Here we go-the final paart of the Isard section of this story. Another EU character introduced-and with the recent news about Patty Jenkins' Rogue Squadron movie, I can only hope that she makes the leap to the Disney canon. Hopefully I've done her justice...
Not too far to the end now. Just one more face of the Empire to meet...can you guess who it is?
STAR WARS: THE EMPEROR'S SHADOW
TRUE IMPERIAL
CHAPTER TWELVE: PARTISAN POLITICS
Shura Ralkhar's identity, it turned out, was all I needed to access the space station. Her ship had the required Partisan transponder to penetrate their security net, and stealing her identity allowed me to board without arousing any suspicion. All I had to do was to meet up with Isard's agent, and find the best way to eliminate this cell…
For now, I decided to take a leaf out of my Master's book and play it carefully…I knew that an opening would emerge in time, it was just a matter of biding my time and taking the chance. While I craved the coming battle and bloodshed, the emotions that it released would be all the more plentiful if I worked for them, as opposed to merely taking them as soon as I had a chance. Besides, by doing the undercover work, I could make myself even more useful and obtain some important information for Isard. Intelligence relied on information, so it would be worth the effort.
When I approached, I was hailed by the station.
"This is a private station…please identify."
The station was formerly the property of a corporate ship builder, hence why they had large hangers and maintenance tech. The place had evidently been abandoned at some point, but the Partisans had pressed it back into service, using the details of a dummy corporation so as to not attract any unwanted attention (Isard's agent had sent details of the subterfuge, however). Fortunately, thanks to Isard and his agent, I knew my way in.
"This is 'Merchant'. Transmitting ship transponder…" I spoke, using my voice translator. As I did so, I activated the specific transponder frequency which would identify this ship as Partisan. As I suspected, I did not have to wait long for an answer…
"You are clear to proceed. Dock in Bay 41." The reply said no more. As a result, I landed the ship. I was not surprised to find a couple of mechanics waiting at the pad, accompanied by a burly male with a scarred face. He was looking me over as I descended the ramp into the hanger.
"Come on…we've got a meeting to get to! Saw is sending a message in a few minutes…" he called. Taking my cues, I ran after him. The mechanics got to work on 'my' ship, giving her a repair job. I didn't know where the Imperial agent was, but I had a feeling that she would soon make herself known to me…however, for now, I had an opening. A message from Saw…could this be Saw Guerrerra, former Clone Wars veteran and now wanted rebel leader? To get intel on his activities…
I entered the room, to find myself in a military war room. The occupants were of various races, but all were hard-bitten and tough looking. Every one looked at me intently, so I let my holographic face show as little emotion as possible-not hard in all honesty. One woman was looking at me in particular, a human with a black beret, military fatigues and cropped black hair.
"Ah, Shura…successful in your duties?" she asked. I simply nodded.
"Good…now let's find out what we're up to next…" she said, turning to the comm system.
A couple of minutes later, from an undisclosed location, Saw Guerrerra appeared. I knew that it was him, as I had seen Armand Isard examining everything he could find on this terrorist when I arrived to meet him. While this meant that I would have little chance of locating him, I could sabotage one of his schemes and take out this cell at the same time. It would still be a win…
"Partisans…the Imperial military is expanding its iron fist across the Outer Rim. We have been building up our strength, and we believe that we are ready to strike a deadly blow against one of its power bases. There's an Imperial shipyard out on the Outer Rim-they are using it as a for construction of Imperial starfighters. It's officially a scrapyard decommissioning Clone Wars vessels, but we believe that it's also creating a Star Destroyer, far from Kuat and Fondor. But they are using the metal obtained to produce more Imperial death machines. The world's leaders are willing collaborators, conscripting their own people for the factories. They see no hope of getting out from under the Imperial heel-so we have a plan to incite rebellion. The best way to do this is to cut the heads off the beasts in charge of these worlds."
He Paused, letting his words sink in. Saw then continued.
