Ubiqtorate

This would be the first time Ubiqtorate had ever been in a space battle before and, he had to admit, it was fascinating. He had been in firefights before and worked on coordinated tactical ground strikes, but not a space battle or planetary invasion. The amount of planning and coordination that went into it was impressive, and working along side the Head of State was also intriguing. He had not seen much of her, but what he had seen made him glad she was in charge of the Remnant. While she, being of a fleet combat background, seemed more focused on the space fight, he spent his time coordinating ISB assets in surgical strikes. The ISB staffers kept him constantly updated with information about various enemy forces reacting to the chaos of the Remnant Fleet strikes. He spent his time collating intelligence and directing both ISB squads and some of the regular infantry to suspected enemy strongholds. Power grids were specially targeted with ion weapons to prevent structural damage that would make rebuilding and occupying the planet difficult. Enemy gang hideouts or Hutt spice storehouses were wiped out, and any place that seemed to bring forth resistance was marked to be leveled by bombers. There were indeed civilians on this planet, but very few were entirely innocent. Still, the ISB worked to neutralize targets where civilians may be taking shelter or trapped without leveling the entire block. It wasn't a perfect game, but this was war and in war, the innocent often suffered. As with any urban combat, ambushes were common. While not exactly organized and well trained, smugglers, pirates, and bodyguards were a rough sort used to violence. They would not go without a fight and there were Remnant losses. Each one was most unfortunate, but these were men and women who knew they were building a better Galaxy. Ubiqtorate didn't like losing those under him, but millions or billions of creatures' lives would be better for this action. If his skills were better on the battlefield, he would be there, but they weren't. Everyone had their place and his was coordinating things. ((Imperial Invastion Shot Assist on the Sith owned moon (AP: 0) of Nar Shaddaa))

Blugraz merely smiled at Abraxas' reaction, but he did withdraw and put his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, kid. Though I hope you don't get all prickly like that if we go through security. Sure, you went through some rough stuff I am sure, but you are going to have to learn to live with things." The officer stared at the Zabrak and said in complete indifference, "Your name is what came up. Your like or dislike of it is irrelevant." "Yea, do you really think we choose or like our names?" said Blugraz. "I mean, really 'Blugraz'? It sounds like some sort of horrible genre of music from a pathetically primitive backwater planet." "Or a new type of greenery that purportedly has hugely health benefits," added Reasve. "Heck, even the Stonehound Raiders sound like they came up with their name while drunk or otherwise inebriated." The ISB officer cleared his throat, "Latest intel places the Stonehounds outside of Kessel marking spice smugglers to hit. We have loaded the drive signatures of at least two of their ships to your own. See if you can get lucky and hit the target they were eyeing and make an offering of the cargo to them. Smugglers are scum and work for the enemy, so you may consider them fair game. You will need to depart immediately." "Well, squad," said Blugraz, "it seems like our little vacation is over. Say goodbye to the pleasant greens and blues of Nubia and hello to the sickly green and browns of Kessel." The rest of the squad got up and began collecting whatever extra gear they wanted from the armory connected to the briefing room. As this room was for the ISB and not normal infantry, there was a small selection of various exotic, non-standard, and modified weaponry and gear that would fit in well among the dredges of society (and in truth, much was confiscated from pirates and smugglers). "Go ahead, Abraxas," said Blugraz, "load up with what you feel comfortable using. See you in the main hangar bay when you are ready." * * * * * A small blue light began blinking on Ubiqtorate's desk. He waved his hand over the light and activated a small holo text message that hovered over the right side of his desk. Beneath his helmet, he smiled and pressed a red button under his desk to deactivate his office's security systems and allow for the entry of two of the more interesting people on the planet. Imperial Knight Halan and his partner, Knight Nessa, entered and offered a simple nod in lieu of a salute. Ubiqtorate returned the nod and gestured for them to take two of the three seats in the office. As expected, they declined and remained standing. He appreciated that about the two. They had been sent here shortly after his arrival and he still wasn't quite sure what to make of them. They were not normal members of the Remnant armed forces, but with the Imperial Knights which answered ultimately, like him, through a different chain of command that went straight to the Head of State. As far as he could make, while they were to follow his or perhaps the planetary Governor's recommendations, they didn't directly answer to either, just as he didn't answer to any of the Grand Admirals or even Grand Moffs. It was a grey area that he found both perplexing and highly curious. "How may I assist you, Knight Halan?" he asked pleasantly. He greatly respected the Imperial Knights and was pleased that there were some Force users out there willing to do what was needed and fight the evil of the Sith and Black Sun. Since he didn't command them, he preferred to treat them as, if not equals, at least as diplomatic guests or allied commanders from a foreign nation in joint operations. "We have felt a disturbance in the Force," the middle aged human said. "Both Nessa and I have felt it, but we are not quite sure where it is from." Ubiqtorate nodded. He didn't understand the Force, but he respected it. "Very well, what do you recommend? Should I put the planet on high alert? Is there about to be an attack on Nubia?" Nessa shook her head, "No, it isn't anything urgent or directly threatening, just a change in the pattern of the Force. The dark side is growing." "Could this be due to the impending operations in Hutt Space?" "Not likely, this feels much closer," Halan answered. While he preferred more specific, black and white actionable intel, only a fool would ignore the Force. "I will place our forces on alert, but refrain from high alert. I will also double patrols and scans of the area and tighten security for incoming ships. I will also recall all units currently on shore leave. It is probably best we do that anyway with Operation Whitehelm beginning soon. It is best to prepare for any repercussions or retaliations, even from the Galactic Alliance." "We will continue to open ourselves to the Force and read what it says," said Halan. "We will tell you immediately if anything changes." "Thank you both, and never fear to send a message or inform me of anything. Some in the Remnant may not like your kind, but I definitely appreciate the assistance."

