The locked classroom door caught the Cadets' attention as its wall-mounted interface shifted from red to green with a chime and whisked open. Someone had overrode the lock. Their questions as to who and why were soon answered much to their dismay. The three young men's spooches sank and nerves were immediately on-edge at the crisp footfall of plated boots carried in the strangers.
A pair of kitted-out soldiers in Republic garb came through with a purpose. Their uniforms and armor were nothing unusual with the exception of their coloration. Standard-issue was a deep burgundy and black...these Troopers were obsidian black from head-to-toe. No nameplates. No rank. Only a single insignia on the shoulder pauldrons and upper right side of the chest:
The Official Seal of the Office of the Chancellor.
They said nothing, their rifles slung across their chest at the low-ready as they scanned the room, one taking to the nearest set of elevated stairs to check the rear of the auditorium-like room. The other's opaque, faceless visor watched the three Cadets and their Professor intently.
His identically-clad partner continued his sweep of the room before returning to the bottom-most level of the room, rejoining him.
"Room's clear and secure." He informed, looking to Corr and his students.
"Copy," He nodded, queuing his helmet radio. "Three eggs in the nest, Korrpatt is home."
A few moments passed before the door whisked open again. This time it wasn't more of the Republic's finest soldiers.
It was the Chancellor herself. Violet-eyed, regal in her flowing robe, she passed by the pair of bodyguards who immediately went to attention, saluting at her passing.
The boys' eyes went wide, their seats skidding and screeching as they scrambled to their feet to do much of the same. Their future Commander-in-Chief! Here! In the flesh!
...the Chancellor...herself...before them…
The fanfare immediately lost its luster as the three of them made the realization as to why she was there. It likely had much to do with "story time" with Professor Corr. Retired Commander, a long service history in the Empire and the now-current Republic.
The only one not to rise was Corr himself. Either due to his age and lack of mobility...or some other underlying reasons known only to him. Nevertheless, the Chancellor did not halt as she gracefully approached, her sleeved limbs together before her, hands hidden. A hand rose to gesture to the young men.
"C-Chancellor, Ma'am." DZ stammered out with a salute, his comrades catching on and doing much of the same despite their nerves.
"At ease...this is an informal affair, no need to be so stiff," She assured, her hand returning before her. "...though I must ask you to take your leave. I have matters of...confidentiality to discuss with your instructor."
There was no doubt in their minds this had something to do with Corr's stories after class. Apprehension and hesitation filled them, uncertain of what would become of their beloved instructor. Rather than risk the wrath of her bodyguards, the three young men finally made to leave the room as instructed. The door whisked shut in their wake, locked and secured as the Chancellor's bodyguards stood post.
Her attention drifted back to the seated, elder Irken.
"Not that I feel myself so important, it isn't like you to not stand."
"Remember when I told you about the time Master Chief Orpos broke my leg? That old injury's been getting to me as of late."
The Chancellor guided one hand over the back of one of the seats, moving to comfortably settle in it with her hands folded in her lap.
"Sorry to hear that, Commander." She placated with sincerity. A brief pause before her gaze tightened again. The studious look of a career politician. "...I won't insult your intelligence and ask you if you know why I'm here. My people told me that there had been unauthorized access into some very particular...very classified files involving a very particular unit that you happen to be a former member of."
"I knew a meeting like this would happen sooner or later. Especially after I trusted the cadets with some of our data discs, and more recently, the disc Field Marshal Zharic gave me from Ohnmatu." Corr spoke bluntly, calmly, not seeming disturbed by this at all. "Someone is bound to find out sooner or later. Nobody in the Empire ever expected what went about in Processing Center Zero Seven and General Krad to ever come to light ever again."
A weary sigh escaped her lips before drawing tight in an upturned frown.
"...Corr...those records are sealed for a reason. You spent the better part of your military career in special operations. You know why things are classified and why they should remain so. Do not mistake this for patronizing...but surely you realize the sensitive nature of this information? We are barely a generation away post-Empire. There are many who still harbor grudges and hold onto the past...seek revenge, that sort of thing...and were any of this to make it to light...it would be...most troubling to say the least."
"I'm aware...I didn't make the decision to share this lightly." He reached over for his glass of water and took a sip. "As I'm sure my commander did when he made the decision to let you go all those years ago, despite our orders. If we had followed them to the letter…would we be sitting here having this conversation?"
A bemused huff at the reminded memory graced her, shaking her head lightly.
"...No...we would not be...and I would not have become the leader of a freed people." She acknowledged. There is not a day that passes I do not pay my respects to the actions and sacrifices made by you and your unit and what it led to...but foreign relations are a fickle matter and it is very difficult to bridge nearly-infinite gaps considering what our prior administration attempted to do to the universe at-large. Your actions and the rippling effect they've had could complicate those relations...or worse."
"It might...but at the same time, what eventually transpired, everything we learned and exposed. We found who our true enemy was. It wasn't the Vortians, or anyone else our people conquered...it was ourselves all along. It's shaky, yes...but at the same time, some of what we did, especially when the civil war eventually kicked off? Could make a good movie." Corr smirked at the notion. "If not now, at least on a small scale, with those I can trust, then when? Something like this can't stay hidden forever. It eventually needs to be told...or you may very well end up seeing what Calla spoke about with the old Republic."
"You never struck me as the vainglorious type seeking recognition." She lightly jested. "...I understand what you are doing and why. If anyone should trust your judgment, it should be I...if your commanding officer told me I'd go on to lead the New Irken Republic after aiding in the overthrowing of the Empire and the PAK system...I'd have told you you were insane."
A sigh, she sat back, more relaxed in her seat.
