Exiting her LAAT at the half destroyed spaceport, Alyssa Dour surveyed the wreckage with a critical eye.
As one of the youngest Rear-Admirals within the navy, she had many detractors, and had stepped on many toes to reach her position. Coming from a middle-class family, she had then-Senator Palpatine for his early support in her career. Recognizing her talent for fairness, attention to detail, and methodical approach to war, Palpatine had been her champion in the Senate. Now that he was Emperor, Dour had taken a new pride in her role, and strived to prove to him that her commission was not a mistake.
Flanked by her own Commander, she descended the ramp of her shuttle, and raised an eyebrow when she was met by a platoon of men in glistening new armor.
"Do you recognize the pattern on that gear, Commander?" Dour asked.
"No ma'am, I'll have the data on a report sitting on your desk by the time your lunch is over." The Commander-knowing her character-answered without delay.
"Welcome, Rear-Admiral Dour, if you would follow us-"
"A moment, Lieutenant."
"Ma'am?"
"The gravel tracks indicate an AT-TE fought here. Yet I did not see a single one once I made my descent. This planet just experienced a rebellion, why aren't they deployed?" Dour asked in a no-nonsense tone, and stared into the clone's visor.
"The threat has been neutralized, Rear-Admiral. Gener-ahem, Agent 007 thought it wise not to spook the local populace. They've been returned to storage until needed sir." The Lieutenant stumbled over his words a few times, but was mostly succinct in his delivery.
"Check their logs Commander, I want a full play-by-play after action report regarding this operation. This level of sloppiness is unacceptable in my Empire." Dour tutted.
"It will be done, Rear-Admiral." The Commander nodded.
"Well Lieutenant, what are you doing standing there slack jawed for? Take me to the hangars, I wish to see the state of the refueling fleet. Any more time wasted on my mission to Geonosis is an unforgivable sin." Dour said, and sternly commanded the clone.
"Sir!" The Lieutenant saluted, and then lead her to a more sleek transport that only fit 6.
Dour returned the salute, and boarded the craft.
So far, she was unimpressed. This Agent 007 was the kind of tumor that infested the Republic. Just like Tyg.
Why couldn't 007 be more competent, like herself, or Hess?
Face firmed into a line, Dour put her negative emotions towards the corpulent man aside, and focused on her objective.
All that mattered was the mission.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ran Hess withheld a scowl as he entered the meeting room at the top of the citadel. His tall, lanky frame meant he had to duck through every corridor and hallway in this blasted structure.
Glancing at the short Dugs who walked on their arms, and used their feet to hold objects, he couldn't help himself, and openly sneered. The short, smelly alien race truly rankled his proper sensibilities.
Etiquette dictated that he attend this customary meal between peers, but he would much rather remain aboard his flagship. There he was king. Could execute whomsoever he wished, and his say-so determined who was slated for promotion, or sent to work the most foul jobs.
But a gathering of Admirals placed him amongst his peers.
Ha!
Dour was some bootlicking nobody who only climbed the ranks because she knew how to unbutton a Senator's robe. Making matters worse, said Senator had become the Emperor, his liege lord!
Grinding his teeth so hard they might crack, he then turned his thoughts to Tyg. The couplant man was quick to praise others, incredibly lazy, and let his clone Captain do all the thinking for him! Buying his way into his position, Tyg had been placed as the number one commanding officer for this operation!
The pair of peers that he was saddled with truly made him angry. Born into a well off family, he was expected to become a junior undersecretary to a big executive. But he had aspirations for more. Enlisting in the military, and graduating top of his class, he had climbed the ranks in this war, and worked his way up to his position. No under the table nonsense or shady money laundering schemes had brought him here. No, his success was due to his talent, ambition, and forbearance!
Stewing to himself, Hess walked passed a pair of guards and entered the meeting room proper.
Sitting at a wide table full of exotic food was Tyg, and the black-clad Agent. The fat balding man was stuffing his face, and laughing uproariously at his own jokes, whilst the other man sat still, seemingly baffled by Tyg's motor mouth.