The intel officer looked at Abraxas and smiled mirthlessly, "You are in the Bureau, you don't get backup, you don't know who is coming after you, and you don't know who may or may not be your friends. Rule of thumb: if they are getting in your way, they aren't friends. All Imperials would have the same goals, so anyone straying too far out of their goals is doing something wrong and thus forfeit their safety. There is nobody assigned to work on the Stonehounds, and if you see people protecting your assigned target on Nal Hutta, they aren't helping the Remnant. It is a high risk job, but it also yields high rewards. If you want safe and simple, join the infantry." Blugraz slapped Abraxas on the shoulder, "Don't worry, he is messing with you...mostly." He pulled out one of the small spinning Sidget Finners™ from his vest pocket. "You don't think we keep these things around simply because we have no way to control our nervous tics, do you? They are biometrically linked identification units. Spin them up while holding them between your thumb and forefinger while within a meter of your body and it will send out a confirmation and identification signal to all Remnant forces within a kilometer. These are the basic units, the higher ups get special ones that do more. Thing is, we need to chip you so nobody can use these without you. Things don't work unless you are alive, too." "Usually," Gortash chipped in, "if you kinda run around waving your hands saying 'don't shoot, I'm on your side!' it works really well." Yyesh slapped him in the back of the head and said, "Ignore him. If you ever have to make contact with Remnant forces in the field, simply surrender and don't try to do anything stupid. Let them know you are with the ISB and they can verify the rest from your biometrics. It may take time and you may be in a cell for a bit, but it beats being shot. Of course, if you have to surrender to Remnant forces, it means your mission failed. Otherwise, we will return as a team and identify ourselves via an assortment of passcodes and phrases picked up by our observers." "Everyone has a specialty, a job to do," said the nameless Intel officer. "You will now be known as 'Schrond Equast' until otherwise informed and a better identity can be created, co-opted, or found. Your mission is simply to guide your team in, help them navigate the world of these pirates, and, if things fall apart, fight your way out with them. Once you land on Nal Hutta, you will use whatever knowledge you can to survive and complete your objective of taking out the power stations. You will have plenty of supplies and explosives on your ship: we even gave you a portable proton torpedo launcher so you can even use the torpedoes from your ship." "Try not to stress over it too much," said Blugraz. "Remember the training you have received these last few weeks and you should be fine. Reasve is pretty good in a fight, that is, if Yyesh lets anything through for him to play with. Between the two of them and me, we shouldn't face anything we can't handle and will all come back and share a strong drink or five after the mission. Gortash laughed and added, "Either that or we will all be captured, horribly tortured, paraded in front of jeering crowds, and eventually executed through excruciatingly slow methods. Good times, either way." Reasve folded his massive arms across his even larger chest and said in his deep voice, "Welcome to Squad 247, kid."

