***OOC NOTE***
This thread takes place after the planned merger of The Jutraalian Empire into the Sovereign Crimson Empire. My post remains the same as when I was the Jutraalian Inquisitoriate CO This is as well mostly char development.



IC



Do you realize what you did????


Those words seem to hang in the air of a lavishly decorated quarters on Coruscant itself.


The man speaking them was youthful in appearance, his true age betrayed by the lone streaks of grey worming their way into his pelt of jet black hair. On his chest was a loose fitting red shirt of civilian make, its contour pleasing to the touch. The material was a Rim-made silk, any touch at all measureable by the darker the fabric grew.


At the frantic speed the man was pacing and the way his arms were thrashing about through space, it was no wonder that the colour had darkened considerably.


An older gentlemen who made no attempt to disguise his wise gentry sat with legs crossed in a small chair placed near the center of the room. One felt diticntly comfortable with the low ligthing inside and the fading day out deep inside the waterless-pool inside the livign room's centre, itself an architectural design owing to the citizenry's obsession with the Imperial-class Star Destroyer.


The man opened his mouth to speak when the slightly younger one bid again.


" Any? Any whatsoever???"


The older man placed his tumbling beverage on a glossly azure table next to him and stood. A slight paunch evident even through the makings of a fine suit, the elder still possessed the grace evident in one's chronological superiors.


" He undoubtedly does. And while he did it without our knowledge or condoning, his heart was in the right place." The older fellow opened his arms to point at a small boy of not even two decades whose head was in hands and entire visage shrunken and cowed.


" I don't give a damn! We know what he has done. And the Empire does too! Intelligence will not just let that slide."


Another older gentleman spoke, his black suit jacket open and intimating none other than a prime physique that had been lax in its deterioration.


" It is not Imperial Intelligence we must worry about."


The room's many occupants grew quiet as the most distinguished member voiced his own sentiments.


" The attempted assassination of an Moff of the Empire will not be dealt with by the spies. We must fear the Imperial Inquisitoriate. Internal security is their brief. And worse, they will not stop until they have their man and everyone who he has breathed a word of his crimes to. No one is safe."


The gentleman seemed nonchalant, and his quests demured. His speach continued, unabated.


" They are now commanded by the most fearsome man to ever helm a branch of the Imperial Forces. The Viscount del Forza is Corellian, which makes him unpredictable. He is an aristocrat, which makes him cunning."


He paused. A deliberate sip of brandy was taken.


" He is the Imperial Grand Inquisitor which means he is ruthless beyond compare. The Inquisitors are the most fanatically loyal soldiers of the Empire. Admiral Hyfe or Lord Maim could be ready to shoot them down one by one, and each would believe until their deaths it was a Rebel hoax.


" I say we have one chance in a trillion."


The man took up his brandy again and grew quiet. An eerie silence fell over the room, every one's lives flashing before their very eyes. In every manner of speaking, the eldest had made no embellishment.


The Grand Inquisitor, technically attached under the Crimson Imperial Banner, would stop at nothing to see everyone of the group's leaders and members, supports and sympathizers executed with all prejudice.


He would not stop, no matter into whose arms they ran.


But run they would have to.


A shame, the man thought, watching the amber liquid shimmer in the low light of passing hovercars. All this over the Minaari Mountains.

Since the time when all of Jutraalia was ruled by the Emperor Chadd XVI - to the Fleet, Chadd the Mad - and hailed to the banner of the Rogue Empire, Inquisitoriate headquarters had called the metropolis of Averam home. It was indeed home to many of the beings who served that secretive and elite department, their families being given the best homes and lucrative jobs in the many cities across the populus world.


The Jutraalian Empire was home to its commander, however. For many years, since his induction into the ranks of the Imperial Jutraalian Fleet, the Viscount del Forza had referred to home as Corellia, but had never returned. He found homes on the various of vessels of command whihc bore his flag and the planetary fortresses in which he was billeted from time to time.


As such, the near vagabondic nature of the Grand Inquisitor did not aid in his serenity; it was said with every passing day, his methodical ruthlessness increased. There were few who dared speak to him, even those whom he called friends.


Thus was the plight of a Grand Inquisitor.


" Inquisitor," said a tall and well built man of forty, bowing before the desk of the Jutraalian Grand Admiral.


Behind it, sat the red tuniced officer with a cropped mane of white and eyes of piercing ruby. The blue windowed room along the top level of the 'base' of the towering Inquisitoriate Command gave an awesome view of the city below.


Del Forza was not interested in the city, however. The man that stood before him bore the uniform of the Galactic Empire: all uniforms having since been standardized within the Crimson Empire, themselves an Imperial regime. The man, however, wore the red collar tabs of a Jutraalian. And he stood before the Grand Inquisitor, in fear.


The Viscount could sense that much.


" My Lord, I had nothing to do with this."


The Grand Inquisitor glared at the officer, his eyes growing closer together into slits, through which his eyes slaughtered the story of the prostrate Generalmajor of Internal Security.


