Imperial Army Chronicles: An Imminent Threat -Domenik

Chapter 2: The Rebirth “Wake up, Carrow.” A violent shock erupted throughout Domenik’s body. He shook violently and tried to yell. He could not speak. He could tell that he was on his back in a very small, dark confined space. He could roll his body from side to side, but always ended up back in the same position. Panic started to seep in as he attempted to kick and push the ceiling of his confinement space up, but it wouldn’t budge. “Stop panicking. Calm down, and listen to me.” The voice in his head was robotic but sounded human enough for Domenik to know it was being masked. He relaxed and attempted to speak again, but no words came out. “I apologize for the electro-shock, but I had to wake you. My men disabled your speech temporarily. It was necessary for the security of this upcoming operation. I can, however, sense and interpret your brain waves and the messages your nervous system sends the rest of your body.” Domenik remained still. “Pinch your right leg if you can hear and understand me.” Domenik obeyed. “Good. Time is short but I feel like I owe you an explanation. As far as the Imperial military knows, you are dead. My men snuck into the Imperial facility you were in and subdued you and the guards that were transporting you to your execution. Your death was staged and you are currently in a coffin inside an Imperial morgue.” It was all coming back to him now. The arrest, the trial, the imprisonment and the events in the hangar. “Your body was beaten badly by my associates. It was necessary to give you the appearance of death. You've been in that office for over a week and your autopsy is set to begin very soon.” Domenik heard a door open nearby. “That’s the head coroner. Play dead.” Domenik puts his arms to his side and turned his head away to breathe silently through his nose. He heard the coroner walk in humming a tune, and then he heard the sound of something large rolling on wheels. The door opened, and closed again. Domenik opened his eyes. “He’ll be coming back for you next. When he does, I will give you instructions on what to do next. If you listen to what I say and do exactly what I tell you, you may just make it out alive. Pinch your right leg if you understand.” Domenik’s thoughts raced in his head. Who is this guy? Why did his men attack him only for him to offer him assistance? After all that has happened, how is he still alive? He attempted to rationalize these thoughts. “I know you have questions. However, you won’t get your answers if they find you.” Domenik understood. He pinched his right leg as he heard the door open again. “This is it.” Domenik closed his eyes again and turned his head, feigning death. This time he felt his coffin slide forward, be lifted up and placed on a platform. The platform rose a few feet and started forward. He felt the hovering platform go down a series of hallways, twisting and turning. He tried hard to remain still as he fought the corners. Finally, it stopped and he heard another door open. “Here’s the next one, Jennings. Get the log ready.” “Yes, sir,” replied a voice. Domenik awoke and turned his head at the second voice. He recognized it. “You remember. That is one of my associates. He will help get you out of here.” The coroner spoke again. “This one was found dead in a jungle near crashed ship debris outside an Imperial detention facility. He was wearing prisoner garb but no identification was found on him and there is no record of his imprisonment. He was identified as a high priority prisoner and reports from the facility suggest he attempted an escape on a shuttle and was shot down.” Domenik listened. It was hard to believe how far he had fallen, both literally and figuratively. “After the briefing, the coroner will open the lid to your coffin. You will need to subdue him. Our men did the best we could to restore your physical functionality. With your training in basic combat, you will have no problems." Domenik braced himself, waiting for the moment. …body seems to have suffered substantial physical trauma, undoubtedly from the fall. Further examination required. Jennings, the door please?” Domenik heard the door close. The lid on the coffin started to budge. Domenik closed his eyes and got in his ‘dead position’ just before the lid came off. A holo-communicator sounded from another room. “I’ll get it, sir. The table has been prepped. Go ahead and get started,” said the man called Jennings. The door opened and closed. “Now.” Domenik opened his eyes. The coroner was an older man, with gray hair and a thick beard. He was facing the door in which the other man had exited. He turned to look back at Domenik, and froze in stunned silence. Domenik, unable to speak, shot the coroner an apologetic look as he aimed a kick at the coroner’s head. The impact of the blow knocked him back against a wall. Domenik leapt out of the coffin and surveyed the room. He was in a small operating room, with a number of filing cabinets and various surgeon tools. He picked up a small, blunt instrument and struck the coroner with it as he began to stir. He fell to the ground unconscious. Domenik looked down and closed his eyes. “There was no honor in that, I know. It had to be done.” Domenik silently cursed the voice in his head. He looked up and found a nearby mirror, and his eyes widened. His face was a mangled mess, with red and black marks over it. His nose looked like it was broken and surgically repaired. He lifted the gown he was wearing and found massive bruising and scarring all over his chest and back. He was examining his arms and legs when the voice returned. “That was necessary to get you this far. My associate is about to return, eyes forward.” The door opened, and Domenik turned. “Oh, good. You’re awake," Jennings said, casually. Domenik pointed the blunt instrument at him and stepped forward. Jennings stood his ground. "Hey, easy there. We are not your enemy. Put that down and listen to me." Domenik was not wholly convinced that a man responsible for beating him to near-death was not his enemy, despite what the strange voice said. Also, those two men were responsible for the deaths of Imperial solider and the destruction of Imperial property. Jennings closed and approached him. "Listen to what he has to say, Carrow. We are no enemies of the Empire." Domenik weighed his options. The man in front of him was not hostile, and the one in his head could apparently read his thoughts and electro shock him. The though of escape was not an option. He put the instrument down. "Good man. Now here, allow me.." Jennings reached for Domenik's face and ripped one of the black marks on his cheek off. The ripping effect stung, Domenik turned to the mirror and saw that his skin was completely intact. "You can manage the rest. Unfortunately, the nose is real," Jennings said. "Now, while you're doing that, I can explain a few things." He took a seat while Domenik ripped the rest of the fake wounds off his body. “The man in your head right now is my superior. He is well-connected to everything going on in the Sith Empire and we have suspicions that there is a traitor in the Empire that attempted to frame you. We had to wait and bide our time, but the events on Bothawui forced our hand. What you unearthed on that planet was not for your eyes, and we believe this traitor wanted you silenced to ensure we could never get to you." Domenik removed the rather large bruise on his back before registering what Jennings said. He couldn't quite believe what he was hearing, and the impulse to speak was killing him. Jennings caught on. "Oh, right. The neural bolt on the back of your neck was necessary to get you out of here. It has temporarily disabled your speech and it can read your brain waves and detect your thoughts. My boss requested a form of one-way communication so he could speak with you without alerting others. The thought of having such a device inside me makes me ill, but your brain responded to it quite well." At this, Domenik put a hand on the back of his head, and removed a large fake red scar. His hand lingered, as he rubbed another scar on the back of his neck that was all too real... "As I was saying...after you went down in the hangar, we had to improvise a bit. We crashed-landed that shuttle into the forest and carried you the rest of the way in the cover of the trees. The HoloNet is reporting you dead, but we aren't sure if-" The sound of another holo-communicator cut him off. This one belonged to Jennings. He took it out and an image appeared of a Chiss male, pumping his fist. Jennings nodded and the image disappeared. "It's time to move. While we were having our chat, Prakk made his way inside and disabled the security cameras in the halls." Jennings motioned toward the fallen doctor. "He was one of two, I neutralized the other before you woke up. No casualties. Let's move on." Domenik nodded. This group had gone through a lot to get him to this point, whoever they were. He had no choice but to trust them. The two left the room and walked toward the back of the building. As they walked, Domenik felt the circle behind his head and his mind began to wander... The sounds of explosions and screaming filled the air on Coruscant. Buildings toppled and bodies were flown around as more Sith warships descended from the skies and rained fire on the surprised and unprepared Republic troops. Private Domenik Carrow surveyed the destruction from a small Imperial camp. The initial shock was very startling, but the camp was placed far from the war zone. He sat down next to a tent and looked over his equipment. Low-grade thermal detonators, a standard-issue blaster rifle, a small vibroblade and a number of medpacs. The Empire did not invest well in their grunt soldiers, but Domenik made the best of it. In fact, he made some private modifications... A small tank rolled into the camp and a large man emerged. He was clad in full body armor and had a large assault cannon mounted on his back. He leapt off the tank and many gathered around. Curiously, Domenik joined them. The man unstrapped the assault cannon and set it down. "Attention, men! Captain Kilran sends me with a message! The Jedi Temple has been overtaken and our fleet is cleaning up the stragglers. I'm to take all able-bodied men outside the Senate District and mobilize for a full assault! Some will have stay behind to hold our position here." The Senate Plaza. Domenik was familiar with the layout of the Plaza. Most of it would likely be destroyed before this squad arrived, but on the off chance that the Republic archives were still active. What he would give to peruse the research of some of the finest Republic scientists... Domenik moved through the crowd of bustling soldiers. "Sir! I wish to accompany you in the squad." The man looked him over, noticing his rank. "You are one scrawny boy, Private. How old are you? "16." "Should of known. You don't look the part of a soldier, but..." The man took notice of his equipment and the medpacs caught his eye. "...you a medic?" "Not officially, but I know how to keep a fellow soldier on his feet. These are normally standard-grade, but i've reverse-engineered them to deliver a more substanstial-" "Not interested in specifics," the man interrupted. He surveyed him one final time. "You may not pack much of a punch, but you're small and look smarter than these die-hards here. What's your name?" "Carrow, sir. Private Domenik Carrow." Domenik saluted. The man nodded. "Sergeant Geoff Foccard. At ease. You stay close to me at all times." Domenik nodded. He may see his first real battle today, but it'd be worth it to get to those archives... "We're here." The two stopped at a door. They had ventured to the back of the building and climbed a large staircase. Jennings turned to him, and motioned for him to open the door. Domenik did. He found himself on a landing pad, on top of the coroner’s office. The building was remote, surrounded by jungles and swamps. As he took in his surroundings, his eyes came forward to an Imperial shuttle seated in front of him...guarded by two armed guards. Domenik hesitated. Jennings appeared alongside him. "X2, forward," he said. An astromech droid rolled up to them. The droid displayed a projection onto the ground. The face of a Human male appeared. He was clean cut with short blond hair and blue eyes. He had a confident smile on his face. "Greetings, Carrow. It's a pleasure to see you in person. Here, allow me." The man pulled out a datapad and pressed a button. Domenik recognized the voice instantly as he felt the bolt in his neck loosen and fall off. He felt as if a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders, and as if he had regained control of his senses. "Who...who are you?" Domenik asked. “My true name is of no consequence for you, but you can call me Cipher Seven," the man replied. The door behind him opened. Prakk walked through and stood alongside the projection. Jennings moved forward and took the opposite side. “Come aboard. We have much to discuss."