The squad wasn't hostile to their new member and understood the trying times. After a little while, Reasve stopped by Abraxas' room and let him know the squad was meeting for dinner in the mess. While he was clearly an outsider, the team recognized his potential usefulness and were not put off by any of the social deficiencies being a slave brought about. After all, they were all experts at infiltration and all had some pretty strange quirks and habits that made them generally less than fit for actual integration into society. They respected skill, efficiency, and usefulness and Abraxas showed promise. For the next two weeks, the group ran through training and simulations for various situations. There were many sessions where ISB Intel questioned Abraxas and gathered whatever information he could provide. Other times, he was with the squad practicing infiltration, assault, and teaching him what sorts of targets were vulnerable and the basics of how to dismantle organizations, installations, cities, and even planets from the inside. It wasn't enough to make him an expert by any means: that would take years. It was, though, enough to help him gain some confidence and for the team to get to know and build some trust with him. Finally, they were summoned by one of the generically bland human males that the ISB so loved due to their unremarkable appearance and ability to blend in anywhere. The squad found themselves in a small briefing room complete with various maps and holos of Nal Hutta. With little preamble, the man said, "Your squad has been designated Fastbend Squad for the duration of this mission. Your target is to make contact with and either co-opt, subvert, or otherwise neutralize the pirate group Stonehound Raiders. The Raiders operate with around three converted freighters, a scout fighter, and perhaps three old Y-wing bombers. They typically operate along the spice routes between Nal Hutta and Kessel. "Despite working with the Hutts on occasion, the Stonehounds seem to be just as likely to attack spice smugglers as passenger liners. This sometimes puts them at odds with the Hutts, though it appears they manage to stay ahead by playing off various crime syndicates against each other, raiding one while offering tribute to its rival. We do not believe they have direct contacts with the Kalimore Ascendancy, but the fact that they work with the Hutts should allow you to get your foot into the door on Nal Hutta. "You are to make contact with them, offer your services, and get yourself down onto Nal Hutta by whatever means possible. Offer the Stonehounds the Remnant amnesty if you think they will take it. If not, offer to simply bribe them. Fear not, the Remnant doesn't pay off criminals so if they refuse the amnesty, they will be dealt with as the pirates they are. Bribes may not work, so you are authorized to simply neutralize them, assume their identity, and make your way to Nal Hutta. "Once on Nal Hutta, you are to locate and neutralize the power grid in Bilbousa. We have several possible locations that may be vulnerable, but ultimately, it is up to your prerogative to decide how to proceed. Once the power is down and the main attack is launched, you will locate targets of opportunity and neutralize them. Assist the civilians and especially the slaves if possible, but the best way to help them in general is to end the fighting as quickly as possible by eliminating pirate hostiles. You will honor any Hutt Clan forces who agree to be neutral in this conflict, we don't need any more enemies and will need their support in maintaining order on the planet afterwards. All Hutts will be required to follow Remnant laws, but as long as they do, they are to be left alone. "To do this, you will be given the converted freighter Ghost's Chance, an old YT-2000 we have outfitted with an extra two forward heavy laser cannons, and two proton missile launchers with 20 missiles each. The shields have also been upgraded, though all work has been below Remnant standards, they should be as good or better than what normal pirates can do. Overall, the ship is an excellent addition to any small pirate band, so we hope the Stonehounds will be glad to have you. If not, your weaponry should be able to destroy them." The officer handed out datacards with additional information then asked, "Any questions?"

Ubiqtorate looked out into orbit to watch the progress being made on the new defense platform orbiting Nubia. Contracts to build the station had gone a long way to showing both the working class and the military establishment that the Remnant was serious about providing both employment and protection. The station wasn't invincible, but it was more than the Galactic Alliance had stationed here, and the fact that it would be commanded and mostly crewed by native Nubians was a major propaganda boon. That last part was implemented by his personal command at the suggestion of the ISB PR analysts over the objections of some of the Remnant officers. Having Nubians in command helped squash the naysayers' lies that the Remnant was conquering and subduing Nubia. No, the Remnant was welcoming the Nubians into a new partnership, one where they would be valued and allowed to defend themselves. There would always be those who opposed progress, but those voices were growing quieter and quieter every passing days. Protests now consisted of a few dozen pathetic individuals with nothing better to do with their lives but whine about everything. Most everyone else was back to work and enjoying the large number of contracts the Remnant was providing. "There is nothing that can be done," he said in answer to the question posed to him moments before. "The Remnant under Head of State Zinthos doesn't tolerate corruption, even from its 'favored sons' as you put it." "But, surely there is some way this can be overlooked," said an increasingly desperate Governor Quaylle from behind the ISB officer. "I am the one who brought Nubia into the Remnant, surely that calls for some sort of reward." Ubiqtorate frowned under his helmet. "Your reward is knowing you brought your people into a more efficient and productive society that values hard, honest work and not corruption and waste. You are improving the lives of your people and helping them know safety. That is your reward." "It is only a few small business contracts I helped get passed. These are old friends who helped in the installation of the Remnant, they needed to be repaid." "No, it is corruption and bribery, both of which are not acceptable in the Remnant. It is such actions that made the Galactic Alliance so worthless and that made the old Empire so feared and hated. I warned you, governor, that the days of profiteering off of the backs of your people were gone. You choose to ignore that warning, so now you pay the consequences." He rotated his chair back around to view the doomed man flanked by grey armored stormtroopers. He slid a datapad over to the man as he continued, "The Head of State appreciates your actions in bringing Nubia into the Remnant. That is the only reason why you are not on your way to a very dark cell. Instead, you will live out the rest of your days on the Villa de Cazparte. You will be given a small stipend and two groundskeepers. You can communicate and receive guests, but they will be monitored. If you ever try to get back into power or conduct any sort of business again or if you leave the Villa without Remnant permission, you will be put up against the nearest wall and shot. Is that most abundantly clear?" Before the former governor could respond, Ubiqtorate waved his hand in dismissal and the stormtroopers lifted the man up by his arms and dragged him away. He had no more time to deal with such stupid corruption. Instead, he looked over the profile of the most recommended replacement candidate: a Member of Parliament from an old Imperial family that had proven herself to be quite able, seemingly clean of corruption (at least, as much as any politician could be), and had been educated for a time at the Imperial Academy on Carida when she was younger. Katerina Sforza seemed the best current candidate for the position, so he sent a summons for her to come meet with him down on his planetside office. He would go there shortly, as soon as the initial expeditions as part of Operation Whitehelm were away. ((Edits were to add portions for Tallis. Thought I had time, but I did not, so removing those parts and posting later))

