LOG 1: Interrogation

[Aldo Raine]

LOG 1: Interrogation​

THEME​

Encapselated by a domed city, a man awaits his trial.

Aldo Raine arrived on Rodia a few hours prior to the start of his mission. He was nursing a hangover and in a foul mood. His assignment wasn't something he looked forward to. He'd been tasked with determining the loyalty of a deserter. A task that required tact, attention to detail and patience, Aldo wasn't thrilled. He preferred hands-on missions, ones that had him face to face with the enemy, but... orders were received.

He'd been granted funds to secure a safe location for the meeting. He chose a house in a run-down area, acquiring the space had been simple enough, he told the owners how long he wanted it and they obliged. Well, after the appropriate bribe was passed along of course. Aldo took a few hours to check the house for any surveillance. He wasn't expecting spies to have tracked him to this very location, but he didn't want the homeowners to have any evidence of what was to follow.

The interior of the room was relatively bare. It was clear that they were a poorer family, they had the basics and not much more than that. He arranged the kitchen into a mock meeting space. He removed all but two chairs from the table and placed it in the center of the kitchen/dining room.

The scene was set, now all there was to do was wait.

@Shalken @Vosrik

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

After having picked up an Imperial defector from the streets of Onderon by the name of "Toland Vult", Devrim knew the man had to go through the proper screening before being allowed anywhere near a Rebel base or cell. If there was one thing the Galactic Alliance was good at, it was internally monitoring its members and potential recruits. It wasn't necessarily that defectors weren't welcomed along with the criminals and smugglers that made up a great deal of the Alliance's members — they just needed to be extremely careful. If even a single spy made its way into the rebels, then they faced having another incident like the bombardment that utterly destroyed the base on Dantooine. If the Alliance was hit like that again, there might not even be an Alliance to return from the ashes.

Devrim had arrived at the location with Toland cuffed and blindfolded. Though they weren't anywhere near a legitimate rebel base, this was just standard procedure. "It's nothing personal," Devrim had told the former Imperial agent as he clipped on the restraints earlier. The higher channels had contacted the Dxun marksman and given him the secure location where the interrogation would proceed. Devrim made his way there immediately following the events of his last supply hit on Onderon. Entering the domed city, he double-checked the location on a datapad with Toland in tow, raising an eyebrow as it appeared their high-tech interrogation cell was in fact going to be an...empty house. He mentally brushed it aside. The rebellion made use of what they could in these trying times.

Entering the room, Devrim nodded to the man already seated at the table. Though they'd never actually met previously, the Alliance certainly trusted him enough to thoroughly question Toland today — and that was enough for the rebel. Leading the former Imperial to the empty chair, Devrim sat him down firmly and unraveled the blindfold. Following this, he walked to the corner of the room and stood, arms folded, to observe the proceedings. From what he'd heard of Toland's testimony in the streets of Onderon, he seemed sincere enough. But that would be proven here and now, or else Toland would have no place within the Galactic Alliance.

@Shalken @Zay​

 

[Toland Vult]

Toland knew that his transition to the Alliance would not be an easy process. The simple fact that he was defecting, no matter from whom, called into question his trustworthiness and loyalty. Even though he had left the Empire, Toland was still a traitor. If the Rebels were to start trusting him, they needed to be absolutely certain that his intentions were honourable and truthful, and that he was not merely a spy attempting to integrate into their ranks only to sabotage them later.

Sure enough, after he'd been extracted from Onderon, they headed straight into hyperspace for a remote location to have him interrogated before even letting him set foot on Alliance territory. They would not dare let him know even the slightest hint at the location of their base, let alone see the state of their military forces or supplies. However, though he understood the necessity of such a procedure, Devrim had been quite rough with Toland in the process of securing and blindfolding him. "Really?" he had remarked, "Because it kind of feels personal." He didn't really have much of a choice, though. Beggars can't be choosers.