Chapter 3: The Bothawui Incident As the shuttle cleared the atmosphere around Dromund Kaas, Domenik stared out the window. The last time he was in one of these shuttles… Domenik was restrained in his chair, bound at the arms and legs. A gag covered his mouth. Two Imperial soldiers sat at his sides, gripping his wrists. Two more sat across from him, with their rifles pointed. These four men had watched his back as they ventured through the dense jungles and were prepared to protect him from any Republic resistance. How did this happen? He thought back to those scientists that were gunned down. He pitied them, but Doctor Holcam’s words still echoed in his mind… “Hey!” Domenik shook his head. He turned and saw Jennings, attempting to get his attention. He had abandoned the pilot suit for a basic Imperial uniform and a black hat with a red Sith Empire insignia in the front. He sat across from Domenik. Prakk walked in wearing a red muscle shirt and gray pants under his long black jacket. He sat down on the opposite end of the chair Domenik occupied. “We’re going to dock at a small space station. You’ll be safe there until we decide our next move.” “What exactly is your next move, Jennings?” “Our next move,” he reiterated. “And my name is not Jennings. Unless we are out in the field, refer to me as Informer Three.” “Very well, and Prakk is who exactly? He turned to Prakk. Prakk shook his head before standing up and walking toward the cockpit. “Prakk is…just Prakk,” Informer Three responded, and sighed. “What is his deal, anyway?” Domenik asked. “Prakk is not Imperial Intelligence,” Informer Three responded. “He’s an enforcer we brought along just in case it got physical. I’m not much of a fighter myself, but Prakk…he relishes the idea of violence. He’s quite good at it, if you recall." “You don’t need to remind me,” Domenik said. “Why doesn’t he talk?” “He can’t. He’s been mute as long as I’ve known him. He’s accompanied me on many missions and I trust him with my life.” “Interesting,” Domenik said. He thought back to the fight in the hangar. Prakk charged in after Informer Three had vanished and thrown the flash grenade. The two Imperial guards fell quickly after, but the commotion had set off the alarm and endangered the mission. A man like Prakk should of never been involved as an emergency enforcer, especially on a low-key mission. Domenik knew the real reason he was brought along…to ensure Domenik’s delivery to the morgue in the proper state. This Informer Three seemed likeable enough, but Domenik was very uncertain of Prakk. He wondered who this Cipher Seven individual was. “We’re here. Cipher Seven awaits,” Informer Three said as the shuttle decreased its speed. Domenik was about to find out. The ramp lowered and the three men walked out. The hangar was abandoned and looked eerily similar to the hangar back on Dromund Kaas. A door opened on the far end and a man was waiting. Domenik recognized the face from the landing pad on Dromund Kaas. Cipher Seven was not dressed as formal as Informer Three. He opted for light battle armor with a sidearm attached to his hip. He wore a small backpack with an antennae attached, next to a medium-sized blaster rifle mounted on his right shoulder. On his belt, Domenik noticed a stealth generator that was commonly used by many Imperial spies. Cipher Seven flashed a winning smile. “Domenik Carrow, I am pleased to finally meet you in person.” Domenik saluted. “Sir.” “At ease. You can dispense with the formalities from here on out. Let’s head to my office. Prakk, you have my thanks. Your credits are being transferred as we speak. I’ll be in contact.” Prakk nodded at Cipher Seven and Informer Three. Making no indication towards Domenik, he made for an opposite door in the hangar while the three men walked to Cipher Seven’s office. He led them in, and they all took a seat. “I assume this is the part where you finally tell me what’s going on.” Domenik said. “Yes. As I said before, we have much to discuss, but let’s start with the big one. Everything that happened on Bothawui is strictly confidential and only referred to those in the know as ‘The Bothawui Incident.’ The official mission record has been wiped and any search queries containing Bothawui bring up no results. We obtained a copy before your trial and there are many inconsistencies in the mission record and much of it pertains to you, Carrow.” “We need you to fill in the missing blanks. I know there’s more to the story, and I need you to trust me when I say that it is in your best interest to tell me,” Cipher Seven said. “What inconsistencies?” Domenik asked. “Only theories and guesswork that I can only confirm upon hearing your side.” Domenik looked at Informer Three. It was his word that got him this far. “Very well. As you know, we were sent to Bothawui to investigate reports that the Republic had been conducting experiments on Imperial prisoners of war. When we arrived at the bunker…" “This is it, Lieutenant.” The squad leader put his sensor unit away and turned to Domenik. Domenik moved forward. The bunker they had come across showed no signs of life or any experiments as Captain Foccard had indicated. The place looked as if it had been abandoned for quite some time. “Check for anything out of the ordinary. A place like this is bound to have some secrets.” The squad reacted to Domenik’s orders. The main room was full of inactive computer systems and weapon racks with no weapons or ammunition. The rooms branching off showed no signs of activity. Domenik made his way to what looked like an armory. Stacks of crates lined the walls next to several suits of armor covered by a thick layer of dust. A large table with surrounding chairs served as the centerpiece of the room, also covered in dust. Domenik moved along the walls, investigating the crates. They were all empty. Domenik picked them up and tossed them aside while continuing the search. When he got to the middle of the wall opposite of the entrance, he noticed a single stack of three crates that were fused to the wall. Curiously, these crates did not have the wear and tear or dust buildup the other crates in the room had. Domenik tried to pry the crates free from the wall, with no luck. He was about to call for help when he noticed the lid on the top crate looked loose. He reached up to open it. When his hand made contact, Domenik heard a click. The section of the wall with the fused crates moved backward a few feet, and the floor dropped from under him. Domenik turned around and grabbed onto the edge behind him, looking down at the floor which continued to descend. "Aurek Squad, to me!" Domenik cried out. He heard another click. The wall was coming back in. He would be crushed if he continued to hang on. He let go of the edge and fell, landed on the descending floor about ten feet below. He looked up and noticed the wall had covered the top. He was trapped. The hidden elevator stopped after a short time. The door opened, and Domenik stepped out. Where was he? A voice on the holocom interrupted Domenik’s story. “Cipher Seven? Keeper would like to speak with you privately,” said the voice. “Damn it…very well. Carrow, let’s take a short break. We have arranged quarters for you in the meantime. I will contact you when it’s time to resume.” Informer Three stood up and walked out the door. Domenik followed suit. “And Carrow?” Cipher Seven asked. “It’s in your best interest not to make any contact with those affiliated with the Empire. If our operation is discovered, our entire organization will be at risk.” Domenik nodded, and left the office. Informer Three was outside waiting for him. “Do you trust us now?” he asked. “Even after you guys killed me? Yeah, I suppose. I’d still like to know my part in all this.” “You’ll know in due time. Let me show you to your quarters.” Domenik and Informer Three walked a short way, then turned to a steel door. “Here we are,” Informer Three said, as he opened the door. Domenik walked in and surveyed his living space. The suite was completely furnished – the expansive living room included eloquent purple furniture across from a viewscreen with a HoloNet receiver and communications terminal, with a large glass table in the center of the room. The back wall of the living room acted as a large plastiglass window out into the galaxy. The nearby kitchen was fully stocked with an oversized conservator and the finest cutlery money could buy. The refresher included a relaxing sanisteam shower and a faucet, sink and toilet which looked as if they were made out of Durosian marble. The walls were bare and the room with bright lit from flat panels on the ceiling. The bedroom contained a large closet fully stocked with a wide range of formal military gear to casual wear, various weapon racks with ammo stores and a seven foot mirror next to his bed. “Impressive. Definitely beats being in that cell.” Informer Three laughed. “Still think you’re a prisoner? I know you’ve been through a lot, but you need to relax,” said Informer Three.“You’ve seen our hangar, all you need to do is ask our officer stationed there for clearance and you can take any one of our shuttles and go where you please. We will abandon this operation and continue with our lives.” “But, if you decide to do that…I’d like to remind you that your military record has been erased. Many think you are dead, the higher ups in the Imperial military know you’re missing. Sure, you could lay low for the rest of your life. Assuming you have the means to do so, and as an ex-Imperial Lieutenant, I somehow doubt that. If you want a chance at being able to walk as a free man, have some faith in us.” Domenik understood. This was his fate now. “I just never thought loyalty to the Empire would put my life in such danger,” Domenik said. “Loyalty to the Empire is not the same as loyalty to those within the Empire,” Informer Three said, as he made for the door. Domenik looked out the giant window, and turned to the communications terminal. He heeded Cipher Seven’s warning; any contact with Imperials could be traced to his location. He didn’t say anything, however, about those not affiliated with the Empire. He went to the terminal and input some data. He stepped back and waited. After a few moments, Domenik heard the voice of a droid. “Greetings, unknown sender. I am S4-C9-GE3, please identify yourself.” “It’s been a while, S4.” said Domenik. “Ah, Lieutenant Carrow! It’s a pleasure to hear from you. Let me put you in screen.” A gray GE3-series protocol droid appeared. “It is good to hear from you. Unfortunately, we had heard some rumors…” “Yes. I need to speak with our friend. Is he around?” “Unfortunately, no. We are in the Outer Rim at the moment and he’s on a bit of a scavenging assignment. Shall I have him contact you at this location?” “Not yet. Just tell him to clear his schedule and that Domenik Carrow will be calling in his favor very soon.” “Very well, sir. S4-C9 out.” The screen faded. Domenik flashed a triumphant smile. He suspected he’d be back in the field soon, and he would need more than an untrustworthy mute Chiss and an Imperial spy at his side. The door opened again. Informer Three appeared. “Sorry, I forgot to mention. After you were imprisoned, your personal quarters were stripped clean and moved to storage. We were able to break in and retrieve your personal effects.” Informer Three set a large black bag down and nodded, before leaving. Domenik politely nodded in return. When the door closed, he rushed forward and tore through the bag. He flung a number of files, clothes and some empty ammunition packs and medpacs that were no doubt confiscated by the Empire, but the one thing he was looking for was gone… “Private Carrow. I hope you understand the severity of your actions,” Sergeant Foccard said. "It won't happen again, I promise." "No. It won't. I'll make sure of it. I'm sending off a request to transfer you to my unit. I don’t know what you were doing in those archives, and frankly, I don’t care.” Foccard walked off with a scowl. The battle was over. The camp was starting to empty out. Foccard had told the squad during the mission that an occupation was around the corner. Many units were leaving the planet; however, the two of them would be staying. Domenik retrieved his personal effects and walked behind a makeshift medical bay. After checking to make sure he was alone, he pulled a small datapad hidden in his boot. The screen read:

OFFICIAL REPUBLIC SENATE ARCHIVES: ‘CYBERNETIC RESEARCH DATA: SURGICAL PROCEDURES’ **LEVEL 3 CLEARANCE REQUIRED** … ….. ……. ACCESS GRANTED

Chapter 4: The Assignment Domenik slumped in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. It felt like days had passed since he was dismissed from Cipher Seven’s office. He sat up straight and stared at his latest distraction, sitting on a workbench: a blaster rifle, a welding torch, some scrap metal and a datapad with guides for weapon optimization. Domenik learned early in his Imperial military career that he did not possess the unadulterated thirst for battle that many front-line Imperial soldiers had. Foccard had recruited him on Coruscant as a scrawny-looking boy, and time had not changed his physical stature. He knew he’d have to prove his worth in other ways. After the Sacking of Coruscant, Domenik garnered a local reputation as a tech optimizer. He had already proved his worth to Foccard during the occupation, and he spent long, waking hours in archives researching new methods on how to improve combat efficiency during the time of turbulent peace. Many of his squad-mates were mistrustful at the idea of someone taking their trusted equipment and changing it, but with the combination of Domenik’s ever-growing expertise and Foccard’s trust in him, many were seeing his worth. After regaining his crafting tools and optimization datapad from Informer Three, along with the rest of his personal effects, Domenik used the opportunity to get back to work. The stock rifle had potential, but many of his more advanced technological upgrades were undoubtedly seized by the Empire after his arrest. Weapon and armor upgrades could be replaced, but the datapad he obtained on Coruscant was missing as well. That could be more problematic, Domenik thought to himself as his mind began to wander again… The drunken Foccard pulled Domenik uncomfortably close to him in a headlock. “You’re not the bes- soldier I ever saw…an’ you could still use some mea’t after ‘al these years…but you a damn good man…” Foccard trailed off. Domenik broke free and left the bar, walking out into the street. The busy nightlife of Nar Shaddaa provided a perfect cover. Looking both ways, he vanished into the crowd and reappeared behind a building across from the bar. Ducking into an alley, Domenik pulled out a small holocommunicator. A beautiful, blond woman with blue eyes and a white lab coat appeared. “Doctor Holcam here,” she answered. “It’s me.” The doctor looked surprised. “Dom? Wait.” She turned from side to side before continuing. “Did you-“ “No time, Doctor. I’m on Nar Shaddaa for Geoff’s