Sergeant Blugraz nodded thoughtfully at his new teammate's words. "So, you would advise not heading to the Smuggler's Moon, but rather trying to contact one of these pirate or smuggling groups directly from space? We have been given the use of an old modified freighter and two hyperspace enabled Z-95 Headhunters to serve our purposes. If you know a few ways to get in touch with some of these scum, we can attempt to make contact as freelancers desiring to join up with them. From there, we can spread out our network, try to figure out who might be more willing to join us and who may simply flee or fight us. It would be best to either recruit and subdue or wipe them all out while they are clustered around Nal Hutta instead of letting them scatter to the winds and continue to menace the Galaxy." Yyesh spent the time glaring at Abraxas, clearly evaluating him and measuring his worth. "Killing is good," she said. "Killing when the time is right is even better. There is a time for everything and if you choose to blow our cover or screw up, you may get a dozen kills but our mission will be blown. Kill when the time is right and you can bring the entire lot of them down and kill hundreds or thousands of the scum. It is good you are not restrained by honor because those we fight have none. Control yourself at the start and you will get a far greater prize in the long run." Blugraz shot the woman a look, then turned back to Abraxas. "You may be recognized as a slave from any who might have seen you recently. Therefore, it would be best to keep you in that role when under cover. We can't have any mistakes or breakdowns during this mission. I need to know now and without any bravado: can you continue to play the role of slave until the time is right to strike?"

"Misfits?" chuckled Reasve. "We have a jokester here!" he said as he slapped his meaty hand on his knee. "Sarge here is offended at your insinuation that he is a nice and proper Imperial." Sergeant Blugraz shot Reasve a look then, calmly explained, "We are all exemplary members of the Remnant forces, so have no fear, Abraxas. These three are simply 'in character' for our new mission. You see, a bunch of stiff backed, proper old Imperials strutting around Nar Shaddaa would quickly get us all dead and our mission a failure. We aren't stormtroopers or infantry: we are the ISB and more specifically, the Bureau of Operations. Infiltration is our key and we are well groomed and trained to fit into our specialty fields. This squad would never pass in refined culture so infiltration missions to places like government or high business wouldn't work for us, but we are excellent at blending in the lowlifes that inhabit the smuggling and criminal elements that run the Smuggler's Moon. "You have been sent here because you know the slaving side of things even better than us and I imagine you would very much like to kill some of that scum. We have a very specific role assigned to us and our superiors seem to think you can help. Stick with us and follow orders and I can personally guarantee you will get to do your part in bringing the whole lot of them down." Gortash, without dividing his attention from what looked like a small motor, said, "What is it that you are best at? What can you tell us or do to help us finish our mission?" With a sparkle of her cold eyes, Yyesh leaned forward and said, "More importantly, how far are you willing to go to crush these slavers?" * * * * * Ubiqtorate, now alone and sitting in his stateroom office, started going over reports. He was simply not too pleased with how Governor Quaylle was handling things. Despite his very clear warnings, the man was too mired in the old Imperial ways of self elevation and corruption. ISB spies were already closing in on several illegally corrupt business dealings (nothing but bribes) that would be quite against what he had been sent here to accomplish. The goal was to end the corruption and inefficiency of the failed GA democracy and bring about a fair, lawful, and orderly system that didn't have to rely on constant pandering for votes and influence. A politician who had no need to campaign or gain votes was one that, if held to high enough standards from up top, was far harder for special interest groups to bribe and influence. It was growing more and more clear to him that a change of leadership was needed. With a few short messages, he put some of his resources towards vetting a replacement for the governor. He needed someone who was a native Nubian, someone who was above reproach, and above all someone who was not out for personal gain. It wouldn't be an easy task, but he had to try.