"I have determined that the Imperials believe that this use of the planet is very much secret, so have very little open security. I can therefore send multiple cells into action on the planet, in a co-ordinated series of attacks in order to incite a rebellion. Your cell will bomb this factory…I will send the co-ordinates. It is the largest facility in the southwestern side of the planet, and it needs to go. Collateral damage will be acceptable-what matters is that the planet can no longer supply TIE Fighters to subjugate other worlds. Do you understand your mission? I will send details now…"
"I accept, Saw…" the woman agreed.
The Comm went off. The woman turned to me.
"Shura…it was your mission to obtain Imperial maintenance uniforms. Did you do so?"
I nodded. "They are on my ship…I will show you."
She held up her hand.
"Not me…take Visna and Relso. They'll help unload the cargo…"
I nodded, and looked at a pair of Partisans. One male and one female, both hard-bitten…
"Let's go…" I said to them. They followed without a word. One of the other Partisans looked me over as I spoke-a woman with her face heavily augmented with cybernetics. A fearsome set of injuries, no doubt…and one that almost completely hid the woman that she had been. She kept her gaze as I left…
I now had a plan for how to begin my mission…
Taking a calculated risk, I led the pair of Partisans onto the ship stolen from the trader. During the trip through hyperspace to the station, I had taken a thorough look over the ship-and had indeed found that Shura had indeed procured some Imperial technician's uniforms for an illicit purpose, under the cover of legitimate trading-now I knew why. This mission would damage the Imperial infrastructure-but would also slaughter innocent civilians. I could not allow this to happen…
As a result, these Partisans had forfeited the rights to live.
I walked with these two onto the ship. I knew that the uniforms were hidden in a smuggling storage compartment towards the back of the ship-the ideal place for what I had in mind…We all boarded the ship without a word, and I led them to the cockpit. They frowned.
"Why here?" one asked, the male-a rather gruff sounding one at that.
"Gotta open the smuggling compartments…that's where I stashed the gear…" I explained.
From the cockpit, I had opened all of the smuggling compartments on the ship. Some were located in different places, which was ideal for what I had in mind-the ship was a trading vessel, so there were two separate cargo holds, each with separate cargo holds.
I pointed to the pair of Partisans.
"You two each go into the two cargo holds-I've opened up each compartment so they should be easy to find. Right at the back, close to the engine access panels. I'll report into the Boss, let her know of progress." Not questioning my instructions, they each headed to the other hold from each other.
Waiting a few moments, I sneaked after the male first…My boots silent on the deck plates, I readied my Vibroblade for combat-though I had no desire to start a fight openly. No, better that they do not know that death incarnate was stalking them…
The male did not even notice until his throat was slashed. Before he hit the deck, I grabbed him and dragged him into an open compartment in the floor, which I knew was large enough to conceal a body. Satisfied that he would not be found, I went next door and did the same to the female Partisan. Hiding her body too, I was now alone on the ship. Or so I thought…
"Hold it…" a harsh voice snapped. I stood up and looked over at the door. It was the cybernetic woman, aiming a blaster straight at me. What was she doing here…?
"Shura? What happened to the pair that followed you here?" she asked.
"Killed in the name of the Emperor…as will you be…" I said, as I activated my serum. Quick as a flash, I vaulted over the cargo hold, to land behind the Partisan. I held my Vibroblade to her throat…
"My father chose his infiltrator well…" she whispered. "Praise the Emperor…"
I lowered the blade, suspecting her to be the infiltrator among the Partisans. In turn, she lowered her blaster, and instead grabbed at her cybernetic face…which came away in her hand, to reveal a young face with mismatched eyes, and black hair with white streaks…
"Ysanne Isard of Imperial Intelligence…You were sent here by my father, Armand, I trust?" she asked. Her tone was cold as ice-a voice used to being obeyed. A true Imperial, no doubt.
"I am the Emperor's Shadow…" I quietly told Ysanne. "I am tasked with slaying these Partisans…"
Ysanne nodded, the spoke-considering her reply.