captaincy promotion. I thought I would have had to push, but the rest of them seemed excited at the prospect of being off the grid. We’re here for three days.” Doctor Holcam sighed. “There really is no changing your mind on this. If this procedure fails, your brain could be damaged beyond repair. I can’t have that, Dom. Not on my conscience.” “Please, Renee.” The concerned look on her face pierced like a dagger through Domenik’s heart. He had come to care for this woman during their time together. “None of this was possible without you, and I appreciate your discretion in all this,” Domenik said. He pulled the cybernetic datapad out of his pocket and held it up. “But, I need this from you.” Doctor Holcam closed her eyes. “You better come back,” she said. She sighed again before continuing. “Head to the Lower Promenade and I’ll give you further instructions…” Domenik’s recollection was interrupted as he heard the suite door open. He casually felt the back of his head as he got up and walked out of the dark room. Informer Three was standing at the front door. "What are you doing here?" Domenik asked. Informer Three casually leaned against the door. "We're ready for you to continue your story." "About time," Domenik said. He shook his head, pushing the memory away from his mind. He picked up a light jacket sitting beside him before powering down the lights and leaving. *** "Before we go in, I have been asked to cover a couple of things with you," said Informer Three. Domenik turned to him. "Remember what Cipher Seven said about communications?" Domenik nodded. "We have you reaching out to an unidentified ship in the Outer Rim. A ship that we know to be home to a certain mercenary that you have had deals with in the past." Domenik wasn't surprised that they were monitoring his transmissions. "I didn't realize mercenaries were Imperial-affiliated. If I recall, Cipher Seven was very clear about that." Domenik replied. "Many mercenaries certainly can be.” “I assure you that this particular one is no threat to your operation.” “How can we trust-“ Domenik laughed. "Do you really wish to lecture me on the concept of trust after what you’ve put me through?” Informer Three shut his mouth at the jab. “…Fair enough. Moving on, our second matter is one of extreme importance, and will require the input of Cipher Seven." The door opened, and Cipher Seven stood behind his desk. "Hello again, Carrow. Come in." The two walked in and sat down at the desk. "Before we get started, we must address a very serious issue." Cipher Seven said as he reached into his side pocket and threw a small datapad on the table in front of Domenik. He recognized it instantly: the missing cybernetic datapad. Domenik's eyes widened as he looked up at Cipher Seven. "That's mine. How did you come by this?" "It was with your personal belongings before they were stripped. Lucky for you, the clean-up crew had a hard time recognizing confidential information from the archives of the Galactic Senate. Your personal belongings have been returned, but Informer Three here delivered this to me immediately." Domenik turned to Informer Three and gave him a sarcastic look. “So, about that trust concept…” Cipher Seven cut him off. "Carrow. The information on this datapad is quite outdated. The content here doesn't interest me." He picked up the datapad and held it in front of Domenik. "You obtained this on Coruscant, and I know you were there during the occupation." "And the battle." Domenik said. "Yes. Under Sergeant Geoff Foccard, if I remember correctly.” Domenik grimaced at the sound of his former mentor. He briefly thought back to the courtroom before Cipher Seven continued. “One of Kilran’s finest recruits. It was his battalion that raided the Senate District and brought forth a wave of destruction that would bring the Republic to their knees. So much death and destruction…it would of provided the perfect cover for a young Domenik Carrow to go sneaking around. Does that sound right?” Domenik didn’t answer. “Sometimes you say more by saying nothing at all,” Cipher Seven said. He smiled as he handed the datapad to Domenik. He took it, confused. "So that’s it? You're just going to give this back to me?" he asked. "It’s not vital to our cause. I just wanted to know how you came across it. Besides, you have showed a certain resourcefulness that I believe we will come to value in the time to come. But, more on that later. It's time to resume your story." Domenik nodded as he pocketed the datapad, and continued his tale. The hidden elevator stopped after a short time. The door opened, and Domenik stepped out. Where was he? A series of lights powered on as he made his first step. He was in some sort of laboratory, devoid of all color. The sheer brightness of the room made Domenik avert his eyes. When his sight readjusted, he surveyed the room. It was an absolute wreck: charts and graphs were messily scattered all over the walls and floor, various drawers were either halfway open or carelessly strewed across the lab. He pulled out his communicator. “Sergeant Jenkins, come in. I repeat, Sergeant Jenkins.” No reply. A loud noise sounded from the near wall. He turned and noticed a massive window. He pocketed his communicator as he walked over and peered out into a massive cavern. It was mostly dark, but he could make out a number of men in white coats meandering around a giant circular structure. Small flashing lights around the cavern bounced off the walls and showed all types of workers gravitating around the structure. Domenik couldn’t quite make it out, and his curiosity was cut off when a door behind him opened. “Whoever you are, hands up. This is a restricted area,” a woman said. Domenik felt his heart jump into his throat at the sound of the soft voice. He never thought he’d hear it again. “Renee?” Domenik managed to say, with a bleak tone. He turned around. The young, beautiful doctor he had come to know did not stand before him. The light, blond hair was dirty and did not shine, even in the intense brightness of the lab. She had dark circles around her eyes and a look of absolute disdain. She had a blaster rifle trained on him. The dark look faded when she caught his face. “Dom?” The two looked over each other. Domenik saw the woman he loved for a brief moment as she ran to him and embraced him. Domenik was caught off guard. “Renee…what is this?” He felt her hand touch the back of his neck where his surgical scars were visible. She stepped back. “I can’t believe you’re here…the progress we’ve made in the past two years has been astounding. You have so much to see!” She grabbed Domenik’s hand and led him out of the room as a number of questions raced through his mind. “Progress? Two years? What are you-“ Doctor Holcom ignored him as she dragged him up a winding staircase to a high platform overlooking the entire cavern. She pressed a button and her voice sounded throughout the cavern. “Everyone, everyone! We have a very important guest! I present to you, Lieutenant Domenik Carrow!” The workers stopped immediately. They all ran forward into a single formation, and saluted him. Domenik was stunned. What was going on here? “Are you ready to see it?” she asked, beaming. Domenik looked at her, confused. She flipped a number of switches and bright overhead lights began to fill the cavern. Domenik turned toward the structure, which began to take form. The giant circular structure took a gray, dodecagon shape when fully illuminated. It sat on a massive steel moving platform with four chains draped from the top of the structure for movement. The edges of the twelve panels were fused together crudely with different metals. A giant red Imperial insignia was plastered in the middle panel, facing Domenik. A grim look of realization dawned on Domenik’s face. He was staring at a massive baradium superweapon. Domenik looked at Doctor Holcam in horror. “This is an absolute monstrosity, Renee. Who commissioned you to create this?” Renee looked confused. “What are you talking about? You did.” Domenik’s eyes widened in shock. He was at a complete loss for words. The moment was interrupted by the sound of a door opening, followed by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs below them. “I don’t know what you are talking about, but my squad has arrived,” Domenik said. “You will have a lot to answer for.” Sergeant Jenkins rushed up the stairs onto the raised platform with two of his men behind him. His eyes rested on the superweapon. “Sergeant, your arrival is timely. Doctor Holcam here-“ “I heard it all.” He raised his weapon at Domenik. The two men followed suit. “And it’s you that has a lot to answer for, Lieutenant.” Domenik raised his hands, and peered over the rail behind him. Many Imperial troopers were swarming the cavern, with weapons pointed at the workers. Too many soldiers, Domenik thought. “Who are these men, Sergeant? We were the only squad sent here. What’s going on?” “Quiet!” He took a couple steps toward Domenik. “Renee, what’s going on?” “I don’t know what all this is, Dom, but I got the order over two years ago. You were off world…the contract was confidential at the time so I couldn’t say anything, but your name was associated soon after. Sergeant, I have the information in the lab downstairs.” “I have it right here. Give it to him,” Jenkins said. One of Jenkins’ soldiers handed him a datapad. Domenik took it. It looked exactly like a standard work order, and sure enough, at the top… “By the order of Lieutenant Domenik Carrow,” he recited. “I don’t know what this is, but I had absolutely nothing-“ Sergeant Jenkins approached him. “Save it, traitor.” He swung the butt end of his rifle forward. Domenik collapsed to the floor. “Men! By order of the Captain, you are to detain Lieutenant Carrow and Doctor Holcam and bring her outside. She and Carrow are traitors to the Empire and will be dealt with accordingly. There will be a shuttle waiting to take us back.” The men grabbed her. Domenik saw her resist, but was overpowered by the two soldiers as they dragged her down the stairs. Jenkins removed Domenik’s weapons and gear, and bound his hands and feet together. He started to pull Domenik to his feet. “Sir!” shouted a soldier from the cavern below. “What of the workers?” Jenkins looked over the rail. From his knees, Domenik saw dozens of workers on their knees with their hands above their head. “Not enough room on the shuttle. They’re traitors like the rest, and expendable ones at that. Kill ‘em.” Domenik flailed around in his restrained state. Jenkins lost his patience and knocked Domenik aside with a hard backhand. He brought his boot down on Domenik’s face as the sounds of blaster fire and screams echoed throughout the cavern. “And that’s it,” Domenik said. Informer Three looked disgusted. Cipher Seven was sitting calmly at his desk, with a thoughtful expression. The silence was killing Domenik. “Well? You’ve heard my story, now will you tell me what I’m doing here?” Domenik asked, angrily. Cipher Seven looked up at Domenik with a calm look. “Thank you. Your recollection matched your testimony with no inconsistencies on your end, and did not rule out our existing theories.” “Which are?” Domenik asked. “That you were obviously set up. Look at the facts, Carrow. The superweapon was on Bothawui, a planet under Republic control. A weapon of that magnitude in enemy territory is a win-win strategy for the Empire. If something goes wrong, you can accuse the Republic of developing it and you show the rest of the galaxy an example. If it doesn’t blow up, you can plant an Imperial research team and pin the assignment on anyone. You were the ideal fall guy,” Cipher Seven said. “But, why me?” “Which leads me to my second point. This Doctor Holcam that you mentioned. You had a history with Renee Holcam, and I am willing to bet the party responsible also knew. She was commissioned to be the lead developer of this project, and her previous connection to you only served against you during your trial. And one more thing.” Cipher Seven stood up. Informer Three gave him a grim look. “It was Foccard that ordered the arrest of you and Holcam.” “Captain Foccard?” Domenik asked. “It’s Major now, actually. He had quite a bit to gain by bringing in a man like you. He was also the one to announce your sentence. We don’t know if he has knowledge of your escape, however. My contacts report that he currently serving on an Imperial dreadnought out in far space.” “No,” Domenik said. “Your first two points may be valid, but that man has been like a father to me for many years. He had stuck his neck out for me a number of times, why would he sell me out now?” “Right. It would be uncharacteristic of him to hang you out to dry for personal gain. He would of done so by now. We can’t say the same about this Jenkins, who seemed all too eager to bring you in. There could also be a higher power at work, but we have to work with what’s in front of us. This situation is a threat to the Empire and it needs to be dealt with. That’s where you come in.” “My rank and service record were stripped clean, as you well know. I cannot lead men or command battalions.” “Which makes you an ideal candidate for what’s to come,” Cipher Seven said as he stood up. “We need you to lead an investigation. You have no Imperial affiliation as of right now and many of the higher-ups believe you to be dead. We cannot directly get involved, as it would blow our cover. Besides, we don’t exactly have full clearance.” “That’s unsettling,” Domenik said. “But, suppose I say yes and accomplish this mission,” Domenik said. “Will my name be cleared? Will I return to my life as a Lieutenant?” “I can’t make any promises. We are officially in the dark, along with you now.” Domenik looked to Informer Three. He nodded, although it wasn’t very reassuring. “I don’t have much of a choice…Very well. What’s our first move?” *** Domenik attached a sidearm blaster to his hip. He took stock of his supplies one final time, before approaching the communications terminal and making one final call. A gruff voice answered. “Carrow.” Domenik smiled. “It’s been far too long, Koloss.” The screen flashed to show a visual display. A massive bald man appeared with a thick brown goatee, a single scar across his eye, and dark yellow battle armor. S4-C9 sat beside him. “Not long enough. S4 tells me you wish to call in your favor. Shall I begin writing my will and testament? You remember the last time I worked an Imperial job for you.” Koloss asked. “Don’t worry, this isn’t an Imperial job. It’s a favor to me, so you won’t even be getting paid!” Domenik said. “Now that’s a selling point if I hadn’t heard one…but a deal’s a deal. I’m in, under one condition. At some point you’re gonna have to tell me the story of how you’re not dead. It sounds riveting.” "Of course, S4 mentioned that you had heard some rumors,” Domenik said. “I’ll brief you on the way. We’re meeting on an old haven of yours, Nar Shaddaa. Lower Promenade.” “The Smuggler’s Moon! I’ll see you there. In the meantime, I have some writing to do...”