Ensign Capolla made sure that a shipman escorted Celora to the hangar bay and the Preybird that brought her there. The mechanic in charge of the repairs came out of the ship and gave her a quick report on what all was going on. The hyperdrive had been patched and should be reliable...for a time. To be fully fixed, it would need replacement parts simply not found within Remnant inventories, but might be located down on Nubia and the shipyards there. The laser cannons had been realigned and had their Tibanna gas replaced, so they should work fairly well. There were a lot of minor things that could definitely do with a tune up. The mechanic's crew of three had worked on cleaning and fixing the most obvious issues, but it would take days to fully overhaul the ship. Alas, since the ship wasn't a part of the Remnant Navy, so there was only so much time and effort that could be allotted to repair. What had been done was charity and a sign of goodwill toward the escaped slaves. The mechanic said he would finish cleaning out some minor corrosion in the life support air ducts, but that he would have to turn his attention back to his normal duties. He suggested heading down to the planet to see about any further repairs. Capolla personally escorted Tallin down to the crew decks. There was a long line of quarters divided every so often by a small common area. At the third, he stopped and motioned for the Zabrak to enter. "Inside is the team you are assigned to. Get to know them: they will protect and die for you just as you must protect and die for them." With a quick salute, he opened the door and left. Inside were three men and a woman, all human, though very different. There was none of the proper military bearing that normally accompanied anyone of Imperial breed. Instead, they were mixture of different personality types and appearances. With fair ease, they introduced themselves to Tallin. The largest was Reasve, a burly black skinned man who stood slightly over two meters tall. He was muscular, had a close cropped unnaturally red beard that contrasted with the blue hair on his head of similar length. One of his eyes was silvered in, probably from a massive scar that cut through the left side of his face. He was covered in tattoos, some that seemed to glow slightly, and had a large burn mark on his bare left shoulder. The next was a fairly thin man who was covered in various oil stains as though they were simply part of him. Gortash was quiet during the introductions, but he did smile on occasion as he tinkered with small gadgets and random devices. He had no real tattoos, but there was a small piece of metal in his right temple that hinted possible cybernetic enhancements. Despite his thin frame, the manner in which he snapped open various pieces of machinery hinted that he was stronger than initial perceptions let on. The sole woman in the group called herself Yyesh. She was the most rigid and aloof of the four. Most of the time, she ignored the newcomer, but focused on various datacards. When Tallin entered, her light blue eyes studied him for a full minute and didn't return to him except for a few small glances now and then. She had her black hair tied up in a tight bun, but it was clearly fairly long from the look of it. As if to counter Yyesh's icy silence, the team leader, Sergent Blugraz, was constantly chattering in a pleasant, almost cheerful tone. He was almost completely nondescript in nearly every way from his bland short, wavy blond hair to his average height and build. Though, that nearly was a very important part. The man, though looking to be human, had six fingers on each hand and, as he proudly proclaimed only one and a half minutes into being introduced to his new squadmate, six toes on both of his feet. His sixth finger looked completely functional as though humans were supposed to have that many digits. He even was able to flip a stylus around all six of them with impressive dexterity that drew eye rolls from the rest of his team. "Now that you have been introduced," Blugraz said cheerfully, "I am glad to inform you that you have been accepted into the Imperial Security Bureau's Bureau of Operations as a corporal. We are a part of the first wave of infiltration squads that are tasked with landing on Nar Shaddaa and using our knowledge of the underworld to make contact with some of the smugglers. We are going to offer them a chance to join with our cause and help overthrow the Hutt slavers. If all goes well, some will accept our offer and help get us introductions among the slaver lords on Nal Hutta. Once we are invited to the swamp itself, you will help us locate various slaver vulnerabilities and report them to the rest of the task force. If possible, we will also make contact with some of the slaves and see if we can't get some to help us behind the scenes. Even if they can't, our goal is to make sure they are able to get to safety prior to the invasion. Lastly," he said with a smile, "once the invasion force arrives, we are going to do as much damage to the slavers from within as possible to give them more to think about than our friends bearing down on them. That is where the fun part of this mission takes place."

Ubiqtorate shook his head slowly. "While I approve of the fighting spirit, I cannot allow someone that young to join in or work with the ISB in combat like that. If we were to start employing children—no matter how willing—to fight out battles, we would start down a road that would inevitably lead to child soldiers and children being forced to fight. Then, we would be no better than the slavers other criminal monsters out there. That doesn't mean she cannot be of assistance, though. If she knows things and intel, she can teach our operatives at our staging ground. I won't turn her into a soldier, but I can treat her as a valued expert witness and let her impart what she knows to many officers and soldiers. In that way, she can serve her part in bringing down the slavers and it will not be the Remnant putting a child into combat." He reached into one of the lower left drawers of his desk and pulled out a dark blue Sidget Finner™ with three equal lobes, each with a hole in the middle of the lobe. After placing it between his gloved thumb and index finger and giving it a good spin, he stopped it and placed it on his desk. "Here, take this as a small gift. You may find it extremely relaxing over the next few days. Almost all the other officers have at least a few. It may be helpful if you keep it with you." He pressed a few buttons on his main computer terminal and nodded quickly to himself. "Ensign Capolla will be here momentarily to escort you back to your quarters. He will be your liaison until you are properly assigned into a squad. As for young Celora, if she desires to be of assistance, we can arrange for briefings where she can talk about the procedures of the slavers and pirates and impart whatever sorts of knowledge she can to squad leaders." ((Just in case it wasn't clear, a Sidget Finner™ is a fidget spinner. ))

