A Reluctant Sith

Chap 3

K'Ahrie powered the engines off.

"Bridge," K'Ahrie said into the radio. "I don't want to have to ask a third time. Where is Captain Tuhrlach?"

"He is predisposed," was the reply. "I will inform him of your arrival as soon as he becomes available."

"Do not. I will inform him myself. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

K'Ahrie stepped off her small Imperial ship wearing the hooded, blood red robe Vader had given her as a uniform. It was a lot more cloth than she was used to, but Vader explained the need for a minimal decorum when acting as a representative of The Emperor. In non-combat settings.

She reached down and confirmed both lightsabers were where they should be, hanging from her belt under the outer robe. One on each side. The hood was up and hung down over her face slightly.

She knew her way around a Star Destroyer. Where everyone slept and did their jobs. How everything worked. All of its secrets.

She walked across the hangar on her way to the office of the head of security. Opening doors with a wave of her hand, she walked down corridors, turned corners, and rode a lift up four decks. She passed crew members who stepped aside, not knowing how to react. Other than to be fearful. An emotion she enjoyed in others.

She opened the door to the security office. Walked in and past several officers in their black and gray uniforms and a couple stormtroopers to open the locked door of Commander Tirigard's office.

Tirigrad jumped from his chair behind his desk and shouted, "Who in the hells are you?"

K'Ahrie passed through the open doorway, closed and relocked the door behind her. She activated the privacy screen on the window into the outer office and it turned solid white.

Commander Tirigard had short black hair starting to grey around the edges. Physically fit, his physique pushed out the straight lines of the uniform. A man who had seen violent action and knew how to handle himself.

He was dressed in the black and gray uniform that K'Ahrie found relentlessy boring. Except for the red and blue on his rank plaque. Vader had told her that Sidious would never allow any non-conforming colors to contaminate his military apparatus. She was grateful that this uniform Vader had given her wasn't all black and gray.

The office was also all black and gray. Meticulously clean. Nothing out of place. A black desk in the middle of a gray office. A gray metallic floor. Gray metallic walls. Nothing that was not gray or black. Hideous.

"I said ... " Tirigard was cutoff as K'Ahrie, still standing at the door across the room, pushed him back into his chair. His eyes widened. "My ... uh, my apologies." Vader always told her the proper application of the Force, will always force respect.

She pulled her hood back. Tirigard's eyes got even wider. His fear was like an aphrodisiac to her. At least there would be aspects of enjoyment in her new career path.

"You are expecting me," K'Ahrie said as she sat down in the chair in front of Tirigard's desk. "Tell me what was not in your reports."

Tirigard reached under the desk and pushed a button. The office lighting turned blue indicating snooping countermeasures were engaged. He spun around his in chair, pressed a hidden button on the wall and a black pad appeared. He put the palm of his hand on it and a square on the wall popped open. He pulled out a thick folder of paper and slid it across the desk.

"I dare not put this in any of the systems the Captain or his loyalists have access to. The report I submitted was through a secret encrypted Fleet channel reserved for us security leads. Ship captains are unaware it exists."

K'Ahrie leaned forward and started looking through the stack. Page by page. Scanning and processing.

"You suspect only three co-conspirators?" K'Ahrie asked.

"On an Imperial Star Destroyer, people obey their Captain's orders," Tirigard said. "He is able to order tasks without explaining anything. I merely suspect these three are fully aware of what is going on. And profiting. Everyone else is following orders. They do not question. Nor do they ever let doubt enter their minds."

"But you did. Let doubt enter your mind."

"Those in my position, some would call political officers. I report to the Captain. I, unless otherwise instructed, follow his orders. However, unbeknownst to Fleet Captains, we also report to Admiral Hiroti of Fleet Security. My job is to question everything that goes on on this ship. I enforce security of both this ship and the Fleet. My report to the Admiral was part of my job. Captain Tuhrlach has gone rogue. And the three I name there, may be involved. But, please confirm my suspicions before ... before ..."

"I understand, Commander. Lord Vader would not be happy with me if I just went about throwing The Emperor's trained and experienced naval officers out of airlocks for no justifiable reason."

Tirigard swallowed hard.

"Where is Tuhrlach now?" K'Ahrie asked.

The screen on the right wall lit up and both turned to see it. A hangar. Tuhrlach stood with twelve stormtroopers as three small ships slid into the hangar from the vacuum of space.

"Pirates," K'Ahrie said. "Do you know which faction?"

"Clan Gobbor," Tirigard replied. "Tuhrlach has propped them up in this system. Protecting them while telling the system's native populations and leadership that he is doing everything he can to stop them. Weapons. Medicine. Food. Raw natural materials. Slaves. You'll see them unload a couple dozen women they've kidnapped. And will trade them for those crates of Imperial weapons on the left there. Tuhrlach will then trade the women to pirates in another system. Each time taking a cut off the top of every transaction."

"Are there other ... captives ... on this ship?"

"Eight, in the brig. Going to the same group these will."

"And the stormtroopers just play along?" Asked K'ahrie.

"A stormtrooper's life is not to wonder why ..."

"They're not clones," K'Ahrie said. "But, I understand." Some part of her felt sad for the mindless servitude of stormtroopers. She understood it, though. In part. "Which hangar?"

"Opposite the one you landed in."

K'Ahrie stood up. "After I'm gone," she said. "File a full report. Include what you see happen in the hangar. Arrest those three. You are correct in your suspicions. Some one in a proper military uniform will be along to retrieve them. Do you trust the third in command?"

"Yes," Tirigard said as he stood. "Are you not staying?"

"I am going to remove the problem from this ship. And then I will deal with the clans. And then I will visit with the Admiral with whom Tuhrlach is sharing his ill-gotten gains."

Tirigard's eyes went wide, again. "There are five clans over seven systems."

"Yes," K'Ahrie said. "And they have picked the wrong Emperor to steal from. Also, make sure those women and the people you have in the brig are transported home. And do that before you send your report. Understand?"

"I do."

"I will leave my ship here, but those following will know what to do with it."

"Understood."

"You have done an excellent job, Commander. I will make sure your loyalty is so noted in my report to Lord Vader."

"Thank you, ma'am," Tirigard said as he snapped to attention.

K'Ahrie slid the hood up over her face, opened the door as she turned and walked out, on her way to meet an unsuspecting Captain Tuhrlach and a group of pirates. The door to Tirigard's inner-office closed and locked behind her."