The ride was fairly long, as the dark ride made it impossible to tell his location or the time. After being brought into some kind of Rebel facility and forced to sit down, the blindfold was finally removed, making Toland blink and squint as his eyes tried to adjust to the rapid change in brightness. As his vision was slowly restored, Vult eventually realized he was sitting across from a man he did not recognize, with Devrim leaning against a wall in the corner of the room. That was when Toland realized that they were in what seemed to be a rather normal-looking house. Was it a ruse, or something to lower his guard? Perhaps he would never know. For now, he focused on the bearded man sitting across from him. So far, the room was silent, so he figured there was no harm in speaking first. "I wish to join the rebels against the Empire." It wasn't much, but it was a start.

@Zay @Vosrik​

 

[Aldo Raine]

While he waited, Aldo, made himself a pot of caff. He paced the kitchen deliberating with his turmoil while drinking the bitter black caff. Finally, in an effort to stifle his anxiety, he took a seat at the table. He pulled out a holo-recorder and placed it in the center of the table. From that location, it would be able to record both the questions asked by Aldo and the responses and given by the man in question. He leaned back in his chair and took another sip of the caff.

A moment later the door to the house slid open and two men entered. Once the door was closed behind them, they moved into the kitchen. The man in question, Toland Vult was restrained and blindfolded. Aldo didn't like seeing a potential ally chained and gagged, but regulations had been put in place by higher command and based on the recent tragedy it was a small price to pay for the opportunity to join.

Aldo returned Davrim's nod and appreciated the rebel stepping to the side. He'd need to question him as well of course and he was sure that would cause some tension. Of course, it was a debriefing for Davrim not a trial of trust. Aldo decided to worry about that when the time came. He returned his gaze to Vult as he settled in to his role. He pulled out his datapad and a noted Toland's eagerness to answer questions not asked.

"That's a good start, but it's not that easy." His tone was flat and without emotion. His southern Corellian draw was clipped and pointed.

"Let me be clear, son. What you say from this point on will be recorded and reviewed. It will be scrutinized and if it is determined that you are anything other than what you say you are, or what you want to be, I will personally deal out the punishment." Aldo slightly turned his head to the side and addressed Davrim, "Do you have any objection to that?"

Aldo was paying Davrim a kindness, according to the most recent protocols, in this position Aldo was the authority and all involved were expected to cooperate fully, but if his fellow rebel had anything to add he'd be a fool to ignore it.

@Shalken @Vosrik

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

Having already seen the holo-recorder in the center of the table upon first entering, Devrim expected no less for a thorough screening. Everything that Toland, Devrim, and Aldo said would be reviewed and kept for documentation. The former Imperial started off the conversation, keeping it simple. Devrim liked that about Toland — straight to the point with a willingness to get things done. Aldo replied, giving both Devrim and Toland the run-down on exactly what to expect from this interrogation and what would happen should the former trooper fail to prove his allegiance to the rebellion. Upon being addressed by Aldo, Devrim's reply was similarly firm and devoid of emotion. "I have none."

He was well aware that he would likely be questioned later on the details of the events that lead to Toland being picked up. Interestingly enough, it was the last time that Devrim had ventured to the Onderonian city of Iziz to pick up supplies for the Dxun rebel cell. Before Aldo Raine continued the proceedings of the screening process, Devrim spoke up once more. "I'd like to state for the record that Toland watched and allowed an Imperial trooper be taken out as well as assisted myself and others avoid further patrols en route to extraction." He turned his gaze from Aldo to Toland. "So far, he has given me no reason to distrust him. I understand this will have no impact on your interrogation — they are simply my observations of his conduct." Falling silent, Devrim remained unmoved in the corner of the room. He remained prepared to answer anything else that Aldo had for the broad-shouldered rebel.