Ubiqtorate sat motionless for several long moments after the girl's outburst. After a time, when he was sure she wouldn't continue, he responded calmly. "The Remnant does not truck in slavery, nor do we use child soldiers." Ironic, in a way, considering the current Head of State was fighting for the Empire when she was but 16 standard years old, but still. "On a personal level, I do not put children unnecessarily at risk in any situation, so you will not be fighting. If you," he said turning his gaze to the Zabrak, "choose to enlist in the ISB, you do so knowing she will be left somewhere safe and not put in harm's way. When you are finished with the Hutts, if you proved useful, you would be offered a permanent position within the ISB. Simply eradicating the Hutt threat doesn't mean it ends, there will be plenty of work to do after and in the rest of the Galaxy. "As for what you would be doing, it won't be the infantry. I have plenty of soldiers who are quite proficient at killing and doing their job and the Remnant has spent a long time training them to do that. You don't have that time, so I will use you at what you may be uniquely suited to do: infiltration and espionage. I need someone who knows the area to help guide our advance strike teams to positions that will both help cripple the Hutt's infrastructure and ensure a maximum of slaves are left still alive after the invasion. We have some former slaves who are already recruited, but we always need more. If you feel capable, you can lead a strike team down on Nal Hutta or Nar Shaddaa to spot vulnerable targets, possibly make contact with slaves who can either assist us or assist other slaves getting to safety. More direct information will come as plans for the operation solidify and your own skills can be verified." He gestured out the holoviewport (the stateroom was in the center of the ship, not on the vulnerable outer hull) showing Nubia and added, "When you are finished, you can move on to something else or continue to serve the Remnant. Regardless, you will be paid for your work for as long as you work just as any other enlisted man in the Remnant. Young Celora can live in temporary housing while you are gone and even use your pay to buy extra things if you wish it. Even if you don't stay with the Remnant, having assisted us in this matter will look very good on your resume for a large number of potential employers within the Remnant."

Lieutenant Qaselman nodded at their guests' request. "Crews are currently occupied gaining whatever intelligence can be gathered from your fighter. Whether there are repairs made to it is not up to me, but rather my superior. Eat now, when you are ready, I am to take you to interview with him." She waited for the two to eat their food. It might not be the best fare in the Galaxy, but it wasn't field rations at least, and it would provide sustenance. When they were finished, she escorted them to the Officers Deck and the stateroom where the armored and helmeted man was waiting. "Sir, the two escaped slaves, as requested," she said with a salute. The man looked up from his desk and gave a nod of acknowledgement. In his right hand, he had one of the Sidget Finners™ that he so often carried and that were quickly becoming strangely popular among various ISB officers. At least this one had no lights, but seemed a simple red spinning disc. There was a large stack of datacards on the desk, but that was common for one who had so many reports. "Thank you, Lieutenant, you are dismissed. Good luck at sabacc tonight, though watch out for Ensign Hasters, he tends to rarely bluff even when it seems like he is overextending." After the lieutenant saluted and left, the man spent a few seconds considering the two before him. Then, he deliberately placed the Sidget Finner™ down on his desk and folded his hands in front of him. "I am Ubiqtorate of the Imperial Security Bureau," he said neutrally. "I have no official rank, but am in command here on Nubia. I have processed your requests and decided that, unless otherwise convinced, to grant your request for asylum within the Remnant. That does not mean a free ride: we expect all able bodied adults to work and contribute to society if they are on government assistance. However, considering your past, I may have some unique opportunities for you. "It is no secret that Head of State Zinthos has declared her intent to destroy the slave trade on Nal Hutta, and we know you were from that system. That is why you managed to garner the attention of someone such as myself instead of being handled by simple lieutenants. Pending further tests, I would like you to consider assisting the Remnant in their upcoming operations against slavery in whatever capacity you are deemed best qualified for."

There was a plethora of things and tasks to continue to take care of, but the bureaucracy and mixed with Imperial efficiency kept it going smoothly. As more time went by, more and more of the Nubian population calmed down and either accepted Remnant control or even began to like it. With new contracts for manufacturing coming in, more jobs were needed. More jobs meant less unemployment and thus, less idle mischief and criminal elements. That and the newly equipped "ImpSec" police of the old CoreSec augmented by the occasional stormtrooper patrol with a very low tolerance for disorder and a high punishment for criminality kept things going smoothly in the cities. There were some who decried the slow loss of idle freedoms, but there was a price to pay for safety, efficiency, and security. Ubiqtorate noticed an odd report. The Eventuality of Justice had picked up a Preybird with some interesting bodies and two survivors purporting to be escaped slaves. This was enough to get his attention, especially with the Head of State's new anti-slavery campaign starting up. It was interesting enough to warrant a return trip to the assault frigate. When he arrived, he met with and was debriefed by Lieutenant Qaselman and the ship's technical crew who were still in the midst of going over the ship and the bodies of the pirates within. So far, it seemed their story was panning out. It was intriguing enough, to be sure, so he decided to wait for them to be ready and interview them personally with the lieutenant. He directed Qaselman to escort the two to the stateroom that he had acquired while the Eventuality of Justice served as his flagship when they were ready.