Chapter 5: The Smuggler's Moon “I’m going to take final stock of supplies. We should arrive within the hour,” Informer Three said as he stood up and left the cockpit. Domenik leaned back in his chair and shut his eyes. There was something relaxing about flying through hyperspace. Even now, knowing what he was heading towards… He followed Doctor Holcam’s instructions and ended up in front of a run-down store in Nar Shaddaa’s Lower Promenade. Foccard’s squad took up residence in the small Imperial barracks in the Industrial Sector, so he had some space to work with. Doctor Holcam also advised him to hide all evidence that he belonged to the Imperial military. The street Domenik was on was busy and nobody took notice as he kept his head down and walked into the shop. The store was empty. A girl around Domenik’s age was behind the counter, wearing a mask and using a welding torch. When she saw him, she took off the mask and looked up. She had a dark complexion and braided, red hair. Her name was Marlene Hicks, and she was an old roommate of Doctor Holcam’s at their university. He approached the counter. “Hello,” she said with a kind voice. “Welcome to Cedann and Hicks, home of the finest wares in the Outer Rim! Are you looking for anything in particular?” Domenik looked around. He was impressed with her inventory: weapons, armor, item modifications, explosives, toolkits, medpacs…it was a small but substantially loaded general store. The perfect front. “Nothing in particular, I’m here for something more…off the record,” he said. “What you see is what you get here, sir,” she said with a smile. Doctor Holcam prepared him for this. While the concept of an ‘honest dealer’ on Nar Shaddaa was ridiculous and hard to believe at the surface, he admired her attempt. “Renee sends her regards and to drop the act. I’m Domenik Carrow and you know why I’m here.” Marlene sighed. She leapt over the counter and ran to the door, locking it. “Straight to the point, sounds just like her.” She had a concerned look on her face. “If you came out all this way, I guess there’s no chance you’ll-“ “Can you do this for me or not?” Domenik interrupted. Marlene nodded. “In the back room. It’ll take me some time to prep-“ A searing pain erupted inside Domenik’s head during his recollection. He made a small noise and felt his forehead. It was throbbing violently. He closed his eyes and rubbed it until it stopped. He felt a warm rush of blood through his nose and leaned back to clear it. After a few minutes, he was fine. He took a deep breath. “Well, that was new…” he thought. Informer Three reappeared as he moved back into his pilot’s chair. “Should be all set. We should travel light, try not to arouse suspicion…” Informer Three stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Domenik. “…You all right?” he asked. Domenik made an attempt to wipe the small amount of dried blood from above his mouth. “Yes, I’m fine. It’s nothing.” Informer Three shrugged. “Very well. Let’s review.” Domenik brought up a small holocommunications terminal located between the two pilot seats. Koloss’ face appeared. “I’m here,” he answered. He looked at Domenik first. “Hello, Mr. Dead Man.” Domenik ignored him. “This is Informer Three, he will be assisting us on this investigation.” “Informer Three…” Koloss said as he looked him over. “Parents must not have been the most imaginative bunch.” “It’s a rank, sir,” he said with an indigiant tone. We have a lot to brief you over before going into this mission, so if you don’t mind-“ “Domenik here got himself arrested for a crime he didn’t commit, sentenced to death, you guys spring him, he tells story, we’re to find the guy who framed him and the first lead is on Nar Shaddaa. Right?” Koloss asked with a head tilt. Informer Three shut his mouth, surprised. “…Yes. How did you know?” “For a member of Imperial Intelligence, you should understand that confidential information is rarely confidential,” Koloss stepped back as a gray droid emerged on the screen. “Mr. Three, I would like you to meet S4-C9-GE3. Ess-Four for short. He acts as my…what is it you do again?” “My primary tasks include the assistance in diplomatic relations and gathering of information acquired from both official and non-official channels of communication, as well as the securing, rendering and compensating off all mercenary contracts,” S4 said. “That.” Koloss said. Informer Three nodded. “Most impressive, Mr. Koloss.” “It’s just Koloss. Now, on to business. Why am I meeting two Imperials on the Smuggler’s Moon? Carrow, care to fill in the blanks?” “Of course,” Domenik said. “After my arrest on Bothawui, the team in charge of developing the superweapon were slaughtered. It was likely an attempt to cut all loose ends associated with the project. It took some digging, but Intelligence was able to bring up the casualty reports from those killed in the secret base. It was a long list of contractors, analysts, developers, scientists, engineers, you name it…but there was one name missing.” Domenik took a breath before continuing. “Doctor Renee Holcom was the head developer of this project, and she was captured alongside me. However, there is no evidence of her arrest or capture. Her service record was wiped clean as well.” “As was yours, if I remember,” Koloss said. “Yes, but his record was wiped following his trial.” Informer Three answered. “As far as I can see, Doctor Holcam had no trial and there was no discipline record of any kind. As far as I can see, when she returned to Dromund Kaas she got right back to work, until…” Informer Three motioned to Domenik. “Intelligence learned that her service record was cleared three days after my trial, which happens to be the same day I got out. They’re hiding her from me and it’s because she knows something.” “So, she’s hiding on Nar Shaddaa.” Koloss replied. “It’s possible. She never talked about her family much but she does have one colleague. Her ex-roommate runs a tech shop in the Lower Promenade. She’s not the type that an Imperial doctor would normally associate with, so she’s our best bet if Holcam escaped.” “Copy that. We’re coming up on the planet now. See you planetside.” The screen went black. --- Domenik and Informer Three walked into a small cantina. The clientele included a couple hooded men and a gray droid at the bar, a couple of dancing Twi’leks in a corner, a number of off-duty security guards and a large man sitting in a corner booth with his legs propped up. “There he is,” Domenik said and he motioned toward the man in the corner. The two walked over and Koloss nodded. He was a large, bald man with a thick brown goatee and a single scar across his eye. He wore dark yellow heavy battle armor and was equipped with wrist rockets, a flame thrower, two heavy pistols on his hip, a vibroblade in his right pocket and a weathered-looking dark blue jetpack. “So much for traveling light,” Informer Three said to Domenik. Koloss laughed. “You do know what planet you’re on, right? You may be lucky to have me by the time we’re done here.” “Then let’s not waste any time,” Domenik said as he and Informer Three sat across from Koloss. “How are we doing this?” “S4 here has the details. But first,” Koloss said as he made a motion. The gray droid at the bar appeared at the table with a tray of drinks. “Corellian ale for my master, and a pair of this establishment’s finest red for the gentlemen.” Domenik and Koloss took theirs. Informer Three made no move. “No thank you, I don’t drink,” he said. “I’d prefer if we kept clearheaded while on this operation. This is not a joke.” “You need to loosen up those nerves, Mr. Three,” Koloss said as he took a drink. Domenik leaned back in his booth as he enjoyed his wine. S4 took a slight bow before returning the tray to the bar. “I must say, that’s quite an unusual droid for a man like yourself,” Informer Three said. “Why, I half-expected-“ “To see a war machine equipped with the best weapons and explosives money can buy? I wouldn’t say no if the Empire dropped one in my hangar for me, but it’s not my style.” Koloss leaned forward. “To me, a droid is the ideal companion. No flawed logic, no emotions, no second-guessing. Just yes or no. And like any companion, they should accentuate your strengths and make up for your weaknesses. Now, let’s face it. I’m not much of a negotiator, but S4 is. He can talk for me when the situation requires it, and it can sometime open more doors for me that aren’t available otherwise.” Domenik watched S4 as he returned to the table. He took one final draw from his drink. “Very well. S4?” S4 projected a small building map on the table. Domenik and Informer Three huddled around to hide it from sight. “Lower Promenade. It’s a somewhat high trafficked area. Marlene’s shop is here,” Koloss said as he pointed to a corner marked in red. “There’s a few ways in. You got your front and back doors, as well as an access stairway on the roof. There’s a service tunnel one block away if you want to go the underground route.” “The front door should suffice. This is not a capture mission.” Domenik said. “Fair enough. S4 will walk the streets and keep an eye out for hostiles, the three of us will walk in and hope we’re welcome. I’ll scout ahead and chase off any of the nearby drunkards. On that subject, your drinks are covered. See you soon.” Koloss and S4 got up and walked out of the bar. “Interesting fellow,” Informer Three said. “I imagine there’s a story there.” “There is,” Domenik replied. “It’s full of wonder and excitement and danger and there’s no way you’re hearing about it. Let’s go.” --- Domenik and Informer Three rounded the final corner and saw Koloss leaned against a wall next to an alley. “We’re clean. S4 is monitoring the surroundings. Let’s move.” A wave of familiarity rushed over Dom as he approached the run-down looking shop. The streets were quieter which only made him feel more nervous as crossed the threshold. The store looked exactly the same as before; the racks were stocked with the same equipment, the neutral-looking gray décor and low lighting from above and the door leading to the back room where he found himself so many years ago… “Welcome to Cedann and Hicks, home of the finest wares in the Outer Rim! Are you looking for anything in particular?” The voice was not Marlene’s. Domenik turned to the counter and saw a protocol droid. Informer Three stepped forward. “Yes, we’re looking for one of the owners of this establishment…Marlene Hicks?” “She’s the only owner of this shop at the moment. Mr. Cedann is taking a leave of absence and will return shortly,” the droid responded. Domenik knew this was a lie, but said nothing. The types of research and surgical procedures that Marlene conducted could only be tested and perfected through what she termed ‘live test subjects.” During his last visit, he learned that her business partner had unfortunately become one of these test subjects, and Marlene was only left with his half of the business as a result. “My apologies, but she is not here at the moment. Our last shipment never arrived and Ms. Hicks left me to run the store while she sorts it out. If you need any help, I am programmed to assist in virtually any way.” Informer Three stepped behind a rack of armor. Domenik and Koloss followed suit. “Think he’s lying?” Koloss asked. Informer Three shrugged. “Could be. If the Empire knows of her friendship with Holcam, they might of made the first move. What do you think, Carrow?” Domenik had been staring at the back room door since they had arrived. Marlene’s lab was on the other side. If there were any answers, they had to be in that room. Was a harmless protocol droid going to step in his way? He walked toward the room. As he passed the counter, the droid turned. “I’m sorry, sir, but that room is for employees only. I’m going to have to ask you to stop moving.” Domenik ignored the warning as he kept moving forward. Informer Three and Koloss followed. “Security!” called the droid. An alarm sounded. The three men froze in place. Four ceiling hatches opened on opposite sides of the room and silver security droids fell out of each one. The four droids raised blaster rifles at the three men. “Step away from that door or be terminated!” one droid said. Domenik drew his rifle and Koloss took out his pair of pistols. Informer Three vanished as Domenik heard the familiar hiss of his stealth generator. “You’re lucky I’m doing this for free!” Koloss said to Domenik as he flew forward in his jetpack toward the northwest corner of the shop. He dodged the blaster rounds in the air from the four droids as he pulled up toward the ceiling and launched two wrist rockets at the nearby droid, who exploded on contact. The three remaining droids were firing at Koloss while he was hovering in the air, and Domenik took his chance. He rolled behind an equipment rack and fired a burst of shots at the second droid in the northeast corner, which fell apart in scraps. The third droid moved from the southwest corner and fired at Koloss. Koloss swerved out the way, narrowly avoiding the shot as he fell back to the ground. Domenik fired at the third droid as he leapt out of the way, avoiding the shots and bolting for the door to the back room. The fourth droid from the southeast corner emerged behind Koloss with his weapon raised, but fell apart in a heap as Informer Three instantly appeared behind him with a vibroblade plunged into his chestpiece. The three men turned to the counter. The protocol droid was nowhere to be seen and the door to the back room was open. The three men ran for it when another alarm sounded. Four autoturrets emerged from the corner walls right below the open ceiling hatches. The security droid appeared at the door with his blaster rifle trained on the group…and a woman walked out of the room behind the droid. “Put down your weapons,” she said as she raised a blaster pistol of her own. “The droids you faced were my level one security force. I have much more where that came from.” Domenik recognized Marlene’s voice. “Marlene. It’s me, Domenik. We need to talk to you.” Marlene almost dropped her weapon. “Carrow? Oh, no. You get out of here right now. I don’t want a part in whatever you did! I don’t know where Renee went. I haven’t talked to her in years!” “We’re not here to hurt her, or you.” Domenik said. “Something happened to the two of us on Bothawui and we need her help to figure it out.” Informer Three looked at Domenik. “What are you doing? This woman just tried to kill us!” “It’s all good.” Domenik stepped away from the group and walked toward the counter. The autoturrets and security droid followed him step for step. He placed his rifle and sidearm on the counter and walked towards Marlene. The security droid stepped forward and raised his rifle to Domenik’s temple. “The Empire stripped me of my rank and service record, and sentenced me to death. They tried to kill me, Marlene. Are you saying Renee is in danger? If she is, we must find her.” Marlene stared into his eyes, as if she was looking to see if he was telling the truth. “Let them go,” she said. The autoturrets disassembled and slid back into their walls. The security droid holstered his weapon and returned to the back room. A wall behind the counter opened, and the protocol droid walked out and returned to his place behind the counter. Marlene passed Domenik as she walked into the main room. “After messing up my inventory, you better come through for me,” she said. She motioned to the two men still standing in the middle of the room. “These guys good?” “Yes. I’m not standing here right now without them.” Marlene sighed before speaking. “I lied. She’s been hiding here for the past week. She showed up out of the blue, acting all hysterical. I couldn’t get anything out of her. She said she had to leave everyone she knew behind because they were coming after her.” “Did she say who ‘they’ were?” Domenik asked. “No. She was very paranoid. Spent all her time locked in my storeroom and wouldn’t come out. Until a few days ago, when we had some visitors.” “What happened?” “These two hooded guys swung by. Real sketchy people. They said they were looking for Renee Holcam. I told them the last I heard she was living the exciting life of a doctor on Dromund Kaas. They didn’t push the issue, either. They just left. Whoever they were, it was enough to scare Renee. After they left, she said she was taking a shuttle out of here and would let me know when she was safe.” “We just missed her,” Informer Three said. “Any word on where she was going?” “Yes. Which brings us to yesterday,” she replied, as she handed Domenik a datapad. Informer Three and Koloss gathered around. “Marlene, I’m safe, for now. I’m hiding in a small village on Nal Yashu. I wish I could tell you more, but I couldn’t put you in the danger I am currently in. If any Imperials come by looking for me, you must not tell them where I am. There are some in the Empire that want me dead for what I know. Trust nobody. -Renee” “Nal Yeshu isn’t far from here,” Koloss said. “If she escaped yesterday, it’s likely she’s still there. I wouldn’t count on her staying hidden for long, though.” Domenik nodded. “You’ve been most helpful, Marlene. We will ensure her safety and contact you afterward.” He turned to the two men. “Koloss, contact S4 and ask him to pull up everything he has on Nal Yeshu. Informer Three, contact Cipher Seven and see if there are any Imperial outposts or starships. We need to have a clear path.” Informer Three nodded. “Right away.” The two men left the shop in a hurry. He turned to Marlene. “Again, thank you.” He turned to leave before Marlene spoke up. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of them, but I had a question.” Domenik turned back. “How’s the optimizer holding up? Anything gone horribly wrong?” Domenik instinctively rubbed the back of his head, recalling the nosebleed from earlier. “No. Everything has gone according to plan. It’s worked wonders for my career…up until this mess happened.” “I’m glad. And one more thing…” “Yes?” “About Renee. If you find her, please be careful. I’ve left her in the care of one of my more dangerous security droids. Not like the pieces of scraps you and your men blew through…this one is an HK-model.”

Chapter 6: The Reunion “We’re here,” Informer Three said. The shuttle slowed as it came out of hyperspace in front of a small moon. Koloss’ face appeared on the viewscreen. “Nal Yashu, of the Nal Hutta system. A much prettier sight than the Glorious Jewel, that’s for certain.” Domenik pulled a scanner out and showed it to the two men. “Marlene has one of her droids protecting her. She put a tracking chip in its sensor unit before it left with Renee. Locking onto it's position now.” Domenik said. “She likely won’t have that droid out of her sight, if she’s as paranoid as Marlene says,” replied Informer Three. “I’m coming out on the other side of the planet. Send me coordinates when you get them,” Koloss said, as he face disappeared. Domenik watched as the tracker locked on the droid’s location. While watching, his forehead began to throb lightly. He brought his hand and rubbed the ailing spot. Informer Three took notice. “There a problem?” he asked. “What do you mean?” Domenik asked. “You! Your little nosebleed before the Nar Shaddaa mission, and don’t try to hide anything from me. I found the trail of blood on your bunk after your little nap.” He was telling the truth. After a long briefing with Cipher Seven, Domenik retired to his bunk while en route to Nal Yashu. When he awoke, he found a trail of blood leading from his nose all over his bunk. This was the second instance in the last few days. “If you’re not in any position to do this mission, we need to double back to the base,” Informer Three said. “Doctor Holcam is in danger. If we delay any longer we may not be able to save her,” Domenik said, angrily. The throbbing in his head felt worse, combined with the rising stress level. He cried out in pain as he sat back. The sensor sounded off and Domenik looked at it as it zoomed in on the alert. “It’s coming from the outskirts of the planet. Mostly water, except here,” he said as he pointed to a small land mass surrounded by two oceans. “It’s on the other side of the planet, Koloss is closer. Sending the coordinates.” Domenik said as the ship turned. Informer Three stared at Domenik. A dawning look of realization showed on his face. “It’s that thing in your head, isn’t it?” he asked. Domenik froze. “Yes, I know. Cipher Seven knows as well.” “How long have you two known?” Domenik asked. “After we busted you out of that Imperial facility. After Prakk’s handiwork, we had to fix you up and install that neural bolt. We picked it up on one of our scanners, but opted not to remove it. What is it?” Domenik said nothing. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to hide this for much longer. “Look, the longer we work together, the closer we’re going to get to danger. Someone is trying to silence everyone associated with your trial, and it’s our job to find the party responsible. When we do, I need to know the capabilities of my allies. If this thing is going to compromise our mission, I need to know.” Domenik understood. The shuttle was making its way to the other side of the planet and they were waiting for confirmation from Koloss. There was time to talk. “Very well. I have an…affinity for gear optimization. I spent most of my military training learning about weapons and armor and what makes them work. After a basic understanding, and much time in our archives learning different types of materials and their utilization, as well as much trial and error, I learned much. Renee opened my mind to the process of kolto distribution through medpacs and I expanded my knowledge. If I had spent half the time I was researching into my combat training, I might have been a decent soldier,” Domenik said with a laugh. “So you spent your time pushing the limits of military equipment,” Informer Three said. “And this wasn’t enough?” “No,” Domenik said. “A soldier on the battlefield is only as good as his equipment, or at least his management of it. I needed something more, and the thought occurred to me…” A series of events flashed through Domenik’s head as he spoke… Domenik and Renee Holcam sat in a dormitory on Dromund Kaas, arguing. “Cybernetic implants are nothing new, Dom. We’ve come a long way with prosthetic and artificial units-" “No, not in the sense of replacing limbs,” Domenik interrupted. “I’m talking about enhancements. The combat implants that many soldiers wear into battle.” “Those can have short-term benefits,” she said. “They can also be removed when not in use for added utility.” “No, that won’t do.” Domenik said. “That’s no different from combat armor. I’m looking for something more…permanent…” --- Domenik stood alone in the same dormitory, which now lay empty. He was looking at his reflection off a nearby window. The newly-acquired Private insignia pinned on his chest felt like a heavy weight. The door opened and Renee walked in. “You wanted to see me?” she asked, lightly. Domenik turned and looked at her. The two of them had mutually decided to end the relationship days before. The Empire was at war and he was expecting a transfer very soon, and she was continuing her education in hopes of becoming a doctor. Still, they remained friendly. “I’ve figured it out,” he said. “It’s all in the brain.” She watched in silence as he picked up a datapad and showed his findings. “Certain cybernetics communicate with the brain which allows them to function. The device is external but the resources it requires to power the device are all internal. The problem is, they become spent over a period of time with the constant communication,” Domenik said. “However, I may have found a workaround. By placing the device internally, the communication is streamlined and the load is lessened.” “Internally? What if it malfunctions or doesn’t work properly? The side effects alone don’t seem worth the risk,” she said. “Hey, I’m not implanting this thing in myself! Besides, there’s so much more to figure out and the basic archives aren’t telling me much. I need to find a larger database.” --- Domenik made his way through the rainy jungles of Dromund Kaas. After some time, he made his way up a small hill overlooking a field and found what he was looking for: a small campground comprised of a number of makeshift tents. Domenik rushed down the hill and walked slowly towards it. It had been a few years since he had seen her, and much had happened since they last spoke. When he reached the campground he snuck over to one of the larger structures and peeked inside. He saw a number of people with white lab coats…some of whom were talking amongst themselves, others were treating the sick and wounded that occupied the small beds. Finally, he saw her. She was deep in conversation with a soldier clutching his right arm. He saw what looked like a large bite wound; undoubtedly from the surrounding Dromund Kaas wildlife. He gave Renee some time to treat the victim, and made his way over to the two of them. “The gundark is a vicious species, but at least they keep fine doctors like Holcam here in business,” Domenik said. Renee turned at the sound of the voice. “Dom?” Domenik smiled. “It’s been too long, Renee.” She threw her datapad down and embraced him. Others in the tent took notice and watched, approvingly. “Why are you…how did you…where have you-” she stammered. “Easy, easy. Lieutenant Foccard is at the Citadel for a brief meeting and he granted me temporary leave. Take your time here, I’ll wait in the campground.” After some time, Renee found Domenik in a small tent outside the infirmary. He had prepared a meal for them. Renee noticed the new insignia. “So, Sergeant Carrow...what have you been up to?” Domenik smiled. He always appreciated her attention to detail. “Nothing terribly exciting. After the Coruscant business a few years back, everything else has been remarkably tame. On that subject, I have something to show you.” He peeked outside the tent to ensure they were alone, before reaching in his pocket and pulling out the cybernetics datapad. “I found my larger database,” he said as he handed it to her. She looked it over and her interested smile slowly started to fade. “Republic Senate Archives? Surgical procedures?” she asked with an alarming tone. “Dom…how did you get this?” “Oh, you know. It’s pretty easy to wander into the Republic archives with all the death and destruction going on around you. Funny story, the archivist was this little astromech droid-” “Stop, Dom. Why did you take this? And what did you mean by larger database?” She answered her own question immediately after looking from the datapad to Dom. While he knew this wasn’t going to be the most pleasant conversation, he also couldn’t forget his purpose for coming here. “You’re still on this optimization thing? After all these years…” she said, disapprovingly. “Yes. But this was just the beginning. Since leaving Coruscant, I have learned so much in all our travels. Take a look,” Domenik said as he picked up the datapad and accessed it, pulling up a number of complex diagrams. “It’s just as I expected. With the device’s proximity to the brain, the power required from the body’s resources are minimalized. Also, it’s not just physical optimization. The device acts as a full-time stimulant, allowing me to work more efficiently!” “Wait, you? More efficiently for you? You can’t seriously be considering this. You said you weren’t going to!” Her voice started to raise. Domenik motioned for her to stay quiet. “Originally, no. I’ve learned so much since then. But, there’s only so much I can do myself.” “You need my help. If you expect me to put this thing inside you, you can forget it. Not only is it medically unsafe, but both of us could find ourselves in serious trouble.” “I’m not asking you to do it, especially under the eyes of our very watchful superiors. I’m just asking you to point me in the direction of someone who can.” Renee opened her mouth to speak, but shut it. Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one with a keen eye to detail. “Who? Who can do this for me? Please, Renee.” --- The barracks exploded in applause as Foccard made his way around the room, accepting congratulations from everyone. He was holding his newly-acquired captain insignia. Domenik was laying on his bunk, away from the group, pondering his situation. Eventually, the room slowly emptied until only his squad remained. “Captain Foccard. I can’t believe it,” said one soldier. “It’s unreal, I know.” Foccard said. “Considering this time of peace we’re living in, it’s a wonder we can find anything to celebrate.” “I’d welcome a celebration right now,” said another soldier. “Think we could get offworld? It’d be good to get away from all this for a while.” Domenik shot up. A celebration. Offworld. Could this work? “What are you thinking?” asked the first soldier. “I’d be up for anything, as long as it’s not raining. We haven’t been home long and I’m already sick of this weather.” Domenik cleared his thought, and spoke. “I have an idea. It’s offworld, definitely not rainy and there’s plenty of potential for celebration…” Domenik shook his head. “And that was it. We made our way to Nar Shaddaa, Marlene operated on me…and three days later we flew back home.” Informer Three stared in silence for a few moments, before finally speaking. “Fascinating. The device..how did it feel?” “It was unbelievable. My mind felt open, my senses felt stronger and my reaction time felt quicker. I spent many sleepless nights in research labs; I didn’t feel the need to sleep as my mind was always racing. I rose through the Imperial ranks and while a large part of it was due to Foccard’s influence on me, I had a hidden advantage on my side. Everything was working out.” “And now?” “Now…I feel weaker. My senses and reaction time have slowed a beat, and my mind is playing tricks on me. I find myself replaying past events in my head, especially when I see something that makes me dwell. They were more of an annoyance than anything, but now I’m getting piercing head pains and nosebleeds.” “It’s possible the device has decayed over all these years and the proximity to your brain is causing damage to it. After this mission, we may have to take a look into it if it means saving your life.” An alert sounded. “Maybe you’re right. But, first things first.” Koloss’ face appeared. “I’m on the ground. The signal is coming from a small village at the bottom of a large ridge. No Imperial presence in the skies or on the ground. Contact me when you get planetside.” Koloss’ face vanished. Domenik sat up and prepped the shuttle for landing. “I’m going to restock while you take us down,” Informer Three said as he made for the cockpit door. He turned as he got there. “One more thing,” he said. “Yeah?” Domenik replied. “About Holcam. I knew how important she was to the mission, but I didn’t know how important she was to you.” Domenik nodded. “I appreciate it. Let’s go get her.” --- The three men stood on the large ridge overlooking the village. Domenik pulled out his scanner and it indicated that Marlene’s droid was just north of it. He took out a pair of electrobinoculars and surveyed the area. “No sign of activity in the main village. The signal is emanating away from it…there. A beaten path away from the north end of the village. It leads away toward the ridge on the other side.” He pocketed the electrobinoculars and turned to the two men. “Plan?” He asked. “We need to approach this carefully,” Informer Three said. “Our intrusion might catch her off guard or force her to react with hostility. As such, I feel Domenik should go in alone.” Koloss eyed Informer Three. “Afraid of getting your hands dirty? You handled yourself well on Nar Shaddaa, not sure what you have to be afraid of.” “If something goes wrong, I’ll need to be in contact with Cipher Seven. I suggest Domenik follow the signal, while you hit the village and see what you can find out. Probably wouldn’t hurt to resupply, either. I’ll head back to the shuttle and stay in contact.” Koloss looked to retort, but Domenik cut him off. “It’s a solid plan. Let’s move.” --- Domenik walked at a brisk pace, holding the sensor up. Every once in a while, he stopped to check with the electrobincoulars. He didn’t like the idea of walking out in the open surrounded by two high ridges, but there was no indication of anything hostile on this planet…or anything in general. “It’s a ghost town,” Koloss said on the communicator. “The houses are empty, the shops are all closed. There’s nothing. “That’s unsettling,” Informer Three said. “Carrow, anything on your end?” “I’m closing in. The sensor is locked on a small dwelling. It hasn’t moved at all from the time I’ve locked on.” Domenik said. “Careful out there. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Koloss said. Domenik arrived at the dwelling. It was a medium-sized hut; not as stable or secure as the medical huts on Dromund Kaas, but flimsy and makeshift as one put together by someone with little expertise. The area around the dwelling was barren, the ridge rose high behind the dwelling making for little sunlight. He approached the front door. The signal was very close. He made to knock on it, but it slowly swung open in front of him. He walked inside as a light automatically flashed on. Domenik looked around, and his jaw dropped in surprise. The inside of the hut was completely ransacked. The furniture lay toppled over, some of the walls were stained with plasma scoring and a HoloNet receiver was crackling with sparks. There was a scent in the air that reminded Domenik of burning metal, but he was momentarily distracted by a beeping sound, which was coming from the scanner. He looked down and noticed the source was coming from a door to his right. He approached the door slowly and found himself right on top of the blinking light. Pocketing the scanner, he took a couple steps back, took out his sidearm and opened the door. A heap of droid parts fell at Domenik’s feet. They radiated with the burning metal scent that Domenik picked up on. He re-arranged the broken droid on the floor to get a good look at it. The droid was a shade of dark gray, reminiscent of durasteel. It had orange markings all over the plating which Domenik saw was very heavy and professionally grafted over the chassis. The droid’s “wrists” seemed to be equipped with small rockets and what looked to him like a flamethrower. A small sack hung off the hip joint and contained a number of small grenades. The head of the droid had a curved front and Domenik saw a gold logo behind it. “Czerka,” Domenik said to himself. “Marlene wasn’t kidding.” Suddenly, Domenik froze in horror. If the droid was in this condition, then Renee… He turned his head to another door. The burning smell started to fade as it wafted through the open front door behind Domenik, but it was quickly replaced by another scent. The smell of burning flesh. “No…” thought Domenik as he raced to the door. He flew through it, and stopped dead in his tracks. He fell to his knees at the sight in front of him. The woman he loved, trusted beyond anyone he had ever known and helped him achieve what he thought was impossible…laid dead at his feet. “No…” said Domenik, out loud. He looked her over and saw three blasters wounds on her chest. She had a look of horror frozen on her face. He closed her eyes and held her close to him, as tears flowed slowly down Domenik’s face. After some time of silent mourning, Domenik heard a sound from the main room. “Carrow, come in!” shouted Koloss' voice. Domenik got to his feet and made for the door, before turning to look at Holcam's body one more time. His communicator was on the ground sitting next to the broken droid. “Carrow here, what’s going on?” he asked. He heard blaster fire and a number of explosions on the other end. “It’s a ambush! I’m under attack…they look Imperial. Get out of there-” The communicator went silent. “Koloss! Informer Three, we have a situation on our hands. Do you copy?” No response. Domenik pocketed the communicator and looked to return to Holcam when he heard a sound coming from outside. Equipping his blaster, he went outside to investigate. A man stood in front of him next to a red landspeeder. He was decked in dark blue armor with a black visor. He was tall and very muscular, and held a large blaster rifle forward. “Carrow. It’s been a while.” The man sounded familiar to Domenik. He tried to place it as the man approached him with his weapon raised. “Drop your weapons, or face the same fate as the doc.” Domenik put his hands up. As he did, he mind raced back to an underground cavern on Bothawui. “Jenkins? Sergeant Jenkins?” “It’s Lieutenant now, actually. The Empire was in need of a loyal Lieutenant, and let’s just say…the position was open.” He fired a series of shots at Domenik. He rolled aside and made for a large crack in the ridge wall, pulling his rifle out as he fled. He heard a jetpack propel Jenkins up in the air over the hut. “I warned you,” he said as a series of rockets fired from his wrists, hitting the ridge wall above the opening. A piece of the ridge cracked as a large chunk fell over it, covering Domenik’s escape. Domenik turned in a flash, firing suppressing blasts. Jenkins easily dodged the shots as he flew toward Domenik, lifted his other wrist and firing a grappling hook at Domenik’s feet. It connected, and Domenik flew backward as he was tripped. “Your investigation ends here,” Jenkins said as he landed softly in front of him. Domenik heard the man smirk as he spoke, even though he could not see his face. “How did you know we were here? Were we followed?” Domenik asked. “Not followed…just led,” he said as he fired at Domenik. The stun blast hit Domenik square in the chest as he flew back. Jenkins approached Domenik as he lay there, frozen. He pulled up a small holocommunictor and spoke. “Mission accomplished,” he said. “Well done. Bring Carrow back to my shuttle. I’ve sent the rest of the squad after the mercenary in the village.” “Copy. Your work here is appreciated, and my boss will make sure you are taken care of.” Jenkins replied. Domenik struggled to lift his head up to see the smirking face of Informer Three on the holocommunicator. He tried to speak, but a heavy boot landed on his face. “Just like old times,” Jenkins said as he brought the boot down again.

Chapter 7: The Unyielding Domenik awoke, and for the second time in his life, found himself inside a cell. This one was more compact than the cell on Dromund Kaas. It was also one of many in a large room. He looked around and saw that none of the other cells were occupied. During his survey of the room, he noticed a guard sitting next to the door. Upon noticing Domenik, he stood up and left. Domenik sat against the wall as he tried to recall the events that led to his latest imprisonment. Talking to Marlene on Nar Shaddaa, going to Nal Yeshu, tracing the signal... Finding Renee. The flood of emotion overcome Domenik again as he remembered seeing her on the ground with that look on her eyes. Her murderer, Lieutenant Jenkins. He had never seen the man’s face as he kept it concealed behind that visor, just as he did on Bothawui. To him, the man wasn’t human…just a lifeless, soulless follower of whoever was trying to prevent Domenik from learning the truth. On the subject of soulless…Informer Three. Domenik had come to trust the man following the events on Nar Shaddaa, and he spilled his darkest secret to him. Was this the plan the whole time? Were Cipher Seven and Informer Three just waiting for Domenik to reveal his long-time secret, then throw him back to the Empire? The door opened, and Domenik turned. Informer Three walked in. Domenik stood up as the man walked up to the cell and stopped. Domenik said nothing as he stared into the man’s eyes. “I suppose you have a lot on your mind, Carrow.” He said. Domenik stayed silent. “Fair enough. You don’t have to say anything, you just have to listen. Because now that everything is out in the open, as it were, I have no need to be dishonest. Everything, from here on out will be the honest truth.” Domenik made a sarcastic laugh. “Heard that before,” he said. “Yes. Only because I was under orders from the man you know as Cipher Seven. Now, you will find that the veil of dishonesty is cast aside. So, where to begin?” He walked over to a nearby table and dragged a chair over in front of the cell, taking a seat. “First, let me absolve my ex-superior of any blame. He had nothing to do with any of this. In fact, he is our next target. The man who called himself Cipher Seven was, at one point, a Cipher Agent employed by Imperial Intelligence. The man recently decided to go rogue and operate against Intelligence’s best interests. I was tasked by Intelligence to befriend the ex-agent, learn his motivations and assist him in whatever he needed, until the time was right to bring him to justice.” Informer Three’s tone turned bitter. “And then, you came along. My mission was interrupted when this investigation began, and I was tasked to put my current mission aside and deal with you. Do you even know what an Informer is, Carrow?” Domenik shook his head. He knew that Informer and Cipher were ranks within Imperial Intelligence, but did not know what they meant. “An Informer is someone who risks their life by working undercover in hostile territory. An Informer is not a front-line soldier. Instead of taking the field himself, he sent me along with you!” Informer Three took a deep breath, and calmed himself. “Moving along. Your mercenary friend has proven himself to be quite a nuisance. He escaped Lieutenant Jenkins’ squad on Nal Yeshu…but I assure you, he will be dealt with. He has now found himself on the blacklist of every Imperial contractor, so I hope he enjoys Hutt Space.” Domenik hid a smirk. “One more thing. I greatly appreciation your confession regarding your little optimizer. Our best scientists have been put to work and I assure you, you will come to regret the day you stepped into Marlene’s shop.” Informer Three smirked that evil smirk that Domenik saw on Nal Yeshu. That’s about does it for confession. Do you have any questions for me? We have some time to kill, after all,” he said. Domenik felt the brig rock slightly and jump forward. They were on a ship. “Where are we?” “On the Unyielding. One of the finest-built Harrower-class dreadnoughts in the galaxy. A true testament to the power of the Sith Empire, which you will come to understand soon enough.” A noise sounded from Informer Three’s communicator. He took it out. “Yes,” he responded. Lieutenant Jenkins’ face appeared, still clad in his veiled battle armor. “It’s time for the presentation,” he said. “I’ve sent some guards to your location to escort the prisoner to the bridge.” “Very well,” Informer Three said. The door opened, and four guard entered. Informer Three stepped back as they opened the cell and pushed Domenik against the wall, shackling his arms and leading him out of the cell. “What is it with you and these situations where you find yourself captured, in need of a savior?” Informer Three asked sarcastically as they left the brig. --- Domenik found himself in an elevator, surrounded by guards and the smug Informer Three. He briefly thought back to Bothawui when he accessed the secret lift. In both instances, he felt a sense of foreboding as he ventured into the unknown. In this situation, though, he knew that whatever he was heading towards, it wasn’t good. The elevator opened and the men stepped out into a massive bridge. A large of number of Imperial officers and guards surrounded the command center, working at consoles and talking amongst themselves. Imperial banners were draped