" Nothing, General? I would hope you had something to do with it. You were, after all, responsible for the security of all Imperial personnel on Coruscant. Crimson and Galactic. I truly hope you did."


The eyes of the General, named Littier, shifted back and forth over the vast space between the walls of the office.


" General, Moff Rannat was an idiot, bringing himself into crowded rooms and halls when Imperial Centre had not even been cleared of all Rebel sympathizers and underground soldiers.


" That does not, however, expunge your responsibility in this matter. The personal guard detail you assigned to the Moff was ill trained and ill equipped. And this is where your fault is found.


" General, your lethargy in adequately protecting the Moff is imposible to understand. You are hereby ordered to undergo a summary court martial and execution."


With that, a pair of crimson uniformed Inquisitoriate Guards entered the room and escorted the proud officer out. The Viscount was not happy about having to execute the unfortunate officer, but this was a mistake that had dire reprocussions.


They had better hope the Moff survive surgey, or they will forever lament that they could not suffer the General's fate.

The voyage from Averam to Imperial Center had taken longer than expected, the passage of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Sovereign disrupted by a brief skirmish with a stray Republic patrol. The current set of hostilities had emboldened the otherwise squeemish Rebels. They had launched probes deep inside Imperial territory, each of which was dispatched. Their continued assertiveness was a reminder that the Rebellion had learned well from its constant defeats at the hands of Imperial tenacity.


As such, the Grand Inquisitor was slightly tired as his shuttle descended through the ionosphere and down into the infinite expanse of the iron planet itself. Towers stretched up from small city centres, the areas around them millennia of homes and buildings piled on atop the other. On other worlds, a building standing three hundred levels was impressive: on Coruscant, it was normal. The largest tower on the planet was owned by the Arliss corporation and stuck like a needle into the sky. It was as tall above the cityscape as a Star Destroyer was long. A true marvel of engineering.


Immediately upon entry into the atmosphere, a flight of Imperial escort patrol craft took up flanking positions by the Grand Inquisitor's shuttle as it descended, errant speeders and vehicles quickly averting their courses. The shuttle itself had more than enough weaponry to eliminate any planetary opposition to its arrival, the ferried occupant more than willing to dispatch any and all who possed the Imperial Order.


" We are being directed to the Imperial Palace. Lord Maim has already arrived."


The Viscount lifted an eyebrow. The Sith Lord was not expected for several hours, in which time the Inquisitor had hoped to become acquainted with the Imperial Capital World. Things happen, I assume.


Wordlessly, the Grand Inquisitor bade the pilot to continue. A drape closed and the Inquisitor changed into his ceremonial duty garb, replete with black cloak.


* * *


" Lord Maim."


" Arise."


The kneeling figure was almost completely invisible in the expansive dark room, the only light grey and pale, barely reaching the floor and the shrunken figure thereon. At the sound of the reply, the huddled human mass stood to full height, nearly two meters. From his black shoulder straps fell a waist-length cloak of black atop a standard Fleet tunic, its color blood red. Black jackphurs ran into polished jackboots, their shine reflecting even the small vestige of illumination and returning it.


The Grand Inquisitor took stock in the divine leader of the reclusive Sith, his own form even taller than the Corellian aristocrats. From his square shoulders jutted armor like plates which held a black cape, longer than its wearer's needs. The Sith never were a culture for military resplendency, rather one of personal pagentry. The Dark Lord certainly held his own against those who would challange him, in any form.


Such issues, however, were not why the Grand Inquisitor had come to Coruscant.


" Lord Maim, you know why I have come." There was no need for a question.


The pair strode from the darkened room, the Inquisitor keeping pace one half stride behind the Sith. Display's were important, as were appearences. Knowing his place would hopefully endear the Viscount to the Sith and secure his aide for any future endeavors. Schemeing was a requirement for the position.


" I do indeed. You seek the assassins of an Imperial Moff. But why you have requested my presence is a mystery."


Behind a calm mask of iron, the Viscount smiled. " I wished merely to inform you of mine. I have no reason to believe the Sith are in any involved...to the contrary, I understand their repulsion to such a dastardly act. I wish for the Sith to...keep their ears to ground."


" And report any whispers to you, of course."


" Of course."


The hall through which the pair strode was lined with Bafforr trees whcih had brought the late Grand Admiral Thrawn much success in his heyday, their listening devices since disappeared. Between them stood immaculately uniformed members of the Imperial Praetorian Guard whose sole task was the defense of Coruscant and its Imperial hierarchy. Never before bested in battle, their units had perished to a man before daring to lowering their standards.


" Lord Maim, I do not understand why this has happened, and I do not care. I have no sympathy for any man who turns his back on his home and his loyalties. Whatever their reasons, I will purge every last one of these traitors from the galaxy."


With his ominous eyes set ahead, the master of the sith muttered one warning.


" I hope so, Inquisitor. I hope so."