There was a lot of work to do here, and Ubiqtorate was more than eager to get to it. The violent elements of the population were being brought to heel with a minimal of injuries outside of a lot of headaches from stun blasts. The Remnant didn't tolerate rioting, period. There were still some protests, but they were losing a lot of steam when the prophesied Imperial style crackdowns and brutality never manifested. There were a few minor issues between the contingent of Stormtroopers and other Imperials mixing up with the locals over how to handle things, but after Ubiqtorate publicly demoted or court-martialed several Remnant personnel for overreaching, things rapidly calmed down. The authority that the Head of State had given to the ISB was expansive, and while he, as the senior representative of that institution on planet, tried to tread lightly, he wasn't going to tolerate any abuses from either the anarchists or the staunch old line Imperialists. A few of the pro-Remnant Nubian politicians attempted to get away with some rather drastic overreaches with their newfound political power, but he put a quick stop to it. No, the parliament couldn't just institute a rule confiscating their political rival's property. No, they couldn't exempt themselves or their assets from taxes. No, they couldn't receive major kickbacks on the Remnant's or Nubian people's decicred. Law and order had come to Nubia, and while it might bear the Remnant seal instead of the Galactic Alliance's, it was still law and order. While the Remnant sources controlled most of the major media outlets through massive government incentives and other perks, nobody was forced to report pro-Remnant news at blaster point. Further, there was no closing out of opposition media. There were those who would never follow the Remnant, but that didn't mean they would be destroyed like in the old days of the Empire. The government might not favor them, but as long as they funded themselves and followed anti-slander laws, they could say and report on whatever they wanted. The population, while not all in favor of the new change, was beginning to see that the Remnant wasn't the brutal Empire of old. With a good deal of his own work and that of the ISB, a lot of the bureaucratic mess that personified the Galactic Alliance and the Republic before it was shaved and replaced with more efficient systems. Business and industry were exemplified and regulations hampering them and catering to every small special interest group that didn't want a factory or business in their special interest were eliminated. The Remnant valued a large and efficient economy and anyone who wanted to contribute was welcome to. There were a lot of planets in the Galaxy, if a few were despoiled in some places by industry, so be it. The Nubians were excellent at keeping their own planet as pristine as possible, so he wasn't worried about strip mining and laws put in place by both Head of State Zinthos and the Ubiqtorate itself kept corruption in check with harsh punishments for violating. Nubians naturally had a deep respect for their environment and for the visual beauty of things, it was something that Ubiqtorate wanted to spread throughout old Imperial planets that were not exactly known for their style and elegance. In truth, he briefly toyed with the idea of nationalizing the Nubia Star Drives, but that would definitely set a very bad precedent and would likely undo all of the positive design features he wanted to use. The Empire and the Remnant that came after it were big on mass scale and utilitarian design. He wanted to mix in some of the elegance and fresh thought of the Nubia Star Drives with the combat and battle experience of the Remnant and see what could come of it. Instead of nationalizing it, he looked into the ISB's budget, found a good deal of waste and money freed up from anti-corruption efforts, and budgeted a portion of that to making an offer to the CEO. There was an extreme amount of resistance to the idea of designing and building ships for the Remnant, but money was money. Perhaps the fear of what would happen if she said "no" helped sway her to agree, but Ubiqtorate preferred to think that it was her desire to make a large profit and use rational business sense that won the day. Either way, he hoped to see Nubian built ships serving in the Remnant navies soon. He was, however, surprised and slightly perplexed at receiving a report that Head of State Zinthos offered to hold neutral elections on this planet over its fate. He understood the optics, but democracy was inefficient and often corruption in democracies was worse than more authoritarian systems. He immediately put the pro-Remnant Nubian PR teams to work convincing the population to vote to remain within the Remnant. The new anti-slaver initiative was a major coup for PR, as was the tragic murder of the Jedi Grandmaster Kirlocca which was immediately blamed on Sith fanatics. People on Nubia respected the Jedi and the fact that the Remnant was proactive against the Sith while the fumbling Galactic Alliance allowed Onderon to be overwhelmed by a Sith fleet helped boost pro-Remnant numbers in polls.