all over the sides of the room. The walkway in the middle of led to a massive glass window in the back, encompassing roughly one quarter of the bridge. The men led Domenik forward as he saw Lieutenant Jenkins at the end of the walkway, facing the window silently as the large ship traveled through hyperspace. When they reached him, he turned to face them. “Carrow. I hope you rested well,” he said. Informer Three stepped forward and saluted. “Lieutenant Jenkins, sir.” “At ease, Informer. You are free to leave, unless you’d like to stay for the show.” “If I may, sir. Will the Major be joining us?” “In time. He is busy debriefing our…contacts, if you get my point.” “Understood.” Informer Three bowed slightly and stepped back. Jenkins nodded. He turned to Domenik. “Welcome to the Unyielding. You are about to witness the power and dominance of the Sith Empire in a live exercise of its weaponry. We are set to arrive any moment now…” “Coming out of lightspeed, sir,” shouted a pilot in the corner. “Perfect. Take a look, Carrow.” The ship slowed as the blue glow from the window faded and the black void of space came into view. A small space station came into view as the dreadnought ventured close to it. As they drew near, Domenik noticed a large plastiglass window along the side. The large window looked into the suite Domenik once stayed in, as he recounted the tale of his arrest and capture. Suddenly, Domenik registered what Jenkins had said. He turned to face him and tried to speak, but was cut off. “Fire at will!” he shouted. Domenik watched as a number of turbolasers along the edge of the ship activated and rotated to face the station. Soon after, they fired a barrage of green energy blasts at the station. The ship’s cannons were relentless and Domenik watched helplessly as it exploded and burned in front of his eyes. Minutes later, the station was utterly demolished. Large chunks of debris were floating around and there was no sign of life as the dreadnought hovered past it. Domenik felt a surge of hatred toward the Lieutenant, who seemed to revel in the death and destruction of the crews on the station. Just then, Domenik’s head began to ache once again. He tried to ignore the pain but fell to the ground under its rising level. Jenkins turned his head from the destruction to watch Domenik, amused. “What, did you have another woman on that station?” he asked, with a laugh. “Not exactly,” Informer Three replied. “Do you remember that issue we discussed before I brought him aboard?” Jenkins laughed. “Ah, the experiment gone wrong. Get up, Carrow!” Domenik denied assistance from the nearby guards and pushed himself up to his hands and knees, before falling back to the ground in pain as Jenkins lined a kick right to his stomach. “Pathetic. You were a sad excuse for a Lieutenant, now you’re just a sad excuse for a human.” Domenik glared at Jenkins with a burning rage as he managed to pull himself back to his feet. He turned away from the group and looked out the window as the Unyielding was putting the finishing touches on the station. With all the commotion, Domenik failed to notice an officer standing right behind the group. Jenkins turned and addressed him. “He is ready for Carrow,” he said. “He has also asked that you and the Informer join him.” --- Being flanked by four armed guards, the three men made their way down a number of winding hallways and elevators until they reached a level hosting a single hallway with a large steel set of doors at the end. As they reached the halfway point, the doors flew open to reveal two men in long black robes and hooded faces. Jenkins stepped ahead of the group as the two men approached, and turned to the guards, nodding. The four guards grabbed Domenik and pushed him to the wall, forcing his head away from the group. Domenik saw nothing, but heard an exchange of pleasantries and the conversation that followed. “Congratulations, Lieutenant,” he heard one of the hooded men say. The man had a voice that sounded smooth, yet devoid of emotion. “I’m pleased to see our wild bantha chase has come to an end. Your boss holds you in the highest regard." “You honor me,” Jenkins replied in a more formal tone, quite unlike the one Domenik was accustomed to. “But the distinction is not solely mine. May I introduce our benefactor, Informer Three. His deception of Carrow’s group allowed us to end this ‘wild bantha chase,’ as you put it.” Domenik heard Informer Three step forward. “Well met,” replied the man. The voice seemed to travel down the hall and it seemed to have no inflection or tone. “We must depart, but I am sure we will meet again. Our…mutual superior sends his regards." The two hooded men walked past Domenik. The guards released their hold and they made for the doors. Domenik turned his head and watched the two reach the elevator. These had to be the men that approached Marlene back on Nar Shaddaa and scared off Renee, he thought. What part did they play in all this? They stopped at the doors. Jenkins slid a nearby wall panel open, and typed in a code. The panel turned green and the door opened. The room they walked into resembled a board room with a color palate unlike anything seen on the ship. Everything leading up to this was mostly dark with shades of dark red, everything here was bright with light shades of multiple bright colors. A red and yellow trimmed rug covered the entire room and a large number of abstract paintings and tall sculptures filled the room. A bright, overhead light fixture painted the room with light and positioned itself over a long, wide brown table. The table stretched across the length of the room and seated twenty. At the opposite end of the table, a chair was facing the back wall which acted as a window out into space. Jenkins stepped forward. “Sir,” he said. “Thank you, Lieutenant,” said the man. It was a voice that Domenik could recall in his sleep, a voice that belonged to a man that he owed everything to and a voice that was the last he expected to hear at this very moment. The chair rotated around and Domenik found himself face-to-face with his ex-commanding officer, Geoff Foccard. It wasn’t quite the Geoff Foccard he remembered, though. The worn-out battle armor he wore as a second skin was traded for a tight, black officer uniform. The gruff, thick black beard that was iconic with his image was replaced with a clean, smooth face. The battle scar across his eye was seemingly invisible under the bright shades of light, and the long black hair hair he often kept tied back was cut incredibly short and combed back. The Major insignia pinned to his chest shone bright. “Carrow. Despite the cirumstances, I am glad to see you.” Even the tone was cleaned up, thought Domenik. He last saw Foccard in the courtroom following his arrest, only a few months ago. A lot had changed during the investigation…almost too much. “Can’t say the same,” Domenik said, purposely omitting the title. Foccard sighed. “That’s fair to say. Let’s try to calm things down a bit. Guards, release him and leave us.” A guard came forward and released the bindings before the rest of them exited. Only Informer Three and Jenkins remained along with him. “Please, take a seat.” Domenik sat himself at the chair at the opposite end of the table. Informer Three and Jenkins sat in the first seats on the sides, next to him. “Before we get to Carrow, I must be updated on current events. I had myself preoccupied on other matters, as you saw. Where is the mercenary?” “Gone,” replied Jenkins. “Following Carrow’s arrest, the squad was sent into the village to bring Koloss in. None of them reported back.” Domenik laughed. “That’s…disappointing,” replied Foccard, ignoring Domenik. “And the doctor?” “I personally took care of that matter. She was easy to track, thanks to our Informer here. There was little to no resistance, save for a security droid left for her protection. I disabled it and took her down with no issue.” Domenik felt the rage fuel him once again. All of a sudden, he was very aware that his hands were no longer shackled. “Well done,” said Foccard. “The mercenary’s escape was unfortunate but there’s nothing to be done for that. Now, on to the next matter.” He turned to Informer Three. “We owe much to you, Informer. Your friendship with the ex-Cipher and your information regarding Carrow’s optimizer and the location of your once-secret space station has been essential to our success.” Foccard rose from his seat and approached Informer Three, who immediately stood up in respect. “Imperial Intelligence should be proud to have an asset such as yourself.” Foccard said, offering a handshake. Informer Three, looking flattered, took the hand and shook. Domenik saw Jenkins stand up and make his way silently behind Informer Three. Foccard’s smile faded. “Unfortunately, I hate Imperial Intelligence.” Jenkins pulled out a blaster pistol and shot Informer Three in the back of the head. The impact made the Informer fall forward as Foccard stepped aside. Domenik stood up and Jenkins turned the pistol toward him. “Sit down, Carrow,” said Foccard, softly. The door opened and the four guards re-entered the room. Domenik took his seat as the guards lined up in front of the door. Jenkins flipped Informer Three over, before taking a couple steps back. “This’ll look familiar to you, I’m sure,” Jenkins said to Carrow before jumping forward and landing his boot on Informer Three’s face. Foccard nodded, amused. “Yes, yes, very good, Lieutenant. Go clean yourself up and await further orders. I have another assignment for you. Guards, please dispose of this. He’s bleeding on my rug.” The guards picked up the body and made their way out. Jenkins walked to the door before turning to Domenik. “See you again, Carrow,” he said, before leaving. Domenik turned to look at Foccard, who was standing a corner of the room in front of a wall panel. The lights in the room dimmed to almost complete darkness, only illuminating the long table in the room. Foccard sat at the table and folded his hands. “We have much to discuss,” said Foccard. --- Meanwhile, in the Outer Rim… Koloss was resting in his bunk when he heard an alert sound from the cockpit of his ship. “S4!” he shouted. The droid responded on the ship’s intercom. “Incoming message from an unknown sender. It’s encrypted, but I am picking up Imperial signatures.” “Block it like the rest,” Koloss said he turned over. The last twenty-four hours had been taxing on him. The small village on Nal Yeshu resembled a ghost town as he went building by building, looking for clues. After coming across what he believed to be a small infirmary, he noticed the area outside was freshly dug. He excavated the area, and was horrified by what he saw. The inhabitants of the village were buried all around him. As he attempted to contact Domenik, he was ambushed by an Imperial squad. He tried to contact Domenik to inform him of the ambush, but his holocommunicator failed on him. He fell back into the village as he took the entire squad on at once. They were clearly Imperial, but Koloss’ knowledge of terrain and “informal” combat played to his advantage. Following the battle, he made for Domenik’s last known location. After what he found at Holcam’s hut, he made the connection. This was a trap. Another alert sounded from the cockpit. The droid responded immediately. “Same signal. Locking it out.” said S4. Koloss stood up and stretched. He looked to the large brown sack sitting next to his bunk. A souvenir from Nal Yeshu. He wondered how much it would help. The alert sounded again. “This was getting annoying,” he thought. He grabbed the sack and ran up to the cockpit. S4 was sitting there, looking as incredulous as a droid could. “I don’t understand. Since leaving the planet, we have received countless messages from Imperial signatures. Many of which have not been friendly…but all have been easily blocked and shut down. But, this one-” S4 was interrupted by the sound of their comm channel opening, followed by the sound of static. Koloss looked disturbed. “Did you open that?” “No, not at all. We’re being overridden by somebody, or something.” Koloss stepped forward. He was getting impatient. “Look, whoever this is, I know you’re Imperial. You can chase me all the way to the Outer Rim, but you’ll never bring me in.” Static continued to sound, but the signal cleaned itself up and they heard a voice. “That’s the last thing I want to do, mercenary. Our mutual friend is in danger, and I require your assistance.” The holoscreen clicked on automatically and showed a man sitting at a table, favoring his side. He looked like he had seen better days; his face was scarred and clothes were ripped. He was breathing heavily. Koloss stared. “We’ve never met, but my name is Silas Barlow. I was once known as Cipher Seven."

