Kherine didn't know what he was expecting the intelligence operative to look like, but it wasn't a chiss woman wearing an immaculately clean and orderly military uniform. "My lords." She saluted them. And Kherine found himself surprised again. The Cipher wasn't the first chiss he'd seen, there had been several on Korriban, but this was the first one he'd seen up close. Her Imperial accent was flawless, her uniform was lacking any type of military rank, but she looked more official that most officers he'd met. "Allow my introduce myself." She lowered her hand. "I am Cipher-9 from Imperial Intelligence. I apologize, but my real name must be kept confidential."
"I'm Kherine, this is Limmdul." He found himself analyzing her uniform, and then her silvery hair. "You don't have to call us lords, we're both apprentices."
"Very well." She said without hesitation. "I understand that the two of you led the recent counter-attack."
"Yes, we did."
Her red eyes moved to Limmdul, then back to Kherine. "That woman," She pointed to a captured resistance officer on the other side of force field. "Is second in command to a dangerous terrorist codenamed Grey Star. It is of the utmost importance that I find and interrogate Grey Sar, and right now, she is my best lead." She paused briefly and then said, "I need the two of you to interrogate her."
Kherine and Limmdul looked at each other, then back to the agent. "I thought interrogations were your area of expertise."
"Oh, they are. Trust me, I am quite skilled. Unfortunately, I've been working undercover as a member of her cell."
"Dressed like that?" He grinned, and the chiss woman flashed a smile.
"I find that military people are more comfortable dealing with military people. The uniform puts them at ease. In any case, if word gets out that I'm with the Empire, I will lose everything. That's why I need you to interrogate her."
Kherine looked at Limmdul again, and the zabrak nodded once. "We can help you."
"Excellent." She said happily and pulled two miniature commlinks from a pocket. "I can communicate with you through these, but they only work one way, you won't be able to talk to me."
Kherine put the commlink in his ear and then looked back to Limmdul. "How do you want to do this?"
"I will follow your lead."
"That's not what Darth Lachris ordered."
"And if I cared anything at all about Lachris and what she wants, that might concern me. I will follow you. How do you want to handle this?"
Kherine glanced at Cipher again. She seemed amused and curious about the exchange. "I'll start off telling her that if she cooperates she can stay alive, and it's possible that when the resistance is finished she could be released. Of course, she won't cooperate, and then you'll go straight to the torture and death threats. I'll offer cooperation again but include there's a deadline."
"Very well." Limmdul said, his voice and face showing no emotion. Kherine nodded and made for the holding cell. Limmdul approached the force field and stood next to the Imperial agent. "You're young to be working a mission of this importance solo."
"Thank you, that's nice of you to say. The two of you are young to be in charge of a military operation of this scale."
"Darth Lachris is the one in charge."
"Yes, but you two have operational command. For all intensive purposes, this is your war. If it means anything, I studied both of your dossiers on the flight over here, and I am impressed. You were both chosen well."
"High praise coming from someone in Intelligence."
Kherine came back into the room and nodded as his fellow sith. Limmdul wordlessly moved towards the cell, and Kherine stood where Limmdul had next to the agent. He switched on the intercom so they could hear what was about to be said. "If nothing else this should be entertaining. Trust me, Limmdul is very good at interrogating."
When Limmdul walked into the room not a single part of his body was visible. He wore gloves, and a mask reminiscent of the masks Madalorians sported concealed his face. He moved across the room so Chemish could see him and stood in silence for several seconds, letting the tension build. "The sith that was here before me is a warrior, I am an inquisitor." His voice came through the transmitter built into the mask. If you don't know the difference, I am a sorcerer, I can torture your body and your mind with equal skill. Keep that in mind, because I am giving you one final chance to give us Grey Star's location, and then I will commence."
Chemish spat at him, but the glob fell to the floor halfway between them.
"Very well then." He stepped towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Chemish started screaming and from where Kherine and Cipher stood they could see arcs of violet electricity lancing through her body. Limmdul stopped the attack and waited until she'd quieted again. "That was nothing, only a fraction of the power I have. Are you feeling more cooperative now?"
Silence was the only answer.
"You know... the convenient thing about interrogating you cyborgs is that we can usually get all the information we need from your implants. I'm willing to bet if I pulled out your ocular implant and we analyzed the data it would tell us everything we need." There was still no answer. "Of course, the only problem with resorting to such... barbaric measures... is that the shock of having it pulled out can kill you, and a lot of you cyborgs have a self-destruct or burn protocol on your implants. So I'm sorry, but you won't get out the easy way. He moved back several steps and tilted his head to one side.
Chemish started screaming again and Kherine knew that Limmdul was assaulting her mind. He glanced at Cipher, her jaw was set, but otherwise she looked relaxed. "Do you disapprove of torture?"
"Intelligence condones it, although we usually use it as a last resort."
"How do you go about it?"
"Personally, I infiltrate the organization, begin associating myself with those in charge, and eventually they willingly tell me whatever I want. Sometimes I can find out what I need just by making small talk with the grunts. Our research division is also always turning out new drugs, and some of them have proven fruitful."
"Sounds like a slow process."
"Usually, it is. But I find it enjoyable. It's almost like an elaborate game."
"Interesting. I'd be curious to hear about some of your exploits."