"Ah, Hess, exactly on time, punctual as ever! Come, pull up a seat! I was just telling the Agent of that time we faced those Kaleeshi mercenaries! Haha, what a good time!" Tyg thumped the table, and pulled out a chair.
Hess thinly smiled and unconsciously rubbed a scar that had been formed due to a Kaleeshi spear puncturing his lung.
As if sensing his discomfort, Agent 007 interrupted Tyg. "I heard that the massacre on Kaleesh directly created General Grievous. You said you were in charge of leading that campaign?"
Tyg choked on his words, and sputtered on a cup of wine.
Hess's thin smile slightly widened.
Perhaps he could use this man from the Inspectorate to his own ends. Should Tyg be considered incompetent by the ISB, why, someone more qualified could step into the role of task force leader.
"Agent 007, the name is Ran Hess. A pleasure to meet you."
"Vice-Admiral Hess, I read your file. The strategy you conducted in defense of Corellia was brilliant. I am pleased to make your acquaintance. After all, I was the intelligence officer that supplied the incoming information."
Hess stilled, his eyes ever so slightly going wide. The siege of Corellia was where he had earned his stars. Fighting off a numerically superior force had been like a miracle. But thanks to his peerless skill, and intelligence, it was possible. Now he was learning about the man who's timely report had made it all possible?!
"No, Agent, the pleasure is all mine."
"Ha, I haven't seen you this happy before, Hess. It is as if you had found a long lost lover!" Tyg laughed as he stuffed yet another large portion of food into his mouth.
Hess ignored his superior as he glanced at the Agent. He didn't think anyone would lie about something this serious. Besides, what this man said, Hess wanted to believe. Such a respected ISB officer would surely have some connections.
Suddenly the idea of replacing Tyg seemed to become more viable by the moment!
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tygon Tyg drank what was placed in front of him with great gusto, and told bawdy tales to Hess & Bond without any qualms regarding his social status.
Born into a wealthy family that owned a handful of asteroid mines, Tyg had grown amongst the well off and well to do. Frankly, he found following etiquette to be rather boring, and had only joined the navy because his father wanted to increase their political capital. Not caring much for the horrors of war, he was happy to leave most of his military decisions to the clone Captain under his command.
For a time, it wasn't so bad in the military, maybe even a little fun. The people he liberated were thankful, and he enjoyed watching the smiles of the little ones when they became free from the droid boot. He especially liked seeing their smiles when he handed out small chocolates and other treats. Of course it was all out of his pocket, but the vast wealth he had inherited from his father was doing nothing but accumulating dust in some vault.
Money was cold, hard, and lifeless, whilst people were full of emotions. Tyg hated to see others suffer, so he used his influence positively where he could. Sure, some people tried to take advantage of his kindness, and scam him. Others less fortunate than him accused him of all sorts of things, calling him slurs, but what could he do, he was born just like everyone else, and never treated anyone with disrespect, what did it matter that his father had some money? Some of his peers and those jealous souls may scoff at his altruism, but Tyg felt like he was making a positive impact on the galaxy, no matter how small.
Of course all good things come to an end, and it was when the news of Palpatine's failed assasination reached his desk that Tyg had almost had a heart attack. When the man he once saw as a genuine, kind leader representing change claimed that the Jedi had attempted to take his life, Tyg was baffled.
As a boy, he and his father had been saved by a kind woman, Jocasta Nu. She had looked at him at that time with a lamentable expression on her face, and kept muttering "too old." Tyg didn't take it personally, and was happy to be alive.
Over the years, he had had a correspondence with her exchanging letters, and occasionally meeting for tea. Sometimes he would even gift ancient texts to the kind bookworm. Their interactions were few, but Tyg knew in his deepest heart that the Jedi couldn't have done what Palpatine claimed they did. Or at the very least, something must've gone terribly wrong.
On that fateful day, he was on Coruscant, and had witnessed the burning Jedi Temple. Much to his shock, five days later, he had received a message from his friend. She had stowed herself away in a hidden compartment, and had escaped the Temple after a commotion had startled the guards.
