Core Worlds
Coruscant System
Coruscant, ecumenopolis and Capital of the Galactic Empire
Federal District level 5127
Imperial Security Bureau Central Office within the COMPNOR arcology
The Central Office was in chaos. ISB Officers in their Imperial black uniforms ran every which way. Civilians huddled under desks. The sounds of blaster fire echoed in the vicinity. The rumble of an explosion from farther away shook the complex.
A single female officer, whose uniform bars marked her as a programming specialist, made her way slowly down the corridor, working against the general flow of humanity, but also being passed by those moving faster than her in the same direction. She was tall and lean with short black hair. And beautiful blue eyes.
It was Sal.
A rebel operative making her way through the ISB Central Office. I should be about there, Sal told herself. Where is it? Images of the floorplans flashed through her mind. An officer slammed into her, as he was hurrying down the hallway while looking back over his shoulder, jostling her out of her thoughts. He turned around and met her blue eyes. Sal smiled and he froze, smiling back.
The officer blinked and stared at her eyes for a moment. "I am so sorry," he said, then glanced around nervously as people kept passing them by.
"Can you tell me where Executive Assistant Director Janda's office is?" Sal asked.
He looked at her a moment longer then said, "Yes." He pointed back over his shoulder and said, "Go down the corridor and take the second right. It's the third door down on the right."
"Thanks," Sal said. I remember now, she said to herself as the floorplans locked into place in her head. And on down the hall past his office is the mainframe along with the Programming and Data Entry Office.
"I got to go," he said looking back over his shoulder then hurried on past Sal without another word.
She hurried on past him and noticed that the corridor had nearly emptied. Everyone is clearing out of here, regardless of which way they were going, she realized as she reached the second right.
The sound of a blaster from around the corner filled her ears.
Sal froze in place, then took a step back. She took a deep breath. Then a second. Is it safe? Sal asked herself. Sal took three more slow breaths then turned around the corner. Three Special Operations Agents in their black laminate armor and helmets with blaster carbines in hand were standing just down the hallway.
Outside the open third door on the right.
One of the officers looked her way. "What is your business?" he yelled over his loud speaker.
"I'm heading to the mainframe," Sal answered as she pointed down the corridor at him and beyond.
At that moment, the sound of a blaster came from within the open door. Worry filled Sal. No! she cried in her head. Let him still be alive. Two more Agents in armor stepped out of the room and then out stepped an officer in a black uniform with a blaster pistol in her hand. The officer was tall with an athletic build and had ebon skin. She had a classically beautiful angular face topped with short curly blonde hair. It was Assistant Director Magnusson. "Come on," she said and pointed down the hall toward Sal. The first three Special Ops Agents immediately headed Sal's direction followed by Magnusson and then the other two Special Ops Agents. Sal pressed herself against the wall and let them pass. Magnusson's dark eyes locked onto Sal's for a moment as she passed, but she then turned her head forward again and went around the corner with the Special Ops Agents.
Sal let out a sigh of relief then hurried down the hallway to the open door on the right and went in.
Sal quickly took everything in. She stood in a small plain office with a single open door and a desk. Behind the desk, a young woman with an ample bosom and her long blonde hair in a bun was slumped into her chair. A huge blaster hole in her chest. One of the special Ops Officers killed her, Sal quickly realized. She glanced to the door. Next to it hung a data display that read:
Executive Assistant Director Mekhi Janda, ISB Financials and Logistics Branch
Sal walked past the desk and entered the office beyond.
It was organized and well-lit. There were certificates and pictures on the walls located to the left and right but directly ahead was a desk. A handful of portraits were on top the desk and behind it sat a tall and lean man with black hair, sporting gray "wingtips" on either side of his head. He also had a blaster hole in his chest that blood leaked from. Executive Assistant Director Janda, Sal recognized. Sal looked into his eyes and caught a flicker of life. He's not dead yet! she gleefully screamed in her head. But I don't have much time. Sal quickly reached into the pouch on her hip and pulled out a stim pack and frowned. I don't think this will do anything but delay the inevitable. She quickly opened his shirt to expose the wound on his chest and then administered the stim pack. Sal looked into his eyes.
His eyes opened a little more and she recognized the focus.
"It's Saleucami," she said. "I'm doing what I can," she said.
"Don't," Janda mumbled. "Don't worry about me. I'm gone."
"But others need you," she said. "The Rebellion needs you."
Janda struggled to move his left arm but it barely flopped. "Take this," Janda whispered. Sal looked down and saw his hand resting upon an attaché case sitting on the floor. "It's…all there," he mumbled. "Your Mother's corp…too."
"Thank you, so much," Sal said. Elation filled her heart as she moved around the desk to stand beside Janda and take the case. "We are fighting hard, but we need credits to keep the fight going," she said. "Hope only goes so far."
Sal picked up the case and, unable to stop herself, gave the man a hug with her other arm. He started out trying to catch and kill me for being a rebel, she mused. Now, he's helping me shift Imperial assets to continue funding the Alliance. A tear slid down her cheek. I hope he included transactions in there to take care of his family, Sal said to herself as she looked at the portraits on his desk.
"There's more," Janda said, a low croak. "You'll need…to go…to Khailov…to finish it," he said.
That wasn't a part of the deal, Sal said in her head, a little anger rising within her heart at the dying man.
"Find Malgo there," Janda croaked. "Give him…case."
Malgo? Sal said in her head. Not Agent Sluka? She stared at Janda's eyes, not sure what to say or ask and they closed. She knew they had closed forever too.
Sal quickly hopped up and left Janda's office.
Now to the mainframe, she said in her head. Let's get these transactions started and get out of here. Frustration and anger filled her. If I don't make it out alive, the transactions won't be completed.