The Imperial Star Destroyer Mark V Chimera drifted through the deep blackness of space, her engines running but not ignited, her weapons and shields at the standby, fighter crews enjoying a break.
She had been at action stations for the past twenty four hours, and still no sign of her quarry. Her captain, a short balding man, fifty years of age, gave a sigh as he ordered the ship to yellow alert.
"It seems that they have escaped." muttered Line Captain Houser, a man who has served the Empire faithfully for ten years. The woman standing next to him has served his excellency for only five, yet held the life of the captain in her hands.
Inquisitor Neela looked at the sensor displays before sighing softly herself and looking around the bridge. She had been sent out here on assignment from the high command, wondering how a band of pirates could be embarrasing the Imperial Navy by slipping through their fingers time and again, wondering if there was a traitor in their midst.
What Neela saw was not betrayal, but mere impotence. But then again, merely being way out here in the middle of nowhere, away from it all, did tend to dull someone's sharpened edge.
"Captain Houser, it is the judgment of this inquisitor that you are to blame for the escape of the enemy force. Therefore, you are to be reprimanded and assigned a punishment of two weeks suspension without pay." spoke Neela softly. She knew that Houser had assembled a small fortune from the spoils of war. This was intended as a mock vacation.
If Houser did not recover his edge by the time he returned, Neela knew it would be time for the man to retire, one way or another.
In the meantime, she needed to find someone, suitable, to replace him.
* * *
The man in the shower stall straightened, having finished washing his hair. He set the black dye and shampoo down on the counter, and grabbed a towl to dry himself with.
Emerging from the refresher, Park Alexei Kraken looked as sharp as ever, now with his blackened hair in sharp contrast to his white face. He looked over as his wife entered into the shower stall in his absence.
To say that he was still feeling guilty after engineering his own demise, was dead on the money, and perhaps a vast understatement as well. The presence of his wife by his side was perhaps the only determining factor that kept him from making his own demise a fact.
He had given up his family, his position of power, his fortune, his mini-Empire, his life....
All so he could do what had to be done.
A very select, and there were barely enough people to quantify this word, but a very select few knew the truth, and these people were either in this room or very high up on the shitlist in high command.
Someday, the truth would come out.
But in the meantime, Park Kraken was dead. Now, Sirius Haruus was present, and he was a man with a mission.
She had been at action stations for the past twenty four hours, and still no sign of her quarry. Her captain, a short balding man, fifty years of age, gave a sigh as he ordered the ship to yellow alert.
"It seems that they have escaped." muttered Line Captain Houser, a man who has served the Empire faithfully for ten years. The woman standing next to him has served his excellency for only five, yet held the life of the captain in her hands.
Inquisitor Neela looked at the sensor displays before sighing softly herself and looking around the bridge. She had been sent out here on assignment from the high command, wondering how a band of pirates could be embarrasing the Imperial Navy by slipping through their fingers time and again, wondering if there was a traitor in their midst.
What Neela saw was not betrayal, but mere impotence. But then again, merely being way out here in the middle of nowhere, away from it all, did tend to dull someone's sharpened edge.
"Captain Houser, it is the judgment of this inquisitor that you are to blame for the escape of the enemy force. Therefore, you are to be reprimanded and assigned a punishment of two weeks suspension without pay." spoke Neela softly. She knew that Houser had assembled a small fortune from the spoils of war. This was intended as a mock vacation.
If Houser did not recover his edge by the time he returned, Neela knew it would be time for the man to retire, one way or another.
In the meantime, she needed to find someone, suitable, to replace him.
* * *
The man in the shower stall straightened, having finished washing his hair. He set the black dye and shampoo down on the counter, and grabbed a towl to dry himself with.
Emerging from the refresher, Park Alexei Kraken looked as sharp as ever, now with his blackened hair in sharp contrast to his white face. He looked over as his wife entered into the shower stall in his absence.
To say that he was still feeling guilty after engineering his own demise, was dead on the money, and perhaps a vast understatement as well. The presence of his wife by his side was perhaps the only determining factor that kept him from making his own demise a fact.
He had given up his family, his position of power, his fortune, his mini-Empire, his life....
All so he could do what had to be done.
A very select, and there were barely enough people to quantify this word, but a very select few knew the truth, and these people were either in this room or very high up on the shitlist in high command.
Someday, the truth would come out.
But in the meantime, Park Kraken was dead. Now, Sirius Haruus was present, and he was a man with a mission.