Taking the kind old lady-Jocasta Nu-to safety, Tyg had been questioning his role as an Admiral ever since. Should he resign his commission? Should he find a way to rally with that Revan fellow? Could he afford to act out against the Empire when his sisters and their children remained on Coruscant?
Tyg sighed to himself, and hid his melancholy in food & alcohol.
Glancing at Bond & Hess whispering amongst one another near a window, Tyg was glad to be ignored. Shaking his head, he could guess they were conspiring against him. Hess had been sending barbs his way, and Bond, as a seemingly staunch anti-xenos man fit right in with Hess. It was disgusting behavior as far as Tyg was concerned, but he wasn't going to go policing what other people should think. He wondered how Hess would try to remove him from his position? Tyg had been adopting this ever increasingly sloppy persona in the hopes of being dismissed from the navy. A man could only hope.
Truthfully, he enjoyed silence, but he found this lazy, braggadocious persona to wash suspicions off him like water washing off wet paint.
Between bites of some meat dish, he noticed one of the troopers seemed to be paying special attention to him. As a businessman working for his father, he'd like to say he had a rather powerful sixth sense, and keen insight. He could tell the trooper was a young man, and was utterly fascinated with the ongoings in the room. In fact, that soldier somewhat reminded him of himself. There was a presence about him that he had recognized in few others… the image of a kind old woman came to mind.
Squinting his eyes, a slight smirk briefly spread across his face.
"You there, trooper, take a seat." Tyg pointed at the man, and said in a loud, joyous tone.
The trooper seemed like he didn't register his words, and was listlessly standing at the door to the elevator. A moment later, the other-shorter guard-pushed his companion on the arm, much to Tyg's amusement.
"Sir?" The trooper questioned in a youthful voice, and walked up to him.
'Quite young.' Tyg thought to himself, and masked his pity with an extra hot slurpful of soup.
"Take a seat, lad. I'd like to ask, what are your thoughts on the Jedi?"
"Jedi?"
"I know the question is quite unexpected, but when I look at you, I'm reminded of something." Tyg said with a wistful expression on his face. He errantly jiggled a glass full of ice, and looked forlornly at the cup as his drink was all gone.
"I don't think I'm qualified to answer that, Admiral, sir."
"Ah, so diplomatic. Shouldn't every loyal Imperial loudly declare their hatred for the dastardly traitors?" Tyg slowly grinned, and placed a toothpick in his mouth.
Seeing the way the trooper tensed, Tyg almost felt like the blaster in his arms might be pointed at him!
"Haha, relax, relax! I was just telling a joke! My friend, Jocasta Nu, was such a prankster, and set me up to task. Just treat it as an old man having some fun!" Tyg grinned from ear to ear, yet his eyes never blinked as he stared wholeheartedly at the young man.
Even if he was covered in armor, Tyg's sight, which had been honed over thousands of transactions, never lied.
'Ah ha! As I suspected.' Tyg thought to himself when he saw a micro-reaction.
"You, boy, are quite good." Tyg said in praise, and winked.
"Your friend…she didn't happen to be interested in books, was she? I might have a cousin who goes by the same name, but I haven't seen her since an accident occured, separating us." The boy said slowly tentatively, as if he didn't dare to hope.
For a brief second, Tyg dropped the persona, and allowed a drop of pity to show on his face.
"Aye. Here's her contact information, she's staying at one of my resort houses, believe it or not! I'm glad I could help reunite distant relatives." Tyg scribbled some information down on a napkin, then handed it to the boy.
"Thank you." He said in a quiet, sincere tone.
"Baha ha, good one lad! Go on, get!" Tyg said, getting back into character, and made sure to be extra loud and annoying.
As soon as he did this, the elevator clicked open, and emerging from within, it was one of Palpatine's attack dogs.
Alyssa Dour.
"Agent Bond. I have examined the spaceport, toured the fuel depot, questioned the locals, and was denied access to the Gran camps. You have some explaining to do." Dour said as she power walked into the room.
Tyg sat back, and unbuttoned his belt, letting his belly flop out.
"Sit back and watch, kid. We're in for a show."