A Rendili StarDrive Assault Frigate MkII broadcasting Remnant idents and reading as the Eventuality of Justice reverted from hyperspace over the planet Nubia with an escort of a half squadron of TIE Defenders and eight of the Lambda variant Imperial Assault Shuttles. Captain Harolld, a Duros formerly aligned with the Galactic Alliance, stood next to the seated and armored man he knew only as Ubiqtorate. The grey skinned man wasn't quite used to wearing a Remnant uniform, but so far, he hadn't seen anything to make him regret his choice to defect. When faced with Commissioner Mazzari's arrest, he had to make a tough choice, but there weren't too many options considering how things turned out. He had been a naval lieutenant in the New Republic, but it wasn't until he retired and was commissioned in CoreSec that he was able to get his own ship. When the Galactic Alliance killed Mazzari during the failed escape attempt, his crew were livid. Most of his crew were former Imperial Navy or supporters of the Chiss' more direct and proactive way of going after Black Sun and the Sith, so he was honestly faced with either defecting or facing a mutiny. He made his choice and was hoping he never regretted it. The ship opened up comms with the government below and signaled their intentions. They had been invited by the new Governor Quaylle to accept the planet's formal admission into the Imperial Remnant. Though he didn't quite know how or why, Ubiqtorate seemed to have that authority. Captain Harolld wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen the signed order from Head of State Zinthos herself directing him to turn over operational command of his ship to the armored man and head to Nubia. He was still the Justice's captain, but it appeared that Ubiqtorate was her admiral. He didn't really care that eight hundred ISB troopers and officers had been billeted onboard with eight shuttles to move them around, but he was not so sure about this Ubiqtorate guy and what his goals were. Still, he was a man who had followed orders all of his life and, until there was something that happened that went against his beliefs, he would continue to follow orders. * * * * * Down on the surface, Ubiqtorate stepped off of the ramp to the Assault Shuttle and onto the fancy landing pad at the top of the Governor's Residence. Flanking him were eight ISB commandos and two adjunct to handle the paperwork. Waiting on the pad was a rather anxious looking human and his own staff of bureaucrats. Interestingly, two Remnant stormtroopers were also present, as was a grizzled and scarred man in a colonel's uniform. Nodding once at Colonel Zaxer, Ubiqtorate addressed the governor. "Governor Quaylle, on behalf of Head of State Zinthos and the Imperial Remnant, I am here to welcome you into the fold." "Of course," the human politician said. "I am most pleased to finally have a representative here to sign the treaties." "We are glad to hear it. How has the populace taken to the chance in allegiance of its government?" The man blinked several times, but didn't allow his voice to waver too much. "The large scale riots have stopped with few casualties. There are still many peaceful protests, though a few of them do sometimes become violent and arrests are made. My supporters have managed to hold onto control, but it isn't easy so far. I have managed to come into an arrangement with most of the media to bring them over to our side which is helping, but things here are not exactly stable. We need to formalize this treaty and begin showing the people that the Remnant is here to stay." "We see," Ubiqtorate mused. "Have you considered showing the people the benefits of leadership that actively opposes the type of slaughter at the hands of Sith and Black Sun terrorists that the Galactic Alliance ignores? What about taking actions to improve the infrastructure, economy, and security of this planet? Or showing them the increased stability of a strong leader not corrupted and under the pay of lobbyists and corporations?" Quaylle started to open his mouth, but was cut off by a gauntlet clad hand. "Well, ignore that last one, because if you did, you would be made a hypocrite." "How dare—" exclaimed Quaylle. "Oh, do be silent, governor. We have looked into your past and dealings and you are left desperately wanting. Fear not, though, we are not here to replace you. For the time being, we have need of you to make sure this treaty goes through. How long we tolerate your corruption depends entirely upon how fast and thoroughly you start cleaning yourself up. The old Empire may have allowed for under the table bribes and extravagant waste of money for personal pleasure, but the new Remnant does not. We have over a terabyte of information about you and your dealings, the vast majority of which do not please me. The Ubiqtorate will be monitoring you and if that amount does not drastically decrease in a very rapid pace, we will find a new governor of this fair planet. Is that most abundantly clear?" The governor began gaping as his face turned more crimson, but he didn't argue. Instead, he took a look at the armed men standing in front of him and swallowed hard. After a deep breath, he said calmly, "I shall do my best to satisfy the Head of State." "Excellent, the Remnant looks forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship between it and the planet of Nubia whom you represent. Perhaps we should head inside and start going over the details?"

UBIQTORATE'S CHARACTER SHEET Identity Real Name: Classified, goes by Ubiqtorate A.K.A: Ubiqtorate Homeworld: Classified, presumed former Imperial Species: Classified, though wears humanoid armor Physical Description Age: Mid 30's Height: Varies slightly, apparently depending on armor Weight: average for an athletic humanoid of their general size Hair: Classified Eyes: Classified Sex: Classified, though wears armor meant for humanoid males Equipment Clothing or Armor: wears Imperial Intelligence Bureau armor at all times. Weapon: mixture, though always a blaster sidearm, two frag grenades, and a thermal detonator. Common Inventory: commlink, holocomm uplink, datapads, collapsible stun baton and cuffs Faction Information Non-Force User Alignment: Lawful Neutral Current Faction Affiliation: Imperial Remnant Current Faction Rank: Openly: an agent of the Adjustment Division of the Imperial Security Bureau tasked with special operations; in truth, he is part of the Ubiqtorate who is more proactive than the rest of the Ubiqtorate. History: Background: Those in the Ubiqtorate of the Imperial Security Bureau are anonymous. They are a supremely select small group of members who are in control of the highest levels of the Imperial Security Bureau and work behind the scenes to ensure the advancement of the Imperial Remnant. Ubiqtorate wears identity concealing armor in public at all times. Only an extremely select group of loyal officers see him without it. Ubiqtorate is one of 9 leading members of the Ubiqtorate who operate independently, conjointly, and sometimes seemingly in contradiction to each other, all to achieve the protection and advancement of law and order in the Galaxy. He has no superiors within the ISB and answers only to the Head of State. Using former Director Mazzari's martyrdom as both a propaganda and motivational symbol, he is primarily working to improve the strength of the ISB and, while others are handling the propaganda element, he specializes in infiltration and subterfuge. Ship Registration Name: Class: Model: Manufacturer: Length: Armaments: Armor: Anti-Personnel Defenses: Appearance: Modifications: