Ask A New Chapter

[Altair Din]

Word was getting out that Asminys was dead. At first the public was afraid to react. However, bit by bit, the locals began to come out. Slowly but surely, whispers began. Whispers turned to talk. Talk turned to cheer. Cheers turned to celebration. There were collective dances or parades thrown out on the streets at the news of the death of the tyrant king. While there was trepidation around his successor, the appearance of ISCRA and immediate aid suggested a turn for the better.

While a coronation of the new King was expected, Altair had been far too injured for any ceremony. He had Imperials guarding him on all sides as he was submerged in bacta, beginning the slow and painful journey to getting the use of his arm back. In the meantime, he had summoned the woman from the throne room that had the ISB insignia on her. His soldiers had their weapons trained on her at all times and she would be treated with suspicion until proven otherwise.

The bacta tank emptied for today’s dip as she was brought in. Altair didn’t care if she saw him like this - she was no one to him in the grand scheme of things. The tiefling stepped out and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist with the help of one of his soldiers.

His injuries were obvious with the bruises on his chest and the extensive damage to his arm that quickly had bacta patches and bandaging applied to it. The tiefling’s muscled torso was bare, bearing the marks of years of combat and missions. Altair dried off his hair before glancing at her.

“Were you here from the beginning?” He asked curtly, his amethyst eyes missing the gold tint for now, “To see him take the throne?”

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Joanna's boot-heels clicked as she strode through the hallways of the Spire. She wore a sharp and well tailored ISB uniform and her presence within the force was curled down to the tiniest kernal of power, no more than what the soldiers who escorted her might posses. She had been unarmed since the moment Altair had sat the throne, and was to be escorted by a quartet of Imperial Soldiers at all times. It was beginning to get a bit annoying, and she was growing tired of this farce. She had work to do and the constant supervision was getting old.

Her options had become limited from the moment she revealed herself, but she had known that going in. She needed access, and most importantly, trust. The thought of trust almost brought a smirk to her lips but her expression remained blank. Disarmed and given a group of babysitters, Joanna could only bide her time until Commander Din had healed enough to debrief her, or interrogate her. Or torture her. Perhaps kill her.

He was a Sith after all.

Joanna had read his file, so she thought those outcomes unlikely. Further, she had gently probed the minds of her caretakers. Soft, subtle touches that would leave all but the most attuned non force sensitive being aware that they had been touched by her mind. They were loyal to the Sith turned Imperial Commander... almost fanatically so. Such loyalty would never be earned through fear alone. These men respected the Tiefling Commander, perhaps even admired him. There was of course a hefty dose of fear involved in there as well.

He was a Sith after all.

The soldier's led Joanna to the medical bay of the Spire where Altair was waiting for her, still dripping as he got out of the bacta tank. Joanna stood at ease as she waited for him to towel off, her crimson eyes watching him carefully, gauging his current condition and the history his body showed. Extensive scarring that told a story of a conflict filled life. Steel musculature that spoke of extreme discipline.

Joanna met his eyes as he asked his question, noting the lack of evident dark side corruption.

"No Commander Din." She responded sharply, keeping her tone neutral. "I did not witness the invasion. I was briefed on the situation here after Eiattu went dark, shortly after Master Asminys returned from captivity after the failed invasion of Byblos." A true statement. She had been aware of what was going on on the ground before that, but it was only after Asminys isolated the planet that her superiors had begun to take an interest in him, and more importantly, the Cadre. "I arrived on planet about a year ago, under deep cover." She finished, divulging what limited information she felt appropriately answered the Commander's question. Technically, he might not have the security clearance to know everything. Until she could vet that there was only so much she would willingly tell him without gaining some sort of advantage out of it.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

This was curious information. Asminys had no real idea about her existence? It was both comforting and unsettling at the same time.

“Why were you sent here?” Altair asked bluntly, “And, more importantly, what do you wanna keep doing here?” He had half a mind to have her sent back to HQ. He didn’t need any spies sniffing around or keeping tabs on him. With someone as insane as Asminys managing a kingdom, he wasn’t surprised if the ISB needed to send someone to babysit indirectly. Or he guessed that was the reason anyway.

“Why haven’t you reported back on the state of affairs here?” Altair asked curiously. If she had done her job, perhaps the planet would have been spared years of economic collapse and losses.

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

The tiefling commander was blunt and to the point, asking the obvious questions. Which didn't make them less difficult to answer. That information was classified, and there was no two ways to go about explaining it that made her, or the ISB, look good.

Joanna held her silence for a moment as she thought, fully aware of the four soldiers who had their weapons trained on her back.

"Containment of the subject." She answered after a few beats. For a different Sith, perhaps a team of agents could babysit, infiltrate the command staff and steer the direction of the kingdom in the favor of the Empire. With Asminys it had been all about keeping him distracted, keeping him occupied. Orchestrating obstacles to his rule behind the scenes. "And... Investigation." She added after a few more moments.

"I would like to continue my Investigation here by your leave. Of course, if you send me away I'll probably be back within the week with fresh orders countermanding your's from HQ." A slight glimmer of amusement catching her eye as she spoke, fairly certain of the outcome. "That's all I can tell you, until i verify your clearances."

Joanna glanced down for a moment, letting a look of shame flash across her face for a moment before meeting Altair's eyes again at his last question. She should feel guilty for her actions here, letting the populace of the planet suffer under Asminys rule. She didn't, but she should. "I have made reports detailing the conditions here. As communication windows allowed. Orders remained the same." She finished with a steely tone that covered a quaver in her voice, presented to make it appear that she had held some discomfort by those orders, to let the suffering continue.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair stared at her as she threw her rank around. This was met with a blank look from him, “Or I could smear you all over the throne like the last king and explain it away,” He stated curtly as he walked over to start putting on a shirt, struggling with just one arm, “If you were able to coexist with that piece of shit, I can’t imagine you’re any better.”

He had his shirt only half on, pausing to stare at her, “So how about you answer where you stand on all this? Not your job title, but you, Joanna,” The name drop suggested that he already contacted ISB about her and had at least derived that. Ultimately, Altair wasn’t interested in her assignment as much as her personal goals. Everyone had one. The way she regarded Asminys and the fact that she shot down the Sith that tried to meddle piqued his curiosity.

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Joanna met his blank look with one of her own as he casually threatened her death. There was a hint of fear that tried to touch her mind before being shooed away. In his current condition she could probably take him, the only sticky part of the situation being the guards.

She smirked slightly as he slung accusations against her moral character. If only he knew. He'd probably be halfway through trying to smear her all over the throne like Asminys. "Marginally better. Rank doesn't come to good people in the Sith Empire." She said with an eyebrow cocked at the Commander, as if her being a bad person was anything but the either of their job descriptions. If he hadn't done awful things yet, he would.

The namedrop got the barest flicker of annoyance out of her eyes, though her expression remained neutral. It wasn't much of an obstacle except for two things. She liked holding all the cards, and she liked to know her opponents hand too. If he knew her name, what else did he know? She didn't like guessing at these things.

"Mission aside?" Joanna said, pausing for a bit of dramatic thought. "The people that created Asminys and his ilk were monsters." True. She didn't like to lump herself in with that label, but the teams in charge of the project had been monsters to make monsters. "I'm no saint, but I would like to see those monsters pay for what they did." She would, truly. That was only a bonus though in her mind. "I recall that you have some experience in that matter." Joanna tilted her head forwards slightly as she regarded Altair, passing the play of the game back to him.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair gave up on attempting to put the shirt on and simply left it halfway on. He stared at her as she quipped that good guys didn’t get high ranks, “No it doesn’t,” He stated flatly. He would never pretend to be a good guy in any sense of the word. He wouldn’t stop the wars and he would savagely kill anyone in the way of his principles.

“Created,” He repeated. He only heard of the fact that Asminys used to run in the same circles as Raze and Malicia, “What do you know about the people that created him? I understood that entire concept was shut down,” Altair only had guesses. He knew what he knew from Ashla, but it was otherwise very secretive. He worked with ISB, but he definitely didn’t have the clearance to find out more. He certainly didn’t have enough information to thread it altogether and he didn’t want to play his hand just yet in case they weren’t talking about the same thing.

Suddenly, Altair was a lot more curious about the woman standing in front of him. She didn’t come across as the typical agent. She clearly came here for work but ultimately operated on her own agenda.

“What do you want from me?” He finally asked, probably the real topic that needed discussing. Ultimately, he was the authority here now. If she wanted to return, there was unfinished work here.

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Joanna watched with mild amusement as Commander Din completely gave up on the shirt, letting the arm dangle uselessly over his shoulder, above his own currently useless arm. He didn't deny her statement, which was good. She needed to know that he had what it took.

She shook her head as he finished with his barest understanding of what might be going on with the Cadre. Of course the Sith Empire wanted people to think that the Cadre program had been shut down, most of SIN had even believed it until they started trying to dig. Wishful thinking.

"Too much for comfort, and not nearly enough." Joanna shrugged as she gave a vague answer. Even if she was gonna show some of her cards... She glanced sideways at one of the men who had a rifle aimed squarely at her. "Can't say more in front of these ones. What they shouldn't know... could come back to hurt them." She met Altair's eyes again, just a hint of expectation in her own as the men shifted uncomfortably, probably realizing this was far above their pay grade. Her words weren't a threat, just the truth. If he cared about his men at all he would want them as far away from any information she might divulge as possible. The ISB didn't exactly like keeping tabs on grunts that knew too much. They would just become liabilities.

"At a minimum? Freedom to carry out my mission." She started to answer, appraising him again. He seemed interested in the topic, and she certainly had him pegged as a useful asset. "More than that. I can't show you my cards unless you got some skin in the game." She finished with a sly grin.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair bristled a bit at the subtle threat in Joanna’s words. However, he was accustomed to this when dealing with the ISB. There were a lot of nuances he was beginning to learn and how different information could ultimately put people at risk just for knowing it. It was new territory for him and it was obvious Joanna had been playing that game for a long time. He could sense his men tense up, not at all liking the idea of leaving Altair alone in his injured state.

The tiefling nodded to them regardless. The men hesitated for a moment before finally walking out. Altair knew that even if she attacked him, he could hold his own at least long enough for his men to burst in and finish her off.

“I have skin enough in it to want to see it destroyed,” Altair said curtly as he met her gaze. There was no grin or smile from him, just the rigid look of icy determination, “The galaxy does not need more monsters like Asminys.”

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Joanna could tell that Altair didn't like her warning about his men one bit. She hadn't really intended it as a threat, but it certainly was taken as one. Oh well. Results were all that mattered and Joanna relaxed slightly as the men left the room, enjoying the feeling of finally not having a gun trained on her back.

"No, it doesn't." Joanna agreed, though she wondered in her mind how long it was until the commander resembled that what he hated more than not. These Sith were all the same in the end. The longer they lived, the more monstrous they became. "I'm glad we have found some common ground." She said as she met his icy gaze with one of her own

"I wish you were correct, that the project that created these monsters had been shut down..." She said, trailing off as she eased her stance, standing at ease as she sweetened the pot with a hint of information before prodding him to show his hand. "The Cadre, it seems you've at least heard of it. What do you know?" She asked suddenly. She needed to know what knowledge she was working with before filling in the gaps.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Cadre. So his hunch had been correct. An immediate look of distaste appeared on his face and she would know he knew about the program.

“One of my closest friends was put through it,” He explained, “She escaped before her…conditioning completed,” Altair wouldn’t divulge who it was, but it was enough to let Joanna know he was familiar, “I understood that the program died with the last Eternal. Empress Andruil didn’t seem the type to continue it…or I’d be shocked if she would,” Now he wasn’t sure anymore. Andruil had gone out of her way to end slavery and always stepped back from full on glassing. Then again, she did lead that attack on Kashyyyk. What else was she capable of?

“If we both aren’t thrilled about this program, our goals may yet be aligned,” Altair said with curiosity in his eyes, “Is it true that Raze was also from the program?” He asked after a long moment, “If he protects it, then I can see why it has existed so long…” The more time he spent as a Sith, the more wary he grew of Raze. He knew his vision would clash with the Dark Lord.

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Altair's look said it all. He knew about the Cadre. Joanna didn't react to his words but she knew she was going to have to play this... very carefully.

