Chapter 25: Survival

TEN YEARS AGO

High Inquisitor Kael stared hard at his fellow Inquisitors. He despised them all, and would soon eliminate a good number of them. Nothing would be allowed to stand between him and his goal of becoming Grand Inquisitor Kael.

Grand Inquisitor Malorum stared at them all now, assembled in the great conclave chamber in the Inquisitorious castle. "My friends. The Jedi threat to the galaxy has been eliminated. Now we are forced to deal with a new threat. Worlds that had been loyal parts of the Empire are now thinking seditious thoughts. Certain individuals in the Senate are actually considering an armed rebellion against the rightful government! We, the Inquisitors, now have a new charge… we must seek out and purge these individuals. We must find them and quietly have them… 'removed'… from their positions of power. We do not want another Clone Wars to happen, do we?"

The massed group of Inquisitors all nodded, and the room was slowly filled with the sound of murmuring voices. Grand Inquisitor Malorum held his hand up to quite them all. "You will each be assigned a Senator, one who is under suspicion of sedition. You are to use any means necessary to learn if these Senators are loyal to the Empire, or to themselves."

The Inquisitors all stood up and saluted Grand Inquisitor Malorum, and he smiled pleasantly. "Step forward to accept your missions."

It took a bit for Kael to get his own assignment. He was being sent to the peaceful world of Alderaan, to investigate Viceroy Bail Organa. Kael sighed inwardly. Bail Organa had been nothing but supportive of the Imperial Government… but recent rumors, of his planet actually hiding Jedi, had come to the Inquisitors ear… and while earlier investigations had shown those rumors to be unfounded, Kael knew that Bail Organa was up to something.

He boarded his personal shuttle to take him to his own private Star Destroyer, the Nightmare, to begin his journey to Alderaan.

He was met in the docking bay by the Nightmare's Captain Nevar. "My lord, the Nightmare is ready. Where should we set our course?" he asked.

"Set your course for the Alderaan system." Kael said, not even bothering to glance at the Captain. He was beneath him, and so was considered scum. "I will be in my quarters. I am not to be disturbed until our arrival."

Captain Nevar bowed at the waist as Kael stormed away from him. "Of course, my lord."

As High Inquisitor Kael walked through the halls towards his quarters, he could feel someone watching him. But the only one nearby was a Stormtrooper standing guard near one of the airlocks. The Stormtrooper stood at alert and saluted as he approached. Kael grew suspicious, and stopped before the Trooper. "Name and rank, soldier!" he demanded.

The Stormtrooper looked at him for a second, and then answered in his own voice. "High Inquisitor Kael."

Kael's mind reeled in shock for a split second, and his hand went for his lightsaber, but the Stormtrooper was faster. With a quick snap of his arm, the Stormtrooper stabbed a vibro-knife straight upwards into High Inquisitor Kael's throat, through his jaw, and into his brain.

Kael staggered back a step, and then the anger and darkness in his eyes shimmered and faded.

The Stormtrooper grabbed his collapsing body, and using his elbow, opened the airlock door. He dragged the corpse into the room, and began quickly removing its clothing. The Stormtrooper stared hard at Kael's body for a moment, and then its outline seemed to….shimmer.

The Stormtrooper's armor began to liquefy, reshape itself into a new form. Its helmeted head shrunk a bit, and long hair emerged from its scalp. Visor was replaced with cat-slit pupil eyes, and then, High Inquisitor Kael was standing over his own corpse.

He quickly put on the dead bodies clothing, clipped the lightsaber onto his belt, and then stepped out of the airlock. He waited until the Nightmare was in hyperspace, and then purged the airlock.

The body of the original High Inquisitor Kael was vaporized instantly and would never be found.

The new High Inquisitor Kael walked with a hum and a smile towards his 'personal quarters' and waited until their arrival at Alderaan.

When the Nightmare had arrived at their destination, High Inquisitor Kael smiled pleasantly at Captain Nevar and actually wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Captain, I apologize for my earlier attitude. It seems that I have been under a great amount of stress, and I seemed to always take it out on you. That will change from now on. I promise you." Captain Nevar looked a little shocked, but nodded his head. "I have nothing but respect for you, my lord."

Kael shook his head. "No you don't, but that's alright. I treated you badly, and I want to make it up to you and the crew. Inform the crew that during our time on Alderaan, every member of the crew is allowed two weeks of rest and recreation. All of them are to take five hundred credits from my personal account. They are under orders to enjoy themselves, understood?"

Captain Nevar stood there in complete shock. "Oh… of… of course my lord."

"Good. That means you too, my friend." Kael said with a smile.

Kael then took a shuttle down to the planet. There, in the royal city, he met with Viceroy Bail Organa, Senator Mon Mothma, General Crix Madine, General Garm Bel Iblis, and General Galen Marek, the leaders of the newfound Rebellion against the Empire.

Once in private Kael turned with a smile to the three leaders, and bowed.

"Operation Mimicry is now begun."

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NOW

Grand Inquisitor Kael floated outward into the blackness of space, surrounded by glass and stormtrooper bodies. He looked more annoyed than in fear, as his form started to liquefy. He slowly began to shape shift into a new form, one that could survive in the airless blackness of space.

Grand Inquisitor Kael was a Shido shapeshifter.

His form became hard, his body shifting into a new position. He slowly shape-shifted into a Gand. They didn't need air to survive. He glanced around with his new multifaceted eyes, and saw that his friend Vice Admiral Thrawn had arrived. The Shadow was under attack by several Star Destroyers, but Kael knew that they stood no chance against the Chiss tactician.

He used the Force to push himself towards the Shadow… it was time to join up with his old friend.