Imperial Medical Centre
Fortified with caffeine she headed to meet Dr Beatric Cahu, wondering what she could possibly be like. Ryssa had pulled some information off the staff database, everything was there for all to see but it only ever gave part of the story.
She checked her own. It was very sparse; Jaing had done an excellent job.
The tall brunette greeted her warmly, at the door of her office.
"I thought it was you when I saw the staff database entry. My father always spoke highly of you. He was dismayed when you left the University Hospital abruptly and equally as happy when you returned." She gestured towards the chair. "Please sit."
Ryssa walked in and sat. This Dr Cahu's appearance was a softer, smaller version of her father with a trace of someone else, something about the nose.
Dr Cahu turned towards the transparisteel window, one of very few in the building, and which Ryssa had only just noticed, and looked out onto the now little used parade ground, her arms crossed at her lower back.
"This is a very exciting time. The Emperor has great plans and we will be an integral part of them." She turned back; so far Ryssa had been silent. "Don't you agree?" She asked.
"Yes, very." Ryssa straightened up, although this was her mentor's daughter, her opinions were nothing like her father's; he would never have supported an Empire under one all powerful leader. He had privately criticised the Chancellors increased power to Ryssa, despite knowing him for a long time. "Everything happened very quickly, though…"
"It had to...and at the same time, the Jedi couldn't be warned of what was happening, especially after their Council members attacked the Emperor and almost killed him. Physically, he is not the same but mentally he is just as strong, if not stronger. A lesser man would have given up." Dr Cahu paused "Forgive my manners, I haven't yet offered you a drink. Caf? Water?" she moved to a small cabinet at the side of the room and waited for a reply.
"Caf, black, no sugar….please." Drinking it would at least give Ryssa some extra time to find out more about her new superior. She had to focus, be alert, paranoid.
Paranoia could save you, Den said.
Accepting the caf, she sat back down. So far this was more like a chat between acquaintances, nothing like her other interview.
Are they just lulling me into a false sense of security?
"My father was honoured to serve the Republic again after he had already retired; he couldn't really refuse Palpatine's request. He'd known him for many years. He was alone after my Mother died, so it gave him purpose." Dr Cahu smiled, "as I said, he was especially happy to find that you had resumed your medical career and was practicing again, albeit in a restricted area."
Ryssa sipped her caf but felt obliged to answer, "I was honoured to work with him and respected him as a Doctor….he was a good friend to me. I do miss him."
Dr Cahu's face fell and then hardened, "The Jedi General he was working with, her actions, led directly to his death. They cut him down in his prime."
The silence that followed could have been embarrassing but it wasn't; it was in honour of a man that both women had either loved or respected greatly.
Dr Cahu continued, "I hope we can have a similar relationship, I know I was pleasantly surprised to see your name on the roster of Medical Personnel, especially those who had passed the initial interviews.
"Interview?" Ryssa only remembered the interrogation by Sa Cuis.
"Sa Cuis." Dr Cahu smiled, "The Emperor's choice and not all were happy with it but the Emperor insisted that everyone be screened by one of his own personal team. He is, understandably, a little paranoid after the Jedi's treason. Everyone has to pass the Security and Loyalty test before they are confirmed in their new role." She took a drink of her own caf. "You passed, of course." another pause. "I hadn't realised you had also lost your Mother in the War, my condolences."
Again, they keep bringing my mother up.
"Thank you. It was a few years ago now." she replied quietly, realising that everything she had said to Sa Cuis had been passed on, had been read, probably torn apart, word by word, to find any ulterior meanings, and would be used against her, if required.
"Nevertheless, I feel that you never really get over that kind of loss. Come, let's sit somewhere more comfortable and we'll talk through my expectations… the Empire's expectations."
Ryssa joined her sitting on decidedly more comfortable chairs, with a small table in between; it was at this point that she realised that the office wasn't like any of the others, it was functional but...softer and in another room just off, there was a couch.
"Anything I can do for the Empire, I will, although I would prefer my area of expertise, which I do very well."
Ryssa was amazed at her own confidence.
"Exactly, and that is why I chose you. You have exactly the expertise and experience the Empire can use, and are actively looking for."
"Good. I appreciate it's finally being recognised, by others than your father, of course."
"Of course."
"Now these expectations?"
Beatric Cahu smiled, confident that she had a gifted and loyal Doctor on her team. She leaned forward.
.
Ryssa left the meeting, anxious, and by the time she reached her quarters, she was shaking, convinced she would soon be found out. Someone would report her. She could not believe the act she was putting on and now she just had to keep it up. She leant back against the door trying to breath normally.
Remember to check everything.
Looking around her quarters, she checked if anything had been changed, if anything was amiss or moved. She could see nothing different. She had the positions of what little belongings she owned memorised. Her Flimzi notebook and pen, deliberately put on the edge of her small desk, still there. It looked the same. Her datapad port, in the middle at an angle. It looked the same. She walked further inside.
Trust no one.
Survive and get out.
Her mantra.
.
Kyrimorut, Mandalore
They stood in front of the pyre, gazing at it.