"An escapee?" She pursed her lips for a moment, adding the information to what she knew in her head. Definitely not from the program that she had supervised. Whoever had overseen that compartment of the project must have been careless. Most likely very dead as well. "I wasn't aware that there were any escapees, granted there is more unknowns than knowns in this investigation. Your friend was very lucky, from what I've learned of the program." Not to mention her first hand knowledge. She let her expression soften at the mention of his friends luck. Let him believe she was sympathetic

"There is a lot we don't know about the Cadre program. The Eternal didn't exactly keep a database on the program that was passed on to their successor." Luckily. If they had, Joanna was a dead woman. Either that or a woman who would have been forced into involvement with the next phase of the program. "It was believed that it ended with the Eternal, however evidence has begun to suggest that might not be true, and we can't be sure until we chase down every last thread." Chase it down and burn it all, if she had her way.

"I believe they might," Joanna nodded in reference to their goals, "The program should never have existed in my opinion." That was true. Joanna could tell that Altair had a greater interest in this than he tried to let on as he brought up the Dark Lord. Even the mention of the man, or monster, sent a shiver of fear down her spine. "Its never been confirmed, but its heavily rumored that Lord Raze was a creation of the Cadre... Its masterpiece." She let the fear she felt reflect visibly in her eyes and leak into her aura. Not a hard thing to do as it was very, very real.

"I sincerely hope that Raze isn't behind the continuation of the program." She commented, as that would put them in a very dangerous position if they were to proceed, which Joanna had every intention of doing. Had to, if she were going to live the rest of her days with a hint of safety or peace of mind. Both of which were very unlikely. "And what if he is? What does that mean to you?" She asked, trying to shake the cold that had seeped into her bones at the mention of the Dark Lord.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Masterpiece..” Altair repeated. He began to slowly understand the pattern. Malicia was rumored to be from the program. She was considered slightly insane and so was Asminys. Raze showed some of those tendencies but he was still composed to a chilling degree. He was methodical and dangerous without getting too lost. It was a terrifying combination and the thought that a program actively worked to create more like him was unsettling.

“It means almost certain death,” Altair stated flatly as he met her gaze, “I’m not stupid enough to pretend I don’t fear Raze. But I’m also not going to stand by and allow more of him to be created,” He considered his options. Unfortunately there was no way to verify anything without investigating further. Altair wasn’t even sure how much he could trust her - for all he knew if he went about this she could betray him to Raze.

“The mind is the last sanctuary we have,” Altair said to her, “And Raze is the master of violating that very last safe space. If he backs the program and there’s even a hint of anyone attempting to destroy it, our minds won’t remain our own,” He stated curtly.

“Destroying the Cadre program is something I intend to do with or without help,” Altair said as he looked at her, “But if there are mutual goals, it’s probably smarter for us to work together. I just need some kinda assurance that you won’t kill this plan in the cradle,” Altair said. He glanced down at his own arm, an outcome of his fight against Asminys, “I showed you mine,” He looked back at her, “Now show me yours.”

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Joanna nodded as Altair made his statement about the danger Raze posed to them. He truly was a masterpiece of the Cadre program, though she suspected that he had grown far beyond his function. The Cadre was supposed to create powerful, but more importantly, loyal Sith. The Dark Lord of the Sith was certainly powerful, perhaps one of the most powerful Sith to walk the galaxy in decades, perhaps centuries. The fact that he had risen to such a high position however cast doubts on whatever loyalties he may have owed to the Eternal, with no way of knowing now that the program's creator was dead.

"I think we're both aware of the dangers that Raze poses to any investigation if he is involved." Joanna stated simply as Altair elaborated. It was good that Altair was determined, Raze or no, alliance or no. It meant he was committed. It also meant he was a potential threat to her, if he were to discover the full truth.

I believe our goals are mutual." Joanna started, annoyed that he needed assurances in order to trust her. Of course, it made sense. She was a snake from the ISB after all. She wouldn't trust her either. "I have no interest in derailing my investigation, and I won't downplay my need for a powerful ally in this." She began to lay out her hand.

"I have been here on Eiattu for almost a year. My primary mission was containment of Asminys. The investigation was officially secondary." Her tone indicating that it had been anything but to her. "I've begun to suspect that the Cadre program, if that is even it's name, is a lot bigger than anyone in the ISB ever imagined." She shook her head for a moment as if to clear her own disbelief. Of course, she knew it spanned greater than that, even with her limited knowledge. "It is known that Asminys and Malicia were from the same Cadre, as well as a handful of other Sith that have been confirmed KIA or MIA. If Raze is Cadre, then it is almost certainly a different cell of the project, the same goes for your friend..."