@Shalken @Zay​

 

[Toland Vult]

Toland would have been a fool if he thought this process would be easy. Ultimately, there was no avoiding or escaping it — the Galactic Alliance had to determine his loyalty for both his and their own safety. The man under scrutiny nodded in response. "Understood, sir." There was no waver or guile in his voice. Toland was prepared to fully cooperate, and being naturally inclined to tell the truth made this a great deal easier. Lying and deception did not come easily to him, and as such he did not need to wear a mask or false identity to hide some deep, dark secret. Toland was an open book — anything that the Alliance wished to know, he would answer.

It made sense that Devrim was there too as part of the inspection, being the one who brought in Toland in the first place. However, the information Wolfe divulged to the interrogator about the circumstances of his arrest surprised Vult. Up until now, Toland thought that Devrim did not like him very much, and was eager to be rid of the burden of dealing with a defector as soon as possible. However, the seasoned rebel vouched for Toland, causing him to reconsider his initial impressions of him.

Looking back over to Aldo, Toland waited patiently for the interrogation to begin in earnest, prepared to give his testimony. The day so far had been full of surprises, and perhaps there would be a few more before it was over.

@Zay @Vosrik​

 

[Aldo Raine]

Aldo listened intently as Davrim spoke. His testimony held far more weight than he realized. Afterall, Aldo wasn't a Jedi. He didn't have any supernatural senses gifting him information from the aether around Toland. In all honesty, Aldo wasn't really sure he was qualified for this job at all, but nevertheless, he persisted. He'd have to rely on his former training and pray that his adventures in wild space hadn't whittled his trigger finger to a hair.

Aldo returned his full attention to Toland who acknowledged that he understood the what was at stake here. That was a good start. Toland seemed almost eager to cooperate, not so eager that he was vomiting at the mouth with useless prattle, but eager enough to answer confidently. Aldo drew in a deep breath and pulled a ratty pack of Bantha's out of his coat pocket. He put one in his mouth and offered the pack to Toland.

"Smoke?"

This wasn't some trick or loaded gesture, under the veneer of confidence his associate across the table exuded was underlying stress that Aldo hoped to calm. In his former line of work people who were under duress, weren't the best at communication. Stress had a funny way of muddling the mind and making information chaotic, Aldo, hoped to ease this anxiety at least marginally.

He'd await Toland's response and offer a smoke to Davrim as well. No reason to leave him looming in the background without anything to do.

Returning to the business at hand, Aldo decided it was time to get the ball rolling. He moved the holorecorder into the center of the table and hit record. He identified himself and made a generic intro without precisely stating anything that would implicate the Alliance if the holo were to be compromised. He had Toland give his full name and with that, the interrogation began.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Sure, Toland had already stated what his purpose was, he wanted to join the rebellion. Great, but why? That's what Aldo wanted to know. He wanted to understand the man's conviction in order to see him more clearly. Ultimately, this interrogation was all about figuring out who Toland was and if it was in the best interest of the Rebellion for him to be a member.

@Shalken @Vosrik

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

Appreciating the attention that Aldo gave Devrim while he reported his experience and opinion of Toland so far, the dark-haired rebel gave the interrogator a nod of thanks as Aldo returned his focus to the one being questioned today. Surprisingly, the first thing the fellow rebel did was not immediately delve into the questioning. Instead, after a moment of quiet observation, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a well-worn packet of Bantha's. Whether this was a trick to get Toland to ease up or simply because Aldo was a decent human being, Devrim couldn't guess until he was offered one himself. He was taken aback for a slight moment — the rebel hadn't been offered a smoke for a very long time. On Dxun, commodities like packs of smokes didn't come around very often, so whenever they did the rebel cell only ever broke them out for special occasions. While Devrim wasn't an avid smoker himself, he certainly didn't mind having one every now and then.

"Sure, thanks," he replied, extracting one from the pack as it was handed over to him. The broad-shouldered man was about to bring it to his mouth when he realized he didn't have a lighter on him. "Got a light?" Devrim asked. Presuming Aldo did indeed have one (who'd have smokes but no lighter?), Devrim took a puff and exhaled whispy white smoke that drifted upward and lingered on the kitchen ceiling. He hoped the owners of the place wouldn't mind.