"Have you actually had any sleep?" Prudii asked.
"Nah. Not much. Kept hearing Buir but Besany was with him." Kom'rk replied, "then A'den was pacing in the next room, before finally going outside. Did you hear his door slam?"
Prudii shook his head.
"We need to do this," he nodded towards the pyre, "then find Ryssa. She's family. And Niner and Dar too."
Kom'rk nodded.
"Do you think, if we ever find someone ourselves, that we'll act the same as A'den, if anything goes wrong."
"Shab, of course, probably worse."
"'Lek, probably."
He studied the pyre further, "We've got some planning to do."
"Good job we're the best then."
The two brothers stood watching the pyre, automatically at parade rest, the soldiers actions ingrained in them still dictating their actions; both were deep in thought.
"No access to the GAR network. It's all Imperial now, changed overnight." A'den declared, as he walked up behind them. He had been trying to get hold of Ryssa, tried every trick he could think of, nothing worked, "Everything that we had access to, in the GAR, has been cut off, we're locked out. Best we can access is the Holonet and that's been censored even more." He joined them at the pyre, matching their parade rest. He'd never had much to do with Etain but knew she was one of the better Generals, one who looked out for his brothers and the regs. He had his own problems. "Sorry if I kept you awake."
"Not a problem, ner vod. Did you get any sleep?"
"Not much."
"After this, we need to get you two sorted. Need a plan to find them all and get them out."
They moved closer together, "She liked Etain. They kept in touch, all the way through. I don't know how she's going to cope inside the Empire."
"She's strong, stronger than you think. You have faith in her and then we have to be there for her. Get inside the Empire. Get the Intel. Find a way to get her out. Her, Niner and Dar and anyone else who wants out."
They returned to their silent vigil, waiting for the others, for Kad. This was for him and Kal as much as anyone.
.
Imperial Medical Centre
So far, she had kept out of the way of anyone of importance, blending in where she could. She wasn't a total loner and passed the time of day with colleagues but never gave any detail and rarely spent time with them outside the Barracks. Most of her time was spent with EmDee, doing routine work, nothing like Dr Cahu had originally indicated. This was not using her expertise. This was general medicine. Not that she minded doing general medicine, but this was mundane, EmDee could do this with one photoreceptor blown out and a manipulator chopped off. It was very efficient but she still didn't trust the droid. There was something odd about it.
I'll have to watch it.
Ryssa pressed send on her latest report; all her reports were made on time and to standard and there were a lot of reports.
Sloppy could get you noticed, getting noticed could get you killed.
Blend in.
She talked to herself a lot, not aloud but in her head.
Just going a little more crazy, every day.
Nobody can do anything here, without someone, somewhere, watching and noting.
.
Her last Clone patient, was a Spaarti clone, from the information she was able to access on her datapad, which explained the differences she was seeing. They were cloned and grown in a year. Compared to this Clones creators, the Kaminoans were a compassionate and principled race. This accelerated process showed in his demeanour and lack of any discernible personality; he jumped off the gurney with several Bacta bandages attached, which would see him through the night. These later clones spoke slightly differently, reacted differently. She wondered, if they were as aware of themselves, as the original clones were, as aware of how unfair their lives were, or had that been engineered out of them this time. Or because they didn't have Jedi Generals, they wouldn't have that chance.
Her comlink pinged,
"Another meeting?", this time with an Admiral. She couldn't work out how this fitted in with Cahu. If she thought the GAR had been bad, this Empire had layer upon layer of bureaucracy with everyone watching everyone else and reporting on everything. She breathed in deeply, apprehension coiling in her stomach, every time there was a meeting, it could be the time they finally find her out. There was nowhere to run.
.
Arriving at Cahu's office, this Admiral didn't have his own on the base, she buzzed the door. Several seconds passed before she was called in. A light brown haired head was bent over some flimzi sheets on the desk and a datapad, seemingly at the same time. Everything was neat and tidy, just as Cahu had left it. He obviously hadn't moved in.
"Admiral Rampart." He announced himself, glancing up before waving his hand, motioning at her to sit, and ignoring the regulation salute she managed to churn out. Turning she found the chair and sat, tense and unbending. She wore the grey Imperial uniform, which she had to wear outside the Medical bays and wards; it was totally unsuitable for her normal work and was uncomfortable. She watched him closely, while he dealt with whatever he needed to; he then sorted the flimzis and switched datapad off. He looked up at her. He had a regular face and average build, and he looked straight into her eyes, when he said, "You know clones very well, don't you?"
Fek!
She tried to appear calm and said, "I thought I had explained everything to Sa Cuis and been passed, Dr Cahu said…."
"You answered their questions but I want you to tell me what your relationships with the clones you knew and treated."
"I'm still not sure exactly what you want?"
This new Commander was different; he walked around the desk and leant back on it, directly in front of her, his hands gripping the top, eyes looking directly at her.
"Some of your records have disappeared, presumably the Commandos, ARC's or Alpha generation clone deserters attempted to sabotage the system; I understand that they were exceptionally good at that. So…..I want you to tell me, in your own words, about your work in the GAR."