Her words trailed off as one of her ears twitched towards the door, sensing a commotion. "I believe that agents of the Cadre have also infiltrated the planet, I've been in a match of cat and mouse with unknown assailants almost since i got here. I believe they operate independently from the Sith Empire or the ISB. Whatever the project was, its taken on a life of its own and is completely off the rails." Joanna spat out quickly as she turned away from the Commander, her attention more outside the room than in as she cursed her lack of armament, glancing around the room quickly for anything she could use as a weapon. Several soft thuds sounded outside the room, like those of bodies dropping to the floor.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

The more he heard, the deeper the grimace on his face turned. Not only was it bad that this program existed to begin with, but it appeared to have scattered cells. That meant it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to stamp it out entirely. And if Raze was indeed supporting it, he would catch wind of this at some point.

“Infiltrated this planet?” Altair’s gaze flicked to hers, eying her suspiciously again, “What do you mean assailants? Why would they have any issues with you?” He slowly turned to face her fully, wondering what she was implying. However, before he could question her further, he heard the thuds outside the door and he cursed to himself. He was badly injured, had half a shirt on and some sweatpants. He was absolutely in no condition to fight. A sense of dread pulsed through him as he realized they were likely his men that were killed.

The tiefling stepped back as the doors flew open. Altair barely ducked to the side as blaster bolts began to fire into the room, “Are you fucking kidding me!?” He growled as two figures in all black wearing masks charged into the room. It was clear that they were aiming solely for Altair, "You set me up!" Altair charged the Force to his hand to blast her. However, upon spotting Joanna, the attackers abruptly shifted gear to focus on her. This alone stayed the tiefling's hand briefly.

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Joanna didn't get a chance to answer Altair's questions as the door to the medbay flew open, blaster bolts plinking through the space that Altair had been standing a moment before. Joanna whirled to get eyes on the assailants, her eyes widening as she spotted the pair of black garbed black masked assassins.

"Fuck!" She spat as she dove for cover, the assassins switching targets the moment they saw her. Blaster bolts peppered the bed she fell behind. Glancing at Altair as she scrambled for a drawer of medical supplies next to the bed, her eyes widened as almost unleashed a blast of the force at her.

"Them! Not me!" She shouted, enraged as she swiped open the drawer open roughly from her crouched position, medical instruments rattling around inside. Reaching into the drawer as blaster bolts pinged off the wall above it, she cursed as she found what she was looking for rather painfully. Blood dripping from her thumb as she swiped a scalpel out of the drawer, she turned just as one of the assassins cleared the bed.

The scalpel flew from her hand with a flick, embedding itself in the assassin's forearm as he leveled his blaster at her. The man barely flinched, but it threw off his aim just enough that the bolt whizzed over her head as she launched herself at him diving for his legs from her low position. Her efforts were rewarded with a swift kick to the shoulder, but she was close enough now and grunting through the pain, she swung a high kick from the floor to knock the blaster pistol up and away out of the assassins hand.

The other assassin turned his attention on Altair, firing a few blasts to keep the Commander behind cover as his teammate took out the primary target. They would get the Sith Commander in due time, but the presence of a higher priority target had shifted what was supposed to be an easy operation.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was shocked at the sudden shift in targets, but it allowed him a brief window to quickly assess the situation. His arm was still useless, but he still had other limbs to work with. The second assassin kept suppressive fire on him to keep him from popping up. The tiefling peeked over the edge and coiled the Force around the second assassin, yanking the figure towards himself. This was likely entirely unexpected as the person began to flail and attempt to get away.

As soon as the distance was closed, Altair sprang up from where he was. From the corner of her eye, Joanna would see Altair whirl in with a roundhouse kick that landed heavily against the assassin’s head. There was a gruesome, audible crack as multiple bones shattered in the man’s face. The assassin landed with a thud on the ground, gurgling sounds erupting. The second man paused and stared at his comrade's sudden drop. This shock would give Joanna a chance to neutralize the second fighter.

Altair glanced down at the still twitching man on the ground, his own arm still hanging limply. He calmly walked over and kicked the blaster away from the fallen assassin’s hand.

