her face. "How did you – my dossier, of course."

He pulled back, still enraged, but afraid of causing too much of a scene. Kaliyo seemed confused. She'd had no idea he was an alien. Just the way Telkwa preferred it.

"I am a servant of the Empire." Telkwa gritted out the words, but they had to be said. "Nothing more, and no less. Whatever aberrations you think I plan to rely on, remember that I earned my place in Imperial Intelligence."

Watcher Two looked just as stunned as Kaliyo did, but Keeper stepped in before anybody said anything else.

"Enough, agent. Watcher Two is trained to be aware of and take advantage of any possibility. You should do the same."

If anything, Telkwa's spirits fell even further as he turned back to face his superior – unnecessary, given that Miralukans couldn't see, but a form of respect in human society nonetheless – and receive his complete briefing.

Maybe, if he did his job well enough, even Keeper would forget Telkwa's shameful heritage.

A man could only hope.