Aldo's first question was a good start. Not just the what he was doing here, but why. Of course, Devrim had asked Toland that back when he first picked him up after knocking out his Imperial companion. The memory brought a smile to his face as he recalled exactly what it was he asked the former Imperial agent. ⋮⋮ So what's the story? Not enough excitement in your life, or do you prefer fighting for your life every day over the padded life in the Empire? ⋮⋮ Thinking about it now, Toland's response to the interrogator's question now would likely be something similar to what it was then. If he truly felt convicted on the subject, he'd likely delve into a little more detail now that they weren't in hostile city streets. Devrim inhaled again quietly, sending another puff of smoke into the room.

@Shalken @Zay​

 

[Toland Vult]

Now with the terms of the interrogation laid down, it was time to begin. The man across the table pulled out a pack of smokes, offering one to himself and Devrim. Though the burly Rebel that brought him in took one gratefully, Toland declined the offer graciously. He never really was much of a smoker himself, and figured it would only do more harm than good with the amount of coughing that would ensue if he did partake.

A holorecorder was then presented onto the table, and the two seated began by introducing themselves. With that finished, the interrogation began in earnest, starting off with a simple question. ⋮⋮ Why am I here? ⋮⋮ While one could argue that he had already answered it earlier, not only was that not recorded, it carried a lot more weight as well. Though Toland was not typically very wordy, today he would have to give the reasoning behind every word or action. It was better to leave no questions in their minds about his answers. "I am here because I wish to free the galaxy of the Empire's control," he began. "As an Imperial soldier, I was stationed nearby as part of an auxiliary ground force during the destruction of Medriaas, in case it was needed. However, the bombardment was so complete that everything on the surface died, and my service was not required. They tried to pay off myself along with my squad to keep us from talking, but I was sickened by the Empire's disregard for the lives of its own citizens." That was likely news for both Devrim and Aldo, considering that was the first time he had mentioned it. He had witnessed the malevolence of the Empire firsthand, and that was not something he would ever forget. "That, combined with the fact the Empire's foundation was built upon the foul Sith, forced me to reconsider my allegiance. After I was redeployed to Onderon to bolster the resistance forces there, I closely watched for my chances to escape."

Clasping his hands under the table, Toland continued. "I closely watched the patrols and monitored the attack patterns of the Rebel cell nearby, but I coudn't discern any kind of system. They're very good at hard-hitting hit-and-run tactics, and for a while I was unable to make progress. In my free time however, I managed to contact a merchant preparing to leave Onderon with vital intel for the Alliance. After convincing him I was a supporter of his cause, he evacuated the planet, leaving behind a data package for me to pick up. When I disguised myself to go gather the datachip, I ran into a group of Mandalorians also attacking the city, who I unintentionally ended up helping. Together, we managed to stop two Sith and an Imperial agent. Proof of this is in that satchel right there by Devrim." At this, Toland glanced over at a small package that Toland had brought along with him when he had defected. It was too small to hold any sort of major explosives, but it was confiscated from Vult nevertheless. "Inside there, you will find the intel datachip...and a Sith lightsaber." Toland let the information hang in the air before finishing his story. "A few days later, I managed to escape, and Devrim knows the rest." Despite his long-winded answer, it was his story of why he decided to leave the Empire and his actions until the day he finally defected. Having finished his story, Toland sat patiently at the desk for the next question.

@Zay @Vosrik​

 

[Aldo Raine]

Aldo passed Davrim a light and then when Toland declined, returned the pack of cigarretts to his jacket pocket.

Toland began his answer with a lofty proclamation, Aldo noted it but wasn't impressed. Of course, it was directly in line with what the imperial in question should have been saying. The rebel's scrutiny of the man before him intensified as his story continued. However, when Toland started elaborating on the tyranny of the Empire, Aldo heard a story not too different from his own.