"There's a fair few on this station-their leader, however, may I suggest an alternative fate for her? She's very knowledgeable about the Partisans' setup. There are other High Value targets too, with useful information too. We can use the information they can provide…so may I request that the ones I indicate come back with us?" she asked, calmly but forcefully. She showed me a handful of images.
"Of course…the others won't be so fortunate…" I stated. I was keen to taste battle…
"You have a plan, I trust?" Isard asked, sticking to the essential information.
I nodded. "First get to the communications room. Do what you need to the Partisans in there, but ensure that the Communications are knocked out, and that nothing can get off the station."
Isard nodded. "And you? Where will you be?" she asked.
"I'll be where I belong…fulfilling the will of the Emperor."
Isard re-applied her disguise (it must have taken some major effort to infiltrate the way she had-I was impressed at her abilities). While she knocked out the communications, I sneaked through the station, hiding in plain sight. They were preparing for their mission, retiring to various cabins to gain the gear that they needed-easily separated so they proved to be easy pickings. Whenever I had an opportunity, I killed a target-hiding the bodies before they could be found. Those that Isard had branded as High Value Targets I merely stunned and restrained, leaving them for Isard to pick up later. Isard ensured that the security Partisans never saw a thing, taking them out along with the ones in the comm room…As for me, I found myself enjoying every kill-seeing them as little more than terrorists…
Finally, I tracked only one other life sensor. The leader, in her cabin. Readying for the mission, and assuming that her fellow Partisans were doing the same. I set off to show her how flawed her cause had been…
She looked up as I entered her cabin. She had a comm device in her hand…
"All Partisans, report in! Sithspit, why are none of you reporting in?"
"They cannot report in…" I told her.
"And why, may I ask, can they not report in?" She asked, coldly. "And why are you not ready?"
I readied myself…
"I am indeed ready…and the reason that they are not reporting in is that your commincations are jammed. The other reason is that they are all dead…and you are the last one left, Partisan scum."
She looked up, a growing expression of horror on her face.
"Shura…? What in the Force…? Who are you…?" she asked, her mask of toughness breaking.
I deactivated my holographic imager, revealing myself…
"I am the Emperor's Shadow…and your worst nightmare…"
It didn't take long to defeat her, using the serum rush. Not long after, she was aboard Shura's old ship, restrained and dumped into one of the smuggling compartments. She was joined by those that Isard had marked out for retrieval as opposed to execution. The survivors of the Partisan massacre…bound for an Imperial prison at the hands of Isard.
Isard and I sat in the cockpit.
"You are truly a lethal asset…it is a shame that we did not grab Saw Guerrerra, but my father can set up an ambush for him based on the information that we retrieved. We can interrogate them all for more-they will be more useful to us alive than dead in that respect. The others will serve as a lesson…and as leverage. You see, I have another purpose in mind for these prisoners…"
I said nothing, letting Isard carry on.
"I have a facility where such prisoners are sent…where they receive re-education and brainwashing. Their views are wrong, and treasonous…but their talents can be made to serve the Empire. Why waste such abilities and knowledge? One of these could become the sleeper agent that brings down Saw Guerrerra himself…And this only serves to increase the size of your army, to the detriment of your enemy…"
Brainwashing and reconditioning…re-education…that was indeed the fate that I had endured. And yet, I had emerged a far stronger entity because of this-one with a purpose, and a Master to serve. These could achieve a purpose the same way…after all, a house divided could not stand…
"They will embrace the glory of the Empire, Ysanne…" I told her.
Ysanne looked at me.
"You are quite an asset to the Emperor…I hope I can count on your services in the future?" she asked. She was scheming, even then…and over time, would prove just how ambitious she was-and how far she would go to achieve such ambitions. No sacrifice would be too great for Ysanne Isard…
Isard took her prisoners to their fate. As for me, I retrieved my ship…
My Master was once again wishing for me to rejoin his side…