Chapter 8: The Boardroom The overhead light shone brightly over the long table and flooded Foccard with an intensity of brightness. The darkness in the room that surrounded him gave Domenik the sense that Foccard was the bright center of the universe. “We have much to discuss. I trust you have a lot of questions for me. I will answer to the best of my ability and you will find nothing but the honest truth. I don’t deal in dishonesty as your…former allies did,” said Foccard as he turned his head slightly at the small blood stain on the rug. “Have you made a habit of betraying the ones working for you?” Domenik asked with an incredulous tone. “Don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for the man that turned you over to me,” Foccard said. “Regardless, this ‘Informer Three’ is a risk to my operation here. I cannot have an Imperial Intelligence lapdog watching over my every move, especially one so excruciatingly loyal to the blasted agency.” Domenik looked over the stain on the rug. He almost felt sorry for Informer Three, had it not been for his betrayal and revelation of their space station. “The man had a job to do, and he failed to do so. So let’s just move on,” said Foccard with a dismissive wave. “Fine,” said Domenik as he looked back to Foccard. “You sent me and the squad to Bothawui and it was Jenkins who brought me in. I distinctly remember him saying ‘By order of the Captain’ before the arrest. It was you, wasn’t it?” “Yes,” replied Foccard. “I sent you over to Bothawui with every intention of placing you in a cell. It was meticulously planned from appointing Dr. Holcam as head of the project to drop your guard, to the fake work order implicating your involvement. Do you remember what I told you before you left for your mission?” Domenik remembered, and the memory flashed through his head: "This peace cannot last. War is coming soon. Can I count on you, Lieutenant?" A look of realization flashed across Domenik’s face. “You used the presence of a superweapon to escalate conflict between the Republic and the Empire. I don’t get it, why not just activate the bomb yourself and push the Republic to retaliate?” Domenik asked. “The thought had occurred to me,” admitted Foccard. “As for your theory, you are partially right. That is the long-term goal. However, it was difficult for me to push it through as a Captain. I needed a higher position in the Empire to attain the influence to steer it in another direction.” “And that’s where I came in,” said Domenik. “Indeed. I toyed with the idea of letting you in on this plan, but it needed to look convincing. Your legitimate reaction only helped my cause, which I counted on to clinch my promotion. However, what I didn’t count on…” “Was my escape,” interrupted Domenik. This conversation was disturbing him. This conniving, secretive Foccard sitting in front of him felt like a stranger. “You were never in any danger. The shuttle in that hangar was going to take you to a remote outpost where I was staying. I had the provisions to keep you off the grid until my plans took full form, then I would of brought you out of hiding and into my personal employ. Most of the Empire was kept out of the loop with the Bothawui Incident and your trial…and those who knew of your trial assumed you were executed. Again, you were never in any danger. That is, until Imperial Intelligence came along. They have a habit of sticking their noses where they don’t belong.” “An Imperial captain secretly developing a superweapon in the hopes of reigniting a war, going against the interests of the Empire? It sounds to me like something worth looking into,” said Domenik was a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, don’t go thinking it was them that saved your hide. I never said that. They did, however, look into your case and started to put the pieces together. Fortunately, they shelved the case after your trial. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop the agent assigned to you. He opted to continue pushing the matter and sent his men to retrieve you from that prison.” Everything started to click into place with Domenik. Cipher Seven really was on his side the whole time. In fact, he was really the only one. “But as you saw, that doesn’t matter anymore. Informer Three led us to the agent’s base and he won’t be a thorn in my side any longer.” Foccard said as he indicated the ruins of the space station, still visible behind him. Domenik’s face twitched. He was tired of it all. The deception, the sneaking around... “I don’t believe it,” said Domenik. “What happened to our fearless leader? When did you trade your assault cannon and never-say-die attitude in for a bunch of sculptures, paintings and a shiny new desk? Why are you hiding behind the scenes and letting monsters like Lieutenant Jenkins do all the dirty work?” Foccard did not respond, but simply smiled a cocky smile. Domenik’s stress level was rising as he pushed down on the table to bring himself up, panting. “And why…why did you feel the need to betray the one man who has had your back since the days of flushing out stragglers on Coruscant? For eight years I have had your back as much as you have had mine, and you throw it all out for a dreadnought and a shiny new medal?!” “Silence!” exclaimed Foccard. He stood up as well, and began to shout. “You want to talk about loyalty? You, of all people? What were you doing in those Republic archives after I specifically told you to stay by my side? On Nar Shaddaa, when we were celebrating my accomplishments, who took it upon himself to take a stroll and undergo some black-market surgery? Who hid that…that thing in their head all this time and put myself and the rest of our squad at risk? You give me grief about looking out for myself and my career progression, but you’re just the same as me, Carrow. Giving yourself an edge for personal glory, don’t deny it!” “I did it to help you! To help our squad!” Domenik cried out. The door opened behind them, and the four guards returned. “Sir, we heard screaming. Is everything all right?” They aimed their weapons at Domenik. Foccard took some time to calm himself and sit back down. Domenik did the same. “No issues here,” said Foccard. “I was just trying to help Carrow understand our situation here. You see, what you witnessed on Bothawui was a test run. The weapon is no longer there. After your arrest, the project was discontinued in the event that word got out. Luckily, the research remained intact and we have begun development on a more powerful weapon.” “Where?” asked Domenik. “You will learn in due time, and will even be brought along to witness the destruction left behind in my path to absolute victory. Until then, you will spend the rest of your time here in your cell until we have need of you again. Guards, please escort Carrow back to his cell and send Doctor Birkett a message. I will stopping by his lab shortly for an update." The guards grabbed Domenik and he shook them off as he stood up and walked toward the door under his own power. Foccard swiveled in his chair to the large window behind him and observed the ruins of the space station, gradually fading from view. The door of the boardroom closed as Domenik was escorted down the hall. --- Koloss reclined his chair and sat back, listening as the man named Silas Barlow told his tale. After he finished, Koloss sat up. “Wow. That’s a hell of a story. Not quite as exciting and wonderful as the tale of how Domenik and I met, but that’s one you’re just not gonna hear.” “Focus. We need to meet and plan our next move,” said Barlow. “I’ve reached out to some of my Imperial contacts and they've agreed to help. Major Foccard is making a power play, but he doesn't have the universal support he thinks he does. Much of the Empire is split on his plans.” “Your Imperials are never on the same page,” laughed Koloss. “Sith politics aren't helping the matter either,” said Barlow. “So, can I count on you for help? “Hold that thought. S4?” he turned to the droid. “Can you confirm everything this man said? It would be unfortunate to spring another Imperial trap.” “Working to confirm,” replied the droid. “You have to understand, Mr. Barlow…my last encounter with Imperial forces on Nal Yeshu did not end well for me,” said Koloss. “Understood, but time is short. I’d like to get things moving sooner rather than–“ “Confirmed,” quipped the droid. “Communications were sent to and from Informer Three’s shuttle to an unknown Sith dreadnought throughout the investigation. The dreadnought’s location is currently unknown. Also, a quick scan of Imperial Intelligence’s database show no current records of a ‘Cipher Seven’ in existence.” “How did you do that?” asked Barlow, who seemed caught off guard. "S4 has his methods," replied Koloss with a smirk. "After all, he excels at...um...what is it again?" "My primary tasks include the assistance in diplomatic relations and gathering of information acquired from both official and non-official channels of communication, as well as the securing, rendering and compensating off all mercenary contracts." “That. Regardless, an earlier scan did show your name,” said Koloss. “Your story checks out.” "How fortunate for me," replied Barlow. "Major Foccard came into possession of a dreadnought upon his promotion to Major, so that makes sense. There are a large number of Imperial dreadnoughts in the galaxy, so we will have to narrow it down. Where should we meet?” “Hold off on that,” said Koloss. “First, get ahold of those Imperial contacts of yours. You need to send men to retrieve Marlene Hicks from Nar Shaddaa. She will be important in what’s to come.” “Hicks? The tech shop girl? She won’t have knowledge of Domenik’s whereabouts.” “Not her specifically, but she can help us with someone who might,” said Koloss, as he pulled out the large brown sack he brought from his bunk. He reached in and took out a severed HK droid head. “This was her creation, and it was on Nal Yeshu when Holcam was killed. With some repairs, it may be able to enlighten us.”

Chapter 9: The Breakout (Part One) Two weeks later… After his conversation with Foccard in the boardroom, Domenik had been mostly ignored by the crew of the Unyielding. He had two regular visits from the ship’s personnel: one from an eccentric doctor named Dr. Birkett who asked him some professional questions about his optimizer, and the other was a random guard to give him food and refreshment during his incarceration. None of the guards seemed too interested in sparking conversation with him, but he could tell that something big was going on. There was increased activity in the hallways outside the brig. During his abbreviated tour of the ship before his conversation with Foccard, he noticed that many of the battle stations on the bridge were undermanned and personnel throughout the rest of the dreadnought were few and far between. It was hard to see from his vantage point, but the voices and footsteps from the hallways grew more constant in days to follow. Domenik spent many days sitting up against a wall, bouncing a rubber ball against the opposite side the cell and catching it. The guard captain was kind enough to give him some amusement, which was way more than the guards on Dromund Kaas provided. Then again, thought Domenik…that was a short-term stay. The door opened again, and Dr. Birkett walked in the room with a look of glee on his face. He was an eccentric, older man with shades of long white hair on the back of an otherwise balding head. He wore a white lab coat and thick, black glasses. The door stayed open as he came in, and Domenik saw he was followed by Foccard. The two pulled up chairs across from Domenik and sat down. “Good morning, Carrow,” said Foccard, with a smile. “I hope you’ve found some form of comfort here.” “Being in a cell is nice, Geoff. You should try it some time,” replied Domenik, not giving him the courtesy to look him in the eye. “You will learn your place, Carrow. Which is why I brought Dr. Birkett here with me. His research team has finished a project I am sure you enjoy immensely. Show him, Doctor.” Doctor Birkett took out a small silver device, resembling a handheld datapad. Foccard continued. “Thanks to the intel that you so graciously told Informer Three and Dr. Birkett, we were able to isolate the signal from your optimizer and link it into this emitter here. Doctor, can you tell him how it works?” “I could, but how about I show him instead...” Dr Birkett said, as he pushed a button. The pain Domenik felt at the push of that button was some of the worst he had endured. He felt thousands of volts of electricity radiating from his head down throughout his body. After flailing around the floor of the cell for a few seconds, his body stopped reacting and he started breathing heavy as he looked up at a laughing Foccard. Dr. Birkett had handed him the device and started taking notes on a datapad. The old man had taken an interest in the optimizer from what he claimed was a professional standpoint, and Domenik was foolish to take his word. A mistake he had made far too many times since he was rescued from that first cell. “Now, do I have your attention?” asked Foccard as Domenik struggled to his feet. “What…what do you want?” said Domenik, panting. Blood was dripping from his nose. “I need you to help me out here, because I’m losing track of the plot. First, your mercenary friend kills one of my squads and vanishes. Next, I send Lieutenant Jenkins to Nar Shaddaa to find that tech woman and she’s not even there. And finally, the clean-up crew sent to the ruins of that station I blew up? Lot of bodies, lot of blood…no Cipher Seven. Where are your friends hiding? Tell me!” Domenik looked up at Foccard. Even if he knew, he had no desire or ability to answer the man. He was starting to slip in and out of consciousness. “Where are they, Carrow?!?” Foccard yelled. Domenik spit up blood as he started to laugh. “Go to hell, Geoff.” He cried out in pain as Foccard activated the device once more. The duration was much longer than Dr. Birkett’s first attempt. When he was finished, Domenik lay on the ground, still. He felt blood flowing out of his ears and nose. “I’ll give you a reprieve only because I need you alive for the moment. Guards, escort Carrow to the med bay. I need him good and healthy for our next round of electroshock.” --- Domenik awoke in the ship’s medical bay with his head heavily bandaged. He sat up and tried to move around, until he noticed he was chained to the hospital bed. He felt lightheaded, but aware enough to know where he was. As he looked around the room, a doctor caught his gaze and immediately left the room. Soon after, two guards entered the room and started to unchain Domenik. Feeling too groggy to resist, he laid his head back down on the pillow and fell unconscious once again. He woke up briefly while he was being assisted by the two guards in the hallways of the Unyielding. Sure enough, the hallways were more crowded now than they were on his first visit. The other soldiers paid Domenik no attention as they moved around him in a quick manner. Next thing Domenik knew, he saw a cell door open and his face hit his bunk, as he passed out once again. --- When Domenik awoke again, he noticed his cell was occupied by another. Sitting up quickly to expect a bunkmate, he found Foccard sitting his cell, tossing his ball up in the air. Domenik noticed the emitter sitting next to him. “Glad to see you survived the first round. The staff on our ship is truly incredible, aren’t they?” asked Foccard. Domenik ignored him as the sound of footsteps grew louder once again. He looked in the direction of the door. “Ah, I see you have noticed our new guests. The Unyielding is on a very important mission and the Empire has granted us additional crew for what’s to come. I hope the severe head trauma you experienced in the last 48 hours won’t stop you from putting two and two together. Come on Carrow, we know how much you like investigations…” Domenik looked at him. His eyes were still glossy from his ordeal. “The superweapon…where is it?” “Oh, good. Your brain still works. We’ll be taking the superweapon very close to home to finish development, and for good measure…we’ll fire it off right then and there.” Domenik’s eyes widened. “Close to home? In Imperial space?” “Indeed. Wait unti