She turned her head towards him and gave a small smile that lasted two seconds. "I'm sure you would. Perhaps when I have what I need you'll buy me a drink and I will regale you."
"It's a date."
Her smile was wider. Then they both looked back to the torture.
"I admire your strength." Limmdul said. "Unfortunately, it will not help you. Now I'm going to start pulling secrets out of your mind. It's dangerous, and sometimes fatal, it can leave your mind a useless mass. But if that happens I can still remove your implants and dredge the information from them." He glanced back at the force field. From where he stood it was opaque, but he knew Kherine was watching, and dipped his head.
"That's my cue." Kherine said. "Excuse me, I have to go be the good sith."
Cipher shook her head in amusement. "There's something I never thought I'd hear."
The instant the door slid open, Kherine stomped in. "What is going on here?!" He demanded.
Limmdul turned his masked face towards him. "I was ordered to find Grey Star's location and will do that by any means necessary."
"She's our only lead to finding him! And you're ready to melt her brain?"
"By any means necessary."
Kherine looked to Chemish. "For your own sake, give him what he wants! You're a small priority Chemish, just tell us where he is and you can still walk out of here with your body and your mind intact." The rebel still said nothing, but Kherine didn't miss how the muscles in her face and neck were moving. She was considering it, and hating herself for it. They were getting close. "I tried to save you. But we have our orders." He nodded at Limmdul, then left to rejoin Cipher.
"Can a sith really pull secrets from someone's mind?" Cipher asked.
"No. But it's unlikely she knows that. Limmdul will probably just attack her mind again." As soon as he finished speaking, Limmdul attacked, and Chemish started screaming again.
"What if he kills her?"
"We pull the implants and hope for the best."
"How comforting."
On the other side of the force field, Chemish finally called out, "Stop! I can't take it anymore!" Limmdul immediately ceased his attack.
"Are you ready to tell me what I want?"
"Yes." She said through her teeth.
"Good." He released her restraints. "Start talking. Tell me everything you know about Grey Star. Who he is, what he does, his associates, his location... everything. And then you will be released."
Cipher looked to Kherine. "I am impressed. Not the way I would have handled it, but you sith delivered.
"For the Empire." He grinned sarcastically. "I'll find you later, and we'll have that drink."
"Looking forward to it."
"Kherine, would you mind coming back to the ship please?" Vette called through the commlink.
He stopped with the food halfway to his mouth. "I'm eating here, Vette."
"Trust me, you're going to want to see this."
Kherine put his food down, then looked over at Limmdul but the zabrak was already on his feet. He regretfully pushed his plate away and stood up. The two of them left the cantina and walked quickly towards the spaceport.
Vette was in the main room of the ship, and it was illuminated brighter than Kherine had ever seen it from the multiple holograms and screens that Vette had been using. Every one of them showing lines of code and texts. "I did it!" Vette beamed. "Took me longer than I thought it would. Y'know I'm really not even a hacker to start with. I'm just really good at getting into things I'm not supposed to."
"Is this what I think it is?"
"Well that depends. Do you think that is the decoded messages of the former Defense Minister Vol Argen? Because if you do, then you're absolutely right!" She pushed a button on a console and the code shifted to a readable language. "Most of it is your pretty standard stuff. Urging the people to keep resisting, inspiring patriotism, death to the Imperials, that kind of thing." She moved to one of the holograms. "But then about a month ago he starts getting more specific. Stuff like, friends long silent are coming. The time of the reclamation is near. Our cry of victory will echo across the galaxy."
Kherine and Limmdul glanced at each other. "Friends long silent?" Kherine repeated.
Limmdul nodded, and there was an unsettling look of satisfaction that came across his face. "The Republic." They both turned their attention back to Vette.
"Vette..." Kherine said, trying to keep a serious face. "Have I told you recently how amazing you are?"
"Probably. But I never get tired of hearing it."
"You're amazing and we couldn't do this without you."
"Oh..." She fanned herself with one hand. "The praise!"
Kherine chuckled and turned to leave. "We need to tell Darth Lachris about what Vette uncovered."
"Perhaps we should tell Cipher-9 as well." Limmdul said without looking away from Vette. "Being an Intelligence agent, she might know things we don't."
"Excellent idea." Kherine left.
Once he was gone, Vette said, "Were you going to stick around to give more adulations?"
"Not exactly." He stepped closer and learned against a console with arms crossed over his chest.
"Limm... I have to ask. Why me? What is it you see in me? You're a sith, you're taking over an entire planet. I have nothing. I'm a thief, and a former slave... maybe I still am a slave. Kherine is kind of vague about that. You could have literally anyone, but you like me. Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously. You're not a slave, Vette. You never were. Your spirit is too free. You're caring, charming, funny, dependable. In short, you are everything I never had."
"Oh," She took a small step back. "Well, when you put it that way."
Limmdul moved closer. "Whatever might happen across this galaxy, you can always depend on me. With all my power, until there is not a breath left in me, I will be there for you." He continued to look at her with his normal unnerving amount of intensity before he turned to go.
"Wait."
He turned and Vette came towards him, taking his shoulders and he held her hips as she stood on her toes to his him. When they pulled away from each other Vette's cheeks were flushed a darker shade of blue. Limmdul rubbed her cheek with his fingers. He didn't smile, but he did look happy.