Aldo, noted Toland's motivation. The bombing of Medriaas had been a harrowing event that could have shaken the loyalty of even the staunchest member of the imperial military. The Rebellion got a tip that morale was low in the sector, again, his story lined up. Aldo took a long drag on his cigarette and slowly blew out smoke processing what he'd heard.

"Can you elaborate on how you escaped?" Aldo asked.

Toland elaborated on his escape and Aldo recorded any pertinent information into his datapad. The man nodded to his bag and said he had information for the rebels and admitting to assisting a Mandalorian force against the empire. Aldo looked over to the bag and eyed it momentarily and then retrieved it.

The contents matched his description. Aldo's eyes lingered on the cylindrical weapon, dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. He hated those weapons. He'd seen what they do and how deftly they're used. Knowing he needed to keep his emotions in check, he decided to focus his attention on the data chip.

Aldo inserted the chip into his datapad and as it loaded he asked, "What exactly am I looking at here?" His tone seeming only mildly interested.

As he scanned the documents verifying Toland's answer and once he was satisfied with their authenticity, he returned to the task at hand. Aldo, turned his attention to Davrim and asked, "Will you report your side of this meeting? I'd like to hear about the events you mentioned earlier."

Davrim had obviously spent more time with Toland than Aldo had, and having a member of the rebellion vouch for you was a pretty solid step in the right direction, now Aldo just needed to get Davrim's testimony recorded and this interrogation would be one step closer to being closed.

@Shalken @Vosrik

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

Pleased to see Aldo did indeed have a lighter on him, Devrim took it graciously and cupped the cigarette in his hand as he flicked the igniter. The tiny flame cast a warm, orange glow in his palm as it ignited the end of his smoke. Ensuring that the embers would burn without the aid of the lighter, the dark-haired rebel returned the instrument to its owner. Returning to his spot, he listened as well to the words Toland spoke in response to Aldo's question. Much of what the former Imerial agent explained now had been spoken to Devrim already on the trip to Rodia — however, it was good to hear the details once again as a refresher. There were a few things Toland mentioned that the broad-shouldered man hadn't yet learned, such as the details of his post when Medriaas was blasted to oblivion at the whim of the Empire. Devrim pulled the smoke away from his lips and exhaled the white smoke to the ceiling. That was months ago. Having to live and serve the Empire for that long with a growing disgust for their methods...that took some guts. The Dxun cell member remained dispassionate, though continued to give Toland his undivided attention.

Of course, having first seen the dread weapon of the Sith, Devrim had needed an immediate explanation from the former Imperial at the butt-end of the rebel's blaster. While this man was showing that he was nothing but sincere and trustworthy, it would have been altogether too easy for a Sith to go undercover as a defecting agent and wreak havoc from within the rebels themselves. It was too soon after Dantooine for another loss like that to happen again. They simply couldn't take any risks. Instead, the lightsaber was in fact an offering of good will to the Alliance. While they likely wouldn't be able to make use of the cylindrical, iconic weapon itself, perhaps Toland would want to keep it as a souvenir. Devrim had heard of some particularly fanatical members of the Alliance who adhered to such a practice.

Another piece of information that Devrim hadn't asked of Toland was the contents of the data chip he'd retrieved. As far as the black-haired rebel was concerned, it was simply information that was either useful to the rebellion, or not. Aldo took more interest in it, however, plugging it into his datapad and reviewing the data that appeared on-screen. Addressed by Aldo once again, Devrim quickly exhaled another puff of smoke and cleared his throat before beginning.

"It was one of the last hits I made on Onderon before I finished with the Dxun cell for good. I knew we were running low on medical supplies, and I had intel on the location of some kolto the Imperials were holding. It was an easy job — we're the best at our game when it comes to hit-and-run. I got spotted by two patrols, and they followed me to an alleyway where I took one of them out." Devrim paused and nodded towards Toland. "He was the other patrol. Watched me take out his buddy right there and then, but he only tossed aside his gun and told me he wanted to join the rebellion."

