Shadows of Bankor

Time was a luxury the Inquisitor did not have, between training his new secret apprentice and his work tracking down Oraka he had little time to spend with the agent… not that he desired spending time with her but he did find her presence soothing.

Having moved his operations to the surface he had requisitioned a luxury apartment in the Hypermatter Foundry region, this was probably meant to be some executive retreat but he assumed they would not mind him using it for himself. If they did, he would just kill them.

He had sent a message to his agent that he requested her presence, he was eager to hear what she had learned as she was quickly becoming a trusted confidante.

And trust was a dangerous thing.

Trust was indeed a dangerous weapon to be playing with, and Dove had been doing that for the past weeks. But she knew that the most important step to actually being a double agent like this meant she had to work to earn his trust.

... That Oraka Hin had eluded her was both a good thing and a bad thing in that regard. She'd spent so many days crawling through Jaklu looking for info, but the old Jedi seemed to stay a step ahead. For now she let her frustation about it sink in more than her relief, as she headed up to the luxury apartment.

Coming straight from the Nerf, she wore her leather jacket over the form-fitting white suit. The elevator gave a ping to announce her arrival before she stepped inside.

The door slides open allowing her entry into the rather luxurious apartment with a beautiful view of the skyline and parts of the underside of the Dictator patrolled by Tie Fighters.

The Inquisitor stood by a window admiring the view.

"My Lord," she said softly as she stepped up to join him by his side, putting a hand on her hip as she looked to the view.

"Credit for your thoughts?"

"Why does Oraka elude me," he said.

Jumping right to the hard questions. "I... I'm sorry I haven't been able to pin down his location, my Lord." The old man was probably really good at this thing if he had avoided all this time after the order came to take out the Jedi.

"Having spent so much time going through the towns and cities, I wouldn't be surprised if he's now hiding in the bottom of the Wound, or on top of some remote mountain." Are you sure he's even still on the planet?

“I see. Do you know this mechanic?” he said turning and presenting a holo of Djanik. “He was spotted speaking with this young pantoran girl we have identified as Veras Boz. Farm girl lives near Jaklu, her home was lost to a fire and her family has vanished.”

“Find this girl and I believe we will find Oraka, I can feel it,” the Inquisitor responded. “And yes I know you spoke with her, so in a way you have granted us this opportunity.”

OOC: Using 4 Threat earned here: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=428&start=25#p8488

Dove narrowed her eyes in thought at the picture of Djanik. "I've seen him around. Won't be hard to find."

The next part was a bit surprising. "... Have you been watching me, my Lord?" she asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling up at him.

There was a lengthy pause and then he said, "Not specifically."

"You're cute when you're being coy," she chuckled, her fingers tapping lightly against his shoulder. "I didn't know you missed my presence that much when I'm not here..."

He turned to look at her through the visor and said, “I do have a need for your presence, Dove, Dove Gray.”

He brushed her cheek with his metallic hand and said, “It is those that are closest to us that need the shortest blades.”

Her cheek leaned into his touch. "Have I not proven loyal to you, my Lord?" she spoke in a soft tone, eyes closing as she placed her other hand over his metallic ones.

"Or do you wish for me to attend to your needs more...?"

“Everyone is proven loyal until they are not, betrayals happen because we believe they are impossible,” he responded. He considered his next words and said, “It is not my needs I am seeking satisfied, but your companionship.”

"Of course," she nodded, understanding. "I can't even grasp how hard it must be for you, to have all this responsibility on your shoulders."

"And it must get lonely, no...?" The hand that had been on his shoulder moved to touch his mask.

The Inquisitor considered his reply and said, “Power is feared, it isolates the powerful from the weak. I am not sure if it is loneliness or simply the way things are. Those that fear me, hate me, will seek to do harm to me through those that I care about.”

"My lord," both hands framed the sides of his mask now, but she didn't remove it yet. "You needn't worry for me. I'm not afraid of those who wish to hurt me in an effort to hurt you."

"They are right to fear you, for you are powerful. But they should also admire and respect your dedication... your resilience for having overcome all the pain to be here today."

“Before I could be an Inquisitor, Lord Vader took my arm and my hand, a reminder of what sacrifices I would have to make for the greater good. Pain is a constant for any Inquisitor,” he responded calmly.

Her eyes fell to the mechanical arm, her expression turning thoughtful. For her it didn't seem right to do things like that. "I thought it was the Jedi who had hurt you so... and it was why you hated this Oraka so much. I see now..."

He didn't seem like the type of man who wanted sympathy.

"Are you worried he would... kill me?"

“That is the least of our concerns, Dove,” he said honestly.

“Oraka is simply a symbol of weakness, when he is purged then my commitment to the Dark Side will be complete. My power will grow, second only to Lord Vader. Even the fact that he eludes only adds fuel to my strength.”

“There will come a day when even Lord Vader will falter, and we shall be that much closer to absolute power,” he said placing the cold metallic hand on her cheek once more.

How did this power even matter to someone like her? She couldn't use it. At most she was only as good as her gear and her preparation. These mystic powers weren't for people like her.

"Isn't that line of thinking treason, my lord? To hope for your superiors to falter, for you to strike them down?" she questioned the logic he was presenting.

"The Dark Side only rewards the strongest and most ruthless, this is the way of things," he said calmly.

She stepped back a little, giving him a sceptical look. "Shouldn't you then be concerned about those below you, that might wish to bring you down and take your place? There are many sharks circling you in that regard."

Dove Gray wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 03, 2020 9:53 pm

She stepped back a little, giving him a sceptical look. "Shouldn't you then be concerned about those below you, that might wish to bring you down and take your place? There are many sharks circling you in that regard."

That elicited laughter and he said, “There are many sharks, some work alongside me even now hunting the same threats just waiting for me to show weakness so they can earn favor in the eyes of Lord Vader. Should I be worried about you, Dove, Dove Gray?”

“Here I thought you were on my side, for I am surely on yours.”

"I am more concerned about those indulging themselves and their own interests, who might attempt to overthrow you to protect themselves, my Lord," Dove retorted. "I have seen your power, and have no ambition to pursue an attempt to take your place. I am on your side."

She continued, to cast more light on the others. "I heard word that the Lady Inquisitor lost valuable prisoners some weeks ago - if anything, she is in a vulnerable position to recover from such a failure, because I can't imagine the Admiral is too cheery about that. Likewise, I've personally seen Captain Hrugos use his position to cover up his own personal affairs. It's that kind of people I am more concerned about, my Lord, for your safety."

"When Oraka dies I will see to cutting some loose ends," he replied confidently.