Fek! Fek! Fek!
Ryssa felt a lone bead of sweat, trickle down the middle of her back. She took a breath. "I came to the GAR after my mother's death, served in a clinic set up to treat clones on Coruscant. It included regular troops and Commandos. I then worked on a Medical frigate and Ord Cestus, medical station, in the Outer Rim with different Clone commanders and Jedi. I worked with Clone Medics and to Nala Se, plus other non clone Doctors. We covered all the range of injuries. I was recalled to the Core during the Battle of Coruscant, when the Chanc…." She cleared her throat, "Emperor was kidnapped, just prior to Operation Knightfall."
He watched her, as she gave this précis of her career to date.
"A wealth of experience in a few sentences. Succinct at times and to the point. I like that." He looked down at his datapad again. "You spent some time on Kamino?"
"A couple of days on a special project."
"Ah yes. A clone with extensive cybernetics." he tapped through some screens on his datapad.
"Yes."
"Hmm. An outsider on Kamino other than the Jedi and the training sergeants, interesting. What did you think of the Kaminoans?"
"Sir?"
"Tell me what you thought of the Kaminoans and don't give me the party line. I want to know what you think. I want your opinion."
She looked at him. What did she think?
"They're survivors. Centuries ago, when their planet was devastated by catastrophic floods, they survived. They're determined. They didn't just survive, they prospered producing clones for mines and armies. They're perfectionists and will readily get rid of anything that is defective, not up to their high standard of quality, irrespective of the costs. They're secretive, exceptionally so. I think they have a lot of secrets, some we may never find out. They have relied on the money from the Republic for the whole of their economy for the last thirteen years, maybe too reliant."
He watched her, silently.
"You don't like them do you?"
"It's not a question of like…sir. I did my homework."
He smiled. "I knew you would have studied them."
He leant forward.
"What do you think of the Clones?"
"They're exceptional soldiers sir."
"That's not what I mean."
"Sir?"
"What do you know about Clones, what makes them…..tick.?"
"They're men sir, like any other and...
"Yes?"
"They appreciate a lot of what you and I take for granted."
"Hmm."
Shit….perhaps shouldn't have said that.
He walked up and down the wall with the transparisteel window, finally turning again and perched back on the corner of his desk, removing the barrier between them again.
"Sa Cuis has noted that you had a relationship with a Clone, who gave himself the name Coric." His eyes never left hers. "Has it ended?"
"I …...I haven't seen him for a long time, so…yes." She looked down and found herself blushing.
"What did you think of the clones as a group?" He asked again.
"As I said before, they are exceptional soldiers, who were used by the Jedi…...sir." She had decided to be a good Imperial and be against the Jedi. "They knew they were being used but they still fought for the Republic…..Sir."
She could see he was looking and searching her face for clues. "Did you sympathise with them?"
"I could….. understand them….. my mother was used and betrayed." She paused here, "As a doctor I had to deal with the fallout and I lost friends because of the Jedi. Yes, before you ask, I suppose, I did sympathise with them."
"Thank you for your candour but how do you feel about treating clones now? The ones serving as Stormtroopers or Commandos." He had a penetrating look, that seemed to bore into her.
"It's what I'm used to, so there would be no problem. And they're loyal."
"I was thinking more about your …...relationship, given that they….look alike."
It was her turn to stare at him, "I think you'll find they are all very different, Sir." She continued "and it will not be a problem."
"Good. I'll let you know my decision. Dismissed."
She stood up, ready to leave but paused. "Respectfully sir, what decision?"
"I usually find that if someone starts the sentence with 'Respectfully', it is anything but respectful but I don't sense that here." He seemed to stand straighter, "I'm heading up an operation to transform the Imperial army. Under the guidance of Admiral Tarkin, who will be in charge of several projects. He will report direct to the Emperor. You have been put forward for inclusion in it, as a highly suitable candidate, by Dr Cahu."
He looked back at his data pad. "You can see yourself out."
She felt even more uneasy, as she left his office, sure that he had found something, that she had inadvertently revealed in what she said.
.
She was troubled, as soon as she entered the Med bay, EmDee hovered around her like a mother Nuna, while she sat at her desk.
"EmDee! don't you have something to do?" she snapped.
"No!"
"EmDee! Shut down."
"No!"
"What?" exasperated, she leaned over to push the shutdown button. Nothing happened, apart from a wheeze and beep from the droid. Irritated she snapped again at the droid, "You're defective. I'll send you back to IT."
"Didn't come from there." It wheezed smugly. "Put this in." It produced an ear bud. "I have put up shields to protect your privacy in this Medbay, Neryssa Baey." He whirled around watching her expectantly.
She looked at the tiny device, considered it, for a few seconds then decided she really had nothing to lose and pushed it in.
"And can communicate with you using the device in your ear."
She nearly jumped out of her skin, when he spoke to her through it.
"In addition to the medical and psychological degrees I possess, I am a fully fledged protection droid. I was designed by your Mother and my primary operating instruction is to protect you at all costs. I am currently fulfilling my programming."
Ryssa sat down in shock. She thought she had been imagining things.