As he took another drag from the smoke, the embers burned a little bit brighter as they ate away at the slowly disintegrating commodity. "Of course, Toland got a bit of flak from my squad when we extracted. I don't blame them — they're a rough bunch, not very trusting. I brought him straight here after lifting out of the city. We had some words on the way here, but he seems genuine." Silence fell as Devrim turned his gaze to the face of Toland illuminated by the blue glow of the holorecorder. After a moment of consideration, the broad-shouldered rebel flicked side the stump of his smoke and finished his report. "With a bit of training and someone to watch him for a bit, I think he'd make a solid rebel."

@Shalken @Zay​

 

[Toland Vult]

Despite having given a lengthy recounting of his defection, Toland realized he had neglected to mention what was inside the datachip. However, this ultimately was not likely a bad blunder. If he had explained absolutely everything on the first question, he would likely have come across as over-eager, and that could be just as incriminating as being too tight-lipped.

"I have not looked myself, but it should contain the passkey and login credentials to a Christophsian bank account. The merchant in question wanted to make a donation to the rebel effort, and left a portion of his wealth there for safekeeping. It's an Outer Rim planet and outside Imperial control, so the transaction won't be monitored by the Empire." Upon inspection, Aldo would find the contents to be exactly what Toland stated they were, without any sort of trackers or malware that would reveal their position or allegiance. While it might not buy his ticket right into the Alliance, it would certainly help with convincing them of the genuineness of his intentions.

Then the rebel interrogator asked for Wolfe to recount his version of events. Sure enough, their two stories lined up. Devrim continued to vouch in Toland's favour, something that was not entirely necessary but Vult was still grateful for nonetheless. Ultimately it was up to Aldo whether the defector could be trusted within the Alliance's ranks or not, but Toland was still hopeful nonetheless. Until he was required to answer more questions, Toland remained silent and patient.

@Zay @Vosrik​

 

[Aldo Raine]

Aldo's gaze skimmed the information as Toland admitted to not knowing himself. He'd need more time with the information to truly determine it's worth, but he was noting some interesting keywords. As he continued to review the documents, Devrim obliged his inquiry and began to give his report.

The interrogator held his position on the datapad and gave Devrim his full attention. Every minute detail was imperative as he watched the story come together. Devrim was confident in Tolands desire to become a member of the rebellion, and he made that known. His confidence in the applicant, an enemy he'd not known, was worth serious consideration. Aldo thanked Devrim for his report and finished making a few notes.

As he did so he remarked, "Are you prepared to give a full debrief on what you know about the enemy? We won't be doing one here, but once you've been cleared it'll be expected."

He finished his notes and then leveled a discerning gaze on the traitorous imperial. Aldo couldn't imagine the scrutiny he'd face. Aside from Devrim, not many in the Galactic Alliance would openly welcome Toland into the fold. It'd been that way for Aldo himself when he'd first joined. Of course, his blunt personality didn't help.

The interrogator took a long drag on his cigarette as he analyzed and reanalyzed all of the information. Finally, he spoke.

"I don't envy you." He put out his cigarette and set the datapad on the table before leaning forward onto his elbows. His hands were clasped and he peered at the man before him considering his words carefully.

"Our organization is a notoriously paranoid group and your past as the enemy will see you constantly scrutinized." Devrim's suggestion echoed in his mind and he settled on a decision.

"Toland do you swear on your life as a free man that you will vow to take up the banner of justice fighting for the impoverished of the galaxy to defeat the empire?"

Aldo presented the man before him with the vow. If he accepted he would unofficially be a member of the rebellion. Unfortunately for Toland, his freedom would only be partially won.

To Devrim Aldo said, "Devrim, do you agree to watch over our new recruit? Per your suggestion, I believe you to be the best candidate for the position."

Aldo's decision had been one of practicality, allowing Toland into the rebellion would ensure any pertinent information he had about the empire would become the Alliance's. Having Devrim continue to keep an eye on him would ensure his intentions were true.