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Joanna was successful in disarming the assassin in a temporary manner. The man was reaching for his knife as a sudden crack resounded through the medbay, distracting him for the split second Joanna needed to sweep his feet out from under him. Forcing him to the ground with her.

The assassin landed with a thud, clawing his knife free of its scabbard as Joanna ripped the scalpel from his arm. She blocked a swipe of his knife blade at her face with her forearm as she planted the scalpel in his jugular. She couldn't see his eyes past the dark goggles he wore, but she felt him stiffen suddenly as she pinned his knife arm and he tried reaching for her with his free arm.

Their blood mingled on the floor of the med bay, her arm bleeding heavily into the pool that rapidly grew from the man's leaking neck. She kept his blade pinned until she felt the life leave him, his body relaxing beneath her. A grunt of pain escaped Joanna's lips as she pushed herself to her feet, the tunic of her uniform a mess of red dying the dark fabric.

She stood there, looking at Altair for a moment as she willed her racing heart to calm. Blood trickled down her hand from her wound, a drop falling from her fingertip as she watched him warily. If he was gonna make a move it would be now. She glanced at the door. It seemed like they were alone for now.

"I just got this uniform cleaned." She said with a little disgust in her voice as she tore her eyes from Altair, once she was sure he wasn't about to smear her across the wall. She glanced down at the man she had just killed as the pain in her arm started to bloom in her consciousness, the cold numbness of adrenaline fading.

"What a mess." She said quietly as she knelt down and pulled the mask from the assassins face. The man looked unremarkable. A plain, scarred face. Tight cut hair that was nearly a buzz cut. His grey eyes were cold and dead and a little blood leaked from the corner of his lip. She glanced at Altair. "Let me see yours." She gestured gently with her head at the assassin corpse at his feet.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair’s would-be assailant was still twitching a bit by the time Joanna walked over to inspect. When she removed the mask, the man’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. His face was grotesque, caved in and smashed. The tiefling looked at it, flexing the fingers on his uninjured hand, “Not bad,” He mused, “Prolly shoulda left him alive though,” Altair shrugged vaguely.

He appeared entirely uninterested in inspecting the bodies. The tiefling walked right past the mess and outside of the room, growling in frustration at the sight of two dead Imperials outside his door. He had known them well and to have them die so senselessly bothered him. Altair took the time to collect their dogtags before he returned to the room, rage simmering just beneath the surface.

“Who were they?” Altair asked, this time his voice lacked that accusatory tone towards Joanna. If they were firing at her as well, she wasn’t the enemy, at least for now, "They seemed hellbent on having you killed the moment they saw you. You think Cadre related?"

@Arcangel

 

[Joanna]

Joanna felt a flicker of annoyance at Altair and his apparent disinterest in unmasking his assailant. She let the emotion wash over and off her, to disperse as useless to her purpose here. She crossed over to the other corpse and knelt before it, gingerly removing the covering from the man's crushed face to reveal a grotesque image. She rolled his head over to take a look at the back of his neck before examining the features his face still held.

Her inspection was over as soon as she saw the color of one of the man's eyes, lolling out of its socket, iris a dull and dead green.

"Not Cadre." She said with a shake of her head, glancing at the dead soldiers through the door for a moment. Shame. She reached a medical cabinet, popping it open to find what she needed. Blood dripped from her arm until she ran an electro-cauterizer over the wound, sparks zapping between the tool and her wound painfully.

"If they were Cadre, that fight would have been a whole lot tougher." Her face impassive to the pain as she spoke. The fact that they dispatched the assassins so easily had been the first giveaway that these were outside actors. She gestured to the bodies before slapping a bacta patch on her wound. "Judging by their gear and armament, I'd wager they're Cursed Hand, or perhaps members of the remnant defense force that had been actively resisting Asminys' rule. Seem's they don't like you much either."

Her expression turned thoughtful for a moment. The Cadre striking at the new Imperial ruler of the planet wouldn't make sense anyways, but she knew enough to assume they were presently in play. Which meant.

"Have you disposed of Asminys body, or is it stored somewhere? It's a likely target for them." She asked with a hint of concern in her voice as she took moment to arm herself with a blaster pistol and a combat knife. She had been unarmed since Altair's takeover, and it felt good to have a blaster at her hip once more.

@Sreeya