"The issue is not keeping it hidden, Corr...all records eventually become public one day. One of the very specific things Vult heavily insisted in aiding with the drafting of our constitution...it is the timing that concerns me. We just now managed to reach lukewarm speaking terms with the Vortian Federation, something I do not blame them one bit for being reluctant to come to the table after what was done to their homeworld and people by us."
She leaned forward, her voice lower as if afraid to announce it out loud.
"Despite appearances, we are on a very shaky foundation...there are still echoes of Loyalists on the fringes of known space. Likely hiding, waiting, and biding their time. The war never really ended. Not officially...but making that publicly-known intices panic and leads to other issues. Should we appear weak on the surface, as I said before...there are a lot of races that would leap to the opportunity to leave Irk in complete ruin for past transgression."
"I know one group of Vortians that we are at least on speaking terms with…" He paused, "They're also concerned...I'm told they already trained a new generation of special forces troops in the same vein as Ohnmatu…" Another pause as he stopped to look down at his hands for a few moments, then back up, "Those three remind me of some off the squad from way back…" Nostalgia, perhaps, maybe it's just an eye for talent he picked up after seeing Vult pick strong additions to their capabilities. "They'll keep things quiet, you have my assurances on that. I would know if they didn't."
"He always liked you the most," She smiled. "As I said, his intuition was a sixth-sense that only certain people can be born with. Not something that could be taught. He recognized your talents...mine even...and look where we are now as a result."
A moment to gather her thoughts overcame her before her violet gaze rose to meet Corr's again.
"You do know if it was anyone else responsible for the security breach, we wouldn't be having this conversation, yes?"
He nodded, "I know…" He was definitely careful with who he told. Aside from the cadets...there was only a small number who knew, and even then, not to the extent they are. With some silence and another sip of his drink, he thought, maybe now is the time to say something. "I think we should reform the unit with new blood. Like you said, we're on shaky ground, the potential for loyalists to return. We need a unit like ours. Maybe not as the same scalpel we were, but quietly waiting in case we ever need them...that's probably best left to some of the others who are with the brass now."
Tak did not immediately speak. Rather, she rose to her feet, smoothing her robes out before looking to the aged Irken seated across the desk from her.
"By appearances alone, you seem to be doing a fine enough job of that...just...don't make them go rogue on us. I know the Tallest and others made your lives awful and forced you to do terrible things...I try to avoid going straight to the application of military force to solve our problems...foreign and domestic."
"Of course, that was never my intent," he reassured her, smiling a bit. "You know...you should drop by more often, rather than on official business. We've all come a long way since you bit off a chunk of Haxx's face."
Of course he would remind her of such events. Something that brought a smile to her face.
"Well...he deserved it for being an idiot and letting his guard down. Once an Invader...always an Invader." She mused, taking pride in her almost-completed training. "...and if I can get our discretionary budget passed for this next stellar cycle before I die of old age, I will gladly make an off-duty visit. I must take my leave, Commander. Send my regards to the others."
"I will, Tak." He watched her go, flanked by her bodyguards as the cadets returned. "Apologies for that interruption. We had to have a rather brief chat. Nothing terrible, I assure you." He looked to the three. "So, I am curious what your thoughts are on what you have heard and seen so far, from both ourselves and Ohnmatu."
The three of them stood at-ease, a line abreast. They all looked at one another, unsure of who should speak first or who would for that matter. DZ took it upon himself with a clearing of this throat as he tipped his chin up.
"I don't mean to offend, Professor...but you are telling us everything, yes?"
"DZ!"
"What? I'm just making sure he's not pullin' a "I'll tell you this, but redact that"...SOP for classified intel depending on clearance level."
"I assume he is...right?" Joker queried, looking to Corr.
"I am, yes. That footage you saw from the Ahkos? From Master Chief Orpos and Admiral Qoris? Yes, they're very, very real, and not the least bit redacted. I'm not holding anything back. All the dark truths we learned, you're also learning."
"...just like everything in the AAR for Devastis." Digits solemnly commented. "I...know that our people have had a...controversial past...but I never knew just how...evil our ancestors could be to their fellow man."
"Imagine how the Vortians felt." Joker added. "Everyone with a PAK having propaganda shoved in your head every waking moment and told anything that isn't Irken is inferior and worthy of extinction?"
"It's terrible. Awful."
"It is...and the more I learned from my conversations with Calla, the more I was certain that we'd have to break the cycle. After being disconnected from the Control Brains, and what I learned from Devo-Devastis," he really picked up the habit of calling the planet by its older name, "I really started to sympathize with why the Vortians were fighting back, and why those two we had in our ship from Ohnmatu did what they did. Especially after they saw that, they were convinced it was a fight for their very survival." He paused, thinking about how things went after that. "I suppose their self preservation instincts kicked in...and they were looking for an escape at the time."
"They weren't the only ones by the sounds of things so far," Digits commented in regards to the tale Corr had shared with them up until that point. "...your unit was beginning to feel the same way...weren't you?"
"We were." That was the understatement of the century, "Aero after that...you saw how that shook her up. Vard said he had nightmares a good long while after that. Volx was even rattled, but she hid it well...you saw how she is, she doesn't scare easily. Kazak freed himself after that. Rha and Tuu were disturbed, sure, but they were still hooked, they didn't feel it like the others. Once Kazak was unhooked, it really started to hit him too."
Corr sighed, remembering what happened back then. "I think I may have been the first, if not among them, to be convinced we needed to act. I spent the most time talking with Calla out of the whole team." The Commander paused to take another sip of water. "Those conversations were very...enlightening, to put it extremely mildly."