@Shalken @Vosrik

 

[Devrim Wolfe]

The interest of the standing rebel was peaked upon hearing what was supposedly on this datachip that Toland had retrieved back on Onderon. Devrim hadn't bothered looking at the information himself — something that Aldo now took the time to review and confirm while the dark-haired rebel gave his report. Devrim nodded back to Aldo upon receiving the thanks. The final question seemed to be less of a personal one, prying for deeper insight into Toland's motives for his defection. Whatever the former Imperial knew would undoubtedly be valuable intel for the Alliance's war efforts. Devrim smiled inwardly — Toland was already shaping up to be quite the rebel indeed. Defectors were one of the Empire's greatest liabilities, as they knew so much information that could be exploited for the rebellion.

Taking one last drag of his cigarette, Devrim pulled it away from his mouth and observed what was left of the smoke. The embers were still steadily burning, but it was now fully spent. Craning his head around to view the countertop spanning one wall of the kitchen, the rebel spied an ashtray near the sink — apparently the owners did smoke as well. How convenient, Devrim mused, extinguishing the embers and placing the butt into the little pile of white and black flecks in the dish. He turned his attention back to Aldo and Toland now that their interrogation had begun wrapping up. The former Imperial agent had in fact already received criticism and the biting words of traitor from another rebel soldier. It would take time, but eventually others would come to accept Toland as one of their own. All rebels came from somewhere, after all.

Addressed by Aldo after Toland had been officially sworn in, Devrim nodded his assent. The former Imperial already seemed to be quite the capable fighter — a life of training even under the vile Empire would be useful. "I'll keep an eye on him. I already have a few assignments coming my way that we can tackle together." The Commander had issued a call for all available rebels to direct their efforts on Tatooine, and that was where Devrim would be headed next. He'd only briefly reviewed the mission data, but it had something to do with inciting a gang war so the Alliance could take valuable tech from their undefended storehouses. It would be an excellent first for Toland.

Approaching Aldo as their meeting was concluded, Devrim reached out a hand to give the bearded man a firm shake of thanks. Today, hopefully, they added another into their growing alliance. "Thanks for getting here on such short notice, Aldo. I'm sure we'll be seeing you around," Devrim stated with a nod in farewell. It would undoubtedly be the last they all saw each other in these times of war.

@Zay @Shalken​

 

[Toland Vult]

With the next question the Rebel interrogator asked, Toland nodded, "Yes, I am." Though Vult wouldn't know a great deal about troop movements or placement as he was not previously a commanding officer, he did thoroughly understand Imperial military protocol and standards. Such information could prove incredibly useful if the Rebels ever wished to impersonate an Imperial soldier or bypass security with ease.

To Toland's surprise, Aldo's next words were in fact a statement and a warning instead of a question, which Toland thought over for a moment. It was true that after his defection from the Empire, he could simply have disappeared. Devrim could have dropped him off at the nearest starport from which he could fly to somewhere like Ord Antalaha, carving out a life among the space pirates and never see an Imperial, Mandalorian or Alliance emblem ever again. But Vult's conscience would nag him for the rest of his life, and he would never be able to forgive or forget. If he was to face years scrutiny, mistrust, and hateful stares for years to come on the road to freeing the Galaxy, then so be it. It would not be a short or easy road, but it was one that he must tread. "I swear."

Next, Aldo addressed Devrim, suggesting that he be the one to watch over Toland to ensure that he kept his word and remained loyal — to which the broad-shouldered rebel agreed. In a way, it was comforting to Toland to have an extremist Rebel watching over him. If anyone ever had the idea of attacking Toland, like that marksman that he had met shortly before leaving Onderon, then perhaps they would have second thoughts crossing the broad-shouldered man protecting him. With the interrogation now complete, Toland extended a hand to Aldo in thanks for his time as well. Hopefully they would meet again someday under different circumstances.

And so Toland left the house on Rodia, pledged to a life of service with the Rebels but never having felt more free.

Fin​