Been a while, hasn't it? Apologies...well, here's another character from the Expanded Universe. I do plan on using one of these characters in the future, so look out for that. I'm not too sure about this one-hopefully the next chapter, the mission, will work out better.

STAR WARS: THE EMPEROR'S SHADOW

TRUE IMPERIAL

CHAPTER TEN: SECRET WARS

I returned before my Master, and bowed before him (as was my duty).

"What is thy bidding, my Master?" I asked.

The Emperor leaned back in the darkness of his throne as he addressed me.

"When you fought your part in the Clone Wars, you were always a spy just as much as a diplomat…"

"That weak-willed woman is dead, Master…" I replied, my conditioning allowing me to insult my past self if I wanted to. A recent revision by the Emperor, to emphasise my progress.

"True, but her skills were useful…and can be improved upon by your current self. That is one part of what I require from you, and I know a man who can help you to achieve this. He may also have a mission for you…this may require the skills which you used in your previous life. Prove that you can do so while also maintaining your current mindset and you will impress me greatly. You have made great progress in assuming your new mantle, but this will go a long way towards completing that journey. Go to him, learn from him, and help him with whatever he asks for…"

I stood up, and declared "It shall be done, my Master…"

I looked up Armand Isard using my uplink to the Imperial database and found out that he was residing in an Imperial prison underneath the surface of the planet. The Coruscant sewers went down miles, and there were entire layers that were forgotten and decaying, so it made sense to hide a prison down there. Seemed appropriate…the cesspit of the Imperial City, holding the scum of the galaxy. It had not been hard to fortify what had been down there already…and the previous residents had been easily pacified. What better place to hide a secret Imperial facility?

I recalled Armand Isard from my previous identity-he was a veteran of the Clone Wars of the Republic Forces. His specialty was intelligence operations, the shadier part of warfare according to the rank and file troopers…but from my changed perspective, it was a world that I could fit into very well. As for Isard, he had been Director of the Senate Bureau of Intelligence, as well as the Republic Bureau of Intelligence. He had been the ideal choice for the role of Director of Imperial Intelligence, especially as he had risen up from being an agent himself within the Senate Bureau of Intelligence. He was a staunch ally of Senator/Chancellor Palpatine, and had been chosen as a member of the Security and Intelligence Council, which was made up of his most trusted advisors. Isard was one of the men that had benefitted the most from Palpatine's New Order, and had his hand in most things within the shadows of the Empire.

I adopted another disguise while passing through Coruscant's city, another nondescript female officer, but ditched it once I had reached the lower levels where nobody but the cut-throats of the city planet roamed-fearing only the Imperial Stormtroopers who carried out occasional raids. Even bounty hunters were rare down here, unless one had caused enough mayhem for it to be profitable-these scum attacked in numbers, so any journeys down here were judged to be unwise at best and suicidal at worst.

However, I wasn't most people.

I did get attacked, even when I dropped my disguise to reveal my armour. However, unfortunately for them, my serum also kicked in-and as a result I tore them all to shreds with my superior skills despite a ten on one advantage. After the battle, I never spared the dead thugs a second thought-the taste of battle and bloodshed was a welcome one, however.

After a journey that brought its own share of fun, I re-adopted my disguise and found myself at a mysterious Imperial checkpoint. I walked up to the officer on duty, and gave the given code that I had been sent as part of my mission briefing by the Emperor. The officer didn't give me any trouble-he merely waved me through, sending me to Armand Isard's office with a Stormtrooper escort.

Armand Isard sat before a bank of monitors, his back to me but his black hair with a streak of white clearly visible. The monitors showed a variety of planets, but they all seemed to concern a militant group with the same insignia…

"The Partisans…Saw Guerrera. My latest project…Welcome to Lusankya, Agent Shadow. Yes, the Emperor briefed me on your arrival…please, allow me to greet you properly."

He then turned around, revealing his grizzled features and fair complexion.

"I like the disguise-I can imagine it's very useful in navigating the planet. Being able to shroud your true nature and intentions is an essential aspect of spycraft, wouldn't you agree? That device…holographic isn't it? A simple visual illusion, but enough to conceal the true monster within. Talking of which…may I see said monster?" He dismissed his troopers as he asked, so we were alone.

Accepting his request, I deactivated my device. My armoured form appeared before Isard.

"Very intimidating…another trick for a decent spy is the ability to stay alive while being able to take down swathes of enemies in case of your cover being blown. Of course, one other trick is to surprise them…and by triggering that, I'd imagine it's quite a shock…"

"As has been proven…" I conceded.

He looked me over, his eyes visually assessing my armour.

"A truly intimidating figure…no wonder the Emperor prizes you so highly. I have to admit, you are a mystery. No record of who you were before you appeared guarding his Imperial Majesty over a decade ago, but an exemplary performance at the Imperial Royal Guard Academy-top of your class, and entered under what can only be a psudonym. The only official record of your origin I can find is of a Project Shadow, which doesn't even list your real identity…"

"That is because my former identity is irrelevant. She is dead to all intents and purposes-I serve my Master, and his will is all that I have, know or crave. Nothing else matters." I countered.

Contrary to what I expected, he nodded and gave a small smile.

"You show your loyalty to the Emperor-I can respect that."

He gestured to the wall of monitors again.

"The might of the Imperial war machine is well-known and feared. We can overrun any opponent with sheer force of will. But there are some opponents that cannot be fought with such open tactics. These opponents fight from the shadows, defying conventional warfare and employing guerrilla tactics to eradicate our force multiplier. These phantoms strike from the shadows, swiftly and ferociously, before disappearing back into the shadows before we can catch them. This is where Intelligence comes in. With the use of spies and subterfuge, we can deal with these saboteurs and scum where they hide and ensure that they cannot act out their cowardly agenda. The use of intelligence can also change the tide of a decisive battle, providing a dedicated tactician with all the information he or she needs to craft a battle plan that will deliver victory."

"Thrawn thought along the same lines…" I thought.

I looked at the bank of monitors.

"So what do you require of me?" I asked.

"Straight to the point…I like that. Well, there's a cell of Partisans on a space station, preparing for a strike on a core world. While we won't be able to grab Saw Guerrerra, my agent has informed me that there's quite a powerful cell in place there that will need to be addressed. She can't do it alone, however-and has requested some backup. I intend for that to be you-My agent will inform you of the location of the strike, and you will confront them and wipe the cell out. Understand?"

I nodded. "Do you know if the agent is still alive?"

Isard nodded. "It's my daughter, Ysanne. A most accomplished agent…quite a future ahead of her. She's still alive, have no fear. She'll be able to give you the remaining information you need."

I stood up, intending to get straight to work. However, Isard held out his hand.

"Wait.." he called.

I stopped, waiting for him to explain.

"You're probably going to see some true horrors out there…the Partisans do not care too much about collateral damage. They would rather let a world burn and take us with it than adhere to the established New Order. So, when you confront them, give no quarter…but ensure that you leave at least one alive. We'll need somebody to extract information from…intelligence extracted from enemies is important, after all…"

I nodded. "I'll bring back your Intelligence source…"

Isard smiled. "I greatly anticipate your mission success…"

As I left the meeting, I switched the holographic imager back on. But as I went to my ship, I thought about what had been said. Isard was right-knowing where and how to strike was the key to a successful mission. As I was all too ready to demonstrate to him…

A fight was coming, and I could not wait to sate my thirst for battle…